After Posting My First VN

So, it’s not like I live under a rock. (briefly glances upward to make sure) But I’ve been more social this week than usual.

Now, by "social," I don’t mean I’ve actually gone outside. No, no. It’s much too hot for that. What I mean is, I’ve posted on forums and social media...and honestly, that counts!

Most of my views so far have come from the Lemma Soft Forums. (Thank you!) I’m a little embarrassed to admit I didn’t even know this forum existed until this week. If I had, I would’ve signed up long ago.

Posting something in the Completed Games section feels strange. A little bold, honestly. Like I’m standing on a stage shouting, “I finished a thing!” Even though this is my first VN, and I still don’t know what I’m doing.

Anyone else feel like that sometimes?

I also created a Twitter, I mean, X, account for the VN. Is it still called tweeting? Or is it… X...ing now? Yeah. Maybe I do live under a rock.

So yes. I’ve been social. And it’s kind of exhausting.

I’d much rather be writing. That’s where this all started, after all. A Romance in Seven Dimensions began as a short story. Just 10,000 words.

As a fan of visual novels, I’ve been thinking about making one for years. This year, I finally sat down and gave it a real shot; turning one of my stories into a VN.

It wasn’t easy. A few hurdles popped up right away:

1. I’m not an artist. I used DreamUp to generate art. That topic alone could be its own post.
2. I’m not a musician. I played trumpet in middle school. Not exactly soundtrack material. I ended up using Soundraw.
3. I’m not a programmer. Ren’Py and Python? Thankfully, ChatGPT helped me figure out the logic, file structure, and all the rest.

What did I learn?

• Krita became my best friend. I cleaned up art, bought an XP-PEN, and finally figured out how layers actually work.
• For me, paying for a music generator was worth it. No more endless searching for free tracks that almost fit.
• Ren’Py scripting wasn’t nearly as scary as I expected. In fact, it was... kind of fun.

Each of these lessons could be a post in itself. Maybe I’ll write them eventually.

But right now, I just want to know, did anyone enjoy the VN?

I had a great time making it. I learned a ton. But I’d really love to know if the story lands for anyone else.

Writers have asked that question since forever.

So if you like romance, a little speculative sci-fi, and some moody ambient music, maybe give it a shot.

Sure, you could run through the neighbor’s sprinklers to beat the heat. Or you could stay inside and read a weird little VN made by a total newbie.

Either way, let me know if it doesn't suck. Or even if it does.

A Romance in Seven Dimensions is a short, speculative sci-fi romance visual novel with ambient music, dimensional weirdness, and a big heart.

It’s free. https://spidertreegames.itch.io/a-romance-in-7-dimensions

And hey! It's cool here, under the rock.