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Printed from https://shop.writing.com/main/books/item_id/2156493-The-Book-of-Masks-Homepage/day/4-26-2025
by Seuzz Author IconMail Icon
Rated: 18+ · Book · Other · #2156493

A hub for the "Book of Masks" universe.

The Interactives
"The Book of MasksOpen in new Window.: A high school student discovers a grimoire that can make magical disguises.
"The Wandering StarsOpen in new Window.: Sequel to "The Book of Masks."
"Student BodiesOpen in new Window.: A high school student is turned into a blue goo that can possess people.

For non-WdC Members
"The Book of Masks: ArchivesOpen in new Window.: Dodges the "Servers Busy" barrier!
"The Book of Masks (Abridged)Open in new Window.: Introductory storylines for new readers.

Community
"BoM/TWS Message ForumOpen in new Window.: Community for readers of the interactives.
"BoM/TWS/SB WikiOpen in new Window.: Notes and documentation for authors. Spoilers!

Current Polls/Contests
None

The Latest
4/26: Interactive: "Doubling Your FunOpen in new Window.
4/26: Public: "Doubling Your FunOpen in new Window.

Special Update
4/26: Interactive: "Fröhliche Momente mit unbekannten MenschenOpen in new Window. and following
4/26: Public: "Fröhliche Momente mit unbekannten MenschenOpen in new Window. and following
April 26, 2025 at 2:29pm
April 26, 2025 at 2:29pm
#1088147
See the blog entry below for details on a massive update that has been made to "The Book of Masks."

"Keep your replacements together" won decisively in the latest poll, so much so that I could have closed it early. I didn't, because I knew I would be updating "The Book of Masks" and wanted to post the next chapter after the update, so that anyone looking for the most recent chapter of the interactive would find it instead of blundering into a tangle of chapters that had nothing to do with the latest storyline.

So here is that latest chapter in the current branch:

* Interactive: "Doubling Your FunOpen in new Window.
* Public: "Doubling Your FunOpen in new Window.

It ends with a "Continue," so you should be getting another one tomorrow.

The poll results, fwiw:

"Keep your replacements together": 85.7%
"Stage a break-up": 14.3%
April 26, 2025 at 2:26pm
April 26, 2025 at 2:26pm
#1088146
This weekend has brought a gigantic update to "The Book of Masks." That is why I took it offline for a few hours earlier today.

So what's going on?

Last month we had a Plot Plinko that sent the story down a new, very short rabbit hole, from "Nine's a CrowdOpen in new Window. to "She So MadOpen in new Window.. When it was done, I not only had that branch but also a couple of unused ones—branches I wrote anticipating one winner in the polls only to be surprised by an upset.

In the commentary thread, I said:

I will be coming back to this area, not only to publish written branches and continuing the one-chapter buds, but to write out choices that were not taken, and choices off of those choices, because I got a lot of ideas while writing. I'm not decided how I will publish them. Possibly I will do polls again, but I'm also thinking of publishing a great mass of chapters--a few dozen maybe--all in one swoop. So much of what I mean to write would just be stage-setting for alternate ways of reintroducing the Libra, and I'm dubious about putting readers through that. It might also be fun for readers to have a mass of chapters to navigate, the way new readers find a mass of chapters to navigate when they first find the interactive.


And that last idea—writing out a bunch of alternate branches—is what I have spent the last month doing.

So, starting at the end of "Fröhliche Momente mit unbekannten MenschenOpen in new Window. you will find lots of new chapters spreading out in multiple branches: not a single choice (save for the odd "Continue" here and there) that sends things in one direction only, but live choices at the end of each chapter, opening up divergent storylines ... and divergent story lines in each divergent story line ... and divergent story lines in those divergent story lines.

Where do they end? In 37 different places, each one a chapter where the Libra has reasserted itself in Will's life but before he has done anything with it. There are a total of 73 chapters to read if you want to read them all. BTW, that's about 120,000 words, which is a little longer than Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, so pace yourselves.

Will you want to read them all? YMMV. I'll caution all readers that there are no TF shenanigans in any of these chapters, nor any spells cast. No ingredients will be purchased, even. This is just the most gigantic bunch of jumping off points ever assembled in one blow.

Finally, I thank rugal for writing a couple of these chapters for me. I told him that they were chapters involving characters he knew better than I did (which was true) and so he should handle them. But it also took some of the load off me, which was another not-so-secret motivation for roping him in.

There's a commentary thread on it all here: "Commentary: "Fröhliche Momente" and 73 Sequels"  Open in new Window.


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Printed from https://shop.writing.com/main/books/item_id/2156493-The-Book-of-Masks-Homepage/day/4-26-2025