PROGRESS?! Yes.
This was a good week. I finished up the design sheets for Avalon and a missing background early on, and finished up the rework of EP2 and am halfway through EP3. In reality it's all done since all I have to do is copypaste, but I am also spending time to re-read through it and laugh at it along the way.
The Impossible Rework
EP2 was definitely the most difficult episode to write, partially because I didn't quite know what I wanted for it. In the "12 beats" movie template, it would be akin to the "Theme Stated" beat. I knew that this is the point I bring in magick, the conflict between Ayano and Madison, and Madison with the glowies (fuck glowies!), but by gawd this was hard to write. I am locked in by EP1 to have to explain, or at least link up to episode EP1, and I can't go gimmick infringing on EP3 otherwise someone is going to throw tomatoes at the hack of an author for rehashing plot points.
So a decision was made to separate up Madison and Ayano somewhere after the midpoint of the story. I have been really hesitant to do this because many previous attempts ended up in really poor storylines, and like I said, infringing on EP3. I guess it's a running joke now that whenever Ayano is separated from Madison, she starts to see weird stuff like cryptids and glowies.
The real turnabout was "interactions". What was missing in the original script of EP2 was Ayano and Madison talking to people outside of themselves. In wrestling terms, this would be the equivalent of cutting a promo against their future opponents. And since I have already written FAR ahead into EP5 and finalized the script there, I now KNOW who they are up against in the future.
So. Cut a promo. Might be spoilers, but in retrospect nobody is going to read this diary BEFORE they read /Conspiracy/ Girls... right?
Knowing who fights who in the future lets me use EP2 as a springboard for a whole ton of foreshadowing, I hope some very aware readers will pick up on the hints on a read/reread, if not, have a good laugh at all the memes I shoved into the episode. I'm relieved that the impossible was made possible, connecting the past with the future, (((coincidentally))) one of the main themes of the book.
Morganna and EP3
So where are we now? This afternoon I just finished working on the antagonist's first appearance (real) in EP3. It was a scene that really bugged me, because she was such a hard-to-reach character. Originally I had her play a song with stringed instruments, a hard-to-reach stage performer has a certain charm, but it's such a lost chance to establish her personality to the other main characters...!
Even though it's so obvious to the reader that they met Morganna in Ep1 and Ep2 already. (ehehehe)
I like this version of the first encounter much better, because it has all the elements that Morganna needs: magick, being her usual uppity jerkwadness, and finally, Madison confronting a glowie in person.
I've been thinking a lot about Morganna's design and although I really love her BDSM-lace outfit she has now, I know that she will need a wardrobe change sometime down the line. This is mostly due to my incompetence as an author, since this is her "betrayer's" outfit, which shouldn't happen until much much much much much further down the timeline. At this point she should still be wearing her "witch" costume. It's such a shame and a waste of a good design I think, and I really like it, but this one is on me. Realistically, I have two choices: modify her outfit to fit the storyline, or completely redesign a new [Hexenhall] standard attire. I think I'll lean more towards the second, since Sachiko will eventually need this outfit too.
This is a really hard decision to make, I'll postpone it and mull over it, but it has to be done sometime.
Rokkenjima Day
I've cast my sword into the fire, and decided: /Conspiracy/ Girls will release on Rokkenjima Day. Barring any untoward events, it will be a 4th Oct release. The date has quite the significance to me, with the structure of /Conspiracy/ Girls being so Umineko based after all. If events do conspire to rid me of this date, then Halloween (31st) will be the alternate choice. Happy Halloween Maria!
The pressure is starting to pile up, and it feels like the good ol' days before 9/11. But without this deadline, I don't think I would be as MOTIVATED to write and edit as much as I did this week.
What did I give up? Everything. I haven't played Master Duel nor Genshin for the entire week now (LET ME IN LET ME IN) And I'll get around to playing a bit when I finish this blog. Listening to Morganna's theme on repeat right now, it's a good feeling.
Last Scene
I have already said all that I wanted to say. Thank god for Lycoris Recoil, this week's episode gave me a good laugh. Chisato and Takina are such adorable dorks, Madison and Ayano feel similar, but vastly different, and I am glad for that. I am one more step closer to making my waifu real, for real this time.
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