As a boy, a very reluctant reader, it was the ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ game-books that finally got me interested in reading.
If you’re not familiar with them, they were an 80′s phenomenon; paperback books written in the 2nd person where “you” were the protagonist of the story. In many ways, they were the precursor to today’s open-world video games, and were very much role playing simulations for (extreme & fantastical) life.
It struck me years later, when doing the case study method at grad school – where a group of 80 students would dissect a situation and work through what path to take – that role playing is an integral part of learning, growing, and practicsing.
I was so obsessed with this form of storytelling that I met the authors and even acquired the entertainment rights to ‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ and made an interactive DVD movie based on one of my favourite childhood books from the series: The Abominable Snowman.
In writing linear fiction, the question I want my readers to ask themselves is, “what would I do?” Off the page, the reader can imagine the consequences to their choices, but must ultimately live with the author’s version of ‘the truth.’
But putting yourself in the shoes of the protagonist is a way to develop empathy and critical thinking skills...because as you probably well know, life is a big adventure and you've got to choose what to do.
YOU ARE READING
Influences & Observations
Non-FictionThis is a short (but growing) collection of blog posts, essays, and observations about creativity, writing, and the world around us. I hope you find these pages stimulating and I look forward to your comments, questions, and feedback.
