It's like a bicycle race.

No, no, it's like a fish sandwich.

No, it's like a fish on a bicycle.

Exactly.

11 Sept 06

Oh, how I loathe thee comment spammer claiming to be from Albania. I know you are just some stupid script that could be run from anywhere. You still waste my time and resources, but I will not allow you to boost your page rank off my site.

To my actual readers, I have a couple new security measures in place. Please inform me if they cause you any problems. I have a couple more steps I can take if necessary. I will try to keep them from being burdensome to you.

Thank you to the people who pointed out my auto correction for Dwarf Fortress. That is the correct title of the game. I had typed Dwarven automagically. Silly me. Bill's descriptions remind me of my ancient days learning Kampfgruppe on my old Atari computer. Everything made sense, but there were so many abstractions and shortcuts, it was like learning a new language. I don't know if I'll break down and try Dwarf Fortress, but it won't be intimidation that stops me.

I wanted to start today with some thoughts on writing game stories. Most gamers enjoy reading a good gaming story, but few take the time and effort to write one. This site is about helping to change that.

Some people think you have to be a great writer and a great gamer to write a story. Neither is really true. I've read some horribly written pieces that kept me glued to the story. The sheer enthusiasm of the writer and the number of interesting things going on left a great story even if it was poorly communicated. If being a great gamer were a requirement, I'd have to exclude myself. I'm only good at a handful of games. I've never really been great at any. I play to have fun not master any one game. Beyond that, I find that some of my best writing comes from when I'm learning a game and making mistakes. There's more uncertainty, I'll take more chances and I'll explain things better since the game is still foreign to me.

I'm going to try to go over a few main points on this subject this week, but today I want to cover the question I get the most. It's 'How do I start?' I've said it before, and I'll say it again, you get better at writing by writing. You get even better by accepting criticism of your work. That's why I'm always asking for feedback around here. It's nice to hear great story or great site, but I know I can improve things when someone tells me what they didn't like and why.

Here's how I recommend starting. Think of a gaming story you've told a friend. It can be about any game. It doesn't matter. Then try to write up the story exactly as you told it. Don't worry if it doesn't make sense out of context. Don't worry if you use jargon or mention friends. Just write it up as close as possible to the way you told it.

Now read it back. Don't worry about the details yet. Just look at the raw narrative. Ask yourself if you forgot any important details. Did you cover all the steps that got you from A to B so on until the end. If not, fill in any important facts. Keep any insertions as short and as simple as possible.

You have the heart of the story now. You just have to flesh it out a bit. Next, I like to start by writing a brief introduction to the game. Give the basics, name, developer, genre, general background and gameplay. If it's Starcraft, for example, don't go into the history of the Zerg. Just give basic descriptions of the sides involved in your story. Keep it short and simple.

Then transition from the general points of the game to the specifics of your story. Give the initial conditions, goals, resources and general game plan. For instance, I have no idea what a molten core raid actually involves, but I'm sure someone could explain the basics in a paragraph or less. Again, keep it simple.

Here's where you start your rewrite. You can do whatever's comfortable for you. I like to cut all the fluff, highlight the key points of the story and use that as an outline to start fresh. This is the important part. Once you start the rewrite, try to just write the whole thing out in one sitting. Go with the story and write. Then, check spelling and grammar. Once you fix those mistakes, have someone else read it. You can post it here on the forum, give it to a friend, post it on your myspace. Whatever. Get some feedback on it. Ask what's not clear.

Finally, use the feedback to polish the story. It will never be perfect so don't worry about that. Don't rewrite here unless everyone agrees it's a complete mess. Just clarify and tighten. Then let it go. That story is done. Move on to the next. Keep at it. You'll probably be amazed at how quickly you improve.

That's enough for now. Feel free to post your own getting started suggestions or rip apart mine. Feedback will just make it better.

Jason