My one and only suggestion would be to reconsider the title, as "Straight!?" is a bit on the nose and doesn't live up to the eloquence and nuance of the storytelling. I think a more appropriate title could reference the Buckeye tree, which is a key setting and theme in the story and a powerful visual metaphor for the main characters' relationship. Something like "Beneath the Buckeye" perhaps.
heya. thanks for the kind words and thank you for taking the project seriously. You seem to have picked up on the gravity of a lot of the things that I wanted to share and make various points about within the story. a lot of people have wanted to see a movie or TV series on this thing and I think it would be fun, too; despite me probably being a very difficult person to work with in terms of casting, music, or even writing changes. lol
Now, on to your title suggestion...
[Spoilers Below]
The story title has been pretty well set from the start and was pretty purposeful and there's a lot of nods to various aspects of the story. I felt like a lot of LGBT media that I was exposed to had traditionally much more feminine or flamboyant examples as a lifestyle and that wasn't something that I could ever relate to personally. While I had some pretty severe closet tendencies, there were other traits and interests that were things I actually enjoyed that were not a projection of my own suppressed instincts. I didn't like the implication that for me to truly accept my sexuality, I was supposed to act like traditional depictions that I had seen in the media. I wanted to depict a lifestyle where the characters could have less stereotypical traits related to their sexuality and outwardly learn to express those in a healthy way and normalize that as a lifestyle option that was just as valid as any other lifestyle that truly captures who we are as individuals.
Hence, the use of the word "straight" in the title with question marks and exclamations. There's another point in the story that alludes to the title in which both Zack and Braden are referenced as literally being like the question mark and the exclamation point themselves. Another nod to the title is that the original game cover shows Braden instead Zack. This calls into question a large part of the story is just diving into where Braden falls on the spectrum. I think assuming that Braden is just a closet case is a very toxic way to view his character and the writing addresses that a few different times. Braden's sexuality, like a lot of people's preference, is way more complex than just being Straight or Gay and it's sorta left up to the reader ( I have my own head canon).
[End of Spoilers]
The word "straight" is also in red throughout the story. I did a public post on my Patreon page regarding why I did this that you can find here.
However, all that being said: I do appreciate your reference to the buckeye tree. it was a fun addition and was a personal way for me to sorta conceptualize how polarizing concepts can both be true within nature. Unfortunately, that scene, like much of this story was never planned and was written one chapter at a time. And while I always knew the ending of the story, I never knew anything that happened before it. I just knew where it stopped. Literally made that buckeye shit up right at the end of the story, lol :p
Although I disagree that people acting however masculine/butch or feminine/flamboyant as they want has anything to do with straightness, I respect that that's your perspective. I am pansexual/queer, and I identified with Braden throughout the story, especially toward the end, regarding his confusion and inability to put himself in a category.
[SPOILER] It became canon in the story that Braden is at the very least a one on the Kinsey Scale, which to me means that he is queer and decidedly not straight (a zero on the Kinsey Scale), but that's my reading of his character which is influenced by my experience. [END SPOILER]
Regardless of all that, I want to commend you again on writing and producing such a thoughtful story—I think it is a testament to the intricacy and impact of it that different people can experience it in various ways and still enjoy it so much. I am excited to play through the revised version and support the project by purchasing the game. Bravo!
to clarify, I actually agree with you. my perspective is that traditional gender norms don't equal sexuality-- -- which is sorta what led me to writing the story the way that I did. i wanted to play with some stereotypes a bit. I just wanted to mostly avoid labels and characters just being whatever they happened to be. i'm trying to normalize diversity here and say it's ok liking what you like and that you don't have to conform to pre-established labels or interests. just be you. I definitely agree that your take using the Kinsey Scale could be applicable here although my head canon is a bit different. i think that's fun and i think that's what makes braden's arc interesting. There's a lot of interpretations to it.
but thank you for your kind words. i'm glad you enjoyed the story and the depth of it was something that you could relate to. definitely check out the revamp though. it really does change the whole feel of the game from the start
I think a titular change would actually be a disservice to the plot, because the way it's written, it immediately draws the audience into questioning the word. I feel as though it was titled, specifically, with the "!?" to draw the audience's attention and actually get them to think about how the word is being used. For instance, even in the original release, the first time Brayden uses the word, it's more implied to mean "chill with it", as in his roommate's sexuality, but the reality is that, from that moment, the audience was tricked into thinking we're watching a straight guy question his sexuality, while in reality, we're witnessing a questioning guy on his way to come to terms with his sexuality. Both Brayden and Zach are in very similar situations, with neither of them really understanding that, and being so wrapped up in their own problems that they didn't realizw the person they cared about most was going through a similar issue. That's how I perceived the story and how it relates to the tile, at least.
heya, thanks for chiming in on this. that's actually my head canon in writing it as well. Obviously, people are allowed their own interpretation and whichever one makes you the happiest with the story is the one you should go with. Also, i chuckled in reading your post because you explained it way better than i did and I wrote the damn thing, lmao.
So thanks for the assist :p