Fleshing out the Narrative with Insomnia

No don't worry I'm not suffering with this condition, I have decided to mark it as the first cognitive disorder creature to begin the concept art book with after exploring narrative features and calculating what order of creatures would be best to bring about a successful change in the reader, lets have a look at how this process started.

Originally treating each creature as its own chapter and having a very organised structure to how the art was displayed.

Here we can see the Greek iconography and pattern exploration for the branding of the book as well as how the pages could be laid out, including an anatomical info dump at the beginning of each creatures section - this makes it feel more scientific as a journal almost like a National Geographic piece of work. It wouldn't work as smoothly with my attempt to allow for all stages of conceptual art to be present within the book as their would be no reason for the 'speculative' drawings from the author (my own iterative art) based on word of mouth within the narrative - a key feature necessary in the book to represent the growth of inaccurate perceptions within our world. This scientific approach also didn't fit with my own vision of the world in which this project takes place, with low technology more fantasy based themes, science wouldn't be present instead observational scholars who would journal and illustrate their findingslike our worlds Leonardo Da Vinci etc.

Going back to my reference materials of concept art books and studying the Elder Scrolls Online concept art book it made more sense to set a foundation for the narrative of the author and allow that to dictate how they discover or observe each creature, this new way of developing the book also led slightly into the three stage transitions of Bipolar disorder as the authors interactions with the creatures has to be purposeful in their development as well as representative for the reader. I began looking into different types of narrative structures to see if their was one that was more often utilised when attempting to evoke an emotional response from an audience or bring about a change in behaviour/perspective.

The Hero’s Journey is a story structure that typically begins with the disruption of the protagonist’s ordinary life by a call to adventure, which they eventually accept. Throughout their quest, the hero must face and overcome challenges and adversaries, ultimately emerging victorious. The journey often culminates in the hero’s return home, transformed by their experiences.

It proceeds through the following steps:

• The setup: The author introduces the main characters, the setting, the story’s premise, the stakes, and the main conflict.
• Confrontation: The main character faces increasing obstacles that prevent them from achieving their goals. The obstacles are too big and they fail at their mission. Subplots and secondary characters are used to add complexity to the story.
• Resolution: The climax takes place where they face their opponents one last time. This is followed by a brief period of denouement where the consequences of the climax occur.

The opposite of a linear story, the events within do not occur in chronological order to increase a dramatic effect when a twist or climactic event occurs. Often incorporates flash back scenes to illustrate character backgrounds more deeply. Not ideal for a journal that is very linear.

The 3 Steps of the Fichtean Curve

1. Rising action: this is the primary part of your story, and will take up most of your time. Rising action is punctuated by several crises, each of which heighten the stakes, progress your plot, and increased attention. This is why it is called rising action.
2. The climax: at the top of your rising action, everything cumulates into a single climax, where every threat of your novel converges. This is near the End of your novel, at the height of tension.
3. Falling action: after your climax, you need some time to let the reader relax, and we do this with falling action. This section allows you to tie up any loose ends of your story, and show your characters returning to a state of normalcy.

Very similar to the Fichtean Curve, differing in its beginning and end by opening with exposition and ending with Catastrophe, it still utilises the multiple moments of increasing crisis' to elevate the audiences tension before the climax.

In 2005 Blake Snyder formalised this narrative structure that uses 15 ‘beats’ to structure the story.

1. First, the opening image presents the readers with a scene that introduces them to the setting and makes the readers want to know more.

2. In the 'theme-stated' section, a hint is given of what is to come for the story.

3. The set-up then established the ordinary world of the protagonist.

4. The catalyst takes place (this is the inciting incident).

5. This is followed by the debate which is where the protagonist refuses the call to action but is eventually forced into it.

6. In the 'Break into Two' part, the protagonist must decide what they want to do to begin their journey.

7. In the B Story, a subplot is introduced and this is usually a romantic subplot but overall emphasises the theme of the story.

8. The Promise of the Premise is also called the ‘fun and games' and is the point in which the writer works on the genre of the story and presents the entertaining side of the plot. For example, in a romance genre, this would be the section the characters fall in love.

9. The midpoint is where the plot twist occurs. It increases the stakes and makes it harder for the hero to achieve their goal; it can also be the point where they start focussing on a new goal.

10. The tension increases as the bad guys close in as the protagonist’s obstacles become more intense and none of their plans works.

11. All is lost and the hero is at an ultimate low point.

12. Having lost everything, the hero eventually finds new information in the 'dark night of the soul' section that gives them an idea of what they can do to succeed.

13. In the 'Break into three', the protagonist decides to try one more time after finding out this new information.

14. In the finale, the protagonist goes against the main conflict; they are now able to see the real truth and resolve their story.

15. Finally, in the final image, readers see a final moment or scene in which the protagonist has changed.

A slightly less detailed adaptation of The Hero’s Journey, the Seven-Point Story Structure focuses specifically on the highs and lows of a narrative arc.

According to author Dan Wells, who developed the Seven-Point Story Structure, writers are encouraged to start at the end, with the resolution, and work their way back to the starting point: the hook. With the ending in mind, they can have their protagonist and plot begin in a state that best contrasts the finale — since this structure is all about dramatic changes from beginning to end.

Structure

1. The Hook. Draw readers in by explaining the protagonist’s current situation. Their state of being at the beginning of the novel should be in direct contrast to what it will be at the end of the novel.
2. Plot Point 1. Whether it’s a person, an idea, an inciting incident, or something else — there should be a "Call to Adventure" of sorts that sets the narrative and character development in motion.
3. Pinch Point 1. Things can’t be all sunshine and roses for your protagonist. Something should go wrong here that applies pressure to the main character, forcing them to step up and solve the problem.
4. Midpoint. A “Turning Point” wherein the main character changes from a passive force to an active force in the story. Whatever the narrative’s main conflict is, the protagonist decides to start meeting it head-on.
5. Pinch Point 2. The second pinch point involves another blow to the protagonist — things go even more awry than they did during the first pinch point. This might involve the passing of a mentor, the failure of a plan, the reveal of a traitor, etc.
6. Plot Point 2. After the calamity of Pinch Point 2, the protagonist learns that they’ve actually had the key to solving the conflict the whole time.
7. Resolution. The story’s primary conflict is resolved — and the character goes through the final bit of development necessary to transform them from who they were at the start of the novel.

Out of all of these the Hero's Journey makes the most sense, there are features of other narrative structures that initially looked like they could fit such as the Freytag's Pyramid if i were to see each interaction with the creatures as another crisis, however, I don't see the creatures as being used in this way - mood disorder representation should not be a crisis and if some of the creatures interactions have positive implications on the authors journey they would not add to the tension. Some of the creatures having positive interactions might not feel like it would fit with the aesthetic of the creatures representing monstrous symptoms but looking back at the Monster Hunter franchise that includes less monstrous creatures such as the Kirin (a lightening based horse creature). The creature can represent the symptoms whilst the authors observation or interaction of the creature can positively change their behaviour when they have reached a part of the narrative that allows them to be more open minded or empathetic - a reader witnessing how the author changes would give them the tools to change their own behaviour something described several times during production of this blog when looking at pro-social games. Likening such events to Urusla witnessing the entire life cycle of a strange alien creature during her travels in the Netflix series 'Scavengers Reign' and how it has a profound effect on her character going forward in the story.

Having already being looking at the materials that can be gained from hunting the creatures, or their carcasses/dropped materials from and researching real world groups that would be great reference points for cults/tribes/nomads/villages that co-exist with the creatures, I felt it would be useful to have an individual from one of these groups end up travelling with the author for some part of the journal, a way for the reader to see how the authors character differs from those who co-exist with the creatures similar to how the reader may differ from someone who actually suffers from a cognitive disorder. As a duo they can pass through a series of three narrative lessons (old school gaming trope of defeating a boss three times) before separating. The coming together and separating had to be significant events not just being forced for narrative purposes as the reader would feel less immersed in their connection as a travelling pair, but ones that feel inevitable due to the contextual circumstances, when combining this with cognitive disorders there was an interesting poetic duality between Insomnia and Narcolepsy that I desired to explore.

With both of these disorders belonging to the Sleep/Wake disorder category it was clear that Nocturnal creatures were a solid starting point when looking for real world animals and organisms to base some of the anatomical and aesthetic features on. Bats, owls, sloths, and aye aye primates were some of the primary starting points observed.

Symptoms

- find it hard to go to sleep

- wake up several times during the night

- lie awake at night

- wake up early and cannot go to sleep

- still feel tired after waking

- find it hard to nap during the day even though you're tired

- feel tired and irritable during the day

- if you have insomnia for a time shorter than 3 months it's called short-term Insomnia, longer than this is long-term Insomnia.

Most of these fit the aesthetic of nocturnal creatures but there is nothing in particular that can substantially allow for certain features from the above mentioned creatures to be utilised, though the stigmatic perception of Insomniacs being lazy would force me to steer away from sloths so as to ensure the design of the Insomniac creature has only symptoms present in the design choices.

Causes

1. Lifestyle and Environmental Factors:

- Stress and Anxiety: Worries about work, relationships, or finances can keep your mind active at night, making it hard to fall asleep.

- Poor Sleep Habits: Irregular sleep schedules, taking naps, being too active before bedtime, and having an uncomfortable sleep environment can disrupt your sleep cycle.

- Uncomfortable Sleep Environment: A room that's too hot or cold, noisy, or has an uncomfortable bed can contribute to insomnia.

- Caffeine, Nicotine and Alcohol: Consuming these substances, especially close to bedtime, can interfere with sleep.

- Jet Lag and Shift Work: Disruptions to your body's natural sleep-wake cycle can lead to insomnia.

- Medications: Some medications can have side effects that disrupt sleep.

- Screen Time Before Bed: Using electronic devices (phones, tablets, computers) before bed can interfere with sleep.

2. Medical Conditions

- Mental Health Conditions: Anxiety, depression, and other mental health disorders can significantly impact sleep.

- Physical Pain or Discomfort: Chronic pain, arthritis, or other medical conditions can make it difficult to sleep comfortably.

- Sleep Disorders: Conditions like sleep apnea, restless legs syndrome, and narcolepsy can cause insomnia.

- Other Medical Conditions: Certain medical conditions, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or hyperthyroidism, can cause insomnia.

3. Life Events and Circumstances

- Major Life Changes: Stressful events like job loss, divorce, or the death of a loved one can disrupt sleep patterns.

- Caring for Someone: Caring for a sick family member or a young child can lead to sleep deprivation and insomnia.

Looking at the creatures previously mentioned, I imagine the upside down sleeping of a bat during daylight hours to be uncomfortable, but if you pair this with an echo chamber valley environment where every sound is amplified and reverberated around would lead to a lot of disturbances when trying to sleep or rest, if the creatures body made sounds when it moved that couldn't be helped it would be a good representation of the creature causing restlessness rather than just the surroundings. Think of holes in the wings that whistled as it flew and this sound carried on throughout the environment or the acidic expulsion from the mouth (gastroesophageal reflux representation and defensive game mechanic for creature) leaving a sizzling sound on the rocks for hours on end. In opposition to this a co-existing cult would attempt to live in silence to alleviate the symptoms of the creature and allow them to rest so as to not disturb their own survival in this world, with younger members going through a religious vigil upon reaching maturity to pass into the adult order - one such member could have their vigil broken and this is how they leave the cult and journey with the author unable to properly rest afterwards due to the major life event and depression after failing to pass the vigil only resting when coming across the cognitive disorder creature representing Narcolepsy.

The enlarged ears would pick up on any sound leading to restlessness at all times with the sounds caused by the creatures as well as echoing around the environment.

Initial iterative designs incorporating a really rough bristly fur reminiscent of the texture of coarse doormats, to resemble the uncomfortableness that can be felt trying to rest with Insomnia.

I moved on to producing more images of the creature adapting it to have more owl-like qualities in its appearance especially the face area as I still wanted to maintain a mixture of bat and aye-aye in its torso, looking at designing torn wings that would produce a particular noise to echo around the cavernous area, I imagine it would be similar to the irritating noise produced when wrapping a comb in tracing paper and blowing through it that used to be more common in the late 90's early 2000's (just a strange irritating noise that would signal the beasts arrival akin to irritating alarm clock noises waking us up in the morning). Also playing more with fine-liners as a medium that could replicate the artists use of ink and quill to fit in with the more fantasy based artist equipment that I feel fits with the narrative being told here. I also began to include human figures to give a sense of scale to the creature, having it be so large in comparison could allude to the fact of it having thunderous footsteps or movement that would again echo around the environment providing a space where nobody can rest peacefully. I wasn't enjoying the look with a more owl like feature and wanted the eyes to be more sunken hollows to emulate a complete lack of sleep but would go forward to adapt the beak into other more sinister looking forms as i moved the design forward.

As you can see with the above images the design process was slowly moving forward into a creature that represented some of the symptoms/causes of insomnia whilst also solving some of the issues I was having with previous iterations. Working up the visual design of the pustules around the neck that represent the reflux cause for insomnia but also adds a game mechanic with a potential projectile attack the creature can deliver, showcasing how they start flat with a deep red colour that brightens as they inflate with the acidic substance similar to how when coloured balloons inflate the colour brightens. The designs consistently keep a skeletal feel to them and this has two purposes, firstly aesthetically it makes the creature look more uncomfortable with the application of bristly sharp fur that rubs against the creatures form with little meat on the bones in the way of protecting the nerves from being irritated, secondly functionally the creature would struggle to catch prey with the amount of noise it makes and would have to rely on scavenging corpses from other creatures similar to how other cognitive disorders such as anxiety or depression can cause insomnia it would be smart to observe this in the games world with in world creatures representing these disorders having their prey stolen by insomnia.

Being satisfied with where the designs of insomnia were being refined I went back to looking at how the narrative around this creature would work, considering it to be the first creature introduced into the book I wanted to start labelling pages in my InDesign document so that images of completed creatures could start being placed within the book. 

Like previously stated to utilise my own thumbnails within the book so it can be seen as a tutorial for concept art processes as well as a pro-social narrative companion piece to the game the story starts within a local tavern where rumours of the insomnia creature can be told to represent stigmatic perceptions of the disorder and point the author/artist (Elias Corvayn) toward a group of people known to co-exist within the environment that the creature resides within. As with other creatures I wanted a real-world culture to include when designing a group to fit in this role, a fairly small criteria is necessary for this section as the important part of the book has to remain the creatures to reiterate the message I'm intending to impart on the readers but it is still a design process that has to be produced with deliberate intention when it comes to research and design. Looking at groups and cultures that have a significant connection to sleep or dreams, with particularly unique features in their appearance that can be reproduced through potential item drops from the creature in mind. Part of this includes any significant iconography or pattern making and language that could influence some of the observational art from Elias during his visit to these people.

1. Australian Aboriginal Dreamtime (The Dreaming)

-Spiritual Significance of Sleep: The Dreaming refers not just to sleep dreams, but to an ancestral plane where creation myths, spirits, and the laws of nature are said to reside.

-Visual Influence: Aboriginal art often uses dot patterns, circular motifs, and line-work to represent paths, waterholes, and spiritual journeys - perfect inspiration for runes, robe embellishments, or sanctuary murals.

-Symbolic Parallel: Like the insomnia creature being caught between sleep and waking, Dreamtime represents liminal space - a parallel to Elias' own journey between myth and reality.

2. Tibetan Buddhist Sleep Yoga/ Dream Yoga

-Spiritual significance of Sleep: Practitioners aim to maintain awareness during dreaming and even deep sleep as a way to prepare for death and achieving enlightenment.

-Visual Influence: Use of mandalas, spirals, and highly patterned symmetrical designs could inspire the iconography or the layout of their sanctuary.

-Philosophical Tie-in: The belief in mastering the sleep state as a form of control could parallel the groups attempts to resist the effects of the insomnia creature and retain clarity in sleeplessness.

3. Ancient Egyptian Concepts of the Soul & Sleep

-Spiritual Significance of Sleep: Egyptians believed sleep allowed parts of the soul (especially the "Ba") to travel between the mortal and divine realms.

-Visual Influence: Hieroglyphic symbols for sleep, stasis, and journey could inform more geometric versions of runes around the groups sanctuary.

-Symbolic Parallel: The idea that sleep is a journey or transition reflects the groups role as watchers on the threshold between consciousness and exhaustion.

4. Sufi Islamic Mysticism

-Spiritual Significance of Dreams: Dreams are seen as communication from the divine or as tests. Sufi poetry and writings often reflect themes of longing, wakefulness, and spiritual yearning.

-Visual Influence: Use of calligraphy-inspired forms, spiralling text, and star-like patterning could shape more elegant or sacred versions of the groups iconography.

-Emotional Tone: The meditative silence and focus on enduring through longing could influence posture, robes, and shrine designs.

I was most drawn to the Tibetan Buddhists after witnessing some of their feats when it came to pushing their consciousness outside of their human emotions and physical feelings, the most common of these is the lying on a bed of nails with weight placed upon them which stood out to me as the opposite of those suffering with short-term insomnia that cannot find comfort whilst lying down. I could imagine a group built of these Buddhists as a reference would hold a vigil of silence as they pass into adulthood where they remain silent for an amount of time and one of their members fails due to the appearance of the insomnia creature leading to them pairing up with Elias. I also was entranced by the mandala visuals and could imagine the group fashioning robes made from the creatures wings and utilising the holes in the wings into intricate mandala patterns. They even reminded me of the circular patterns found in dreamcatchers that I wanted to go on to develop as the ends of staffs held by higher members of this group when designing them.

Beginning to look at a number of real-world Tibetan Buddhist names to bring a stronger depth to these individuals and to pick a relevant name for the would-be companion to Elias.

I found Karma or Karma Yeshe to be a perfect fit for the companion as they would be a constant reminder to Elias that without intruding into the lives of these people with a level of ignorance to the insomnia creature then the child would perhaps have passed their vigil and have Elias pose some thoughtful question to himself on how he must adapt to the world if he continues to interact with these cognitive based creatures going forward - this could then lead into the three lessons he learns with Karma as a companion with one of them leading to him eventually losing an eye (hints at a changed perception going forward but also he makes a sacrifice and returns home having changed in terms of the hero's journey).

"The quill trembles in my hand. I do not know whether it is from fatigue, or shame.

I watched Karma descend into silence. Not the sacred kind his order honours, but the other kind - the kind that arrives after something inside collapses.

He no longer screamed. Instead, his eyes widened as if trying to see something the rest of us had forgotten.

They've stayed like that since.

I came here seeking form, anatomy, behaviour. I thought I might learn from the creature - translate it into pages and paint. But it is not the creature that speaks loudest tonight.

It is the boy.

I drew his outline as he curled upon himself - at first for accuracy. Then for remembrance. Then, because I could not look at him without trying to understand.

The order say nothing. They do not grieve aloud. Yet something has changed. Not just Karma, not just the ritual, but me.

If I aim to walk this world and map its monsters, I must learn to see not only what they do- but what they reflect."

Karma and Elias' journey incorporating the three lessons.

1. The Lesson of Vulnerability (weight of observation)

After the shattered vigil, Karma begins mirroring symptoms from other creatures - especially entities tied to stress or compulsive patterns. This leads Elias to understand that watching without compassion is a form of harm, even unintentionally. He has to step in once again but this time to save Karma from a group associated with the creature rather than the creature itself (if we are to build empathy we have to defend sufferers not from symptoms but first from society with stigmatic perceptions) this creature will either be Dermatillomania or Kleptomania and I envision this is where Elias has his face damaged and it will worsen as he progresses until he is forced to remove his own eye.

2. The Lesson of Agency 

In a moment of danger, Karma acts - breaking his silent trance to protect Elias. This shows that even those altered by trauma still posses choice, strength, and worth. Elias realises compassion requires participation, not passivity. Options for this particular creature chapter are; Panic Disorder, Schizoaffective Disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). I like the idea of PTSD the most as it can represent where Karma's character has shifted to after the events of the shattered vigil and being saved by ELias' previously but all these options have pros and cons that need weighing up when developing this section.

3. The Lesson of Compassionate Release

In a village that worships a sleep-based creature (narcolepsy) Karma begins walking toward the unknown. Elias, changed by all they've endured chooses to let him go, respecting Karma's need for peace over his own need for closure.

"There is no fear in his stride. Only rhythm - slow, steady, as if he's moving toward something he's waited his whole life to remember."