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 |  A hub for the "Book of Masks" universe. |
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The Interactives "The Book of Masks"  : A high school student discovers a grimoire that can make magical disguises."The Wandering Stars" : Sequel to "The Book of Masks.""Student Bodies" : A high school student is turned into a blue goo that can possess people.For non-WdC Members "The Book of Masks: Archives" : Dodges the "Servers Busy" barrier!"The Book of Masks (Abridged)" : Introductory storylines for new readers.Community "BoM/TWS Message Forum" : Community for readers of the interactives."BoM/TWS/SB Wiki" : Notes and documentation for authors. Spoilers!Current Polls None The Latest 4/23: Interactive: "The Faltering Will" 4/23: Public: "The Faltering Will"
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| I wrote the following in reply to something that a correspondent wrote in an email—that correspondent can out himself in the comments if he wants—and decided to post it in the blog, as it might be of mild interest to my readers by shedding light on where I like to work in BoM, and why. ... For me it's not a matter of having a "wheelhouse," or of having characters or groups that I feel more comfortable writing. (Though I am more comfortable with some than with others.) If I stick to certain branches and arenas (like those I'm currently working in) and avoid returning to old ones, it's more likely because I am creatively "done" with them. Preface to help clarify what follows: Robert Heinlein (I have read) wrote story drafts that resembled interactives. That is, he would improvise his stories, writing "what happened next" until he hit a cul-de-sac out of which he could not think his way. Then, instead of abandoning the story or starting over, he would back up to the point where (he felt) it had gone wrong, and strike out in a new direction. Again, from that divergent point, he would improvise until he hit a cul-de-sac. And again, he would back up to find another point for a divergence, and plunge onward again. And so forth and on, until he finally hit the words "The End." So (if I understand this right) if you laid out the complete set of drafts for one of his novels, you would get a structure like BoM, with a single long trunk extending from first chapter to last, and a lot of branches shooting off it (and shooting off each other) terminating with unresolved, alternate plots. Back on topic: BoM is not and never will be a novel. It is a playground (for me, at least), but I think my creative brain does its stuff by striving to create coherent, first-to-last storylines. Every once in a while it succeeds. The first time was with the branch where Will went to work for Blackwell, met Frank and Joe, had to fight an anima-possessed Frank, and ended up joining the Stellae. [Terminal chapter: "New Spells, and a New Complication" ] The second time was a sequel to that story, where Will trained in Los Angeles with Kali while having adventures in London, Saratoga Falls, and Cuthbert. [Terminal chapter: "Christmas Spirits" ] There are other places that also have something like a beginning-middle-end.I never return to these areas. I have no interest in returning to them. I'm not interested in finding out what alternate thing happens if Will apprentices himself to Blackwell, then meets Frank and Joe, because I've told a story where that happens, and I'm happy with the way it turns out. It feels finished. Well, that's one reason I don't return to an area. The other reason is that I just get frustrated with it and abandon it as unprofitable. That's much more common. If I'm playing around lots (at this time) with Will and Sydney, with Will and the sophomores, and with Will and the YouTube crew, it's because I'm not frustrated with them yet; but also because I've not stumbled onto a complete "story" yet either. Will I find one? I've no idea. But I'm having fun until I do—or until I'm not having fun anymore. Am I "more comfortable" with these characters, these groups, these areas? Rather the opposite, I think. I'm dissatisfied with them, because they haven't reached a state of completion, but I'm not so dissatisfied that I want to chuck the whole thing and go look for something else to do. |
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