Another -- A Collaborative Visual Novel Game

[Lord0din69]

I've been playing around with idea of creating a visual novel game based off of Another, the novel by Ayatsuji, Yukito.

The biggest problem is getting the plot down. Most visual novel games plays out like a "choose your adventure" game, where decisions you make affects small outcomes in the story.

First step; Fleshing out the main concept of the story and creating different routes the player can take is. That's where you guys come in. Bounce off ideas with me and each other to create this spin-off. I'll be using google docs since it's an easy way for people to edit and comment the story as a whole, and keeping track of who attributed, instead of having bits and pieces spread out across several posts. Thanks ahead of time for attributing!

Without further delay, here's the opening scene, keeping in a similar theme with how it was written for the visual novel and screenplay from the anime.

It's 1993, in Japan, Yomiyama.
The new school year is about to start for Yomiyama North Junior High.
There's has been ominous rumor floating about between the students as they view the class assignment board for the senior classes. Several students faces turns dark and pale as they realize they've been assigned to class 3-3.
A dialog beings with two anonymous students;

School Boy: "Have you heard of rumor of Misaki?"
"The one from the 9th grade, class 3."

Naive School Girl: "Misaki? Was there a person by that name?"

School Boy: "Yeah, it was 21 years ago."
"She'd been popular ever since 7th grade. She was smart, pretty, and charming."
"So, she was loved by students and teachers alike."

Naive School Girl: "There's always one in each grade, isn't there?"

School Boy: "But, shortly after she started the 9th grade, Misaki died."

Naive School Girl: "Huh, How?"

School Boy: "I heard it was an accident. Everyone was shocked and the atmosphere of the class room grew grim."
"Until, suddenly, someone said it."

Naive School Girl: "Said what?"

School Boy: "He pointed to Misaki's desk and said, “Misaki's right there. She's not dead.” "
"It was just an act, no one wanted to accept her death."
"But, from that day on, class 3 continued to behave as thought Misaki was still alive."
"They spoke to her table and chair, and pretended to walk home together."

Naive School Girl: "That's nice but sort of creepy."

School Boy: "They kept up the act right up to graduation."
"The principal even arranged to have Misaki's seat to be included their graduation ceremony."

Naive School Girl: "Isn't that considerate of them."

School Boy: "Sure, if it ended there."

Navie School Girl: "There's more?"

School Boy: "The rest of the story is..."

END SCENE.

Please feel free to leave comments, questions, or feedback here. You can also PM me.
You can also add your collaboration here, but I would prefer if it's placed on the google docs. It's hard to understand where people are referring to when there are no line# or anything easy to reference to.

Want to hear more, or interested in attributing to the google doc?
Anyone can comment on the google doc, but you need permission to edit.
I'm limiting editing for now so it doesn't turn into an edit war...
https://docs.google.com/document/d/12mB2t7vmaX5xm8vvJ_gHs0lu1AHoYnELknveKNiCjas/edit

[Lord0din69]

Writing for Visual Novels Games;

I'm no expert on this but I do notice a few things with visual novel games.

• First thing is most of the writing is coming from the inner thoughts of a character. If not, then it is a dialog the character or player is observing or partaking in. There's usually no third person narrator.
  
  
• Second, know that you are writing for a something that is depicted along side with pictures. Therefore, you do not really have to go into extensive details about what something looks like, unless if it is important to do so. However, going into details on what something might sound, feel, or smell like is needed.
  
  
• Next, remember interactive dialogs. You're writing for a main character that has choices and decisions to make. Allow the main character to express those choices.
  
  
• Lastly, it might help to write it like a screenplay, giving instructional cues on what is going on with the scene. However, keep in mind it's a visual novel game, not an animation, film, or actual live performance, so there's limitations on what can be depicted.