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A little heads-up with today's chapter in "SkinsOpen in new Window.. This chapter marks three months of (almost) uninterrupted updates, barring Sunday's day off and the little issue that happened over a month ago that caused me to delay posting.

It's a challenge to post daily updates, even if the content written is short. Writing a chapter can easily take two hours, plus a couple minutes adjusting for word count. Some stories are easy to write while others haven't.

Writing with skinsuits as a literary focus, rather than a literary tool, can be challenging. It's easy to have other themes (identity theft, disguises) take over, making the concept a one-and-done thing, rather than have the concept itself be the focus. I hope I've achieved that purpose, showing how many stories you can do with the concept of wearing someone else's skin besides the same themes.

I also want to thank the people that have supported me during these three months: Sonicmetroid Author Icon, Sydor Author Icon, Cenex Author Icon, bickuribox Author Icon, Cal Author Icon, Ann Man Author Icon, JoOL Author Icon, araki Author Icon and others whose name I probably forgot but still offered good words. A little support goes a long way, and I hope I can continue delivering.

Also: the survey is still around ("Skins - Where To Go?Open in new Window.) and will continue for at least two more weeks, depending on tendencies. I appreciate those who have already participated.

That will be all. Next chapter will be tomorrow (it's already written!) and I'll continue doing content for the foreseeable future. As an informal question: would you prefer next week to have a completely different branch, or continue with one of the existing ones? I got follow-ups for most of them, but I got ideas for some hijinks with a rather notorious guy.
I'd like to apologize first and foremost, but after a little consideration, I decided to take a day off and leave "The Chessboard of Love and AmbitionOpen in new Window. as the stop of this branch for now.

Mostly, it's because of a bit of emotional burnout and having a blackout yesterday that left me unable to do much. But also, as excited as I was to write in this chapter, I'm pretty sure you noticed it... wasn't up to par. As I wrote it, the story took a really odd direction, ditching some of the darker areas for some unexpected silliness and introspection.

That doesn't mean I'm unsatisfied, though. "The Hidden Depths of Cassandra WrightOpen in new Window. helped to showcase Cassie, developing her as a character rather than as a minion. Though Cassie (or rather, Quentin) is a villain, she's arguably the most sympathetic of the Wrights, and I wanted to write a chapter where she's the star to show her traits - and the result was surprising, because despite what she (or he) does, she ends up as a quirky and lovable villain.

But while I always envisioned that for Cassie, the development for David (now Rachel) took me unaware - mostly because it felt like it happened too fast. Do note that the development took over a month (one week per "stay" in one of the Five), but I'll understand if it feels too rushed and not as organic as, say, Marie's transition into Ashley. I wanted to convey the intoxicating exhilaration of becoming someone else with the intent to replace them, as well as the excitement of finding what to do with your talents - the same way how Cassie isn't the original one or Quentin, but someone else entirely, or how Tessa isn't just the original or Marvin but her own self.

I also envisioned having David bring someone from their old life, but of course realism kicks in and therefore makes it a bit complicated to execute. While it's fine for some branches to immediately assume everyone wants to use the pens and go all-in, reality tells you that not everyone feels right with it and therefore will have different reactions. David's plans for Jessica should be obvious, but making it as easy as that just doesn't work, and thus the subplot of Tessa confessing her love emerged naturally, which only adds to the confusion.

Anyways, tomorrow should mark the follow-up to "Slipping a New Book into an Old CoverOpen in new Window., for which I have something written, so it should be a bit easier. Also, don't forget the survey: "Skins - Where To Go?Open in new Window.
With "Snatching the (Fake) InformantOpen in new Window., "Sniffing the Couples' TrailOpen in new Window. and "Second-Hand RecollectionsOpen in new Window., I temporarily stop this branch with a bunch of potential options to follow.

A couple of days ago, I was indecisive where to take this. The story naturally progressed to the point where David had to write the "free choice" article, and I found this to be a good way to explore the school and his school life. David being part of the school newspaper comes from a mention in "Use the pen on Mayor ChanOpen in new Window., which could easily be interpreted as a bluff to catch mayor Chen. Just as I used this chapter as inspiration for how mayor Chen acted as a dealer of "Costume Sets" in "(Skin-)Deep InterrogationOpen in new Window., I used that to set David as part of the (semi-official) school newspaper, taking inspiration from "Meet the CheerleadersOpen in new Window. to set up some of the others.

A good thing of this branch is that it offers a lot of new people to play with, and establishes some old favorites - the cheerleaders, for example, with Lindsey and Kelly more fleshed out, the latter being one of Jessica's friends, but also some of the jocks and usual cheerleader dates (like student president Ryan Chalmers), and even one-shot characters like Drew Collins (as one of Jimmy's other friends) and obscure crushes such as Scott Kilmeade and Allen Tennison. Can't say if it's 1-to-1, but there's also a bunch of new people, such as Mackenzie Flannigan as the school's party host, as well as Ashton Kennedy and Allison Tennyson.

That said - I wasn't sure which option to follow, and I spent the past three days working the three different outcomes. And as I wrote to see which one to follow, I found I liked all three. So I'm once again unsure which one to follow, and because of this, I'm asking you. Which path should I follow?

You may give your answer in this survey: "Skins - Where To Go?Open in new Window. I'll leave it running until the week before I return to this branch, which might be around a month. That should give you enough time to answer. (Please help!)

(Minor tangent: You may notice some confusing repetitions. For example, there are two Ashleys, one who triggered this whole incident with the pens and the other being the school newspaper's editor. Usually, writers avoid doing this to prevent said confusion, but when dealing with a potentially large cast, avoiding repetitions becomes hard and verisimilitude breaks - after all, how many people you've met with similar names? They can also be storytelling tools when used correctly.)
Edited
With "Barbie Roleplays as MomOpen in new Window., I'm pausing this branch for a while.

Last time I stopped it, David and his mom were cornered by Tessa Wright and some of her goons. Now, she's defeated, and things have changed. With that out of the way, they have access to most of the different pens created within the series, and a plethora of skins to play with. But of course, even though this feels like the perfect setup for most readers, reality will undoubtedly slide in.

Having Marie become Ashley permanently has allowed me to explore a negative theme - identity theft - in a new light. Make no mistake - what Marie is doing to Ashley is wrong, but how tempting can it be to explore life as someone else? Most stories with this theme often explore the grim outcome - ruining the new identity's life out of sheer hedonism - but this explores a more positive, if still gray, side - where the thief actually plans to live their new life as the other person intended. There is a dark mirror with Ross, the (now former) owner of Barbara, who was doing something similar but still subtly ruining her life by making her a source of criminal activity. Marie isn't planning this - she just wants to have a job, a salary and a new lease at life - but her actions still involve denying someone their free will. Do you support her, or not?

And of course, this involves family issues. We all know Tina's not gonna like this, but what will Claire and Nick say? Especially when it involves bringing Ashley's sisters to the house? Rest assured I will return to this branch in a few weeks, to see how this story evolves. (And also: did David choose skins for himself? Which ones?)

As you can see, the way all these stories have developed reveal a lot more of the Wrights' backstory, but ultimately branched into different paths. The branch with Silva has made David an accomplice of the nefarious Organization, and now he's unsure if she's to be trusted. This branch has Marie change her life, but at a great cost - which her family will most likely pay. And of course, there are two more branches to deal with.

Tomorrow, I'll continue the story left hanging in "Two Plans Come Into CollisionOpen in new Window., where David must make a choice. Will he stop Jimmy's plan, or will he follow through with his girlfriend's? (If you saw this note earlier, you might know the choice. Oops!)

As a final note: while I appreciate the tips, I also appreciate correspondence. Feel free to say what you feel about these stories - no tipping required!
Edited
With "A Betrayal from WithinOpen in new Window., I'm stopping this delve in a massive cliffhanger.

This branch explores the ideas started very early in "Spy GameOpen in new Window. of a mysterious organization using the pens for undisclosed, mysterious missions. The writers in this branch took the story in two different directions, one in which David unwittingly joins the Organization and becomes one of their agents, and another where he's running from them as they take over his entire family.

Both branches show two different faces of the Organization, but most importantly, they keep their intentions under wraps. When David joins, the missions are your standard spy fare but without a clear goal; when they hunt him, however, they're implacable yet fallible. No clear good intentions, but no evil either.

Though "The Tip of the IcebergOpen in new Window. acts as a good ending to that part of the branch, I wanted to explore Silva a bit more - her motivations, her reasons for bringing David into the fold, what she does in the FBI, her standing with the Organization - and thus decided to have David explore it in her stead. Though there are some hijinks ensured (especially in "Gaming the SystemOpen in new Window. with the Digital Forensics guys), I knew that, if I was to handle the Organization properly, it had to take a dark turn. And thus, it ends up like this - with David's only ally showing different colors, and a potential tie to his old life.

Will he run away, hunted by an old friend and without a life to return, armed only with one of the pens? Or will he confront Silva, wondering what are her intentions?

Tomorrow, I'll return to the branch having Marie become Ashley. "Opening Up to DisasterOpen in new Window. has them facing Tessa, only to have them being captured. What will David do? What will Marie do? What will happen when two mothers face each other?

...Or, well, two parents. Because I started the year by planting (in "Becoming a Very Real Fake AgentOpen in new Window.) and then revealing the mystery behind Tessa Wright. Was it well-presented? Would you read a story on how she got into power? And maybe what would happen if David wasn't involved in all this, as an agent of change?

In any case, expect more content in the following weeks - this isn't over yet. There's lot of paths to explore. I believe the stories have evolved to a point where they are their own stories, and I hope I can keep it that way.

(Also, as a shout-out - Seuzz Author Icon has returned with new "The Book of MasksOpen in new Window. content. Go check him out!)
With "Slipping a New Book into an Old CoverOpen in new Window., I temporarily stop this delve into a new glimpse in David's life.

Though the theme might be a bit similar to the others (criminals taking over someone else's lives), I decided to twist things around. Leslie and Meredith aren't good people, but they're not bad either - they have dreams and ambitions, but chose to follow a life of crime to do so. I purposefully made them so that they would be sympathetic, but still have enough reasons to hate them. Meredith being a distant cousin to Marie wasn't planned but was a fleeting idea that emerged and evolved on its own.

This is also an examination on the concept of identity theft vs. identity death. The first is when someone, through magical, supernatural or highly advanced technological means, takes over someone else's life. The second is tied to the first, but specifically involves ruining that person's life out of perverse satisfaction. Both are ultimately negative concepts, as one involves denying said individual's freedom, while the other is far worse as it destroys their integrity and good standing. Usually, the two concepts come tied with corruption of the thief, specifically loss of morals, as the act of taking over someone's life is arguably reprehensible.

Yet, both can be given a rare positive spin. Identity theft is the easiest, when someone downtrodden is given the life of someone better because that someone dies or otherwise is unable to continue with their existence. Identity death can be used as karmic retribution for a villain, though the hero of the story will usually desist after a moment of realization. Almost always, those positive spins are meant as lessons and rarely as rewards, the latter concept often either a comedic, karmic punishment to a very vile villain.

This branch explores a more grounded aspect of both. What if a criminal must use someone else's life to hide, but actually intends to go through with a better life? I feel that's a rare and unexplored spin, especially when the characters themselves aren't exactly intending to turn over a new leaf or become completely upstanding citizens.

And then there's David. He also fell victim to that corruption. Where will Claudia's life lead him?

Tomorrow, I'll most likely return to one of the previous branches. Still unsure of which one, though.
Perhaps my favorite story category. Regarding Identity theft / death. I would say I’m mostly in agreement with you. I also consider stories where a person essentially disappears because they have assumed another identity as falling into the latter category. Either via theft or simply by taking on a newly created one.
With "A Taste of GloriaOpen in new Window., I'm leaving this side of the branch in suspense. Five lives to claim - which one will David choose for his own?

You may have noticed that I was forced to stop for a brief moment on updating because of an unfortunate incident. The plan was to release one vignette of David wearing each one of the "Five", a set of skins of five sexy and voluptuous women, and something he did with each of them. The plan is to set in motion ideas as to what David could do if he assumed each of their identities, culminating on a global choice where said stories could be advanced.

Unfortunately, by Wednesday morning, I was forced to stop because of an incident I won't talk about. I still worked on the vignettes, so as to not keep my hands idle, while working for a resolution that happily happened yesterday. That led to all the other vignettes being released, as well as a little detour into what's happening with the Andersons - because, when you deal with evil, evil things happen.

What next? Something entirely different, not happening on the Ashley Wright branch. (Shocker!) I won't go into details, save that it'll involve a deeper delve into a new character with a very peculiar quirk. I will return to the branch after this deviation, maybe switching between it and this new branch.

That said - while I already have the sequel to this paused branch chosen, if you're interested in seeing how any of the others develop, feel free to say so. I want to explore each of the possibilities, since each hook can lead the story into wild ways. (And I apologize for that interruption - it may not have been entirely my fault, but maybe someone wanted to advance that storyline and felt frustrated that there was no option to. I felt making the vignettes sequential, ending up in a big choice, was the appropriate move - though one where I could end up locking myself out of.)
With "A Change of Face, a Change of RoutineOpen in new Window. and "Two Plans Come Into CollisionOpen in new Window., I'm stopping this branch for a while...

Hold on. TWO chapters!?

Yes. The first chapter developed in such a way that it grew beyond the scope of where I wanted to stop it - I tried to be brief with the interaction between David (as Mike) and the Reyes, but I feel I had to showcase him, as well as the difficulties of not having memories to play with. By the time I introduced Mackenzie's party, I was reaching the chapter limit and was forced to continue. And that leads to a very crummy stop, so I went for another.

That last one was a bit hard to work, since it had to cover for David's conversation with Lindsey, while still not having any of his memories. If it feels complicated and maybe even forced, it's for a good reason - David knows very little about Mike, and even Kelly's help could only push it so far. It was fun trying to make Lindsey something beyond your typical hot cheerleader.

However, I had to stop briefly to figure out the cliffhanger to stop this branch in a way it'd satisfy you readers, and before I went to sleep, I figured a magnificent idea, which I allowed a rested brain to develop. Obviously, since it had been pre-established, Jimmy would find a way to wreck Mackenzie's party. But how? And more importantly, why would stopping that be more important than being with Lindsey? (And yet, why would letting them pull their prank and going through with Lindsey would be just as relevant?) That was a challenge, but I feel I pulled it off and I'm pretty proud of it.

You may notice I'm taking more details from around the interactive and weaving it with new ones. Edgefield as David's town was an idea I wanted to claim from a former member, and from there (and a bit of bleeding from "The Book of MasksOpen in new Window.) came Tynemouth College and St. Lenore Academy, to contrast with the local state campus and Edgefield High. Furthermore, for long-time readers, some of those names may be familiar. I feel that, if I make a lot of references to those writers' jobs, it'll give them a lot of relevance - and their chapters are some of the best written in the interactive, in fact. Not just that, some of them have been expanded as well!

So, what's next? A return to the branch ending on "The Devil Wears GossamerOpen in new Window., and a big change in David's life. After that, I might deviate into a different branch to work on an idea I've had as I developed this one. Hopefully you support these chapters and the ones to come.
Apologies for posting "Opening Up to DisasterOpen in new Window. later than expected, but it's here. I'll stop this branch for now on a rather odd cliffhanger.

This is a good moment to discuss how plans get derailed when writing. Originally, I had this branch stop on a different, much further point, but upon reaching "Discoveries and ConspiraciesOpen in new Window., I ended up with a perfect opportunity to allow a wide variety of options - after all, everyone but David was away, which means anyone could appear at any moment. (Originally, I had Tina also be there, but it's a Saturday and she's a college student; she's got many excuses.) Even if Tina was there (and turned into a skinsuit), there could be the chance any of the other Anderson children could appear and see the disaster.

My instinct, of course, was to follow up with Tina, since up to this point she was the only one opposed to the idea. That eventually led to a conflict that forced the creation of "Braving the Heat (in) the MomentOpen in new Window., which was completely out of my mind. I always say you need to listen to the characters when making scenes, and during all these chapters, Tina was outright brooding for her mother's decision. Being together, her father close, and her mother doubling down on her decision while learning there are new skins and that her littlest brother would use them led to her stealing them. That was the only natural action she would take, and forcing her to accept another alternative for the sake of advancing the story the way I want it to.

This is a good technique at worldbuilding and storytelling, because despite you being the writer, a story feels bland when the characters lack their own voices. When writing characters, they should have their own motivations, which sometimes propel them to do things you didn't expect them to. When a writer has to face their characters derailing the structure you develop, and twists it successfully, the reader notices and recognizes those characters are alive, and become more invested in them.

And that led to some worldbuilding as well - there's a library I can play with, an abandoned building used by college students, and some branch development. Win-win situation!

Anyways, tomorrow I'll continue one of the other branches, but I really want to keep observing this one. I'm really intrigued to see what Marie wants with Ashley - she's grown too attached to her. What are your thoughts? Do you agree with the worldbuilding tip or not?
Milestones, even when small, can be meaningful.

With "The Tip of the IcebergOpen in new Window., I've been writing daily chapters for "SkinsOpen in new Window. for more than a full month now. Not just figuratively (over 31 days writing chapters) but literally (every day of November).

This chapter marks a stop to this particular branch for the time being. I wanted to tie in another of the interesting parts of this world - the mysterious organization David gets recruited to in "SurrenderOpen in new Window. and subsequent - as a way to recognize other writers' contributions.

Tomorrow, I'll shift to another of the branches born from "To the David goes the SpoilsOpen in new Window.. We now know what the brown pens can do - what will this imply for Marie Anderson's new life? Stay tuned.
I've been spending these past four weeks doing daily content for the interactive "SkinsOpen in new Window. (note: graphic content within), trying to breathe some life into it. Being a fan of interactives like "The Book of MasksOpen in new Window. and being an on/off contributor, I was eyeing providing some work for it, and I finally got the chance after dealing with some personal projects.

I started the contributions with "To the David goes the SpoilsOpen in new Window. and worked all four options, at the tune of one branch per week. I had a general idea on what to work in, but as I went on, I saw that idea evolve into a very interesting and notorious set of characters. Most of the branches ended slowly introducing them, but running short of revealing the mastermind behind it all - until "Meet the WrightsOpen in new Window., where I introduced Tessa Wright, and the two following chapters showing how she "works". Even I'm surprised by the results, to be honest.

I feel this is a good moment to plug it, as well as thank everyone who has tipped and offered words of support. I plan to continue developing these branches and work on some others, since I feel this interactive has some promise. Hopefully this plug-in will allow others to experience the story and maybe even contribute!

(And yes, also plugging my own work, because why not? Always looking for people willing to check it.)
  •   2 comments
No issue with plugging your own stuff. I've been basically non-existant on my writing as even the things I have ideas for I don't feel enthused about because BoM feels kind of dead without Seuzz around.
rugal b. Author Icon - Keep trying. We could always do a Round Robin (maybe even complete the one we had left in the dust last big crash) to revitalize it, but you can always try to collaborate elsewhere.

I've been working on my own personal projects and after achieving a very important milestone, I went straight here while taking copious notes of that other project for continuity purposes. I've been wary about posting anything on BoM for the same reasons as you, but that doesn't mean I can't do other stuff. I even got a sort-of request from someone to continue one of the three stories I have in my portfolio, so there's that as well. (Curiously, I was gonna ask you about weather in your place, and whether that was the reason why you were so silent.)

Anyways, I'd like to see more "Student Bodies ReduxOpen in new Window., now that you unleashed it. (Sounds better than released, no?)
Almost three months after, here's the next chapter of my adult erotic story:
 
Image Protector
A Transition Proposal Open in new Window. [GC]
As he wears a synthetic skinsuit of a woman, Armando learns of its - and women's - secrets
by Nostrum Author Icon
.

This one has our hero Armando fully immersed in the act of wearing a skinsuit, but unlike other stories of its kind where the suit is downright magical and the wearer immediately loves being a woman, there's some resistance. I feel skinsuit stories could use some degree of realism, even though the suit itself is far more advanced than anything we could currently create. I hope I reach that degree of verisimilitude, where you can easily suspend your disbelief and enjoy the story.

(And yes, that includes putting the main character into the body of a plain woman with defects rather than a hot woman. But don't worry; at some point, hot women will appear.)
Happy anniversary 🎂🎉🎂🎉🎂🎉
*Music2* Happy Account Anniversary *Cake*
It's been a while.

 
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A Friendship Proposal Open in new Window. [GC]
Armando agrees to hear Evelyn's proposal and the gift of a new life that comes with it.
by Nostrum Author Icon


This is the next chapter following "An Unexpected ProposalOpen in new Window., where the eponymous proposal is finally revealed. As you can see, it is more complex than set on the previous chapter, and with an unexpected twist.

Furthermore, we finally see our protagonist wearing one of Evelyn's skinsuits. How will it fare? What new experiences will he live as Mathilda?

As usual - note that this story is meant for adults, and thus has very vivid depictions. Please show your support if you want to see more.
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