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Want
to Write Fantasy? Play Skyrim!
In
case you live under a rock and haven’t heard of Skyrim,
it’s the fifth installment in a fantasy roleplaying game series available for
PC, Playstation, and other platforms. It’s insanely fun, and it could really
help your writing!
Ok, so writing and playing a video game don’t
necessarily go hand in hand. I wouldn’t recommend doing both at the same time,
unless you’re really damn talented at multi-tasking. However, if you’ve ever
wanted to try your hand at creating a fictional fantasy realm on paper, take a
break and pop in Skyrim (or an equally cool game) into your PC or Playstation.
Why waste my precious writing time playing silly
games, you ask? You do need a break now and then. All work and no play, right?
Think of it as visual research—fun, exciting research in which you get to kill
pretend bandits, dragons, and a slew of other fantasy critters. Preferably
while you’re eating something tasty and drinking something cold. But, don’t
discount the things Skyrim can teach you to help fashion a believable and fantastical
world. Let’s hit on a few of those subjects:
1. World building:
Every good fantasy novel has a detailed world that varies in climate, physical
characteristics, population, customs, etc. Just explore the territory in Skyrim
for a while, and you’ll see what I mean. From snowy peaks, to marshy plains,
the landscape gradually changes as you traverse the countryside. Skyrim’s many
towns vary in architecture, customs, and clothing. Adding such geographical and social variety
to your own fictional world will keep it interesting and believable.
2. Wildlife:
Skyrim’s best known for its dragons, but they’re not all you’ll see. Or hear. Pay
attention as you stroll from town to town. Birds will fly overhead. You’ll hear
them singing from the trees. Foxes, rabbits, and deer will scamper away at your
approach. You’ll hear them rustling through the leaves. If you’re lucky (or
unlucky, depending on your character), you’ll hear a bear growling or a wolf
howling just before you stumble upon them. In writing your own fantasy story,
be mindful of the wildlife your characters will hear and see as they journey
through the pages.
3. Quests:
For those of you familiar with the
Hero’s Journey, you know how important accomplishing
challenges, or quests, are to any character. In Skyrim, you are presented with
quests from the start. Some of them you come across quite by chance and are
relatively quick and singular, while others are ongoing and connected to reach
a common goal. What makes these game quests valuable to story writing is that
each one is a little subplot in itself. Quests serve to advance the character’s
main storyline, and they test the character’s mettle, allowing you to see their
weaknesses and strengths. Think about famous fantasy novels, like The Hobbit.
Without all the obstacles (or quests) that led up to the climax, we would not
have cared as much about Bilbo and his predicament. Each little conflict (or
quest) along the way, taught us more about him (and his companions), and made
us care whether they defeated Smaug in the end. Throw a few quests at your
character along the way and watch him/her grow like a proud and nervous parent.
Then, when the big fight comes along, you’ll have a good idea about how they’ll
handle it and what the outcome will be.
Q&A:
Have you played Skyrim or similar games? If so, how could they help your
writing?
***Tour-Wide Drawing***
Entries as of 7/18/13: 9
Buy one copy (print or electronic) of Hearts in Exile at Melange Books, Amazon, B&N, Smashwords, or All Romance E-Books, and you'll be entered into a drawing to win this BIG prize pack:
$10 Amazon Gift Card, Dragon Necklace, I ♥ Dragons Tote Bag, This Gal (or Guy) Loves Dragons T-shirt, Hearts in Exile Notebook, and set of three signed playlist postcards.
$10 Amazon Gift Card, Dragon Necklace, I ♥ Dragons Tote Bag, This Gal (or Guy) Loves Dragons T-shirt, Hearts in Exile Notebook, and set of three signed playlist postcards.
To enter, just purchase a copy of Hearts in Exile from any of the online retailers above, and email your receipt (or confirmation code) to ME at: mystiparker@yahoo.com. Drawing to be held on August 1, and it's open worldwide!!!
Here are the links where you can find Hearts in Exile:
Melange Books (Print, PDF, & HTML): http://www.melange-books.com/authors/mystiparker/heartsinexile.html
Amazon (Kindle): http://www.amazon.com/Hearts-in-Exile-Tallenmere-ebook/dp/B00DEJZ8UG/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_t_1_YS4D
B&N (Nook): http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hearts-in-exile-mysti-parker/1115836058?ean=2940044592223
Smashwords (all e-formats): http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/326723
All Romance E-Books (PDF & HTML): https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-heartsinexile-1225822-153.html
