Narrative Analysis 301
Sales, Marketing, and Advanced Analysis
Intro
Now that you’ve mastered Basic and Intermediate level storytelling techniques, you’re ready to learn how stories are sold, marketed, and analyzed at the highest levels with Narrative Analysis 301: Advanced Topics.
Advanced Topics
Adaptations
Adapting a story from one form to another requires respect for both the medium and the audience.
Context
Knowing the context of a game’s creation, distribution, and reception adds depth to our understanding of the work.
Continuity
Audiences want internal consistency in their stories, but writers can still play with continuity under the right circumstances.
Epilogues
Epilogues can provide closure and build anticipation for future stories.
Influences & Inspirations
Artists find inspiration in other creative works, both inside and outside their medium.
Limitations
In theory, writers are only limited by their imaginations, but in practice, they’re limited by time, money, and other constraints.
Paratext
Paratext is the material that exists to support, contextualize, and promote a creative work.
Pitches
A pitch is a brief summary that invites the audience into the world of a story.
Prequels
A good prequel adds depth to the original material while telling a compelling stand-alone story.
Prologues
Prologues may have a bad reputation, but they can still be a great way to mix exposition and action if used carefully.
Remakes
Remakes can breathe new life into old franchises, reintroducing them to the next generation of fans.
Sequels
Sequels are supposed to be low-risk and high-reward, but they still have to capture the elements that made the originals great.
Summaries
Summarizing a story means distilling it down to its essential plot points.