September 2024's Writer Support Thread

I know someone who actually ASKED, and this was, in fact, the answer they were given. It’s a way for CoG to make sure you don’t take the advance and run.

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That sounds ominous, but maybe it’s just because I’ve been up way too long.

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I mean, they do pay you quite a bit of money in advance, so they probably do want a return on investment there.

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Hey all - same goals as last month, which is to write another section for Do not Dally with the Dead which is a linear story for Sense & Sorcery and do one more update for Dice & Dungeon Masters. As I’ve posted on threads for those games, last month one of my family members had a worsening of their medical conditions … while things are better for the moment, getting a long term solution is still needed. That stated, if work and this so allows, optimistic on finishing these goals if not this month, then for sure by next month, barring things getting worse. Made some progress on both of these goals so far but lots more to do. Good luck to everyone on their september goals!

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I’m having a “I can’t write meaningful choices” day (as in, I don’t trust my choices are meaningful enough to count as meaningful).

(I’m also having way too many songs stuck in my head to be able to think right now.)

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Hi everyone!! I’m back! :slight_smile:

Happy birthdays, and hope everyone has enjoyed the first few days of the month. Thank you @Eiwynn as always for the articles and to just add onto the non-binary resources, I, a card carrying nb club member, am always happy to chat or sensitivity read if anyone needs that. I will not get upset with you for asking me awkward questions.

@Niki_Christopherson I was also thinking it might be good for all of us to have a forum group message, if everyone is down for that, so that there could be some overlap between buddies and a sort of central hub. But I’ll leave that up to you since you’re the person in contact with everyone.

Goals! Ok! I actually exceeded my word count goal for last month so I’m gonna be optimistic and up it this month.

  • Main Goal: 15k, at least 10 of which is my WiP
  • Happy Goal: I want to read and leave a helpful comment on at least 1 out of every 3 new WiPs posted to the forum. I will only do this for posts that specifically ask for feedback in the OP.
  • Super Happy Goal: I’d love to finish my first draft of my Halloween Jam game.
  • Super Duper Happy Goal: finish chapter three of my WiP and update the demo

I hope everyone has a great month; you can do this!!! :two_hearts: :two_hearts: :two_hearts:

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I’m having a vocabulary problem again, this is annoying. Is there a more compact way to say “takes headphones off their ears and puts them around their neck”?

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“tugs her/his/their headphones down off her ears to their neck.”

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If you’ve already established that the character is wearing headphones, you can go with “pulls the headphones down around their neck”. Presumably, people are aware of where you wear headphones. If you were talking about shoes you wouldn’t bother saying “took the shoes off their feet and put them in the corner”.

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:laughing: that’s what I get for working too long.

It was the “down” my original sentence (not the one in my ask, but the one I was actually writing) was missing, by the way. Thanks for that! (And responses.)

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Today, I’m making a big spreadsheet with a grid of all my major characters. Each box, other than the diagonal, will have a short text describing one character’s attitude towards another. For example, E might consider L intriguingly puzzling, while L in return thinks E is just an obstacle to overcome.

I’m learning a lot about my characters.

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I thoroughly enjoy writing imitation army orders and telegrams based on my research. Here’s a couple from my current project, the Peninsula Campaign:

April 5 Telegram

Colonel Thomas Spears,
Yours of 7:30 p. m. to-day received.

Second Division headquarters are set up about one mile southeast of Yorktown. You will begin march tomorrow at 6 a. m. and proceed to join the division at this location. Cross Howard’s Bridge and proceed north by way of Cockletown. I will expect your arrival by tomorrow evening. Enemy force is fortified in and around Yorktown.

J. HOOKER
Brigadier-General, Commanding Second Division, Third Army Corps.

April 7 Orders

Colonel Thomas Spears,
Orders for First Brigade dated April 7, 1862, 4:25 a. m.

You are hereby ordered and directed to detach two regiments of infantry west along the saw mill road a distance of apprx. one half mile, there to report to Brig.General F.J. Porter, directing siege operations at Yorktown, to assist in the digging of intrenchments and various occupations with intent to further the fortification of siege positions.

You are hereby also directed to convey one regiment into the command of Brig.Gen. J. Barnard, army engineers, for the purpose of improving the supply roads to the forward positions around Yorktown.

Your final regiment will be held in reserve against any exigency which may arise.

I leave it to your discretion which regiments of your brigade you believe most suited to the tasks at hand, trusting in your good judgment, and your nearer assessment of the troops under your command.

Yours truly and most respectfully,
J. HOOKER
Brigadier-General, Commanding Second Division, Third Army Corps.

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SPEAKING OF ALL YOUR GAMES HARRIS.
I finally caved and bought Noblesse Oblige AND Royal Affairs, because I needed inspiration, and goddammit, friend, did your work provide. <3 A+++ work there, friendo. Beaumont and Pascha are darling and I will defend them with my lives. …However, I have noticed a strange trend of arson in your games??? Everything good??? (or maybe it’s just me… Do I attract arsonists???)

Whenever a song is stuck in my head, I listen to it and usually it goes away.

Yknow what? I’mma have to talk with you closer, because as a ciswoman, I’m pretty sure I’m doing the Nonbinary PC wrong. TAT

I mean, I’m definitely not against it, but like… I’m not sure how that would work? right now it’s kind of like spokes on a wagon wheel, I’m in the center and I spin a line out to each of you, penpal style. But yeah, a central hub for the Accountabili-Buddies might be a good idea? (I had meant to start a forum post helping PAIR UP Accountabili-Buddies, but my schedule just doesn’t allow me. TAT)

Sweet pea, this is a terrifying goal. XD Are you gonna have time for this?

Dropped the headphones to my neck. (it’s assumed they’re on the ears beause they’re headphones, and directing where they go instead tells the reader to imply.)

OLD FASHIONED SHIPPING CHARTS BABEH. ahem. sorry. XD but no, relationship charts are a great way to keep this kind of shit clear.

Your orders are pretty cool! are they going to be coded so the player has to decode them? That’d be FUN.


I am home today because yesterday I accidentally poisoned myself with a moldy cabbage leaf. I’m still incredibly nauseaus. So I have a lil extra time to work on my game in between trying not to puke! WOO!

…also upon looking over my list of purchased Choice of games and Hosted games purchased… I may have a problem. TAT

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It does… in a week. Or month. And that’s when it’s a single one, not a dozen playing in my head at the same time.

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A cool idea! The main character is a brigade commander, however, so they have army telegraph operators to decode the telegrams.

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Tsk. Delegation once again ruins my fun. TAT (Just kidding, this makes sense.)

This kinda sounds like overstimulation? Have you attempted to take away one of your senses (a rice sock to the eyes for a while does wonders) and see if it helps?

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I did sleep for twelve hours and that solved this problem. :laughing: But my brain has this habit of latching onto a single song for days (or weeks) at a time. It doesn’t usually bother me that much, unless it’s a song I don’t actually like that much.

And I don’t even know how I could have gotten overstimulated, I’ve been sitting inside alone for days. :sweat_smile:

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Oh I guess I misunderstood, I thought you were basically looking to make a smaller group like this thread where everybody was connevted to everyone else for maximum hype sharing.

It is lol thats why its a stretch goal, but I do want to do my best to make a point of providing more feedback to people. And even if I can’t maintain that level, it’ll still be a measurable amount more than just the likes and replies I’ve been doing.

A lot of us have been frustrated trying to get feedback so idk, something something be the change something something lol

I hope you get to feeling better soon!

Also I’m very out of likes but I’m emotionally supporting all of you :two_hearts:

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Maximum hype is always preferred. I mean, we can definitely set that up, if you want?

Youre a superhero who doesn’t wear their underwear on the outside. Good for you! <3


I need everyone to understand my rage.

I need you all to know how upset I am over this. I specifically put notes in my startup page to AVOID THIS FUCKING PROBLEM.
This is my startup for this variable:

*comment 0 = penis, 1 = vulva, 2 = vulva and bottom growth, 3 = unspecified, 4 disabled
*create pc_bottom_anatomy 3

…this is my notes in my callbacks list (aka my easy access doc for when I need something else open in where I normally keep my startup menu open.

And now. Now I have run into THIS MONSTROSITY:


…I don’t know what to do. there’s THOUSANDS OF THIS VARIABLE. I’m gonna have to check them all to make sure they’re accurate
BUT FIRST
I HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHEN A BOOLEAN USES 0 AND IF I HAVE TRIGGERED THAT SOMEHOW FOR THIS FUCKING VARIABLE.

I need you all to understand why I want to cry rn

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Sidenote, you probably shouldn’t use double line_breaks, just an empty line.

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