The definitive guide to game writing inspiration

boolean · 2013-02-07T01:06:03

Over the last few months I have noticed that there seems to of been a number of posts asking for help on a similar theme: “Im a coder, not a writer. Please help me write a story” This is a pretty common occurrence. A programmer designs an engine, but has no world or plot to place upon it. Unfortunately, it is very unlikely that a post asking for a story that you could create will lead to anything substantial. This is because unless you design it yourself, you wont have a passion for the world you are creating, and invariably end up continually asking people for more and more help on what comes next (In a similar way, its like asking someone to write the first 10 pages of a book for you). So, to combat this problem, I have come up the list below. The following is what will (hopefully) be an ever-growing list of sites and guides that can help you get over that writing block. They are links to sites that may spark ideas and get you thinking of possible plot ideas. Some will be galleries with lots of different art, and some will be guides on how to get started when creating a story. ++ How to submit ++ UPDATE: This thread has been retired automatically, so to submit new content please just send me a PM I am hoping that this list will continue to grow as more and more people submit links. To submit your part to the guide, please follow the format below. Once I have verified that the site fits this guide I will add it to the list below. I will put your username with your link as well so you get sufficient credit. Site name: Type the name of the site or page title that the link is connecting to. Site Address: Don’t worry about it being a clicky or not if you don’t want to. It will be formatted correctly when I add it to the list. Description: A quick description of what the site contains. Best way to use(optional): A small guide on how you use the site for inspiration (not needed if the site you are linking to is a tutorial/guide) You can copy and past this if you find it quicker: Site name: Site Address: Description: Best way to use: ++ THE LIST ++ ++ Websites ++ Elwood Science fiction and fantasy art A collection of user submitted art containing both Sci-fi and Fantasy Best way to use: Just go through random pages looking at the art. Find one picture you like and try to imagine that as being part of a story. You will be surprised the plots you come up with Concept art A small collection of user submitted art containing people from both Sci-fi and Fantasy Best way to use: Just go through random pages looking at the art. Find one picture you like and try to imagine the character as part of a story. The big list of RPG plots A huge list of plot starters that can be used to move to bigger story lines. It is designed for Pen&Paper games, but its still useful. Best way to use: Read some of the plot starters and try to think of them being a level in a game. You may find that the setting and characters come naturally after this. Dictionary of Inspiration Credit: orionx103 A dictionary of stuff that inspired me Best way to use: Base your own characters or items off those presented here FanFiction.net Credit: orionx103 A collection of fan-submitted fanfics Best way to use: Shows you how characters can be taken in directions you might not've thought about Vladimir Propp's "Elements of the Folktale" Credit: sunandshadow Propp breaks down plot/folktale elements into 31 basic forms. Very interesting reading Chris Crawford's library of articles Credit: sunandshadow A library of articles about mimetics, the structure and function of fiction, and the design of the Erazmatron and some games made for it. The TV Tropes Wiki Credit: sunandshadow A lighthearted but intelligent wiki exploring common cliches and tropes in not just TV, but also anime, games, movies, and novels. Lots of stuff about heroes, villains, types of love interests, types of plots, and much more. ++ Books ++ Please Understand Me II: Temperament, Character, Intelligence Credit: Sunandshadow Author: David Keirsey. Received 4.5/5 on Amazon.com The Writer's Guide to Character Traits Credit: Sunandshadow Author: Linda N. Edelstein Ph.D. 45 Master Characters: Mythic Models for Creating Original Characters Credit: Sunandshadow Author: Victoria Schmidt. Received 4/5 on Amazon.com The Complete Writer's Guide to Heroes and Heroines Credit: Sunandshadow Author: Tami D. owden. Received 4.5/5 on Amazon.com Characters Make Your Story Credit: Sunandshadow Author: Maren Elwood. Received 5/5 on Amazon.com! Fiction Is Folks Credit: Sunandshadow Author: Robert Newton Peck. Received 5/5 on Amazon.com! Interactive Storytelling: Techniques for 21st Century Fiction Credit: Sunandshadow Author: Andrew Glassner A list of his books including The "Masks of God" series, as well as "The Hero With A Thousand Faces". Credit: stimarco A study on mythologies and how to use them when writing a story Author: Joseph Campbell. Received 5/5 on Amazon.com (average from 3 books) ++ Forum Links ++ The Creative Process Credit: CoffeeMug A post by CoffeeMug Works to get inspiration from? Credit: various Excellent post started by Origin2052, continued on by many others. Writing – Reply by adventuredesign Credit: adventuredesign (includes other various members) The post originally asked for help with writing, and adventuredesign went on to post a gigantic tutorial like post ++ Gamedev.net links ++ More Than You Ever Wanted To Know About Worldbuilding sunandshadows developer journal An in depth look into worldbuilding. Touches on aspects such as Physics, Geography, Ecology and Culture. Designing Characters sunandshadows developer journal A guide on creating believable and in-depth characters. Plot Part I sunandshadows developer journal Breaks down the key points of a plot and analysis its progression from start to end. Plot Part II sunandshadows developer journal Fleshes out some of the milestons discussed in 'Plot Part I'. Naming sunandshadows developer journal A look at 5 different varieties of names, and discusses how to use them to name your characters. ++ Other useful tools ++ Universalis Credit: onyxflame A collaborative storytelling game, with mechanics to resolve disagreements between players, as well as the ability to semi-randomly resolve story conflicts so even the players can be surprised by what happens. Roget's Thesaurus online, free and searchable! Credit: Sunandshadow Storybase Software for Writers Credit: diceymatters Storybase is the world's only dictionary of essential human situations. The situations in Storybase make no reference to culture or gender specific conventions, so in a sense they are 'archetypal' and can be applied to any type of story. The software enables the writer to insert the names of their characters into the situtuations in Storybase. It is a great resourse for game developers who are having trouble with a specific story or who need to generate a lot of story threads in a short amount of time. Storybase does not write the story for you, however, it offers suggestions that spark the imagination. Storybase is a PC based software program that costs $99 (but it can be found on eBay for as little as $69.95). [Edited by - sunandshadow on August 27, 2008 3:33:51 PM]

Writing for Games Game Design

Started by boolean August 16, 2004 07:18 AM

59 comments, last by GearTreeEntertaiment 11 years, 10 months ago

GearTreeEntertaiment

807

February 07, 2013 01:06 AM

Since I started writhing before I ever started programming, this is not the case for me, and I'm glad for this. I have such a broad imagination for ideas and worlds. In my free time, I usually write on ideas for my worlds. Its awesome.

~GTE

The definitive guide to game writing inspiration

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