Battling through this project has proven to be quite a challenge. I’ve spent the last few days tweaking and reworking, revising and scrapping, and questioning myself to get to a satisfying point of where to leave my work.
I considered heavily using a new program called Ren’Py, but it’s proving to be too ambitious for what I want to do. It gives me too many options for visuals and interface that I’ve found myself distracted tinkering with the code that nothing was getting done. Considering my time-frame and the scope of what I’d like done, I’ve decided to put this down for now and continue with my demo on Twine (as I’m getting better results there). I might redo this project on Ren’Py when the time permits.
That’s not to say that Twine is playing second fiddle to my range of options, but I find the minimalist approach to design and menus to be closer to what I’d like to do. This project of mine was never meant to be bombastic or teeming with energy, I want it to capture a quiet and somber approach, creating a sort of space for the mind to wander and go at its own pace.
Going off of what I’ve said last time, I’ve been using the bulk of my time editing old photographs to create visual components, nearly taking me three whole nights to get them done. I’m implementing them sparingly into the project, as I’m rather fond of the black background providing ambience. The photos will be used to create a sense of space, but not to a degree of deciding the environment of the ‘plot’.
I’m also using audio recordings – distorted ones – to create an aesthetic for the final creation. I don’t want to expand much further now (because they’re WIPs). Also because it might take away from the idea I’m going for.
My plot is more or less the same, a journey of a person dealing with anxiety and isolation. I’m experimenting with an abstract approach to make the story more accessible and open to interpretation, rather than using tired tropes and leaving it at that. I owe it to myself to create an experience that breaks beyond the confines of creative limitations. It is a struggle though, as I’m second-guessing everything and rewriting my rewrites, but no one said this would be easy.
Coding gave me the most trouble, as it was hard to embed photos into Twine while jumping through hoops, but I got the line that I needed so that isn’t an issue. At this point of the stage, I’m entirely focused on the writing aspect because I’ve solved any troubleshooting issues I’ve had and my aesthetic components are finalized. I’m hoping to get as much as I can done with this story.
Story will not be entirely linear, as I’m finding a balance with branching paths. I’m hoping to get each path a meaningful journey, and create a discussion by the end of it.
As it stands, here are some images of the work I’ve been tinkering with.
I’ll keep working at any free moment I’m given. Here’s hoping something nice comes out of this.
Hugo Gatica - Electronic Literature 