Chapter 13 Status Report (1) (Patreon)

After finishing the prologue, I’ve continued making progress with writing the new chapter and working on the art. The illustrations for the next release are already in the hands of the colorist, and new backgrounds have been commissioned. I’m also working on illustrations for future releases, but right now, the focus is on finishing Seymour’s section. As for that, I think I’m over 50% done. Let me share with you some of the behind-the-scenes process:

I'm sharing this excerpt because it’s simply a reflection on the events that took place in the last chapter. These kinds of passages are common and necessary as they provide coherence to the events and the character’s psychological and emotional response to them. In practice, it’s just a summary of the current state of the plot, but they involve a significant level of complexity.

In this case, Lena reflects on her relationship with Ian and the events that took place in the last chapter. The key is to consider all the variables that need to be included and write an internal monologue that is coherent and highlights the essential points of the character’s thoughts and emotions, while avoiding excessive length or repetition. What makes it even more challenging is finding a way to weave the different segments into the same scene, allowing one reflection to lead naturally into the next, and then bringing them back together so the scene and the train of thought continue smoothly. It’s also crucial to choose the right moment to introduce these reflections, think about what needs to be reinforced, and determine how the character should react to each possible event.

What I find especially challenging is that I can’t write any scene in a linear or straightforward way. I have to keep every possible outcome in mind, decide what information to provide, how to write it concisely and appropriately, and ensure all the loose ends are tied up so the scene makes sense in all its possible variations. This makes it impossible to write a scene from start to finish in one go, as my mind has to constantly cycle through parallel and interconnected possibilities. That’s why writing a section like this can take me an entire day, sometimes even longer.

In any case, I'm aiming to finish writing by the end of this month, and once the new art is delivered to me I will put this shorter update together and release it as soon as I can, while already making progress on the one to come after this one. As always, I'll keep you posted!