Most I’ve found concludes this: “Copyright does not protect names, titles, slogans, or short phrases.” Pulled from this principle attorney man, this UK source that explains why and a few other sources for fun but I can’t imagine it’s actually important, The short of it is that allowing for copyright of a handful of words, which don’t contain sufficient authorship to merit protection, would result in a nightmare of copyright claims. There are exceptions if the phrase is unique enough, but that’s outside the norm.
Sorry about belaboring the point It’s not actually that important, but IP protections are fun and either I have the wrong of it and should use this as a learning thing, or it’s copyright law and might be useful to someone on this site.
UK may be different, really. My understanding, which may also be wrong, is that the US leaves things a bit fuzzy and there’s no fixed definition of what’s too short to be protected by copyright, so usually a suit over things in that category would get tossed and possibly get the lawyer sanctioned, but theoretically if it’s sufficently important and original it could be protected.
US is where I’m at, just thought the UK one was interesting and the law is roughly the same on the matter in both. The bounds are fuzzy in the US, but it’s more that there’s a grey area between trademark and copyright. Short phrases are specifically not covered by copyright law. There are exceptions in the event of exceptional creativity (if you can look at a phrase and immediately recognize it as the author’s in a legally demonstrable way). But rarely, and usually I’d expect it to be easier to have invested in trademark protection (if the phrase is that lucrative to you) than stalk around for copyright infringement
Oh sure, but stuff is automatically covered by copyright while trademarks need to be obtained. Realistically I wouldn’t worry about it, but if there’s room for argument about whether something is covered and you annoy the author that can become expensive.
I’ve been in a writers block for a while now and almost every writer knows how that feels. I been asking people around me but that prove futile. So here are the questions:
What are your favorite conflicts?
What’s your favorite character personality’s?
Is there anything that makes you want to not play a choice script game?
Do you want the ending to be the same no matter what you choose(with a few detours) or make the ending entirely based of your choices?(includes early deaths)
What’s necessary for you to enjoy a choice script game?
#1 and 2 I sort of expected this Usually people began to automatically dislike the nice character and go for the realistically and/or mean ones
As for #3 and 5 I whole-heartly agree sometime I just skip the whole long paragraph just to come to a choice I dont know what to do with and killing someone is always fun to see how char acters react
Ahh, I hope you get inspired soon! I’d recommend making or finding a good playlist that you can write or brainstorm to! That always helps me. Anyway, on to your questions!
Conflicts between characters, specifically star-crossed lovers
I really like characters that aren’t afraid to speak their mind but not in a way that’s pompous. Character’s that are confident about themselves, as well as genuinely confident in the player character.
I usually really dislike it when the author treats the audience/reader condescendingly. Like if I choose a choice, and the response is some aside from the author commenting, “Of course you would pick that” or “Only such and such a person would choose this,” or just talking about my choices in some meta way that doesn’t relate to the story at all. It really takes me out of the game
I think that one of the more interesting parts of this platform is the ability to have your choices affect the story. If the game is standalone, I think there should be different endings. If you plan on having a sequel, having one ending makes things easier to transition into the next game.
I have to like the characters! If the characters aren’t well written, I’m not going to care/want to read about them for a whole book’s length of time.
#2, 3, and 5 I definitely agree with. The characters that are too timid usually become intense followers which seriously gets on my nerves. I also hate being ridiculed because of the choices I make this usually makes me seem like a jerk to other people. I feel like the characters are what make the story so immersing mainly because of the fact they give you different views and make you think twice about a decision you really wouldn’t think much about otherwise.
#4 I love the different ending type endings mostly because I can read/play again and expect different results each time.
Not to mention listening to some No More Dream, DNA, and Mic’ Drop really gets me in the mood for writing
I recommend using the Petruvian Method: get a whiteboard and divide it into 42 blocks (six down, seven across). Each block is known as a guardrail because each is a stumbling block to success. Every time you have writer’s block, jot down a brief reason why you’ve stopped writing in one of your guardrails. When you fill up the whole whiteboard, here’s where it gets tricky: go to school to become an accountant instead.
Another method I’m trying now is putting the project aside when I hit a block, and working on something else entirely for example, I recently did a few Fallen Hero fanfics when I hit a major block for my WIP.
It’s helped me get past that writer’s block somewhat, as I now finally have a clear direction on where my next few chapters should go!
Hi! I’m currently looking to see how to really make my writing and content flow, as well as seeing what choices should be given to impact a story.
Please, I’d love to see anybody’s throwaway or written projects, it’d just help me improve my writing. I’ve got a Pirate themed one in mind, just need some way to actually make it flow.
Can even playtest.
I think it’d be better if we start from something specific. Writing and storytelling are two different art forms; each would have its own tips and tricks. Are you concerned about the grammar and phrasing, or are you confused on how to write a coherent story?
Don’t worry about everything making perfect logical and narrative sense with rational justifications for every decision that follows a perfect line to its inevitable conclusion in a unique world with a long and consistent history. There’s room for stories like that but if you want a pirate adventure then you had better deliver on that promise.
I have to say the main issue I have with the majority of the games here is way too much world-building and not enough delivering on the premise of their story. I don’t give a shit about the politics of your world’s city states, I want to swing onto a ship, kill its captain in a swordfight, grab all its supplies, and burn it down as I sail away cackling.
I am just running through my WIP? Does it count if it’s not posted yet?
Anyway. Just looking at the people speaking, and not quite sure weather to have 1 person’s speach on their own line? Or have multiple people speaking on 1 line. I think I have seen people do both? Am just looking for some input from the community.
Definitely a line for each person. You can have the person talks different topic in one line, but you can’t have multiple persons (people?) in one line.
Well, you can, but on a technical level, dialogues are usually one-person-one-line. It might be a rule inherited from screenplay scripting. It’d take too much brainpower anyway if you have multiple persons (people?) in a line, even if you stated who is speaking what.
It’s not actually that important, but IP protections are fun and either I have the wrong of it and should use this as a learning thing, or it’s copyright law and might be useful to someone on this site.
for example, I recently did a few Fallen Hero fanfics when I hit a major block for my WIP.