#jed herne

[hpowellsmith]

my brother in law and i have made our ways through all of your available cog stories (you have become a household name); i wanted to ask if there are any choice of games or other interactive fiction you recommend? i saw you answered in 2020, but wanted to see if there's any more on your radar since then!

I have a bunch of links and recommendations over here including my top ChoiceScript games ever. And I am here to recommend lots more!

Please note that I have the time and energy to play very few games and a vanishingly small number of WIPs. This only a tiny snapshot of the amazing interactive fiction out there. Do check out IFDB, sub-Q, the IF Comp and Spring Thing archives, the Narrascope and AdventureX speakers and exhibitors, and the interactive fiction tag on itch.io.

More below because there are A LOT:

Here is a big bunch of ChoiceScript games that I had a great time with!

Choice of Broadsides by Adam Strong-Morse, Heather Albano, and Dan Fabulich

Choice of Romance by Heather Albano and Adam Strong-Morse (note that it is not romantic and is not a dating sim!)

A Crown of Sorcery and Steel by Joshua LaBelle

Blood Moon by @barbwritesstuff

Deathless: the City's Thirst by Max Gladstone

The Dragon and the Djinn by @atharfi

The Eagle's Heir by Jo Graham and Amy Griswold

Fine Felines by Felicity Banks

Hollywood Visionary by Aaron Reed

Nikola Tesla: War of the Currents by Dora Klindžić

An Odyssey: Shadows of War by Natalia Theodoridou

The Play's the Thing by Jo Graham and Amy Griswold

Rent-a-Vice by Natalia Theodoridou

Siege of Treboulain by Jed Herne

Stronghold by Jo Graham and Amy Griswold

Their Majesties' Pleasure by Leia Talon

Thieves Gambit: Curse of the Black Cat by Dana Duffield

Tower Behind the Moon by Kyle Marquis

Turncoat Chronicle by @zincalloygames

Weyrwood by Isabella Shaw

Visual novels:

Analogue: A Hate Story by Christine Love

Dream Daddy by Game Grumps (writers: Vernon Shaw and Leighton Gray)

EXTREME MEATPUNKS FOREVER by Heather Flowers

Ladykiller in a Bind by Christine Love

Other IF-adjacent games with visuals that I have loved:

80 Days by inkle (writers: Jon Ingold and Meghna Jayanth)

Fallen London by Failbetter Games

Overboard! by inkle (writer: Jon Ingold)

Over the Alps by Stave Studios

Twines:

There are so many more that I've enjoyed but these were what popped into my head right now - this is one where it's essential to check out itch.io:

Anything by porpentine charity heartscape especially With Those We Love Alive and Vesp

16 Ways to Kill a Vampire at McDonalds by Abigail Corfman

Cactus Blue Motel by Astrid Dalmady

Detritus by Maz Hamilton (published as Mary Hamilton)

Faith by @kithj

Invasion by Cat Manning

Human Errors by Katherine Morayati

If I Die, Consume Me by @fiddles-ifs

Mama Possum by Kevin Snow

Nine Months Out by @nellplays

Salvage by @atharfi

Tangaroa Deep by Astrid Dalmady

To Spring Open by Yoon Ha Lee and Peter Berman (as Two-Bit Chip)

Parser games:

The Boot-Scraper by Caleb Wilson

The Compass Rose by Yoon Ha Lee (note that I didn't finish this one because I am bad at puzzles)

Galatea by Emily Short

Gun Mute by C. E. J. Pacian (as above)

Laid Off From The Synesthesia Factory by Katherine Morayati

Lime Ergot by Caleb Wilson

Midnight. Swordfight. by Chandler Groover

Take by Katherine Morayati

Games made with other tools:

Cape by Bruno Dias (Raconteur)

Honeysuckle by Cat Manning (Texture)

Prospero by Bruno Dias (Raconteur)

I play such a vanishingly small number of WIPs that it's ridiculous but I did really enjoy what I played of these two and am looking forward to more:

Body Count (@bodycountgame) by @nellplays (Twine)

Chop Shop by Becky @losergames (Twine)

Fervency (@fervency-if ) by Niko Charos (ChoiceScript)

[brotrustmeicanwrite]

Apparently self thought programmers are able to make stuff that’s deemed impossible to code while miserably failing at the basics and I feel like self taught writing is exactly the same.

I‘m doing an e-mail character writing crash course (by Jed Herne) and it feels like I know everything BUT the basics. Bro said we can e-mail hime questions but if I actually did that the thing would be several pages long and sending that feels like assault.

[artlessness-all-time-always]

hey yall! bit of a short writing tip for today, coming from an fellow author

youve probably heard that to keep working toward your goal, you need *discipline*. and thats definitely true! having a word count to reach daily leads to progress and inspiration

but you also need *system*. i consider system a monitoring effort of all your writing, whether thats outlining, writing, editing, marketing, etc.

well, ok, artless. how do i do that?

what ive got is a main spreadsheet detailing the writing ive done . it includes the following:

date

project

words

scenes

activity

notes

cumulative total

this system is a very good method of visually seeing your progress and its amazing to see your hard work fill up this space!

ive just recently started mine and even the thrill of logging my data keeps me disciplined

this was my first entry into my system on a novel ive been working on, and unfortunately the date couldnt fit in my ss. very basic format but works like a charm!

if youre interested in more info, check out Jed Herne’s ‘Why You Cant Finish your Fantasy Novel’!

thats all for now folks 🤍✌️🎧

[choiceofgames]

New IAP for Siege of Treboulain! Hints, cheats, and more!

We are proud to announce the release of a new in-app purchase for Siege of Treboulain, by Jed Herne! This new IAP adds a series of hints, an achievement guide, and a stat boosting cheat mode!

Discover more of Treboulain's secrets with Cheats & Hints! Find hidden pathways through the game and customize your stats to lead your city to victory. Plus, Siege of Treboulain is on sale, 33% off until October 20th! https://www.choiceofgames.com/siege-of-treboulain/

Defend your magical city from an invading army! Use swords, spells, and strategy to save your people, lead them to glory, and build a legacy for the ages.

[myhappywonderlandblog]

Writing Channel to Check Out on YouTube

Here is another writing channel on YouTube that dispenses helpful advice. Jed Herne Jed Herne is a fantasy author who has written three plus novels. I hope you liked this month’s blog post. The books in my urban fantasy series are available on Amazon. Please let me know your thoughts by liking, commenting, and/or subscribing. Also, you can join my mailing list by clicking here. Buy on Amazon…

[dragonflame32]

This... this is actually true.

I've got a ton of stories going on in my head, Soulless!tale only being my favorite, and I can tell from personal experience that the best ideas come when you're bored. Once I was in a six-hours long car trip, only my mp3 to entertain me because my phone didn't have battery. I played my playlist, put it on loop and just... stood there. Staring at nothing. For six hours. Of course, there were occasional pauses, to eat and pee, but besides those it was all the same. It was the same day I started thinking seriously about this AU of mine, and started building FC's (not canon name) personality. Next thing you know, I already sketched out in my mind some episodes of them interacting with people from across the multiverse.

And obviously, school hours play a big role in helping me develop my stories.

By posting this I just wanted to say... be bored. Because that's how you find inspiration for your stories. And maybe, maybe one day it'll end like with Tolkien.

You will create a masterpiece worshipped by those that will read it years later

Video by Jed Herne on YouTube

[mysticdragon3md3]

7 Antagonist Mistakes New Fantasy Writers Make by Jed Herne

7 antagonist types and the risks in writing each archetype.

[zevarcollan]

Something I recently discovered thanks to author Jed Herne: scene formats

it might be worth taking a look at this list of the most common ones he provided and seeing if you repeat them over and over again

Because repetition is only fine if done on purpose

And here's the video I learned this from, with timestamps, in case you want a more in-depth explanation: 9 Plot Mistakes Every New Fantasy Writer Makes by Jed Herne

[queenofthestubbornreaders]

Fires of the Dead by Jed Herne. A review. 

Realistically, I'd give 3.5/5 stars if I could. It was good. Honestly, I can't muster any stronger feelings than that either negatively or positively.

It was billed to me a YA, but did not read like YA at all. It was relatively short, in a way that didn't feel like a novella, but more like it just needed to be fleshed out more. I never felt much for the characters so when anything happened to them, I kind of just shrugged and moved on. A little before halfway through, it seemed you could predict the remaining course of the novel, which is exactly how it played out.

I don't hate novellas as a rule. Some stories aren't meant to be 7 large books, but here it didn't feel like it needed to be a novella or was necessarily served best by being one. The author clearly has skill. I think if this story was fleshed out, it could easily get way closer to 5 stars for me.

On the positive side, the story was interesting and thrilling. The characters were varied. I didn't feel like I got to know any of them except the lady Pyromancer (I literally just finished this book an hour ago and forgot her name) who seemed like she could be a good story. I'm guessing this is a result of there actually being another short story surrounding her.

If you have Kindle Unlimited, I'd pick it up to occupy an afternoon. Soft recommend.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[interact-if]

Do you know any IFs where the MC could die/self sacrifice?

Hi Anon, sorry for deleting your ask by mistake, here is a long list of IFs that may fit what you’ve requested! If anyone knows of additional suggestions for this category, feel free to message us and we’ll update and add to this post.

Completed:

Blood Money by @hpowellsmith​

Choice of Rebel: Uprising by Joel Havenstone

Fate of the Storm Gods [Steam] [Android] by Bendi Barrett

Heart of the House by Nissa Campbell

Mousetrap by @gamesbyalbie

Siege of Treboulain by Jed Herne

Spy Intrigue by Furkle

Totem Force by @parrotwatcher​

Universal Hologram by @adz

Demos:

At Sixes and Sevens by @at-sixes-and-sevens-game​

Closedloop by @if-closedloop​

Event Horizon by @if-eventhorizon

Hollowed Minds by @shai-manahan

Lost Birds by @if-lostbirds

The Hunt: Demon Eyes by @thehunt-if

Throne of Ashes by @13leaguestories​

When it Hungers by @roast-ifs​

[thebookbud]

Fires of the Dead: A Fantasy Novella

Book Review

By Jed Herne

Finished 10-22-2019

Genre: Fantasy 

Basic Plot: A group of thieves after a mystical, and possibly mythical, skull that will add immense power to the baron’s house they are employed with aided by their pyromantic abilities, find themselves met with life threatening enemies that may just bring the end to the whole plan.

Disclaimer: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I liked this. I think it was creative and interesting. I would give it credit for being fairly strong in captivating the reader in just eighty something pages. It has a decent magical system in place and I found it intriguing. I didn’t care very much for the characters which is why I think I didn’t get extremely attached but overall I still enjoyed the story enough to mostly overcome that hiccup. It’s quickly paced and throws you through a few loops involving these characters that I think worked in it’s favor. 

I gave it a 2.5 out of 5 because while It was generally a decent read, I didn’t feel any strong attachment until the end and even then it was pretty much out of necessity. However, I think the premise was strong enough that I’d be willing to read more if this were to release as a series at some point but as a standalone, I think it was just missing a bit of development for me to really sink into it, as well as lacking in characters that I find likable or developed enough.

[hpowellsmith]

I appeared on the Wizards, Warriors & Words podcasts for a roundtable chat with Jed Herne, the author of Siege of Treboulain, and Kate Heartfield, the author of The Road to Canterbury and The Magician's Workshop!

If you want to hear my actual voice and/or see my face talking with other IF authors mistakes we made, advice, and what it was like making our games, check out lots of links here! And play their games if you haven't yet because they're fantastic!

[brandonrucker]

“How to use Active Reading to Become a Better Writer” | Jed Herne

“How to use Active Reading to Become a Better Writer” | Jed Herne

Intro: Authors often discuss how reading improves your writing. However, there’s a big difference between passive and active reading, and if you’re serious about using published novels to improve your writing you must learn how to do the latter.

When you read passively, you consume a novel as entertainment — you’re trawling through without paying attention to detail. This lets you form a broad…

[choiceofgames]

New game! Siege of Treboulain by Jed Herne

New game! "Siege of Treboulain" by Jed Herne is now available on Steam, iOS and Android. It's 33% off until April 21. Please reshare this with friends!

https://www.choiceofgames.com/siege-of-treboulain/

Defend your magical city from an invading army! Use swords, spells, and strategy to save your people, lead them to glory, and build a legacy for the ages.

Siege of Treboulain is a 280,000-word interactive epic fantasy novel by Jed Herne. It’s entirely text-based, without graphics or sound effects, and fueled by the vast, unstoppable power of your imagination.

Treboulain rests on the power of arborturgy, the magic that governs plants and all growing things. With the recent death of your mother, the Queen, you now sit on the Throne of Thorns, the nightmarish chair of royalty that extracts blood from whoever dares to sit upon it.

When a ruthless army of horse warriors besieges the towering walls of Treboulain, will you take to the walls yourself, inspiring the soldiers with your own martial might and stirring speeches? Will you command the defense from a distance, using your sharp tactical mind? Or will you draw upon the vast powers of nature itself, strangling your enemies with barbed vines?

Should you fill the moat with traps, train elite magicians, or recruit mercenaries for a surprise attack? How will you manage your dwindling resources? And what will you do when deadly conspiracies begin to come to light, threatening to shake your reign--and your city--to its very core?

• Play as male, female, or non-binary; gay, straight, bi, or asexual. • Choose from three distinct backstories – magician, warrior, or scholar – and lend your skills to the defense of your city. • Command soldiers, plan tactics, and fight in everything from one-on-one duels to massive, history-shaking battles. • Wield the magic of plants through the art of arborturgy. •  Manage the city’s politics, balancing the conflicting needs of priests, merchants, and commoners against those of the military. • Uncover the secrets of the past through flashbacks to learn more about your city and your foe. • Find love or friendship with a brave warrior, a wise priestess, a cunning merchant, or a talented artist.

Let the legends say that this was Treboulain's bravest hour!

[interact-if]

Heya any recs for IFs with an oldy medieval vibe sort of thing. Like with monarchies and swords n stuff. I'm not sure how to word it, sorry 😅

Hello! Here’s what we’ve got for you! Some of these games may not necessarily be set in a medieval period but do have monarchies and/or swords involved in the game!

If anyone has further suggestions, please feel free to leave a reply and we’ll add it to the list!  

A Tale of Crowns by @ataleofcrowns

A Midsummer Night's Choice, or Frolic in the Forest by Kreg Segall

Fallen Lights by @fallenlightsif

Honor Amongst Thieves by @leoneliterary

Lords of Ashwick by Teo Kuusela

Love the Guard, Be the King by @ligiawrites

More Things In Heaven and Earth by morethingsgame

Guenevere by @newarcana

I, the Forgotten One by Bacondoneright

Siege of Treboulain by Jed Herne

The Bastard of Camelot by @llamagirl28

The Heir’s Quest by thqwriting

The King’s Hound (18+) by @the-kingshound

The Lost Heir by Mike Walter

The Sword of Rhivenia by @theswordofrhivenia

Up & Coming (no demo yet!)

Sacrificial Soul by @honeybeegames

The King’s Physician by @fiddles-ifs

The Starless Throne by @illonius-if

Valley of Kings by @valleyofkings-if