Chitchat Let's talk about our projects!

[bastion]

I'm in need of creative friends that I can talk creative stuff with! I always find it easier to work on things when I've got someone to talk to about it!

I'm mainly working on roleplay stuff right now. I'm trying to build an adventuring guild roleplay group, as well as refine my rp searches (which means writing up descriptions of all my characters with plot hooks.) It's all pretty slow going since I've been dealing with some pretty heavy creative burnout lately.

I've got so many other projects on top of it, that are just sitting around gathering first! I actually have a master list of them to help me keep track 0.0

Project Masterlist

Current Projects Naecr A world built by and on the back of a creature in the cosmic sea (cosmic sea being an ocean-like place where various universes exist in bubbles within it.) The Void is trying to consume the world since it's not meant to exist, which has resulted in rifts and shadow beings...

docs.google.com

I could probably say more but with the burnout I think I'll leave it there. Feel free to ask about specific projects and I'll give more details.

Anyway, what are you working on? What has you most excited for your project? Anything you're struggling with?

 

[kibou]

Other than art, which I'm always kind-of but also not kind-of doing, I'm in the process of sewing a plush for my roommate of her dnd character's pet lizard- the pattern has it large enough to sit around your neck, and I got armature wire so it can be adjusted and posed. So far I only bought all the supplies and cut out pattern pieces, but it's something. It's a bit late, as it was gonna be for Christmas, but she hasn't gotten me anything yet so it's fine hehe.

I'm also slowly making a list of instructions/tutorials, materials, products, etc... everything I need to complete a cosplay of Mollymauk from the dnd podcast Critical Role. I ordered a custom coat for myself for Christmas, just waiting to have the money to start everything else. I also have to fix up a cosplay of Mahito from Jujutsu Kaisen- he's been done for a couple years, but needs a lil fixing with hand sewing, and a proper sfx/makeup test before I take him to a con in Feb. I'm very excited to finally be able to wear him to a con, I finished him right as the pandemic started. Very proud of it, as I was the first person in the west to cosplay any JJK characters- the Viz team even complimented me on it!- and the series has blown up SO MUCH now.

I struggle in general though from constantly low energy. Even if I want to sew or draw, actually being able to tends to be difficult. Handsewing is a massive pain in the ass, so I should find a show to watch as I can do it, but my roommate hogging the tv to play games doesn't help lol.

In terms of writing I have vague plans for my own custom dnd game, but I have a long ways to go on general world-building and figuring out the main overarching plot, let alone smaller arcs and towns/etc. I want to run a one-shot first for practice, as dming is super intimidating! You'd think my experience gming games on text-based roleplays would help but this is a totally different beast. I haven't finished reading through the dm's guide yet tho pbbthhhfbt. I hate reading pdfs instead of physical copies.

 

[bastion]

kibou wow! That all sounds amazing! The plush sounds like it will be an incredible gift and I am always in awe of cosplayers! It's really cool that your cosplay got a compliment from the Viz team!

I'm guessing you're roommate doesn't play games you enjoy watching? I'm the type that likes watching people play games, especially ones in not too invested in when I'm weighing on creative stuff. It's nice to be able to tune in and out without really missing anything.

My advice for D&D: Don't worry about learning the manual. You want to have a grasp of the mechanics, but I've found you wanna stay loose and do your own thing. There's certainly helpful things in the manual, but it's better to use it for reference than to study it.

Another tip is start small scale and expand outward. Rather than trying to to build a congruent and then populate it, create a town everything will be focused around and slowly expand outward as needed.

And remember: don't over plan. You cannot predict what your players will do, so keep things loose and adaptable. Rather than having strict locations for events to happen, it can be useful to instead of a vague timeline and insert the incidents wherever the characters are when the time comes.

 

[bastion]

I return with my newest project, which I'll be slowly brainstorming.

Monarch Manor​

Inspiration for the Manor

Isolated location somewhere in America? Idk, probably MA. Not too isolated though, could walk to a nearby town within an hour or so if needed.

Extremely idyllic, thriving gardens, wonderful weather even when the rest of the area is suffering (within a semi-logical degree)

Interior is filled with plants as well, and windows are kept open during the warm seasons to allow fauna to come and go as they please, especially the butterflies

THERE ARE SO MANY BUTTERFLIES

Mistress of the manor is an old one associated with butterflies, who requires a connection to humans to exist, as well as deals with other beings to maintain her power since there are none left who remember her

Permanent staff are in the know on the guests being fantastical beings, but new staff are kept in the dark for their own protection

More ideas to come

 

[bastion]

Haven't tossed around by ideas in a while. I'm currently planning a RP with my SO that has the vibes of Stardew Valley + Fantasy Life + Otome. Basically a magical slice of life setting where we will create a home for ourself, choose our desired career, and have lots of love interests. I want it to be really wholesome and self-indulgent.

When we get the setting figured out, maybe I'll refine it in a way that works for a group rp. Probably without the hoard of indulgent romancable NPCs.

 

[vada]

Haven't tossed around by ideas in a while. I'm currently planning a RP with my SO that has the vibes of Stardew Valley + Fantasy Life + Otome. Basically a magical slice of life setting where we will create a home for ourself, choose our desired career, and have lots of love interests. I want it to be really wholesome and self-indulgent.

When we get the setting figured out, maybe I'll refine it in a way that works for a group rp. Probably without the hoard of indulgent romancable NPCs.

This is the coolest idea! I’d love to create a RP with my SO, but they’re less than interested

 

[bastion]

This is the coolest idea! I’d love to create a RP with my SO, but they’re less than interested

I'm sorry to hear that. I met mine through D&D so we've got similar interests. They're not as used to written rps and when we do have written rps they usually only just a scene or two, but it's still fun to explore characters and settings together.

 

[Luscinioide]

Been working on a mini anthology to tell the super long history between two of my characters. lesbian crime drama in cyberpunk Tokyo. I don't have the attention span to write a coherent novel so doing a bunch of short stories instead where I don't have to worry about all the in-betweens works great lol. just me, the gays, and CRIME

it's kind of funny how doing an anthology instead of a novel makes it a lot easier to tackle. you're always in the mindset of 'this is the homerun' because the stories are like 3-5000 words each lmao. pretty much all I've been working on lately, I'm about 20k words in and a million art pieces later hahaa

 

[bastion]

Been working on a mini anthology to tell the super long history between two of my characters. lesbian crime drama in cyberpunk Tokyo. I don't have the attention span to write a coherent novel so doing a bunch of short stories instead where I don't have to worry about all the in-betweens works great lol. just me, the gays, and CRIME

it's kind of funny how doing an anthology instead of a novel makes it a lot easier to tackle. you're always in the mindset of 'this is the homerun' because the stories are like 3-5000 words each lmao. pretty much all I've been working on lately, I'm about 20k words in and a million art pieces later hahaa

That's honestly a brilliant way to take it on when you find yourself struggling to write long stories. I absolutely should try it out myself considering I'm more suited towards shorter writing. Of course, I'd have to actually find the plot that inspires to to write first.

Anyway, you've got such an awesome concept! I'd love to check it out if you've posted it anywhere, and I just  know my SO would love it given they're all about cyberpunk and it sounds like you're doing a fun take on it!

 

[Luscinioide]

That's honestly a brilliant way to take it on when you find yourself struggling to write long stories. I absolutely should try it out myself considering I'm more suited towards shorter writing. Of course, I'd have to actually find the plot that inspires to to write first.

Anyway, you've got such an awesome concept! I'd love to check it out if you've posted it anywhere, and I just  know my SO would love it given they're all about cyberpunk and it sounds like you're doing a fun take on it!

oh yeah, it's definitely easier to write a collection of short stories than one big, hulking beast. you pretty much just get to cut out all the boring stuff (transition scenes, parts you don't know how to fill in, other random garbage) and get straight into the meat. I'm a fan of it because it suits '3 am plot ideas' in the way you can hop right into cranking out a story...as opposed to a novel, where that idea has to get shoved into the pile with all the other ideas that never went anywhere. no need to try and figure out how to make it fit. writing go brrrrr

and maybe i'll get around to posting some of it here some day, haha. it's almost unreadable right now because there's so many random time skips from me writing what I want as opposed to what makes sense chronologically LOL. maybe another 20k words and it'll start to become vaguely coherent to an outsider reader who hasn't been exposed to 3 hour rants on the fundamentals of my setting...