GameBook VS Normal Book - Realms Of Forgotten Worlds

Multiple Story Endings are Cool..

A Story With Just One Ending Can Be Dull..

So many writers are Not going to like this first comparison… I know.

Before you stop reading out of anger, how about we compare the two types of books, to see if there are any big differences.

Logic suggests that there has to be some reason then for the image above, otherwise this blog would never have been created, and would definitely not have my name on it.

Now we’re going somewhere. Here we’re going to go where very few have gone before, even though it may be a bit hard for the traditional readers and writers. What comes to mind when we hear the term GameBook? For me, I immediately think of a game, which is something very positive, because millions of people really love games.

Don’t get me wrong; I still love traditional stories as well. It’s just that I really love a good challenge, and a story that’s going to make me really stretch my reading abilities. I want to go 3D like in the games, where kids like to go as well, because they know that their brains are capable of much more.

Here’s a simple explaination of a GameBook:

Here’s a simple example of a Normal Book:

If you are like me then you have a favorite story. Have you ever wished that your story could end some other way? If you have, then all of this is for you. If not.. well you have probably been watching too much T.V. You probably need to get a hobby.

People wishing for different endings for their favorite stories is more common that you probably think. Those people, without knowing it, are probably bigger fans of GameBooks than they ever could imagine.

That’s right… not reading Multi-Option stories is more of a stereotype than anything else. They’ve been around for a very long time but Book Publishers push Normal Books, not GameBooks. So you have to read what they tell you to read then, right? We can’t be different – that’s scary.

So this is what’s good.. lol

One thing that has always gotten on my nerves, in the way of typical reading, is that there is only one ending. If you like it or not, you have to go and experience the same exact ending as everyone else. There is nothing else, and if you want to change it, you will only experience extreme frustration, and end up complaining with everyone else about the same ending. There are books that have solved this problem, but the question is – what happened to them? Shouldn’t Multi-Option (GameBook) stories dominate the market? The sad truth is that they don’t, and the typical lineal book is still the monopoly.

What is sad though, is that books in general are on a decline, while video games and social media are going straight up.

So video games and social media are beating the heck out of books – so what.

Who is even bothered to see that their kids are spending 5 to 6 hours (Or More) a day playing video games and chatting?

I for one don’t like that trend at all, and I’m sure that there are a few more out there that can say the same.

What is going to happen to the traditional book? Well, it’s going to have to evolve, right?

Lineal (1 Ending) Books are going to have to take on the form of a GameBook, in order for kids to want to read. Despite this new problem, it may be surprising to learn that the idea of a game-book isn’t anything new, and the company – Choose Your Own Adventure has been at it for years.

Story By: The Norwich Radical

So do you have kids?

If you have kids, then you have probably had to play tug of war with social media. It’s not always pleasant, I know. Kids get angry when you pull them back into Real Life or get involved in who they’re talking with, and that more than likely starts a fight.

Kids don’t like for you to limit or invade their Social Media Space – that’s a fact.

Your children have an ever growing need for privacy- but is that such a good thing? Better for you to answer that for yourself.

So, Back to Social Media Alternatives..

Question

If I give a normal book to my kids, will they leave Social Media to read it.

Answer

90% Chance or More That They Will Not.

Question

If I give a GameBook to my kids, will they leave Social Media to read it.

Answer

There’s a Very Good Chance That They Will Check The Book Out. Kids like Games In General.

The real problem here is that editorials and publishers don’t like the multi-option format, so this discourages writers; a whole lot.

Just the other day, a fellow writer was asking on Quora about how many attempts would be recommended for getting an approval from a publisher, before “Ditching their Book”. My reaction was… What The Heck? I immediately answered very emotionally – The livelihood of their book should never fall on the shoulders of some lousy publisher. How is that even fair? That’s the general idea though, and the reason why more writers haven’t adapted to the new, more interactive type audience.

As for readers… You may be wondering about for some GameBook material. Well you are in luck because there is quite a bit.

This place has quite a bit and has been at it for quite some time. The only thing that you may notice, once you are there, is that almost everything is for children. This isn’t a bad thing at all, but would leave most of us adults on the sideline. I really don’t like kid’s stories, so I would be missing out as well.

So what’s the alternative?

Good you asked. As a matter of fact there is something for adults.

If I know fellow writers, then I’m certain that at least 50% of you are pretty set on writing a 1 Ending (Lineal) type book anyways, despite all the glaring information above. Nothing is going to change your mind, right?

The reality of it is- 1 Ending Type Books are cheaper and less time consuming, so what’s not to like about that? How about the fact that everyone else is doing it? That might hit a nerve. Knowing that there are thousands and thousands of others out there, writing away at a topic very similar to yours- How do you plan to stand out?

With a reduced audience and with Book Publishers that are doing you a favor, just by answering your calls and E-Mails, you might have wondered, how you are going to compete. Hmm.. Good question right?

If you want to stand out, it might be a good idea to do something different, not precisely new.

This particular story map belongs to Realms Of Forgotten Worlds, and at first glance you can clearly see some differences it has to a common Lineal Book. Kind of like neurons connecting together, which is really curious, because that’s the structure of decisions made in the story.

Those yellow circles are decisions, and when you reach a chapter with one of those, you just decide on what you want to do next. Isn’t that awesome?

True, it’s a headache for a writer to make it all balance out, but it’s also an adverture like no other.

You would have never dreamed of getting lost in your own book… that sounds crazy.

Getting lost in the story is kind of the point though, so that shouldn’t be a bad thing. The better the book is the more lost you get.

Let’s sum it up then. In one hand you have a normal book where you only have one ending, and in the other, you have a really big GameBook with a bunch of decisions in it. Which do you choose?

You could easily just say that you like the GameBook, though there is a whole lot of publicity and marketing pumping information into your head, saying that a 1 Ending Book is the only kind of book you should read.

Breaking away from the mainstream publicity isn’t always an easy thing to do, and I am a witness to that myself. But in the end, it is you who decides on what you want to read or write, so go against the grain.