Choose your own Adventure Project

[AnonUnlimited]

So I guess this is my… third thread started and I wanted to see if anyone had thought of or tried this before. I’m not sure if I want to attempt this either but the idea kind still makes me want to gauge the thoughts of others.

In the past there were children’s books known as the “Choose your own adventure” series where the author would write several paths of an adventure and the reader would go through it.

This was often read in 2nd person and the results of each choice would be read on the page the instructions made you turn towards.

There aren’t a lot of 2nd person novels on this website, but I was thinking about whether it might be viable to write in 2nd person and give a poll option at the end of every chapter for a choice.

Do you think that might be a fun project to participate as a reader? Perhaps if polls are open for 3 days and a new chapter is posted on 4 days later with the decision I think it’s doable but would take serious dedication.

would just like to hear thoughts if anyone has them.

thanks.

 

[Deleted member 57675]

Would be tiring for one person do CYOA well thought out. Could be great collab. I gave up writing barely 5 chapters of a story in 2nd person...it was not adventure though.

I think someone did that once with the poll option at the end of every chapter for a choice. I think the issue might be though its hard to keep track when you jump certain chapters or go to the next chapter and which path is which anymore.

Still, it be pretty interesting for another CYOA story on here.

 

[BlackKnightX]

I call it an interactive story. I’ve read some on this site before—only read; I was too late to participate. So, yeah, if you want to do it, then just do it. I really like the idea. It’s really fun.

 

[Zirrboy]

A few random things to consider:

• What scale should individual decisions have?
  • Do I decide which character the MC spends some free time with?
  • Or can I affect whether and in what role someone becomes core cast at all?
• Do you really want polls every chapter? Some things might better be seen through as one, regardless of the above
• Equal choices, loss of opportunity or even bad end?
  • So long as you can assure a certain degree of impartiality of course

And just a matter of preference, but I don't think second person is strictly necessary

 

[AnonUnlimited]

Would be tiring for one person do CYOA well thought out. Could be great collab. I gave up writing barely 5 chapters of a story in 2nd person...it was not adventure though.

I think someone did that once with the poll option at the end of every chapter for a choice. I think the issue might be though its hard to keep track when you jump certain chapters or go to the next chapter and which path is which anymore.

Still, it be pretty interesting for another CYOA story on here.

A CYOA story is usually pretty short. I mean if I do it, probably only about 10 chapters total. When I think about it however, I think it's a headache to have to wait for the votes then plan out the next chapter. I was thinking of using the polling option as a way for readers to vote for the next one.

I think you're thinking about writing out seven or 8 branches before posting it lol.

A few random things to consider:

• What scale should individual decisions have?
  • Do I decide which character the MC spends some free time with?
  • Or can I affect whether and in what role someone becomes core cast at all?
• Do you really want polls every chapter? Some things might better be seen through as one, regardless of the above
• Equal choices, loss of opportunity or even bad end?
  • So long as you can assure a certain degree of impartiality of course

And just a matter of preference, but I don't think second person is strictly necessary

Generally speaking the CYOA novels were very short, less than 200 pages and often you'll have 7-10 endings. If we're talking scale it would mostly be short stories because I don't think any serious writer is going to want a long term project where he is at the whims of the reader (that includes myself who is doing it for fun).

Decisions in the format I'm thinking using SH tools would be based on providing as many options as I want in the polls. When it comes down to it however, there is still only one path to go towards so the ending can be made into whatever the author wants it to be. Despite the "choice" the author still has full control over how the choice affects the world.

impartiality is impossible, maybe if you have a "choose your own author" for who continues the story. Then have one author hates the main character and the other likes as choices.

I like the thought of a CYOA but the details basically tell me it's a difficult and time consuming project that not many would actually enjoy, 2nd person or not.

 

[Zirrboy]

impartiality is impossible, maybe if you have a "choose your own author" for who continues the story next where one author hates the main character and the other likes.

>certain degree
Being ready to see a choice through without tying much more to it than the wording entails.
Fe making the MC a gullible pushover after the decision to try and talk with an immediate adversary

 

[AnonUnlimited]

>certain degree
Being ready to see a choice through without tying much more to it than the wording entails.
Fe making the MC a gullible pushover after the decision to try and talk with an immediate adversary

Probably would take an author who isn't hung up on the character. The reason why 2nd person is more viable, in my opinion, on this is because then the author is assigning the choice to the reader. Less investment in a character and simply giving the reader their choice in the world the author made up...

Well I guess it could end early because of a bad choice. There is also the option of using a mind map to log all the choices and let the readers select one until the end, and only write out the path chosen. There are ideas, but implementation is another thing.

 

[Zirrboy]

Probably would take an author who isn't hung up on the character. The reason why 2nd person is more viable, in my opinion, on this is because then the author is assigning the choice to the reader. Less investment in a character and simply giving the reader their choice in the world the author made up...

Well I guess it could end early because of a bad choice. There is also the option of using a mind map to log all the choices and let the readers select one until the end, and only write out the path chosen. There are ideas, but implementation is another thing.

If it's supposed to be short, most of my suggestions don't matter much either way.
A longer running story sounds like it'd be fun to influence, but I can't exactly expect someone to write what I'd be unwilling to

 

[AnonUnlimited]

If it's supposed to be short, most of my suggestions don't matter much either way.
A longer running story sounds like it'd be fun to influence, but I can't exactly expect someone to write what I'd be unwilling to

I tried opening my current project up to reader influence and got a 12 hour message argument on discord by one of them demanding I make the story go a certain direction. Needless to say, unless I’m a ghost writer being paid, it’s not something I’d do.

Haha, it might be fun for a patreon author to weigh votes by subscriber tier on a long project. See how that turns out, but I do get influenced by comments still.

 

[Amok]

i love the idea of writing 2nd person. games like Vagrus and Battle Brothers feel very immersive, as if you are crafting a unique tale with every playthrough, and to get that feeling of invested adventure onto a page would be cool. i liked the idea of writing a poll-based CYOA some years ago, tho now i wonder whether just straight up writing 2nd person, and maybe randomizing some world events and character challenges with dice rolls on lists that are as varied and interesting as possible . so instead of reader input per se, there is a more fluid process where the author throws out hundreds of ideas and the dice select only a fraction of them, while the tone of the story takes on that 'you enter the dilapidated shack, the mudbrick walls smeared with dried blood' feel, basically the DM voice but without a game.

 

[AnonUnlimited]

i love the idea of writing 2nd person. games like Vagrus and Battle Brothers feel very immersive, as if you are crafting a unique tale with every playthrough, and to get that feeling of invested adventure onto a page would be cool. i liked the idea of writing a poll-based CYOA some years ago, tho now i wonder whether just straight up writing 2nd person, and maybe randomizing some world events and character challenges with dice rolls on lists that are as varied and interesting as possible . so instead of reader input per se, there is a more fluid process where the author throws out hundreds of ideas and the dice select only a fraction of them, while the tone of the story takes on that 'you enter the dilapidated shack, the mudbrick walls smeared with dried blood' feel, basically the DM voice but without a game.

You're talking a dungeon and dragons type tone where the story is based on a dice roll for choices instead? Like do you have a high enough number to randomly defeat a more powerful beast you should not be able to defeat with your current skill level type deal.

 

[Amok]

You're talking a dungeon and dragons type tone where the story is based on a dice roll for choices instead? Like do you have a high enough number to randomly defeat a more powerful beast you should not be able to defeat with your current skill level type deal.

nah nah the author has more freedom, more like at end of each chapter/scene instead of having a poll of three(or whatever) options you roll on lists to see what happens, or roll out of 6-100 hundred options depending on situation... so the dice basically tell you what enemies the mc faces and you decide what happens, who wins and who dies; or the ice on a lake suddenly starts cracking, or a leviathan rises up from beneath the crust or savage warriors on their ponies come charging onto the crust or nothing happens and the crossing is peaceful except for a bird shitting on someone's head etc.

 

[AnonUnlimited]

nah nah the author has more freedom, more like at end of each chapter/scene instead of having a poll of three(or whatever) options you roll on lists to see what happens, or roll out of 6-100 hundred options depending on situation... so the dice basically tell you what enemies the mc faces and you decide what happens, who wins and who dies; or the ice on a lake suddenly starts cracking, or a leviathan rises up from beneath the crust or savage warriors on their ponies come charging onto the crust or nothing happens and the crossing is peaceful except for a bird shitting on someone's head etc.

You know when Think about doing that it sounds like a huge headache lol. Could be fun for a short story but the longer it goes... actually if there is a predetermined list and rolling could show how the story goes it could be fun to see multiple author's see how it happens each time.

 

[Amok]

You know when Think about doing that it sounds like a huge headache lol. Could be fun for a short story but the longer it goes... actually if there is a predetermined list and rolling could show how the story goes it could be fun to see multiple author's see how it happens each time.

yeah i guess it depends on how one approaches it... even just straight up writing second person tho is interesting. there's some things conveyed by this method that are quite unique imo, it gives the reader a sense of place in the story, sort of tying all their senses into it because they imagine it as if they are there.

 

[AnonUnlimited]

yeah i guess it depends on how one approaches it... even just straight up writing second person tho is interesting. there's some things conveyed by this method that are quite unique imo, it gives the reader a sense of place in the story, sort of tying all their senses into it because they imagine it as if they are there.

Second person does kind of take away the main character in the narrative however, since you can't really write what the reader is thinking. The CYOA books wrote in second person because the reader would flip to the page of their choice and RPG's will allow the reader to make decisions as they go along but a story or novel that tries to get philosophical or with a plot... I don't know. I've always found them difficult and annoying to read, which was why I wondered if a CYOA might make a 2nd person more fun to read.

 

[owotrucked]

I wish someone made an old fashioned CYOA on SH with items, battle encounters with dices.

For page changes and choices (instead of "go to §84 to pick up the sword or §69 to leave it behind"), author can create anchors and hyperlinks to redirect to new pages or specific paragraphs within the same page. It requires to fiddle with the browser html editor when you submit the chapter tho.

For example, the NSFW disclaimer of my prologue either redirect further down the page if you accept reading hentai, or back towards Scribblehub main page if you refuse.

Spoiler: link to NSFW

my prologue

Please don't read any further than the disclaimer, thanks xD...

 

[AnonUnlimited]

I wish someone made an old fashioned CYOA on SH with items, battle encounters with dices.

For page changes and choices (instead of "go to §84 to pick up the sword or §69 to leave it behind"), author can create anchors and hyperlinks to redirect to new pages or specific paragraphs within the same page. It requires to fiddle with the browser html editor when you submit the chapter tho.

For example, the NSFW disclaimer of my prologue either redirect further down the page if you accept reading hentai, or back towards Scribblehub main page if you refuse.

Spoiler: link to NSFW

my prologue

Please don't read any further than the disclaimer, thanks xD...

I already read your whole story fellow smut writer.

There was a game called Kingdom of Loathing way way back in the day that did something like that, but you could only explore stick/text world they had. It was a whole RPG system into itself. Kind of a CYOA. Most of the CYOA were made back in the day, and I think the novelty got replaced with games that let you choose your adventure.

I still liked them even if I was a few decades too late, which was why I was wondering if something like that might be viable on SH. I could see how it would work in the Glossary with the spoiler tags where you open up a path but it's a lot of work to organize it all and the files might be massive.

 

[owotrucked]

I never played it, but I know West of Loathing. Isn't it super massive tho?

Another idea for a Scribblehub CYOA would be using Henry Stickmin style: with lots of comedy dead ends and only 2 or 3 viable end route.

It's less interactive for readers who don't have to keep track of items, stats, hp than traditional CYOA with pen and dices. But it should be a more streamlined experience.

 

[Amok]

Second person does kind of take away the main character in the narrative however, since you can't really write what the reader is thinking. The CYOA books wrote in second person because the reader would flip to the page of their choice and RPG's will allow the reader to make decisions as they go along but a story or novel that tries to get philosophical or with a plot... I don't know. I've always found them difficult and annoying to read, which was why I wondered if a CYOA might make a 2nd person more fun to read.

the ideas i have mainly revolve around someone traveling, either as part of a caravan or mercenary company, and as the continent is crossed and scenes and cultures change the scene is set... might end up writing it in 3rd p anyway tho, or 1st... still in the clouds

 

[AnonUnlimited]

I never played it, but I know West of Loathing. Isn't it super massive tho?

Another idea for a Scribblehub CYOA would be using Henry Stickmin style: with lots of comedy dead ends and only 2 or 3 viable end route.

It's less interactive for readers who don't have to keep track of items, stats, hp than traditional CYOA with pen and dices. But it should be a more streamlined experience.

Lol, what about a CYOA smut adventure? Where the reader votes on what they should do next in each scene. That'd be pretty horrible though lol. Comedy dead end where the partner leaves if you make the character do something strange in bed.