Hello, all. I really hope this isn’t taboo, but I’m brand new to the forums and excited about getting involved in the CoG writing community, so I thought I would just introduce myself right quick.
I’m a self-published author of several novels as well as some nonfiction and children’s humor books. Like most of you, I’m an avid fan of the classic CYOA books and after discovering that there is still a market for that kind of storytelling I couldn’t wait to turn my creative attention towards the goal of producing some of it myself!
So far I’ve only dabbled with the various options out there. I wrote a little in Inkle, a little in Squiffy, a little in CS. I have also read a few CoG games, some gamebooks (like Fighting Fantasy, etc.), and some modern “traditional” CYOA books. I enjoy aspects of each kind of format.
CoG is great because it allows for more in-depth, character-centric stories–although it tends to feel a bit more on-rails upon re-playing.
Gamebooks are awesome because they give you a sense of agency that the other formats don’t, as you are responsible for rolling dice, picking up items, etc. Unfortunately, it can mean a lot of record-keeping which can be very tedious.
CYOA books are fun because they are usually light and airy, they don’t take long to get through, and you can have wildly different experiences depending on the choices you make. However the enjoyment wears off pretty quickly, too, as the stories tend to be very shallow, or you end up feeling like you’re just choosing things at random without any sense of who your character is.
I am excited about writing a game in CS and seeing how it works out, but as in every aspect of my life I want to push the boundaries a bit. I want to experiment with the conventions of interactive fiction and see what kinds of interesting stories are possible.
I know it takes a while to write and produce a game on here, but I’m determined to see it through. I’m sure that being a part of this active community of writers and fans will be a huge help in keeping the spark alive. I’m looking forward to getting to know you all! Thanks for reading. See you all around!
Wait…phrasing.
See all of you around.
There, that’s better.
Best,
Robert
