IF Seal: How can I feel less isolated when writing?
Hi if-seal, any tips on how to feel less isolated writing an IF?
Dear Isolated Friend,
I am sorry that you feel isolated. I hope I can help.
Writing is by its nature an solitary experience. We sit at a desk or on a sofa or scribbling with your flippers in a bathtub, and you spend a lot of time in your head. A lot of the time, if we talk about it at all, we talk online, which can be both marvellous and tricky.So I entirely sympathise with anyone feeling this way.
The nice part about interactive writing is that by its nature, it's a process that others can engage in more easily than linear prose.
I recommend sharing your work rather than keeping it to yourself, even if you feel self-conscious. I recommend playing other people's work, both to learn from it (you can especially learn from finished games about how writers do or don't stick the landing of late-game plots and endings) and to give you something to talk about with others.
I don't know what online spaces you're in, but presumably you're on Tumblr as you sent this here: you might like to send a writer a non-anonymous ask or a message saying what you thought of their work, or asking a question about how they did such-and-such a thing in their writing, or their decisions about X or Y. Or you could do so on a thread on the Choice of Games or intfiction forums, or send a message there. Or you could chat with people on the @/neointeractives Discord.
Discussion spaces can be intimidating, but this is a small area of interest and people will usually be excited to meet you. Even if you aren't completely new to the community, that's OK - you can still make yourself more present now, and even if you feel nervous.
I hope this is helpful, Isolated Friend, and that you feel more connected soon.