I have decided that every day I work on my game, I will write 5k words. That’s 15k words a week. I don’t care if it takes me 2 hours or 10 on those days, I’m going to accomplish it. Which I did today! …in 6 hours. Now, I go collapse in bed.
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I tried to make myself write 5k words a day this month. I’m too old for that shit. 
But trying to get there restored the confidence and discipline I had lost for about a year, and I’m writing 1k+ words again easily instead of struggling to write 300 words. I would still like to write the majority of Meteoric this month and post it on March 1st, although I definitely won’t be finishing it
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Not written much this past week as still got a lot on my mind but I still want to get Chapter Two finished before I go into hospital. I’d say I’m about 80% done. Got three of the four daemons done just the final one and the second encounter with the original daemon.
But I thought I’d share something I just did this evening. Not much but I think everyone will know what will happen next…
*label beast_two_solo
*page_break An hour later.
The moon is already rising in the sky and you've still seen no sign of the daemon yet. Frustrated, you're just about to head back when you hear the daemonic howl shatter the peaceful night and you're already running after the animal that made it.
You're swiftly moving towards the ungodly howl which seems to echo through the night and as you turn onto Saint Michael's street you spot a dog bound out of the shadows and rushes straight at you, terror in its eyes.
*choice
#I immediately weave an instantaneous rune.
You weave a rune that sends a ${luminal} arrow right for the dog but something stops you at the last minute and you alter its path to hit the ground to the side of the dog who yelps and scampers right past you. Thankful you recognised that it was a normal dog you continue walking until you come across a cat sitting patiently on a window will right next to a glass bottle.
*goto beast_three_solo
#Which triggers my conditional rune.
A wall of ${luminal} energy appears in front of you but the dog simply bounds past you. Frowning you cancel the rune and you continue walking until you come across a cat calmly sitting next to a glass bottle on a window sill.
*goto beast_three_solo
#Which doesn't trigger my conditional rune.
You do nothing and the dog simply bounds past you and you carry on walking until you come across a car sitting calmly on a window sill next to a glass bottle.
*goto beast_three_solo
#I let it run past me.
You step to the side and let the scared dog bound past you. Ignoring it you carry on walking and soon come across a cat sitting on a window sill next to a glass bottle.
*goto beast_three_solo
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For real. 5000 words a day is A LOT. I’m happy if I get 1k, thrilled if I get over 2k. On the odd day I hit 5k, I celebrate. 
It’s good to have goals but most days I’m just happy with any forward momentum. 
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Writing 5k is hard! I only ever hit 5k if all I’m doing is writing that day. Today I had work off and managed it, but even on my best days off I normally hit 2k, and that’s assuming I’m feeling particularly excited about what I’m writing
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My most ever is 7k words, but my average over my 12 years of writing is definitely more like 1k. I think that’s a healthy good amount, but on good days I can even get to like 1.5k.
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2000 is a decent number yeah, I don’t generally try to reach for it, but if I reach it. I reach that point where I can “Clock out” whenever I want so to speak. At least for now, this has made it a good deal more freeing than “I need to hit 2000” something something psychology probably.
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I’m trying for 3k, but given where I am in the game, most days I just make 2k (even giving a LOT of hours to it). And I don’t beat myself up for the 1k days. This thing’s a marathon, not a sprint.
Paul Wang put up a good post on this recently where he noted that a lot of prolific authors stop at 1k a day no matter what, to keep themselves from burnout.
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@Havenstone We are old as hell. Yeah. With years at least for me is more complicated write big numbers in a day. However, I have noticed I am more consistent and I need to cut less when editing.
So it is not all bad.
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I’m pretty sure I’m physically incapable of writing 5k words in two hours 
even if I’m just retyping already-written text.
Although admittedly, last time I clocked that I was writing in Finnish, and English has shorter words. (And also uses more words to convey the same meaning, but.)
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I’m curious as to whether anyone has written 2 or more main characters with different stories in the same world during the same time & have them both ultimately be played together as a tag team, choices & powers complementing each other.
It’s something I’m currently experimenting on for my IF.
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I have not written it - I briefly tried to make a Twine based on this Tumblr post about vampires and Fae, but it got a little complicated and I got distracted with something else. But one of the best narrative games (though not IF) that I’ve played with multiple protagonists is Tales from the Borderlands where the stories of the two PCs interweave, complement, and illuminate each other. I’m not totally sure how it would feel if it was done with non-set protagonists but if you go for it, it would be very interesting to see!
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I have thought about this before. Although there’s a lot to think about when coming up with this. When you say tag team and their powers complement each other do you mean if MC 1 chooses choice A, then you allow MC 2 to choose between choice A, B, and C? If that’s the case then that would mean there are 9 possible outcomes from one tag team event, which would lead to a lot of questions of sustainability for writing it. Let’s not forget the number of possible outcomes exponentiates if you add another MC into it.
However, if you are willing to do the work for it, I think it could lead to a lot of potential customization and roleplaying aspects that people would love. If pulled off well, I could see it well rewarded!
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Oh, speaking of the wordcount-per-day thing: I tend to write 2000-4000 words per day but 4000 is very much not the usual norm. It’s interesting to see how it fluctuates - during November and early December is was more in the 3000 area, but January was generally less per day except for some high-energy outliers.
It’s important, though not to go so hard (whatever numbers that means to you) that you burn out. At the very beginning and towards the end of a project I tend to get excited and do some marathon writing sessions, but that isn’t sustainable, and shouldn’t be attempted in the long-term if you don’t have that energy - it just becomes more and more difficult and you have to rest to recover.
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True that. I once delved into writing online novels, churning out the minimum daily requirement of 1,500 words/day everyday, even on weekends, to get bonus earnings. Good thing that when I worked on Falrika the Alchemist, I took a day off per week to prevent the dreaded burnout.
While meeting daily word count quotas can be unsustainable in the long term, it also empowered me to be more efficient in my writing, especially when I create games for game jams. In my ten years’ worth of game jams, the word counts per game get higher and higher per year. And once the opportunity opens for side stories and stuff, the count gets much higher.
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Ha, yes. I once wrote a 10k-word essay in nine hours (the deadline was coming up so I kinda had to pull an all-nighter on that) and was totally spent and couldn’t write a word for a week.
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I think you might be my spirit animal. I have been complaining about this for years and it has made me reflect on future projects and what degrees of customizing to do. While readers seem to be big fans of the application, implementation is much harder than many think. At the same time I know I could do a different approach and not drive myself mad in the process, but I’m already here.
Since we were talking about combat being hard and I haven’t shared anything this month, I thought that I’d share one full round of combat (with all of the code) for a new version of a fight in my WIP. It is a lot for just a single round. I think it demonstrates my personal insanity of writing combat with so many variables.
Dawn of Heroes Chapter 13 New Pykrete Fight Spoilers
*label FightingPykreteShip
the massive hand of the man misses my head by width of a tissue. It is hard to say if the attack missed through skill or luck. Either way his speed has not increased substantially, and I need to adjust to that.
It is time to test the limits of both of us.
*choice
*if Blast
#I try to blast Pykrete
*goto ShipBlast1
*if Furrokinesis
#I pull parts from the ship to defend myself with.
*goto ShipTelekinesis1
#I grappled with the man to take him down.
*goto ShipMelee1
#I look for an opening in Pykrete's attacks.
*goto ShipDodge1
*label ShipBlast1
I shoot out a blast of ${EnergyType} point blank just for the man to dodge it, moving his head to the side. He looks at the ${EnergyType} shooting from my @{EyeBeams eyes | palm}, his face that of surprise. Now that my hand is so close it feels like the midday summer sun against my body. The heat of Pykrete is disconcerting.
As I go to move my arm to compensate his movement he is already moving. I continue to adjust to his speed @{(P1Speed >= (PykreteFireSpeed - 10)) and keep up better than would hope. | and struggle to do so.} He quickly moves behind me as a gust of cold erupts from his fists, the a visible blue light accompanies the attack as the deck below me snap freezes.
*if Flying
*goto ShipFlight1
The friction is stripped from my feet in an instant. My balance is tested as I turn to try and keep the man in front of me, but as a wave crashes against the side of the ship I fall to the deck. In desperation I fire ${EnergyType} at the man and @{((P1Speed - 5) >= PykreteFireReflex) hit him in the check. | crash into the ground without getting close.} I slam into the ground with the weight of gravity forcing a grunt. The frozen deck burns my skin even through my costume.
I melt the icy deck with more ${EnergyType} application and scramble to my feet. @{((P1Speed - 5) >= PykreteFireReflex) Pykrete groans as he stands too. My Hail Mary paid off, if only to put us both on an equal footing and now there is distance between us. He dashes forward taking a direct path to me. | The man is already dashing at me.}
*goto AegisIntercept1
*label ShipFlight1
I float off the deck, negating Pykrete's tactic. As he brings up both fists to fire at me, I am already flying backwards as I blast him with my own attack. @{(P1Blast >= PykreteFireToughness) The force of the attack hits him with enough vigor that he cries out in pain. | } The ${BlastName} knocks him from his feet and drives him back across the deck.
Eventually he rolls out of the way of my attack using superspeed. He stands just as quickly before charging at me.
*goto AegisIntercept1
*label ShipTelekinesis1
I reach out with my telekinesis and latch onto the railing of the ship before tearing it free. I throw the naturally sharp scrap pipe at the man as I rip off more prepare to throw it. Pykrete's response it to catch the metal as he would do Lugh's spear, freezing the pipe and uses the first one to knock the second and third ones from the air.
He throws the first pipe back at me before I catch it with the same telekinesis that threw it at him to begin with. As I catch the pipe, I notice the massive hand of Pykrete heading for my face. @{(((P1Reflex - 5) >= PykreteFireSpeed) or Instincts) I sidestep the attack and let his momentum carry him past me. | Before I can avoid it, the hand wraps around my head before he slams me headfirst into the deck.}
*if not(((P1Reflex - 5) >= PykreteFireSpeed) or Instincts)
*goto ReturnFight
The heat of the man's fist feels like it is burning the air of my lungs. With the pipe still within my telekinetic grasp I take advantage of the opening.
*if ((P1Telekinesis + 10) >= PykreteFireToughness)
The pipe pushes through his stomach, and I lift his body off the ground using the pipe I lodged in him. With a thought I throw him across the deck.
*else
Even with the set up I am unable to push the sharp pipe through his tough skin. As the man turns to continue his attack, I wrap the pip around the man's wrist. Using his new bracelet, I throw him across the deck with the telekinesis.
The Pykrete rips away the metal @{((P1Telekinesis + 10) >= PykreteFireToughness) and the wound immediately sealed, cauterized on the spot. | using his superhuman strength.} He grits his teeth before charging at me.
*goto AegisIntercept1
*label ShipMelee1
I step in and redirect his opening punch @{(Instincts or HasMartialArts) off pure instinct. | with luck.} I swing back and the man dodges the blow at the last moment, showing off more of his super speed. @{(P1Speed > (PykreteFireSpeed - 15) I'll need to show him that he isn't the only one that can move fast. | He is not going to make this fight easy.} I slip under his high backhand and slide to the other side of the brute.
*if HasMartialArts
This time I aim lower, delivering body blows that are much harder to maneuver away from. @{(P1Strength >= (PykreteFireToughness - 10)) Pykrete's eyes wince from the blow and my hands hurt more than to be expected. Not only is his skin tougher than anything I have hit before, but it burns my knuckles on impact. | It feels like I am punching a steel tree that's on fire. My knuckles burn and my arm feels like it just finished a ten-day workout.} The change in stance projects his next action telling me where I need to be next.
I reposition myself as the man swings back and I @{Flight fly a few feet | jump} off the ground to let gravity assist me as I swing with a diving straight.
*if (P1Strength >= (PykreteFireToughness - 20))
The blow hits him with the force of a sledgehammer, sending him stumbling away from me. Steam rises from the blood that now coats the deck.
I do not give him a chance to recover before my shin strikes his knee. Once Pykrete kneels, I smash my other knee into his face, and I feel the snap of his nose. The attack forces the man's body to slide across the deck. He quickly recovers and gets to his feet.
*else
His head moves, but I hear a pop in my fist and a pain rushes through my arm greater than before. With a single punch to my gut, I am driven away several feet.
*else
I hope to end the fight with a single blow as I swing high again and the man continues to avoid the attacks, but every time I swing a little faster. @{(P1Speed > (PykreteFireSpeed - 5)) He is only able to keep up his dodging skills for so long until I finally land a blow. Knocking his sunglasses from his face I can finally see the entirety of his glare. Who wears sunglasses at night? | Yet before I can finally land a blow his palm catches my fist.}
*if (P1Speed > (PykreteFireSpeed - 5))
@{(P1Strength >= (PykreteFireToughness - 10)) Blood shoots from Pykrete's mouth and the man reals. I go in for a follow up attack, but he counters. | I only manage to knock the man's head to the side, but instead it is my arm that feels like it was hit. With little emotion the man swings back.}
*if ((P1Reflex + 5) >= PykreteFireSpeed) or (((P1Reflex + 20) >= PykreteFireSpeed) and Instincts)
I dodge the attack at the last moment as I leap away at the last moment avoiding the jaw breaking uppercut.
*else
His fist crashes into my jaw with enough force that I go airborne and land on the soaked deck. Without a thought I roll up to my feel before assessing for damage
Pykrete lets out a yell as he charges at me.
*goto AegisIntercept1
*label ShipDodge1
I try to leap away and gain some distance from the man, but his super human speed makes it futile. @{((P1Speed + 10) >= PykreteFireSpeed) I might be faster than him, but not when moving backwards and I would rather keep Pykrete in front of me than test which of us is faster. | There is no way that I can outrun Pykrete.} The man swings but I can tell where it is going and lean back to avoid the attack. That is when his trap activated.
With my feet now planted I have nowhere to run for his flying knee attack.
*if (HasMartialArts or Instincts) or ((P1Relfex - 15) >= PykreteFireSpeed)
Or so he thinks. I continue the motion of my leaning dodge and turn it into a backflip, kicking the man between his legs. I land on the ground and my toes scream at me over the attack, but not as bad at Pykrete who collapses to a knee.
He looks at me in a blind rage and it suddenly feels like I am nearing the surface of the sun. With a blood curdling yell he charges at me.
*else
The attack slams into my solar plex with the force of a sledgehammer. I am knocked back several feet before my body stops sliding over the deck. I scramble to my feet but the brute is already charging at me!
*label AegisIntercept1
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Well, this WIP fits that bill pretty well. There’s not much of it though
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Also Become mortal and These reluctant years
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Today is an outlining day for me. I’ve caught up to a lot of my previous outline for the RO romances. I always feel weird writing outlines because it makes me want to fast forward to when I’m at the end, which is why I only write outlines for the most immediate RO-specific parts I need to make.
…which is the opposite of how I’m treating the main story, because that’s been outlined for years now, with space for IF-specific changes ofc
5 Likes