Unless she’s severely depressed or something, I’d expect someone in that age bracket to have some goals for her own life at least, even if it’s just “I want to be able to play videogames all day”.
4 Likes
Work on my promotion out of certain-to-die-redshirt rank.
8 Likes
Non-sass answer: I’d be a holosuite fiend - swimming, stargazing, sitting in trees, all without bugs. If this includes wishful thinking where we get to be friends with the main cast, then also playing out sherlock mysteries with Picard. Also spending a ton of time at the bar listening to Guinan talk.
Sass answer: transferring to DS9 where I belong 
Also seconding what @JBento said - can’t be an ensign expendable.
4 Likes
Cerritos or bust!
8 Likes
This! Completely changed Yvette’s characterization lol I have her first version to be the ‘growing up too fast’ trope because she and her sister lost their parents, she’s the responsible one. So she’s a total girl-boss type.
But now it changed to someone perfect for her and fits with the rest of the cast. Thanks for that, I like her new version better.
5 Likes
I’m doing my usual temporary check in, I am busy with university so I am doing pretty low pressure writing at the moment. I want to just finish something, so I am just going to write it, start to finish with basically no plan, and share basically nothing until then. If it’s bad? Better to get the bad out with something I don’t feel as invested in. Here’s a little snip from the beginning 
Your shoes lay in a sandy bank with your bucket, abandoned beyond the fencing of cat-tails around the perimeter of the pond and removing any barrier from your toes against the sodden ground below. You know better than to go beyond to it’s edge, in prior years your father would keep a keen eye over you making sure that you didn’t end your ventures belly up in the pond when he turned his back.
Where he saw a man-made ditch filled with stagnant rain water there lies only endless potential, the tadpoles tickle your ankles as you carefully eye your surroundings, ever aware of the threat the elderly snapping turtle who finds residence within it’s depths presents. You almost feel like you can hear his rocking chair’s distinctive creaking from the back porch, flipping your head in the direction of the door you are reminded first that said porch is several hundred meters away and second that he has more important things to do…
9 Likes
To be clear, this is me trying to figure out what kind of activities to provide in my game, so it’s not actual Enterprise. No Picard, sorry!
(There is a captain who’s a fox-shifter, though.)
6 Likes
I’ve been stressed over family stuff so I haven’t been able to write as much fiction. I kinda refocused my stress inward and did a sort of diary entry going over my previous writing and creative burnouts and what are, to me, creative failures. It was surprisingly useful. I set out a “plan of attack” with some self-imposed deadlines to keep me in order. My goal is to do an average of 400 words a day, which is assuming I’m taking break days that lower my usual average. Actual writing days should be over 1000 words and don’t necessarily have to be on the same project.
It sucks that I haven’t managed to do my usual writing though. I’m so used to being able to write a thousand words in one sitting, any less than that feels like I’m losing. I’m trying to use the extra free time on reading more, hopefully that’ll keep the creative brain engaged
13 Likes
Don’t be too hard on yourself. Whether it’s 100 words or 1,000, progress is progress. It’s okay to have slower days.
11 Likes
And recharge your brain. Recharging your brain is important.
11 Likes
I had a day off on Thursday but ended Friday with 912 words (which finished my rewrites of Chapter Two - which is now updated for the public demo).
I’ll be using the next 16 days to tidy things up and possibly add a few more scenes around Little Tree 
My most exciting thought is that was the last of my rewrites. I get to work on brand new content and I can’t wait
16 Likes
Well, I finished the first part of the chapter, now focusing on the content at your home country. Really want to include more friendship scenes, I feel the game is lacking in that regard, especially in the recent chapters.
10 Likes
I finally wrote the climax of my story today and it’s been great, feeling a lot of emotions. Writing some parts made me cry and others felt exciting. This chapter was originally going to be 15K, I told my editor I’d shoot for 18K, but it’s up to 34K. My goal is to finish it by the 19th, but I have a few sticky parts left (I’m adding a ‘you turn evil path but can still complete the game’ that’s slightly abbreviated but should still take a bit to right, and I have a scene with three challenges that can be completed in any order that needs to be coded right).
With a close deadline and material I’m really interested in, it’s been hard to focus on other stuff. I usually take a break between writing sessions of a couple hundred words each but now when I take breaks I’m thinking about the game so it’s hard to relax (in both a good and bad way). I think with the epilogue I’ll not keep setting deadlines and moving them back, but instead focus on progress (like ‘6K by April’).
17 Likes
Best of luck, and good luck for the Spring Thing too. (Even if I did withdraw. 
)
6 Likes
Thanks! And it’s no problem, more than half of all people withdraw; I just appreciate how positive and helpful you are! And good luck with your current WIP
6 Likes
Sunday was a good day as I finally made major progress on a difficult bit of the outline. Then the night that followed (and the week that followed that) I was plagued by something that is either a cold or an unusually sudden attack of allergic rhinitis. It’s been bad for my sleep, so I have a hard time focusing.
I’m hopeful that it will resolve soon, so that I can get back to more of those delicate edits that need a 100% of my focus and attention.
10 Likes
Welcome to the 15th of the month! For those new here, we welcome anyone willing to post a snippet of something they have written. The point is not to have it criticized or critique, but an opportunity to share and get something out there. For some it may help easy in the idea of sharing your work, for others it is an opportunity to give hints of things to come!
I’ll start this off. I intended to start a chapter rewrite by yesterday, but the last of my grammar/spelling revisions is taking longer than expected (partly because of the nice weather yesterday). So instead I will share a snippet of something I wrote half a year ago.
Carousel Paradox: Chapter 2
The crack of lightning jolts me awake. No that’s not right. The feeling of hearing thunder wakes me, but there’s no thunder. Flashes of green on a violet backdrop fill my thoughts as I wake from my dream.
I find that I often forget my dreams quickly. The less I continue to think or talk about them the faster they go. This one feels like it is slipping away faster. My body aches like I have been through a full body workout as I stretch out in bed.
Wait. Whose bed is this?
I sit up to find myself in an unfamiliar bed located in an equally unfamiliar room. The lack of light informs me of the time of day but as I look around the room I spot two doors, a desk, another bed, and a dresser between the other twin-size bed and my own. Then I spot Paris.
She smiles over at me, “about time you’re awake sleepyhead.”
I start to slip out of bed when I notice that I’m not wearing my clothes. I look down to see me wearing only my underwear and over that is a robe. Confusion overtakes my thoughts as I try to retrace how I got here.
“Last thing I remember,” I say out loud to myself hoping that it’ll help me recall, “is the car trip to Ryker. Before we could reach the city, we drove into a storm.”
14 Likes
I don't remember if I've shared a version of this before or not, but this is freshly edited in any case.
After a long and tedious series of airlocks, decontamination chambers, stairs, and elevators, you finally get into the bunker proper. Although judging by the size of the atrium-like room you’ve entered, calling it bunker isn’t making it justice.
The space is roomy, but mostly empty, metal walls giving distorted reflections of movement. A few doors on different sides give an impression of an entrance hall, if being where the actual entrance after all the hassle seems to be wasn’t enough of a clue. There are some robots that look like wheeled ice boxes rolling around doing who knows what, but otherwise no one apart from your group is in sight.
…wait, no. Someone is approaching, a person with skin so pale it obviously fits underground and hair, in contrast, sun-bleached yellow, giving a somewhat monochrome impression with the black rollneck shirt and pants they’re wearing.
Károly nudges you. “We’re being haunted now?” he whispers. “As if being dragged here by a vampire wasn’t enough. This just keeps getting better and better.”
You hush him.
Sparkgap ignores you two, probably a smart choice from his part. “Ah, there you are,” he instead says to the arrival.
“Welcome home,” they say.
“Good to be back. Anything happen while I was gone?”
“Wellll–”
“I know that tone. Out with it.”
“It’s not that urgent, but if you insist.” They shrug. “Excavation in Sector L hit a roadblock. The drones went haywire, so I sent a swarm to investigate, but lost contact with them as well, so I sealed it up until further notice.”
“That’s not urgent to you?”
“I know how to seal a sector, Val.” They give an offended look to Sparkgap. “I’m not saying it doesn’t need to be looked into at some point, but not tonight.”
“Hm.”
“Also, Skinner’s locked himself into the genetics lab and refuses to come out, so you may want to check on him. Blastwave’s being a hormonal teenager, but I can deal with that one. Oh, and we’re running out of tranquilizers.”
“I need to do a supply run soon anyway,” Sparkgap says, throwing a sideways glance to your direction.
“Well, in that case, grab some insulin too. Supply hasn’t quite hit the alarm levels yet, but it’ll save you another trip in a month or so –”
“I’ll put that to the list. Anything else?”
“Not on the top of my mind, no.”
“As if you hadn’t memorized it all anyway.”
They have the audacity to actually look smug at that. “Dinner’s in two hours. Do you need me to –”
“Yes, thank you. I have work to do.” Sparkgap turns to your direction and gestures at them. “This is Nachtweber. They’ll show you to your rooms.”
“Val, that’s not what I–”
“I’ll be in my lab,” Sparkgap says to them and leaves, walking hurriedly to the direction of one of the smaller doors.
“Val!” Nachtweber raises their voice, but to no effect; then gives you an apologetic look. “Well, that’s him all right. Sorry about that. Is this all your luggage?”
“It had to fit on a tetracorn,” you weakly defend, suddenly self-conscious about the feeble amount of things you were able to bring with you.
“Cars can’t reach here,” Nachtweber readily agrees. “It’s not a problem.” They flag one of the iceboxes and pack your bags in it (you idly muse if your clothes’ll be frozen when you get them out). “There may be a problem though – I didn’t know there would be two of you, so I’ve prepared room for only one.”
“Oh, I’ll be staying with her,” Károly smoothly interjects. “I’m her bodyguard, after all.”
You can’t decide whether you should be comforted or punch him, but this is neither the time nor the place for that discussion.
Your surprise butler doesn’t comment on the irregularity of the statement, in any case. “Well then. If you’ll follow me,” they simply state, and start walking in the opposite direction from where Sparkgap took off to, the icebox in a metaphorical tow.
You rush after them to keep up. “Nachtweber,” you say. “That sounds like an alias. What’s your real name?”
They give you an odd look at that. “Nachtweber.”
“Seriously? You want to be called by just your villain name?”
“It is who I am. Who I was doesn’t matter any longer.”
“You don’t strike me as a supervillain, though. Did Sparkgap kidnap you? Why do you serve him?”
“I… suppose he did, technically. But I wouldn’t say I serve him. If anything, he’s running errands for me.”
“You know what I mean.”
“Someone has to run the place.”
“Does it, though? What if you just left?”
They look suddenly very serious. “I couldn’t. I’m way better off here than where I was before. We all are.”
12 Likes
Writing snippet for the month
*label orphanage
*temp stories 0
The Oak Leaf orphanage is tucked away in one of the far corners of the town, far away from any of the main streets. Most of the nobility preferring an out-of-sight, out-of-mind mentality. This is John’s favourite place in Little Tree, because he has a soft spot for the kids without a home.
*if (second = “John”)
So of course, this is where you find him, playing with the orphans.
“It’s Robin!” the kids scream as soon as they see you walking down the path.
They swarm you, a dozen dirty fingers touching and prodding your body. Their excitement is contagious and you find yourself laughing along with them. Most of them didn’t even have a birth name, instead the mother superior let them pick their own from a book of names she’d written over the past forty or so years.
*if (acolyte)
You fit right in with the other orphans and they see you as the one who managed to find ${him}self a home.
Then the leader of the pack, a young teenager who took the name Sara from the book, grabs your hand and pulls you away from the others.
“Come on Robin! We’ve been waiting for you,” Sara says excitedly. “Tell us a story!”
With a smile you regale the kids with the story about the time…
*label tell_a_story
*if (stories = 1)
“Tell us another story!” one of the younger kids begs.
So this time you tell them about the time…
*if (stories = 2)
*goto orphanage_story
*choice
#…you robbed a nobleman without him even noticing.
*set stories + 1
You excite the kids with the story of how using a stumble to get close enough to a nobleman so you can cut this money pouch right off his belt. They listen intently as you describe the comical trip that distracts the man’s guards and how he never caught the glint of metal as your blade carved the pouch free. You end the story with how you used the fall to disguise the fact you caught the pouch. Then you just lay there where the nobleman scoffs in disgust before the guards ushered him away.
"How much was in the pouch?" one of the kids asks.
"Ten silver coins," you reveal. "That donation helped fix your roof last year."
*goto tell_a_story
#…you lured some of the Sheriff's men into an ambush.
*set stories + 1
The kids listen on the edge of their seats as you tell them about the time you used yourself as bait to lure in some of the Sheriff's cronies. They had been tasked with collecting taxes from some of the local farmers. You caught their attention by loosing an arrow right at the group leader, your arrow piercing his backside. You feel Sara tense up as she listens to how you describe how you played with them, your taunts pushed them harder while you swiftness kept you just out of reach. You might have played down how close they got to you and certainly don't reveal they almost caught you at one point. Instead you end your story in a hushed voice how you got them to follow you into the clearing where the rest of the Merry Men attacks them from behind.
*goto tell_a_story
#…you hid underwater to escape from some chasing guards.
*set stories + 1
They listen quietly as you tell them about a job that went wrong; how in your arrogance at early successes you decided to rob a carriage that was moving too close to Nottingham Castle. Sara gasp as you reveal how reinforcements were on you quicker than you expected. How the Merry Men quickly scattered and you even ended up with an arrow in the back of your shoulder. Bleeding, and desperate to escape the chasing guards, you dove into the river. Unfortunately, winter had already seeped into the water, turning it ice-cold. It almost stole your breath away but somehow you persevered. You managed to stay underwater for almost twelve minutes, although you can't remember for sure. Either way it was long enough for your pursuers to assume you had drowned. The kids sound impressed as you explain how you climbed out shortly after the guards had left. Although your purposefully neglect to mention that your little stunt had made Little John believe you'd drowned as well. They didn't need to know that the moment you got to the shore with a cocky smile, John promptly slapped it off you for worrying him.
*if (second = "John")
Unfortunately, he has over ideas and gleefully recounts the slap that wiped the smirk of you face, much to the kids amusement.
*goto tell_a_story
*label orphanage_story
“That’s enough stories for now,” you finally say. “I’ve got some questions for you kids.”
“What do you want to know?” Sara asks, telling the others to calm down.
*label sara_talk
*choice
*if (second != “John”)
*hide_reuse #“Has Little John visited you recently?”
She smiles and nods. “Of course, he comes by every few days. He says he does it to check up on us and make sure we’re safe.”
"And to make sure that Sara is behaving herself," one of the other kids calls out.
Sara glares at the boy, who just laughs and runs off.
"Ignore him," she mutters. "Anything else you want to ask me?"
*goto sara_talk
*if (second = "John")
*hide_reuse #"Is Little John a good role model?"
She smiles and nods. "Little John is my second favourite outlaw."
Little John laughs, raising an eyebrow. "Only your second favourite?"
"That's only because Robin is her favourite," one of the other kids calls out.
Sara blushes but quickly turns it into a glare at the boy, who just laughs and runs off.
"It doesn't mean anything," she mumbles. "Can we change the subject please?"
*goto sara_talk
*hide_reuse #"Have you been practising?"
*if (second = "John")
The question escapes your lips before you remember who you're with.
"What are you practising Sara?" Little John asks, concerned.
Sara glances at you, looking for help. John wasn't here the last time when Will showed her how to pick the lock to the orphanage's cellar, and he certainly wouldn't approve of it either.
*choice
#We taught her how to pick out the troublemakers," you lie.
"They did!" Sara jumps on your lie immediately. "They are teaching me how to know who to avoid."
John doesn't say anything, but he doesn't look too convinced either.
*goto sara_talk
#"I taught her how to use a small knife," you lie.
"I asked ${him} to teach me as some of the guards that come through the town have been trying to cause trouble," Sara says firmly, jumping immediately on your lie.
John instantly pales. "What!? You gave a kid a knife?" John stammers incredulous. "Sara is just a child!"
"I'm not a child anymore," Sara cuts in.
You ignore her obviously childish outburst and instead argue. "Sara is old enough for a guard to get rough with her."
His shoulders sag, John then lets out a sigh before adding. "Just as long as you promise me, you'll only use it in a life or death situation."
Sara lets out a sigh of relief.
*goto sara_talk
#"Will taught her how to pick locks," you tell the truth.
Sara's eyes widen when you tell the truth, she immediately makes a dash for the orphanage doors but John easily blocks her.
"He WHAT? John bellows, but instantly softens his voice when he sees the kids flinch. "How could he be so reckless?"
"Please don't be angry," Sara mumbles. "I asked him to show me."
"Just tell me why the hell you need to know how to unlock a door?" John snaps.
"Well, sometimes the Mother Superior will lock the door to our room. She always comes when we call her to open it, but she is getting older now and not all of the younger kids can wait for her to get here, whenever they need the toilet."
"Oh," John says quietly, the fire of his anger quashed instantly.
"It's for a good cause," you add before you turn to Sara. "So how is it going?"
Sara grins. "I can pick a lock, one in every three tries!"
*goto sara_talk
*else
Sara grins. "I can pick a lock, one in every three tries."
The last time you were here, she had asked Will to teach her how to practice picking locks. She explained that during the night the Mother Superior had taken to locking the doors to their bedroom. Sara had to explain how some of the younger kids could no longer wait for the Mother Superior to waddle down to unlock the door. It was for a good cause, so Will had taught her how to use her hairpin to pick a lock.
*goto sara_talk
*hide_reuse #Ask her how the Mother Superior is doing.
Sara smiles. "She is still treating us well; she only locks the bedroom if she catches one of us breaking our curfew."
"Is she inside?" you ask. This orphanage was one of the places you got the dealer to funnel some of your money into after a job. So you occasionally spoke to the Mother Superior to see if she needed more money.
"She's popped to market," Sara says before standing a little taller. "She asked me to look after the other kids."
You look at the other kids; they all seem safe and happy. You look back at Sara.
*choice
#"Keep up the good work," you say.
*goto sara_talk
#"You're a good big sister," you say.
*goto sara_talk
#"She left you in charge?" you laugh.
*goto sara_talk
#"Sorry, I've got other things to do."
"No," Sara whines. "Can't you stay a bit longer?"
"Sorry, I'll see you soon," you say scuffing up her hair.
The kids hug you before you leave.
*if (second = "John")
Little John stays behind to keep playing with them.
*goto explore_town
13 Likes
Trying my best to choreograph a fight scene without getting bogged down by prose/details. Here’s an edited version that removes the gorier bits of the fight lol
Writing/Outline Snippet Here
*if (Ace = “Shadow Weaver”)
MC kicks the omen, getting enough space to raise her knees up to her chest and push the omen off by kicking square into its torso.
MC quickly sits up and collects the shadows from the bathroom and has it cling to her fist, before punching onto the omen’s face with a knockout punch.
MC grabs the gun off the floor, which has finished charging, and shoots a direct shot up into the omen’s skull. The omen stays still after the shot, falling onto its back. MC uses her shadowed hand and thrusts it into the omen’s chest, grabbing the heart and pulling it out from its cavity. MC squeezes the heart into dust.
*goto blackdust2
9 Likes