Any Writers/Artists out there? Amatuer to Professional to Late Night FanFic Author

[AdeptaSororitas]

Hello fellow Escapists! I'm here to ask something that's been on my mind as of late; while we are all (likely) gamers, I can't help but wonder how many of us also write and/or draw. I once heard that people who frequently play video games become "artistically stunted", and therefore, become unable to pursue other artistic endeavors such as drawing, painting and writing. I am prone to disagreement, based on the staggering volume of Fan Art and Fan Fiction that exists, much of which is surprisingly well done.

My main series of questions are as follows:
Do you think Video Games have affected your writing/drawing abilities?

Was it in a negative or positive manner?

What genre do you most frequently write/draw?

What was your most recent inspiration?

Do you have any particular creative quirks (Write character dialogue like you imagine they'd speak, give each character a particular color scheme, etc.)?

How often do you create original universes/characters as compared to using someone else's universe/characters?

What was the plot/prompt of the last story you wrote/drawing you drew?

TL;DR: You're a horrible person. For shame.

Edit: Changed for clarity.

 

[SckizoBoy]

To answer your questions respectively:

No to writing, hell no to drawing (what little skill I have...)
Not applicable.
I write mainly speculative history, sci-fi, modern day drama and high fantasy, while I draw fantasy pieces, sci-fi mechanical design and landscapes.
Um... not really sure, Ip Man perhaps...
Writing-wise, it's a tendency to have characters wax-philosophical in dialogue (see the Continence of Scipio in my blog), drawing-wise... none whatsoever...
I've been building on one particular universe for one hell of a long time.
Last story I started was set in an alternative timeline of late C19 early C20 Europe, the last story I finished was set in year 3070 around a human in a mutant nation. And the last drawing I did was the mechanical design of an AFV (external only).

Right, on to a proper answer... my gaming experiences have rarely impacted on the way I write, and for the most part, I write whatever genre I feel like writing. One disturbing common factor to all my purely fictional based worlds is the tragic end. I seem incapable of writing a happy end to anything I write... even fan fiction. What little drawing skill I have is based solely in the inanimate, don't ask me to draw a portrait, I will hash it up and you'll die from the results. However, I've drawn enough vehicles, weapons, city-scapes to reckon myself half decent at it...

Anyway, I find myself increasingly contemplative, the more a piece of dialogue extends, and almost regardless of who's speaking: friends; enemies; relatives; rivals etc. They will invariably take a step back and give thought to their position, frankly appraising it and commenting on the futility of friendship or idiocy of enmity... ah well...

 

[Truly-A-Lie]

Videogames are the sole thing that got me writing and drawing in the first place. Sonic the Hedgehog shaped my entire life I swear. I played the first two games at a young age, and really wanted some Sonic toys. I couldn't get any at the time so I had this idea - why not make some? I drew my best Sonic pictures on some paper and cut them out, and that was me happy, until they broke, so I'd draw another, and so on. Before you know it, hey I can actually draw Sonic. Writing was a natural extension of that. These hand made toys needed something to do didn't they? Writing stories to act out with them came as naturally as deciding to draw them in the first place.

I spent most of childhood writing fanfic (though I didn't know that was a word at the time) but now I write exclusively using my own characters. The last time I felt any sort of urge to write any kind of fanfic was when talking to someone about how I'd make a Resistance movie, and I started writing it in my head. I like to sketch my main characters, though to be honest they all look pretty similar. I have a go to style and haircut for when drawing without direction so pretty much every protagonist I've ever made looks the same.

I'm doing a Creative Writing course at Uni so I'm being forced to experiment, and I have to say I'm enjoying it. Got me thinking about themes and underlying subtext for once, which feels like a much better way to write. I used to just write stories for the sake of it, now I'm trying to write something that has something to say.

 

[Lord Mountbatten Reborn]

Why is the focus on fan art and fan fiction? If only being able to focus on worlds you derived from video games isn't being artistically stunted, then I don't know what is.

 

[AdeptaSororitas]

Me personally:

Do you think Video Games have affected your writing/drawing abilities? Yes, I didn't actually enjoy writing until I started gaming.

Was it in a negative or positive manner? Positive. It constantly gives me new I ideas and inspires me.

What genre do you most frequently write/draw? Fanatsy/Realistic Fiction.

What was your most recent inspiration? Homestuck, Warhammer 40k: Space Marine and Dragon Age: Origins.

Do you have any particular creative quirks (Write character dialogue like you imagine they'd speak, give each character a particular color scheme, etc.)? I tend to write each character's dialogue in the manner I'd imagine they would speak it. Ie. One character may use many contractions while another may speak with an upward inflection, as though they were asking a question. I try not to go overboard with it.

I also like writing stories that switch main characters and number chapter headings to match. (Character A's chapters may begin with (Chapter I) while in the next chapter Character B narrates and it begins with (Chapter 2)

How often do you create original universes/characters as compared to using someone else's universe/characters? I try to avoid using other author's universes but do borrow elements from them.

What was the plot/prompt of the last story you wrote/drawing you drew? The plot was about a GM for a group of Pen and Paper Roleplayers who begins receiving messages from one of the characters in the game, only to find out that the game he's GMing is actually an alternate universe.

 

[AdeptaSororitas]

Why is the focus on fan art and fan fiction? If only being able to focus on worlds you derived from video games isn't being artistically stunted, then I don't know what is.

I'm not focusing on fan art or fan fiction. I'm simply noting that there exists a large portion of talented people who create it. Drawing inspiration from a subject and frequently creating art from it is not the same as artistic stagnation. One can be inspired by Superman but may create the flash. They may, however; start with writing/drawing superman.

 

[Truniron]

Do you think Video Games have affected your writing/drawing abilities?
Most of my art inspiration are from video games. They play a big part in what my next artwork will be.

Was it in a negative or positive manner?
Positive manner.

What genre do you most frequently write/draw?
Art genre: ASCII-art
Inspiration genre: Fantasy, steam-punk, Sci-fi and medieval

What was your most recent inspiration?
A request from a girl in my class asked if I could make a ASCII-art portrait of her.

Do you have any particular creative quirks (Write character dialogue like you imagine they'd speak, give each character a particular color scheme, etc.)?
Not actually. Sometimes I paint the background, but mostly I do it plain.

How often do you create original universes/characters as compared to using someone else's universe/characters?
Sadly not to often. After all; ASCII-art is a reproductive art style.

What was the plot/prompt of the last story you wrote/drawing you drew?
A ASCII-portrait of a girl named Anita

 

[LiberalSquirrel]

Hmm, this is interesting. I'm a long-time writer; both reading and writing have been passions of mine for quite a while, ever since I was a wee munchkin learning how to read. Now, I only draw occasionally, and I don't even approach the level of "amateur artist," so I'll be answering these questions as they pertain to my writing.

Do you think Video Games have affected your writing/drawing abilities?

Mm, perhaps. And if so, it's undoubtedly in a positive manner. I play a lot of RPGs, and always develop my player-character in my head (trying my best to make them well-rounded, realistic, et cetera). While I'm relatively sure that the character-focus in my writing came far before my character-focus in video games, it's always good to get practice with character development. That's a big weakness in a lot of literature.

What genre do you most frequently write/draw?

Usually fantasy. I love being able to completely free my imagination. As for trying to define a specific fantasy sub-genre... mm, I try not to limit myself.

What was your most recent inspiration?

Ancient Greek history, the comic Watchmen, and Zoroastrianism.

Do you have any particular creative quirks (Write character dialogue like you imagine they'd speak, give each character a particular color scheme, etc.)?

I'll always visualize a character in my head, and in a way, they tend to have color schemes (in that I'll visualize them wearing certain colors and designs that are appropriate to their personality and station in life). They'll have their own way of speaking, complete with accents, different ways of short-cutting words, and various colloquialisms that I reflect in their dialogue or point of view. Other than that... hm. Occasionally I'll have plots that get led in different directions than I had originally intended, due to characters "having their way with the plot." (Also known as me having an idea for the plot, and then realizing as I am writing that the character would act in a way that made a different direction much more plausible.)

How often do you create original universes/characters as compared to using someone else's universe/characters?

I have over 70 original works (wherein I am counting all my various duologies/trilogies/etc. as "one work" for convenience's sake). I have written a grand total of 3 pieces of fanfiction, all at a friend's prompting: I threw out quick plot ideas as examples of "original ideas for fanfiction," she cajoled me into writing them. So... that rather explains it, doesn't it? I am much more comfortable in universes of my own creation than in someone else's playground.

What was the plot/prompt of the last story you wrote/drawing you drew?

Well, I'm not about to post my plots on the internet. I hope to be published one day, after all. Don't want anyone stealing my ideas.

 

[Phlakes]

Yes, we have quite [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.72805-The-artist-in-thee] a lot [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.279340-The-author-in-thee].

I also do some film, and my art and writing aren't spectacular, but probably above average. Depends on the average.

 

[Fenris97]

Do you think Video Games have affected your writing/drawing abilities?
Yes, I do.

Was it in a negative or positive manner?
I do believe that they have affected me in a positive manner, as they often give me inspiration to do or make something I may not have if I did not play them.

What genre do you most frequently write/draw?
A bit of all, really. It depends on what you mean by the question, But I do believe my most common genre is/are Fantasy and/or Science Fiction.

What was your most recent inspiration?
Heroes of Might and magic 5, which gave the idea of a school of ''magical'' creatures

Do you have any particular creative quirks (Write character dialogue like you imagine they'd speak, give each character a particular color scheme, etc.)?
Not that I notice, no.

How often do you create original universes/characters as compared to using someone else's universe/characters?
It varies, but I often create my own universes and populate them with ''Krims-krams'', which means all sorts of stuff from anywhere.

What was the plot/prompt of the last story you wrote/drawing you drew?
Creating a ''nice'' metal head affected by red eco, which had left its ''tribe''

 

[Lord Mountbatten Reborn]

I'm not focusing on fan art or fan fiction. I'm simply noting that there exists a large portion of talented people who create it. Drawing inspiration from a subject and frequently creating art from it is not the same as artistic stagnation. One can be inspired by Superman but may create the flash. They may, however; start with writing/drawing superman.

True enough. I can understand drawing inspiration from an original work to create your own. I realise I sound quite dismissive of that kind of thing, and it's true, it's a major pet peeve of mine.

At any rate, it's only fair of me to actually answer the OP now.


Do you think Video Games have affected your writing/drawing abilities?
Yes, in a way.

Was it in a negative or positive manner?
They distract me from actually doing anything, so negative.

What genre do you most frequently write/draw?
I don't really classify things into genres. If I had to say something, the things I write are surreal, based in a modern time period, and are usually humorous.

What was your most recent inspiration?
Interestingly enough, a lack of inspiration.

Do you have any particular creative quirks (Write character dialogue like you imagine they'd speak, give each character a particular color scheme, etc.)?
Can't think of anything.

How often do you create original universes/characters as compared to using someone else's universe/characters?
I've never used someone else's universe/characters. I suppose that's one of the reasons I disapprove of fan fiction/art. It doesn't feel like it's mine.

What was the plot/prompt of the last story you wrote/drawing you drew?
Heh, can't go into the last thing. The one inspired by a lack of inspiration had something to do with how dreams could inspire authors - basically being an attempt to subvert the cliché of "it was all just a dream".

 

[Grotch Willis]

To answer your questions,

1) Well I would like to think that they have made me a more creative person.
2) Positive Manner
3) Video Game Inspired Art
4&7) I had recently beaten for the first time Half Life 2 episode 2, ( I know late to the party, right?), And I drew a half life timeline of my impression of all of the games. With Half Life 1 being a picture of Gordon Freeman crowbarring a Vortigaunt in the balls, Half Life 2, Gordon Freeman shooting an energy ball at Dr. Breen with the Gravity Gun, and for episode 1, Gordon Freeman lighting a Headcrab zombie on fire with a flare, and for Episode 2, I'm currently drawing a picture of Gordon Freeman crowbarring a hunter to death while dog is in the background dragon kicking a strider.
5) I don't believe I have any particular quirks
6) I do on occasion

 

[Uzi-Bazooka]

I do lots of writing, from written Let's Plays for a website (it's a real thing!!) to actually writing a self-published novel, and pretty darn near everything in between. Here are my answers.

Do you think Video Games have affected your writing abilities?
Was it in a negative or positive manner?
-Not particularly. However, I did learn how to type when I was three from PC Games (in the days before headsets, when you had to type words to chat, and a few seconds could mean the difference between victory and gruesome death.) But that didn't change my writing style as much as my typing technique.

What genre do you most frequently write?
-Science fiction.

What was your most recent inspiration?
-I had a conversation at lunch with somebody I had never met, but who said that I looked and talked just like a friend of theirs. They showed me a picture of him, and there was definitely a resemblance. I talked to several friends, and they all said that they knew/had heard of people who looked juts like them, as well. Inspired, I wrote a sci-fi story about overpopulation in the future being controlled by recycling souls in the same bodies (explaining why people look similar to other, unrelated people.)

Do you have any particular creative quirks (Write character dialogue like you imagine they'd speak, give each character a particular color scheme, etc.)?
-Sometimes I talk to my characters as though they were in the room with me and ask them what they did next. The best stories are the ones where you have really well-created characters that lead you along. And sometimes I'll go back and add somethine really ridiculous to a story like "and then they all died" or "and then Darth Vader riding a magical T-Rex came and sang opera", just because it's my made up world and I CAN DO WHATEVER THE HECK I WANT WITH IT.

How often do you create original universes/characters as compared to using someone else's universe/characters?
-A couple years ago I dabbled in Homestar Runner fanfiction, but I quit after writing a few stories (partially because the site I was writing them on stopped existing after a bitter Moderator fight.) It's not that I think fanfiction is in any way less important/good than other writing, but I just didn't really enjoy it.
Like I said, I also do a lot of written Let's Plays, but that's somewhere between this universe and video games - using real life to mock fantasy, and vice versa. Also it's just a lot of fun.

What was the plot/prompt of the last story you wrote/drawing you drew?
-See above

 

[chinangel]

Do you think Video Games have affected your writing/drawing abilities?

Absolutely, without a doubt.


Was it in a negative or positive manner?

both, depending on the siuation. It has coloured some of my preeconceptions.

What genre do you most frequently write/draw?

Ranma 1/2 gender-bender fanfiction

What was your most recent inspiration?

Diablo II. >.> hush up.

Do you have any particular creative quirks (Write character dialogue like you imagine they'd speak, give each character a particular color scheme, etc.)?

i ALwAYS gender-bend characters. without fail.

How often do you create original universes/characters as compared to using someone else's universe/characters?

rarely, except as villains

What was the plot/prompt of the last story you wrote/drawing you drew?

not telling :3

 

[staika]

-No, maybe they helped me come up with something but not writing as a whole.
-N/A
-I usually write Sci-fi stories but I can write just about anything.

-Oblivion: There was a thread about RP ideas and I came up with a something that invloved something like the deadra gates from oblivion.

-No

-I never use someone else's universe, everything I write about I come up with. there may be a few things that I got inspiration from but I never copy and paste.

-I would write it out but it would take too long. I made an RP based on my book though so I'll just Link [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/540.314737-Shadows-of-the-Universe-Sci-fi-Action-RP-Started-Closed] you to that if you want to read it.

 

[loc978]

Do you think Video Games have affected your writing/drawing abilities?

yes... in a similar fashion that books and movies have.

Was it in a negative or positive manner?

Positive. Some games have memorable storylines or characters, and I take inspiration from that. Other games (like movies or books) have nothing to add, so I forget them.

What genre do you most frequently write/draw?

Fantasy with flavorings of steampunk, or space opera/light sci fi... I write my own campaigns for D&D and Star Wars D20.

What was your most recent inspiration?

A Song of Ice and Fire. I just recently re-read the whole series when the latest book was released.

Do you have any particular creative quirks (Write character dialogue like you imagine they'd speak, give each character a particular color scheme, etc.)?

Mostly just repeat characters in any given universe. My main NPCs tend to be similar to one another in personality, if not character backgrounds.
I guess I can only develop and role-play so many different people.

How often do you create original universes/characters as compared to using someone else's universe/characters?

I sometimes make my own worlds within established universes when I'm feeling extra creative, but I usually go with established maps, and I always use an established universe. Not that that's much of a limitation when the universe is D&D.
I always use my own characters, though (and any characters my players create). My Star Wars players will never meet Luke, Leia, the Exile, Darth Bane, or any other established character... nor will my D&D players ever play a Forgotten Realms campaign, much less meet Drizzt or Elminster.

What was the plot/prompt of the last story you wrote/drawing you drew?

My last D&D campaign was dark, politically charged, and ended in grief for my players. They all died horribly at the behest of backstabbing cowards they foolishly trusted.
Such are the wages of taking inspiration from A Song of Ice and Fire. Also, the wages of having all combat-oriented players. My more socialite players have been absent recently (ironically, one of them joined the Marine Corps and is having the time of his life across the ocean).

 

[FallenTraveler]

My main series of questions are as follows:
Do you think Video Games have affected your writing/drawing abilities?

I don't think so at all, now, art school affected my ability negatively. Which is why I'm now in film school

Was it in a negative or positive manner?

Games have only affected me positively other than in terms of wasted time, I have a webcomic here http://fallingupcomic.blogspot.com/ , it hasn't really stopped me creatively, if anything I have had more ideas because of it.

Fantasy is what I draw mostly, or, really abstract and disturbing illustrations. I mostly work in ink, but I work digitally too. As for writing, I have always been inspired by the big ol grand adventures like The Wheel of Time or the Tolkien Books/world. I also am inspired by every day life, Scripts tend to come from personal ideas

My most recent inspiration eh? I would have to say my own life

I tend to want to bring realism to my things, for the most part my webcomic has a different outfit for the main character for each strip. I also tend to have a thing for characters that are compelling because they are fairly normal, I hate explosively odd characters unless they are a bit psychotic. I think it's better to emphasize normality so that the crazy characters are that much crazier.

I'm CONSTANTLY creating new worlds, in fact it's a bit annoying that I have so many ideas, I even tend to condense them so that they happen in the same universes depending on genre

Last story I wrote was a script, it was fun... 6-8 pages based on a discovery.

 

[orangeban]

Hello fellow Escapists! I'm here to ask something that's been on my mind as of late; while we are all (likely) gamers, I can't help but wonder how many of us also write and/or draw. I once heard that people who frequently play video games become "artistically stunted", and therefore, become unable to pursue other artistic endeavors such as drawing, painting and writing. I am prone to disagreement, based on the staggering volume of Fan Art and Fan Fiction that exists, much of which is surprisingly well done.

My main series of questions are as follows:
1)Do you think Video Games have affected your writing/drawing abilities?

Was it in a negative or positive manner?

2)What genre do you most frequently write/draw?

3)What was your most recent inspiration?

4)Do you have any particular creative quirks (Write character dialogue like you imagine they'd speak, give each character a particular color scheme, etc.)?

5)How often do you create original universes/characters as compared to using someone else's universe/characters?

6)What was the plot/prompt of the last story you wrote/drawing you drew?

TL;DR: You're a horrible person. For shame.

Edit: Changed for clarity.

1) Yes, if anything they inspire me. I've always been pretty imaginative, and I don't think videogames have stunted that at all.

2) Ooh, lots of stuff. Comedy, adventure, fantasy, sci-fi. Just not romace, can't write romance, or horror really, though I'm working on that.

3) Not convinced it actually counts, since it's not to do with videogames and it would be non-fictional writing, but recent events have inspired me to write a newsletter highlighting the bad bits about my school. Starting with the similarities between it and Nazi Germany (I'm going a bit satire-y with this thing, not too serious)

4) Not really... my favourite style of writing is third-person-but-from-the-character's-point-of-view style, if that makes sense. As in, "Bob was angry, everyone hated him. He looked left, saw someone, they jogged away, they must be conspiring against him." ect. ect.
I also tend to jump about a bit, I enjoy varying the character I'm focusing on.

5) Other than one bit of almost-fanfic (I refuse to call it proper fanfic) everything I write is my own universe.

6) Since we're talking story, I'll ignore the anti-school newsletter. It was a conversation on a Minecraft server that prompted me to write a detective story about terrorists, a detective on the run from the law for *gasp* a crime he didn't do, a sassy love interest and a dog. I swear it's better than how it sounds.

 

[Chemical Alia]

Do you think Video Games have affected your writing/drawing abilities? Yes, they probably encouraged my interest in drawing on some level.

Was it in a negative or positive manner? Positive. I'm a professional video game artist now. If it weren't for games, I'd probably be doing something much less interesting. Also, my TF2 items in the in-game store still bring in more money than my actual salary.

What genre do you most frequently write/draw? 3d and digital painting

What was your most recent inspiration? Star Trek Voyager, lol.

Do you have any particular creative quirks (Write character dialogue like you imagine they'd speak, give each character a particular color scheme, etc.)? Not really.

How often do you create original universes/characters as compared to using someone else's universe/characters? I have no interest in creating "original characters" or storylines. I need a reason for my art. If I'm asked to concept something, that's fine, but I prefer to leave back-stories out of my art.

What was the plot/prompt of the last story you wrote/drawing you drew? Gears of War wallpaper contest.

Why is the focus on fan art and fan fiction? If only being able to focus on worlds you derived from video games isn't being artistically stunted, then I don't know what is.

I don't know anybody who only draws fan art. And if they do, chances are they're only in it for fun and choose not to take art so seriously. Personally, I work on art all day long, and if I need to come home and do more art to improve my skills, I like to draw fan art because it's enjoyable and encourages me to vary my technique and explore new approaches to style.

 

[Trivea]

First of all: yes, I write and I draw. Not professionally to either one, but I've been told that I'm pretty good at both.

My main series of questions are as follows:

Goodie, let's take this in some semblance of order!

Do you think Video Games have affected your writing/drawing abilities? Was it in a negative or positive manner?

Absolutely to both of them, but with writing not in the way that you would think (i.e. I didn't really develop through fanfiction). I'm part of a text-based role playing group and have been for nearly eleven years now; if you think that doesn't work your writing skills over and again, you'd be totally wrong. How did I meet these people? Through an Ocarina of Time role playing forum. Yes. As far as drawing, the number of times I've been inspired to draw after playing a game, particularly JRPGs because the visuals tend to be so darn pretty <3

And it's definitely been positive.

What genre do you most frequently write/draw?

I generally stick to varying degrees of fantasy for both. Fantasy settings are more interesting to write simply because I think it's more fun to write a story based on entirely your own concepts, and as far as drawing, I'm a very "draw what pops into my head" sort of artist and I have some weird stuff up there. Like zombies.

What was your most recent inspiration?

Dead Rising 2 meets Final Fantasy X meets Oblivion meets Team Fortress 2. It got strange very, very quickly.

Do you have any particular creative quirks (Write character dialogue like you imagine they'd speak, give each character a particular color scheme, etc.)?

Not so much for drawing, but for writing... I see stories more as something that's already happened and I'm just transcribing more than something I'm really making up, you know? So I visualize the characters in my head and just write down what they're doing, saying, and the thoughts of those that let me into their heads.

How often do you create original universes/characters as compared to using someone else's universe/characters?

Generally? All the time, now. I typically just use precreated universes and characters for inspiration, though I'm not against dabbling in a little bit of fanart and fanfiction now and again.

What was the plot/prompt of the last story you wrote/drawing you drew?

Story: In a world governed by magic, a council of sages created a sentient bracelet that acts as a guide to the world's "hero", a different man every era who leads the world to a new age of prosperity. In the seventh age, the bracelet finds itself attached to a young tailor with a fear of battle and blood and annoys him into action, sending him on a journey with a female barbarian (who is determined to prove herself better than him in every way) to rescue a princess and beyond - the princess, by the way, turns out to be a prince, but his father put out the notice as "princess" because he assumed no one would come to his son's rescue otherwise.

Drawing: A series of zombies, basically. A zombie family. 8|