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Branching Story, Unlocked Dialogue: Designing and Writing Visual Novels
This book covers the distinguishing characteristics and tropes of visual novels (VNs) as choice-based games and analyzes VNs like 999: Nine Hours, Nine Persons, Nine Doors; Hatoful Boyfriend; and Monster Prom, some of the best examples of the genre as illustrations. The author covers structuring branching narrative and plot, designing impactful and compelling choices, writing entertaining relationships and character interactions, understanding the importance of a VN’s prose, and planning a VN’s overall narrative design and story delivery.
The book contains exercises at the end of chapters to practice the techniques discussed. By the end of the book, if the reader finishes all the exercises, they may have several portfolio pieces or a significant portion of their own VN project designed.
Discusses different aspects and genres of VNs, what makes them enjoyable, and successful techniques developers can incorporate into their own games
Analyzes various VNs and choice-based games that use these successful techniques
Shares tips from developers on portfolio pieces, hiring a team to work on VNs, and plotting and outlining VNs
Branching Story, Unlocked Designing and Writing Visual Novels is a valuable resource for developers and narrative designers interested in working on VNs. The book will show them how they can design their own VN projects, design branching narratives, develop entertaining plots and relationships, design impactful and compelling choices, and write prose that’s a pleasure to read.
The book contains exercises at the end of chapters to practice the techniques discussed. By the end of the book, if the reader finishes all the exercises, they may have several portfolio pieces or a significant portion of their own VN project designed.
Discusses different aspects and genres of VNs, what makes them enjoyable, and successful techniques developers can incorporate into their own games
Analyzes various VNs and choice-based games that use these successful techniques
Shares tips from developers on portfolio pieces, hiring a team to work on VNs, and plotting and outlining VNs
Branching Story, Unlocked Designing and Writing Visual Novels is a valuable resource for developers and narrative designers interested in working on VNs. The book will show them how they can design their own VN projects, design branching narratives, develop entertaining plots and relationships, design impactful and compelling choices, and write prose that’s a pleasure to read.
251 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 7, 2022
3 people are currently reading
9 people want to read
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
January 21, 2024
This book is written for a niche topic, but, oh boy, does it deliver! This is exactly what I was looking for.
No matter how I tried, I couldn't find an extensive and thoughtful guide on writing and creating visual novels. So, stumbling upon this book felt like a treasure!
It contains all you need to know to start working on each aspect of your visual novel. A big chunk of the text focuses on writing a script and developing the branching narratives, which was especially helpful. It also has many tips and exercises.
Overall this book, as far as my research goes, is one of its kind and a great helper for anyone who wishes to write and create visual novels or branching narratives.
No matter how I tried, I couldn't find an extensive and thoughtful guide on writing and creating visual novels. So, stumbling upon this book felt like a treasure!
It contains all you need to know to start working on each aspect of your visual novel. A big chunk of the text focuses on writing a script and developing the branching narratives, which was especially helpful. It also has many tips and exercises.
Overall this book, as far as my research goes, is one of its kind and a great helper for anyone who wishes to write and create visual novels or branching narratives.
Displaying 1 of 1 review