Somewhere Far [Dreamlike Romance] [BxG] [re: Katawa Shoujo]

[i_am_arcadia]

Hello all!

I wrote an essay called My Katawa Shoujo Manifesto that is 7500 words of talking about our creative goals and philosophies.

If that sounds at all interesting to you, please check it out here http://somewhere-far.com

We are looking for writers and other creative partners to join the team. Especially interested in people who have a familiarity with Katawa Shoujo, but it is not a requirement.



What we’re working on now fits into a genre that we've come to call dreamlike romance. We estimate the length will end up being roughly 1-2 hours.

Synopsis: A boy and a girl meet as prospective students at a Japanese university. Over the course of a single evening that unintentionally stretches to very early the next morning, they get to know each other and form a strong connection, revealing far more about themselves than they ever thought they would.

Some of the features that make this romance dreamlike are:

1. It takes place over the course of a single evening

2. Ostensibly, there is no guarantee that the two people will ever see each other again (neither live in Japan or have committed to attending the university)

3. The setting/world supports the characters quest for intimacy and plays a prominent part in facilitating their connection. It is unknown to both of them, giving the sense that they are exploring it together. The world can bring them together both with obstacles they have to face together, but also by helping them in unexpected ways.

4. The characters achieve deep connection which, although it escalates over the course of the story, escalates beyond the awkward or superficial jokey phase quite quickly.

5. One of the main drivers of their connection is self-disclosure. That is, a kind of personal honesty that they never would have expected to have with someone they just met.

We decided to start with a character/dialogue-driven concept like this because it gives us a largely blank canvas and demands that we create connection between the characters using the most basic and important tools of character and dialogue. We don't want to be able to hide any shortcomings in our characters or dialogue behind plot. In future projects, we'll be able to join what we learn about character and dialogue during this project to more plot-driven concepts. This concept could never sustain a VN the length of KS, but it certainly can and has been shown to work for stories under 2 hours.

If you want to have a look at the current outline for this project, join our channel on discord: https://discord.gg/MztW9UHmxj or add me Arcadia#0032

[gekiganwing]

A few things to think about...

1. A writer's aspirations. I don't recommend creating a story with goals such as "this has to be a masterpiece" or "this will change fandom forever." I don't think these are good mindsets for a creator. That said, I think a small and less abstract goal is better. For instance, write while planning to design two fight scenes which enhance the story. Or write while planning to integrate puzzles into the story.

2. Try different tools and formats. For instance, use an RPG Maker program to design a story. Take advantage of its features such as map movement. Alternately, use a program optimized for adventure game creation. Or present your story as a Fighting Fantasy book in a digital format.

3. Don't limit yourself with media or styles. Even though I like visual novels made since the late 1990s, there's a lot of other pop culture media that can influence your story. Even though I like seinen demographic comics, there's a lot of other categories of art which can enhance your story.

4. Consider focusing on illustrations above all else. Tell a story through drawings, paintings, photos, and so on.

5. Think about pacing and conflict. I believe this is relevant even if you're writing a story that doesn't have battles. Tension and stakes can enhance your visual novel.

6. Get feedback. Present your story to someone who's willing to criticize it. Then write at least one more draft.

[i_am_arcadia]

A few things to think about...

1. A writer's aspirations. I don't recommend creating a story with goals such as "this has to be a masterpiece" or "this will change fandom forever." I don't think these are good mindsets for a creator. That said, I think a small and less abstract goal is better. For instance, write while planning to design two fight scenes which enhance the story. Or write while planning to integrate puzzles into the story.

2. Try different tools and formats. For instance, use an RPG Maker program to design a story. Take advantage of its features such as map movement. Alternately, use a program optimized for adventure game creation. Or present your story as a Fighting Fantasy book in a digital format.

3. Don't limit yourself with media or styles. Even though I like visual novels made since the late 1990s, there's a lot of other pop culture media that can influence your story. Even though I like seinen demographic comics, there's a lot of other categories of art which can enhance your story.

4. Consider focusing on illustrations above all else. Tell a story through drawings, paintings, photos, and so on.

5. Think about pacing and conflict. I believe this is relevant even if you're writing a story that doesn't have battles. Tension and stakes can enhance your visual novel.

6. Get feedback. Present your story to someone who's willing to criticize it. Then write at least one more draft.

Hey man I appreciate the reply and words of advice! Thanks!