I'll give you some basic starter tips. Credentials: I'm a VN developer with 15+ years of experience in various roles.
Step 1, Writing:
Focus on getting the writing done before anything else. This allows you to adjust the project scope and avoid feature creep or asset redundancies.
Once the writing is done with edits, etc. you can start the most barebones programming, sometimes called "scripting."
Step 2, Scripting:
This is where you input the text, assigning the character dialogue/narration tags, as well as basic choices/endings/etc. This is the easiest way to get familiarized with your chosen game engine without getting overwhelmed.
Placeholder assets are all you need at this point. You can include comments for what kind expression/pose changes you want for the sprites, what background goes where, when you want to use CG art, scene transitions, etc.
If something is too difficult for you to program yourself, you can seek out help or hire someone. If you run into roadblocks at this point you can adjust your story to fit with those limitations. Examples of roadblocks: something is too difficult to achieve even if you hired an experienced programmer, or too costly to reasonably achieve.
Step 3, Assets:
Once you've got the basic skeleton done, you'll have the most accurate idea of what assets you need to commission. This allows you to figure what you need and how to work within your budget. This will save you money, time. and effort.
From here you can either find premade assets that fit your needs (highly recommended for BG art) or commission an artist. Knowing how many characters, expressions, poses, outfits, etc. makes this process easier on you and the artist. The same goes for music or any videos.
You'll want to make sure you have the license for any premade assets (BGs, fonts, etc.) Some assets are allowed for non-commercial projects only, while others allow commercial use. Be careful to only use assets that fit your project. This will save you from potential legal headaches down the line. Speaking of...
Make sure to have a legal agreement with anyone you commission, especially if you intend to sell your project commercially. This protects all parties.
These agreements should specify what the artist is delivering to you, the rates you are paying them, and the due date. You can specify whether or not the artist will get royalties once the game is published for sale, how often/for how long (a set number of years vs. in perpetuity), and what those royalties will be (% of sales).
These agreements should also specify and what both parties are or aren't allowed to do with the finished assets. For example, I always include a clause that allows the artist to include the assets in their portfolio. I also include a clause that disallows the assets being used in NFTs.
You can also clarify how the freelancer will be listed in the credits, if they want to be credited at all. I personally want to have everyone credited, but sometimes people don't want to, or they want to use a different name/alias for this particular project.
Why do I recommend going about it like this?
There's nothing more frustrating than realizing that you don't have a specific asset when you've already gotten 75% of the game done because you were getting assets before the script was done. Or if you commissioned assets years prior, you'd need to reach out to the artist you originally hired to have a new asset made. This can cause various issues; the artist's style may have changed, they may not use the same programs, they might not even be taking commissions any more, or if they're busy you'll need to be put on a waiting list. This can throw a wrench into your production schedule.
I have an acquaintance who insists on getting assets despite not having a finished script. Over the years their project has changed so much that they've had to get completely new assets made. To me this is a waste of money, but maybe that's just because I don't have the means to throw money around like my friend does...no matter how much I might love commissioning artists. It's just not practical in my situation.
I hope this helps. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me and I can point you towards some resources that might help.
