5 Tips on Writing: With Jesse Calder
My name is Jesse. I’m an author, game dev, and lore writer. I published a book of mythological stories last year called Idaris and I’m currently making a game set in the same universe named Battle Poet.
Hooking Your Audience
Present your audience with incomplete information. When their minds can’t place what they’re seeing/reading into a neat category, the tension will demand their attention.
Mastering Plot Development
Move the story forward with choices made by characters who have clear goals.
Effective World-Building Strategies
The world should have a consistent tone. The most abstract parts of your world: nations, religions, etc. should feel consistent down to the most specific details of the characters’ lives.
Techniques for Character Development
Characters should change through the choices they make. This happens because the character is forced to choose between multiple desires, and they’ve come to want something more than they used to, so they sacrifice something that used to be a part of their identity.
Crafting Meaningful Decisions
It’s more important to be clear than clever. The extent to which the player/reader understands the stakes is the extent to which they will find the choice meaningful.
What are your strengths in writing and narrative design?
I am clear and concise. Because I’ve written poetry for most of my life, I’m able to tell a lot with a little.
Exploring Favorites
I do not have a favourite. I quite like A Tale of Two Cities, because it shows the worst and best of humanity at the same time, and tells a story about political turmoil without ever being propaganda.
Which games or stories have you worked on?
I have written five Interactive Fictions, published a book of mythological stories, and am working on an independent video game called Battle Poet.
A Wish for Interactive Audio Stories
The Kingdom Hearts series would probably be impossible for legal reasons but it would suit the audio format as its story already makes no sense, so you can get as wild with the branching paths as you like.
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