mizal, The Master Scrivener
Member Since
5/5/2011
Last Activity
8/19/2018 12:56 PM
EXP Points
Post Count
8132
Storygame Count
8
Duel Stats
1
win
/
6
losses
Order
Lauded Sage
Commendations
Sagely advice for the children: Here and here and all over this wonderful internet only a single Google search away, you may find explanations of correct grammar and punctuation usage in English. That and proper spelling (most writing programs and even the editor on the site itself helpfully include a spell checker!) are the bare minimum expected of anyone posting a story on the site. If you're not willing to do that much, you're not remotely serious about writing. And if you don't care about what you write, then we don't care to read it. So don't bother.
Rating and reviewing other people's stories is still an excellent use of your time however and a way to accumulate points and respect on the site even if you don't write. It may also teach you a thing or two about writing and especially writing and structuring CYOAs, which are a bit of a different beast than a standard story. Reading books, and thinking about them on the meta level in the sense of the the things the author chose to include and how they were introduced and why is also a good exercise in sharpening your skills. Reading bad books and being able to identify why they're bad, even better! Read books above your designated 'age level' or whatever as often as possible. That whole system was created by people who think you're stupid and want to keep you that way. You'll never get better at anything unless you push and challenge yourself.
Sagely advice for newb authors: Read the articles. Especially the ones on the advanced editor and scripting. A basic knowledge of variables and scripting will save you untold headaches in the future and streamline the whole process. Learn what $DEST is for and how to toggle a variable within link if nothing else.
A regular story is challenging enough if you're serious about doing it properly. Meanwhile a CYOA is an exponentially expanding story on steroids and crack. You MUST make plans ahead of time about what you're doing and where it's going or it will get away from you completely.
Always back up your work. If nothing else, make a copy of anything you write just before hitting the button to save it. Glitches have been known to happen and a page can time out if it sits too long.
Many of the veteran authors here do all their writing in a separate program that can be more easily backed up and paste it over to the site when they're finished. Your words often flow easier when you tackle one path at a time and then go back to add in branches, treating each major path like its own complete story with variations within it.
Although, there are many ways to structure a CYOA and you may found a different system than the one described above works best for you, one thing that's important for any story to be satisfying is that it's structured like a story.
Behold the sacred precepts of S T R U C T U R E in all their simple, straightforward glory:
Spelling it out (for the blindies and others) in order for a story to BE a story you need to start off by establishing your setting, important characters, and the conflict they'll be up against. Smaller obstacles leading up to the major one will need to be overcome, and the protagonist will usually try and fail to deal with whatever the main source of conflict is, or it will be revealed to be more powerful or dangerous than believed. (Remember, an easily won victory is a boring one.) This leads into the climax, the point of greatest suspense where the stakes are highest and the characters have everything to lose. Once THAT'S overcome, the story enters a period of falling action where the tension winds back down and the fallout of resolving the conflict plays out. Finally, the resolution or epilogue where the themes or larger lessons meant to be learned might be reflected back on, and everything is wrapped up leaving a sense of closure for the readers and/or characters.
Finally, a quote, since that is apparently a thing we do:
"Your reviews for both the published storygames and the works in both the creative corner and writing workshop have undeniably helped countless users. Your site presence is a boon for the site by acting like a fiery furnace. You'll roast the worthless rabble and refine what's left.
If you never would've discovered this odd yet charming corner of the web, then CYS would be missing a beneficial and integral part of its very identity." --WouldntItBeNice
Trophies Earned
Storygames
You are a man on a mission. The cats, they must be stacked.
A puzzling math and logic game I made just to put some of the scripting practice I've been doing to use. Have fun and please let me know if you encounter any bugs.
Should be solvable by middle schoolers, or those with same basic level of intelligence as a middle schooler.
A puzzling math and logic game I made just to put some of the scripting practice I've been doing to use. Have fun and please let me know if you encounter any bugs.
Should be solvable by middle schoolers, or those with same basic level of intelligence as a middle schooler.
A short, educational piece. Please remain sensitive and respectful in the comment section. (I'd hate to have to report you to an admin for bullying me.)
(DO NOT READ if you're at all easily offended or lacking in a sense of humor. There's nothing graphic at all in here, but seriously, I still cannot stress it enough, this story is not for you.)
Dedicated to the good people of COG.
(DO NOT READ if you're at all easily offended or lacking in a sense of humor. There's nothing graphic at all in here, but seriously, I still cannot stress it enough, this story is not for you.)
Dedicated to the good people of COG.
A compilation of some little known facts about the solar system, as well as the debunking of a few myths.
In addition to the scientific explanations, there's a small story dramatizing it all.
Hopefully young readers will find this fun as well as educational. :)
(Might not be the greatest story ever written, but consider this: it got me 200 points.)
In addition to the scientific explanations, there's a small story dramatizing it all.
Hopefully young readers will find this fun as well as educational. :)
(Might not be the greatest story ever written, but consider this: it got me 200 points.)
It doesn't matter what they say...
...and the squirrels. Sort of.
Written in six hours, for no other reason than to avoid consignment to the SHAME pit after my other Romance contest entry didn't want to cooperate.
Written in six hours, for no other reason than to avoid consignment to the SHAME pit after my other Romance contest entry didn't want to cooperate.
A tale told in verse. A text from your sister requesting a pick up from a party leads to a night of strangeness.
Inspired by Bucky's ballad contest. Though...I wouldn't call this a ballad. I'm not sure what I'd call it, actually, other than exceedingly stupid, and fun to write.
(Don't pay any attention to the scores, they're just for me to track which endings reviewers get.)
HATE.
THE PURITY AND INTENSITY OF MY HATE IS LIKE A THOUSAND MERCILESS, UNQUENCHABLE SUNS.
AND YET, I ONLY NEED ONE...
THE PURITY AND INTENSITY OF MY HATE IS LIKE A THOUSAND MERCILESS, UNQUENCHABLE SUNS.
AND YET, I ONLY NEED ONE...
When the weather is fine, you've been coming to this grove to drink from the pool for centuries now. Today, you meet a stranger and hear a story that changes all that...
A fairy tale adventure.
[AUTHOR'S NOTE: There's a heavily scripted scene that due to time constraints I didn't have the opportunity to thoroughly test. You'll know it when you see it. In addition to a save game link beforehand, I've provided the option to skip it altogether should you encounter problems. A PM describing those problems would also be greatly appreciated as I'll be revisiting this game once the crushing weight of December has passed.]
A fairy tale adventure.
[AUTHOR'S NOTE: There's a heavily scripted scene that due to time constraints I didn't have the opportunity to thoroughly test. You'll know it when you see it. In addition to a save game link beforehand, I've provided the option to skip it altogether should you encounter problems. A PM describing those problems would also be greatly appreciated as I'll be revisiting this game once the crushing weight of December has passed.]
A Fairy's Quest
unpublished
Entry for the 2018 EPIC contest.
Laurels of Triumph
unpublished
The Last Realm
unpublished
The Realm Lost
unpublished
Articles Written
CYS Forum Advice and EtiquetteA modernized guide to the forums. The path to internet popularity and happiness, and a few CYS specific do's and don'ts.
Recent Posts
General World Events Thread on 8/19/2018 11:30:50 AMI was wondering what kind of edgelords might show up at a thing like that, and now I know.
Leave EattheCake Alone! on 8/18/2018 11:15:12 PM
Well I assume Rattler was only responsible for 250 words of it.
Leave EattheCake Alone! on 8/18/2018 11:14:44 PM
You forgot
4.) posted here to try to get Endmaster to follow him back to his lair where he claimed his pet admin friend (who actually seems pretty chill and not deserving of getting dragged into these things at all) would immediately ban that half-Mexican piece of shit...which would...prove something or other, I guess.
Leave EattheCake Alone! on 8/18/2018 11:11:11 PM
He co authored a story with EatTheCake.
It was 500 words long and unpublished for being bad.
Leave EattheCake Alone! on 8/18/2018 10:45:10 PM
I'd have just deleted it since he pretty clearly wasn't paying attention. How many threads does one annoying middle schooler really need?
Hastings, 1066: Aftermath on 8/18/2018 10:29:12 PM
Since @TheWriterInTheDark seems shy about making threads, I just want to point out that while all the rest of us were fucktarding around on the forums and in the Discord, he has written and published a 170k monster.
Can't read it all just yet obviously, but what I've seen looks REALLY well done so far. Unless it turns out to be super linear or something it might even be feature worthy.
(Well okay there are a lot of missing periods and issues with dialogue punctuation and such but the fact those aren't giving me seizures yet is just more proof the story is good!)
Can't read it all just yet obviously, but what I've seen looks REALLY well done so far. Unless it turns out to be super linear or something it might even be feature worthy.
(Well okay there are a lot of missing periods and issues with dialogue punctuation and such but the fact those aren't giving me seizures yet is just more proof the story is good!)
Norway sucks a whole lot for families on 8/18/2018 9:54:10 PM
No one cares about Norway.
Not even Norwegians.
Hullo Hullo on 8/18/2018 1:36:08 PM
There's only the one token voice channel that nobody ever uses, it's mostly text chat. You're welcome to wander back in whenever but we kick people who don't say hello or give a site username if their Discord one is different.
Not sure I'd recommend it if you're seriously wanting to focus on a story though, it's turning out to be more of a time sink than expected...
Magikarp's Mexican Adventure on 8/18/2018 1:32:36 PM
I wonder if he realizes tree farms already exist?
Hullo Hullo on 8/18/2018 12:05:23 PM
Were you a guy we kicked from the Discord for not talking? I can't even keep track anymore.
Anyway you seemed talkative enough HERE. I never actually read your post last time but that's some A+ quality deranged rambling. Oh and good luck with your stories and all, whenever you get around to starting one.