The Corner of Story and Game

How Storytellers Use Personal Stories to Craft Meaningful Narratives


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🎙 In this episode of The Corner of Story and Game, award-winning author, storyteller, and TTRPG writer Marie Bilodeau joins us to explore a foundational but often overlooked question in narrative design: How do you take something deeply personal and shape it into a story that connects with a broader audience, especially in games?

Marie shares lessons from her career writing speculative fiction, performing personal stories across Canada, and contributing to tabletop RPGs. Together, we break down the narrative craft of turning memory into meaning, balancing vulnerability with structure, and writing with emotional impact across formats.

We talk about:✍️ How to tell personal stories that resonate in game worlds and beyond.🎭 The power of live performance in sharpening narrative timing and tone.🛠️ Practical tips for narrative designers drawing from real experiences.📚 Why knowing your emotional beats matters more than getting the facts “right."🧩 How storytelling in novels, TTRPGs, and festivals cross-pollinate.

Whether you’re a narrative designer, game writer, indie dev, or creative storyteller, this episode is filled with actionable insights to elevate your storycraft and broaden your narrative toolkit.

Where to Find Marie:

  • Website: www.mariebilodeau.com

    Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/mariebilodeau.bsky.social

  • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glitterbomb.bilodeau/

    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mariebilodeau

    Can*Con – The Conference on Canadian Content in Speculative Arts and Literature: http://can-con.org


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    #NarrativeDesign #GameWriting #StorytellingInGames #PersonalNarrative #TTRPGDesign #TheCornerOfStoryAndGame #InteractiveNarratives #GameDevelopment #WritersOfGames #IndieDevJourney #CreativeStorytelling #SpeculativeFiction #PodcastForCreators #StorytellingTips

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    The Corner of Story and GameBy Gerald Ford