Requesting advice: I want to turn my story into a VN

[Kjata]

Hello Lemmasoft,

I am looking to get some advice regarding the process of transforming a story into a visual novel. I have always had a very active imagination and I have always had a longing to share my ideas with others. After playing some visual novels, I have concluded that they are the perfect medium for sharing my stories with the world.

So far, I have a general plot for two stories which I believe could be transformed into very engaging visual novels. I have a clear idea for the characters involved in both stories, how the stories will progress and the conclusions for both of these stories. Could someone give me a step by step guide of the process I should go through in order to attract a team of people who could turn my stories into a visual novel?

I would be willing to write detailed outlines for the the plot of the both stories and I would be willing to write the scripts for the beginning of both. Should I do this and then post them on the recruitment thread? If the plots and scripts are engaging enough are they likely to attract artists and programmers to work on the project? I have no prior experience in working on a visual novel, would it be better to work on proofreading other peoples work or working on their scripts before I submit a script of my own for consideration?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

Edit: I should have also mentioned that I would not be able to pay for any work I receive from others, I would also not expect to earn any personal profit from creating a visual novel. I simply love to generate, write and share ideas. I believe that the stories I create would make very compelling visual novels, I want to know the best way of convincing others of this fact - so one additional question would be - what would be the best thing a writer can do, in order to convince a team that the project has enough merit to work on, despite the lack of pay.

[gekiganwing]

Could someone give me a step by step guide of the process I should go through in order to attract a team of people who could turn my stories into a visual novel?

Start by looking at the Suggestions for Recruiters thread. Aside from that...

1. Make sure you can assure people that you *can and will* finish what you start. I know that accidents happen, and that the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry. Still, prove to people that you're reliable.

2. Be willing to go elsewhere to look for help. You might need to use DeviantArt, Reddit, and other communities. Make sure other people are willing to commit and contribute.

[Taleweaver]

If you want someone to help you specifically on turning those two stories of yours into VNs and would like to recruit people for a project such as this, our Recruitment forum is the right place for you, though in that case, you need to reveal a little more about the stories than you did now. Our Recruitment forums has a few rules about that.

If you're just looking for some advice on how to, generally, turn stories into VNs, then you've come to the right place at Asset Creation: Writing. And in that case, I think I can help you.

What exactly is it you want?

[SundownKid]

If you are a writer, it should not be hard to turn your story into a visual novel. It's more like a book than a movie - you have sequences of narration,followed by dialogue. Simply check the demo included with Ren'py, play through some, and then start making your own. One difference is that VN's are usually told from a character's POV similar to if you were playing a video game. But, that's not required.

I would recommend you do it by yourself, since you are likely a student or someone who has some free time to write. It's not hard to learn how to use Ren'py.

However, if you still want to find someone, the Recruitment thread would be the right place. You would have to post details of your story and see if you get volunteers. Or, maybe a skill trade of some kind.

If the plots and scripts are engaging enough are they likely to attract artists and programmers to work on the project?

Don't expect miracles. If I could get pro artists and programmers for every cool idea I had, I would have made 20 games by now. You have to put an investment to get skilled artists, especially. Even if someone is volunteering there's no guarantee they'll stick around or be anything close to fast. But the programming in Ren'py you can easily learn yourself.

To convince people to work on it, you would have to make a compelling description of the story. However, as I said, even if they do work on it, it may fall through if the artist or writer runs out of time or finds a paid job. No one but yourself will be as devoted to your story as you are.

[Kjata]

Thank you for all the replies and advice so far.

I did read the suggestion for recruiters thread before posting here, as I did not have any concrete material so far, I thought it would be a bit obnoxious of me to try and recruit people when I did not have any work to show to people.

What I really wanted to know was: given the fact that I only have the concept of a story so far, what would be the next best thing for me to do in order to make a visual novel?

In light of the replies to this thread here is what I am thinking of doing:

1. Write a plot summary for my story
2. Post the summary on this sub forum, to get feedback
3. Write the script for the first few scenes of my VN
4. Post the script on the recruitment thread and see if there are any artists and programmers willing to get involved?

Does this seem like an appropriate course of action? I was thinking that, alternatively I could use Ren'Py to make my visual novel with only text (no images or CG) and then post it on the recruitment board to see if people would like to work with me. However I was worried that this may be a wasted effort if it turn out that no one would be willing to work on the project for free (as I require).

Here is general overview for the story I am considering making into a VN:

The story is about a man who is plagued by dreams about a post apocolyptic future. After an encounter with a mysterious woman who has similar dreams, he begins to realise that these dreams are prophetic and that this future will almost certainly occur.

He,and a group of others then set out to prevent this future from occurring. Guided by these dreams they seek to prevent the events which will lead to the apocalypse.

The main theme of the visual novel is the subject of morality. It addresses the question: if you know the outcome of an action, then does it change whether the action is good or evil? Moreover, is the morality of your action dependent on the intentions you set out with?

I feel the plot would work well as a visual novel because it deals heavily with the nature of choice. Giving the player the ability to make that choice will allow them to fully engage with the subject matter of the story.

Anyway that was just a very brief overview, please believe me when I say the overall plot is a lot deeper and more intriguing than this would lead you to believe! Depending on the feedback I receive from this post, my next step will be to write a full plot summary and post it on this thread.

Thanks for taking the time to read this, and thanks for all the advice.

[asatiir]

I am currently rebuilding my Twine text adventure into a visual novel (can be found here) using Ren'Py, so maybe I can give you some pointers.

Story telling between different mediums can be very different. My text adventure was originally a short story I wrote not so long ago, and the text adventure is loosely based on the events that happened in the short story, mainly because I had to give way to interactivity.

I've come to realize that Twine can be quite useful in order to build first drafts for interactive stories. It's not the most elegant and most refined of builders, but it would definitely help you flesh out and experiment with the interactivity in your stories, so do give it a try. If you can build a story on it, the nodes (squares) can give you an easy mind map one where the story is going before you build it with pictures and sounds on Ren'Py.

Anna Anthropy wrote a pretty elaborate page on how to use it too. http://www.auntiepixelante.com/twine/

[Kjata]

Thanks asatiir. I just tried playing your game, within the walls, it was very enjoyable (but I got three game overs within three minutes...), I will make a serious attempt at completing it when I get the time.

I see the appeal in using twine to make a prototype of my game, one of the key difference to the game I am trying to create compared to yours is that I intend for mine to be a lot more text heavy with a lot less user interactivity. This is because I want to prioritize the narrative of the story as main feature. Nonetheless, if Twine is easier to use than Ren'Py, it might be the best software to make the prototype of my game.

[asatiir]

I see the appeal in using twine to make a prototype of my game, one of the key difference to the game I am trying to create compared to yours is that I intend for mine to be a lot more text heavy with a lot less user interactivity. This is because I want to prioritize the narrative of the story as main feature. Nonetheless, if Twine is easier to use than Ren'Py, it might be the best software to make the prototype of my game.

My game was fairly text heavy too, I rebuilding it on Ren'Py is its own challenge as some bits have been divided and altered in order to get it to work there.

Looking forward to your story!

[Kjata]

My game was fairly text heavy too, I rebuilding it on Ren'Py is its own challenge as some bits have been divided and altered in order to get it to work there.

Looking forward to your story!

Sorry, I phrased what I wrote incorrectly. I meant that my game would have a lot less interaction on the part of the player. It would mainly be linear - with the player only making choices at key moments. The only VN I have actually played is Fate/Stay Night, which is for the most part entirely linear. I am hoping to build something similar in nature to that.

[Endorphin]

You could always use Twine as a organiser only.
Which means that you can use it to visualise how the plot changes with interaction, but fill the boxes only with summaries.
(This is more to help yourself plotting than to show others--though it's possible.)

Also, Ren'Py is easier than you think.

"Girl" "I talk stuff."
"Boy" "I answer."
"Author Note" "This is where I'd like to insert a mini game in which you [...], so if you're a programmer and interested..."

(NVL mode would be just as easy.) You don't need graphics--this would be enough to show people how it will look like, and the finetuning can come later.

Otherwise, just posting parts of the scripts in text form could also help, as it gives people an idea.
^ In your case, just programming the thing would probably be best, since the plot is rather linear.

I'm sure you'll manage. :>

- En.

[Kjata]

You could always use Twine as a organiser only.
Which means that you can use it to visualise how the plot changes with interaction, but fill the boxes only with summaries.
(This is more to help yourself plotting than to show others--though it's possible.)

Also, Ren'Py is easier than you think.

"Girl" "I talk stuff."
"Boy" "I answer."
"Author Note" "This is where I'd like to insert a mini game in which you [...], so if you're a programmer and interested..."

(NVL mode would be just as easy.) You don't need graphics--this would be enough to show people how it will look like, and the finetuning can come later.

Otherwise, just posting parts of the scripts in text form could also help, as it gives people an idea.
^ In your case, just programming the thing would probably be best, since the plot is rather linear.

I'm sure you'll manage. :>

- En.

This make a lot of sense. I am just going to throw myself into making it, and then if there are portions of script which I need help on I will come to the forum for advice. Once I have it built I will work on getting other people to help with voice acting, art and CG (if I need any).

I think that pretty much sums up all the advice I needed, if anyone else wants to throw in their two cents I will be glad to listen. If not - look forward to my upcoming visual novel

[asatiir]

You could always use Twine as a organiser only.

That's why I brought it up, I've read somewhere that some people use it to map interviews too.

[Kjata]

Hey folks, I'm updating this thread as I need a bit more advice. I am currently using twine to organise the plot structure on my VN, I am also using Ren'Py to write out the script for my VN, currently I'm using free backgrounds and sprites I can find on the web, to create a prototype of the first part of it.

The VN I am creating is going to be very long in terms of word count, realistically 500k+ words, I know this may seem overly ambitious for a first time VN but I really want to create this story. I also would like to turn this into a commercial VN when it is completed.

What I wan't to ask, is my plan of action realistic. It is detailed below:

1. Detail the full plot structure, including all plot branches on Twine. This will also include the number of backgrounds and sprites which will be required in the final product

2. Build the first 20% of my VN using Ren'Py, using free backgrounds and sprites as placeholders.

3. At this point I would like to try and create a team of people to work on my VN (artists, proofreader and possibly a cowriter). I will post the first 20% of the game as a demo, the entire Twine plot structure, the number of backgrounds and sprites required and a time frame for completion.

4. Work with the team to complete the VN in the aforementioned time frame. I will continue working on the script while the team works on backgrounds and sprites. However I would not be able to pay for any art I receive at this point.

5. Sell the VN at a price agreed upon by the team, dividing the profits between the team on a biannual basis.

I know that one of the major problems here is that I would be asking for people to submit art work to me for free, with no guarantee that the VN would necessarily make a profit. I have though about doing the following (in between step 3 and 4)

3.5 Work with the team to create the art for only 20% of the game, use crowdfunding to generate enough revenue to pay for the required services for the remaining 80%.

Now my question is - is this an appropriate course of action to build a commercial VN without requiring any financial input on my part.

--

I have thought about a secondary course of action. That is to build a much shorter visual novel first, in a much shorter time frame and distribute it for free.

The advantage I can see to this approach, is that it would demonstrate my ability to complete projects and showcase my ability as a writer. Also I imagine is much easier to get a team of artists to work on a small project for free than it is with my original project.

The disadvantage is that I feel it might be a waste of time, when my real ambition is to create my original project, if my original course of action is effective, then this course of action is redundant.

As always, all advice and comments are gratefully received.

[SundownKid]

Hey folks, I'm updating this thread as I need a bit more advice. I am currently using twine to organise the plot structure on my VN, I am also using Ren'Py to write out the script for my VN, currently I'm using free backgrounds and sprites I can find on the web, to create a prototype of the first part of it.

The VN I am creating is going to be very long in terms of word count, realistically 500k+ words, I know this may seem overly ambitious for a first time VN but I really want to create this story. I also would like to turn this into a commercial VN when it is completed.

500k is a lot, that's about 5 novels worth. You might be "Able" to write that much, but your story might end up being overly long and boring to read. You should make sure you can write a novel length VN before going on to create one that's larger. Or, release it in installments rather than putting all your eggs in one basket. Usually if you "can't tell" your story in less words it's probably too long and convoluted. Start as small as humanly possible with your first game.

What I wan't to ask, is my plan of action realistic. It is detailed below:

1. Detail the full plot structure, including all plot branches on Twine. This will also include the number of backgrounds and sprites which will be required in the final product

2. Build the first 20% of my VN using Ren'Py, using free backgrounds and sprites as placeholders.

3. At this point I would like to try and create a team of people to work on my VN (artists, proofreader and possibly a cowriter). I will post the first 20% of the game as a demo, the entire Twine plot structure, the number of backgrounds and sprites required and a time frame for completion.

Ideally, you should create the entire VN before asking for help unless you know and trust the people involved. The amount of work you have planned is simply unrealistic for a free game. When you are working with a free team expect to create a VN sized 20,000 words, not 500,000.

4. Work with the team to complete the VN in the aforementioned time frame. I will continue working on the script while the team works on backgrounds and sprites. However I would not be able to pay for any art I receive at this point.

5. Sell the VN at a price agreed upon by the team, dividing the profits between the team on a biannual basis.

Profit share is usually not an incredible motivation to create a game. Usually people interpret it the same as "volunteering" but slightly better. You are also not going to get the money to make your next game from the sales of this one. I recommend keeping it a free game, with volunteer work, until you can make the money elsewhere to commission people.

I know that one of the major problems here is that I would be asking for people to submit art work to me for free, with no guarantee that the VN would necessarily make a profit. I have though about doing the following (in between step 3 and 4)

3.5 Work with the team to create the art for only 20% of the game, use crowdfunding to generate enough revenue to pay for the required services for the remaining 80%.

That idea could work, but crowdfunding is also tricky. You won't be able to raise a ton of money unless you put money/time into advertising it and making rewards. You also need a track record of finished quality games and a demo.

Now my question is - is this an appropriate course of action to build a commercial VN without requiring any financial input on my part.

It's very difficult to make a commercial VN with zero financial input. I think any game with free volunteer work should be released for free, since profit share is usually undervaluing the talents of an artist.

[Kjata]

500k is a lot, that's about 5 novels worth. You might be "Able" to write that much, but your story might end up being overly long and boring to read. You should make sure you can write a novel length VN before going on to create one that's larger. Or, release it in installments rather than putting all your eggs in one basket. Usually if you "can't tell" your story in less words it's probably too long and convoluted. Start as small as humanly possible with your first game.

This is including all branching story lines. The story the player will experience in a single play through will be significantly shorter.

Ideally, you should create the entire VN before asking for help unless you know and trust the people involved. The amount of work you have planned is simply unrealistic for a free game. When you are working with a free team expect to create a VN sized 20,000 words, not 500,000.

I thought about this, but if I complete the entire script before getting artists on board then I wouldn't be doing anything while they did the art work. I thought it would be more efficient to be working on the script while they work on the art.

Profit share is usually not an incredible motivation to create a game. Usually people interpret it the same as "volunteering" but slightly better. You are also not going to get the money to make your next game from the sales of this one. I recommend keeping it a free game, with volunteer work, until you can make the money elsewhere to commission people.

This is valuable advice, I am currently a full time student and I have no income but I should finish within the next month. I guess it makes more sense to get a job and then use the money to commission art.

That idea could work, but crowdfunding is also tricky. You won't be able to raise a ton of money unless you put money/time into advertising it and making rewards. You also need a track record of finished quality games and a demo.

It's very difficult to make a commercial VN with zero financial input. I think any game with free volunteer work should be released for free, since profit share is usually undervaluing the talents of an artist.

I will keep this in mind. Maybe the following plan of action would be more sensible.

(1) and (2) the same as before, by this time I will hopefully be earning. Then PAY for artists to work on illustrating the first 20% of the game. Then use the 20% as a demo to crowdfund the remaining costs. The remaining steps would be the same. If I am unable to crowdfund the game then I could continue to pay for it myself assuming I am earning - it would take longer to get a finished product but it would still get done this way.