Hi everyone! ♡So I’ve been trying to think about the best method to present some behind-the-scenes stuff on my audio-making process, and i decided that this month, as i make progress with my next audio, i will give you some background on whatever part of the audio-making process i’m currently at! ^^ It’ll just be rambles in the same format as my audio descriptions, so feel free to read this if it sounds interesting~!
To start this off, of course, the first step in making any audio is writing a script~ I think my process is pretty strange, and might be a little different than most people might assume… ^^;
Basically, i’m sure that most of you assume that like any normal human i start at the beginning of the audio and write chronologically from start to finish….
…uh…nope. Not even close ^^; I hate to burst the bubble of all of you who think i’m that normal and straightforward in my creative process, but ALL of my scripts are almost guaranteed to be written out of order… What i mean by “out of order” is, basically, i tend to start writing my scripts somewhere in the middle of the audio rather than at the beginning~
The only scripts that are written chronologically from beginning to end are the really, reeeally short audios that only contain one concept. (My first few audios on my channel, as well as Venti’s little video greeting to you this past month were written this way!) However, once the audio is more than a few minutes long, it tends to be written out of order. In fact, more often than not, the first part of the audio where Venti/any character greets you is usually the last part of the script to be completed…! ^^; This isn’t done on purpose, it’s just how i tend to work! I don’t know why…
I’ll use my most recent audio (Vampire Venti) as an example to show you what i mean! The part of the audio where Venti is explaining his past? That was written FIRST…literal months before the part of the script where he’s checking over you at the start of the audio. Basically, the way my poor brain tends to work is that i always seem to write the part of the audio with the most emotional weight first, and the rest of the audio tends to bloom around it…! ^^; I know that probably doesn’t make much sense, but that’s how it tends to work for me!
More examples! The wedding audio? Venti’s vows were literally the very first part of the audio i wrote, and those were completed several months before i even knew where the wedding would be taking place! ^^ The Sleepover with Idol Venti audio? Venti’s conversation with Nahida was written a full year before the rest of the script… ^^;
This is how I work! And this is also how i have so many partially made scripts in progress - i’m always working on something! Right now, i have approximately 14 scripts in-progress for possible future audios…! ^^
But here’s the thing that’s most important to me… i NEVER rush a script. There are some scripts that are completed in a very short amount of time (the honeymoon audio was only written in one week for example!) Usually, if the contents are nothing but fluff/soft romantic stuff, the script can be completed VERY fast, mainly because fluff appears to be my brain’s default setting, hehe ^^; But for anything with more emotional weight, i love taking my time with it’s development. Really thinking about how characters would think through their scenario…how they feel and how those complexities mirror real life concepts… i feel like those feelings are precious, and very important to get right!
So if there’s a script that i’m writing and i reach a point where i think “i’m not sure how the characters would react to this,” or “i’m not sure what i want to happen next,” i stop. I let it breathe. And i wait. The answer always comes naturally on it’s own if i wait~ ^^ It might take weeks. It might take months. But i never rush it. Honestly, the most common pattern is that i will often get ideas for how to continue a different script WHILE i’m editing another audio! So even if i take my time, it usually never slows my process down too much ^^
For really big audios that have a LOT of emotional weight, i really like to sit with the idea for as long as it needs, make small changes, walk away, think on it some more…basically, allow for all of the ideas to develop and solidify slowly over time for as long as i feel it needs. For some people that may sound boring, but i LOVE that process so much…~ I think this is how i am able to let themes and ideas inter-connect across multiple different audios! But it does take a lot of time, especially for the longer scripts.
Part of me often feels bad for making you wait…i often envy the creators who are able to make content for their listeners every week, but sadly, that’s just not how my personal creative process works… ^^; I wish it was! But thank you so much for always being so patient with me…i truly do wish i could do much more and much faster, but in spite of my shortcomings, so many of you are always so kind and patient with me, and for that, i am always so incredibly grateful! ;v;
For me, there is a specific rule i often abide by whenever i approach any creative work: If i take my time, it will eventually be good, but if i rush it, it will be bad forever… ^^; I always prefer being late with a good audio than fast with a mediocre one~
So basically, i never ever rush a script. Sometimes it takes weeks or months for my poor brain to put all of the script’s pieces together in the right order, but my most consistent average for a 30-ish minute audio is approximately 1-2 months to get a script to it’s final, completed state…but again, this work is usually done while i’m working on another audio! Vampire Venti’s script was finalized while i was working on editing for Incubus Venti! It always works out somehow! ^^
But getting my brain to the “this audio script is complete” state is a slow and weird process… Mainly, there have been a LOT of times where a script was technically “done” but it felt like something was missing…so i sit with the script for a while…and eventually my brain always figures out what it needed~
A good example of this? The Sleepover with Idol Venti audio originally didn’t have the scene where Venti ignores the phone call from his manager. That whole scene didn’t exist for about 2 weeks after finishing the rest of the script…but something felt like it was missing…i couldn’t put my finger on it…then one day, i was at work on my lunch break… i was chomping away on a sandwich when my phone started buzzing in my bag…and the idea smacked me in the brain so hard i actually stood up! >v< I thought, “That’s it!! That’s perfect!! That’s exactly what was missing!!” xD
Instances like that happen more often than not, but i’m always SO glad when they do! And that, my dear listeners, is basically my process!
Additional secret script things you may not know:
-Yes, you as the listener often have “lines” written in the script that the characters respond to, and while you never “hear” what you say, i usually always make it so that you can (hopefully) easily guess what you said ^^ I also make sure to leave enough creative wiggle-room in the implied voice lines for you, as the listener, to be able to put your own spin on things in your mind. Some of you listeners are shy, some of you are outgoing, and i want you to imagine your interactions in the way you see fit! Unless it’s absolutely necessary to the plot, i never want your “lines” to feel too rigid or restrictive - i want you to be able to have your own voice! That’s very important to me! ^^
-This is a big secret that i never thought i’d share but most of you might guess… ALL of the scripts are choreographed. Basically, all of my written scripts not only contain you and the characters lines, but also every single motion/action that takes place in the audio. Standing, sitting, hugging, shifting weight…any and all changes in facial expression…whatever the heck is going on when you’re making out… >v< ALL of it is written in the script!
Sometimes i even write in specific camera shots that would be used if this was a movie… i could literally hand any of my silly Venti scripts over to a movie/animation director, and there would be little to no changes that would need to be made for production! ^^; Why do i do this, when a lot of this stuff doesn’t matter and no one sees it but me? Because it’s fun! ^v^ Plus, it really helps me with getting the timing right in the acting stage…and i ALWAYS try my best to edit the audio in a way where you can easily imagine/hear what is happening visually, even if there are no visuals.
However, this is also one of the more frustrating things for someone making audio content though, because there are a LOT of motions and visual concepts that are in the script, but are entirely lost once put in an audio-only format despite my best efforts...! ;v; Venti for example, is rather touchy-feely with you in more romantic moments, and often does some specific physical things in the script…there’s no specific word for this particular gesture, but that thing where you place your hand on someone’s cheek and gently stroke their cheek with your thumb as you stare into their eyes? Venti does that a LOT when he’s talking to you in my scripts, especially during more gentle and loving moments… but there’s no way to convey that auditorily!! I’ve tried!! So much!!! ;v; But i suppose that’s all for the best…there are some people out there who don’t like having their face touched… Plus, audios are great because it allows people to imagine whatever they like! I suppose i should be grateful for such a forgiving format!
-An additional secret…about the kissing scenes… Even though its all just smoochie noises and rarely any dialogue…there’s technically “lines” that i write for the characters during these parts - rather, my scripts have exactly what is going through the character's mind when they’re kissing you… ^^; it’s embarrassing, but it really helps me get the acting right for the kissing scenes! It’s nothing too detailed, but “I missed you” kissing scenes and “I’m so lucky I have you” kissing scenes sound VERY different from…uh. Whatever the heck was going through Venti’s head in the most recent Vampire Venti audio… ^^; (whatever you thought was going through his mind during that scene…is probably correct ^^;;;)
-Last thing… i suppose most of you can tell based on the type of content i create and the sheer length of my scripts and descriptions that yes, i used to write fanfiction a LOT in my high school/college days…it was all before Genshin came out though, and i thoroughly scrubbed all of my fanfics off the internet (i went through a small period of time where i was quite embarrassed by my works lol) but i was one of THOSE writers who wrote 500,000 word stories… ^^; i guess some things never change…~
Hmmm…i suppose that’s about it~! I hope you enjoyed reading about my scripting process! Feel free to comment if you have any more specific questions, and i’ll do my best to answer them! I’m still working on finalizing the script for the next audio…i think i’ve decided on which one to do, but unfortunately for me, i’m stuck at the “something’s missing” part of the process… >v<;;; Once i finalize the script though, i’ll move on to recording, and i’ll be back here to give you more details on how that usually goes for me!
I know this was a lot of text…thank you so much for reading through my rambles!
-Luna ♡