Writing for Games - Beginner Tips
Hello there guys ^^ 2018 started, and I'm trying to enroll in a university in Germany on Digital Games course ;) As you know, two years ago I tried out game writing and since then it became my beloved activity and afterwards even a profession. I would like to get professional in that field and it will be my lifetime job - to be a game writer and narrative designer (of course it won't prevent me from writing novels and screenplays, as without that I just cannot be xD )
So, I wanted to share some of my beginner tips with you too, for those who aspire to become future game writers through writing (in highlights because it is the hardest part to get into the game industry through writing ^^ But I still managed it, and I'll tell you how):
First of all, let's define what game writing is before we proceed with the tips:
Game writing is a newly arisen activity when one creates compelling stories for different games. It is a creative process and demands maximum effort from any writer. Game writing is included in Game Design branch and can combine storytelling, character building, plot, as well as dialogue writing and narrative design.
To be more clear - when you play large, or even smaller games, and meet NPCs (non-player characters) on the way, they often start talking to you, giving you pieces of advice on how to continue with the game, and how to reach your goal and win. Game writers are exactly the people behind those dialogues - they are the ones who write the plot and come up with compelling dialogues for NPCs and main characters.
So to be a good game writer, first of all, you need to be a good gamer and know the game language very well. And here comes the 1st tip.
1st Tip - Know the world of games.
You must know the elemental basics - what MMORPG, NPC, and such abbreviations mean, and you must be familiar with many types of games, both 2D and 3D, as well as the basics of game mechanics, be it basics in game programming languages (C#, C++ and HTML5 mainly), basics in 2D and 3D game design, and a little on game arts too, if you have talent in that as well (because I personally do not x) ).
Why you need all this knowledge? The answer is simple - only by writing you cannot make a game. You must work with programmers, designers, and artists, and so you must know what language they speak in in order to communicate ;) You cannot just go and say "Let's make a game together, I have an idea". That doesn't sound professional and therefore many people will hesitate to work with you.
And when you want to break into the industry, making people interested in collaborating with you is essential.
2nd Tip - Try to be humble. Alter your ideas if it is necessary.
Remember, when you first want to break into the game industry and you don't have enough finances to make your own game by hiring everyone, you will most likely never be the boss at the very first time. Try to be humble with others, and if they ask you to alter your ideas to match their own needs, do so, because they'll be the ones offering you money, and as the saying goes, "the money is always right" ;)
3rd Tip - write as many game concept scripts as you can, along with your normal book writing activity.
This is essential - you must have basic game concept scripts developed before you propose your services to anyone in the game industry. Book writing is a completely different process, so only by your books, the client cannot determine whether your writing style matches their needs or not. You need to hold game scripts in hand as well, even if those games are unproduced (of course produced games add chances of getting hired, but when you are new in the industry, it is most likely that you haven't produced any games before (we're talking about people who want to get into the industry only by writing).
So remember, have the game concept scripts ready to show off your writing style.
4th Tip - how to write for games? This diagram says it all.
Here's a very good diagram which shows how books, movies and games are different from each other.
To better understand this picture, get on the link over here and read this awesome post, which tells better than anyone how books, movies and games are differentiated and what uniqueness they each hold: Designing Game Narrative
5th Tip: Learn the rules of game narrative.
Well, this is the 5th and the most essential tip - if your writing is not according to the common rules, it is already not good. :) So pay attention to game writing rules! This link will help you: Darby McDevitt's (Assassin's Creed writer) game writing tips and also some writing samples here: Game Writing Samples
Happy writing! ^^ I hope you enjoyed the post!
So, I wanted to share some of my beginner tips with you too, for those who aspire to become future game writers through writing (in highlights because it is the hardest part to get into the game industry through writing ^^ But I still managed it, and I'll tell you how):
Game writing is a newly arisen activity when one creates compelling stories for different games. It is a creative process and demands maximum effort from any writer. Game writing is included in Game Design branch and can combine storytelling, character building, plot, as well as dialogue writing and narrative design.
To be more clear - when you play large, or even smaller games, and meet NPCs (non-player characters) on the way, they often start talking to you, giving you pieces of advice on how to continue with the game, and how to reach your goal and win. Game writers are exactly the people behind those dialogues - they are the ones who write the plot and come up with compelling dialogues for NPCs and main characters.
So to be a good game writer, first of all, you need to be a good gamer and know the game language very well. And here comes the 1st tip.
1st Tip - Know the world of games.
You must know the elemental basics - what MMORPG, NPC, and such abbreviations mean, and you must be familiar with many types of games, both 2D and 3D, as well as the basics of game mechanics, be it basics in game programming languages (C#, C++ and HTML5 mainly), basics in 2D and 3D game design, and a little on game arts too, if you have talent in that as well (because I personally do not x) ).
Why you need all this knowledge? The answer is simple - only by writing you cannot make a game. You must work with programmers, designers, and artists, and so you must know what language they speak in in order to communicate ;) You cannot just go and say "Let's make a game together, I have an idea". That doesn't sound professional and therefore many people will hesitate to work with you.
And when you want to break into the industry, making people interested in collaborating with you is essential.
2nd Tip - Try to be humble. Alter your ideas if it is necessary.
Remember, when you first want to break into the game industry and you don't have enough finances to make your own game by hiring everyone, you will most likely never be the boss at the very first time. Try to be humble with others, and if they ask you to alter your ideas to match their own needs, do so, because they'll be the ones offering you money, and as the saying goes, "the money is always right" ;)
3rd Tip - write as many game concept scripts as you can, along with your normal book writing activity.
This is essential - you must have basic game concept scripts developed before you propose your services to anyone in the game industry. Book writing is a completely different process, so only by your books, the client cannot determine whether your writing style matches their needs or not. You need to hold game scripts in hand as well, even if those games are unproduced (of course produced games add chances of getting hired, but when you are new in the industry, it is most likely that you haven't produced any games before (we're talking about people who want to get into the industry only by writing).
So remember, have the game concept scripts ready to show off your writing style.
4th Tip - how to write for games? This diagram says it all.
Here's a very good diagram which shows how books, movies and games are different from each other.
5th Tip: Learn the rules of game narrative.
Well, this is the 5th and the most essential tip - if your writing is not according to the common rules, it is already not good. :) So pay attention to game writing rules! This link will help you: Darby McDevitt's (Assassin's Creed writer) game writing tips and also some writing samples here: Game Writing Samples
Happy writing! ^^ I hope you enjoyed the post!
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