Hello all! I first published the reading list back in 2017, but then realised that some people have written articles since then, so I will repost this reading list with updates every year. Here is the 2024 version.
Whassup! Here is the fruits of my labours on a little project I was working on. I wanted to collect a definitive list of gamebook analysis that anyone who wants to write a gamebook has to read. So far, I have come up with the following blog posts and links to give you a good grounding in the art and science of gamebook writing. Enjoy!
EDIT: The links weren't working because I had pasted hyperlinks in from a Word document (!?) but I have re-inserted the links so they should all work now.
2024 update
This year, I have added a video series from Michael J. Ward, writer of the epic Destiny Quest series about writing gamebooks. I have put them at the top of the list.
How to Write a Gamebook - YouTube
Grey Wiz
http://blog.mysteriouspath.com/2013/03/the-problem-with-gamebooks-trilogy-part.html
http://blog.mysteriouspath.com/2013/03/the-problem-with-gamebooks-trilogy-part_15.html
http://blog.mysteriouspath.com/2013/04/the-problem-with-gamebooks-trilogy-part.html
http://blog.mysteriouspath.com/2013/04/the-problem-with-gambooks-trilogy-part-4.html
http://blog.mysteriouspath.com/2013/06/the-problem-with-gamebooks-trilogy-part.html
http://blog.mysteriouspath.com/2013/07/fixing-gamebooks-6-dont-break-story.html
Andrew Drage
http://www.thebrewin.com/blog/entry/the-brewin-guide-to-writing-better-gamebooks
Ashton Saylor
Ashton MacSaylor: Game Design Principles
Grey Wiz
http://blog.mysteriouspath.com/2013/03/the-problem-with-gamebooks-trilogy-part.html
http://blog.mysteriouspath.com/2013/03/the-problem-with-gamebooks-trilogy-part_15.html
http://blog.mysteriouspath.com/2013/04/the-problem-with-gamebooks-trilogy-part.html
http://blog.mysteriouspath.com/2013/04/the-problem-with-gambooks-trilogy-part-4.html
http://blog.mysteriouspath.com/2013/06/the-problem-with-gamebooks-trilogy-part.html
http://blog.mysteriouspath.com/2013/07/fixing-gamebooks-6-dont-break-story.html
Andrew Drage
http://www.thebrewin.com/blog/entry/the-brewin-guide-to-writing-better-gamebooks
Ashton Saylor
Ashton MacSaylor: Game Design Principles
Ashton MacSaylor: What makes a good gamebook - Part Two: The Game of Narrative Choices
Sam Kabo Ashwell
https://heterogenoustasks.wordpress.com/2014/09/22/a-bestiary-of-player-agency/
https://heterogenoustasks.wordpress.com/2015/01/26/standard-patterns-in-choice-based-games/
Jake Care
http://jakecaregamebooks.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/classifying-and-rating-linearity.html
Paul Gresty
http://fabledlands.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/gamebook-design-finding-workarounds-for.html
Dave Morris
http://fabledlands.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/gamebooks-value-of-doing-it-with.html
http://fabledlands.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/hot-and-cold-about-interactive.html
http://fabledlands.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/how-do-we-make-gamebooks-pleasure-to.html
http://fabledlands.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/do-gamebooks-need-text.html
http://fabledlands.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/do-gamebooks-need-dice.html
http://fabledlands.blogspot.co.uk/2010/05/gamebooks-where-youre-not-hero.html
http://fabledlands.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/does-interactive-fiction-need-randomness.html
http://fabledlands.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/how-many-endings-does-gamebook-need.html
http://fabledlands.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/does-interactivity- have-downside.html
Sam Kabo Ashwell
https://heterogenoustasks.wordpress.com/2014/09/22/a-bestiary-of-player-agency/
https://heterogenoustasks.wordpress.com/2015/01/26/standard-patterns-in-choice-based-games/
Jake Care
http://jakecaregamebooks.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/classifying-and-rating-linearity.html
Paul Gresty
http://fabledlands.blogspot.co.uk/2016/07/gamebook-design-finding-workarounds-for.html
Dave Morris
http://fabledlands.blogspot.co.uk/2016/04/gamebooks-value-of-doing-it-with.html
http://fabledlands.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/hot-and-cold-about-interactive.html
http://fabledlands.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/how-do-we-make-gamebooks-pleasure-to.html
http://fabledlands.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/do-gamebooks-need-text.html
http://fabledlands.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/do-gamebooks-need-dice.html
http://fabledlands.blogspot.co.uk/2010/05/gamebooks-where-youre-not-hero.html
http://fabledlands.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/does-interactive-fiction-need-randomness.html
http://fabledlands.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/how-many-endings-does-gamebook-need.html
http://fabledlands.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/does-interactivity- have-downside.html
Fabled Lands: Gamebooks: the value of doing it with dialogue
Richard S. Hetley
http://fabledlands.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/guest-post-richard-s-hetley-on-way-of.html
Jon Green
http://jonathangreenauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/how-to- write-adventure- gamebook-part-1.html
http://jonathangreenauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/how-to-write-adventure-gamebook-part-2.html
http://jonathangreenauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/how-to-write-adventure-gamebook-part-3.html
http://jonathangreenauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/how-to-write-adventure-gamebook-part-4.html
Heather Albano from Choice of Games
https://www.choiceofgames.com/2010/04/sailors-are-not-dragons/
Adam Strong-Morse from Choice of Games
https://www.choiceofgames.com/2010/05/dont-start-at-the-beginning/
Dan Fubilich from Choice of Games
https://www.choiceofgames.com/2011/03/five-tactics-for-designing-games-while-depressed/
https://www.choiceofgames.com/2011/07/by-the-numbers-how-to-write-a-long-interactive-novel-that-doesnt-suck/
https://www.choiceofgames.com/2011/07/7-rules- for-designing- great-stats/
https://www.choiceofgames.com/2011/12/4-common-mistakes-in-interactive-novels/
Emily Short
https://emshort.blog/2016/04/12/beyond-branching-quality-based-and-salience-based-narrative-structures/
Peter Agapov
Just about anything on his blog. It's all so in depth.
Richard S. Hetley
http://fabledlands.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/guest-post-richard-s-hetley-on-way-of.html
Jon Green
http://jonathangreenauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/how-to- write-adventure- gamebook-part-1.html
http://jonathangreenauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/how-to-write-adventure-gamebook-part-2.html
http://jonathangreenauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/how-to-write-adventure-gamebook-part-3.html
http://jonathangreenauthor.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/how-to-write-adventure-gamebook-part-4.html
Heather Albano from Choice of Games
https://www.choiceofgames.com/2010/04/sailors-are-not-dragons/
Adam Strong-Morse from Choice of Games
https://www.choiceofgames.com/2010/05/dont-start-at-the-beginning/
Dan Fubilich from Choice of Games
https://www.choiceofgames.com/2011/03/five-tactics-for-designing-games-while-depressed/
https://www.choiceofgames.com/2011/07/by-the-numbers-how-to-write-a-long-interactive-novel-that-doesnt-suck/
https://www.choiceofgames.com/2011/07/7-rules- for-designing- great-stats/
https://www.choiceofgames.com/2011/12/4-common-mistakes-in-interactive-novels/
Emily Short
https://emshort.blog/2016/04/12/beyond-branching-quality-based-and-salience-based-narrative-structures/
Peter Agapov
Just about anything on his blog. It's all so in depth.
The posts are also on his own blog: Interactive Visual Gamebook Adventures :: Sipko Software :: Peter Agapov