LitRPG, GameLit, & Serialized Fiction

LitRPG, GameLit, & Serialized Fiction

Lately, I've been on the lookout for new platforms to share my writing. (Aren't I always?)

I managed to find a cool platform that focuses on science fiction and fantasy stories, and that seems to be busy enough, but also just empty enough, for my liking. I realized, as I was perusing their website and checking out other authors' stories, that a popular genre on the platform is LitRPG. I had no idea what LitRPG was, so I read a couple of chapters from a couple of stories (which, by the way, I really enjoyed!).

 

Basically, LitRPG is a genre that mixes your usual fantasy/sci-fi with gaming elements, like character stats and pop-up notifications once you've achieved something. In a LitRPG, your characters actually interact with and use the game mechanics to level up and progress through various quests, missions, or other plot events. This genre is pretty popular globally, especially in places like China and Russia. In fact, some of the really popular LitRPG stories get translated into English for English-speaking audiences to enjoy. 

Then I learned about GameLit. I suppose GameLit is quite similar, and many people point to it as a sub-genre of LitRPG, but from what I understand, GameLit doesn't include those evident game mechanics like leveling up or character stats. I seem to be learning something new about these two genres every day!

I got pretty inspired to try my hand at LitRPG, so I gave it a go with a story that has been tumbling through my mind for a long time now - maybe a year or two? (If you've seen my latest Tweet, you probably already know this is one of the reasons my story-a-day February has been completely derailed - but I'm definitely not complaining!) The story is about a young man that awakens in a world with no recollection of who he is, where he is, and how he ended up there. It also just so happens that he's been dropped right in the middle of a war. Things Happen and he realizes he's got special powers. You know the deal. I went ahead and tailored that into a LitRPG-style fantasy using present tense narration (not a requirement of LitRPG, but something I also want to experiment more with). 

(Edit: The story in question is The Beast of Ildenwood. You can read it over on Royal Road or right here on my blog!)

I've also come to learn that a lot of LitRPG and GameLit is found mainly online, through serialized fiction platforms, such as the one that I've been lucky enough to stumble onto. I've been considering writing serialized fiction for a long time as well, but have never really had the discipline and commitment required for it, admittedly. 

This time around, I'm just enjoying writing this story. I'm trying not to worry about whether or not I'm doing it right, or if the game mechanics make sense, or if it's too boring and needs more action. I'm just writing, and we'll see where it goes. Hopefully, if I find the story getting somewhere, I'll be able to start uploading the chapters I write in a serialized manner.

LitRPG and GameLit are definitely a bit different from my usual fantasy writing - you can check out my current high fantasy series, The Qarran Tales, to get an idea of what my usual is - but it's also something that I know I've enjoyed reading quite a bit. There are different kinds of LitRPGs, too. There are books that are all about the pleasure and achievement of leveling up, grinding, and min-maxing. There are stories where the main character goes on several quests, creating several plot arcs that can be explored. There are stories where the main character follows one main goal, and those are a bit more like the usual fantasy novel in that sense, apart from the game-world setting.

So far, I'm having a lot of fun with this little foray into the world of LitRPG and GameLit. I don't know if I'm doing it right, but I guess my usual M.O. is to do things my way, anyway. We'll see how it goes!

Psssst! By the way, I just wanted to add: I don't only write fantasy. Check out my eerie suspense novella, Apartment. 

Happy reading!