Projects: DSTM Visual Novel Planning

Oh boy.  I'm starting to realize just how tricky of a project this is going to be.  Let's look at the "to do" list, shall we?

• Learn how to code in Ren'Py so that I can actually write the VN.
• Write the events up to Caper's death, since that's where everything will finally start branching.  Of course, since this is all from Poe's perspective, almost all of this will be made up of completely new scenes that will require me to work on developing at least one character who got virtually no screentime in the blog.
• Figure out the general storyline for each "path."  I have an idea for what I want for the paths, but no real knowledge of how I want them to go beyond the one that Don't Shoot The Messenger eventually followed.
• Work on a general progression of "scenes."  What scenes are involved in which paths, and what scenes are part of all paths?
• Figure out what choices will need to be made along each paths.  Basically, make a flowchart for the entire game.
• Write it.  And then rewrite it, rinsing, lathering, and repeating until I'm satisfied.

And that's just the scripting.  That's without even mentioning the music (which I probably won't be able to do) and the art (which I definitely won't be able to do). After that I have to code all the images and music and sound in, learn how to manipulate those elements better in Ren'Py, and again, rinse, lather, and repeat the process until it's done.

I'm starting to wonder if this is even worth it, considering that by the time it's done, DSTM will probably be irrelevant and I don't know if the story can even stand well enough on its own.  I think it'd be an amazing story, but it has the potential to be extraordinarily dependent, meaning that the potential audience would be tiny.  Oh well.

Favorite Characters, Part 1: Ensembles

There are a lot of great characters in the realm of fiction.  Characters that, as a reader, you think "Wow, I'd love to be someone like him!"  Characters that, as a writer, you think "Wow, I'd love to write someone like her!"  Since so much of what I've written is so character-driven, I think that I'm going to take this time to go into some of my favorite characters and why I like them so much.

When putting together this list, however, I noticed one thing: some of the characters that stood out to me the most were characters that, on their own, weren't people I could put on a list.  They always stood out in a way that was supported by others. Whether it was just another character that they played off of, being part of a collective, or part of a cast that I couldn't choose one person over the rest of, I couldn't make a list of favorite characters without having to amend a "this is cheating since it's technically multiple characters" to every other entry.  Consequently, I've decided to make this first list about some of my favorite character ensembles.


1. Isaac Dian and Miria Harvent (Baccano!)

"Say, Isaac?"
"Yes, Miria my dear?"
"Why do you suppose we're first on this list?"
"Hmmm...I guess it's because we're the characters this blogger likes best!"
"Oh, wow!"

The whole cast of Baccano! is wonderful, but these two in particular are standouts.  And no, Isaac, this list isn't in any particular order.  While I obviously love Isaac and Miria (otherwise they wouldn't be on a list of my favorite characters), I can't truly say that they're my favorite two characters.  That's a distinction it'd be impossible to make.  But they're still a good place to start, as they're maybe the best example of why I can't count them as individual characters.

You see, Isaac and Miria are characters who are always together.  It's near impossible to refer to one without referring to the other.  They're so similar-minded and play off of each other so perfectly.  Sure, there are some subtle differences in their characters--Isaac's the one who "masterminds" most of the plans, and Miria often manages to somehow be the more rational of the two--but overall they're both like-minded ineffectual thieves who spread happiness all around them.

So what sort of characters are these two?  Well, if it gives you any indication, they're the first thing you see of the series in the opening theme.  The two flip a coin, and after Isaac deflates and Miria rejoices at the result, the two dress up in Headless Horseman and Santa Claus outfits to rob a store of its candy bars.  They set out to steal an entire museum, but when they decide that they've bitten off more than they can chew, decide to keep everyone out by stealing the entrance.  They go gold mining to "steal from the earth itself."  They decide to redeem themselves for their past deeds by doing some good--i.e., stealing from the Mafia so that their families won't have to fight over the money.  When someone breaks down crying in front of her, Miria's first thought is that it means she "won" the conversation.  When Isaac asks that, in all their 87 robberies, if he's ever put her in danger and Miria responds with "only 87 times," he pauses before gleefully explaining "see, it hasn't even been 100 yet!"

Overall, the two are the most bizarrely ditzy and gleeful characters that it's impossible to love them.  It's hard to explain their charm through text, so here.  Have this demonstration of what sort of characters the two are.

2. The entire cast of LOST (LOST)

LOST is a show made amazing by the characters.  The cast is so diverse, so fleshed out, so sympathetic, so changing and dynamic that the question "who's your favorite character in LOST?" will vary wildly from person to person, especially depending on how far into the show they are.  You have the Iraqi torturer who's looking for his lost love.  You have the doctor thrust unwilling into the leadership position who struggles with feelings of inferiority.  You have the has-been musician struggling with addiction and trying to become a better man for the woman he loves.  You have the former invalid who develops a deep faith and becomes something of a mystic.  And that's only four members of the huge cast.  These characters' interactions, fights, and reconciliations are what result in the best moments of the show.  You feel for every single one of the characters, since they're all, well, lost.  Not just in the literal sense that they're castaways, but in the sense that they all need to find who they are.

No, you're not going to like every character.  You're not going to love the same characters the whole time through.  During the early parts of the first season, you will probably love Jack and Kate and you will hate Sawyer.  By the last seasons, you will probably love Sawyer and hate Jack and Kate.  It's a show that has a lot of great characters, but ask someone to pick a favorite character, and the answer will almost always be "oooh, that's a tough one."

By the way, the correct answer is "Probably Charlie or Hurley.  I can pick two, right?"

3. The crew of the Serenity (Firefly)

These Big Damn Heroes make the list with ease.  This, like LOST, is another show where pretty much the entire cast gets a spot, though I don't feel as bad since the cast is so much smaller.  Every one of these characters is loveable in their own right, but the true joy is seeing the family they form.  They all have very distinct personalities that compliment each other very well, and as a crew in general, they're probably the best one I've seen.  Sure, One Piece is kind of similar, having lots of colorful characters and a diverse crew with specific personalities and talents, but it just doesn't blend as well as Firefly's.

Every one of the crew members switches easily between playful banter and complete seriousness (save River, though that's due to the fact that she's mentally unhinged), and they somehow manage to be simultaneously very human and larger than life, resulting in something that is fully loveable.

4. Shishio Makota and the Juppongatana/Ten Swords (Rurouni Kenshin)

These guys are all fairly solid characters, and a lot of them have well-rounded backstories, but as an ensemble, they're maybe not as strong in the "character" department as some of the other entries on this list.  They're included here mostly for their designs.

I've talked before about the villain designs in Rurouni Kenshin, and while pretty much all of the villains are pretty fun, the Juppongatana are probably the best.  They're all highly varied in how they act and what they do, from the weak but loyal adviser, to the burly monk who can punch through stone, to the crossdressing guy with the giant scythe, to the blind assassin with superhuman hearing.  While I'm not going to go too in-depth into them, I'd also like to give special mention to the final villains of the series, who are pretty cool as well.  This pick for me is definitely style over substance, but that's okay at times, right?

5. Pretty much all of Katawa Shoujo's side characters (Katawa Shoujo)

Katawa Shoujo had some really great main characters, and you'll get to see at least one of them again on one of these "Favorite Characters" lists.  But today I'm going to be talking about the side characters.  No, they're not technically an ensemble since most of them don't interact, but it's impossible not to love every single side character in Katawa Shoujo (except for Hideaki, who's very boring).

There's the paranoid, femenist-hating Kenji, who's pictured here.  He's easily become the most popular of the side characters, and for good reason.  There's Lilly's carefree and cool older sister, the suited Akira, who at one point in a conversation about how life can suck, casually remarks that she wishes she smoked so that she could look cool by taking a drag of a cigarette.  There's the perpetually clumsy and apologetic Yuuko, who works a few jobs in town to pay for her college tuition and, despite her hard work, tends to fail miserably.  Shizune's abrasive father, Jigoro, who will openly insult you and offers to "help you suck less."  The nurse known only as "Nurse," who will constantly hit on the protagonist solely to tease Emi.  Almost every prominent side character is a joy to encounter

While most of them are fairly flat characters, we get some glimpses that indicate that there's definitely some depth to them.  Yuuko and Kenji are subtley implied to have had a relationship in the past.  Akira's carefree attitude is largely a front that hides that she's bitter and jaded from essentially being abandoned by her parents.  Jigoro is implied to, despite his near-abusive behavior, actually love his kids quite a bit.

Also worth pointing out: despite Hideaki being about the most boring character in the game, he and Akira have a great dynamic together.  So much so to the point that I was shipping them...up until the point I found out they were cousins.  Whoops.


So those are some of my favorite character ensembles.  Be sure to stay tuned for when I go into more of my favorite (individual) characters at a later date!

Writing: Why I Currently Hate "Warrior, Wizard"

Step 1: Listen to audiobook that mentions elves/fairies/the fey/some other name that means the same thing.  Hear a reference in the text that mentions how the people are strong with magic, but have frail and physically weak bodies.  Think of the Linear Warriors, Quadratic Wizards trope.

Step 2: Think of how that form of development might cause some tension between a warrior and a wizard.  Begin to formulate the concept.  Decide to use anachronic order and solidify the characters a bit.  Smile as things start falling into place.

Step 3: Start writing.  Realize I have no idea where to start.  Start at the beginning and decide to go roughly chronological, at least at first.  Brainstorm and make a list of scenes that I want to include.  Smile as the plot starts to actually take form.

Step 4: Make it through the first scene and start on the second.  Struggle with it.  Spend a lot of sessions opening it but not making any sort of progress whatsoever.  Tear my hair out over it.

Step 5: Work on actually developing the magic system some more.  Get the basics down.  Take pride in the fact that the development is moving past "Fire Emblem class system ripoff."  Use the inspiration to launch myself back into the project.  Feel my excitement build as I open up the document.   ...Find myself moving barely five sentences forward as I try to slog through the thoughts.

Step 6: Try again.  Cheer as the world starts falling into place a bit.  Press through the difficulty of starting and get in the groove.  Find out more about my magic system as I write (like the entire empathy system, which I hadn't thought to add).  Finish the scene.  Stand up and raise my fists in the air in triumph.  Uncork the champagne bottle.  Drinks all around!  It's a time for celebration!  Take pride in knowing that, now that I'm on a roll, the rest should write itself.  Smile smugly while sitting in my fancy recliner, dressed in my most pretentious robe and smoking five pipes at once.

Step 7: Move on to the next scene and instantly experience a complete writer's block as I realize that I really have no idea what the missions my characters take on will be like and that I don't even know if I'm going to include non-human races in my world.

Yaaaaaaaaay....

Anachronic Order

I'm currently working on a short story/novella called "Warrior, Wizard," which is about two friends (who are, as you may have guessed, a weapons user and a magic user) who end up struggling with the growth of their strength at different times.  It's based around the concept of "Linear Warriors, Quadratic Wizards," or the fact that in gaming (and other forms of media, but this is most noticeable in tabletop and video gaming), warrior classes develop at a steady rate while wizard classes start weak but become insanely powerful.

This is a different discussion altogether, though.  I could go on about it, but all that's really important to know is that I'm writing a story where one character always feels like they can't compare to the other, but the balance shifts halfway through.

When I set out to write this story, I knew from the beginning that I didn't want to tell it in chronological order.  I wanted to show that, as much as my mage struggled with feeling inferior at first, my fighter felt just as inferior later on.  I didn't want a gradual shift but a side-by-side comparison.  And so I set out experimenting with anachronic order.

Anachronic order, or rather, nonlinear order, can make for a wonderful storytelling device.  It can be used wonderfully a lot of different ways for a lot of different reasons.  In "Warrior, Wizard," it's to show that the two aren't really as different as they think and that both have their periods of feeling inadequate.  It provides a sense of dramatic irony.  While the mage feels like she's a burden when she needs saving, the audience knows that she's the one saving the fighter a few years down the road.  It plays the two dynamics against each other.

I'm not entirely certain how I'm going to tell the story quite yet, though I'm leaning towards finding an important event near the middle of the timeline and working forwards and backwards from there.  How I'm writing it, however, is chronological order.  It's maybe not as fun to write, but I think that I'll need to in order to figure out what exactly it is that happens so that, when I'm working on the order of the segments, I can refer to past events that have happened in-story.  It'll be less fun, but will also mean less rewriting.

But let's look at some other bits of media that have already used the device.  Four, to be exact: a movie, a live-action TV show, an anime, and a book.  All from different mediums (though you could make an argument for television being the same medium, even though one is animated and one live-action), all from different genres.  All use the device in a different way, but all to wonderful effect.

The first one I want to talk about is Memento.  Memento is a movie about a man who, after an injury following the death of his wife, loses the ability to make new memories.  The movie actually has two interspersed timelines: one moving forwards that consists mostly of the protagonist giving exposition, and one moving backwards, which details most of the action in the film.  The timeline moving backwards shows us exactly what is going to happen, but since most of the scenes begin in medias res (or "in the midst of things"), we're not left wondering what's going to happen, but how it's going to happen, and how the current scene will lead into the previous one.  Not only does the narrative choice make the movie interesting, it's stylistic.  The story is told in anachronic order to mimic the protagonist's short-term memory loss.  In each scene, we only know as much as the protagonist does at the time.

The next one is LOST, that show about the people who land on an island and then there's mystery and more mystery and magic and science and what's that in the woods and time travel and so on and so forth.  As easy as the show is to poke fun at for its convoluted plot (and its inability to get around to answering questions and its constant dropping of plotlines and WAAAAAAAAALT and so on and so forth), I absolutely love the show for two reasons.  The first is the attention given to characters.  But the second is the narrative style, which was what most people love about the show and has been imitated frequently since.  Every episode of LOST tells two stories: what's going on currently with the people on the island, and what happened in their lives to bring them to that point.  It becomes clear early on that all of the survivors of this plane crash are connected in some way.  The flashbacks are all out of order, and it's used to give you the story piece by piece.

The next story I'm going to talk about is House of Leaves, by Mark Z. Danielewski.  While there is plenty going on in this story, anachronic order is used to provide a sense of confusion.  Most of the book is framed as notes on an incomplete dissertation on a documentary.  It's unclear whether or not the documentary itself uses anachronic order (though it very well might, especially if it's interspersed with interviews that reveal the nature of the house earlier than the narrative does), the notes and dissertation perspectives are fractured, with the dissertation being compiled of bits and pieces that may not have originally been parts of the same chapters or even intended to go in the final product, while the notes seem to jump around in chronology some as well.  In House of Leaves, this adds to the general surreal feeling of the novel, where it's hard to tell what all is true or real.

But perhaps my favorite example of  anachronic order is in the anime Baccano!, which uses it masterfully.  The show begins with a young girl working with a newspaper trying to figure out how to tell the series of events surrounding the Immortals.  It takes place over three years (1930-1932).  Each year has its own arc, with 1930 focusing on the (re)creation of an Elixer of Life and a few mafia families, 1931 focusing on a multi-party train heist, and 1932 focusing on the Genoard family, with the young daughter searching for her asshole of a brother.  All three storylines are connected through the characters, and even the individual arcs themselves are told out of order.  In fact, the very first episode shows scenes from the end of each of the storylines.  Baccano! is consequently very hard to follow the first time around, but there's a point to the order the story is told in, which is explained in the very first episode: as in life, there is no true beginning to a story (in fact, the 1930 storyline actually begins in 1711), nor are there main characters.  The jumping around from period to period focusing on multiple characters emphasizes this perfectly.  A character described as "main character-ish" is only the debatable protagonist to one story (in which he's no more crucial to the plot than many other characters), and the characters with perhaps the most screentime are connected to all three plots--but largely just tangentially.

Basically, as confusing as it can be, I love anachronic order.  It's a wonderful way of framing a story, if done for the right reasons.  So now my job is to figure out what order to tell "Warrior, Wizard" best.  Randomly?  Jump around between relative stories?  From the ends to the middle?  Or, as I'm leaning towards, from the middle to the ends?  I'm probably going to go with that last one, since it will provide the most contrast.  Now I just have to write the darn thing.