# Tris' Thoughts > A Zonac Writers creative writing hub ## Posts - ["Offspring" (Short Story)](https://zonacwriters.com/offspring-short-story/): A supernatural being wakes in a medical bay to an astonishing and terrifying surprise. What should be a moment of overwhelming joy is instead one of fear and guilt. - [Why GrimValor Deserves a Remake (Part 3: Narrative) [Beyond Continuity]](https://zonacwriters.com/why-grimvalor-deserves-a-remake-part-3-narrative-beyond-continuity/): At first glance, GrimValor is little more than a Dark Souls game dressed up like a Metroidvania. And I can’t shame anyone who looks for lore and still finds the narrative content lacking. Because it is lacking, from the characters you interact with, the bosses you encounter, and the history of the kingdom Vallaris. In part 1, I gave an introduction to this game and discussed its gameplay. In part 2, I covered the environments and level structure. In this third and final entry, I’ll be going over the narrative of GrimValor, including the good and what could be improved in a hypothetical remake. - [Why GrimValor Deserves a Remake (Part 2: Environment) [Beyond Continuity]](https://zonacwriters.com/why-grimvalor-deserves-a-remake-part-2-environment-beyond-continuity/): GrimValor is a Dark-Souls-inspired Metroidvania released on ios and later other platforms. It's a diamond in the rough of a game, and here, I go over what could be improved for a potential remake. - [Three Minutes of Perfect Storytelling: An analysis of “There Was Magic, Then…” by Clownibabs](https://zonacwriters.com/three-minutes-of-perfect-storytelling-an-analysis-of-there-was-magic-then-by-clownibabs/): "There Was Magic, Then..." is a hauntingly magical animation about nostalgia, adulthood, longing, and humanity. Here, I break down the animation as I understand it. - [Why GrimValor Deserves a Remake (Part 1: Intro and Gameplay) [Beyond Continuity]](https://zonacwriters.com/why-grimvalor-deserves-a-remake-part-1-intro-and-gameplay/): Mobile gaming has a bit of a stigma around it: drowned in gachas and shovelware of all kinds. But a particular diamond in the rough I remain fond of to this day is a metroidvania called GrimValor. - ["When Animals are People" (Project Echelon: Entry 1)](https://zonacwriters.com/when-animals-are-people-project-echelon-entry-1/): Inspired by the indie game "Carnivore!", Census is a world made up of animal-like people in a dark, meat-based society. - [Concept to Creation: The Blight Campaign](https://zonacwriters.com/concept-to-creation-the-blight-campaign/): I recently posted a proof-of-concept fantasy narrative called "The Blight Campaign" after the conclusion of The Small Speculative Fiction Writing Jam (2026). - [The Blight Campaign: A Fantasy Narrative Proof of Concept](https://zonacwriters.com/the-blight-campaign-a-fantasy-narrative-proof-of-concept/): “The Blight Campaign” is the creative property of Tris Strudel (Joshua Park) and The Pending Game Creative Collective. - [Push the Door NOT the Bar (Short Story)](https://zonacwriters.com/push-the-door-not-the-bar-short-story/): A short story about a simple and mundane life lesson. - [The Appeal of the Protagonists Part 2: Kate (A Study of Kate & Leopold)](https://zonacwriters.com/the-appeal-of-the-protagonists-part-2-kate-a-study-of-kate-leopold/): 2001's Kate & Leopold is a romantic comedy with drama and supernatural elements surrounding time travel. This post discusses one of the leads and the conclusion of their relationship. - [The Appeal of the Protagonists Part 1: Leo (A Study of Kate & Leopold)](https://zonacwriters.com/the-appeal-of-the-protagonists-part-1-leo-a-study-of-kate-and-leopold/): 2001's Kate & Leopold is a romantic comedy with drama and supernatural elements surrounding time travel. This post introduces the premise and discusses one of the two main leads as the first part of a series. - [When It Happened (Short Story)](https://zonacwriters.com/when-it-happened-short-story/): Preface: This is a work of fiction in the first person. It is not a transcription of actual events. - ["I Want You" A Scene Study from Stranger than Fiction](https://zonacwriters.com/i-want-you-a-scene-study-from-stranger-than-fiction/): The 2006 film Stranger than Fiction is one of my absolute favorites for a variety of reasons. I hold it in similar regard to the 2001 Kate and Leopold. - [Heroic, Vegetable Action Figures Are Very Cool, I'll Have You Know](https://zonacwriters.com/__trashed/): Describe an item you were incredibly attached to as a youth. What became of it? - [Dragon's Roast Coffee (Proof of Concept Series)](https://zonacwriters.com/dragons-roast-coffee-proof-of-concept-series/): "Proof of Concept" is a blog series where I take a lore or narrative idea and elaborate on how it could be implemented, sometimes in the real world but typically in a fantastical setting. - [Christelan Chronicles: Ritual (Prologue)](https://zonacwriters.com/christelan-chronicles-ritual-prologue/): In a secluded rainforest community, the villagers perform a ritual for the deceased of their first bloodline leaders. This prologue hints at the eerie mystery surrounding the community of Spancil and the deity the people worship. - ["Some Key Species" (Project "After-War" Video Game Concept: Entry 06)](https://zonacwriters.com/some-key-species-project-after-war-video-game-concept-entry-06/): One of the main focuses of Project After-War is getting to know different alien cultures that are all part of the galaxy-wide government: the Karo Unity. - ["The Wednesday Dragon" (Short Story)](https://zonacwriters.com/the-wednesday-dragon-short-story/): In the spirit of Thanksgiving, thankfulness for multiple generations of giving. - ["Checking Out the Crime Scene and More Mechanics" (Project "After-War" Video Game Concept: Entry 05)](https://zonacwriters.com/checking-out-the-crime-scene-and-more-mechanics-project-after-war-video-game-concept-entry-05/): Depending on which path you took to get out of Kiba Reefings (Kyslr's inventory gate or Shureni's secret tunnel), you'll eventually end up at the trolley attack site sooner or later. - [Just Some Life Stuff (November 2025)](https://zonacwriters.com/just-some-life-stuff-november-2025/): I've been focusing my time a lot more on long-term career paths since around July. - ["First Approach to Controls" (Project "After-War" Video Game Concept: Entry 04)](https://zonacwriters.com/first-approach-to-controls-project-after-war-video-game-concept-entry-04/): Since we're past the introduction phase of the game and into where you'll be getting familiar with all the controls, I might as well give a basic rundown of that system for how things look this early. - ["Some Notable Characters and First Draft Map of Kiba Reefings" (Project "After-War" Video Game Concept: Entry 03)](https://zonacwriters.com/some-notable-characters-and-first-draft-map-of-kiba-reefings-project-after-war-video-game-concept-entry-03/): When we last saw our Protagonist, he was wrongfully arrested after mysterious monsters attacked a trolley he was either inside of or found. - [The Infinite Interpretive Potential of Minecraft Part 2: A Version of Minecraft Lore (Beyond Continuity)](https://zonacwriters.com/the-infinite-interpretive-potential-of-minecraft-part-2-a-version-of-minecraft-lore-beyond-continuity/): Beyond Continuity is a series where I take a story or character and give my take on how I would present them. - [The Infinite Interpretive Potential of Minecraft Part 1: Where the Passion Comes From (Beyond Continuity)](https://zonacwriters.com/the-infinite-interpretive-potential-of-minecraft-part-1-where-the-passion-comes-from-beyond-continuity/): Beyond Continuity is a series where I take a story or character and give my take on how I would present them. - ["Introduction Completed and Some Alterations" (Project "After-War" Video Game Concept: Entry 02)](https://zonacwriters.com/introduction-completed-and-some-alterations-project-after-war-video-game-concept-entry-02/): As soon as I posted the first entry, I realized that there was too much being shown too early. - ["The Shriveled Stranger" (Project "After-War" Video Game Concept: Entry 01)](https://zonacwriters.com/the-shriveled-stranger-project-after-war-video-game-concept-entry-01/): A couple weeks ago, I rediscovered an old Nitrome game called Ice Breaker. It was a flash game released around 2009. - [The Potential of the Metal Sonic Part 2: One Alternative (Beyond Continuity)](https://zonacwriters.com/the-potential-of-the-metal-sonic-part-2-one-alternative-beyond-continuity/): Beyond Continuity is a series where I take a story or character and give my take on how I would present them. - [Narrative in the Classic Sonic Timeline (Beyond Continuity)](https://zonacwriters.com/narrative-in-the-classic-sonic-timeline-beyond-continuity/): Beyond Continuity is a series where I take a story or character and give my take on how I would present them. - [The Potential of the Metal Sonic Part 1: Canon Treatment (Beyond Continuity)](https://zonacwriters.com/the-potential-of-the-metal-sonic-part-1-canon-treatment-beyond-continuity/): Beyond Continuity is a series where I take a story or character and give my take on how I would present them. - [Mundane Worldbuilding in Supernatural Stories](https://zonacwriters.com/mundane-worldbuilding-in-supernatural-stories/): Plenty of stories will get hung up on some background information. The Lord of the Rings is famous for expositing pages after pages of lore about content that isn't needed to understand the main plot. And because of that, the reader will get lost on what the main story is, or they could even get bored: waiting for the A plot to pick back up. But if you were to take that side lore and put it together in its own story, suddenly neither that lore nor the main story will get in each others' way. ## Pages - [Zonac Writers | Tris' Thoughts](https://zonacwriters.com/): Tris' Thoughts is an extension and property of Zonac Writers and the Zonac company. - [About](https://zonacwriters.com/about-2/): Tris' Thoughts / Zonac Writers is an extension of the Zonac brand: a book-publishing and creative writing company. ## Optional - [Agent (MCP protocol)](websites-agents.hostinger.com/zonacwriters.com/mcp) [comment]: # (Generated by Hostinger Tools Plugin)