I still prefer in bocca al lupo (in the wolf mouth) 
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Hals- und Beinbruch is my fav.
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I like the theatre superstition 
This is a cool thread. It’s been a while since I’ve tried immersing myself alongside other writers.
So I guess, uh, hi! This month I’m trying out a writing schedule for the first time ever, and re-learning choicescript for I think the third time.
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I’ve now passed 10,000 words for the first chapter of Daemonglass.
and
I’ve passed 2,000 words of my short story for my work competition Bound (I’ve got upto 6,000 words to tell me story.)
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I chose a title for my jam entry: Through the Twisting Glass
Welcome to the support thread @izzily; I hope you succeed in trying out your schedule. Choicescript has changed a bit recently, so remember there are resources, like the wiki to help you.
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Choicescript can change… I still coding like in 2013. If it works it works. People tend to obsess towards code and learning code. It is useful, yeah. But In my experience focusing on plot and writing first then in code efficiency is better.
You can have wonderful games with almost no code shenanigans.
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Indeed. Some people are obsessed with feature creep that the story and narrative get laid to the wayside as a result.
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Nice title.
I have spent a lot of time perusing the wiki and pottering around various guide topics, just (re)building familiarity with the basic framework. My mind was absolutely blown reading Havenstone’s multireplace article you mentioned earlier in the thread. That’s such a cool feature.
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I’d be curious to know what methods (particularly unconventional ones) people here use to avoid getting burnt out while writing long branching paths.
A lot of the conventional advice around this goes something like, “don’t do too many long branched paths in the first place, focus on making things different while still reusing text/code where you can, take breaks, don’t overthink it.” But is there anything else that keeps you from getting tired?
I selfishly ask this because I’m in the middle of writing one now 
I’m confident I’ll finish, but it’d be nice to add some new approaches to my roster.
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I’m writing the jam piece … doing so has actually renewed my enthusiasm to keep at Patchwerks.
Normally, testing other projects and experiencing the exciting things they are doing also helps.
Related… seeing and playing many of the independent games that are released on Steam also helps.
While some consider these activities that fall under the “break” category, I consider “taking a break” to be actually taking a break from writing or related activities.
One other thing that renews my focus and energy is research, usually researching a topic for world-building purposes or to help build new mechanics and systems.
Edit:
Congrats Niki! Stability will help you in all of your endeavors, so this is very exciting!
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I FINALLY DID IT! I GOT A NEW FULL TIME JOB!
This means that I won’t have as much time to work on Phoenix Rising… BUT it also means that I can actually afford to eat! And Rent! And maybe even enough leftover to have a KID! WOO!
My favorite theatre superstition is that you can’t say Macbeth EVEN WHEN YOURE DOING MACBETH. Because it’s cursed.
You can avoid Burnout? stares in awe at this magical, miraculous idea, teach me your wayssss oh sage!
But in all Seriousness:
This. This is how you avoid burnout.
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I don’t write in a chronological order, but instead whichever part (or story) strikes me fancy at a given moment.
Congrats!
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You know, I haven’t actually played a game in quite some time. I always default to just working on my own these days. That sounds like a fantastic idea, thanks! 
I’ve had my eye on one indie game in particular for months - I think I’ll pick it up and give this a try.
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I was talking to someone about this the other day - they mentioned doing a different craft for 15-30 minutes that isn’t writing - drawing was their example.
For me, I find that doing something that isn’t the main project(s) works well. The more I get out of the house and into green spaces, or do exercise, the better and more rejuvenated I feel about writing. If I’ve got into the habit of a grinding writing routine and doing little else, that’s when I run into trouble and feel tired, miserable or hard to focus.
The last few days I’ve not felt entirely myself for a few non-writing-related reasons, and today I had a bunch of life-admin stuff I needed to do as well - so instead of my main projects I did some extremely niche and self-indulgent writing. It isn’t “contributing” formally to the main projects but I felt so refreshed and fun doing it which is enough by itself, and will most likely make me feel in better shape for returning to my usual (hopefully not grinding) routine tomorrow.
Burnout and work/life balance is an ongoing concern for me - freelance work can easily fill whatever container it’s in, like a gas, if I’m not careful. So it isn’t something I’ve solved forever by any means, and sometimes it goes further than I would like before I realise there’s an issue and course-correct.
That’s absolutely fantastic!!!
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So, I have a really hard time coming up with place names. I never know what to say! So, I found a really cool website that basically does it for you! You pick a few words that sound nice and/or fit the theme/description of your location, and the website will create a bunch of different combinations of those words. You can then take any one of them to use as your name.
Ex. The website combined amaranth and vermilion (both meaning red) and gave me Amarilion! A great name for an imaginary kingdom.
I figured I’d share the website in case anyone is also struggling to get some names in there
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Sounds like some city in west Texas, and the name itself is Spanish for yellow, not red, but well, it’s close enough.
To avoid burnout, I do things not related to what I’m writing.
Update: Still reviewing the IFComp games. Plenty of good ones, so this will take time.
Having serious trouble staying focused today. Putting words on paper is one of the hardest parts of writing anything, and today my mind is flitting back and forth between everything that’s come and everything I’m doing, and I can’t seem to clinch upon any kind of focus. I’m anxious, I think. Slept very little last night, and had nightmares all night. I don’t know why I’m so nervous. Things are going to get better from here.
Happy Friday the 13th, everyone.
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An advice from someone with chronic anxiety and depression. Just let the moment go and do ofher thing that makes you happy. Don’t feel guilty for not writing or not doing more.
That feeling is really punishing, I am talking from experience, it is like rustand makes you feel bad and like you are letting people down.
You aren’t you just need a break your body needs a break. We humans aren’t not super humans.
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Hope everyone is doing well. I have been inching through some dialogue branches in my 3rd chapter---- Had some less productive weeks---- Had to get-up each day thinking about why I was stuck and what to do about it. Being a natural discovery writer (particularly for character), I had to adopt more of an outlined approach. But, in the tradition of sharing work mid-month, I wanted to share my short prologue.
Short Prologue
PROLOGUE:
Northern Gaean Plateau: Some years ago…
She stoked the recalescent coals---- thrusting the Almakan deep into the belly of the throbbing embers. The baby cries. It lays upon the cold, stone altar. Its grey-blue, newborn eyes swelling with tears. Blubbery arms flail and jerk---- accomplishing nothing. How utterly useless they are. A nexus of need. This creature. This inefficient vessel. She always complained about this. Why not use something less messy, less fussy. But it was love that seemed to be the main ingredient---- Or so she was told— that disgusting emotion of human weakness, now exploited for a greater purpose---- To shape The Cosmic Web and reverse the damage done. The tiny baby wails into the clear starry sky. A blade doesn’t need love to cut---- Just measured strikes to knap the edges. That’s where she came into the picture---- Measured strikes. She turned the Almakan in the glowing coals---- Excited embers spark-off the sides of the onyx fire-basin and onto the hard, sandy rock. A brisk gust of air blows across the high desert plateau. Soon, the red moon will rise---- Soon. The shrouded woman looks-off beyond the monolithic circle of stones---- her Cyan eyes like day wrapped in night.
“And you are sure about this? Can’t we just use another?” She shouts across the sound -void.
A tall, commanding figure strides through the south archway of the Gaeantheon and approaches the altar---- Their long green robes trail along its obsidian surface. The baby quiets. Tender fingers prob its fuzzy head, pressing here and there---- gazing into its eyes. “You, my star child-- Will be a beacon of hope for the darkness within us.” Satisfied, the tall figure turns to the shrouded woman with Cyan eyes---- Her Emerald eyes brighten---- their watery surface reflected in the star light.
“Proceed.” She turns around with resolute perfection---- The scrape of her boots reverberate along the lintels as she exits the south moon-gate.
*page_break Proceed
The Almakan is stirred once more. The Thunder-broom sigil now glows across its jade face. My unique seal. The baby begins to ululate---- confused and cold. The red moon rises, its tip breaking the distant ocean’s horizon---- emerging like a bloody kerl. Midnight has come. The woman waits in the whirring silence of the Gaentheon’s west gate. The magnified cries of abandonment fill its sarson. It is time. She removes the Almakan from the vibrant coals---- the wavy vapors distorting the air around it. The crimson light crests the plateau and strikes the top of the baby’s jiggling head. The Almakan is raised. It catches rosy beams of moonlight and funnels them down the handle to the jade sigil---- Her Cyan eyes gleam like larimar. Aim for the soft spot. She firmly presses the hot stone down---- Ionized air and flesh meet. Wails turn to wild screams---- filling the sarsen in a symphony of young terror. Ruh-Kur is complete.
*page_break Introducing…
Take care everyone
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Heyo! So, 2 things:
- I consider myself pretty well read, and I often look up any word I’ve never run into before. Thing is I’m not 100% sure whether you want people to have to look these up, but I did. Soooo
I don’t think that word means what you think it means. Or rather, isn’t supposed to be used in this context? Not sure. I think you meant that the coals were re-heating up to proper temperature to provide a fire… but this is an incredibly specific word which I don’t think is supposed to be used in this situation?
Similar situation here. According to google, this word means:
I dunno about you, but I find anyone unlike myself (a wordophile/bookworm combo) dislikes looking up multiple words in the same writing, and this is the third one I’ve had to look up (imagine my surprise to realize Almakan is a name for a weapon rather than a word I just don’t know).
THIS MADE ME SHIVVER IN ABSOLUTE DISGUST. I love it. You did a great job setting up the terror of this moment, expressing the sheer disgust of the POV character towards not the act but the baby itself instead. I love it. This passage definitely invokes a shrouded, terrifying feeling, and you did a great job with the descriptions.
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