Veilgarden is a good place for literary creativity.If your story is good enough, that is. |
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Writer's Desk storylets can be started from the Literary Ambitions storylet in Veilgarden.
When you decide to begin writing a story, storylets appear giving you different options for working on your story, gaining Manuscript Pages as you work, possibly affecting its Potential. When you decide you have enough pages, you can rework your story to improve its Potential. Once reworking is complete, and you think its Potential is high enough, you can finish up your story to see whether or not it is well-received.
You may decide to pursue other stories without completing your work, then return to it at a later time.
You can move back and forth between working, reworking and finishing your story as you see how your story's Potential changes and what is needed. Those options are highlighted like this paragraph, below.
Publishing a certain quality of story will allow you to unlock the Author Profession.
Beginning a Work
The Writer's Desk: Begin a Work
You might have a specific commission. But if not, you can sell your work once you've created it. Currently only Short Stories are available.
Write a Short Story
A suitable way for a teller of tales to earn a living. The Riverside, The Magazine Formerly Known as the London Magazine and Midnights all publish stories by the score.
[Unlocked when Working on… is: nothing yet…]
Work on your Story
The Writer's Desk: work on your story!
Fill blank paper with blessed words. It can be hard to keep Potential high, especially if you write hastily - but you can rework it later.
Write.
At a sensible pace.
_challenge
[This storylet will cost you 5 actions!]
Use your Ornate Typewriter
The beast lies gleaming, ready for the waking touch of your hand. Quite fast, less prone to uncertainty, but you need to know what you're doing.
Unlocked with 1 x Ornate Typewriter
[[Persuasive]] challenge_[This storylet will cost you 4 actions!]
Write rapidly.
Let's get this done!
_[This storylet will cost you 4 actions!]
Write frantically
The Muse has touched you tonight! But has she touched you in a fitting place? This can have uncertain results.
_
[This storylet will cost you 4 actions!]Write frenziedly
Step aside! Words coming through! This can have very uncertain results.
_
[This storylet will cost you 3 actions!]Laudanum!
You will probably write nonsense under the influence of laudanum. At least it may be saleable nonsense.
A matter of luck: it could go either way.
[Unlocked with 1 x F.F. Gebrandt's Superior Laudanum]
[This storylet will cost you 3 actions!]Honey!
Prisoner's Honey might help with your ideas, but not reliably. And it doesn't encourage you to be productive.
A matter of luck: it could go either way.
[Unlocked with 50 x Drop of Prisoner's Honey]
[This storylet will cost you 3 actions!]Rework and Finish!
Refine, polish, improve…and publish, if you have at least 10 pages.
[Unlocked with 3 x Manuscript Page]
[This storylet will not cost you an action!]
to Polish up your Story
The Writer's Desk: rework!
Murder your darlings. Editing will cost you Manuscript Pages, but may improve the Potential of the work. You can use Romantic Notions, Tales of Terror and other items for research and inspiration: experiment and see what works!
A Daring Edit
Go for it! This can improve a work whose Potential is 50 or less - and very occasionally, a little more than that.
_[Unlocked with Potential 1]
A Cautious Edit
This can improve a work whose Potential is 25 or less - and very occasionally, a little more than that.
_
Use your Case Notes
Publish them as fiction, rather than fact. it's safer for everyone. This will slightly increase Potential at any level.
_
[Unlocked with 1 x Case Notes]
Add a dash of heartbreak
You heard something sorrowful, wonderful, heart-piercing. Perhaps you can use that. This can improve a work whose Potential is 110 or less.
_
[Unlocked with 1 x Touching Love Story]
Not an entirely fictional character…
A roman à clef, perhaps? Be careful. This can improve a work whose Potential is 110 or less.
_
[Unlocked with 1 x An Identity Uncovered!]
Ask your most exalted contacts for inside information
"You didn't hear this from me…" This can improve a work whose Potential is 140 or less.
_
[Unlocked with 1 x Favours in High Places]
Publish… and be damned.
Did they refuse your price? Are you Truth's herald? Or is it simply too good a story to waste? This can improve a work whose Potential is 150 or less, but it has its risks.
_
[Unlocked with 1 x Blackmail Material]
A rare lesson
You can't buy this kind of experience. It smells like real life. This will significantly increase Potential at any level.
_
Weave in esoteric elements
The readers of London are versed in secrets as in no other city. Weave in references to mysteries, and they may appreciate your erudition. This can improve a work whose Potential is 100 or less.
_
[Unlocked with 1 x Extraordinary Implication]
Incorporate romance
Who doesn't love love? A little realism may help, but not too much. This can improve a work whose Potential is 60 or less.
_
[Unlocked with 1 x Romantic Notion]
Spice it with gossip
This may make your story a frivolous thing of the moment. But oh, how magnificently of the moment it might be. This can improve a work whose Potential is 60 or less.
_
[Unlocked with 1 x Incendiary Gossip]
Compromising Document
"Where do you get your ideas?" Wherever someone has been foolish enough to write them down. Just be sure you change enough of the details to stay out of court. This can improve a work whose Potential is 70 or less.
_
[Unlocked with 1 x Compromising Document]
Add a dash of zee-adventure!
Tales of runaway apprentices and poet-pirates will catch attention, but beware cliche. This can improve a work whose Potential is 90 or less.
_
[Unlocked with 1 x Zee-Ztory]
Add a touch of darkness
Some say Londoners have enough darkness in their lives. But this is darkness of a different sort. This can improve a work whose Potential is 70 or less.
_
[Unlocked with 1 x Tale of Terror!!]
Incorporate life-lessons
Add a dash of verisimilitude This can improve a work whose Potential is 80 or less..
[Unlocked with 5 x Hard-Earned Lesson]
Include something exotic
Who knows what lies across the Unterzee? …well, you do. This can improve a work whose Potential is 80 or less.
_
[Unlocked with 1 x Memory of Distant Shores]
Seek Assistance from another writer
Do you know someone else who's working on something? Perhaps you can look at each others' manuscripts. Learn from the best! You should preferably invite someone much more Persuasive than you are. However, the postal system prevents its use just now.
[Unlocked with Impossible! 1]
Back to writing…
You need more raw material. Back to the desk with you.
[This storylet will not cost you an action!]Finish your Short Story
You have at least ten Manuscript Pages? And the Potential of the work is high enough? Let's finish this.
Scandal increase
[[Suspicion]]] increase
Nightmares increase (1 change point)Finish your Story
The Writer's Desk: finish a Short Story
Add the finishing touches and send your precious child out into the world. Play it safe, or reach for the stars? The higher you pitch, the more impressive your work will be… but if you fail, you risk being seen as pretentious, and will suffer accordingly.
Potentially acceptable
You'll do better soon. But this is good enough for now.
_
Potentially competent
This will probably sell
_
Potentially compelling
This should do pretty well.
_
Potentially thrilling
You're quite pleased with this one.
_
Potentially exceptional
Now this is something a little bit special.
_
Potentially extraordinary
Take this, critics!
_
Potentially masterful
Most writers never get this good. But you'll go further still.
_
Potentially celebrated
Well now, this will leave a mark. Possibly a crater
_
Potentially classic
If this doesn't knock their socks off, what will? Shakespeare rising from the grave to rip the spires off the Bazaar?
_
You now have 1 x Competent Short Story
You now have 1 x Exceptional Short Story
You now have 1 x A Celebrated Short Story
You now have 1 x A Masterful Short StoryFallen London is © 2010-2016 and ™ Failbetter Games Limited: www.fallenlondon.com. This is an unofficial fan work.
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