First, I would consider all of my plotbunnies, and try to settle on one premise. I would make sure that my story is not overly complex, pretentious, or long. I would also make sure that I'm passionate about the story's ideas.
Second, I'd commit to start writing on a specific day, set aside specific times to write, and then commit to finish the story by a specific deadline. I learned about this idea from National Novel Writing Month, aka Nanowrimo.
Third, while writing, I would *unplug* my modem. I know that it would be too easy for me to spend time browsing sites and forums, rather than actually accomplishing something.
Fourth... if I decided to start creating my freeware visual novel on May 1 2014 and get it done by June 1 2014... then my premise would be
"Girl attends comedy class in Future Chicago, learns that it exists in order to recruit young adults for an elite police unit, and has to fight alongside them to survive." It would be a short, not-very-serious story that riffs on the Sakura Wars franchise.
Finally, I would acknowledge that my writing can't measure up to the standards that 4 Leaf Studios talked about
back in 2011. I do not think that my story would hold up well compared to some drabbles and unfinished stories that I've read on fanfiction.net. Nor would it look good when compared with free visual novels which I read back in 2005, such as
Black Pencil or
When I Rule the World. But hey, I gotta start somewhere, right?
dewelar wrote:
Once that was in place, I think the idea of deconstructing some of the various VN cliches is an excellent one...
There's nothing wrong with deconstructions. Take a fictional idea apart, then write it with more realism. It can be done well, and show how stories can operate when they're played straight, rather than played for comedy or coolness. But I often end up asking "To what end?" What is the author's reason for taking this approach? If the deconstruction only references one or two works of fiction, then wouldn't it be better to write a general story instead? Also, if the writer just creates a story in which everything is unhappy / horrible / pointless, then they have missed the point.
Also, the notions which I consider to be cliche are probably fresh and intriguing to someone else. The opposite is likely true: if you think something is cliche, I might think it's innovative.
dewelar wrote:
I'd probably be more inclined to base the story somewhere other than Japan, since my knowledge of Japanese culture was much more limited before encountering KS. I have this tendency to try and do something nobody else has done, so I might have based it in Sydney or Johannesburg or somewhere else that's underutilized...
One thing I've suggested on the Lemma Soft forum to other writers: consider letting your story occur near where you live (or have lived). I know, I know... maybe you think your hometown is boring. But it might be interesting for someone who lives in another nation, or on another continent. Furthermore, take the time to add relevant details to your setting. Portray it in a clever way. For example, I might not be able to accurately show all the details of Chicago-area neighborhoods. But I could probably create a fictional suburb, or fictionalize part of the city.