Writer wanted! (Patreon)

EDIT: I will stop accepting submissions on May 29th.

Hey folks! I've been talking about hiring a writer for a long time now. I've finally compiled a test assignment and am ready to do the actual hiring thing. So if you are interested, read on!

As a writer, you will have to work with me on the script for the game. My biggest weakness is sex scene writing, so that’s the skill I’m most interested in, but there’s plenty of regular dialogue and scene work, too. Mind, this is a visual novel, so you will also have to do some technical writing explaining the scene setup, character movements and expressions. But more on that a bit later.

This is, of course, a paid gig, I am open to per-word, hourly rate, or basically any sane arrangement, and additional rev share bonus is quite possible later on. I expect about 40 hours of work per month at a minimum from you, would welcome even more as long as we aren't constrained by art.

Oh, and one more thing. Even though I’m more of a “pantser” myself, most of the really big stuff is already planned. I will welcome your input, but please don’t expect me to change major plot points or characters.

Now, let's get into the nitty gritty. Here's how my scripts look: https://pastebin.com/t8G2UBdt

And here’s a slightly condensed and more human-readable excerpt if the first one is too much: https://write.as/1js31da887y5f.md

There’s a lot here, but don’t worry, I can adapt your plain text writing if needed. That said, I would certainly appreciate it if you will be willing to learn the basics of RenPy (the engine used by the game) scripting.

If you are still reading, awesome! I will now ask you to do a very small test assignment for me. Writing for a game like this can be quite weird. You have to write from a second person point of view, provide a voice to the main character, and offer multiple reply choices now and then. If you already have experience in writing VNs and can show me your 18+ work, that’s perfect, and you can skip the first part of the assignment. The second part is still relevant, though, because your ability to match the voice of a character is very important to me.

Warning, NSFW visuals inside (duh)! Please either download one of those demo builds:

PC - https://mega.nz/file/1QtDULyL#W1a6_xpoksLDlW9eElboKuNrgpj1_y2s7YjTFJj8ljY

Mac - https://mega.nz/file/xVt30DTZ#bUDJFgK_tB7XAwei0vw6_Uo1wUOY86r2Ms2y7Y8DuG4

Or take a look at the web version https://zanithone.itch.io/a-house-in-the-rift-writer-prompt This one doesn’t have animations, but it’s more than enough for the purposes of this test thing. The source script files are available here: https://mega.nz/file/YBk3HByK#YuDg_j_jwivNhgmRB2-O3y-FlMQE2My17JERAQpM47s

The first part of the assignment is to write your own take on the sex scene from the demo build. The sex scene in the demo build is an earlier one, and I like to think that I’ve improved as a writer since then, as this scene is pretty bad.

40 to 50 lines of text should be more than enough. If you have ideas on how to improve visuals, change poses, etc, add your notes. If possible, use the script file from the link above as a reference, if it’s still a bit much, here’s a shortened version stripped out of all technical stuff: https://write.as/dz90331laj9d0.md Or just write it as you usually would, really.

And for the second part, please write a bit of dialogue between Azraesha and Lyriel. Use the second (breakfast) scene from the linked demo build as a reference, but yours should be super small, 20 lines or so. They can discuss basically anything, just try to match their voices as best you can.

Here’s some more info on the characters to help you out:

Azraesha is a succubus. She is quite old in human years, but she can still be a bit childish and generally behaves like a naughty girl in her early twenties. Except for when there’s something important at stake, then she’s a fiercely loyal and wise companion. Rae likes to behave like a mock royalty, even though her life experience led her to despise aristocracy of any kind. She speaks with a British accent and never misses a chance to lightly tease others.

Lyriel is an actual royalty. Well, she was an actual royalty. She hails from a world where elves consider themselves as the pinnacle of creation, but at the same time are slowly getting pushed out to fringes by humans. She was exiled, had a number of nasty encounters, and then ended up in the house by accident, so she’s not exactly happy about the situation. She still tries to maintain her haughty demeanor bordering on being a spoiled brat, but fails often, and underneath she’s an insecure and vulnerable girl.

Feel free to ask me for more details here or on Discord. If you are ready to do the test assignment, please send it here when you're done: zanith.one@gmail.com or upload it somewhere and send me a link.

Good luck!