5 narrative rules for those who want to write a game themselves
Yelyzaveta Mikeladze
- Hall:
- Game Design Track
What the talk is about
Yelyzaveta Mikeladze offers five narrative rules for people writing a game story for the first time. First, learn the basics of dramatic theory: exposition, conflict, hero and antihero, and describe the hero through an advantage, flaw, secret, treasure, goal and ally. A story can be tested by fitting it into a single paragraph. Second, don't fear tropes: they are a ready frame, and a cliché appears only when a trope is used without creativity. Third, borrow freely from others and make it your own. Fourth, work carefully on dialogue: show the world through environmental details, release information in portions, give characters distinct voices, and read lines aloud. Fifth, become a professional viewer and analyze the stories you consume. In the Q&A she also gives advice on casual games and on story in gameplay-focused projects. Useful for beginner writers and game designers.