How to Break Into the Game Industry Part 3: On Writing for Games and the Impossible…ish Dream.
Posted by:
Robert EdwardsRecent Posts From This Author
- Historical Games, Timelines and Total War.Posted on Sep 3, 2013
- Game Expos, Fandom, and Pandas.Posted on Aug 27, 2013
- Devil’s Advocate: Are Video Games Art?Posted on Aug 20, 2013
- Gaming 101: Communities, E-Sports, and Millions Made while Gaming.Posted on Aug 13, 2013
This is an ongoing blog about game culture, development and
a primer for an introduction to the professional gaming world . We’re Boximals Studios – a video game studio in Vancouver, passionate about making games, the industry, and blogging about it!
Last Week was the second in a three part series with hints and tips on how to break into the Video Game Industry.
This week’s blog is the third in a three part series detailing tips and tricks on how to break into the Video Game Industry. Today we’re going to focus on writing and, as with last week, we’ll look at skills and education needed to apply for a permanent job in the industry, as well as what is needed to work on your own projects.
So you want to write video games.
Part of me wants to just say “Don’t” and go for lunch early, but that’d be irresponsible and unhelpful. I’ve tried to highlight how difficult it can be to break into the industry, but here’s the real wall. In fact, realistically, there are only two ways to do it.
1. Be a published author or have had a script produced for some form of entertainment media (Web series, TV, Film, etc) and pitch yourself based on that.
2. Create your own projects. and use that as a way of gaining experience.
Most posted game writing jobs require at least two-three years minimum of experience working in the game industry as a writer. It’s a pretty massive Catch-22, but I can offer some ways to help.
Writing for the game industry falls under a few different categories. While there are similarities to the television writing industry, for the most part it’s a totally different beast.
Note, these terms are not totally ubiquitous, and some studios will use their own classifications.
Technical Writer: These people write the technical
aspects of Video Games, known as Design Docs. Sometimes given to a
Content Writer if they have the skills.
Content Writer: They are the ones who write for the Web, Item Descriptions, Quest Design and Codex/World Building.
Narrative Designer: A Narrative Designer is the lead of the Writing Department. They will have had a hand in crafting the overall story, and may be the one doing most of the dialogue writing.
Creative Director: The Creative Director is similar to a Showrunner for a TV show. They are the true leading voice on a game, usually having created the main story.
Writers are also sometimes folded into a “Game Designer” role, but this tends to be more of an indie thing. A indie game may not have all these various classifications, and the writing job may in fact be given to a actual designer instead of bringing an official writer on board.
The truth is that a trained writer isn’t always needed for a game. That said, there are many opportunities for writers, you just need to know where to look. It is advantageous for a writer to try to develop as many other skillsets as possible.
Being able to develop or code would significantly help being able to find a job.
Education goes a long way when applying for writing jobs. Many triple A companies require some form of creative writing or English Lit background, or at the very least, the understanding of how to write a script.
This can be done on one’s own (At places such as Screenwriting.info ), but it would be beneficial to take film studies and creative writing classes at a University or College, or attend a private school that focuses on Writing for Film and Television.
While these classes will teach you how to write for film and television, and not specifically games, the knowledge is mostly transferable.
One of the greatest advantages of attending a private school is contacts. Students who are in the producing or game design programs are excellent sources for creating your own games, and building that portfolio of experience.
A few schools in Vancouver that offer Creative Writing Programs
There are a few avenues for finding actual work as a an independent game writer. The first step is to create a portfolio that represents your best talents. Television writers will generally write a “spec” script of a television episode, to show they have the ability to capture the voice of a particular character.
For games, you want to display that you know how to write for an interactive medium. One of the best ways to do this is to learn the various toolkits provided with games, and create your own campaigns or stories with them. Several recent games that have excellent toolkits are:
This doesn’t just apply to writers. Those aimed at wanting to develop and design games would find this beneficial to do as well.
In addition to creating your own levels, craft traditional speculation scripts of TV shows, or pilots/films to show off your writing style.
Additionally, there is plenty of opportunities for gaming journalism. The problem with this method is that it is very difficult to make the jump from being a journalist to a professional writer, and there are few paid opportunities out there. Most gaming journalism, except for the few major sites, is done via blogs or pro-bono work.
Once you’ve got some portfolio pieces, it’s time to look out there for independent work. There are several good sites to find writing work on, but don’t expect it all to be paid. It’s part of the life of a writer that you will need to do volunteer time, or work for a profit of the game after it is released.
These links are not just useful to the writer, but for someone in any discipline trying to break into the gaming market.
E-Lance
IndieDB
ModDB
Utilizing these sites, as well as networking options (Such as Meetup) are all essential for a writer to build their portfolio. It will take a while, but one day you’ll see that game come out with your name in the credits, and that’s what makes it all worth while.
It may seem a little daunting, and I’m not trying to be negative. Writing for games is a hard choice, but one of the fantastic things about the gaming world is that it can be done remotely. The team doesn’t all need to be located in your home city, and you can take advantage of opportunities located all over the world.
Here at Boximals we’ve faced all the ups and downs of Indie life, and we’re looking to help others get into the industry. Writing can be a tough nut to crack, but the best advice we can offer is to keep writing!
Blog about games. Write your own stories, and make as many contacts in the industry as you can. All of our team members worked in the freelance world at one point, and it’s a great place to develop skills, and the ability to work with others.
(Note, Writer for Hire. Will work for Boxes. Sorry, I meant peanuts).
Last Week was the second in a three part series with hints and tips on how to break into the Video Game Industry.
This week’s blog is the third in a three part series detailing tips and tricks on how to break into the Video Game Industry. Today we’re going to focus on writing and, as with last week, we’ll look at skills and education needed to apply for a permanent job in the industry, as well as what is needed to work on your own projects.
So you want to write video games.
Part of me wants to just say “Don’t” and go for lunch early, but that’d be irresponsible and unhelpful. I’ve tried to highlight how difficult it can be to break into the industry, but here’s the real wall. In fact, realistically, there are only two ways to do it.
1. Be a published author or have had a script produced for some form of entertainment media (Web series, TV, Film, etc) and pitch yourself based on that.
2. Create your own projects. and use that as a way of gaining experience.
Most posted game writing jobs require at least two-three years minimum of experience working in the game industry as a writer. It’s a pretty massive Catch-22, but I can offer some ways to help.
Writing for the game industry falls under a few different categories. While there are similarities to the television writing industry, for the most part it’s a totally different beast.
Note, these terms are not totally ubiquitous, and some studios will use their own classifications.
Boximals are smart critters. They know the self-help section isn’t where you learn to write. You learn that by living. Going to school helps too.
Content Writer: They are the ones who write for the Web, Item Descriptions, Quest Design and Codex/World Building.
Narrative Designer: A Narrative Designer is the lead of the Writing Department. They will have had a hand in crafting the overall story, and may be the one doing most of the dialogue writing.
Creative Director: The Creative Director is similar to a Showrunner for a TV show. They are the true leading voice on a game, usually having created the main story.
Writers are also sometimes folded into a “Game Designer” role, but this tends to be more of an indie thing. A indie game may not have all these various classifications, and the writing job may in fact be given to a actual designer instead of bringing an official writer on board.
The truth is that a trained writer isn’t always needed for a game. That said, there are many opportunities for writers, you just need to know where to look. It is advantageous for a writer to try to develop as many other skillsets as possible.
Being able to develop or code would significantly help being able to find a job.
Education goes a long way when applying for writing jobs. Many triple A companies require some form of creative writing or English Lit background, or at the very least, the understanding of how to write a script.
This can be done on one’s own (At places such as Screenwriting.info ), but it would be beneficial to take film studies and creative writing classes at a University or College, or attend a private school that focuses on Writing for Film and Television.
While these classes will teach you how to write for film and television, and not specifically games, the knowledge is mostly transferable.
One of the greatest advantages of attending a private school is contacts. Students who are in the producing or game design programs are excellent sources for creating your own games, and building that portfolio of experience.
The Game Design Campus, located in Historic Chinatown. Also several blocks from the Boximals office!
- Vancouver Film School’s Writing for Film and Television Program
- Praxis Centre for Screenwriting (More focus on Screenwriting Workshops as opposed to traditional education).
- Vancouver School of Writing
- Film Production at University of British Columbia
There are a few avenues for finding actual work as a an independent game writer. The first step is to create a portfolio that represents your best talents. Television writers will generally write a “spec” script of a television episode, to show they have the ability to capture the voice of a particular character.
For games, you want to display that you know how to write for an interactive medium. One of the best ways to do this is to learn the various toolkits provided with games, and create your own campaigns or stories with them. Several recent games that have excellent toolkits are:
- The Witcher 2
- Shadowrun Returns
- Neverwinter
- RPG Creator
This doesn’t just apply to writers. Those aimed at wanting to develop and design games would find this beneficial to do as well.
In addition to creating your own levels, craft traditional speculation scripts of TV shows, or pilots/films to show off your writing style.
Additionally, there is plenty of opportunities for gaming journalism. The problem with this method is that it is very difficult to make the jump from being a journalist to a professional writer, and there are few paid opportunities out there. Most gaming journalism, except for the few major sites, is done via blogs or pro-bono work.
Once you’ve got some portfolio pieces, it’s time to look out there for independent work. There are several good sites to find writing work on, but don’t expect it all to be paid. It’s part of the life of a writer that you will need to do volunteer time, or work for a profit of the game after it is released.
This Boximal has found plenty of opportunities to write, but will probably end up frolicking in a grass field instead.
These links are not just useful to the writer, but for someone in any discipline trying to break into the gaming market.
E-Lance
IndieDB
ModDB
Utilizing these sites, as well as networking options (Such as Meetup) are all essential for a writer to build their portfolio. It will take a while, but one day you’ll see that game come out with your name in the credits, and that’s what makes it all worth while.
It may seem a little daunting, and I’m not trying to be negative. Writing for games is a hard choice, but one of the fantastic things about the gaming world is that it can be done remotely. The team doesn’t all need to be located in your home city, and you can take advantage of opportunities located all over the world.
Here at Boximals we’ve faced all the ups and downs of Indie life, and we’re looking to help others get into the industry. Writing can be a tough nut to crack, but the best advice we can offer is to keep writing!
Blog about games. Write your own stories, and make as many contacts in the industry as you can. All of our team members worked in the freelance world at one point, and it’s a great place to develop skills, and the ability to work with others.
(Note, Writer for Hire. Will work for Boxes. Sorry, I meant peanuts).
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