April 2023
The Challenge
At the start of my spring semester as a junior, I wanted to explore a project that focused solely on my writing. With the "Pastoral" trilogy complete, I also wanted to explore a new universe. Wanting to get in the habit of writing at least a few paragraphs each day, I decided to develop a plot graph for a novella. Although I had begun work on the novella, after assessing my time budgeting, I realized that this project would have to live in a different format.
The Solution
After having an incredible experience at GDC, I learned the wonders of Twine, and became inspired to turn my plot graph for the novella into a choose your own adventure game for Twine. This process became even more interesting when I was assigned to complete a creative project for my LGBT studies course.
Inspired by my personal experiences as a gay man, I hoped to tell a story that was out of my comfort zone: a romance. While "Out of Space" isn't exactly your dream-like romance, it is a love story rooted in the experience of falling for someone who has yet to confront their own sexuality. It was hard transitioning from writing for a game like "Pastoral," which was so focused on individuality, to "Out of Space," where the focus was to be on a relationship between two people.
Additionally, "Out of Space" is inspired by my favorite orchestral suite, "The Planets, Op.32," by Gustav Holst. I transformed my linear structured plot graph for the novella into a story with branching paths, and this process was made much easier, oddly enough, with the help of Gustav Holst's suite. I used each of the planets represented in his suite to represent an ending, each with the main character confronting their situation in a unique way. With the exception of one ending, I attempted for each ending to feel like the "good" ending. When making queer-focused art, it's important to focus on that "feel-good" energy in order to empower us as a community.
Original Plot Graph for Novella
In-Game Screenshot
The Story
James begrudgingly arrives at his place of work to discover that a new intern is arriving today. The fear of the unknown encompasses him until he meets a familiar face in the office: Christian, an old friend from college. Luckily, Christian is the new intern that James has been assigned to work with. But, outside of work, James must face his forgotten feelings for Christian. Experience a multitude of endings as James attempts to figure out what he truly wants from a relationship with Christian—or if he even wants one with him at all.
The Tools
Google Docs: used to create a plot graph
Twine: used to make the game