Choose Your Own Adventure!!!

Choose Your Own Adventure books were my favorite format for storytelling when I was a kid. I read them obsessively, retracing my steps at least a dozen ways to ensure I took every story thread possible. Though the stories weren’t often as compelling as traditional chapter books, the flexibility of the story dazzled me. The chance to engage with the writer, even if just in pre-ordained ways, was irresistible.

So, a few years ago, I started doing Choose Your Own Adventure commissions for $20 at conventions, mostly as a joke. They became surprisingly successful, but cumbersome since I didn’t have time to talk to convention-goers and pitch our product when my head was ducked over a notebook. I’ve decided to move the operation online and do the commissions via email so I have time to do them properly. The rules are simple:

1. Give me the name(s) you want to use,

2. Give me the scenario,

3. Please no trademarked characters,

4. Let me know if I can post the story online or in a print anthology (“no” is an acceptable answer),

5. Agree on the price and give me your money.

The standard is five rounds. I write a chapter and give you two paths for the story to take. You choose where the adventure goes from there. If you want more rounds, then we can negotiate a price(just know I will probably up the price because these things are time-consuming and charting out a longer story with dozens of different story threads is difficult). The going rate for a full story is only $20(though I reserve the right to set the price higher based on demand or customer specifications). If you want a cover for the story, we can accommodate with something produced by one of our fabulous artists at a modest price that will be negotiated with the artist himself. A printed copy can also be arranged for a small set up and printing fee.

No refunds and I reserve the right to turn down a story if I don’t believe I am capable of doing it justice. So, a sprawling 200 chapter fantasy epic is probably not going to work for me. Probably. I will do the stories in the order they are received. There are no redoes. Once a chapter is written, it is written. Rush projects will cost more. Also, nothing overtly sexual. This is meant to be fun, not creepy and disturbing. Turnaround will depend on demand since each story is produced from scratch based on customer specifications. If I have twenty stories in line, it’ll take me a while to get to yours, so be patient. I normally write one chapter a day, so five days to finish a commission on average, assuming I get an immediate response. Email me with questions or pitches to charlesjmartin20 AT gmail.com, on Facebook, or on Twitter. Proceeds from the Choose Your Own Adventure commissions will go to funding the growth of Literati, so a fun time and a good cause!