Articles and tutorials for writers - suggestions?

[sunandshadow]

I've been asked to write some kind of helpful article or tutorial for writers (specifically computer game writers, but there's a lot of crossover with other kinds of writing). It's been established that I'm not going to write something aimed at utter beginners, but instead something intermediate or advanced. It's been established that I'm not going to write anything about getting published, or anything about grammar. But there are still so many possible topics I could write about, that I'd like to hear suggestions for what kind of things you all might actually be interested in reading about.

Plot, theme, and writing theory's evolution from Aristotle to the present are my specialist areas, but for a relatively short article or set of articles I'm willing to write about pretty much anything I haven't crossed off the list in the above paragraph.

 

[sheablue]

What about how to start a story? There's nothing like a really strong beginning. I get a little obsessed with "in medias res", and how to hook the reader with an interesting opening, and then figuring out how to proceed from there ... how to move forward and still give enough information to grasp the "backstory".

 

[NaokoSmith]

There's a category of articles about writing, isn't there? on the Stories index. I keep meaning to go there and improve my own work.

I like this guy's ideas about writing, too:
http://robbgrindstaff.com/ask-the-editor-blog/

 

[HeyAll]

I think one thing that would help other writers is an article on how to learn good writing from others.

Meaning, they should find stories they really like, and then break it down and analyze why they like it, and what makes it great, and what makes it so appealing to them.

From there, incorporate those lessons into their own work.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

I've been asked to write some kind of helpful article or tutorial for writers (specifically computer game writers, but there's a lot of crossover with other kinds of writing). It's been established that I'm not going to write something aimed at utter beginners, but instead something intermediate or advanced. It's been established that I'm not going to write anything about getting published, or anything about grammar. But there are still so many possible topics I could write about, that I'd like to hear suggestions for what kind of things you all might actually be interested in reading about.

Plot, theme, and writing theory's evolution from Aristotle to the present are my specialist areas, but for a relatively short article or set of articles I'm willing to write about pretty much anything I haven't crossed off the list in the above paragraph.

I suggest you start at the beginning with what makes a story good.

An odd thing about people is, most of us intuitively know how to tell a story, and then mess it up telling it. How in blazes do you caste a spell over the reader?

 

[CWatson]

You should also discuss the needs of the medium itself.

This of course opens all manner of worm-cans, since "computer game writing" can vary from "I'm sorry, but your princess is in another castle"--just about the only line of text in the first Mario game--to hundred-hour choose-your-own-adventure epics like the Mass Effect trilogy to luxuriant anti-war novels like Metal Gear Solid. It's a big umbrella. But how does the medium itself--a game--accent or blunt the business of writing? Which bits get stronger and which get weaker?

It might also be nice to analyze trends in video game writing. There are certain plots, characters and settings that are used over and over. Why? What's good about them and bad about them?

And don't read David Gaider's blog. He already did a ten-part series on how Bioware do their writing (link to the first entry) which may make your efforts unnecessary.

 

[sunandshadow]

Thank you all for the suggestions, this is definitely stuff I can work with! Better responses here than at the site which is actually game-related.