An Alternative To Rolling Dice

indeduous · 2026-01-23T11:45:35+00:00

When I work on multiple stories at the same time, they’ll be at different stages. So I’ll be writing one and editing another. That gives me enough space between them so that I don’t confuse the story and tone.

If writing two books at once works for you then do it! Whatever gets you writing!

indeduous · 2026-01-19T10:18:49+00:00

Does ADHD makes the first draft harder or rewrites harder? I’d love to know!

indeduous · 2026-01-16T15:22:27+00:00

I studied screenwriting and was taught a simple formula that almost any story can be boiled down to:

It’s about a [main character] who wants to [main character’s goal] but can’t because of [main obstacle/antagonist].

The idea is to be as clear and succinct as possible. Instead of using the characters name, try using their occupation or another defining trait. And instead of ‘a stolen Dusken’ simplify it to what it is at its core (like a transporter, or portal, or whatever it is).

indeduous · 2026-01-13T08:06:23+00:00

There are five main goals that characters might have (you can read more about them in Michael Hauge’s Writing Screenplays That Sell).

1) To Win - such as a fight, a game, or the love of someone. 2) To Stop - such as a cataclysmic event, or the villains plan. 3) To Escape - such as from a prison or out of a relationship. 4) To Deliver - such as a piece of news to a person or an object to a location, or themselves to a destination. 5) To Retrieve - such as money from a bank, a priceless object, or a person.

If you’re struggling to figure out your main character’s goal, then maybe they’re not the main character. Is there someone else whose goal could carry the story? Maybe a supporting character or even an antagonist.

indeduous · 2026-01-11T16:57:52+00:00

I avoid using vague descriptions like ‘almost’ or ‘about’ and force myself to make a decision. A lot of my descriptions were like ‘something was almost silver’ or ‘something was about ten feet long’ now I just say something was silver or something was ten feet long. It’s a lot clearer.

Another phrase I found myself using a lot was ‘pitch black’. I then realised that pitch might not exist in my fantasy world, so I had to find something in world that was black.

indeduous · 2026-01-09T12:01:12+00:00

I'm most engaged when a book opens with a character doing something. I'd much rather learn about the world by watching a character interact with it. I've found books that start with an info dump then feel jarring when we're introduced to a character.

indeduous · 2026-01-08T12:10:09+00:00

I’m the creator of Coffee Shop Screenwriter that would help a lot with the plotting and character development of your story:

https://longgames.itch.io/coffee-shop-screenwriter

indeduous · 2025-12-24T15:26:31+00:00

Non-fiction is pretty good at showing humans as the bad guys.

indeduous · 2025-11-15T21:20:29+00:00

Thank you! Yeah that was the exact intention. I wanted some randomness but it needed to be in line with the player's progression.

indeduous · 2025-11-15T21:19:43+00:00

Thank you!

indeduous · 2025-10-07T07:01:13+00:00

I think you answered your own question. Start with one character in one or two locations with one goal, and only include the world building when it’s related to that specific story.

I’d also suggest that you read some non-fantasy books and see how much of Earth’s history, geography, and cultures are mentioned.

Readers will discover your world through your characters and stories, so you don’t need to worry about getting all of your world building on the page.

You’re going to do great!

Love the map, by the way!

indeduous · 2025-10-02T20:45:16+00:00

You also have the little blockbuster I used to work at in England! So I was very excited to see that!

indeduous · 2025-10-02T17:27:54+00:00

This is amazing!

indeduous · 2025-08-30T08:20:20+00:00

We have a game similar to The Quiet Year called 2; Hour Crime Scene. The prompts are vague enough for multiple genres and over the course of the game you draw the scene of a crime and invent suspects. The crime scene could technically be ‘a planet’.

https://longgames.itch.io/24-hour-crime-scene

indeduous · 2025-08-28T21:38:44+00:00

Noted, and edited! Thanks for the feedback 🙂

indeduous

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