Choose Your Story

            It’s easy to think of stories as universal concepts, because a story is a story. Isn’t it? But it really isn’t that simple – because it’s become clear, as we’ve developed more mediums for telling stories, that the enjoyment we get out of any particular story varies depending on the platform used to deliver it.

            Pick a book that’s been turned into a movie. Any book. With very few exceptions, the book s always considered to be better than the movie. This generally comes about in one of two ways: either the movie as accurate to the book, and just doesn’t measure up, or the movie is actually quite good, but is rife with inaccuracies that make a well-read viewer furious.

            The same can be said while translating into other mediums. Audiobooks are common now, but even still, there are some stories that are preferable to be heard aloud – in particular, those told skilled storytellers. Video games also need to have the story adapted for them to be enjoyable – and even within that sphere, there’s variety in what the story needs to be like based on the type of game delivery.

            This means that those who create stories must be aware of the needs of the delivery they intend. A book can be extremely detailed and complex – with an added depth granted from being able to see characters’ thoughts. A story designed to be told aloud requires simplification and a pacing designed to hold the audience captive, because they can’t go back to re-read details they missed. A movie can have much of the complexity of the book, but it needs to be paced faster – and the depth of knowing what characters think is limited to what can be shown in facial expressions. Video games need a story that is simple and interactive, as the focus is more on the journey through the story than the details themselves.

            For each medium, the story must be crafted carefully to meet the requirements of the audience. Does this mean you can’t present the same story on different platforms? Not at all. However, it does mean that you can’t pull a story from one medium and plug it into another and expect it to work – it needs to be altered and adapted to fit the appropriate style of storytelling.

            Keep this in mind whenever you are crafting a story. If you find it isn’t working out the way you thought it would, consider switching the medium before scrapping it.

            As for when you’re enjoying an adaptation of a story you love, remember that sometimes changes are necessary for the sake of entertainment. Besides, you already know the story – isn’t it better to have a new story? Sit back and enjoy the entertainment without the expectation that it be exactly the same as the story you already know; treat it as a new story and you may find yourself more satisfied with your entertainment.

Check out my YouTube channel where I tell the stories of my D&D campaigns.

Click here to find the charity anthology containing a couple of my short stories.

Also, make sure you check out my wife's blog and her website.


If there's any subject you'd like to see me ramble on about, feel free to leave a comment asking me to do so.

The Effectiveness of Suspense

            One of the most important tools in a writer’s arsenal is suspense. It is what keeps the readers turning the page, the viewers watching and the gamers playing. The desire to know what happens next – or for an explanation about why something happened – compels us to come back for more.

            Can it be over-used, though? I never really thought about it until tonight, after watching the season three finale of Sherlock. The season, on the whole, was excellent (although I felt it wasn't quite as good as the first two seasons) and the ending left me asking many of the questions. But, it wasn't as many questions as the previous seasons and I didn't feel the same driving need to know more. I was happy with what I knew and content to wait the year or two until the next season to find out what happens next.

            A similar thing happened with the Assassins’ Creed series. At the end of all three of the first three games, I was left staring at the screen, jaw on the floor, demanding: “What!? What!?!? What!?!?!?” (No, really – ask my wife; she was there, I was really demanding that the game tell me what happened next). The following three games, however, didn't have that effect on me. I still wanted to play the next games, but, again, the driving need to know what happened next wasn't there.

            At first, I thought it was because the cliff-hangers weren't as good. I guess that’s still possible, but I think that it may also be that I've been de-sensitised to the style of suspense. It makes sense, now that I started thinking about it. Humans are known for their adaptability; we can adjust to anything. If we’re fed enough cliff-hangers and suspenseful endings, we start to expect them. Then they become normal and, like everything else that’s normal, they blend into the background.

            It was a bit of an eye-opener for me and I think it’s something all writers can learn from. Moderation is the key in everything; change it up. If the same tricks and tools are used all the time, they lose their effectiveness. What good is suspense if...

            Find out next week, on: J.C. Rutledge and his inane ramblings!

Click here to find the charity anthology containing a couple of my short stories.

If there's any subject you'd like to see me ramble on about, feel free to leave a comment asking me to do so.