Learning From All Mediums

In order to be a good writer, you must be a good reader.

We've all heard that advice repeated ad naseum, from dozens of sources. And it is true, but I feel you can't really focus solely on reading lots of books to become a good writer. What you can definitely learn from reading a lot is grammar, plot, pacing, and characterization. However, when it comes to storytelling, the whole wide world is your proverbial oyster.

Watching movies can show you how to grab your readers from the start; watching weekly television shows can teach you what elements keep people coming back to a series time again; watching live theater can educate you on bombastic statements that thrill the audience and push them to the edge of their seat; video games provide examples of stories that keep people interested for upwards of 40 hours in some cases.

All of these mediums tell stories in different ways. And while the rules for how to do so are different in each one, you can still learn elements from all that can be applied to writing a novel. For me, CALLARION AT NIGHT and SON OF MAGIC play out like movies in my head. I see the characters moving through the frame, fast during action scenes and slow during emotional ones, and the flow of the writing changes to communicate the scene that I visualize. Now deeper, slower, more involved. Now faster, shorter, skimming along like an out-of-control motor boat.

I think of Shakespeare when writing long monologues. The rhythms in his plays speed along at a high clip, always interesting, always bombastic and engaging. I want to emulate the power of that language to inspire and excite. And fantasy games like the Final Fantasy series and Dragon Age:Origins show me the tales people will care about enough to spend upwards of 30 hours playing, and return to them time and again.

You can learn good storytelling from everywhere. All you have to is open your eyes, listen hard, and pay attention.