Heya friendos! It’s been a busy week for me, so I’ll update you on what I’ve been working. It’s once again one of those “I wanted to keep it short this week, but somehow it’s a chunky read now” newsletters. So strap in!

How Am I Doing?

I’m doing good! In the previous newsletter I was rather lethargic, but I’ve since picked up my daily walks and fasting habits again. We’ve also been blessed by some sun, which I desperately needed. Sun, exercise and healthy eating go a long way to stave off the SAD. The fact that I did that for just a week and already feel more energetic says a lot.

I also have a variety of projects going on that I really enjoy switching between. Before, it felt kind of overwhelming, but now I have a clear overview of exactly the amount of work each of them is going to take.

What Am I Doing?

I’ve published a new blog post, about how to keep procedural narrative coherent. There, we dive into what ‘procedural narrative’ actually is and some common issues game makers run into when applying it. We make a little interactive story together about Loki. Give it a read, if that sounds in any way interesting to you!

I’ve already finished the video on the same subject and have since started the video of this older blog as well. If all goes well, I’ll be able to launch them back-to-back somewhere next month! I’ll keep you posted for when those are up.

That will probably wrap up my YouTube work for the rest of the year, though I might shoot a vlog as well. It’s been a long time since the last one, and I’ve never even announced that I stopped working on Clysmoids to pursue Rumorweaver instead.

Vertical Slice

On that note, Rumorweaver is chugging along. After posting the videos, I can focus all my attention on it. After a call with a business consultant, I’ve settled on a ‘vertical slice’. That’s basically a feature-complete version of the game but with extremely limited content, that’s to serve as a demo of the vision. This will come handy in pitches and networking events, as people can actually get their hands on it and experience the concept.

The reasons I’m going for a vertical slice, as opposed to a more rudimentary prototype, are numerous:

• I want to know if we’re able to make an immersive experience with limited resources.
• I want to know if the mechanics are fun without the context of an overarching story.
• I want to experience how to create content for this game before committing to the full game’s scope.
• Features in the core design are limited and easy to develop, so it’s not that much extra work.

The vertical slice represents all the layers of the game, but cut out in such a way it’s just a single piece of what makes up the whole game. I’m currently determining exactly the amount of content that goes in there. After that, I’ll make a planning and set some sort of deadline date. Exciting!

Short Story

A few weeks back I talked about the fact I was writing a short story. I wanted it to be around 3000 words, so I could turn it into a 20-minute horror fiction podcast pilot. As of yet, I’m at 5000 words and I don’t think it will be finished before 7000.

I’ve been enjoying the process, but I wonder how people approach “less is more” when it comes to fiction, because I can’t for the life of me cut anything out to make it more comprehensive. I will probably try to make an anthology like this over the years, so I’ll try to be more concise in the next story!

So hopefully, I’ll send the draft in the next newsletter. But I also said that two weeks ago, so who knows?

Why Am I Doing? (this)

As you’ve just read, I’ve been quite busy this week. Between my historical Korean narrative game, writing stories, YouTube, general business stuff, and exercise, I didn’t have a lot of time to think about the Why of things. In a way, it’s a shame. While I do enjoy all the stuff I’m working on, finding a Why makes me remember the process. It’s kind of like an anchor, that crystalizes an abstract process into some form of reality. Perhaps finding a reason engages my thought process in such a way that I have to mindfully observe my own behavior.

You know what? I’ll try to find a Why, right now. First, why am I putting so much time into YouTube? People seem to find it useful and I enjoy cosplaying an educator. I also hope that it can somehow fund the rest of my projects in the future.

Secondly, why am I writing a short horror story? I’ve been calling myself a writer for a long time, but my credentials are a bit shoddy. That’s not impostor syndrome, mind you. I’ve just set a bar for me to pass before I’m comfortable going around telling people I’m a writer. What is that bar? Having a finished story I can send people to read. That’s either going to be this short story or a finished version of the children’s book I wrote before.

Thirdly, why am I creating a historical Korean narrative game? Now, this one I have to sit on for a bit. I have some mundane reasons that are enough to justify it for myself: a passing interest in Korean culture, a story that fits its historical setting, a loose personal connection with the country. But are those reasons enough for me as a creative person to tell a story from another culture? Is it really my story to tell? That’s a question I will have to ponder.

Alright, that’s all I’ve got time for today. Thanks for dropping by!