GAME WRITING: A Short Exercise In Suspense ('Homecoming')
A potential client recently offered an intriguing challenge — write a short story in five parts with the following limitations: three sections of prose under 200 words in 2nd person narrative style, and two sections of TEXT MESSAGE dialogue with 8 lines or less in each. Use a female protagonist, and craft the tale from one of the following genres: Romance, Urban Fantasy, Comedy, Horror, or Suspense.
COVENTRY: A World-Building and Branching Narrative Exercise (GAMES)
Building a world affords a certain creative freedom. You aren't forced to work within established boundaries or strict IP limitations. You can let the imagination run a little wild. You have a chance to throw stuff against the wall and see what sticks. And, quite often, you can incorporate factual research into the world building of a fictional space. Which means you might even learn a thing or two in the process.
TROPHY BINGO (Short Study #2)
When Trophy Bingo was originally presented to me by friends at Roadhouse Interactive, I wasn't sure how I could help; it's a mobile game targeted at middle-aged women who like dogs, have scads of free time, and consider bingo to be the epitome of 'fun'. Quite the challenge for a dude steeped in horror, sci-fi, and CATS...
IRON MAIDEN: Excerpt!!!
Working hand in devil-horned hand with the digital alchemists at Roadhouse Interactive and the heavy metal legends IRON MAIDEN (!!!) I combed through decades of the band's lore, lyrics, and imagery to forge the high-concept story pitch and full-blown narrative treatment for this genre-busting and acclaimed action-RPG for iOS and Android...
A (BITTERSWEET) YEAR IN REVIEW...
'I am writing this 30 minutes after finding him. After racing into town, hoping to outrun the tears and grief and rage. Just now, thunder split the skies wide open...and the rains are threatening to flood.
POETRY CORNER: 'Whispers...'
To celebrate the 100th blog entry, I'm re-posting a short poem scribbled on FB last week, based on a strange night driving 'round my adopted jungle home...
PATTERNS = Memos from the Muse
In my creative and my personal life, I see patterns. Something as seemingly random as a rush hour commute with all-green-light intersections takes on prophetic business meaning...
ROADHOUSE INTERACTIVE
I was contracted for text/dialogue creation, cinematic scripts, and ongoing narrative design consultation for this Vancouver studio's diverse mobile game slate. Titles include action/sci-fi (WARHAMMER: Carnage), niche/casual (Trophy Bingo), and a celebrated global music/entertainment IP. (IRON MAIDEN: Legacy of the Beast)
BOOK UPDATE: WHISPERS FROM THE PAGE...
