17 Comments

Excellent advice! You 100% set up a moody, creepy mystery with nothing but setting description! Would read this story.

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Haha, thank you, Jodi!

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This post is packed with great advice. Also? There is a story here, just in the tiny snippets of scene/setting you shared. Like Jodi, 100% WOULD READ.

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author

Haha thank you 😂 perhaps with all that time I have, I can write it

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May 12, 2023Liked by Susan Dennard

Wow! This is such an insightful post, and my goodness Sooz, you need to turn that snippet into a story!

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author

Ah, thank you!!

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agreed! Short story inspo next time you need a quick writing break? ;)

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founding
May 12, 2023Liked by Susan Dennard

Such a great post! Thanks so much for addressing my question 😁

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Thank YOU for asking and being a subscriber!

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If you want a good comparison to what is good for storytelling vs playing: I recommend you play and watch the last of us.

There is a LOT-less action in the show, but there's more tension. And they add quirks like, when the protagonists have an encounter in a town they're passing through and kill someone, another enemy will start calling that person's name to see if they're ok. It happens in the game a couple times, but it's not as intentional compared to the show.

There are even articles/videos that break these differences and similarities down.

https://www.etonline.com/the-last-of-us-the-biggest-changes-between-the-game-and-tv-show-199282

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author

Yes! Comparing two different mediums is always great. I’m reading the Expanse books and rewatching the show, and it’s so cool how they have to change and adjust things from the book to share the same information.

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May 12, 2023Liked by Susan Dennard

This is something that has been kicking around in my brain a lot lately because I'm working on a YA scifi book that has different planets which have different cultures and species and environments and it's been a STRUGGLE so thank you for this. It came at the perfect time. :) If you have any suggestions for resources around settings, I'd love to hear them!

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author

I’m so glad this was good timing! I love me a scifi with different planets and cultures 😍

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Ughhh now I want to read THIS story!!!

Your process - and the final point, that you can foreshadow events or genre with different objects in the setting - reminds me so much of D&D. Your GM is trying to describe the setting but also subtly encourage you to check out certain objects...so similar.

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author

Haha, well, I AM a DM! 😉

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Oooh I can't wait to use these ideas! I love how active it makes the scene.

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Okay well now I need to know what happened in that mansion!

Also the geeky joy I had at seeing the Chekhov’s Gun reference — it was the first thing that popped into my head when I read the two questions.

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