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Character Development And Storytelling For Games
Written by a professional game writer who also teaches his craft, Lee Sheldon combines his experience and expertise in this updated edition of CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT AND STORYTELLING FOR GAMES. New examples, new game types, and new challenges throughout the text highlight the fundamental importance of characters and storytelling in every type of game. Sheldon emphasizes the importance of creative instinct and listening to the inner voice that guides successful game designers and writers. Join him on his quest to instruct, inform, and maybe even inspire your next great game.
538 pages, Paperback
First published June 15, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 9, 2022
Great pratical advice on character design for games.
January 11, 2022
Recently, I finished reading Character Development and Storytelling for Games by Lee Sheldon. The author has a long history of working both in the games industry, as well as in television and fiction — enabling him to draw directly form his own personal experience in a variety of mediums.
Sheldon’s book provides a significant amount of interesting detail about character creation (roles, traits, encounters, etc.) and the ways in which games differ from other storytelling mediums. He uses examples from a variety of sources, including classic literature, film, and television, as well as games, in order to provide evidence for the theories on storytelling, theme, and structure that he presents. He makes some interesting connections between these different mediums. However, sometimes his chapters are so heavy with references (many of which I’ve never heard of) that I sometimes found it somewhat overwhelming to process the lessons he is trying to impart.
My copy of the book was the first edition, published in 2004. While discussions of character and story are everlasting, when the book speaks about the future of games, it sometimes felt a bit out of date. Apparently, a second edition was published in 2013, which likely provides a more modern perspective and up-to-date cultural references.
Regardless, one section in particular presented me with a new way of thinking about story — namely, modular storytelling and how it can help blend gameplay and story into interactive narratives. And I was surprised to learn that classic literature could provide an early example of this kind of structure, which you can read here: https://andreablythe-games.com/2022/0...
Sheldon’s book provides a significant amount of interesting detail about character creation (roles, traits, encounters, etc.) and the ways in which games differ from other storytelling mediums. He uses examples from a variety of sources, including classic literature, film, and television, as well as games, in order to provide evidence for the theories on storytelling, theme, and structure that he presents. He makes some interesting connections between these different mediums. However, sometimes his chapters are so heavy with references (many of which I’ve never heard of) that I sometimes found it somewhat overwhelming to process the lessons he is trying to impart.
My copy of the book was the first edition, published in 2004. While discussions of character and story are everlasting, when the book speaks about the future of games, it sometimes felt a bit out of date. Apparently, a second edition was published in 2013, which likely provides a more modern perspective and up-to-date cultural references.
Regardless, one section in particular presented me with a new way of thinking about story — namely, modular storytelling and how it can help blend gameplay and story into interactive narratives. And I was surprised to learn that classic literature could provide an early example of this kind of structure, which you can read here: https://andreablythe-games.com/2022/0...
September 5, 2018
I had to read it for my class, but it was actually fun!
Nice if you love videogames, but also if you are interested in writing screenplays or just understanding why some stories work better than others. It deals with the concept of narrative structure, archetypes, and three-dimensional characters. The author has written a lot of The Charlie's Angels episodes and is never boring or too technical.
Nice if you love videogames, but also if you are interested in writing screenplays or just understanding why some stories work better than others. It deals with the concept of narrative structure, archetypes, and three-dimensional characters. The author has written a lot of The Charlie's Angels episodes and is never boring or too technical.
December 14, 2012
Seminal work in the field.
May 2, 2016
This book is fairly outdated, I'd love to see a newer edition.
Yet some gems can be found inside.
While some things have changed (a lot) since 2004, others surprisingly have not.
It gave me more insight into the writer's duties and process in interactive storytelling.
Overall I'd say it's worth reading (especially if there was a more recent edition).
Yet some gems can be found inside.
While some things have changed (a lot) since 2004, others surprisingly have not.
It gave me more insight into the writer's duties and process in interactive storytelling.
Overall I'd say it's worth reading (especially if there was a more recent edition).
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews