Smalltown, Nowhere IF

[All images in this post have alt/id text if you need it or want to copy paste anything]

With no warning, Itch.io, a site where many host their indie games, comics, books and more, has started purging and shadowbanning explicit and LGBT+ works. Creators got no warning. And if they were still owed payouts from these works, Itch.io is saying they won't give them their money as they 'broke the rules'. Rules that were only just set in place, with no warning, and therefore no way for creators to try and draw out their money or delete these 'offending' works before they got banned under the new rules.

So Itch.io has been the most recent to fall to the demands of a group that's been contacting Visa and Mastercard and convincing them to threaten sites/businesses with 'stop selling what we consider to be explicit content on your sites of we'll stop allowing your site to have transactions with Visa and Mastercard'. Steam folded, and now Itchio has too. And a reminder earlier this year Gumroad also stopped allowing explicit content, further back than that Patreon banned some kinks and fetishes even if it's depicted in fiction not real life, and I don't have to explain to you guys the great Tumblr explicit content ban of 2018.

And as always remember this doesn't stop with sexually explicit work as LGBT+ stories and people are often labelled as explicit and already we're seeing works being taken off Itch.io that are about LGBT+ and especially trans stories. Other non-sexually explicit works I've seen already getting shadowbanned, delisted or deleted are SFW games featuring furries/anthros, SFW dress up games (because when you take the clothes the model is nude), and the aforementioned SFW games that include LGBT+ characters and stories.

I'm compiling here information I've seen around various social medias, mostly Bluesky, because I haven't seen all these things shared over here.

I don't personally have explicit content on itch, but I had been considering one day selling things on there and I do currently have explicit content on my Patreon, my main source of income, and am terrified that Patreon is going to fold next (if anyone knows alterative for hosting audio content behind a paid subscription service please let me know so I can start maybe making a back-up in case the worst happens). Because for me personally if Patreon goes next, it's not like I can go out and easily get another job. Not only because in general finding and getting a job is difficult enough, but I'm autistic and have chronic pain and have been constantly getting sick or new pains over the last few years and don't feel safe being trans in the UK right now and all of that combined rules me out of a lot of jobs and makes me feel unsafe to apply to any. I'm so grateful I've been able to make a community around my work, but if Patreon caves next and I just leave my SFW posts on Patreon... 10% of my Patreons are signed up to the SFW tier, 90% are signed up to the explicit tier... I know if Patreon caves I will go from someone living comfortably who's searching to move out of my parents so I can live in a safer environment to someone who can no longer even afford the rent I pay to my parents. I'll try and get an alterative found and set up in case that happens and I can only hope you guys will follow me to whatever other site I have to set up... but it feels unlikely that people will get a whole new account on a whole new payment provider just to support me on a website they might never have heard of...

But what can we do right now?

A petition you can sign (international but you do have to give your name, email, and postal/zip code):

Get calling:

Mastercard (US): 1-800-627-8372

MasterCard (UK): 0800 964 767

Mastercard (International.): +1-636-722-7111

Visa (US + Can): 1 800 847 2911 / 1-800-VISA-911

Visa (AUS): 1 800 125 440

Visa (UK) : 0800 891 725 or use their international call collect +1 303 967 1096

Visa (International): (call collect - it costs them $): +1-303-967-1096

PayPal (US): 1-888-221-1161

PayPal (UK): 0800 358 7911 from landline, +44 203 901 7000 mobile

PayPal (International): 1-402-935-2050

(numbers gathered from these posts X X X )

Don't know what to say on the phone? Here's a script written by timidtanuki:

Creators have had their work removed off Itch.io with no warning and since it's been removed for 'breaking the rules' (rules that were suddenly in place with no warning) they aren't entitled to get their payouts. Just like other sites such as Youtube and Twitch and Etsy, Itch.io hold onto money from their users in a wallet and then give them payouts. So there is money creators have made, are owed, that Itch.io is not giving to them.

People are recommending that if you still have works on Itch.io to turn down the revenue sharing to 0% so that Itch.io no longer takes a cut or your money if you no longer want to support Itchi.io finically but don't want to remove your works from their platform. X

Other Bluesky posts and calls to action I've seen:

radiantg.bsky.social is asking for anyone on Itch.io who got their game deindexed, removed , or payouts turned off to reach out to them (espeically if you make explicit and/or LGBT+ games) for a piece of journalism about what is happening.

sleepyhard.bsky.social is making a threat of all the games that Itch.io has censored/removed from their site search function. Obviously be aware this will include 18+ only games, games with sexual content and other dark or heavy themes.

thetransfemininereview.com wants you to reach out to them if you're a trans creator on Itch.io who is being affected by this so they can make an accurate report. they say 'authors' in their post and I'm unsure if they also want game devs to reach out.

dropdownbear.bsky.com wants you to reach out if you have purchased things on Itch.io that you can now no longer access because of this ban. they can include them in a report being filed with the Australian Consumer Commission as this may be a violation of Australian Consumer rights. If you are Australian you can no longer access things you purchased of Itch.io you can report directly with this guide.

It's a scary time for adult creators and sex workers. It's a scary time to be trans. Support creators. And if anyone knows of any alternate payment providers that allow explicit work, and/or alternate websites to Itch (and in case things get worse, also give me Patreon alternates please) where people can host, sell and/or offer paid subscriptions to writing, images, videos, audios, games and more please leave them in the replies. And please help share this post, the posts I'm linking too, and any other resources you can find.

Hey everyone! 👋 First off, just wanted to let you know I’m doing great, feeling healthy, and in a great place right now!

For those of y'all that are interested in Blood and Iron's progress—it's honestly going really well—I've been grinding away at the prologue and Chapter 1, and wow, it's been quite the journey. The prologue especially… I don't know what's up with me, but initially it was around 10k words. Then I reread it, and it just felt kind of bland, you know? Like it needed more choices that I felt were missing and would really enrich the experience. So I went back—WAY BACK—to add them in.

And from that—now the prologue is literally around 30k words already and counting. I wouldn’t be surprised if I ended up hitting 35k or even 40k at this rate. Yeah, I know, pretty hefty for a prologue—but I genuinely believe it’s crucial as a deep dive into the MC’s past, giving you all a clear feel for how the story flows, the format of my sentences, and the kind of choices you’ll be making.

Now let’s talk about Chapter 1!!

Damn, I've got SO many ideas that I'm itching to bring to life. I'm about 15k words deep into Chapter 1 so far—and that's not even INCLUDING the full character customization scene, which, given the amount of detail I plan to pack in, might end up being another 5-10k words (coding included, of course). I've been inspired by all sorts of amazing IF games and asks from you guys—I seriously find inspiration everywhere now. Once I finish the prologue completely, I already know exactly how the beginning of Chapter 1’s gonna unfold (shoutout to my notes app), so expect that 15k to quickly jump to around 20k real soon!

Also, here's a heads-up: Once I'm officially done with the prologue, I’ll get in the process of sharing a sneak peek so you guys can get a proper glimpse of what my story looks and feels like. After I finish up the full character customization and fully integrate the pet mechanic, I'll share some screenshots of those too—because who doesn't love seeing the different choices of how they can customize their MC, while also seeing your potential pet come to life in IFs, right?

I also just want to take a pause on my rambling for a moment to sincerely thank all of you who've tuned in and supported my story so far. I know it's only just the beginning, but the overwhelming support and encouragement I’ve received these past two months is incredible. I'm working super hard to make Blood and Iron something special for all of you guys and I hope it'll be something you'll soon love and enjoy!

One last thing—I see each and every ask you guys send my way, but I'll be taking today and tomorrow off Tumblr to buckle down and focus fully on the story. So I won't be answering any asks during that time (I think I've answered 45 or close to that so far 😅). But don't worry—I'll be back on Thursday (just in time for payday, ayy!), refreshed and ready to tackle my inbox, because seriously, I've got MANY interesting asks lined up that I can't wait to answer.

That's all for now—have a splendid July! 🖤🩸

When playing IFs, do you have a preference for how sexuality/attraction is presented? Do you prefer to explicitly state your MC's identity (i.e. fully stating 'I'm bisexual' or 'I'm asexual'); do you prefer to keep it a little more vague (i.e. 'I'm interested in women' or 'I'm not interested in anyone'); or do you prefer not selecting in-game at all and simply choosing whichever options you choose?

Since I'm currently writing the first conversation that includes gender & queerness in-story, this has been on my mind quite a bit.

aka: you’re staring into the creative abyss and the abyss is not only staring back, it’s asking for a rough draft

hi writer. welcome to that fun little liminal space in your project where ✨absolutely nothing✨ makes sense. you wrote the last scene. you know you’re not at the end. but suddenly your characters are just standing there like NPCs waiting for a quest marker and your brain is doing the spinning beachball of death.

so. what now?

let’s break down some actually useful strategies for when you hit That Point™️. not vibes. not ✨manifest your way out✨ energy. not the “just keep writing” slog. here’s what to do when your story is refusing to tell you what happens next:

———————————————

zoom out: do a “scene audit” ———————————————

you don’t need a full outline to do this. take five minutes and sketch a bullet list of every scene that’s happened so far. not just what happened, but why it mattered.

like this:

MC lied to their boss (sets up stakes re: trust/power)

antagonist shows up at cafe (establishes tension + location crossover)

best friend gets suspicious (emotional complication, adds pressure)

this gives you a birds-eye view of what you’ve set in motion. often you’re stuck because you’ve lost sight of the threads you were pulling, your own story has momentum, you just need to feel it again.

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try “ghost drafting” (aka fake writing) —————————————————————

open a doc. start typing what would happen, if you were writing. super casual. something like:

“okay i think the next scene is maybe them at the train station?? or wait--maybe we need to see the fallout of the argument. i don’t really know what x character wants rn but i think y might be planning something…”

this trick works bc it removes pressure. no fancy prose, no perfect structure. it’s literally you telling yourself what might happen. and weirdly? your brain will often finish the scene for you without asking. (the number of times I’ve ghost drafted myself into 800 usable words… witchcraft.)

——————————————————————————

pin your characters to a corkboard and interrogate them ——————————————————————————

not literally. (unless you're into that. i don’t judge.)

but seriously: when you’re stuck, it’s often because your character has no immediate goal or emotion. pause and ask:

what does this character want right now? like, in this moment?

what are they trying to avoid?

what’s keeping them from getting either?

character-driven scenes are rarely static. even if it’s just an awkward dinner or walking to the store, someone’s always trying to do or hide something. if everyone in the scene is just reacting or waiting, you’ve got fog. bring in the fire.

—————————————————

don’t skip the “boring” stuff--weaponize it —————————————————

sometimes we’re stuck because we think the next scene is dull. like “ugh i guess they just… travel to the manor” or “they regroup at the safe house.” but these slow beats are GOLD if you embed purpose.

try giving the “boring” scene:

a time limit or interruption (they’re hiding but someone knocks)

a secret (someone is lying about something small but important)

a reversal (what they expected is the opposite of what happens)

even if it’s a quiet scene, layer it. conflict isn’t just yelling or action. it’s discomfort. it’s misalignment. tension between what’s said and unsaid.

—————————————————————

when all else fails: write the next emotional beat —————————————————————

strip it back. forget plot. forget pacing. ask yourself:

then write that. a monologue. a journal entry. an outburst. a line of whispered dialogue.

sometimes it’s not that you don’t know what happens next. it’s that your character hasn’t processed what just happened, and until they do, the story can’t move forward.

✨✨✨

the void is normal. getting stuck doesn’t mean you failed or picked the wrong idea or that the muse packed up and left for a better writer’s house. it just means your brain needs space to regroup.

writing isn’t linear. stories aren’t built in perfect lines. they loop. they stall. they circle back. and that’s okay.

if you’re in the middle of nowhere, here’s your sign to sit on the side of the metaphorical road, open your weird little notebook, and write anyway. write wrong. write messy. write ghost drafts. the path shows up when you start walking.

🕳️ you got this, writer.

tag me if you end up crawling out of your stuck scene with a little victory paragraph. i’ll bring snacks for the next one 🧃✨

P.S. I made a free mini eBook about the 5 biggest mistakes writers make in the first 10 pages 👀 you can grab it here for FREE:

We had the great pleasure to interview Amy, author of the massively beloved IF Infamous (@infamous-if). She shared some tips, tricks, and insights on her approach to writing.

One of the most notable things about Infamous is how quickly readers get sucked into its world and invested in its web of characters — be it Orion or Blake or G or Victoria or the slightly controversial Seven. They are all incredibly multi-faceted, complex, and sometimes heartbreakingly real.

Amy says:

“I’ve read something by a writer once that I’ve followed faithfully: you should always know what’s happening in the other room. Even if it won’t be available to readers, it helps establish the world and characters as real, tangible things that don’t just poof out of existence once they walk ‘off-screen’ so to speak.”

Here’s the full interview:

1. What drew you to interactive fiction as a storytelling medium? Did you have any experience writing in other formats before, and if so, would you say there’s any differences in the way writing for IFs should be approached?

There’s so much about writing interactive fiction that I love, but I think the main one is the freedom that comes with it! There are so many ideas I can explore, so many endings and storylines. It’s just as fun for writers as it is for readers to push the limits of what their world and characters can do. You can truly sink your teeth into it and develop the story in ways you don’t see often. 

Coming from writing traditional fiction and having never written an interactive story before, I did need to change my mindset a little. You have to learn to be flexible. Very often, I’m writing routes I wouldn’t particularly take as a reader, and it’s interesting to go against my gut to offer a varied experience. I’ve discovered a lot of fun things about Infamous and its characters from routes I would never take if I were reading it in another IF!

2. What does your writing process look like?

I am a plotter to my core! I am endlessly envious of writers who can pants their way through a scene or a chapter. I need to outline every single beat, every scene, every conversation. The plot comes to me first and then I slowly build the main character around that and ask myself what kind of story I want to tell with that main character.

The MC in Infamous leans heavily into the ‘underdog’ trope. That’s how I got much of MC’s personality from. The main thing I ask myself when building the main character is: what do they have, what do they want, and what do they need? I use that to inform the rest of the cast and the stats. My main goal is that every piece works in tandem with the others. They all make sense in my head! 

3. What does good writing / good characters / good world-building etc. mean to you, and what are some central tenets or principles you follow to achieve that? 

A story that gets me invested is a success in my eyes. I want to care for the characters and feel like the world is one that truly exists somewhere. I’ve read something by a writer once that I’ve followed faithfully: you should always know what’s happening in the other room. Even if it won’t be available to readers, it helps establish the world and characters as real, tangible things that don’t just poof out of existence once they walk ‘off-screen’ so to speak. The characters had lives before the story started, people they knew and things they’ve experienced. It informs their personalities and builds them what they are once you meet them on page.

The world is still turning even while the main character is asleep. Things are still happening everywhere…even when we don’t see it. That’s how I try to approach every story to bring it to life. 

4. What’s one piece of advice you’d give to someone just starting out in interactive fiction?

Be firm! It’s so easy to get swept up in the excitement of having an audience and wanting to keep that audience. It’s not uncommon to make the mistake of overpromising to please every reader. You won’t be able to, trust me! You’ll only write yourself in a corner. It’s healthy to find a good balance between sticking to your gut and accepting/being open to suggestions. 

A tinier one but: know your endings! It’s best to know what you’re writing toward. It’ll be so much easier to stick to the story and avoid meandering through the plot if you know how each route ends. Everything I write is to get to that ending in one way or the other.

5. Where do you find your ideas or inspiration for new stories or mechanics?Where did your story idea originate? Has it strayed far from that concept/evolved during the writing process? 

I guess it’s quite on brand to say that almost every story idea I’ve had came from a song, Infamous included. My head is always thinking of songs as potential needle drops or playlists as movie soundtracks. Infamous in particular, was formed from Brie Larson’s cover of Black Sheep in the Scott Pilgrim movie. It features a Battle of the Bands sequence that made me want to read a story with the same concept. I scoured and scoured for a band IF that scratched that particular itch but didn’t find any. Eventually, I gave in and did it myself! That’s one of the best parts of the community; you can just do it. 

Surprisingly, this is one of the few stories of mine that hasn’t strayed far from the original idea. I think it helps that I’m writing exactly what I wanted to read once upon a time.

End of interview

—

A big thanks once again to Amy for her insightful answers, and @veswrites-if for taking the time to coordinate the interview. Hope that this was a fun and interesting read.

Blood of the living (chapter 4) - fields of asphodels book 2

College tennis origin story (chapter 7) - in love

The Eternal Library (chapter 4)

Adoriel's Tears (part of chapter 2) - delicious

Love after death (chapter 3) - I am not ok

Apartment 502 (chapter 2)

The Bastard of camelot (chapter 4 + part of chapter 5)

Press play (chapter 3)

The soulforge order (chapter 2 part 1)

Stygian sun: total Eclypse (chapter 1 part 3) - I am not ok again. Don't touch my sibling

When Twilight strikes (chapter 12)

Burning Academia (chapter 3)

The trials and tribulations of Edward Harcourt (completed game) - criminal that I still have to play it, a bit afraid of the bad endings

Where they wait (VN, completed game)

The Woods Hungers (chapter 3)

Moonlight (chapter 1 part 2)

The Night Market book 2 (chapter 7)

Cantata (chapter 2) - there is lots of food because the author also has another completed if: Viatica

Step into a new world with the release of Chapter 12 of When Twilight Strikes, out NOW on Itch.io !!

IN THIS CHAPTER.

Comfort [A] and/or be comforted by N

See (yet another) new side to Blane

Attempt to understand K and try to see past Rylan's masks

And, of course, meet Eliana, Queen of the Fae !!

STATS. 572,090 words (+60,665)

LINKS. Patreon & Ko-Fi

As always, thank you for being patient with me in the months between the last chapter and this one. This one was difficult for many reasons, but I'm extremely proud of the final product; I hope you're satisfied with it too. This game has come so far since the initial demo, and I'm incredibly grateful that there are so many of you who are here to watch it grow.

Please let me know what you think! Bug reports can be sent as an ask or to my email ([email protected]). Happy playing !!

Hi guys! I have some important news about the prologue. While I had originally planned for it extend further into the actual murder that will take place, I realized that it fit better for the pacing for the murder to occur in chapter 1 instead. As a result, the prologue will not have the murder.

With that being said, I siphoned off the part of the prologue that actually still fits, and will not be a part of chapter 1, so you can play through it now.

It's not very long (only 9.4k) words, but I hope that you still enjoy it! You can play it here:

Play the prologue + Chapter 1 (9k+ words) here!

Features

have a peek as to why shapeshifters exist

customise your features

pick your animal form

find out about your current living situation

get... attacked?

It's finally here!!! The prologue and Chapter 1 is on the shorter side, unfortunately, but hopefully the later chapters would be longer! Please do submit any bugs (here) because although i've tested it, there may be a few i missed out on...

I hope you enjoy the IF so far <3

SNEAK PEEK #3: BLANE REKNER.

— 4 days until Chapter 12.

Also, how do they feel with a Mc who never had any experience?

Answer under the cut!! ty for the question :)