The series has begun.

Week 1 of the story-editing series is live on my new newsletter.

It includes my full process, highlights, major insights, and raw, unfiltered daily notes from the 8.5 hours of editing I did.

A quick highlight from this week's process: 🧵

I'm starting a story-editing series.

I'll break down an old story I wrote into chunks, mapping what each part does, why it exists, and its purpose.

Next, I'll rewrite it into its best form.

The goal: a professional level of polish.

Sound interesting? See you tomorrow!

My first time leading a team on a 30-day visual-novel jam project. Here’s what it taught me. 🧵
1/15

After releasing a game, it might not always feel good, especially if not a lot of people see it or give feedback. Feelings can come up, like doubting the game is good, letting teammates down, did I waste my time, etc.

I wrote out my experiences with this.

Stories that attack your mind and make you feel

I’m Joey - writer/narrative designer who likes to dig deep into characters and ideas, dismantle them, and rebuild them stronger

Follow for deep dives into narrative design, character psychology, and honest reflections on my work

joeys-works.itch.io

I've found that self-reflective devlogs are fun to write, and it made me learn and realize things from the game jam that I wouldn't have otherwise.

I'd recommend taking the time to write out a self-reflection, it really is helpful. For anything, not just game development.

I joined the Spooktober jam to put my writing in front of a large audience for the first time.

Before the jam even started, I learned more about team-building, communicating ideas, and self-doubt than I expected.

Devlog Part 1 of 3: Jam Preparation.

Finished adding sprite expressiveness to each line in The Forbidden Cellar.

It's a time consuming process, I can be a perfectionist with this stuff, but it was worth it. It looks much better now, and I can finally say I'm happy with the presentation.

Post-mortem devlog next.

A moment from The Forbidden Cellar. What did Lucy do wrong?

Version 1.2 is out! Character hint toggle + sprite expression updates!

– Choose who gives you hints for endings
– More expressive sprites across scenes

But, some characters might not cooperate...

Updating sprite expressions today for The Forbidden Cellar. The previously static scenes will now be more expressive! Version 1.2 coming soon!

#spooktober #visualnovel

The Forbidden Cellar is live on Itch! Check it out here.

joeys-works.itch.io/the-forbidde...

#Spooktober #visualnovels #PsychologicalHorror

"There really are... dead people here. But, they're all accidental, right? What if Lucy is one of them?"

He takes a deep breath.

"I can't lose my nerve. If I leave this place without knowing what happened... no. Death would be better."

Your parents told you to never enter the cellar. Your sister did, but you were too scared. 5 years later, she still hasn't come out.

Will you find out what happened? Or, will you stay scared forever?

Stories that attack your mind and make you feel.

I’m Joey - writer of psychological/character-driven VNs.

My Spooktober Jam game (The Forbidden Cellar) releases 9/30!

Until then, I'm sharing snippets + behind-the-scenes.

Follow for updates.

itch: joey-works.itch.io