Good lord, how many more books are there by this author?
The post His Mistress by Christmas by Victoria Alexander appeared first on HOT SAUCE REVIEWS.
I’m working on a game in which the protagonist has a disability.
Writing this protagonist is scary to me. I’m able-bodied, so as I write this game, I’m trying to help my players empathize with life experiences that I have not personally had.
I’ve seen able-bodied people mess up writing … Keep reading →
What "wild things"? The whole thing resembles a really bad reality TV show that should be axed with extreme prejudice.
The post Wild Things by Nick Fuller appeared first on HOT SAUCE REVIEWS.
The heroine mouths and acts sassy like a Disney TV heroine, and then pulls out a condom. That's so wrong.
The post When Good Earls Go Bad by Megan Frampton appeared first on HOT SAUCE REVIEWS.
Warning: this is an epilogue, not a story in its own right. Everyone's pregnant and in love, the usual.
The post Intoxicated by Monica Murphy appeared first on HOT SAUCE REVIEWS.
I am making a conversion of a fighting fantasy fan adventure as windows app in my spare time, i got the authorisation from the author recently and it's expected to take a few months to complete, i am very exited on this new project, some questions you may have ask away and i will give some feedback. Note: it is a free app and will be available only to windows users
Either we have a young Anne Stuart in the making or someone who tries too hard. Time will tell, I guess.
The post Intrusion by Charlotte Stein appeared first on HOT SAUCE REVIEWS.
I am coming out for all you plebeians' sake.
The post I am #1 USA Today Bestseller Penny Tration appeared first on HOT SAUCE REVIEWS.
The hero is something of a priest, but eating a cucumber would feel more of a taboo compared to anything present here.
The post Forbidden by Charlotte Stein appeared first on HOT SAUCE REVIEWS.
The author still has it. Now, if only she would apply her magic to her longer works.
The post Return to Clan Sinclair by Karen Ranney appeared first on HOT SAUCE REVIEWS.
Discovered that people are willing to donate $190 for me to write a LARP that involves 20 decks of Tarot cards (by funding the cards.)
— Carolyn VanEseltine (@mossdogmusic) March 22, 2015
Did not win the Vericon auction for said cards, but seem to have committed to writing the … Keep reading →
It's probably a mistake trying to read this book while listening to Walk the Moon.
The post Magnolia Drive by Rochelle Alers appeared first on HOT SAUCE REVIEWS.
Even for a gamebook from this guy, this one is so random and pointless that it's almost horrifying.
The post Mystery of the Maya by RA Montgomery appeared first on HOT SAUCE REVIEWS.
If you love someone, you should just marry him and damn what people think! Yes, that works in the 19th century, easy.
The post Diary of an Accidental Wallflower by Jennifer McQuiston appeared first on HOT SAUCE REVIEWS.
As an enthusiast of interactive fiction, there are some parameters I usually go by when writing. I don't consider the items listed here as universal truths, but they help steer my creative process and support the experience I'm trying to convey. I'd like to hear your feedback as well as your own personal guidelines for writing interactive stories.
To better establish where I'm coming from, the two main genres I write in are fantasy and science-fiction. My stories often carry a serious tone, and while I try to raise concepts and questions to think about when convenient, I also feel it's perfectly fine to have a solid piece of entertainment that isn't focusing on being a philosophical breakthrough. I enjoy having character menus to keep track of items and skills (sometimes character classes), but I try to have these as simple and accessible as possible. Having said that, systems that require dice rolls, provided that they are easy to get into, are also ok by me.
Anyways, here are some of the standards I stick by:
Dos
a) Realism. What I define as realism in this scenario is how a story manages to make you feel like a part of it by relying on basic principles of human needs and interaction: What does something smell like? Is the body language displayed by others coherent with who they are and what they're going through? Being out in the unforgiving cold will surely not be good on your health. It's fine that the character you're interacting says, 'huh' in the middle of a sentence while thinking on what to say next... Spontaneous spoken speech is very different from the written or planned versions, and that should reflect on dialogue. Realism contributes to the roleplaying experience by making it seem more familiar, thus within our reach.
b) Simple, but catchy plot and gameplay. The easier and less complex something is, the better it is to approach it. Overly elaborate systems and heavy bursts of information can turn readers away.
c) Originality. I should be able to point out at least one aspect of my work that is fairly unique and worthy of note, be it plot or gameplay related.
d) Two (or more) main diverging paths should be equally rich in content. People who chose X over Z should not be penalised with less interactions. While the encounters found in different paths should not be the same, each must be enticing and interesting in its own way.
Don'ts
a) Don't name the main character/player. This is a pet peeve of mine, and it's related to roleplaying. I like to allow the readers to see themselves as the protagonist, and by keeping the name, gender, beliefs, and appearance vague I feel that there's room for that transition. The downside of this decision is running the risk of the action being too bland due to a seemingly uninteresting main character, but an exciting story with appealing choices should cover up for that. Besides, part of the charm of an interactive novel is the willingness of the reader to roleplay, thus some of the feelings will not be in writing, but rather created or interpreted by the player him/herself. Titles and nicknames are fine.
b) Don't write if you don't feel like it. You owe it to yourself to have a good time creating, and it's healthy to step away from it every now and then to replenish your energies.
c) If I think about how a story will develop in its entirety, I lose interest in writing it. Therefore, part of it must remain obscured, though a very basic draft/map definitely helps.
d) Avoid curse words in fantasy. There are smarter ways to convey distress. No problems with it in sci-fi dialogue, thpugh.
e) No unforeseen player death. I hate when games have you die in order to learn the tactic. Instead, the world itself will hold clues about potential danger. So, if you pay attention and can put two and two together, you will not instantly die by selecting a seemingly innocent choice.
Oks
a) It's ok to have some matters left unsolved. Loose ends aren't evil; they're real. How many times have you seen a character in a show comment on something apparently random, only to have that thing pop up/be used later on? Or in the end of the story the protagonists always discover who a secret person was, and all mysteries are wrapped up? In fact, as you very well know, life is not like that. Our daily lives are full of situations that never find closure, and the addition of these adds to the realism. Besides, it leaves room for the imagination to put together what something might have been and even puzzle out possible justifications for certain events, which is always a fun exercise. Too many unsolved cases might frustrate the player, however, so they must be well balanced with fulfilled plot lines.
b) When the protagonist speaks, it can be represented in two ways:
'Where are you headed, traveller?' you ask the weary man.
You ask the weary man where he is headed.
Both are fine, but if you'd like to keep the protagonist even more of a blank page so that the reader can project him/herself onto the main character, then use the second option.
c) It's ok not to have humongous worlds with endless options. I used to strive for the creation of a universe as complex as possible to be explored like an RPG in an interactive novel. However, this concept requires an absurd amount of detail that most players would rather go without. Moreover, having to write numerous descriptions and set up scenarios based on endless possibilities is extremely exhausting.
d) Clichés are not so bad if you can pull them off smoothly by fitting them well in the story. Just don't go overboard.
The heroine may as well be a blow-up doll in this story, as it's all about the hero and his buddies (buy all their books!),
The post Playing Dirty by HelenKay Dimon appeared first on HOT SAUCE REVIEWS.
Christopher Nolan’s science fiction epic Interstellar is now a text-adventure. In preparation for the digital and DVD release of the film, the site has been changed over from the traditional film site to hosting a text adventure title called Interstellar. The text-adventure, browser based by played like a traditional parser IF, was written by executive […]
The post News: Interstellar Site is Now a Text Adventure appeared first on .
I wish this story has been less contrived, less clichéd.
The post Wishing Lake by Regina Hart appeared first on HOT SAUCE REVIEWS.
A TBR Challenge 2015 review. This is getting embarrassing. Quick, ask the author to write me a book that I don't like!
The post What Happens at Christmas by Victoria Alexander appeared first on HOT SAUCE REVIEWS.
When I announced ParserComp, I wasn’t sure what the response would be. I knew I loved parser games, and I knew other people did too, but I worried that no one would actually enter. Or, if … Keep reading →
