YOU’RE INVITED • APRIL 6TH 2023 • THE WAYHAVEN CHRONICLES BOOK 3

apologies to anyone who ever thought i was cool and reached out to me only to discover i am just a weird little hermit who can't carry on a conversation to save my life

“A moment of patience in a moment of anger prevents a thousand moments of regret.”

— Ali Ibn Abu Talib

initially it’ll be funny but I guarantee u will all end up in tears missing the good times and thinking wow that was crazy I love u all

SOMEONE WILL REMEMBER US, I SAY, EVEN IN ANOTHER TIME

kelsey beachum, outer wilds // david mitchell, cloud atlas // ian dallas, what remains of edith finch // robert kurvitz, disco elysium // lin-manuel miranda, in the heights // william safire, the safire memo // kelsey beachum, outer wilds: echoes of the eye // louis l’amour, lonely on the mountain // david gregory, from generation to generation

transcript below the cut

Image 1: A screenshot of an space traveler from the game Outer Wilds. The caption reads: "The past is past, now, but that's... you know, that's okay! It's never really gone completely. The future is always built on the past, even if we won't get to see it."

Image 2: A screenshot of text reading: "These forces that often remake time and space, that can shape and alter who we imagine ourselves to be, begin long before we are born and continue after we perish. Our lives and our choices, like quantum trajectories, are understood moment to moment. That each point of intersection, each encounter, suggest a new potential direction."

Image 3: A screenshot of a journal page from the game What Remains of Edith Finch. It reads: "This is where your story begins. I'm sorry I won't be there to see it. It's a lot to ask, but I don't want you to be sad that I'm gone. I want you to be amazed that any of us ever had a chance to be here at all."

Image 4: A screenshot of two men standing next to a run-down building from the game Disco Elysium. A text box in the center reads: "'Glory,' says the graffito, 'to the ghosts of us!'"

Image 5: A screenshot of song lyrics reading: "But who's gonna notice we're gone? / When our job's done, as the evening winds / Down to a crawl, son, can I ease my mind / When we're all done? When we've resigned / In the long run, what do we leave behind?"

Image 6: A screenshot of text reading: "In their exploration, they stirred the people of the world to feel as one; in their sacrifice, they bind more tightly the brotherhood of man. Others will follow, and surely find their way home. Man's search will not be denied. But these men were first, and they will remain foremost in our hearts."

Image 7: Two screenshots of an alien creature from the game Outer Wilds. The captions read, "My kind weren't always like this. We weren't always so afraid. I did what I could to set things right, yet I am still of my kind, and you know now what they did. I cannot promise our fear won't stain your mind. And so, a choice: Are you certain you want to remember me?"

Image 7: A screenshot of text reading: "There will come a time when you believe everything is finished; that will be the beginning."

Image 8: A screenshot of text reading: "It means that we learn from the past in order to create a future. We are merely temporary characters in the huge story of life. Our loved ones teach us and set an example for us and we carry it forward as best we can."

surprise? i know it’s been a while but chapter seven of When Twilight Strikes will (finally) go live publicly june 3rd at 1pm EST. the password is already up for those of you in the midnight tier on patreon, and will be released for the twilight tier this sunday.

(if you’re thinking of pledging for the demo, i’d suggest doing so and cancelling once you get the password unless you plan on sticking around for june, as my patreon charges every 1st of the month).

in this chapter…

meet Mirai, who, honestly, is a pain in the ass

learn more about the ros’ backgrounds and struggles

enter some dangerous situations, including one where you can be in close proximity to your chosen ro

use those fight or flight instincts

make some crucial choices…

thanks for sticking by me everyone <3

Hi there! I absolutely ADORED your demo omg you cannot believe. Khari is the love of my life just saying...fdjsklaf anyway what are some of your favourite IF's? Completed or otherwise, anything from paid released games, itch.io games, stuff from choicescript etc. :D

hello! <3

first of all -- THANK YOU for the kind words, and welcome to the Khari fan club, we have cookies and carrots <3

as for my favorite IFs; okay this will be a long list so brace yourself! (and I do apologise to all authors for the spam)

Most of those are demos or in development, but nevertheless they are all amazing and I replay them way too often;

Sinners (demo) by @olivewrites-if / @sinners-if - you get to romance a villain, I feel like this is enough to get most people hooked (demo)

Honor Among Thieves (demo) by @leoneliterary - fantasy with some romance and intrigue, and as I am a fan of anything that has guilds (Skyrim w/ thieves guild, Assassin's Creed and the sort) I just love this one

Superstition S1 & S2 (finished) by @13leaguestories - supernatural, found family, powers, romance, angels, demons, hunting; what more to want?

Throne of Ashes (demo) by @13leaguestories - fantasy (but with pretty mature themes), romance; there are houses (MC is from House of Phoenix) and each character is just chefs kiss imo

Unwilling Souls (demo) by @unwilling-souls-if - angels!!!! but they are not your typical "angels"!!!! and there's lots of angst, and it's just awesome

Defiled Hearts: The Barbarian (demo) by @defiledheartsblog - dark historical fiction, romance, some fantasy elements; personally I replayed it 3 times in a row and was never bored once and that says something since my attention span is like 5 minutes at best

Supernatural in New York (demo) by @llamagirl28 - lighthearted urban fantasy with romance; think Supernatural if it was actually good and diverse, it scratches my adhd brain in just the right way, and the characters are amazing

The Bastard of Camelot (demo) by @llamagirl28 - I replayed it 8 times, no joke, and I still love it and it's my comfort IF I'd say; I love the story, the characters, customisation, and the idea behind it all.

The King's Hound (demo) by @kal-down / @the-kingshound - I am a sucker for Arthurian Legends, and I'm a sucker for fantasy and historical fiction in general, and it's written so well I want to cry every time I replay it

The Abyssal (demo) by @theabyssal - you get to play as Death what more can someone want??? and it gives me god of war / mythologies vibes, so I of course replayed it over 10 times.

Water to Blood (demo) by @veirsewrites - vampire MC who owns a nightclub, I'm sorry but this is all I needed to be obsessed. it reminds me of the show Lucifer, but it's also so unique that I happily replay it all the time.

Blood Moon (demo) by @barbwritesstuff - werewolves. that's all. that's the tweet.

Absentia (demo) by @absentia-if - I'm a sucker for crime stories, and this had me hooked from the start, and I love how complex each character is.

Exile (demo) by @exilethegame - dark fantasy with pretty mature and violent themes; replayed it so many times I'm ashamed to admit the actual number.

A Mage Reborn (demo) by @mage-parivir - I've been replaying it religiously since November of 2021 so yeah, I'm obsessed, and not even sorry. Fantasy games are my jam.

Speaker (demo) by @speakergame - one of the first IFs I played I think, and I still adore it to bits; it's written so well, and I adore the detective-supernatural vibes.

Ballad of the Judgement of Night (demo) by @nikkefort-dev - it was one of first 5 IFs I ever played, and I can safely say it's one of my absolute favorites; I adore the themes of angels/demons and 'fallen ones'.

Citadel (demo) by @bouncyballcitadel - medical drama; didn't know I liked medical dramas but now I do, and I'm in love with this IF in its entirety. also made me realise I'm gayer than I thought.

Villain's Promise (demo) by @villains-promise - fantasy with romance and betrayal, that's all I need for my soul. also in the first 5 IFs I ever played, and still love it.

Wolfwater (demo) by @carrs-universe-if - first IF I ever played, got me into IFs, and I love it to bits. Psychological thriller/body horror with some supernatural themes.

The Ballad of Devil's Creek (demo) by @devilscreekballad - western with romance and angst, and unlike all westerns it's actually diverse and inclusive so of course I love it.

Larkin (demo) by @larkin-if - vampires, hunters, and general Midnight Mass vibes; I'm here for it.

These Crimson Strings (demo) by @thesecrimsonstrings-if - MC is an ancient vampire who meets their long lost (dead) soulmate reborn as someone 'new'; the angst is amazing.

A Tale of Crowns (demo) by @ataleofcrowns - no joke replayed it over 10 times, loved it every single one of them. Fantasy with some court intrigue and amazing companions.

I have more but the list is already so long, I don't want this to be dismissed/blocked as a bot message or something kjfhfd

What are your favourite ifs/WiPs?

So this got out of hand. And then my internet crashed and my Tumblr crashed and I had to rewrite this all… I might have missed something and I could rec more, but I need to keep this readable length.

The first one I ever read: Zombie Exodus: Safe Heaven. This was before I followed any creators on the forums/Tumblr. Liked it and played multiple times the first few chapters but I have not kept up with it. Of the published I’ve read or started a lot of them but nowadays WIPs are flying high above most of them in terms of quality. My taste has also evolved, you could say.

The big, long, angsty ones:

A Mage Reborn by @mage-parivir

Long, good story in high fantasy world with anime influenced vibes. Good RO choices and other NPCs. Some stat balancing and actually reading stuff to get the results I wanted required, which is why I needed to start it a few times before I got over my hang-ups and got really into it.

Shepherds of Haven by @shepherds-of-haven

Epic high fantasy story in a deep and thoroughly thought-out world. LOTS of Ros (Trouble is my <3) and NPCs. Also involves keeping track of your stats and thinking before choices. Long one. I mean, really long. In tone, to me, a bit darker than A Mage Reborn even with the BBQ. I have at times wondered how well this could turn into an video game.

I, the Forgotten one by Bacondoneright (the work is on Dashingdon but has no Tumblr)

No magic but an eastern European inspired world. This might not be for everyone as it deals heavily with wartimes in ‘realistic’ medieval world. Involving homophobia, misogyny and lots of death and adult themes. I played a male MC to skip some of that. Lots of stat balancing and following, hard choices and angst. So much angst. You will have to be in a certain mood and have hours of time to read through it but if this sounds something that you’d like to try I encourage it. The writing and plot are really good and the overall quality is better than most. But it’s a hard read.

Mind Blind by @mindblindbard

Modern superhero world where you play a nobody in a family of somebodies. Good mystery, lots of angst and awesome ROs and NPCs. (Grayson has my <3) Not so stat heavy than the others. To my knowledge is close to being finished and I can’t wait to throw money at it.

The Exile by @exilethegame

All the angst. Oh my god the angst. A fantasy world with ‘monster hybrid’ people and you’re exiled and suffering and nothing is going to be good again. The last update left me infuriated. If it would be badly written I could stop reading it and be happy again but no. Have to keep going back. 10/10 would recommend.

The Northern Passage by @northern-passage

Even if I’ve never played or watched the show this has Witcher vibes. I’m sure I will die or kill someone accidentally or something else horrible. Lea is what keeps me going back. The asshole. Love it.

The shorter, angsty ones:

Ouroboros by @honeypeabrain

Plants. Lots of plants in a fantasy, slightly apocalyptic world. The world is really intriguing and the plot pulled me in at the start. Loved especially the option to customize one of the possible Ros. Can’t wait for where the story goes and the RO routes that have been teased. (I have not made up my minds who I like the most)

Ripper’s Plague by @ripperplague

One I have recommended before. Steampunk world where you are a ‘mad’ doctor with past full of trauma. The humour is fun and the story is turning up to be intriguing, even though not all the major players have been introduced yet. Love the way everyone just casually hits on the MC. It’s hilarious.

The not so angsty ones:

College Tennis: Origin Story by @allieebobo

Play tennis, go to college, annoy, and charm everyone while succeeding at everything. Or that’s how I play it. Gets really into the actual games and tennis but everything is written by a person who clearly knows what they are doing so it’s all good. Recommend it even if you’re not into tennis. Living like a jock is fun.

Anything written by @leftski-if

Lots of monster romances (werewolves, vampires, orcs etc.) Light hearted stories in more serious worlds. For more mature readers, not because of NSFW but of tone that’s written with more mature readers in mind. (at least to me) You want a good, hard hug from a RO that’s three times your size? These have it.

The adventures of Sherlock Holmes- An affair of the heart by @doriana-gray-games

It’s Sherlock Holmes but make it actually gay (if you want to). The writing equals the originals by sucking the reader in. There’s murders and mysteries and maybe the tone is not especially light but to me Sherlock Holmes and the stories are comfort read and so is this. Can’t wait to meet H of the ROs, but in the mean time Lestrade is and awkward duck who gives me sandwiches.

 Defiled Hearts: The Barbarian by @defiledheartsblog

Look. Listen. Does the story start with your family being murdered and you being sneaky and enlisting to the Roman army? Yes. Do I still consider this more light-hearted one because I’m having too much fun being pain in Marcus’ backside? Yes. I really need to restart another save and be less confrontational and before I get myself murdered at some point when I’m caught. The writer knows a lot of Roman times, and the Picts while taking liberties to introduce inclusivity and fantasy elements.

Ifs with really short demo so I haven’t really got into them yet because of that but the premise sounds awesome:

Absentia by @absentia-if

Having been ten years stuck in a void and then coming back without time passing for you. What could go wrong?

Sinners and Saints by @sinnersandsaints-linwrites

Hah! I’m in danger!

Novaturient by @kalorphic

Smexy agents doing secret agents things. Gimme.

Shoutouts to things I have read but weren’t for me at the time:

Citadel- A medical Romantic Drama by @bouncyballcitadel

Writing and medical knowledge top notch. Unfortunately, I’m still recovering from the last semester and couldn’t focus enough to read with thought and failed at everything. Which caused me to quit, start again next day from the start and then rinse and repeat. Will have to try again at some point when I have more spoons.

Blood Moon by @barbwritesstuff

Modern werewolf story. Awesome writing and lovable characters. Is to my knowledge finished if you don’t count editing, rewrites etc. Have played it about but not the last few updates. Another one I’ll try again when I find my spoons somewhere.

There are lots more that I follow or read but these came to mind. I also acknowledge that I have a problem with remembering names and have a bad habit of skipping paragraphs while reading, so I tend to forget especially shorter ones. I have not included ones without demos because I have gotten my heart broken a few times when the creators disappeared after posting awesome premises but no demos.

This got really long… Hope this was informative?

Remember why you started

I am back, and with something to say "welcome back" -- a Bestiary of Sinners and Saints, volume 1, now available for download right here (click!)

I am glad to have taken that break, I needed it. I still may not be as active, as I have two major exams coming up, and defense of my BA thesis, but I'll try to answer a few asks here and there, and give you all some content.

I've been working more on the chapters in this time I took away, and I'm happy to say that Chapter 2 for Sinners and Saints is going amazing so far (1/10 is done), and Chapter 1 for The Numbers Game is 1/3 done (both coding and writing).

So, stay safe, and enjoy! <3

WEBSITES FOR WRITERS {masterpost}

E.A. Deverell - FREE worksheets (characters, world building, narrator, etc.) and paid courses;

Hiveword - Helps to research any topic to write about (has other resources, too);

BetaBooks - Share your draft with your beta reader (can be more than one), and see where they stopped reading, their comments, etc.;

Charlotte Dillon - Research links;

Writing realistic injuries - The title is pretty self-explanatory: while writing about an injury, take a look at this useful website;

One Stop for Writers - You guys... this website has literally everything we need: a) Description thesaurus collection, b) Character builder, c) Story maps, d) Scene maps & timelines, e) World building surveys, f) Worksheets, f) Tutorials, and much more! Although it has a paid plan ($90/year | $50/6 months | $9/month), you can still get a 2-week FREE trial;

One Stop for Writers Roadmap - It has many tips for you, divided into three different topics: a) How to plan a story, b) How to write a story, c) How to revise a story. The best thing about this? It's FREE!

Story Structure Database - The Story Structure Database is an archive of books and movies, recording all their major plot points;

National Centre for Writing - FREE worksheets and writing courses. Has also paid courses;

Penguin Random House - Has some writing contests and great opportunities;

Crime Reads - Get inspired before writing a crime scene;

The Creative Academy for Writers - "Writers helping writers along every step of the path to publication." It's FREE and has ZOOM writing rooms;

Reedsy - "A trusted place to learn how to successfully publish your book" It has many tips, and tools (generators), contests, prompts lists, etc. FREE;

QueryTracker - Find agents for your books (personally, I've never used this before, but I thought I should feature it here);

Pacemaker - Track your goals (example: Write 50K words - then, everytime you write, you track the number of the words, and it will make a graphic for you with your progress). It's FREE but has a paid plan;

Save the Cat! - The blog of the most known storytelling method. You can find posts, sheets, a software (student discount - 70%), and other things;

I hope this is helpful for you!

(Also, check my blog if you want to!)