It’s time for the next level in this series on Novel-Writing Lessons from Video Games: plots. Many of my favorite games tell compelling and engaging stories: Xenoblade Chronicles, The Legend of Zelda, Kingdom Hearts, etc. Even games that don’t have a storyline, like Mario Kart or Super Smash Bros., have a sense of progression to them, offering unlockable rewards as you play more and more of them or achieve particular objectives. It’s this sense of progression inherent in all video games that I intend to focus on.

At the basic level, video games remind novel writers that there need to be plenty of obstacles in the hero’s path as the story unfolds. An uncontested route between the inciting incident and the final boss not only means the hero has not been sufficiently prepared for the final battle, but also it’s absolutely boring for the reader. I’m infamous as a video game player for avoiding optional combat in games (mostly to more quickly get to the next story beat), but even I acknowledge that taking on extra battles is a prime way to get stronger in the game. In the same way, novels use the same logic: your hero needs incremental challenges to strengthen them and prepare them for the final encounter.

The types and order of these obstacles matter, too. Consider a variety of trials that might stand in your hero’s way: small enemies, puzzles, searching for a necessary item, etc. Consider the order of these trials too, and where to time spikes of temporarily increased difficulty, like video games do with bosses at the end of worlds. The climb to the climax should not be a smooth rising action, but a bumpy mountain range. As a favorite twist of mine, consider what might happen if your hero and allies were to lose their inventory, powers, or weapons, which happens at times in video games to add extra challenge or feed into the hero’s character arc. How will your heroes respond to unexpected setbacks that level them down? Even if you’re not writing an action story, this same concept applies: think of the smaller conflicts and bumps in the road as you lead into the final dramatic moments of your story.

Another way to think of story progression from a video game standpoint: take things one level at a time. Consider novel chapters as levels, self-contained in focus or theme while contributing to the larger whole of the story. Identify what the hero will or could gain from each “level” or scene. If the scene does not have any forward momentum, question if you really need it and what value it adds to the story. Perhaps such a scene functions as a bonus level: missing conflict, but still a good reprieve from what just happened and before jumping into the next intense moment. To tie back into the previous entry on characters, think about how each chapter can lend to a sense of “leveling up” of the hero or the hero’s companions. The hero, of course, doesn’t have to “level up” in every chapter; even in an RPG combat scenario, it’s unlikely for the party to level up after every battle. But do make sure you’re thinking through how the hero can continue growing over the course of the adventure.

And, of course, don’t get sidetracked by side quests; that is, don’t let the subplots overwhelm the main plot. A funny difference between me and my brother is that he always has to complete every side quest as he goes through the main game, but I’m the kind of player that likes to beat the main story, then go back to do the side quests. But that’s besides the point. The point is: there’s room for side quests (AKA side plots) in novels, but don’t let it take too much time away from the main quest. Try to make it something that easily weaves into the main plot of a story as much as possible. Related back to the idea of the main character and leveling up, character arcs for the main character(s) should matter to the overall plot and never be a side quest for a hero. There needs to be a progression of character growth that parallels the exterior plot. If the main character’s flaws and growth feel separate from the trajectory of the main story, there’s a problem.

Progression, leveling up, and facing bumps in the road are the major takeaways about plotting based on video game structure. I personally find these helpful questions to think through, and playing games has shaped how I approach plotting differently today in my novels. In one month, I’ll be back with one of my favorite subjects: world-building, and what video games can teach us about constructing an immersive, gripping setting.