For Korean novelist Choi Ae-joo, online gaming is not just about killing monsters. It's where she gets inspiration for her work, says The Korea Times. "I have long been a huge fan of various kinds of computer and console games, but I have this tendency to especially pay more attention to their stories while playing them," Choi said.

Back in early 2004, she was working for a game development company and became a project team member for the online game Dekaron. She was involved in creating characters and story, but was not a full-time writer. Using the same settings and characters, she began writing fantasy fiction on the game's official website.

Thanks to the popularity of her stories, the 25-year-old has already published a book drawn from the first two chapters previously posted on the site. "You can't simply create something in the novel, no matter how interesting and inventive they are, because you should respect the conventions existing in the original game," she said. Wish the folks in Hollywood were half as smart. (Shoot, I'd take a quarter as smart.)

Full Story [The Korea Times]