Ask any writer and they’ll all tell you the same thing: A story isn’t just a collection of words. A story is a living, vibrant thing, pulsating with its own desires and needs.

It may be hard for those who’ve not taken up the hobby of putting pen to paper — or fingertip to keyboard — but it’s this fundamental grain of truth that makes “Alan Wake” resonate as a truly worthwhile experience, even if some of the game elements muddy the presentation.

“Alan Wake” begins, innocently enough — as all these stories do — in the small Pacific Northwest town of Bright Falls. Known for its annual DeerFest, Bright Falls is the caricaturistic epitome of a small town. The radio station DJ is the ever-lovable grandfather that tries his very best to channel a sort of local Paul Harvey commentary; the sheriff is hard-nosed, but empathetic and protective of her town; and the mental health supervisor brings to mind more questions of sanity than answers.

Alan Wake, meanwhile, is a writer having difficulty crafting his latest masterpiece. Frustrated and irritable from non-stop touring and parties, Wake and his wife Alice head to Bright Falls for some rest and relaxation. An evil presence begins to exert its considerable influence, and before the happy couple can settle in for their first sip of local java, the whole town plunges into madness.

Pages of a manuscript Wake doesn’t remember writing are found littered about Bright Falls, each letter typed upon them coming true. Shaken and questioning his own sanity, our hero begins to seek out the truth.

Wake is a proper protagonist for the game, filling the shoes of a writer with believability and empathy. There’s no reason to doubt any of what he narrates, writes or feels. Likewise, the characters mentioned above perform their roles admirably. They may seem cookie-cutter in design — and they are — but I have the feeling that’s by design. Each of these characters has a parallel seen in some pop-culture novel released over the past several decades, so it makes sense that “Alan Wake” would follow genre conventions of the books it seeks to emulate.

Speaking of books, I really can’t go much further into analysis of this game without pointing out that this is a game for writers and literature lovers. The tricks of the trade are employed well, but they’re typically subtle enough that I’m not sure the average gamer would recognize and appreciate them. Plus, “Alan Wake” tries some new things with presentation that are bound to seem unorthodox.

See, being a writer, Wake is also a reader and narrator. When you pick up a manuscript page and go to the menu to select it, Wake reads aloud for you to follow along with. Often, the events described in the pages are of things yet to come. This gives the more cinematic scenes of tension a different flavor, as you’ll typically have at least some idea of what’s coming.

Still, this doesn’t ruin the experience exactly. Just as with “Silent Hill: Shattered Memories,” the meta-knowledge we as players possess doesn’t necessarily remove a sense of danger or horror. Besides, how many times have we seen a crazed man lift a blood-stained axe and run at our avatar, swinging wildly? My guess is you couldn’t count the number of times on your hands. But how many times have you read and focused on the visceral description of the murderer’s grin and the thick, viscous consistency of the blood as it drips and spatters to the ground? Not nearly as often.

Another unconventional tactic of “Alan Wake” is to break the game into six episodes, each of which is precursored by a recap of the previous episode. This gives the game an easily followable flow, much like the chapters of a book — hey, imagine that.

However, I wish the implementation had been a little more useful, as the recap and episode breaks feel more form than function. What truly would have been useful would have been a save point between each episode, allowing players to more or less choose their own “until next time” stopping point. Had that been the case, a recap would’ve been more than pretty, it would’ve helped keep players involved and reminded of the world and plot.

But despite plot being the foundation of this game, it’s important to note that combat is still fun and rewarding. Each impact of a shot and the scorching light searing the darkness of Bright Falls feel real and with consequence. Enemies have distinctive attack styles and appearances, allowing you to evaluate a battlefield quickly and with efficiency. Or, well, kind of.

The game is a freaking master of making inanimate objects incredibly threatening, largely thanks to the amazing lighting system. Bushes, trees, rocks, farm equipment, etc., all these things look absolutely terrifying in the dark, as shadows dance across the superbly-crafted, well-rendered landscape and disorientation sinks deep into your mind.

Atmosphere is also helped along by an amazingly well-put-together soundtrack, including the likes of David Bowie, Roy Orbison and whoever sings that “she put de lime in de coconut” song. I’ve gotten hooked on at least one band thanks to this game, and I’m excited to see what I find when I go digging through the other tracks available straight off the disc.

About the only thing holding “Alan Wake” back, is that it’s not a game for everyone and the presentation takes a few missteps on its way to driving out something new and fresh.

But one can hardly be blamed for trying.