#Fun fruity personal directory save me……..

[starswirly]

[ * everyone with their fun fancy intros makes me want to make one. Hm. ]

[archived-watercress-blog]

Watercress Team Interviews: Tutty, the Writing Director!

Introduce yourself!

Code name is Tutty The Fruity. I'm a 25 year old Public History major. My hobbies include long walks on the beach, monster girls, and puzzles. I've been reading visual novels since university years and have more recently entered the indie scene as a writer foremost.

What do you do for Watercress?

Primarily serving as a writer, I've also jumped around in various internal affairs roles and the odd directorial role. I'm currently back on as a Writing Director, with the responsibility to better organize writers, ensure work is produced regular and finishes with a stamp of quality assurance, and resolve creative differences when they arise.

How long have you been working for Watercress?

I joined the studio on February 15, 2015, which puts me among the veterans of the group (though I still see myself as an overachieving newcomer). There were some breaks involved in that time, but it's been mostly consistent all the way through.

What country are you from?

Canada, Ontario specifically. It's a great country I wouldn't think much about leaving anytime soon, though I might consider ditching Ontario for greener pastures out west. The provincial government is beyond incompetent.

Which game are you proudest of?

People have responded well to Palinurus, so that's probably the safest bet. Most of my writing for that project was accomplished within a week, with 2500 word writing sessions on a nightly basis. It turned out quite decent, all things considered. I'm a self-critical sort of person, so I try to be modest about most things, and still think there's more to be done in the future.

Have you worked on any projects outside of Watercress?

I've taken commissioned writing projects for several clients during my time away from Watercress, though I probably can't elaborate further without breaking NDA. One of them is actually scheduled for release this August, so that's exciting! And the other has a demo right now. It's gratifying to see one's work become manifest in an actual product. Other than those, like many creators, I'm working on a few personal projects on my own time.

What’s your day job?

I juggle writing commissions with a minimum-wage job in the service industry. Not exactly glamourous work, but I'm saving up to go back to school for a Bachelor's, followed as PhD. Steady income is important, and it also puts money aside for commissions.

What is frustrating about working at the studio?

Generally a lot of the frustrations come from the sheer number of people involved, so there's no shortage of confusion. When getting accustomed to studio work, being a self-motivator and taking initiative is oftentimes a habit to work on. Establishing clearer communication lines and keeping them strong in an environment with higher turnover is definitely a challenge, though a push towards monetization may mitigate some of that.

What is rewarding about working at the studio?

I enjoy working on teams that equally pitch in, and when brainstorms click it's a fun thing. For many creators, finding that kind of environment is exceedingly difficult, so it's nice that people find a way to express themselves without our group.

What do you want fans to gain from our games?

I don't have any solid expectations for fans since I try to focus on things I would enjoy writing. If they had a good time, all the better. I have something of an ego so it's a little gratifying to see praise offered from reviewers, haha!

Do you have any pets?

Four cats. Family's kind of crazy. There've been seven cats for the holidays at one point. Also a tank of fish but that's irrelevant.

What are your top three favorite video games (besides ours, of course)?

Narrowing it down to three is pretty damn hard, uhh… I grew up with Mario, and Super Mario World was my first game. I revisit it regularly. Umineko no Naku Koro ni is a standout among visual novels with the best soundtrack in anything, as well as strong, highly meta commentary on storytelling, mystery and fantasy. I often cite Katawa Shoujo as a personal fav, as a Japanese-inspired VN that carries itself on strong pacing (this one's an inspiration for most people who end up with our studio). I'm gonna throw in Paper Mario as well (Umineko is barely a game, let's be real lol) as one of my earliest examples of strong world-building and is a perennial favourite of mine.

What are your top three favorite bands?

I adore The Protoman as a rock opera and eagerly await their release of Act III (which will be a while, but I can wait a long time). Josh Groban has an excellent baritone which is smooth on the ears. And Barenaked Ladies is always the nice audio equivalent of comfort food, since they're a band I grew up with. Honourable mention to Porter Robinson, incorporating storytelling and electronica in nice ways.

Any parting remarks? 

2016 was a pretty rough year for me so I'm working hard to make sure 2017 is a better one, be moderately excited!!

Like what you heard? Check out Tutty on twitter!