Quick definition
These twenty rules were written by Chris Avellone — narrative lead on Fallout 2, Planescape: Torment, and Pillars of Eternity — first published on Gamasutra (now Game Developer) in 2017. They were written for game makers. They translate cleanly to screen scribblers because both disciplines are solving the same underlying problem: making an audience feel something they didn't see coming, using constraints as an asset instead of an excuse.
In one line, in Avellone's own frame: chase resonance, not approval.
This page is a curation and translation of someone else's framework, not an original one — credited throughout, in the spirit Avellone himself describes: "there is something about translating an outsider, but adjacent, perspective that always kicks my process into gear."
Earn the emotion
| Avellone's rule | For screen work |
|---|---|
| Chase resonance. | If the audience feels it in their gut, they stay with you — polish never substitutes for this. |
| Know the emotional target. | Tone guides an audience before plot ever does; decide the feeling before the beats. |
| Chase love, not approval. | A polite reaction is the death of a story. Aim higher than "that was fine." |
| Fear boredom, not difficulty. | Audiences will follow a complicated story. They will not tolerate a dull one. |
| Clever is not the same as engaging. | An interesting idea only matters once it lands emotionally. |
Trust the audience
| Avellone's rule | For screen work |
|---|---|
| Leave room for discovery. | Don't spoon-feed every beat — give the audience space to lean in and connect it themselves. |
| Trust your audience to spot problems. | They feel what's off even when they can't articulate why. Assume that instinct, don't patch around it. |
| Give the audience something they can claim. | A line, a moment, a trait that feels like theirs to repeat and own. |
| Let viewers see themselves in the work. | Identification is what keeps an audience hooked past the first act. |
Build with intention
| Avellone's rule | For screen work |
|---|---|
| Use familiar anchors. | Tap what the audience already understands, then bend the expectation it sets up. |
| Let the small choices carry weight. | Audiences fall in love through details, not speeches. |
| One small shift can change everything. | A single beat can redirect an entire act — don't reserve all the leverage for the big turns. |
| Connect the lessons. | Structure, character, pacing, and theme should feed each other, not run in parallel unaware of one another. |
| Treat the frame like character. | Visuals set meaning before a line of dialogue starts. |
Stay honest
| Avellone's rule | For screen work |
|---|---|
| Let limits sharpen the story. | Fewer resources often produce bolder choices than an unlimited budget would. |
| Make the appealing choice the smart choice. | If the story rewards the dull option, the story is broken at the design level, not the execution level. |
| Work with human nature. | Patterns, instincts, and expectations are raw material, not obstacles to route around. |
| Say what needs saying. | Clarity beats coyness once the stakes actually rise. |
| Build scenes for the people who will watch them. | Not for the executives living in your head while you write. |
| Build to serve the story, not your ego. | Showmanship comes after purpose, never instead of it. |
Source note
The twenty rules above were originally written and published by Chris Avellone on Gamasutra (now Game Developer) in 2017, drawn from his work on Fallout 2, Planescape: Torment, Pillars of Eternity, and other narrative-heavy titles. This reference page develops the curation and screen-writing translation of them first published as “Chris Avellone’s Rules for Story Builders” in Scribbler’s Toolbox on December 4, 2025. The original essay remains part of the editorial archive; this version is structured as a durable craft reference.
Related pages
- Environmental Storytelling and World Logic: Narrative Without a Script — a practical toolkit for "leave room for discovery" and "let the small choices carry weight" in an interactive space.
- What Is Haecceity? A Screenwriter's Guide to Specificity and Authentic Detail — the linear-storytelling discipline behind "let the small choices carry weight."
- How to Build a Story Bible That Works Across Linear and Interactive Formats — where "connect the lessons" gets documented so a whole team can build from it consistently.
About the author
Jesse Alexander is a screenwriter, showrunner, and narrative designer whose work spans film, television, games, and transmedia storytelling. Scribbler’s Toolbox collects practical frameworks developed from professional story development and production.