valkyriesaga-if

[valkyriesaga-if]

Do you have any ask rules about scenarios, reactions, NSFW and other?

Hey!

You can send any ask you want, i don't really have any rule about that yet.

SO feel free to ask about scenarios, reactions and such!

For NSFW, i'll probably answer only those i'm confortable with and they will be tagged appropriately .

#ask tag #thank you!

[valkyriesaga-if]

ROs heights?

Hey Anon!

Halloran= 189cm

Lònan= 182 cm

Yugò= 175cm

Mavis= 172cm

Morgane= 177cm

Koyal= 169cm

#ask tag #thank you! #they're all pretty tall tbh

[valkyriesaga-if]

This was supposed to be up last night but I crashed... and forgot to press post/publish.

The 100 85% Good Twine SugarCube Guide!

NOTE: This is a currently Pre-Release of the Guide. This means it may contains typos, broken links, and wonky formatting. Edit will be made for improvement/corrections, as well as adding more content.

This SugarCube Guide was create as an alternative to the official documentation, providing a comprehensive and wide look of over the use of Twine, particularly the SugarCube format.

The Guide is compartmentalised in (currently) four categories:

The Basics: or the absolute basics to start with SugarCube

The Basics+: adding interactivity, and creating a fully rounded IF game

Intermediate Use: adding more customisation and complex code

Advanced More (incomplete): the most complex macros and APIs

Each category explains a multitude of aspects of the format, tailored to a specific level of the user.

If something is unclear, you found a mistake, you would like more examples in the guide, or would like a feature covered, let me know!

The Guide currently covers all macros (as of SugarCube v.2.36.1*), most functions and methods, and some API. It touches upon the use of HTML, CSS, JavaScript and jQuery. *In case of format update, this Guide will make relevant edits.

The Guides also provides a list of further resources, for the different coding languages.

When completed, this guide will be available in a downloadable form.

THE GUIDE!

#writing help #coding help

[valkyriesaga-if]

self-editing for fiction writers

Showing vs Telling

Do you have any narrative summary, or are you bouncing from scene to scene without pausing for breath?

Characterization & Exposition

What information do your readers need in order to understand your story? At what point in the story do they need to know it?

How are you getting this info across to your readers? Is it all at once through a writer-to-reader lecture?

If exposition comes out through dialogue, is it through dialogue your characters would actually speak even if your readers didn’t have to know the information? In other words, does the dialogue exist only to put the information across?

Point of View

Look at your descriptions. Can you tell how your viewpoint character feels about what you’re describing?

Proportion

Look at descriptions. Are the details you give the ones your viewpoint character would notice?

Reread your first fifty pages, paying attention to what you spend your time on. Are the characters you develop most fully important to the ending? Do you use the locations you develop in detail later in the story? Do any of the characters play a surprising role in the ending? Could readers guess this from the amount of time you spend on them?

Dialogue

Can you get rid of some of your speaker attributions entirely? Try replacing some with beats. 

How often have you paragrapher your dialogue?Try paragraphing a little more often. 

See How it Sounds

Read your dialogue aloud. At some point, read aloud every word you write.

Be on the lookout for places where you are tempted to change the wording. 

How well do your characters understand each other? Do they ever mislead on another? Any outright lies? 

Interior Monologue

First, how much interior monologue do you have? If you seem to have a lot, check to see whether some is actually dialogue description in disguise. Are you using interior monologue to show things that should be told?

Do you have thinker attributions you should get rid of (by  recasting into 3rd person, by setting the interior monologue off in its own paragraph or in italics, or by simply dropping the attribution)

Do your mechanics match your narrative distance?(Thinker attributions, italics, first person when your narrative is in third?)

Easy Beats

How many beats do you have? How often do you interrupt your dialogue?

What are your beats describing? Familiar every day actions, such as dialling a telephone or buying groceries? How often do you repeat a beat? Are your characters always looking out of windows or lighting cigarettes? 

Do your beats help illuminate your characters? Are they individual or general actions anyone might do under just about any circumstances?

Do your beats fit the rhythm of your dialogue? Read it aloud and find out

Breaking up is easy to do

Look for white space. How much is there? Do you have paragraphs that go on as much as a page in length? 

Do you have scenes with NO longer paragraphs? Remember what you’re after is the right balance. 

Have your characters made little speeches to one another? 

If you’re writing a novel, are all your scenes or chapters exactly the same length? -> brief scenes or chapters can give you more control over your story. They can add to your story’s tension. Longer chapters can give it a more leisurely feels. If scene or chapter length remains steady while the tension of the story varies considerably, your are passing up the chance to reinforce the tension. 

Once is usually enough

Reread your manuscript, keeping in mind what you are trying to do with each paragraph–what character point you’re trying to establish, what sort of mood you’re trying to create, what background you’re trying to suggest. In how many different ways are you accomplishing each of these ends?

If more than one way, try reading the passage without the weakest approach and see if it itsn’t more effective. 

How about on a chapter level? Do you have more than one chapter that accomplishes the same thing?

Is there a plot device or stylistic effect you are particularly pleased with? How often do you use it?

Keep on the lookout for unintentional word repeats. The more striking a word or phrase is, the more jarring it will be if repeated 

Sophistication 

How many -ing and as phrases do you write? The only ones that count are the ones that place a bit of action in a subordinate clause

How about -ly adverbs?

Do you have a lot of short sentences, both within your dialogue and within your description and narration? Try stringing some of them together with commas

#writing help #writing resources

[valkyriesaga-if]

Okay, i haven't made as much progress as i would like on my outline, but i've been working on Yggdrasil's geography and i'm having a lot of fun making this map and puting interresting locations everywhere.

#RotV #My stuff #Writing update #i guess #i've also been working a lot on the setting and refining the characters

[valkyriesaga-if]

can mc have one-night stands with the gang members? past relationships? fwb type of thing?

Hi Anon!

Aside from Mavis, MC didn't know any of the ROs prior to the start of the story, and they haven't seen Mavis in over 10 years at this point, so there won't be any past relationships with the ROs. Though I'm considering adding the option to have a past crush on Mavis.

As for the rest, Lònan would be the only one suceptible to have one night stands, but i haven't decided if i'll implement that option or not.

None of the other ROs would be into that kind of stuff, either because it doesn't match their personalities, or because they have other stuff going on.

#thank you! #ask tag #i'm still outlining the story and relationship arcs so there's a lot of things i haven't decided yet

[valkyriesaga-if]

Hi i cant find a FAQ but how do you say Yggdrasil??

There's no FAQ yet, this blog is still under construction!

As for Yggdrasil, it is pronounced like "Ygh-Drah-zeel", or \ˈʏkdʁazɪl\ in API pronounciation

#thank you! #ask tag

[valkyriesaga-if]

Built a few years after the Collapse, the city of Yggdrasil was meant to be a haven, a refuge. A utopia, where everyone could find their place and be equals.

But that’s the thing with utopias and ideals; they don’t last very long.

Yggdrasil was barely 20 years old when the Magi Council rose above their human brethren, firmly splitting society in two: the magi on one side, who wield privilege like a sword, and the humans on the other, whose only privilege was to stay alive and quiet.

After all, how can you deny Magi what they want, when they are the only thing protecting you from what’s outside the walls?

You’ve been living in the Helheim district for almost as long as you can remember, raised amongst crooks, conmen and criminals all your life. While this hardly seems like ideal conditions to raise a child, it was better than having the Council find out your secret. Helheim was the best place for secrets. You knew it, your mother knew it, everyone in Yggdrasil knew it.

You’re an undeclared Magi. In a city where showing the barest hint of magic can get a child taken away from their parents and chain them forever to the Council of Magi, raising a child under the watching eyes of kingpins, thieves and prostitutes was a shield, an armor. The best protection love could offer.

Every day, you live on the edge of the razor. One wrong move and your life could be upended entirely. But when your mother is on the verge of losing her house, her business, her entire life to Greed, you can’t just sit there and watch it happen.

Being hired to steal the Eyes of The Watcher, the most precious gems in all of Yggdrasil, located right in the heart of the Council Chamber, didn’t seem like such a bad idea, at the time.

Genre

Post apocalyptic, urban fantasy, heist

Content Warning

The story will be 18+ for violence, potential sexual themes, explicit content and gore.

Fully customizable MC: name, gender identity, sexuality, appearance, personality and demeanor

Interact with a varied cast of NPCs

Shape your relationships with your fellow gang members, from lovers to platonic besties, all the while keeping in mind that they are all criminals and liars, just like you.

Experience the Nightmares™

Engage in highly illegal, highly dangerous activities, and maybe some light rebellion and overthrow of authority on the side

Polish your skills such as stealth, combat or knowledge, and discover more about your magic

Spend some time in the luxurious streets of Asgard and other delightful places such as a Helheim fighting ring, the city sewers or a defunct meat factory

Hallucinate?

Pet the cat

The selfish mercenary - Lònan [M, he/him]

Money is the only thing that matters to Lònan. He has made that very clear since the beginning. Obviously, he doesn’t seem to care that much about his own life, otherwise he would have found another way to make a fortune. One that doesn’t involve going into the heart of the enemy territory to steal the most valuable and well guarded artifact in town, for example. Just a thought.

The disgraced Magi - Yugō [M, he/him]

Magi have virtually everything they might want. Money, luxury, and an unending hoard of lackeys to cater to their every need. So you can’t help but wonder what might lead one of them to hide amongst the rats in the dark alleys of Helheim, and Yugo is not inclined to answer your questions.

The unwelcome guest - Halloran [M, he/him]

No one really knows who Halloran is or what he wants, but he seems to keep inviting himself in your dreams, taking great pleasure in playing with you and your sanity. Only he is a cat playing with a mouse, and you can only hope that he won’t eat you whole.

The estranged friend - Mavis [F, she/her]

Back in the time you lived in Midgard West, you and Mavis used to be friends, practically joined by the hip. While she remained as kind and gentle as you remember her, there is a hard edge to her eyes that wasn’t there before.

The mysterious outsider - Koyal [F, she/her]

A courier from outside of town, you’re not sure why she joined your ragtag group of criminals. Calm and quiet, she mostly keeps to herself, but you can’t help but feel her watchful gaze on you every time you have your back turned.

The disembodied voice - Morgane [F, she/her]

You’ve never met her in person, your only contacts with her being over the phone, as she gives instructions to you and the rest of the group. She seems to be the only one in direct relation with the person who hired you for some trivial B&E in the most secure facility in Yggdrasil.

Lònan/Yugō and Koyal/Halloran are potential poly routes.

TBA

This is my first IF and English is not my first language, so feel free to send any constructive criticisms and corrections my way.

This is very early development, so many things are subject to change as i work on the story

Asks are welcome and reblogs appreciated!

#interactive fiction #interactive game #interactive novel #IF #twine #twine game #cyoa #if wip #no demo #wip intro #twine story #twine if #wip #the valkyries saga

[valkyriesaga-if]

good traits gone bad

perfectionism - never being satisfied

honesty - coming off as rude and insensitive

devotion - can turn into obsession

generosity - being taken advantage of

loyalty - can make them blind for character faults in others

being dependable - always depending on them

ambitiousness - coming off as ruthless

optimism - not being realistic

diligence - not able to bend strict rules

protectiveness - being overprotective

cautiousness - never risking anything

being determined - too focussed on one thing

persuasiveness - coming off as manipulative

tidiness - can become an obsession

being realistic - being seen as pessimistic

assertiveness - coming off as bossy

pride - not accepting help from others

innocence - being seen as naive

selflessness - not thinking about themself enough

being forgiving - not holding others accountable

curiosity - asking too much questions

persistence - being seen as annoying

being charming - can seem manipulative

modesty - not reaching for more

confidence - coming off as arrogant

wit/humor - not taking things serious

patience - being left hanging

strategic - coming off as calculated

being caring - being overbearing

tolerance - being expected to tolerate a lot

eagerness - coming off as impatient

being observant - being seen as nosy

independence - not accepting help

being considerate - forgetting about themself

fearlessness - ignoring real danger

politeness - not telling what they really think

reliability - being taken advantage of

empathy - getting overwhelmed with feeling too much for other people

#writing help

[valkyriesaga-if]

The right FREE tools to write a book

hello hello, it's me!

today I was thinking of how much you loved my masterlist featuring some free tools for writers, and I thought I would do something like that again but, this time, featuring just one or two tools per step while getting the best of "the writer's workbook" (which is also free).

before going any further, for those who don't know, "the writer's workbook" is, as the name says, a workbook for writers, with over 90 pages. it has lots of sheets divided into categories, to help you build the skeleton of your novel. (know more about it here).

however, we can get the most out of it using other complementary tools to ease this process.

Brainstorming

Reedsy generator - it's one of my favorites, and it can be quite useful when you're stuck and want to get an idea. you're free to make changes to it so that it is as unique as possible.

Mindmap

Lucidspark - although it has a premium version, I find it so helpful when it comes to making a mindmap. I've used it multiple times before, including for college assignments, and it's one of the best I've found so far.

Mindmup - I'm sharing this one here as an alternative to lucidspark, since this one doesn't require to create an account, and you have access to unlimited maps. however, in my opinion, it is not as good or intuitive as lucidspark is.

Come up with names

Behind the name - it's a classic, but one of my favorites. you can search every name you could ever imagine, and get its meaning, history, variations, etc. it still has some tools you can use such as a name generator, anagrams, and much more.

Make a profile

Fake person generator - although it was not created for authors, you might find it useful since it gives lots of details and you can be interested in some fields.

Character generator - this one was made for writers, and is simple and easy to use.

Family tree

Family echo - it's so simple yet so helpful.

Maps

Inkarnate - it has a paid version, but you can use it for free and create a great map.

Politics

Filteries - this is sooo complete and accurate!

hope this was helpful! have a nice day <3

#writing help

[valkyriesaga-if]

Twine Coding - Masterlist

thought I’d throw together a list of the resources I personally use and the ones I’ve seen floating around that look useful. if you have questions, it’s worth checking these out!

Afficher davantage

#writing help #coding help

[valkyriesaga-if]

Perhaps you've answered this so far, but how easy is it to transfer a game from the COG system to twine? I'm working on my WIP in the COG system right now (it is the coding system I'm familiar with, and I honestly find COG's simple UI much easier to read than the more intricate twine ones), but do not want to release it on that platform. I intend to put it on twine at some point. But the more I write, the more I get worried that I'm just creating more work for myself.

Personally, I think it depends on how much design work you want to do! Transferring all your variables and text from CS to Twine is kid stuff. I found that actually making the game look good was the hard part, because I had to blitz-learn CSS (and am still learning. I have a whole clone of Greenwarden in my Twine files that's just for testing cleaner code) to make it look nice, which is entirely optional. There are also plenty of Twine templates you can use!

Twine has several different versions built in that are good for different things. I use Sugarcube2, which comes with its own customizable UI, and so does @northern-passage. @heart-forge uses Harlowe. There's also Ren'Py, but that's a completely different beast and is mostly for visual novels. There's also Inform, which is a modern version of the coding language classic IF games like Zork and Planetfall were written in!

For that cleaner, classic CoG Ui, I might recommend Twine's Chapbook language! I haven't personally used it, but you might find it familiar and easy to read.

TL;DR: Not that hard, especially if you've already got a strong base to work with.

#writing help