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Game novelisation structures?


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#1 Guest_Blue-Inked_Frost_*

Posted 23 June 2011 - 05:17 AM

Finding the fic Fury off TVTropes made me think of the difference between its structure and that of many other Baldur's Gate novelisations. In that story, Jaheira and Khalid already took care of Mulahey before travelling to the Friendly Arm, and the protagonist goes from bandits to Cloakwood to the city in a very, *very* linear, pared-down, creatively rewritten, fashion. And it's a fantastic read. Bibbi's Thicker Than Water is a SoA example that's pared down as well, though not quite so much.

In a real novel that told a protagonist's journey from mysterious orphan to adventuring hero, the sidequests would be summarised and the focus strictly on the central plot. The excuse for the sidequests is to provide character development or explanations for how the kid from Candlekeep got gradually good enough to beat Sarevok, but most fan novelisations, I think, would be ripe for some cutting if they wanted to be more like 'real' fantasy novels. And I do not define a real fantasy novel as that particular novel that does not exist. Namely, sidequests and the brief cameos of NPCs with no importance in the overall plot would simply be removed from an original novel. Even Lalaithe's A Fragment of Substance, which I think is almost a paragon of an internally coherent and carefully advanced plot despite its impressive length, could have some of those parts trimmed from it. (But I would still rather it did not, because it's such a good read and I like those cameos.)

It's a difference between a fan recounting of a videogame versus a fan trying to write a novel. The reader of a BG fanfic knows that the group should be encountering a particular sidequest at this certain point, or looks forward to a favourite NPC making their cameo; expects that and responds positively to it. But if a fan wants to write a novel instead, to tie the story threads as closely together as Fury manages...it produces something that's stronger and tighter as a *novel* or novella, if less of a fannish recounting of a game experience. Likewise, a movie would cut most of the non-canonical companions and streamline the story.

I'm guilty of a BG1 recap that does go into the sidequests and use that episodic structure, so I'm not trying to complain of the strategy. It's just an aspect of fanfic I've been pondering: how different writers choose to go beyond the game and take steps to convert it into a novel. Especially in Shadows of Amn, many of the parts I've liked best about stories is where the plots have been changed for interest and suspense, although I'm less fond of changes to characters. For example, this interpretation of the Baron Ployer and Spellhold plots: new! original! (if unfinished). Or the parts that flesh out and worldbuild, like the charms of Acquired Tastes.

I'd also add that the style of explaining-all-the-sidequests could be described as *exuberant*, in some cases: an explosion of one short exciting adventure after another, diversions on the way to solve the final problem. A fun ride. For example, Weyoun's Tankards and Tempers crosses all over and into many random sidequests and crossover cameos and extended parodies, as well as some almost surprising threads of plot. It reads as a less disciplined and polished work than Fury or Fragment, but it doesn't need to be because it's a lot of fun the way it is. About Blood is somewhere between Tankards and Fragment, I think: subquests, but all playing an important role in the parallel development of good and evil parties, staying relatively focused. Although the comparison is difficult there, because it covers much less of the storyline than the other three fic examples.

In addition there is the difference in the games themselves with regard to a plot structure. I think BG1 has a less linear plot, which gives the writer more freedom to pick and choose an order of events, whereas BG2 is somewhat stricter on the order in which quests are undertaken. There seem to be more BG2 fics in general, so I'm not sure how fair or valid this comparison is, but in my experience I think BG2 fics hew more closely around a given order of events than BG1. (Which is perfectly natural: you're handed a structure of earning gold to rescue Imoen and going to Spellhold and heading to the Underdark and killing Bodhi and saving the elven city and reclaiming your soul and a reasonable Charname follows it. Whereas in BG1 there's more freedom to find excuses to alter the subquests to fit into any of Nashkel/bandit camp/Cloakwood/wanted in the city for murder; and more joinable NPCs, each of which can be given a particular plot.)

Originality and what to do with Shadows of Amn in something that's not the standard list of join-the-Shadow-Thieves-save-the-Keep-kill-the-dragons is...interesting, I think; or a question of what if a Charname didn't care about Imoen after all. (Zan's Kaleidoscopes explores the question of what if Imoen was not rescued.) Probably a reason why I've been pondering the general structure of Baldur's Gate fan noveis is just as a fandom late-comer, where so much territory has already been explored by excellent writers.

Here's a rec for a few short stories about an evil Bhaalspawn who apparently didn't go the standard route. And the Sime stories by Viga use a different point of view that's very interesting. And then there's Silrana's Canon that takes Anomen away from the canon storyline and into a wonderful story focusing on his emotional development. Canon's tightly drawn around the single character rather than a full party of six, and though the plot hints at the adventures of the Bhaalspawn in the background it's able to hone in on the one character. (A Cappella, the novelisation by the same author, of course also achieved a lot of character development; as anyone on this forum for long knows, it's *wonderfully* long.)

All fics mentioned here recommended. :D Commentary, please?

#2 Guest_nazlan_*

Posted 23 June 2011 - 02:33 PM

This is one of those questions I can really only answer for myself, so this post with be deeply self-centered. :)

My own attempt at a "novelization" lies somewhere between the two points you've outlined - it is most definitely a fannish work, heavily dependent on the reader's outside knowledge of the SoA/ToB storyline, particularly in the first few chapters. But at the same time, I consciously attempted to avoid turning it into a gameplay transcript. Because "and then this happened, and this happened, and this happened" does not make for interesting storytelling. I never strayed far from the events of the game, but I wasn't above tweaking outcomes to my satisfaction.

The biggest issue when choosing to retell a story in a different medium is figuring out what aspect (or aspects) of that story is going to be your central plotline. Basically, what's your plot arc? One of the problems I personally have with a lot of game-based fanfic is that they try to tell it all. Every single side quest, every subplot, every semi-meaningful character moment has to get squeezed in there somewhere. Unfortunately, even in the hands of the most skilled writer, wrangling that much stuff makes it very easy to lose the thread and leave both writer and reader wandering in the wilderness for chapter upon chapter. It may be well-written filler, but it's still filler. Myself, I am not so skilled as to feel confident in keeping a dozen chainsaws in the air for very long, so I pared BGII way the heck down. Destiny clocks in at a downright lean 35 chapters (plus epilogue), and while there are some side quests I miss and kind of wish now that I could have fit in (the Bridge murders), there are others that I was just as happy to never touch with a forty foot pole (the $#%$@ UNSEEING EYE SCREW THOSE GUYS). I also cut a lot of the opening content, leaving it alluded to but unseen, the better to get at the meat of the first arc - getting Imoen back. The thing about Baldur's Gate II is that it breaks down rather neatly into distinct acts, and I chose to let those be my guide.

What ultimately makes a successful novelization (as opposed to a more vignette style story, which I have also indulged in) is the sensation that the reader has read a coherent narrative, one where the story moves to a satisfying and sensible conclusion, and where the characters grow in a logical and consistent fashion. The best way for a writer to do that is to keep track of the internal progression of the plot - always asking yourself "Why is this happening?" "Does this make sense?" and the biggie "What does it contribute?"

#3 Guest_AlphaMonkey_*

Posted 23 June 2011 - 03:22 PM

Bear in mind, too, that the vast difference between the two forms of media really is a... thing. A video game is a lot more open-ended. It's meant to be explored, it's meant to be experienced essentially at the player's leisure. You go where you like, when you like. There's an overarching narrative, but you're not always confined to the tracks. You can wander off them at points and that's not only allowed, in cases it's encouraged, even necessary. (BG's Chapter 2 and all that gold farming.)

In cases like that, the development of the characters comes through little nuggets of information that you pick up along the way, none of which are really structured, but that you just seem to grab as you pass through the content. You might be clearing some sidequest and a thought occurs to you about a bit of random dialogue that one of your party members spouted off. Or another party member has a particular reaction to an event. But whatever the case, all of these things happen in a very freeform atmosphere.

This is all well and good in a video game. You can sit there, like a sponge and just soak up all the information you like, your brain filters it all, shoves it all into convenient little boxes and through the magic that is the human mind, you eventually end up with a cohesive picture of what's going on, just from assembling all these little puzzle pieces.

But a novel can't work like that. And part of the problem comes from when folks fall into the trap of trying to replicate every individual side quest and Easter egg and what-not in a game, and shove it into their fan-novelization. It -does not work.- A game of BG2 can take upwards of -eighty- hours to complete if you hunt down every last plot McGuffin, chase down every side quest, go looking for all the phat lewtz, etc. Trying to cram that much material into a book?

Minutiae. So much of it your eyes will bleed.

At the end of the day, though, what it all boils down to is that the writer has to decide what their objective is. Their approach will be largely determined by what they're hoping to achieve. Something that's very heavily character driven can (Note I say "can," not "must.") be served by something shorter. Trim the fat, include only the most pivotal fights, the most important events. The keystones of the plot, as it were. If you want something that's just fun for fun's sake, the "Throw it all in and everyone can clap their hands and squee at all the shout outs to the game's plot" approach can be amusing, too. A couple of people have done that, and done it well.

#4 Guest_Serenity Frost_*

Posted 24 June 2011 - 06:34 AM

A video game and a book are by no means the same, nor should they ever be. I look at novelizations of games as I do movie adaptations of books. Things will be different, they might be condensed, characters may change, and if you don't take it as a separate entity as the original work, you'll lose your mind hating it.

On a similar yet opposite note, fan novelizations are just that, fan created stories written by fans. You've just experienced this awesome game and want to contain that feeling, add your own spin to it, or perhaps relive it years later. You're not writing an all original work here that needs plot streamlining or a small cast, you're recounting a tale that you experienced due to your decisions in the game. Or retelling the story to suit your needs. It's about on par with folk lore, passed down by word of mouth for generations, continually shifting and weaving until it was written down and then changing even still afterward. If you think about it, every story is a fan fiction of some sort. The difference seems to only come in on who got paid to tell their story and who didn't.

I believe the point I'm trying to make here is, you write because you love, so you need to love what you write. If people love to read it too, well that's just lovely.

#5 Guest_Jeannette_*

Posted 25 June 2011 - 02:20 PM

I agree that game novelizations serve a different purpose than the games themselves; they have to. One is very self contained (novel) and the other (game) is intended to provide the player with as unique an experience as possible within certain confines.

As much as I enjoy playing, I always want to know more about the characters, who they are, their backstories etc. I enjoy learning about them, watching them grow, learn, explore and possibly change. That's probably why I picked up on Strange Girl's quiz suggestion all those years ago and kept coming back to the premise of something that felt different; what it would be like to be plunked into a less technologically oriented world; one with creatures and abilities that couldn't be logically explained - at least from the perspective of Earth logic and what it would be like to get to know the people as individuals and develop relationships and ties with them.

The stories I enjoy most are the ones which deviate from the gameplan, introduce new and unique characters or provide a deeper understanding of different characters backgrounds and motivations; Laufey's Thayvian tales and Vadrek Dekaras come to mind (they are personal favs). Also stories which use a different setting -- RoseofJericho and MorningGlory both did western based stories which were terrific (imho).

I also enjoy Bioware's current take on novelization which hasn't been to write a story of the game but to write around it; setting up the game, fleshing out the backstory and the previous histories of some of the characters while allowing the reader/player to retain his or her own version of the game hero's story.

#6 Guest_Blue-Inked_Frost_*

Posted 25 June 2011 - 04:47 PM

The biggest issue when choosing to retell a story in a different medium is figuring out what aspect (or aspects) of that story is going to be your central plotline. Basically, what's your plot arc? One of the problems I personally have with a lot of game-based fanfic is that they try to tell it all. Every single side quest, every subplot, every semi-meaningful character moment has to get squeezed in there somewhere. Unfortunately, even in the hands of the most skilled writer, wrangling that much stuff makes it very easy to lose the thread and leave both writer and reader wandering in the wilderness for chapter upon chapter. It may be well-written filler, but it's still filler. Myself, I am not so skilled as to feel confident in keeping a dozen chainsaws in the air for very long, so I pared BGII way the heck down. Destiny clocks in at a downright lean 35 chapters (plus epilogue), and while there are some side quests I miss and kind of wish now that I could have fit in (the Bridge murders), there are others that I was just as happy to never touch with a forty foot pole (the $#%$@ UNSEEING EYE SCREW THOSE GUYS). I also cut a lot of the opening content, leaving it alluded to but unseen, the better to get at the meat of the first arc - getting Imoen back. The thing about Baldur's Gate II is that it breaks down rather neatly into distinct acts, and I chose to let those be my guide.


Thanks for your reply, Nazlan. :) One of the things I admired about your series was how elegantly you compressed it. Filler can be a lot of fun, but it can also just leave the reader wanting it to get to the point.

What ultimately makes a successful novelization (as opposed to a more vignette style story, which I have also indulged in) is the sensation that the reader has read a coherent narrative, one where the story moves to a satisfying and sensible conclusion, and where the characters grow in a logical and consistent fashion. The best way for a writer to do that is to keep track of the internal progression of the plot - always asking yourself "Why is this happening?" "Does this make sense?" and the biggie "What does it contribute?"


Good questions. And cutting things out isn't always the easiest to do, but a strong internal progression can be very nice from a crafting perspective.

In cases like that, the development of the characters comes through little nuggets of information that you pick up along the way, none of which are really structured, but that you just seem to grab as you pass through the content. You might be clearing some sidequest and a thought occurs to you about a bit of random dialogue that one of your party members spouted off. Or another party member has a particular reaction to an event. But whatever the case, all of these things happen in a very freeform atmosphere.

This is all well and good in a video game. You can sit there, like a sponge and just soak up all the information you like, your brain filters it all, shoves it all into convenient little boxes and through the magic that is the human mind, you eventually end up with a cohesive picture of what's going on, just from assembling all these little puzzle pieces.


I like this take on what makes a videogame a different experience--the brain comes up with a particular story through all these little bits, and because the game is variable and different paths are chosen, it turns out a different experience. (Although, because the basic events covered by the game are still the same, various BG novels aren't as diverse as different versions of Harry Potter Book Six before it was released; but they're still very entertaining to read/write.)

At the end of the day, though, what it all boils down to is that the writer has to decide what their objective is. Their approach will be largely determined by what they're hoping to achieve. Something that's very heavily character driven can (Note I say "can," not "must.") be served by something shorter. Trim the fat, include only the most pivotal fights, the most important events. The keystones of the plot, as it were. If you want something that's just fun for fun's sake, the "Throw it all in and everyone can clap their hands and squee at all the shout outs to the game's plot" approach can be amusing, too. A couple of people have done that, and done it well.


Sometimes I've found fics specifically because of a shoutout to some minor NPC or minor quest moment that I liked, and only decided to read the whole fic because I thought it did that piece of filler well. And I'm not at all sorry about that. :)

On a similar yet opposite note, fan novelizations are just that, fan created stories written by fans. You've just experienced this awesome game and want to contain that feeling, add your own spin to it, or perhaps relive it years later. You're not writing an all original work here that needs plot streamlining or a small cast, you're recounting a tale that you experienced due to your decisions in the game. Or retelling the story to suit your needs. It's about on par with folk lore, passed down by word of mouth for generations, continually shifting and weaving until it was written down and then changing even still afterward. If you think about it, every story is a fan fiction of some sort. The difference seems to only come in on who got paid to tell their story and who didn't.


Pfft, there are limits on what's fanfic/original, even if the borders blur in a minority of cases. :P Back in Shakespeare's day and further, ideas on copyright law were obviously different to the modern era--but still, I think the 'ideas vs expression' difference holds. Wide Sargasso Sea and The Wind Done Gone are good examples of successfully transformative fanfic that comments on the original work, but I'd place my Baldur's Gate fanfic as derivative. But fanfic as folklore is an interesting subject to consider; fan communities and shared retellings and all that kinds of fun.

I believe the point I'm trying to make here is, you write because you love, so you need to love what you write. If people love to read it too, well that's just lovely.


And isn't that why we're all here? :) The more writing, the better.

The stories I enjoy most are the ones which deviate from the gameplan, introduce new and unique characters or provide a deeper understanding of different characters backgrounds and motivations; Laufey's Thayvian tales and Vadrek Dekaras come to mind (they are personal favs). Also stories which use a different setting -- RoseofJericho and MorningGlory both did western based stories which were terrific (imho).


Those kinds of stories are fun. Something that's more than a recap. There's also more scope for good original characters in a universe like this than in some novel-based fandoms--not just the eponymous Charname, but a wide world of the Realms to choose characters from. Although a lot of the mod NPCs such as Saerileth and Tsujatha and Chloe do sound as if they're closer to the bad sort of original character foisted upon the story's world...

I also enjoy Bioware's current take on novelization which hasn't been to write a story of the game but to write around it; setting up the game, fleshing out the backstory and the previous histories of some of the characters while allowing the reader/player to retain his or her own version of the game hero's story.


That sounds interesting! I've read a couple of different people's attachments to their particular Shepard or Revan, and it sounds like a nice idea to keep that uncertainty and continue to allow the player to keep their own version in their head.

#7 Guest_Silrana_*

Posted 26 June 2011 - 12:18 PM

I think a factor to consider with our fanfic novels is that pretty much every one of them has been written in a serialized form. In other words, written and put on the board one piece at a time. They weren't written as a whole cohesive story and then put on the Attic. Because of that, the story isn't going to be as tight or paced the same as a true novel, no matter what its length.

For the side quest issue, when I was writing A Cappella, the question I always asked was, "Will this advance the story? What is the purpose of covering this?" There were a lot of things I skipped or glossed over because they were nothing but XP gathering time. For example, the section of AC that covered Watcher's Keep had very little of the monster hunt inside. Most of it involved the party's interactions with the Helmites. The parts of the inside that I did use were just springboards for character development.

#8 Guest_Jeannette_*

Posted 26 June 2011 - 06:13 PM

I think a factor to consider with our fanfic novels is that pretty much every one of them has been written in a serialized form. In other words, written and put on the board one piece at a time. They weren't written as a whole cohesive story and then put on the Attic. Because of that, the story isn't going to be as tight or paced the same as a true novel, no matter what its length.


I think that's a fair point. I know that when I went back and revised/completed Long Way Home it was a much different experience because I was looking at it as a whole story. I had an outline that I used to plot out the chapters; to get me to specific points in the story and to its ending which made the whole process feel much more cohesive. I'm sure there are still things that an editor would remove but I also have been fairly ruthless at times in ripping out chunks in an effort to maintain focus on character development and primary plotline.

#9 Guest_nazlan_*

Posted 26 June 2011 - 09:41 PM

To be fair, publishing novels in a serialized format was quite popular back in the 19th century. Not that I'm claiming to be Dickens or anything, but we aren't exactly doing something new. :) And with regard to Jeanette's comment, I found myself in a similar situation with Destiny - I'd finished it over on ff.net before I started posting it here, and going back over it as a completed work, I found a lot of places where it needed work, both in general and to make it a more cohesive piece. So it got a hardcore revision, and when I've finished Venturing the Uncharted, it likely will as well. I guess we're never really done with them, are we?

#10 Guest_Jeannette_*

Posted 26 June 2011 - 10:09 PM

To be fair, publishing novels in a serialized format was quite popular back in the 19th century. Not that I'm claiming to be Dickens or anything, but we aren't exactly doing something new. :) And with regard to Jeanette's comment, I found myself in a similar situation with Destiny - I'd finished it over on ff.net before I started posting it here, and going back over it as a completed work, I found a lot of places where it needed work, both in general and to make it a more cohesive piece. So it got a hardcore revision, and when I've finished Venturing the Uncharted, it likely will as well. I guess we're never really done with them, are we?


lol... I think you're right, Nazlan. We're never really done.

I too am aware of the serialized format from the 19th century. However, I always wondered whether those authors wrote the story first as a whole and then published it chapter by chapter or whether it was written more as is likely with fan fic - writing a chapter and posting, writing and posting. Interesting to think about from the perspective of how stories are "built."

#11 Guest_Coutelier_*

Posted 26 June 2011 - 11:08 PM

I too am aware of the serialized format from the 19th century. However, I always wondered whether those authors wrote the story first as a whole and then published it chapter by chapter or whether it was written more as is likely with fan fic - writing a chapter and posting, writing and posting. Interesting to think about from the perspective of how stories are "built."


It was common practice then for novels to be serialised in magazines and newspapers prior to their actual publication. It was important that each part end with a 'cliffhangar' to entice readers to come back for more (just like the old cinema serials like Flash Gordon etc.) :)

There were also things called Penny Awfuls/Dreadfuls, which often had ongoing serials in them that didn't have a planned ending and consisted of episodes, primarily aimed at boys. They were printed on cheap pulp paper, which is why not many of them survive. Basically, they were the predecessor to comic books.

Edited by Coutelier, 26 June 2011 - 11:16 PM.


#12 Guest_Theodur_*

Posted 27 June 2011 - 04:16 AM


To be fair, publishing novels in a serialized format was quite popular back in the 19th century. Not that I'm claiming to be Dickens or anything, but we aren't exactly doing something new. :) And with regard to Jeanette's comment, I found myself in a similar situation with Destiny - I'd finished it over on ff.net before I started posting it here, and going back over it as a completed work, I found a lot of places where it needed work, both in general and to make it a more cohesive piece. So it got a hardcore revision, and when I've finished Venturing the Uncharted, it likely will as well. I guess we're never really done with them, are we?


lol... I think you're right, Nazlan. We're never really done.

I too am aware of the serialized format from the 19th century. However, I always wondered whether those authors wrote the story first as a whole and then published it chapter by chapter or whether it was written more as is likely with fan fic - writing a chapter and posting, writing and posting. Interesting to think about from the perspective of how stories are "built."


I'm reminded of one of my favorite Dragon Age 2 in game dialogue here:

Aveline: You, Varric, have a very large mouth.

Varric: And here I've always looked up to you. What is it now?

Aveline: There were fistfights in the barracks over who is the model for your guard serial.

Varric: Hard in Hightown. Riveting stuff. Everyone loves a dirty guard on the edge.

Aveline: Varric.

Varric: Fine. I'll start his big finish. Three chapters until Donnen Brennicovick retires and opens a tavern on the coast.

Varric: I sure hope he makes it. He's getting too old for this shit.

#13 Guest_Silrana_*

Posted 27 June 2011 - 09:31 AM

To be fair, publishing novels in a serialized format was quite popular back in the 19th century. Not that I'm claiming to be Dickens or anything, but we aren't exactly doing something new. :) And with regard to Jeanette's comment, I found myself in a similar situation with Destiny - I'd finished it over on ff.net before I started posting it here, and going back over it as a completed work, I found a lot of places where it needed work, both in general and to make it a more cohesive piece. So it got a hardcore revision, and when I've finished Venturing the Uncharted, it likely will as well. I guess we're never really done with them, are we?


I knew about earlier serialized stories. Those go all the way back to Scheherazade. But I never said we were doing anything new, just that what we are doing is different from what someone trying to write a modern day novel is doing. Since you used Dickens as an example, it has been pointed out that some of his works are rather, ah, overlong, because he was trying to milk each story for as many chapters as he could. More chapters, more money. So I think the point about differing story structure still applies.

I have been working on my old stories to archive them, and funnily enough in my current work to put A Cappella in its 'final' form, I find myself adding quite a bit. I made the creative decision that I wanted AC to be able to stand alone. In other words, I wanted someone who had never played the game to be able to pick it up and enjoy it as a story. I found that in the early chapters, I left a lot of detail out, hand-waving it with "Oh, well, everybody knows what happened there." But since I wrote some of those chapters over ten years ago, *I* can't remember what happened!

#14 Guest_Jeannette_*

Posted 27 June 2011 - 01:53 PM



I have been working on my old stories to archive them, and funnily enough in my current work to put A Cappella in its 'final' form, I find myself adding quite a bit. I made the creative decision that I wanted AC to be able to stand alone. In other words, I wanted someone who had never played the game to be able to pick it up and enjoy it as a story. I found that in the early chapters, I left a lot of detail out, hand-waving it with "Oh, well, everybody knows what happened there." But since I wrote some of those chapters over ten years ago, *I* can't remember what happened!


Yeah that's what happened with LWH; re-read it and found all those lovely plotholes due to assumptions about the reader. ;) Fortunately a non-BG playing friend offered to read which helped a great deal in revising earlier chapters. :)

#15 Guest_nazlan_*

Posted 27 June 2011 - 02:04 PM

Silrana, my comment wasn't meant to be condescending or anything - maybe I'm just always looking for ways to make my hobby into something more noble. :) (Though as you pointed out, Dickens was definitely padding his word count for pennies, so it's never all noble)

And the first five or six chapters of Destiny definitely suffer from "eh, they've played it" syndrome. May be something to tackle if I ever take a third pass.

#16 Laufey

Posted 27 June 2011 - 04:16 PM

Goodness knows that *I* certainly would be using a different structure if I were writing for a 'real' novel rather than a serialized fanfic. I would be using longer chapters for one thing, my current chapter length is one I've chosen because it's one I myself find convenient to read on the board. If it were not a game novelization it would undoubtedly be tighter too, even if I do try to have each chapter carry either the plot or the characterization forward in some way. I do have several longterm plot points to work towards, but I also enjoy the freedom of being able to improvise certain things. I agree about the 'they've played it' thing, it's something I consciously try to avoid myself.

And I've always enjoyed Dickens. I also enjoy my chainsaw juggling. Fortunately, I know what I'm doing with them and have a decent aim. :)

Edited by Laufey, 27 June 2011 - 04:52 PM.

Rogues do it from behind.

#17 Guest_Jeannette_*

Posted 27 June 2011 - 04:55 PM

And I've always enjoyed Dickens. I also enjoy my chainsaw juggling. Fortunately, I know what I'm doing with them and have a decent aim. :)


lol! I'm always amused and amazed by the array and variety of skills possessed by the folks that inhabit this Board! :blink: :P

#18 Laufey

Posted 27 June 2011 - 05:05 PM


And I've always enjoyed Dickens. I also enjoy my chainsaw juggling. Fortunately, I know what I'm doing with them and have a decent aim. :)


lol! I'm always amused and amazed by the array and variety of skills possessed by the folks that inhabit this Board! :blink: :P


I do aim to please - some of the time. The rest of the time I'm just amusing myself and the occasional bystander.
Rogues do it from behind.

#19 Guest_VigaHrolf_*

Posted 27 June 2011 - 05:29 PM

*wanders in, looks around*

It -is- an interesting question - one that is highly dependent on style and what exactly you're trying to do. Now, I could claim that I've got some overarching plan or scheme. I'd really like to. But I'd be lying, because my two longest running serials started off a challenge to try writing Sci Fi BG style and then because whoever did the voice acting for Sime (for her like one line) managed to get that line Stuck In My Brain.

However, I would agree with the general consensus that what we're doing is far different from novel creation. It is far more akin to 19th century serialized fiction. I know I've tended to follow that format in my own writing, working to make sure my chapters are more like episodes that chain together than anything I'd call true novel style. It was definitely a near conscious decision with my Odyssey and has evolved in the "Shadows" series as well. And the fact that I call them series is probably even more indicative of my styling.

I also have never tried to take on a Scope of the Game project. One, I tend to get too lost in the weeds and off to investigate every nook and cranny of the story that I'd never finish in a thousand years. It's too big and full of two many things, even with just the one character, for me to take on. So, at least for me, I've tried to take on critical moments and really explore them. Take different angles and tacks and when necessary (read almost all the time) rework the plot and dialogue to my own liking. Even with that, I'm still highly dependent on my readers knowing the story because there are... places. Patches. Whole sections that rely on reader knowledge to fill in for me.

So, yeah.

#20 Laufey

Posted 27 June 2011 - 06:58 PM

I'd also add that the style of explaining-all-the-sidequests could be described as *exuberant*, in some cases: an explosion of one short exciting adventure after another, diversions on the way to solve the final problem. A fun ride. For example, Weyoun's Tankards and Tempers crosses all over and into many random sidequests and crossover cameos and extended parodies, as well as some almost surprising threads of plot. It reads as a less disciplined and polished work than Fury or Fragment, but it doesn't need to be because it's a lot of fun the way it is. About Blood is somewhere between Tankards and Fragment, I think: subquests, but all playing an important role in the parallel development of good and evil parties, staying relatively focused. Although the comparison is difficult there, because it covers much less of the storyline than the other three fic examples.


You cannot possibly know how correct you are. If you knew how many times I've suggested to Wey that his lesbian elves should be more polished, preferably with coconut oil, you'd be astounded. Sadly he has so far been quite contrary about it.
Rogues do it from behind.




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