If you're interested in knowing how to create a Visual Novel Character, here is a template and a workshop video to show you the basics.

Glorious day to you all! It's been a while since the last update.

So, to catch you guys up to speed on the behind the scenes, I've been working on "Crimson Chase" which was going to be a book with chapters. Each chapter was going to be a fully fleshed out short story that told a little bit more of the character's arcs. For instance, the chapter titled "Arachnophobia" was themed around spiders. The original goal was that each chapter would not be more than 2,000 words. There would be 7 chapters like this, so that would be a minimum of 14,000 words. I nicknamed these chapters "Mask Horror" stories. However, my estimation was WAY off, I realized "Crimson Chase" is turning more into a novel. I can't work on a longer story right now because I want to get to "Butterfly Kisses" and "A Long Journey VN" before my time runs out (my deadline was November). What I will do for now is finish off those seven chapters and submit them to online zines, and in the future, years from now, I may come back and finish "Crimson Chase."

Speaking of "A Long Journey VN..." I've been working on some designs for the reboot this year! Here's some of my WIP environmental models.

I just need to add some paint, some props, some resin for the pond, and then decorate the pond, and it's done! You'll notice the crystals sticking out of the ground -- that's because this is the Quartz region that ALJ VN takes place in. Doing some sculptures like these really jogged my creative juices. I can base my 2D art off of these.

As for "Butterfly Kisses," let's just say doing all these "Chase" short stories first had really paid off in the end. I've learned so much about feeling and good storytelling. Donald Maass's book "The Emotional Craft of Fiction," has really been a game changer for me. I'm really proud (for the first time) how well this manga's story is going to turn out.

Well, "Azure Chase" is being released at the end of this month. I gotta get back to work. Enjoy your weekend, internet.

~Rox

Howdy Internet,

How are you all doing today? I'm quite sick right now, but I don't want to just lose these days when there is another short story that's supposed to be coming out by the of this month. Plus, I want to be ahead of the curve for next month too (also because I'm on vacation for a third of this month). So I've been working on "Lavender Chase" and "Azure Chase" today. "Lavender Chase" is set mostly inside an abandoned, mental health facility and has more horror overtones. "Azure Chase" is more of a psychological horror with an overpowered creature is going through almost a mental breakdown. Both of them feature an incubus.

Currently, I'm going through the developmental edits for each as suggested by their respective editors. Their feedback is taking my writing to the next level. For instance, the last 4 days, created and redid 4 scenes to do more showing than telling. I've written a total of about 6700 extra words in that time. The biggest difference in my previous writing with my current writing is that there will be more world building, an emphasis on showing rather than narration, and really developing the characters and their relationships with each other through an emotional journey. The incubus's powers and demeanor are getting highlighted a lot more. It doesn't mean its not painful reading the feedback for the first time, however. So I'll be spending the next 24 hours slogging through them.

I will say this, "A Long Journey VN" is going to have so much better writing than it had years ago. But alas, that will be restarting after I get at least the first chapter of "Butterfly Kisses" done.

Well, that's my update. Until later,
~Rox

"To the young people, in particular, I hope you will hear this. I've spent my entire adult life fighting for what I believe in. I've had successes and I've had setbacks -- sometimes really painful ones.

"Many of you are at the beginning of your professional, public and political careers. You will have successes and setbacks, too. This loss hurts. But please never stop believing that fighting for what's right is worth it. It is. It is worth it." 

- Hillary Clinton
First Woman to be Elected by a Major Political Party in the US
First Woman to have won the Popular Vote (Largest Majority) in a US Presidential Election

Now to start creating the sprite sheet that gets put into the game. Hooray!!1 The end is neigh!

And now for the final pose set! The solid, fighting stances.

Now Auferre is a fighter. In the visual novel, she has to fight some folks, well, why doesn't she have any battle poses? Let's fix that in this video. What starts out as an idea quickly doodled, turns into this final illustration.

I've gotten to the point where I don't feel like putting anything pertinent to this update video in this blog. Hahaha. Happy day folks!

When an alien space ship falls in front of you, you make this pose...

Taking down another pose for Auferre. This time focusing on just the hands up in the air.