Thank you so much for 400 Downloads and 20 Ratings!!!

I saw the number hit 158 and got excited, thinking "hehe, I should do something for this occasion, since 158 is referenced in the game a few times." I was busy and didn't have the time to draw something up, and then the number hit 200. Then 250. There was an explosion of downloads! Up to now, when I finally can dedicate the time to draw and create this post, hitting 400+. I'm eternally grateful! 

I wasn't sure what I wanted to talk about, so I thought I'd do a little Q&A, asking for questions on my socials! If there's anything else you'd like me to talk about, feel free to comment and I'll either answer there or make a second post :)

Why is the VN titled "Juliet's Sol"?

Well first off, I'll have you know that title was decided the day the game went live. Before that, every associated file either had to have the super long name of "ToxicYuriVNGameJam[whatever the file was for]", or when I eventually started getting sick of it and shortening it to "TYVNGJ". 

Some initial ideas I still sort of enjoy (with assistance in brainstorming from my partner, Lexington and friend, Katzukiwi) were "Like A Comet, I Was Wondered At", being a reference to another Shakespeare work, "Dead Stars Shining", or "Staged Supernova". 

It was Katzukiwi who suggested incorporating the word "Sol", in reference to the sun while also being a pun on "Soul."

I went with "Juliet's Sol" to tie in the Romeo and Juliet associations, as well as indirectly putting both Jinx and Avery into the title, Juliet referring to Avery, and Sol as in sun being representative of Jinx. This probably could've worked the other way around as well, but phrasing it as "Romeo's Sol" puts a connotation in uplifting Avery from Jinx's perspective, which isn't accurate to the dynamic. Yes, Avery is a light to Jinx, but not a sun to revolve around. Conversely, yes, Jinx is Avery's sun.

What was your faaaaaaaorite part about bringing these stage-crossed toxic yuri-doers to life?

In skimming through Romeo and Juliet, I felt almost evil finding connections to reference and place into the story. Some excerpts were chosen to guide the story, and some were happy accidents in which I had a wonderfully malicious spot to slip them in. 

The repetition of Juliet's death was always planned to be used. I needed to bring it up on multiple occasions to ensure it stuck in the audience's mind, while also not simply repeating it, fearing it becoming boring and people skimming over it. So, certain beats were planned and used to make a significant moment around.

The line "This is not Romeo. He's some other where" was the ultimate happy accident. I discovered it as I was outlining near the end of the second third, and needed to go back and incorporate it into other moments.

What part of the VN development process surprised you the most? Good OR bad surprise, or both :]?

Well, I'll say one of each! But for that, I need to take a step back into another project I was working on before Juliet's Sol, which I'm temporarily (but being truthful with myself, it'll probably end up as the final name) calling Jupiter. 

I had written out the script for Jupiter and discovered I needed to create. So. Much. Art. Easily over double what's in Juliet's Sol. And the script was shorter than Juliet's Sol! It was very overwhelming for a first big project to have so many locations and requiring new sprite sets for multiple outfits and AAAA! I could practically hear my screenwriting professor (from which I took a class specifically about SHORT film) about limiting my locations and characters. Characters were not a problem for Juliet's Sol! There's two! And then some faceless characters but shhhh that's simple... 

I wrote at the top of my Juliet's Sol outline:

"OK. Looking at myself. Keep. The locations. To a minimum. And no new outfits unless it’s in a cg. Also no more than 10 cgs. Ok yay."

So, the bad thing I learned is that there will always be more art than you think you'll need haha. But luckily, I was able to learn that lesson before I started this project! And I hope to return to Jupiter with a better plan.

A good surprise was the strength of the Ren'Py community! There are so many forums and guides online to support you in your first endeavor into a visual novel project, I knew that if I had any trouble making a vision I had come true, there would be someone who has encountered the same thing and was able to find help. 

And to anyone else creating and needs to find help online, don't be afraid to reach out directly! I had asked the game jam server a question on how to achieve the sprite layering I wanted after attempting for hours. I got a response swiftly, and I could've saved myself the time if I initially reached out! People are kind! And we're all trying to create! 

What inspired you to create them/their storylines initially?

I need to step back to Jupiter, and even before that! 

We need to go all the way back to 2020. 

Like many 15 year-olds in 2020, I was into Dangranronpa, and wanted to make my own Fanganronpa. I made my group of 16 characters, and most of them I don't actively think about often anymore, except for Jinx.

She's lasted through the ages, a permanent resident of my mind! She's changed stories many times, but retained her grand nature. 

In early 2024, I thought a bit of a concept of a story in which the protagonist wanted to be anything but the center of attention, and a side character would usurp the spotlight. Obviously Jinx was the perfect pick for the side character, and I created a new character for the stand in protagonist. In thinking about these characters, I decided they needed more support, so I then created Avery (very loosely based on a different Danganronpa OC) to uplift Jinx. A fourth character was created to not leave the protagonist all alone. 

The protagonist and the fourth character are the centers of Jupiter, while Jinx and Avery are the centers of Juliet's Sol. 

The concept for this group's story has greatly changed, and is no longer even the original premise that inspired it. I have much more fun thinking of different scenarios and dynamics between this group. But alas, the world doesn't know they're a group, because I'm only portraying them as two pairs. So I'll hopefully have a large project that includes all four of them one day! 

But for now, this project with Jinx and Avery exists.

So that's the backstory of how the characters came to be, but the story itself was inspired by the theme of the jam, Romeo and Juliet (those two are obvious), and my partner saying a one off joke of "like does Avery just stalk Jinx?" My initial reaction was to say "no! She's nice and she's normal!" But I kept thinking about it, and my mind was overtaken with the concept. It was the perfect way to make the yuri toxic from both ends. The attention Jinx craves would be her downfall.  

Thank you so much to everyone who downloaded Juliet's Sol!!

I'm forever grateful to each and every one of you and glad you enjoyed this thrown-together story.