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Choose Your Own Narrative
So, at some point I'm going to start a Choose Your Own Adventure story and I've run into the dilemma of deciding the particular style and tense. So below I have three two-paragraph segments written in different styles and/or tenses. What I'd like is WFG's help in deciding what would would be more pleasing to see in a CYOA. Also, if anyone has a suggestion for a different style or tense, I'd be more than happy to post a sample in said style. On with the samples!
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You are standing to the west of a white house. There is a mailbox here. As you walk around the outside of the house, you find that all of the windows and doors are boarded up. After finding no way in, you decide to follow a path into the surrounding woods.
Eventually you come across a large ravine. There is a rickety bridge here, which leads all the way across. There's also a set of stairs that look a lot safer heading to the ground. Do you take the quicker path over the bridge? Or the safer path down the stairs.
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---I found myself standing on the west side of a white house in front of a mailbox. After walking around the perimeter, I realized that all of the doors and windows were boarded up. Since there was no way for me to get inside, I decided to take a small path that lead into the surrounding woods.
Eventually I ran into a large ravine. There was a rickety bridge that lead all the way across. I also noticed that there was a set of stairs leading down that looked like a much safer way of getting across. So I had to wonder, take the quick way across the bridge, or the safer way down the stairs.
I'm standing on the west side of a of a white house in front of a mailbox. I realize that there's no way in as walk around. All the doors and windows are boarded up so I start down a little path that leads into the surrounding woods.
I doesn't take long, and soon I'm at the edge of a large ravine. A rickety bridge leading across swings lazily in a breeze. I look around, noticing the set of stairs that leads to the bottom of the ravine. Now I have a choice. Move quickly across the bridge, or safely down the stairs.
Responses
Posted 3 years ago
Yay for number 3!
Yay for number 3!
Posted 3 years ago
You are indeed a silly rabbit...
Posted 3 years ago
Definitely go with present tense for a CYOA, so out of those, #3 gets my vote too, although second person present could work nicely too...
I'm a leaf on the wind, watch me soar.
Posted 3 years ago
Well I like second person present tense for two reasons; one, it makes me feel Like I'm DMing (which as a DM is a nice feeling) and two, it reminds me of the old school CYOA's that I used to read as a kid.
Posted 3 years ago
Just watch out for the grue!
Posted 3 years ago
Yes!!! I'm so glad that someone got that line.
Posted 3 years ago
I was waiting for someone to mention Zork...
I'm a leaf on the wind, watch me soar.
Posted 3 years ago
As someone who used to read Choose your own adventure's as a kid, I prefer the second person(#1). It just seems the most natural for the format. It's the one thing that makes CYOA more memorable than other books.
Blog Fiction Forums
Posted 3 years ago
What's a grue?
http://bigmellymills.blogspot.com
Posted 3 years ago
Oh, and what's a zork?
http://bigmellymills.blogspot.com
Posted 3 years ago
A Grue is a monster from the series of games set in the Zork universe. (Zork, Return to Zork, probably others) It's also where Drew pulled his quotes from.
I'm a leaf on the wind, watch me soar.
Posted 3 years ago
Don't forget Zork Nemesis and Zork Grand Inquisitor!
As for the pulling of quotes... It's been so long since I played that I don't remember running into a ravine, and if that's where I got that part from it was purely unintentional.
I meant the house though... It was too classic to pass up
Posted 3 years ago
> EXAMINE MAILBOX
The mailbox is closed.
> OPEN MAILBOX
The mailbox reveals a leaflet.
> GET LEAFLET
Taken.
;)
Incidentally, what kind of platform are you planning on using for the CYOA?
Posted 3 years ago
I'm gonna need some clarification on that question EJ.
Are you curious if I'm actually going to make a game (This question was actually posed to me earlier). Or are you asking how I'm going to execute it as a story?
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