New: Progress Tracker (Patreon)

✰ VIEW THE PROGRESS TRACKER ✰

The tracker was originally built as a web app and is still a bit clunky on mobile, I will improve it this weekend.

I just finished working out most of the kinks in the new progress tracker website I made for Bride of Shadows. This website is updated daily and automatically, as it's connected via Supabase to my planning and writing web app. I will also be going in manually and writing notes about what I'm working on.

How does it work? I have a separate web app I built early this year to help with Twine's workflow, mostly tracking variables and stuff, but I gradually expanded it to be a pretty comprehensive word processor, mind map, and even sugarcube code editor. A few weeks ago I realized I could hook up all my daily metrics to a tracker page and then I built that up to look pretty and be a mini-blog as well.

Once I've finished my outlines and my first draft (usually takes 5-6 days) the app generates a projected release date based on my projected word count and my typical daily writing, plus time allocated for editing and playtesting. So until drafting is finished, the release date will still be TBD. Outlining and Drafting percentages are determined by the numbers of outline and draft cards I usually do per chapter, so it isn't an exact science.

Once I'm actually in the process of writing the second draft (which is the unedited chapter prose) the app will continue to adjust the projected release date daily based on my actual progress. It's still a work in progress and might get things wrong, but it's doing better than my self-projected release dates. Right now, I think Dark Maiden VI will be ready to ship on October 4th, but we'll see what the app says once drafting is done.

This isn't an advertisement for my Sugarcube project manager. I do plan on streamlining it and putting it online for free at some point but right now it's all designed around Bride of Shadows and my specific workflow. I'm just showing it to you so you have a better idea of how information is actually extrapolated to the progress tracker.

I still haven't optimized it for mobile. It works, but some of the elements are slow to load. I'll have some free time to play with it on Sunday evening after the Classic Night VI launch. I'll see if I can get it moving smoothly by then.

Sorry to boop your inbox with a technical update, but I'll be back tomorrow with a new alternate POV scene to make up for it.

-Mortish