How Video Games Have Influenced My Writing Style
As a creative individual, you may find that playing video games can significantly impact your writing. While the two may seem unrelated, the truth is that video games offer an incredibly immersive experience that can inspire and influence your writing in unique ways.
One way that video games can influence your writing is by exposing you to rich and detailed worlds. Whether you’re exploring a post-apocalyptic wasteland, a medieval kingdom, or a futuristic metropolis, video games often feature intricate settings that can spark your imagination and provide inspiration for your writing. Some games I have mentioned in the past that I love, Dragon Age and Mass Effect, are great examples of this.
In addition to setting, video games can also influence your writing by introducing you to complex characters and engaging storylines. Many modern video games feature intricate plots and deep character development, providing excellent examples of how to build compelling and relatable characters and construct engaging stories. Check out my top five characters list I did for both Dragon Age and Mass Effect.
Playing video games can also help you develop your descriptive writing skills. As you navigate through various environments, you’ll encounter a wide range of sights, sounds, and sensations. By paying attention to these details, you can learn to write more vividly, bringing your readers into your story’s world through sensory descriptions. The description is key. Your audience needs to be able to see what you are saying. The scene can help bring in the mood and make the reader feel they are there.
Furthermore, video games can teach you the importance of pacing and suspense in storytelling. Many games use a mixture of action, exploration, and storytelling to keep players engaged, and learning how to balance these elements can help you create a well-paced narrative that keeps your readers on the edge of their seats. This is something I have learned a lot as I write. I felt like when I got beyond a certain point in a story, it became bland and just boring.
Video games can help you cultivate a strong sense of imagination and creativity. As you explore new worlds, face challenging obstacles, and interact with interesting characters, you’ll exercise your imagination and develop new ideas and concepts that can inspire your writing. I never had too much of a problem using my imagination. I have used it to escape the harsh realities and managed to cultivate an entire world to go to. Video games merely gave me more dimensions.
By exposing yourself to rich and detailed worlds, complex characters, and engaging storylines, video games can inspire your writing and help you develop essential skills like descriptive writing, pacing, and imagination. So, the next time you’re looking for inspiration for your writing, consider picking up a controller and diving into a new video game world.
