Figured I should probably post a quick update on how things are going. First up: I’m still working, so don’t worry about that! 2011 was a pretty rubbish year, and my health nosedived several times throughout, but I’m hoping 2012 will be better. I’ll be working on the new site soon, and I’m still working my way through all the background details, while hashing out the new opening arc.
…Hopefully the new site will come with a far more thorough development blog XD
Well, here’s to wishing you good luck. My new Opera browser reported this as a malware site, but I’m guessing that’s because of the virus incident a while back. Can’t wait for the new site! What’s the new address going to be?
Same address, I’ll just be erasing the database and starting afresh (so any malware warnings so be wiped also) XD
@Neo: My guess would be right here again.
Y’know, I’ve decided. I’m going to buy the books when they come out. I’m usually reluctant to buy anything online, purely because I’m rather conservative about spending general, but this is definitely worth it.
(Or are the books already out and I missed it ’cause I wasn’t interested then?)
No books out yet, I’m still editing and revising and revising again the actual plot! Which ought to suggest how much revision is actually going on*. I think I’ve nailed the basics now, though.
*Should note that the characters are still the same, albeit some are better developed now, and the basic plot is still there, it’s just how everything is told that’s changing. One thing that has been utterly axed is the whole concept of “faeries in high school!!”, which I originally invoked in the belief if would provide a familiar foundation to gradually introduce much grander concepts to. There’s still a badly run military academy, where most of the young cast are centred, but Phantasia never joins it as a student and merely moonlights there as part of her investigation/mission. And she doesn’t start doing that until a number of volumes into the story XD
Oh cool. So does this mean we’ll be seeing more of Phantasia in the Innerworld? (Perhaps in World Axis? I always felt like that was some forgotten foreshadowing… Though, knowing you, it wasn’t actually forgotten, you probably just had it planned for aaages later.)
It wasn’t forgotten in the slightest! Blatant foreshadowing and plots like that don’t get forgotten, especially given the amount of much subtler foreshadowing I had earlier on XD
But yes, there are more Innerworld shenanigans early on. That early story is now much more developed, and entwines with another plot revolving around the human characters (which itself has been developed from revised scenes that originally happened prior to the story starting).
I’m aiming for a more gradual introduction of characters this time, too. Not that many won’t get name dropped early on, but I’m aiming to spend more time focusing on and establishing individuals this time. For example, the first few chapters are focused on Phantasia and Dionysus. It might help with the problem people have had of remembering everyone, especially if all the important characters get a proper establishing scene!
I haven’t had any issue remembering anyone. Well, almost. The only people I got confused were the two duos, Lysander/Angelo and Chris/Lance.
My biggest problem was matching names to faces. The change from text to picture kept me guessing. That probably won’t be so much of an issue due to the sidebar thing, if you’re doing that for early chapters, those associations will be set long before it’s necessary.
That issue should be catered for also, since I won’t be diverging off into comic-styled scenes anymore. There will still be illustrations, but they’ll either be depicting what’s going on in the text, or stand-alone informational/artistic pieces.
Hmm… Well, I guess I can handle that. But I was liking the idea of eventually it being text and comic entwined together.. Ah well.