It’s been a year since I started posting Max’s story, so I thought it would be fun to share some of the behind the scenes. To keep my thoughts on track and easy to read, I broke it up into questions and answers. A lot of the art concepts Moribow and I came up with are at the end so scroll down for some detailed drawings.
Sections: General topics, languages, is any of this based on reality, things that didn’t make the cut, fun facts, art, and what's next.
General topics
How’d you come up with Max?
At the time, I was reading a lot of isekai books and mangas where the MC gets taken into an alt world (usually a story they have experience with, aka novels, games, etc) and has to follow instructions from the system. I took the same concept but just added the choice of what kind of story they wanted to do.
Why a comedy?
I’ve written nine books, ten including Max. I wanted to write and post something I didn’t really care about and something experimental, so I chose a genre I’ve never attempted before. So far, I think it’s turned out alright.
Why did you start posting to Royal Road?
I’ve been writing for a long time, but I was always too scared to share. Then, I got pregnant. As my due date grew closer, I thought about how there were certain things I wanted to accomplish before becoming a mum and sharing some of my work was one of them. I started posting a few weeks before giving birth.
How much of a backlog do you have?
ZERO. I consider Max my ‘live novel.’ At most, I have about four chapters ready. Even when I started posting, I only had three chapters pre-written. Every chapter was probably made less than two weeks prior. Even the basics of this special was typed out on the first of March.
If you have no backlog, then how are you doing the percentage in the description?
Educated guessing. I know the plot and the major plot points. If I’m going too quickly, I’ll just increase the percentage. If I’m going too slow, then I’ll reduce the number.
How much planning do you do?
My notes aren’t really detailed, but there is a lot of thinking that goes on before I write anything. Usually I note down necessary scenes and themes. Here’s an example of the first part of the third arc:
BB – One Step Ahead – Past Lives
Forgive – Cy forgiving Max for trying to kill him.
Forget – Max forgetting the others to spend time with Ellie. Lost focus on their task.
Reconnect – Finding Ellie
Reintroduce the friends
Revelation about Aldwin being like Max.
BB – her results / riddle results
BB and Cy’s spa day
Dream sequence
Max and Ellie <3
Finding Ellie again
Will you continue publishing until the end?
Undoubtedly. I’m as stubborn as you get. I didn’t take a break in my writing or publishing of chapters even when handling a newborn, doing language exams, and going back to work. Max’s story will be completed and uploaded.
Do you care about the numbers/statistics?
No. They really stress me out, so I try to ignore all that and just keep doing what makes me happy. This is also a major reason why I haven't done any shout-out swaps, review swaps, ads, etc.
Do you know the ending of Max’s story?
Yes. The remaining major plot points have all been thought out. When I first started writing, I only plotted out until the ending of the second arc. Even then, the details were extremely vague. I knew Max was going to fail but how was still a mystery. It wasn’t until writing Volume 2 Chapter 42 and developing Darius's character that I figured out how I wanted this story to end.
Why cows?
I like cows.
Why bones?
They give me the heebie-jeebies.
Languages:
Are the runes gobbledygook?
Nope, they have a system behind them. During the winter holiday, I took the time to set it up for the covor of the third volume. Here’s how Fubbel was made with runes:
There are a few more steps when it comes to making spells/sentences, but there is phonetic meaning behind the shapes.
What was the language used between Max and Navy/Edric/etc?
It was Japanese backwards!
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
Tsujuma. つじゅま. → Majutsu. まじゅつ. → Magic. 魔術.
Is any of this based on reality?
A lot of it is! Here are a few:
- The use of Japanese language and culture – Use what you know! I live in Japan with my family and speak the language reasonably well.
- Max’s cooking - I’m not the worst cook in the world, but I have my days when everything I touch in the kitchen goes horribly wrong. One day, I can make focaccia with no issue, the next, I manage to burn pasta.
- You’re missing out on heaven (Chapter 17) – When my father and his girlfriend came to visit, she told me a story about how a relative of hers was a heavy smoker. Every day, she would light a cigarette and would always comment on how the non-smokers were missing out on heaven while she was struggling to breathe.
- The following characters are heavily/loosely based on real historical figures: BB’s first lover Sappho (Chapter 35), Jacquotte, Calico Jack, Elder Ji-min, and Elder Charaka.
- The inn with all the horses (Chapter 91) - This is based on a real hotel in Scotland called The Fife Arms. Instead of an alarming amount of horses, there’s a disturbing number of deer and antlers.
- The egg and the microwave story (Chapter 90) – This genuinely happened between my dad and my grandfather. My dad threw a whole egg in a microwave to make dippy eggs, took it out, left it on a plate, and then it exploded next to my grandfather. Luckily, he was reading a newspaper at the time, so it saved him from getting hurt.
Things that didn’t make the cut:
- Adelaide was going to be a lot crueler than what I included. This is mostly because I spent too much time thinking about it that I overlooked what I actually wrote. Many people were empathetic towards her, which was a shock to me until I went back and realised how much I skipped over.
- Noah was going to reappear in the second arc when I started writing, but I swapped him with Kurt.
- Reymond was also supposed to be relocated to Tsujuma. I have new plans for this character.
- There was another reincarnating character I intended to introduce during the second arc, who was relatively new to the system and a big weeb. Although he was in my plans/notes, I forgot to include him. Before I knew it, it was too late to introduce him since he would’ve left with Edric.
- Charon was going to be fleshed out, but the second arc was already too full with other stuff going on. I was also going to make him into a serial killer.
- Recaps - I was going to recap after every arc, but the first one took so long that I scrapped the chapter and the concept altogether.
- I never did go back and translate Edric and Max’s conversation into Japanese and then reverse it. It was probably a waste of time, since people’s eyes would just skip it to the part they could read.
Fun facts!
- My husband has never read anything I’ve written. He refuses because English isn’t his first language. Despite this, he insists I write a little bit every day, since I relax through writing.
- I was in the middle of labour when I wrote Chapter 6: The Donkey and the Stale Cupcake. I gave birth a few hours later.
- I’ve lost count of the number of chapters I’ve written with one hand while holding my napping baby in another (including while writing this).
- Usually, I have to get up at 3-5 a.m. to feed my kid. I find this is the best time to edit because I’m too irritated and tired for any BS in my writing.
- Since this is a ‘live novel,’ I sometimes write myself into tough spots. A good example is during the second volume's conclusion, Chapter 70, when Max was about to be ambushed. I had to type out my stream of consciousness and was still stuck until I got a cold. I had the same cold until I finished writing Chapter 75, so I made Max sick as well so I didn’t suffer alone.
- Bessie and Darius are my favourite characters.
- Bessie and Max’s talk in the rain is one of my favourite scenes to write.
- While planning, BB stood for 'badass bitch' since I hadn't decided her name. In the end, I went with her nickname.
- When writing the second arc conclusion, I knew most people were going to take one of three sides:
- 1. Side with Max and kill Cy.
- 2. Side with Cy and thwart Max’s plans.
- 3. Through the power of friendship, they figure something out.
- It was surprising to me how many people thought option 1 was how the arc would conclude.
- When I’m writing, I’m often listening to music or watching old tv shows. At the moment, I’m watching Midsomer Murders while writing.
- When writing about Ellie, I was listening to a lot of songs by Sabrina Carpenter and MARINA.
Art:
A cover is planned for all volumes. The creation process takes a lot of time and effort by Moribow <3
There were a few easter eggs Moribow and I threw into the covers.
First volume cover: (1: Real cover / 2: Draft)
- There are two literal sides to Max, the left side is in modern clothing representing his first life, and the right side is in more rustic clothing showing now.
- There is a gemini symbol hidden in the stars where the alien's beam is shining. This is a link to another incomplete project we did together.
Third volume cover: (1: Real cover / 2: Draft)
- The third volume has three distinct parts with three temporary major characters, who are all on the cover.
- When a third of the third volume is finished, another character will be revealed in the post-author notes.
- The green rune writes Fubbel and the pink one is Moribow.
- The binary code in the background has major spoilers. I’ll include the meaning in another special.
- Below will be the coloured version for BB since her section has already ended. The other two will appear in another special.
BB's cover and character art:
What’s next?
Well, I’m going to keep publishing Max until the story is finished. I have two other books I am editing on the side, one horror and another young adult. I’m not too sure what to do with them yet tbh. I think I need to work on them more, maybe get a few beta-readers, and then decide what to do next. Regardless, I also plan to start a new ‘live novel’ to Royal Road to keep me writing when Max is done.
Feel free to leave comments/feedback/ratings at any time. I'm always looking for opportunities and ways to improve my craft. As always, thank you so much for reading.