If it’s not an indiscreet question, what do you teach?
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Medieval and Renaissance English literature, and fantasy/SF (when I’m not teaching freshman writing and intro to literature)!
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January update:
I’m back at it, and have logged a lot of words over the past three days. I expect to do a good deal of writing over the next few weeks before classes start up again for spring semester. Lots of little branches and callbacks make progress through the outline slow even when I’m getting lots of words down, but I’m having fun.
I think the most important thing I’ve learned writing these games is that the fun of writing is the right now, the being in progress, not when it’s all done. It’s hard to remember that when I’m on day four of writing a scene in which the MC looks out the window and you just want to get on with plot, but I’m always working to make sure that every single sentence I write is interesting or funny or amusing or something. I don’t want any bit of this game to feel like connective tissue or workmanlike or filler, or the choice that I am less interested in. Because that shows, I think. That’s the advice I would most want new writers to absorb.
So I’m writing a lot every day, but I’m not getting too hung up on time, because that more than anything else makes me not enjoy the process. I expect to have Chapter Four done some time during Spring semester–when precisely I have no idea, but some time.
I am just now writing a scene in which
the MC meets two new characters who are proving to be new favorites of mine to write, Robin Fraude and Melora Sham, visitors to Merryweather Manor.
The man has a rather jowly, hangdog look about him. He wears a U-shaped russet mustache, and he has prominant bags under his eyes. He gazes around him as he walks, chin thrust forward and swaggering a bit as if hoping to show the universe that he is not to be messed with. He wears a much-patched suit that looks like it might once have been light gray but now has been weatherstained to a murky brown.
The woman at his side is rather smaller, with blonde curly hair, a drab-colored dress with a white belt, and long white gloves. She has a sly and vaguely amused expression on her face as if she had just thought of a good pun. She wears a small hat with a white silk flower in it, and glasses with a hexagonal frame, which is most striking. She skips once or twice as she walks.
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Why, I trust them already! Do they, perchance, have unique, time-sensitive investment opportunities with INCREDIBLE return on investment I might take advantage of?
And write at your own pace. You’re writing satire, if you’re not enjoying doing it then it won’t come out as good.
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Robin Fraude, huh? Any relation to Sigmund Fraude?
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I think they’re the thrice-removed cousin of Lord de Ceet. Scamuel de Ceet.
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@Gower sorry for bothering but I’ve been thinking about something…. Will this book be an homage to Tally Ho which in itself is an homage to Jeeves and Wooster? Cause if I looked at the small crumbs you have given us from book 1 that seemed (and I use that word VERY loosely here) to be the case.
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It’s sort of a reverse Jeeves and Wooster, where the shenanigan’er is the valet instead of the employer.
EDIT: Actually, if I recall correctly, Gower literally said that the premise of the game was “what if instead of being Jeeves, you were WOOSTER?”
I think it’s because it’s easier to write a game where you’re Jeeves than one where you’re Bertram. After all, Bertram doesn’t really fix any problems or solve anything, it’s Jeeves that does that, and while that’s massively entertaining as normal fiction, it’s no so great as interactive fiction (“you fail at everything and someone has to fix all your screw-ups” is not a particularly attractive premise when the “you” isn’t just one of the characters but actually YOU). You’ll note that the Jolly Good Person is far more competent than Bertram, to the point that Fitzie actually asks for your help for her matchmaking mission.
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True, but it’s also (this might get confusing) but since this book series focused more on the employer wouldn’t it be more plausible that this is more of an homage of Jeeves and Wooster than the original homage to Jeeves and Wooster ? (Since In Tally Ho we’re seeing the servant’s POV while in Jeeves and Wooster we mostly follow Bertie)
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They sound delightful! I have a sudden urge to give them all my money. Are they perhaps in want of a loan?
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Oh, I’m SURE they couldn’t put you to the trouble. No, not in the least. If you insist on such generosity, then you simply MUST accept some kind of collateral, like this pearl necklace, which they don’t know how much is worth but it should be far above the value of the loan. Now, if you would just sign this receipt…
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Well… if you choose to be competent. I’m pretty sure majority of the playerbase played this game just because they want to cause chaos not be the utterly perfect paragon.
They’re not named Periwinkle so it’s safe to say they’re here to cause OTHER types of mischief
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That’s certainly one of the big draws for me. Probably the only game I’ve ever played where failure was actually fun, so I actively sought it out (on some characters, not all of them).
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That you’re working to make sure that every sentence that you write is interesting,funny,amusing “or something” really shows. Jolly Good-Cakes and ale is “only” in second place in my list of all-time favorite CoG/HG games, but I think it has the best writing by far out of all the CoG/HGs and certainly the funniest writing, it’s one of the few who are actually laugh out loud-funny. So I think you winning the price for best writing was extremely well deserved, I personally think you should have won the price for best Interactive Fiction that year as well, but it’s good to see that you at least get some of the recognition you deserve.
OK,I’ll stop gushing about it and just say that you spending as much time making sure each part is really good in writing JG-tea and scones as you did in writing JG-cakes and ale, makes me hopeful that this game can be another great entry in this series and I’m really looking forward to the finished product.
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You can’t leave a man hanging like this, what’s first place?
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Life of a wizard. Lucid is my favorite authors out of all the CoG/HG authors, I really enjoy his RPG-y style, and I love the Life of a…concept, playing wizards(and I have to admit, the chance to eventually become extremely powerful), and also getting the chance to play a non-human character(something that very few other COG/HG offers,unfortunately and when they do, it’s usually werewolves and vampires, instead of “classical” fantasy races, which are my preference) So it ticks off, if not all, at least most of my “boxes”.
JG-cakes and ale is on second place by merit of the aformentioned great writing, being very funny and the way it makes it easy to play several kinds of characters and getting into character with them, instead of just self-inserting. Having plenty of interesting characters and good plotting doesn’t hurt either. And I don’t mind mentioning that I really like the books of Wodehouse, so getting the chance to play a COG inspired by his books is something that really appeals to me.
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I like Wodehouse too, but for some reason I can only take his stuff in small doses - the short stories amuse me no end, the novels start to wear me out. I think it’s because his characters are a little too caricatured for my tastes. I like a tad bit more genuine warmth and feeling. Jolly Good has done really well on that front so far!
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There’s actually a book in the Jeeves series which you might like. It’s not a “pure” Wodehouse book due to it being an homage to Wodehouse but it was written with permission from the Wodehouse estate (I think it was also commissioned by the estate too). The book is called, Jeeves and the Wedding bells and from the reviews I’ve seen it certainly way more sincere and a gentler take on the beloved Wodehouse characters. It’s the last book in the series and it’s recommended to read the other books before reading this one.
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Hold on, hold on. Going for failure, while fun (heavens know I never leave my apartment through other than the window, even though my skullduggery is forever in the dumps), means you fail to help Fitzie in her larcenous and matchmaking tasks. How can you do that to them?!
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Oh man. My Fitzie romancer is a completely oblivious idiot who can’t lie, cheat or steal to save her life, but who cheerfully and enthusiastically volunteers to help him whenever he asks, and honestly tries her best every time. Also she has no idea he’s fallen for her, or her for him. It’s such a mess. I love it.
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