How I write tragic characters!

We now venture into the realm of negative character arcs. Characters with flaws, in a flawed world, can become black holes that destroy the light of everyone around them. These tell the message of your story by showing the opposite - they are dire warnings. With a negative character arc, not only do you have … Continue reading How I write tragic characters! →

What went wrong with Mass Effect?

I’ve done a few versions of this blog over the years, and in my rework of my website, I want to talk about it one last time. The ending and message of the original Mass Effect Trilogy went so badly, nobody liked it. Everyone was up in arms. Some people even said the ending was … Continue reading What went wrong with Mass Effect? →

How to write a Paragon?

Static character arcs, also known as Paragons, are a staple for many stories. These are the characters who are trees right next to the river of truth, who tell the entire world, no you change. They are the people that inspire people to do the right thing. For this post, I will use Horizon: Zero … Continue reading How to write a Paragon? →

How I plan and write a positive character arc!

I briefly described what a positive character arc was yesterday, but today I want to get a bit more in depth in it today. It’s going to be much longer than just two paragraphs. Let’s go! For this blog, I use Red Dead Redemption 2 to show how a good positive character arc works. First, … Continue reading How I plan and write a positive character arc! →

Writing Basics – Themes, Character Arcs, and Story Arcs

All good writing needs three things - Good themes, good character arcs, and good story arcs. And for each story, the theme is key - leading to the character arcs and story arcs. Themes are the message of your story. Every great story needs them. But the key to this is to ensure we show … Continue reading Writing Basics – Themes, Character Arcs, and Story Arcs →

Writing for Game Design, Comics, and Novels Table of Contents

Good morning, afternoon, or evening, wherever you live on Earth. I am Mark, the author of Webtastic Stories: Fear and Loathing on the Internet and the game designer for Tales from Trinity City. Welcome to my writing series - focusing on how to write a fantastic story for your game, comic or novel! Introduction and … Continue reading Writing for Game Design, Comics, and Novels Table of Contents →