Sometimes it takes an unusual source of inspiration to kick that stubborn writer’s block to the curb. Check out the third in a series of articles sharing weird ways to improve your writing craft.
It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been writing; every creative struggles with a mental block at some point. Some days, the inspiration flows freely—and sometimes, you wonder if you ever had it at all.
In this special multi-article series, I’m going to dive deeper into some of the strangest methods that I’ve used to generate writing motivation and refine my craft. You’ll probably laugh at some of them, and you may have even tried one or two. I’m hoping, however, that we’ll find at least a few new tools to add to your artillery. Let’s boost that writing confidence and get your stories told!
- Unusual Methods #1: Google Slides Outlines shared a new way to push past that intimidation factor when starting a new story.
- Unusual Method #2: Dungeons & Dragons explores character accountability and the interesting benefits of roleplaying your book character in a game.
Otherwise, grab your game controller or pull up your favorite gaming streamer to prepare yourself for our next Unusual Method.
Unusual Method #3: Utilize the immersive experience of video games.
As creatives, we draw inspiration from many different sources and we value an immersive experience. Some writers consider themselves “plantsers,” a combination of plotters who outline every detail of the story and pantsers who fly by the seat of their pants (a.k.a., start with a blank page and let the words flow to who knows where). Plantsers thrive on a loose structure that still gives their imagination room to stretch and bend the story. If you’re a plantser, this particular Unusual Method may be right up your alley.
Find a video game that is similar to the world in your book. For example, I’m working on a fantasy novel inspired by Vikings, so I’ve been drawing some inspiration from Skyrim. If you’re looking for a thriller/scary game to study, I really enjoy the play-throughs of Until Dawn. There is a game for every genre from fantasy and science fiction to historical nonfiction and mystery—you just have to find it!
Once you find the game that you think will help immerse you in that atmosphere, you have two options.
Option 1: Play through the game yourself.
If you have the time and the interest for learning the game yourself (as well as the equipment and means to purchase and run it), this can be a great option! As a player, you have full control over the progress of the story from beginning to end. A general narrative has been created for you to follow, but you hold the key to every decision that will carry your character through. (Loose structure, with room to explore.)
A couple of drawbacks to playing through yourself include the very realistic possibility that you may reach a point in the game that bests your skills—where you get “stuck” and give up before you reach the conclusion—as well as the truth that video games are expensive. The playthrough may also take you several weeks.
Option 2: Watch a streamer play through the game.
I love this option and utilize it frequently. Watching a streamer play through the game you choose is a great way to see the character utilizing that structure and flexibility factor. As the streamer navigates the obstacles and adapts to the challenges, you can approach it like a character study. “This method didn’t work, but if I gather these tools I might just beat the bad guy.” You also know exactly how much time you want to invest in watching, you can skip forward and back within the video to different points in the story (fight scenes vs. the inciting incident vs. the final climax vs. good dialogue/worldbuilding moments), and you know that the streamer has been playing long enough they should be able to reach the conclusion of the story.
The fact that you’re watching instead of playing may feel a little less immersive, which some would consider a disadvantage, but this option is also free and allows you to watch more game play-throughs in less time.
Guiding Questions
As you play or watch, here are some questions to help you analyze the storytelling aspects of the video game:
- What hooks me in the opening scene?
- How am I introduced to the character?
- What traits make the character relatable?
- What is the inciting incident?
- What is the central theme of the story?
- How does the character learn what their objective is?
- What sensory details bring the setting to life?
- How am I introduced to the central conflict?
- How am I introduced to the antagonist?
- What is the protagonist’s first failure? Their first victory?
- What scene marks the “point of no return” for the character?
- When do the stakes raise, and how?
- What is the protagonist’s second failure? Their second victory?
- How is the antagonist closing in on the protagonist?
- What has the protagonist learned to help them prepare for the final climax?
- Which scene marks the finale? Why is it personally meaningful for the protagonist?
- How does the protagonist demonstrate that they’ve learned the theme?
The most important thing to prioritize when improving your writing is finding the tools that make your workflow easier; after all, there’s a reason most people use the expression “I could write a book about it!” to exaggerate or emphasize. It’s going to take a considerable amount of time and effort. Find and use the methods that will set you up for success.
- Unusual Methods #1: Google Slides Outlines shared a new way to push past that intimidation factor when starting a new story.
- Unusual Method #2: Dungeons & Dragons explores character accountability and the interesting benefits of roleplaying your book character in a game.
Hannah L. Ackerman
Hannah L. Ackerman Portfolio 
Leave a comment