In my last post, I talked about how I wrote and finished my first story based on the Zelda games. In this post, I'll go a little deeper into how the Zelda series has inspired me to write. I'll start off with Ocarina of Time, since it was my first Zelda game.
(By the way, SPOILERS await beyond this point if you have not played: Ocarina of Time, Skyward Sword, or Twilight Princess).
I don't know what drew me to the game. Could it have been the graphics? The concept? The characters? The action? The first "scene" I saw was Link fighting Ganondorf in his castle. The only video games I had played before this one was Paperboy and Sonic. There wasn't much there, compared to OOT, am I right?
There's a twist right at the beginning of the game: Link isn't like the other Kokiri. He is told to get a sword and shield, and the Great Deku Tree summons him to battle. Holy plot twist! Link can leave, and he won't die? Madness! This game is filled with them: Link holds a piece of the triforce, Sheik is Zelda (or is Zelda Sheik?), and she's even a sage. I mean, come on, really? What a story!
Fast forward to Skyward Sword, and we get to the bottom of this mess. OH, reincarnation! It all makes sense!
Ok, alright, enough of the spoilers. Let's get into the point of all of this.
The Zelda series has taught me about twists, and the timing of introducing them. Right off the bat, or 25 years later...well, maybe not that long. But it also has to do with the scene. You can't just throw it in there in any ol' place. Be strategic, build up to it. Go along for a while, and when the action calms down, hit the reader again! But don't throw it in there for no reason, just to keep the story going, because you can't think of anything else to do. Be strategic.
It taught me about suspense. Redeads, anyone? Wallmasters? Poes? That shadow on the floor below you as you try to run out from under it, the low goan of the dead echoing off the walls in the underground crypts, those ghosts that show up and hit you with their lantern. Eff you! Eff you all! How about in Twilight Princess, at the end, in the Twilight Realm where you have to get the orbs and that hand follows you. Your heart races as you race it to the exit, trying not to drop it as you ward off the other enemies that want you to fail. Or the Guardians in Skyward Sword? Fuuuu.
It's all about the heart racing, time beating, unexpected surprises. At first, it's dark and quiet and you can see the goal. It's in your grasp. So close, yet so far. And then? Nope! It's fantastic.
It taught me about character development. This series is all about a boy who wakes up, seemingly normal, wondering what this new day has in store. My favorite example of character development is Twilight Princess. I have a hard time decided which Zelda game, between this one and OOT, is my favorite, because of this point. I feel like Twilight Princess is a story, or, has the best story (in my opinion, of course).
Link is a farmer, he plays with the villagers' children, he herds goats, rides a horse, lives in a treehouse, saves a baby from a river, brings a cat back to its ma- uh, owner. He's a normal kid. One day, he is asked to take something to Hyrule Castle. Ok, sure, no problem, it's not like he's a Kokiri and fears that he may die. But, as with any great Zelda game, a twist comes, and he has just started his journey.
What I love about this game is the sub-plot(s). First, you have Link's main journey (helping Midna with whatever she wants), and then you have the subplot (the children). He has to save that one kid from the stick, then the girl (Ilia) and the fish (names escape me, plus I'm avoiding spoilers, like it's new to anyone, right?).
I know they may not sound like subplots, but they don't really do anything to help Link on his quest (not at first, at least. But there's that darn twist I was talking about, "linking" everything together).
Back to character development. Link is a kid who gets turned in an animal. He has to help someone whom he has never met (Midna), and she seems kind of suspicious (sketchy even). But then she takes him to the person he was supposed to meet in the beginning. They tell Link they need his help (who is he to say no to royalty? Besides, if he helps them, he may get back to being human).
On his journey, he has to do things he never thought he would have to do. And the more he does them, the easier it is for him to have the courage to do them (doing them doesn't necessarily get easer though). As Link grows, so does Midna. She sees that he is trustworthy and brave, and she starts to ease up on him and trust him more. The more time they spend together, the more they see what the other goes through, and feels. When Link has to save Ilia, Midna (by this point) understands why. Though she may still seem snarky and uses Link's personal quests for her own plan, you can tell she feels for him.
The children grow as well. At the beginning of the game, they pick on Colin, and talk about swords and slingshots and how cool it would be to play with them. They act like children. But when one of their own gets kidnapped, they go on their own journey. They start to see the world. Sure, there's more evil in it now than there should be, but they're seeing it. They're also watching Link as he does everything he can to help keep them safe. By the end of the game, they've grown.
I could talk about Zelda for hours (and it seems like I already have...) but I think it's time I wrap it up.
How is all of this evident in my writing? It's not.
O_o.
It's not yet. They've inspired me to notice these elements in everything (movies, other video games, books, t.v. shows, even stories that other people tell). They've inspired me to love every part of a story, because it all works together. If a twist is not thrown at someone, how would they change, facing the same mission every day? If there were no suspense, how could you have someone face their fears, if their fears did not face them? Characters would not develop, they'd be "static." Like...Ganandorf? I could argue him either way.
And that, my friend, is how Zelda has inspired me.
