CREATING AN INTERESTING NARRATIVE

All right, so I was perusing the various forums and couldn't find exactly what I wanted. Additionally, I think fresh input is best. So here we go.

Basically, I've been toiling away trying to smooth things out in the game I'm working on. From character specific dialect to how they interact, to how the text flows. I'm in a position where, now, I am playing through and testing out how the story progresses and how interactions with NPCs and various dialogues go. Before anyone says it, I do understand the point of releasing a demo is to garner feedback. That being said, I don't want to release a demo that I feel poorly reflects the tone I am attempting to establish.

So with all that, I'm wondering what the opinion of the writers here in our little community is. How is it that you create text and scenes that best express your message, or that of the character. Does one use larger words, does one talk like a country yokel, etc. Something that when you, yourself, read it back it doesn't seem flat or dry. I mean we can't all have dialogue the class of seven towers, but I'd like to know if there is any strategy that I'm missing to setting a tone in a game. The whole thing is ironic as I studied English in college and can write a relatively good short story, but when I'm going through it I find myself wondering in a game "why would anyone want to read this?"

Any input on the matter would be appreciated. Perhaps share some of your favorite game dialogue and what made you actually enjoy reading it. Please.

author=Avee
There are members here who wrote and submitted great articles about writing: http://rpgmaker.net/articles/writers/
I strongly recommend browsing this page and reading to your heart's content. There are lots of nifty tips in there.

Thank you for that direction, I do not know how I missed that before ha ha.

author=Aegix_Drakan
As a writer at heart, here are my few bits of advice:

1) Keep it simple. You will always end up naturally making things more complex and deep on your own. If you strive to have a simple base from the word go, you'll be far less likely to get caught up in an intricate web of confusion.

2) When making dialogue, get in character. Get into their heads. If you were that drunken sniper girl on the ramparts of a beseiged castle, what kinds of things would you say. How would you say them?

3) If you have a choice between being subtle and going over the top, take subtle. Over the top has its time and place. Use it then, and ONLY then.

That's all I can say off the top of my head, really. Hope it helps.

Much appreciated for the input. I understand that simplicity is important. I believe when someone is playing a game putting too much in the text can muddy their interest, whether that be the game's personal 'lore' or just trying to pack too much character development into a small amount of time. That's also true of the dialogue, we obviously all can't alienate our audiences as Phylomortis tended to do ha ha.

While 'over the top' is generally reserved for the tension releasing moments in games, I wonder to myself how it could be used effectively to communicate a more serious point in a game. I can think of examples in cinema, where excessive gore is used to simulate or induce fear. I can't think of any in a game I've played at the moment.

author=LockeZ

author=Backwards_Cowboy
It also helps to either have experienced the situation, or to know a person who is similar to the character you are writing about. This may or may not be going too far, but when writing a homosexual character, it helps to know a few. You'd be amazed how many bland stereotypes people make based on television or imagination. Or people writing about tragic loss yet have never experienced it. Even having a friend who has experienced something is better than nothing.

If you are trying to write dialogue for your villain, but don't know anyone who is evil, I can be your man.

Evil, or are you just misunderstood?