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is this idea any good

Posted: Tue Dec 31, 2013 1:34 am
by crossover
I have a visual novel idea that takes place during the mid-too late 1500's in region of mexico that was once refered nueva galicia or la gran chichimeca(which contains the regions that are now part of the modern states of jalisco,zacatecas, aguascalientes,guanajato, and nayarit). this idea would be a historical fiction with some drama , probably some simulation depending on the choices you make, and perhaps some romance. one of the themes of this story is dealing with inevitable social change (the colonization of that land by the spanish). i don't plan on making this game an eroge since I don't like porn.
the protagonist is maria cid (the half sister of the mestizo captain Miguel caldera). the story starts of with at her between the ages 3-5, when her tribe gets attacked by the spanish and she and her mother get taken captive/as slaves (note, for the most part she gets out of slavery within several years) by pedro caldera. after a year of so of getting raped/sexually abused by him, her mother give birth to miguel caldera. after the prolouge, then the mc gets to start making choices. some choices in the beginning lead to short game play, and others lead to long game play. for most routes, i plan on maria and miguel have a close sibling bond even though they are half siblings. maybe in some routes she'll eventually have another half-sibling(or perhaps miguel would have one that isn't related to her at all, but just related to him). the possible love interests she could possibly end with up with are hernan gonzales y berzocal, a guy with the last name balderas since i haven't decided on a first name for the guy (or maybe perhaps i'll have the mother marry a relative of this guy and having a son with that guy in another route), miguel's friend pedro benito(who i plan on making him a nahua male(haven't decided which tribe yet)), and maybe perhaps a zacatecos, caxcan, guachichil, or a former black slave(i haven't thought up names for these possible characters yet)

i do have some more plans on the possible storylines, but it'll take forver to write down all my ideas. so i'll conclude this post now.

what are your thoughts.

Re: is this idea any good

Posted: Tue Dec 31, 2013 6:00 am
by gekiganwing
First, if this is a story you want to write, then start writing. In other words, if you're confident in your abilities to tell it, and if you believe in the strengths of your characters/setting/plot/themes, start working.

Second, there's something to be said about a non-traditional setting. (In fact, Writing Excuses devoted an episode to this topic.) Just keep in mind that story is paramount. Research is beneficial, but don't let it overwhelm your story, so that it reads like a history essay.

Third, since your characters are human, they will have relationships (including family, friends, rivals, enemies, and more). But if the story does not justify an emphasis on romance, then don't focus on it. Furthermore, if you don't like writing romantic fiction, then don't.

Finally, to quote a statement on TVTropes, "Rape is one of the more difficult subjects to handle in a work of fiction, not least because (unlike, say, a gruesome and violent murder) there is a higher chance that one of the work's readers has experienced this crime first-hand." Think carefully before including rape-as-backstory for one of your characters.

Re: is this idea any good

Posted: Tue Dec 31, 2013 1:06 pm
by fleet
Yes, the idea is good. Start writing. I suggest you start small. Do just the first part of your story, and have it proofread by at least several friends before public release.

Re: is this idea any good

Posted: Tue Dec 31, 2013 2:13 pm
by crossover
I realize that rape is a sensitive subject, but since it was common practice especially in the early years on the conquest for the spanish soldiers to attack villages and take survivors of the attack, and enslave them, i'm afraid that not making miguel a child by rape would be sugar coating history, since miguel's mother was most likely a slave.
but i don't plan on making maria cid's life as overly tragic. I don't plan on making her overly angsty either since the whole trope is rather cliche in fanfiction. One of the main elements in this story is her taking effort to improve her lot in life in a male-dominated world she lives in(also i might have options in some routes where she could possibly make choices that could be considered subtle forms of rebellion against the spanish).

Yeah, I probably get it proofread before even releasing a preview/demo of this, let alone a full version of this.