Free writer and musician (I need to build my portfolio)
Posted: Mon May 27, 2013 7:43 am
I'm looking to build portfolio (and name recognition) as a writer and musician by pitching in on a couple games.
I'll be upfront here: I am NOT a coder or very good at actual drawing. I can, however, offer ideas for VNs and even help with character designing and concept - I am just not good with the "drawing" or "coding" parts, which is why I want to be on a team rather than do it for myself.
So you're probably wondering what, if anything, I can contribute.
First of all, writing. I have some college under my belt, before that a lot of experience writing stuff I'd rather not really go into much (because it was fanfiction and roleplays and the like) as well as occasional journalistic and opinion writing, and of course song lyrics. I'm a very versatile and flexible writer, capable of writing for many different genres and settings and characters, though I do have a few exceptions due to finding them boring or squicky. My punctuation and spelling are above average, and I can and do proofread all work on a project if asked. I have some samples, but to be brutally honest I'd actually like to write on the fly - you give me what you want, I'll show you what I can do with it for, say, 500 words. That gives you a far better look at what I can do, and it gives me an idea of whether I can "get" the character/story/etc enough to find inspiration with it. Basically, I choose to do that so I know if we're a good fit.
Also, as a bi transguy, I'm VERY much open to LGBTQI characters, to yaoi/BL/bara (very much so), yuri, etc, to kink, and to adult content. In fact, I may well contribute some unless you specify the game is to not include it I also tend to like some dark/sad/depressing plotlines and themes as well.
That said I do have a short list of stuff I absolutely refuse to work on as a writer. That is as follows:
I WILL NOT WORK ON PROJECTS THAT GLORIFY RAPE. If your work involves rape as anything but a horrific crime and traumatizing experience of victimization, I'm not interested. I don't like "rape is love," I think rape culture is fucking bullshit, and I'm not working on shit with themes like Rance or Rapelay. This also includes BL: if you're not willing to write a rapeless plot (or at the very least one where rape is depicted realistically and the victim does not have a route with the rapist) I'm not in. Yes, I know people have rape fantasies and kinks and I'm not questioning the legitimacy of that or trashing rape-based gameplay. I'm just saying Your Kink Is NOT My Kink there. Cool?
Nor will I work on projects that have heavy lolicon or shotacon themes. Yes, I know it's all fiction, but again, Your Kink Is Not My Kink, I don't want the FBI knocking on my door, and I think kid sex is rape and is fucking disgusting, and pedophiles deserve to burn in any hell that exists. I don't protest if, say, you have a moeblob who isn't on any adult character's route and who doesn't act sexual. I also don't mind works that are like 16 and 17 year olds hooking up with each other because that happens at real high schools, and minor/minor of that age is consensual. But if kids can be fucked (or if adult/minor relationships are a major part of the story), it's not my thing.
Finally, and this is less concrete than the above, but I am very, very wary of high school stories (despite my love for Katawa Shoujo) and stories packed full of "weeaboo cliche". This, unlike the above, is not saying I absolutely refuse to work on them - I might be very interested. That said, I'm not very good at writing high schoolers, and people treating Japan like it's Magical Otaku Fantasyland tend to grate on my nerves damn fast since I know better. I *might* work on one of these stories - if you're okay with, say, me writing a teacher or another adult, or you're OK with me changing every use of "baka" to "fool" or "dumbass" or something that it translates to better.
Also, the above isn't meant to say I don't like stories set in Japan - I do. I also just like them to be relatively accurate, respectful, showing research (which I can provide if you need it), and a realistic take on Japanese society in some way and not "omg, I can draw anime let's have everyone run around in poorly tied kimono with their shoes on in the house screaming 'sakura' and 'baka' at each other!"
OKAY. Now I'm done with that long piece of why I want to be your writer, my music offer will be a little shorter. I do electronic music including remixes and original mixes. I am offering my musical work free for usage in any project as long as I am credited with a way people can reach my SoundCloud profile. (I also do heavy metal vocals and write lyrics, but most works might not have a place for that. That said, if your work does have a musician and you'd like some in-game lyrics, I could give you some of mine, but that definitely will not be free, since I'm drawing from my own stuff for my future band work.)
Here are samples of some songs I have made:
https://soundcloud.com/seth0et0holth/br ... -cyber-sex (REMIX - it is licensed to Get On Down Records so I can't use it for your work BUT I can do something similar if you give me stems for your music)
https://soundcloud.com/seth0et0holth/tr ... degree-rmx (Another contest remix I did, of Leona Lewis's "Trouble")
https://soundcloud.com/seth0et0holth/30 ... to-nowhere (An original mix I made, with a "Space Western" feel)
https://soundcloud.com/seth0et0holth/denialism (A short, sad piece of synth piano, it would match well with a really sad scene of some sort like the bad ending...)
I'll be upfront here: I am NOT a coder or very good at actual drawing. I can, however, offer ideas for VNs and even help with character designing and concept - I am just not good with the "drawing" or "coding" parts, which is why I want to be on a team rather than do it for myself.
So you're probably wondering what, if anything, I can contribute.
First of all, writing. I have some college under my belt, before that a lot of experience writing stuff I'd rather not really go into much (because it was fanfiction and roleplays and the like) as well as occasional journalistic and opinion writing, and of course song lyrics. I'm a very versatile and flexible writer, capable of writing for many different genres and settings and characters, though I do have a few exceptions due to finding them boring or squicky. My punctuation and spelling are above average, and I can and do proofread all work on a project if asked. I have some samples, but to be brutally honest I'd actually like to write on the fly - you give me what you want, I'll show you what I can do with it for, say, 500 words. That gives you a far better look at what I can do, and it gives me an idea of whether I can "get" the character/story/etc enough to find inspiration with it. Basically, I choose to do that so I know if we're a good fit.
Also, as a bi transguy, I'm VERY much open to LGBTQI characters, to yaoi/BL/bara (very much so), yuri, etc, to kink, and to adult content. In fact, I may well contribute some unless you specify the game is to not include it I also tend to like some dark/sad/depressing plotlines and themes as well.
That said I do have a short list of stuff I absolutely refuse to work on as a writer. That is as follows:
I WILL NOT WORK ON PROJECTS THAT GLORIFY RAPE. If your work involves rape as anything but a horrific crime and traumatizing experience of victimization, I'm not interested. I don't like "rape is love," I think rape culture is fucking bullshit, and I'm not working on shit with themes like Rance or Rapelay. This also includes BL: if you're not willing to write a rapeless plot (or at the very least one where rape is depicted realistically and the victim does not have a route with the rapist) I'm not in. Yes, I know people have rape fantasies and kinks and I'm not questioning the legitimacy of that or trashing rape-based gameplay. I'm just saying Your Kink Is NOT My Kink there. Cool?
Nor will I work on projects that have heavy lolicon or shotacon themes. Yes, I know it's all fiction, but again, Your Kink Is Not My Kink, I don't want the FBI knocking on my door, and I think kid sex is rape and is fucking disgusting, and pedophiles deserve to burn in any hell that exists. I don't protest if, say, you have a moeblob who isn't on any adult character's route and who doesn't act sexual. I also don't mind works that are like 16 and 17 year olds hooking up with each other because that happens at real high schools, and minor/minor of that age is consensual. But if kids can be fucked (or if adult/minor relationships are a major part of the story), it's not my thing.
Finally, and this is less concrete than the above, but I am very, very wary of high school stories (despite my love for Katawa Shoujo) and stories packed full of "weeaboo cliche". This, unlike the above, is not saying I absolutely refuse to work on them - I might be very interested. That said, I'm not very good at writing high schoolers, and people treating Japan like it's Magical Otaku Fantasyland tend to grate on my nerves damn fast since I know better. I *might* work on one of these stories - if you're okay with, say, me writing a teacher or another adult, or you're OK with me changing every use of "baka" to "fool" or "dumbass" or something that it translates to better.
Also, the above isn't meant to say I don't like stories set in Japan - I do. I also just like them to be relatively accurate, respectful, showing research (which I can provide if you need it), and a realistic take on Japanese society in some way and not "omg, I can draw anime let's have everyone run around in poorly tied kimono with their shoes on in the house screaming 'sakura' and 'baka' at each other!"
OKAY. Now I'm done with that long piece of why I want to be your writer, my music offer will be a little shorter. I do electronic music including remixes and original mixes. I am offering my musical work free for usage in any project as long as I am credited with a way people can reach my SoundCloud profile. (I also do heavy metal vocals and write lyrics, but most works might not have a place for that. That said, if your work does have a musician and you'd like some in-game lyrics, I could give you some of mine, but that definitely will not be free, since I'm drawing from my own stuff for my future band work.)
Here are samples of some songs I have made:
https://soundcloud.com/seth0et0holth/br ... -cyber-sex (REMIX - it is licensed to Get On Down Records so I can't use it for your work BUT I can do something similar if you give me stems for your music)
https://soundcloud.com/seth0et0holth/tr ... degree-rmx (Another contest remix I did, of Leona Lewis's "Trouble")
https://soundcloud.com/seth0et0holth/30 ... to-nowhere (An original mix I made, with a "Space Western" feel)
https://soundcloud.com/seth0et0holth/denialism (A short, sad piece of synth piano, it would match well with a really sad scene of some sort like the bad ending...)