The Story Writer's Guide is only partially written. It will grow with time, like all things on the internet.

For now, here are some general guidelines you should follow if you want to add an episode to this story:

• Keep it real - You can be absurd if the situation calls for it, but make it believable, especially the characters. Don't portray the opposite sex as empty, willing husks and don't write about something you know nothing about, like, say, radiation. If the story has taken a campy, B movie, "Them" kind of a turn to it, then maybe gamma rays will make monsters out of insects. But if the story has become a serious portrayal of a nuclear reactor accident, don't write six foot scorpions into the containment vessel. The trick is to figure out the mood that the story has taken and try and maintain it. (Something tells me, though, that the story will not become a serious portrayal of a nuclear reactor accident).

• Stick to the Genre! - Some story paths are relatively genreless, while others adhere to a strict world. This suggestion is really an extension of the last. Stick to the mood of the story. If wizards are fighting dragons, they really shouldn't be getting help from fighter jets and aliens with uzis. Similarly, if the characters are flying through the outer limits of space, they should not run into giant floating human godlike heads that tell them... Oh, wait, that was half of Star Trek, wasn't it? Nevermind, floating heads are fair game. (Assuming the story isn't too science fact... Remember to follow the mood of the story).

• Write the right amount - I suggest a few paragraphs per episode. This guideline should, of course, not necessarily be strictly adhered to. A few paragraphs allows you, the writer, to develop the story significantly while giving you, the reader, a fair voice in what's going on. If every episode contains only one or two sentences, the story really doesn't become very interesting. On the other hand, if each episode is a novella in itself, you begin to lose the "reader controlled action" effect. Of course, I (Gav) am a hypocrite in this, because I tend to write really long episodes. C'est la vie.

• Second Person, Present Tense - Maybe some day, I'll start up a new storyline, but this one is written in the second person and the present tense, to make it seem like the story is happening to YOU and that it is happening NOW. This means don't write "I opened the sarcophagus." Instead, write "You open the sarcophogus." It keeps the story consistent. I didn't honestly think I would need to say this, but maybe people forget what they read once they get to the "New Story" page.

• The Reader's Choices - All choices should be actions that the reader can take, such as "Open the sarcophogus." We suggest that you include at the end of your story something along the lines of "You can:" or "What would you like to do:" A good rule of thumb is to think about finishing those sentences when you write your choices. DO NOT write choices that indicate the action of another character, or just a twist in the plot.
  Examples:
  Good Choice: Look for your leather bomber jacket
  Bad Choice: You find your leather bomber jacket
  Good Choice: Ask Debbie for her phone number
  Bad Choice: Debbie gives you her phone number

• Intelligent Choices - Make the two choices significantly different from each other so as to offer a true option as to where the story will lead. (For example, don't offer choices such as "Insult filthy Pete's mother" and "Insult filthy Pete's body hygene.") Also, make both choices legitimate things people would do. Don't make it obvious which one is the better choice to choose. (For example, don't make the choices, "Put on the Leather Bomber Jacket, take the money, and kiss the girl" vs. "Pick your nose.")

• No HTML! - Trust me, it won't work. I've written a parsing routine into my program that filters out and makes literal less-than signs, greater-than signs and ampersands. That means you'll look like an idiot if you try to throw in a link to your home page or something. Also, my parsing routine detects two consecutive carriage returns and replaces it with an HTML paragraph marker, so you don't have to worry about paragraphs, either. (Single carriage returns are ignored, so you don't have to type everything on one line to have it all included in the same paragraph).

• Don't contradict previous links - Remember all the episodes that got you to where you're adding one and don't write anything that contradicts a previous episode.

• Email Darren for unusual requests - I intend to improve my program continuously as time goes on, but for now I am maintaining this site manually. If you have a need for an episode that takes a form that somehow differs from the one automatically created, just drop me a note at gav@nuc.berkeley.edu. This includes, but is in no way limited to:
  1. Extra choices - I'll gladly add extra choices to specific episodes if the story calls for it.
  2. Graphics - I'm low on disk space, but I'll include simple, low memory graphics anywhere that they're appropriate.
  3. Different colours - (No, I'm not British, but I like the way they spell). If you think your story would be improved with different text colour, background colour, link colour, or whatnot, let me know. I'm a great fan of aesthetics.
  4. Links/other HTML - If a link to another non-story page would really add to the story somehow, I'll consider adding it. I'll consider adding any little HTML quirk that would improve the story.
  5. Circular links/choices - What if you're in a time machine that takes you to medieval times and you know of a medieval story that's already being written? You'd like your time machine to link to that story? Or maybe your story just happens to lead quite natually into some other episode you've read on another path. Cool. Let me know. Eventually, I'll make this an option when you add a new choice, but for now I've got to do it manually. Be sure to copy down the pertinent story names so I know where to add the links.

• Feedback! - The most important thing in the world for promoting improvement is feedback. If you think you know of a way this site can be improved, write me. If you find bugs in my program, write me. If you want to compliment or criticize this site, write me. If you want to make personal attacks on my character... uh... I'll get back to you on that one. My email address is repeated ad nauseum around here.

• Nothing Personal - Don't make references to the last names of real life people and avoid using the names of real corporations or organizations. I'm allergic to lawsuits and we really don't want to offend anyone or become a proving ground for flames and personal attacks. Also, avoid overusage of inside jokes. Try to keep your story on a level where other readers will know what the hell you're talking about.

• Proofread - Part of my job here is correcting spelling and grammer mistakes. I've had to correct more spelling and grammar mistakes than there are stories, which means I end up editing pretty much everything that comes through here. I would appreciate it if you would check over your writing, at least briefly, before you submit it. Usually, the errors are very blatant typos or omissions. I understand if you're just a bad speller.

• Have fun - I know I sound really snotty about all this, but it's only because I want this site to be both well written and well read. I'm hoping it'll be interesting at every level, not just through the first few links. But this is just the net, after all. We don't want to take it TOO seriously, now do we?

Go Back! Go Back! (To Seatbelt Googolplex, Darren's Home Page)

gav@nuc.berkeley.edu