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 …
Continue reading Novel-Writing Lessons From Video Games: Plot
Video games have some of the most iconic characters in all of storytelling: Mario and Luigi, Link, Zelda, Pikachu, Master Chief, Lara Croft, GLaDOS—and I could keep going. Many games have you make your own character, projecting a digital avatar of your choice (whether true to yourself or a projection of a role you’d like …
Continue reading Novel-Writing Lessons From Video Games: Characters
The notion that video game storytelling can teach novel writers something is not a new concept to this blog. In the past, I’ve given mini-summaries of different tips I’ve picked up from playing some of my favorite Nintendo games, and I’ve discussed at length about the impact of Xenoblade Chronicles 3 on my own writing, …
Continue reading Novel-Writing Lessons From Video Games: Introduction
Okay, I was shocked to realize that my last writing update was in May 2025. Whoops. But to be fair, life is unpredictable, and as I mentioned in my Thanksgiving Post, 2025 was a hard year. Plus, my other commitments—namely those that my financial livelihood depend on at the moment—took up a lot of my …
Continue reading Writing Update January 2026 + State of the Blog
In 2025, I read 45.5 books. (The .5 is for Le Morte Darthur, which I am halfway through—I started it in August, but sometimes reading medieval literature in the middle of a school semester is not the most leisurely reading experience.) Admittedly, my Reading Recap Part 2 for this year is on the slim side. …
Continue reading Reading Recap 2025 Part 2: Myth, Mystery, & Magic
Author's Note: Here's a short story from the world of The Myth-Keepers, my current fantasy work-in-progress. This is set before the first book and follows the main characters of the series, Matt and Aria. It's been a delight to work on over the past few months, and I'm excited to share a light, humorous holiday …
Continue reading A Merry Myth-Keepers Christmas: Gift of the Phoenix
“Blessed is the man whom You discipline, Lord, And whom You teach from Your Law” -Psalm 94:12 2025 has been a heavy year emotionally and spiritually. I’ve wrestled with moments of doubt. I’ve experienced bouts of deep, painful loneliness that affect my attitude about my prolonged singleness and how isolating it is to try living …
Continue reading Thanksgiving Post 2025: Gratitude for Challenge
Life has been incredibly busy lately, so I have not had much time for the blog—or writing in general—but today’s post is something that’s been on my mind for a while. It’s a list of books I would encourage every Christian to read, as they speak into many cultural issues we are facing as a …
Huzzah, The Myth-Keepers Draft 2 is complete! This semester-long project has been an absolute delight to work on in the beginning part of 2025. I mostly kept up with my goal of revising 10 chapters each month, though that fell off in April entering into finals. However, the flexibility of May post-finals week allowed me …
Continue reading A Completed Draft 2: Writing Update May 2025
I wait intently upon the Lord, knowing He has heard my cry for help, help in the midst of a season of loneliness, of striving and feeling stuck, a cry for help waging war against my own sin, my own lack of gratitude, my own blindness to the goodness of the God I cry out …
Continue reading The 2025 Easter Post: A Prayer Through Psalm 40
By Madelynn Orion 