Proposal Name: The Legend of Izza
Proposal Category: Ecosystem Fund Allocation
Abstract | Two or three sentences that summarize the proposal.
Several collections have their own storytelling, but what about a world where all apes, cats, wizards, etc. live together? This is a full-length fantasy novel to read on your way to ApeFest or while monitoring $APE price on a rainy afternoon. Follow the adventures of Izza, an outsider who wakes up with amnesia in a strange world of talking animals. As she tries to find out who she is, she meets familiar characters (Jenkins, Andrew, SpottieWIFI, and the traveling Sealsman, among others), gets embroiled in world politics full of magic, right-click savers, and inter-collection intrigue, and has to decide between going home or defending this strange land from a full-scale invasion by [redacted].
(illustration by fellow ape Julian the Creative)
Author Description (mandatory if the AIP is requesting funds) | A brief background of yourself
Iāve been in NFTs since June '21 and an ape since Aug '21, @nftsasha on Twitter. I was at both ApeFests, am followed by BAYC twitter (no idea why), met many people. I love this space, video games, and storytelling, and wanted to do something that combines all three passions. Iām starting with storytelling, so in Nov '22 I started writing this book.
Team Description (mandatory if the AIP is requesting funds) | A brief background of your team involved, if any
Just me right now! Part of this AIP is so I can pay a few illustrators, though.
Motivation | A statement on why the APE Community should implement the proposal.
As apes we lead the community and help set the tone for the space (we also own many avatars/participate in many communities). Otherside tech is a foundation, but what is the lore layer on top of it? What stories will we be telling? This is some of that lore, some of the stories. Just like with World of Warcraft, I want to start with book(s). Later, stars aligning and universe willing, Iād love to turn this into an RPG where you can accept quests from the characters in the book and go on adventures. But first we must write origin stories, hero and villain arcs, plots and dramas.
The book isnāt just about apes, but most of us arenāt just apes. The world that includes other avatars is far richer, allows for political intrigue, and is, well, just that - a world instead of just a community. Weāre also the only DAO in town - Forgotten Runes one isnāt legally finished yet, Cool Cats doesnāt have one, etc. (and I donāt have a Noun). The apes lead right now and thatās why I come to fellow apes with this AIP.
Rationale | An explanation of how the proposal aligns with the APE Communityās mission and guiding values.
ApeCoin DAO is about making our time in this community more fun, meaningful, and rich. Storytelling, imho, is a big part of that. In this story, the main character is an allegory for all of us being thrown into the whirlwind of NFTs and trying to make sense of it, forge our paths. It is a fantasy representation of our collective journey and its pains, triumphs, and humor. For someone not familiar with NFTs, this is a standard-format fantasy novel that may spark their interest in NFTs and some of our stories. For those of us who have been in the space, this book is full of inside references that make it more meaningful and fun.
I hope this becomes a quintessential coffee table book, so to speak, something to get lost in by ourselves or with our kids, a saga that pulls on our heartstrings as much as it engages our imagination and plays to our sentimental memories of these whirlwind years when web3 and web2 raged battle for our minds and loyalties.
Key Terms (optional) | Definitions of any terms within the proposal that are unique to the proposal, new to the APE Community, and/or industry-specific.
Iāve seen amazing isolated lore in every format so far - comics, videos, illustrations, short stories. Iām sure weāll all agree that they made the space better, improved the experience for all of us within each of the nft projects those stories were about. This book is a major, year-long effort to write a larger story that crosses collection boundaries. Thereās more meta here. It makes this entire nft collective feel like one place. And like IRL, Yuga assets play a key role in this fantasy story. Even punks and meebits.
Specifications | A detailed breakdown of the platforms and technologies that will be used.
The book will be self-published and free to read in electronic format.
Given enough interest, there will be a limited physical print.
I choose characters based on what makes sense for the plot/story, and I do not accept money for features or anything like that.
Iāve received verbal, sometimes written approval for name usage given final approval of the script; some people may revoke that permission before print. I minimize this risk by only using IRL names for characters that are positively represented (or have redemption arcs, or I notified person of full plot beforehand and they agree). For villains, etc. I use made-up names and characters, and any likeness to real people is entirely coincidental. My lawyer (me) approves this message.
Steps to Implement | The steps to implement the proposal, including associated costs, manpower, and other resources for each step where applicable.
Half of the book is already written! So you can judge my commitment and the work done so far (the link is 1st draft only! Read for plot and not style, grammar, etc. as those will suck in first drafts 
).
From here:
Iām in Vietnam (Da Lat) or Thailand (Koh Phangan) while writing so as to reduce my expenses (and b/c itās nice here!). So these cost estimates are based on that - ~$800/mo rent, $300/mo food, $150/mo transport (scooter + fuel), and $350/mo miscellaneous. Or $1600/mo total.
Note: in my AIP Idea, I estimated $8k total off the top of my head, w/o taxes. As I wrote the draft and accounted for everything, well itās over 2x that. Accounting for taxes - 3.5x. Still I hope you find that Iām asking for very reasonable, if not bare minimum, amounts and outside of literal food and bed I am asking for $0 for my own profit.
- Finish 1st/rough draft: 4 months.
- 4x1600 = $5,600 living expenses
- 10 illustrations (~one every 30 pages) = 10x$250 = $2,500
- Alpha feedback + revisions = 2nd draft: 2 months
This is to make any final (potentially semi-major) changes to plot and character arcs, and to correct most writing style issues (āshow donāt tellā, dialogue, repetitions, etc. etc.). 1st drafts usually suck to read, theyāre just plots vomited on a page. 2nd draft is where you re-watch dozens of hours of videos on how to write and painstakingly re-write every page to follow those tips.
- 2 x 1600 = $3,200 living expenses
- Beta feedback + final revisions = final draft: 1 month
- 1 x $1,600 = $1,600
- Editor feedback + polish (if Iām lucky to get a real editor): 1 month
- 1 x $1,600 = $1,600
- Pro editor: ~$2,500
- E-book published + cover art: 2 weeks, $800 living exp. + $500 for cover art = $1,300
- Limited physical print (if thereās demand): outside the scope of AIP; costs will be covered by those wanting the books via an nft release.
- ???
- Profit
J/k I expect no profit, this is art.
Timeline | Relevant timing details, including but not limited to start date, milestones, and completion dates.
A full novel takes one year, plus-minus.
Started in Nov '22
First draft finished: Aug 1, '23
Second draft: Oct 1
Third/final draft: Nov 1
Release version: Dec 1
E-book published: Dec 15, 2023 or sooner
Overall Cost | The total cost to implement the proposal.
$28,150 paid in ApeCoin
Check this page from my secret comic, for example, where Izza confuses mutants who want to welcome her with a hug for scary forest monsters and runs off until she stumbles upon the yacht club. If Iām lucky, a game will follow maybe 5 years from now ha (or I build in Otherside). But this AIP idea is about the book only, I donāt feel comfortable making far-away promises.
