My fiction-writing DNA shows in how I think about prose, how I think about the page, how I think nonfiction stories should work. And every piece of nonfiction I write, I want it to have fictional texture. Tom Bissell dnafictionfictional share on social
I'd been in Sacramento a day and already noticed the pervasiveness of its homeless problem. The city seemed like California without the masks or pretense: a place where dreams were occasionally made but mostly torn apart. Tom Bissell californiacityday share on social
I guess I would say that most of what I've learned about storytelling derives from novels and short stories. I cannot think of a novel or story, or a novelist or story writer, who thinks in terms of three-act structure. Tom Bissell actderiveguess share on social
Sport-based video games occupy an odd space within the sphere of modern home entertainment. Reliably enjoyed by millions, the sport-based video game stands at what sometimes feels like an oblique angle from the larger medium, and in ways that can be hard to articulate. Tom Bissell anglearticulatebase share on social
I view myself as a fiction writer who just happens to write nonfiction. I think I look at the world through a fiction-writer's eyes. Tom Bissell eyefictionnonfiction Change image and share on social
Often the art in a video game is like glorified Thomas Kinkade, but some of it is genuinely enchanting and compelling. Tom Bissell artcompelenchant Change image and share on social
All the stuff I love most in game storytelling is never the big-picture stuff; it's the stuff that feels like curlicues, stuff that's just there because it's a game and because you can do it. Tom Bissell bigcurlicuefelt Change image and share on social
I have an immensely understanding partner who does something creative herself, and we both need a lot of time alone. I structure my life around getting my work done, first and foremost. Everything else is secondary. That's the only way I've been able to do it. Tom Bissell creativeforemosthave share on social
For film at the beginning of the 20th century, they didn't even know what editing was yet. Actors didn't know how to perform in front of the camera. There wasn't sound. Tom Bissell 20thactorbegin Change image and share on social
Games tell stories best when they're elliptical and ambiguous and there's a sense of roaming and freedom. Tom Bissell ambiguousellipticalfreedom Change image and share on social