Belated Merry Xmas! Here’s Your Present!

A new book!

Thanks for everyone’s help and support.  What an amazing two months!

NaNoWriMo 1

Never, ever, underestimate a writer’s skill at procrastination.  I’ve had a story in my head for some weeks now, but would rather power-wash the house than sit down and type it out.

Then, I saw that NaNoWriMo has come ’round again.  Dammit.  I guess I’d better start writing this thing down.

This is very (very!) tentatively entitled “The Fourth Law”.

Set a dozen years hence, nursing student Lily Barrett lives in a shattered time:  the US devolved into a group of smaller states and badlands, her sister missing, and her father, after earning the opprobrium of most of the world, presumed dead.

Two things keep her going:  her job at the orphanage outside of Waxahachie, Republic of Texas, and Ai, her odd, but dear friend she met online:  a young woman who only shows herself to Lily as a rendered CG image.

Troubled by her past and facing an uncertain future, Lily seeks only a quiet, normal life.  But, her past and her present conspire against her.

Making Visual Novels: From Concepts to Sales-a Preview

A Preview of the upcoming panel on Saturday August 23rd at 7pm in Panel III Taft B. We go through everything from story writing, coding, images, software needed, and promotions and sales.

The Panel has evolved over the past three years into a 2hr event typically attended by 75-100 members of the Convention that look to gain some tangible information on creating a visual novel in todays market.

 

Attend if you can! Feel free to contact me for more details.

PROJECT #1: STEAMPUNK REILLY

To quote 007’s creator, British Secret Service alumnus and author Ian Fleming: “James Bond is just a piece of nonsense I dreamed up. He’s not a Sidney Reilly, you know.”

Sidney Reilly was the world’s first true secret agent and is regarded by the CIA, KGB, and MI-6 as the creator of the modern intelligence officer.

Building upon his genius, we at want to take you into a world where Sidney Reilly made his bold plans and direct actions, Set in a world of alternate history, called Steampunk,  with the computer age beginning 150 years before ours, and the subsequent technological fallout that results, you follow the stories of the man known as the ‘Ace of Spies’ as he travels the globe defending the interests of the British Empire.

Steampunk Reilly is the first graphic novel produced by 3-AR Studios’ artist Will Deonne and writer Clayton Barnett. It first debuted at the Wizard World Ohio Con in Columbus Ohio in 2013 with Volume One: Engine Trouble.

Expected completion of the 4 Part Visual Novel is January 2015.

Writer: Clatyon Barnett

Artist: Will Deonne

Project Update #3: Nyaapoleon Preview

Complete synopsis coming soon!

 

Artist: Will Deonne

Writer: Clayton Barnett

 

Project Update #2: OTCHI KOCCHI-A VISUAL NOVEL

All the best stories start, “Once upon a time…”

Once upon a time, just barely over one year ago, an under-employed engineer sat in his basement, drinking gin, and watching anime. “Why don’t they subvert that trope? It’d improve the story.” He thinks. Another drink. “I can write better than this!” Another drink. “Can’t animate or draw, though…wait…Will, from work, is an artist…” A quick text is sent: ‘We should make a visual novel.’ A few minutes later, a reply: ‘Fine. What’s a visual novel?’

One year and 22 days later, we, Clayton Barnett & Will Deonne of 3-AR Studios LLC are proud to present to you, our dear friends of the Lemma Soft Community, the product of those two text messages: OTChi Kocchi, and its two spin-off VN’s: Chibi Kocchi, and N4. (Click link to purchase for $10!)

OK is just shy of 80,000 words. There are four main characters with four unique paths. Nineteen secondary characters. Twenty-one possible endings. Hundreds of backgrounds and sprites. Music and sound effects. Even secret content and prizes to discover!

What started off as a rather typical BxG dating sim set in a university hospital pharmacy ended up in places we could never have guessed at a year ago. An exploration of loss and its aftereffects. The creation of a new company paradigm. A frenetic but fun adventure into a character’s present & past. And, the existence of a secret society that has been playing with humanity for millennia. As a playtester quipped about a month ago, “Er…what happened to cute girls doing cute things at the Pharmacy?” Quite a bit, in fact!

Sometimes, I do wonder…from where we started…

Writer/Coder:Clayton Barnett

Artist/FX/Music/Coding: Will Deonne

Reviews below:

“Everything about it; art, story, etc is very professionally done. A tip of my hat to the team for a job well done!”

-Phillip, LemmaSoft User

“I’m certainly looking forward to a sequel!”

-Christopher Cheung, VN-er