Video games are the most underrated writing workshop in existence. They teach storytelling through experience rather than instruction — and the lessons translate directly to fiction. Here are 17 specific writing tips drawn from video games, from the book Book Craft.
Video game revenue exceeds $150 billion a year (books and publishing worldwide account for about $110 billion). Games have realized that the longer you stay, the more investment you make in your character, the longer you will play. They need to make you care. Writers need to do the same thing.
Scene & Setting
1. Frame the Entrance, Show the Reaction
When you arrive someplace new in a game, the camera shows a back view of the character, positioning the frame to catch the best view of sweeping scenery, then shows the reaction — surprise, wonder, awe. In your fiction: show the description with words, then the emotional response. But do not let beauty be the end in itself; add conflict soon so that the beautiful is always fleeting or threatened.
2. Nice View, Slow Down, Pretty Music
When you are supposed to be appreciating beauty, there is a slow, close-up detail scene with pleasant music. You can use an emotional cue: “She sat down her bag, feeling warmth rising in her chest as she gazed out over the horizon.” And you can add music — a band playing in the town far away, a radio in a nearby shop.
3. Force Characters onto the Right Path
Characters need to be responsible for consequences, but also constrained by available choices. In open world games, barriers prevent story resolution and excuse meaningful detours until characters (and readers) are ready to fully appreciate the climax. In your writing: set hard limits and obstacles. Excuses or reasons why they cannot find an easy solution.
4. Treasure in Every Cave, Behind Every Waterfall
Anything unique about the landscape is probably a clue hinting at discoveries. As the author, you are the only one who knows what is important — readers will assume anything you show might have a surprise use. If you show something, have it feel like a discovery. But do not let them find what they need where they expect it.
5. Bright Orange Clues (Easy Mode)
In certain games, the path is made clearer for amateurs: bright marks on the walls to show the climbing route. In your first draft, make the clues or turning points as big and clear as you can. Later, you can tone them down. People who like the challenge of discovery would think this is heavy-handed — but heavy-handed drafts become elegant final versions.
Raise the Stakes
6. Every Victory Is Delayed
Every time they are about to complete their current goal, thwart their intentions. Every victory reveals a bigger problem. Their plans fail. Each time they find their objective, there should be a spontaneous danger, surprise, or battle — obstacles equal to or greater than the boon they need.
7. When Hanging by Fingertips… Fall
Do not just show them doing scary things with the possibility of danger that they navigate successfully. Allow the bad things to happen. An unwanted crisis that diverts them from their current objective but is necessary to put them in contact with a new discovery will feel more smooth and natural than lucky coincidence.
8. Increase Challenges When They Level Up
As characters gain confidence and ability, challenges must scale up. They may need boss fights or enhanced enemies with new weapons. Do not make them able to defeat the same challenge again later in the same way. In almost every final battle, the hero and villain quickly disarm each other until they trade blows — because a weapon would end the conflict too quickly.
9. Information Quest Leads to Favor Quest
If their current goal is simple — find a guy and ask about critical information — turn it into an extended quest: he has what they want, but he will trade it for help with another matter. That simple mission proves more dangerous than expected. And maybe when they return, the guy has been killed and they still have no answers — because answers kill suspense.
10. Avoid Fights If Possible (At First)
For the first half of the book, your protagonist will probably avoid conflict. Even later they should not relish confrontation. Conflict is usually unplanned — until later when stakes are high and the protagonist understands this confrontation is necessary.
11. No Cheat Codes
You cannot skip key scenes. Make sure the slow bits are crucial because they reveal important information. Some games handle backstory with tablets or notes you can find that go into a binder — not necessary for completing the story but providing emotional resonance and deeper worldbuilding. In fiction, make readers work for it by keeping interest high without unnecessary content.
12. Need More Training
Your protagonist may have a special gift, but they still need training. They should not be able to defeat the antagonist easily from the beginning. Do not show every practice routine, but show a few — the improvement, and the important events during that period. Training on its own is boring unless there is real danger and conflict.
Side Missions
Side missions (subplots) do two things: demonstrate personality so we feel deeper connection, and present lighter challenges that frame difficult moral decisions. A side character wrestling with a personal dilemma can parallel the hero’s own decision later — seeing their mistake allows the hero to choose differently.
Structure & Impact
13. Story Recap Between Action
After a big action scene, give characters a chance to reflect and process. Discuss what happened, make new plans, remind of stakes and obstacles. If there is no obvious next move, they will do something else until they encounter a new clue — these will often be accidental or external, like an attack or unexpected twist.
14. The Sidekick/Buddy for Humor
Many games include a sidekick who accompanies the hero — this allows running commentary of quips and backstory to keep things moving. Be careful not to add casual jokes everywhere, as they can kill tense scenes. At some point they will fight and the hero will tell them to get lost; but they usually come back and save them from big trouble.
15. Preface/Flashback
These establish skills before the story starts, hint at coming dangers, or heighten death scenes by making readers care more. In games, cut scenes may be skippable or not. If they are too long and unskippable, the player stops listening. Same with your readers.
16. Addiction Is Dissatisfaction
Addiction is doing the thing even while not receiving immediate benefits. Delay answers. Never satisfy. Keep loops open. The games I remember most are the frustrating ones I hate — hard enough to be satisfying, but not too difficult. If they are too difficult, I stop playing. Same with books.
17. Establish Rules Early
With real examples of harsh discipline — someone rebelling and getting punished. These are the hard limits of the world and set the expectations and stakes. Often in games, you start with a fight against a boss who will destroy you quickly. You are not meant to win. The fight will be interrupted and you will face him again later when you are better prepared.
The World Worth Saving
One idea I got from video game critics, commenting on sidequest narratives: if a protagonist just ran through the story quest and defeated the Big Boss, the game would not be satisfying. The sidequests, rather than being meaningless drivel, are an opportunity to show that the world is worth saving at all.
The beginning of Act II includes lighter, fun, low-stakes scenes — but they are crucial because they allow readers to fall in love with your characters. They did not care enough before, but now they are invested. Little scenes of sweetness that warm hearts. Touching, trivial scenes unrelated to the main story. Because they appear as low-risk episodes, readers will have their guard down.
This is critical because it makes the second half of your novel so much more powerful. For the full system, see the Plot Dot or the complete craft guide.
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