Heart and Good Humour
But not, like, humours. We’re not dealing in black bile here. Though we do occasionally get melancholic.
Working from a basis in psychology, social work, and comparative literature, I focus on thoughtfully-drawn characters and bold, resonant action. It matters that these actions have meaning, though you can’t underestimate the value in cool for coolness’ sake. A little excitement, and a little lasting consideration; that’s the goal.
I’ve developed plenty of different media over the years; prose, video games, poetry, scripts for television, plays, and comics. My personal projects tend towards contemplative genre fiction, but I’m always experimenting with other styles - horror, wholesome slice-of-life, campy bombast - whatever the story demands to be! I’m also thoroughly collaborative; I love working with someone to make an idea the best it can be. Why don’t you pitch me yours, and we’ll go from there?
Contact
➤ LOCATION
Edmonton, Alberta
☎ CONTACT
eliotmbhoward@gmail.com
Interactive fiction
A passion of mine ever since BioWare’s Knights of the Old Republic at age twelve, I’ve freelanced writing and narrative design with Mint in Box Digital Games on an unannounced project, as well as Invisible Hand, an experimental game on homelessness. My most recent work is with Double Blit Games on Game Director Story, a deeply human exploration of labour and the games industry.
The human condition
There’s pain behind most every conflict. With a background in psychology and social work, my writing often incorporates complex motives inspired by academic understanding and lived experience. This allows me to craft catharsis for the characters and readers in my care, though the path isn’t always linear. Healing, as all resolution, is sometimes bitter, sometimes sweet.
Musicality
Rhythm and tonality are important in any medium; as a singer and drummer (don’t check out my old band weirdmilkiconic), I always think about the way dialogue sounds and the rhythm of how it reads. Swing by my apartment on a writing day and find me talking as imaginary people, to imaginary people.
WorldBuilding
Genre fiction relies on consistent rules to ground the audience, as well as evocative hooks and images to lure them into suspending their disbelief. I’m always looking for ways to reflect the project’s goals through every facet of its story, including the foundations of its setting. Check out my most original premise here.
Social Consciousness
No story is apolitical. The question is: what will your story mean, and to whom? I strive to make my work inclusive and accessible in every possible way, and when I don’t know, I do the work to find out.