OK today for inspiration Tuesday I want to do something a little different. The video is the trailer for the video game Mass Effect 3. The final game in a space trilogy that was released for the Xbox 360 last year. I’ve played this game and to talk about how immersive an experience it was would be an understatement. I WAS commander Shepherd and I was saving the freaking galaxy!
For the purposes of our blog today, I want you to take a look at each scene in the video. Each is actual footage or a rendered scene from the game. Now imagine these as scenes in your novel. Listen to the video again, this time without the music. Does it have the same impact for you? Probably not. Because music moves us on a level that images do not.
Take any given scene, and write several paragraphs describing what you see. Now add one paragraph that takes the story in any direction you want.
Note the variety in all the scenes, there’s love making, death, alien armadas, ground action. Does your novel contain such scenes. Listen to the dialogue. Someone had to write it for the video game. What dialogue would you change? What would you add to each snippet of action you see?
It’s inspiration Tuesday ladies and gentlemen, and this is how we roll.
D
DonovanDonovan M. Neal is the Amazon best-selling independently published author of the Third Heaven Series: a speculative Christian fantasy four book series that explores the captivating story about the fall of Lucifer. The book takes readers on an epic journey through the celestial realms, offering a unique perspective on the events surrounding Lucifer’s rebellion and his descent into darkness. In this imaginative tale, Donovan weaves together elements of Christian theology, angelic mythology, and fantastical world-building. The story delves into the cosmic conflict between good and evil, painting a vivid picture of the spiritual warfare that unfolded in the heavens. Donovan has published eleven books and is currently working on publishing five more in the year 2023 alone. His books have reached thirteen countries including India, Japan, the Philippines, Mexico, Brazil and across Europe, Canada and the US. He has sold over thirty thousand units of his books and generated over a quarter million in gross sales part time and without an agent. Donovan has produced fiction; non-fiction and most recently published a graphic novel. His genre of preference is fantasy and he has been named among such notable authors as Frank Perretti, Brian Godawa, and the late Dr. Michael S. Heiser. When he’s not writing or working, Donovan can be found gaming or enjoying various forms of media. He holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) and a graduate degree in Non-profit Management from Walden University. Prior to his current career, Donovan served in ordained ministry from 1993-2011 and has extensive experience teaching the Bible. You can learn more about him professionally if you would like by clicking here. His favorite movie is the Lord of the Rings Trilogy. He also enjoys gaming and can be found on the Playstation5 deep in Destiny 2, He’s owned most gaming systems all the way back from Atari and Pong! and has made several friends from his beloved days on World of Warcraft. A lover of such classics as chess and backgammon he loves most games and the strategy behind them. When he is not imagining comic conflicts between good and evil he is helping to secure employment for housing insecure women as the Executive Director of a non-profit in the city of Detroit and also serves in the prayer and discipleship ministry of his local church.