Chapter 1 (and 0) Q&A Thread "Spoilers ahead!"
Here I'll try to explain about the style of writing and some stuff that might be different from most fictions on this site. I'll also answer questions pertaining the chapters 0 and 1. (I'll pm the one who asked the question whenever I answer it)
1. What's a cellphone novel? Why is this a cellphone novel?
A cellphone novel is a novel written and meant to be read on a cellphone. They started in Japan, and they are popular among young adults. The most popular topics are centered around romantic fiction, whose authors and readers are mostly young women.
And this is a cellphone novel because I really wanted to experiment writing one. A virtual reality setting needs quite a bit of description text, so that forced myself to some data dump entries. I am still not sure if a cellphone novel is the best medium for this story, to tell the truth. Though I'll keep the game fairly simple, so the relationship aspect takes the spotlight.
2. That game is awful, where is the godly AI that creates unending quests and skills?
People who are used to RoyalRoad-like settings will find Virtual Connection as a crappy fremium game. And with reason, it is a crappy fremium game. In this story, virtual reality wasn't the lifework of a genius, but an evolution from our current technology. So the first implementations are still raw. Virtual Connection is firstly a dating site, masked as a game, so the cosmetic aspect has taken precedence to the gaming. And, as everyone knows, you need to attract women. Men will go wherever the women are x).
3. What's the plan exactly? Crossdressing?
As I see it, when writing a fiction, you need to establish the setting first. At this point you will commit to the stuff you know wouldn't make sense in reality or that breaks the natural laws. Once you set the exceptions, all the rest should abide by those rules, or common sense. I know the plan seems iffy, but I consider it part of the setting. Even if I didn't write it out, it's obvious that it involves Milana dating Johnny in some way. Later you will learn more about the true motivations of the main characters at this time. Wait and read ;)
Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.
4. Why are the chapters so short? It would be so easy to fill them and up the word count...
Since cellphone novels started using SMS, they had an inherent character limitation. I know I am not subjected to that limitation, but the short chapters are the essence of the cellphone novel genre. That's why I have taken the effort to trim each chapter to the bare minimun, since the idea is for the reader to fill in the blanks. I am not going to describe everything that the MC sees or thinks and I'll skip stuff that doesn't help to move the story. Right now, because of the data dumps needed to set the story, I know chapter 1 doesn't resemble at all the lightness and fluidity of a real cellphone novel, but next chapters will be better at that. At least, that's what I hope :)
And now the poll. I already finished posting the first chapter, in cellphone novel-length installments. I also posted chapter 0 all at once (it was written in parts, so it is divided as such on the thread). I know this site's mobile functionality is sorely lacking, so I really haven't been posting from my cellphone. And you probably aren't reading me from one. Even so, this is meant to be a cellphone novel.
Anyway, I could keep posting it in installments, or post them first on textnovel.com and later here when the chapter is finished. I must say this isn't a democracy. This is my fic, so I ultimately decide what to do. Even so, I really want to know your opinions. Posting on two sites will take me more time, so I will only consider it if that option has an overwhelming lead.
I'll keep the poll until I finish posting all the second chapter.
*poll closed*
I am keeping this post as it for now. As you know from the description, Virtual Connection is a cellphone novel, now being posted at textnovel.com. Here I post full chapters when they are done there, as an archive, and to let people who want to read a fiction in the "normal" way to get their fix. No spoilers from textnovel in here, please :)