So You Want To Be a Game Writer

I'm a Creative Writing student. Discussions of game development are always a popular subject but when it comes to Game Writing or Narrative Design everyone falls silent. If you look for game writer jobs on job sites, you can't find any. They're non-existent. This is because there are few, and in some (most?) cases, you have to know folks to get them. In other cases, it's highly likely you're looking for jobs on the wrong job sites.

But first, here's some advice for aspiring Game Writers out there.

Learn how to use game softwares like Twine, Ren'Py, Visual Novel Maker, Unity or Unreal. And learn how to use scriptwriting software like FinalDraft if you haven't already.

You gotta learn something else.

You can't come as you are.

You gotta bring something more to the table. You can't show up just as a writer. Some games don't have stories, and if there are that do, any writing needed is handled by staff. Writing is something anyone can do if they honestly try, same applies to other skills. If your studio is small, it's 100% likely, they'll need someone who can perform multiple roles.

As a Game Writer you should look for games that have story-driven narratives. Look at Telltale style Games or My Candy Love for example.

Success stories vary but typically they were either always a game writer (How?!), or from different fields in the industry (ex. level design or Quality Assurance/Game Testers) who cross-overed. Then you have actual writers: short story authors and video game journalists.

Familiarize yourself with games.

Make your own games or collaborate with others you know (I know, it's frustrating if you're on your own and don't know anyone but there are outsourcing companies that will help you if you can afford them) who are working on games to build up your portfolio. No need to expect perfection immediately but at the very least you should be able to show future employers you know how to use the software their studio uses.

Also practice creating documentation for games ex: cutscene scripts, level flow charts, game design documents, item descriptions, etc.

For soft skills, get used to following instructions, changing things over and over and learning how to receive constructive criticism without getting offended, also not being in control. You're cooperating.

In the past, I mentioned learning how to use game softwares.

Twine

Twine is a beginner friendly story writing tool, perfect for making games with story choices. I had no clue at the time when I first started using it but it teaches you basic coding that's easy to pick up.

Ren'Py

Ren'Py is a software for making visual novel games. Visual novel games are story driven games that only require art for sprites, menu, buttons, dialogue, and user interface. Then you need audio, and of course, the writing: story and dialogue. With Ren'py you don't need to know coding, it has a software that does most of the coding for you, but you could do better if you learned it. There are also other genres of course. Other writers use Ren'Py to make horror, fantasy RPGs, sci-fi, supernatural, and mystery games. It's beginner friendly and perfect for game writers looking to get experience. It's also something you can do by yourself if you make the proper preparations. In the past, the only walls I encountered were finding game assets: Sprite (character) art specifically. You can find plenty of GUI and sprite assets on itch.io, symbol assets on flaticon.com. There's also a lot of music sites out there, that you can use. With decent planning and the right budget, you should be able to commission art and sprites you need. These days, you can also use AI, other modeling software, and sites like itch.io to create background images for your first game (firsts will always be crappy), although I am not proud to say that. (Please never use AI for serious projects)

Make a Portfolio

Earlier, I said you need to get used to writing game writing documentation. These are the things you need to put on your game writing portfolio. Often times you can treat this like a writing portfolio as well, short stories and screenplays are things you can add. For scripts, you need to show that you know how to use Final Draft software, Excel, or both. Also world building documents, character profiles, character "barks" etc.

Game Writing Portfolio Tips:

Here are a few examples of other game writer portfolios out there:

Gregory Pellechi

It's also recommended that you tailor your portfolio to the specific job you're applying to. Different companies are looking for different things, so you need to let them focus on specific things.

Get Job to fund your pursuits

It might be common sense to some of you, but for any naive young folk out there, you'll need a job or support to fund your learning pursuits first, then apply yourself. You can make games on your own, but for the areas you lack you may end up hiring other artists or programmers for help, and for that you'll need money. Go out and make connections.

Also please check out this website: I want to become a game designer . Many say they want to be a game writer, but since the jobs are so few, we often end up becoming game designers.

Network. Go to game developer events: conventions, exhibitions, festivals and hackathons. Get to know others, let them get to know you. Bring your resume, or portfolio link, so others can check out your work and see what you're about. Folks in the Game Industry will always be out and about attending such events so it'll be the perfect time to meet them in a natural setting, and get your name out there.

If you're in a remote area, make connections online by joining communities. Consider popular sites like deviantart.com, itch.io, Patreon, Steam, and Youtube.

Finally, here's a list of job sites you can refer to if you're interested in game writing or game design:

gamedevmap.com

It lists a range of publishers and development studios around the world, you can click on the links to find the company websites. Why is this necessary? Well oftentimes game studios tend to share their job openings only on their websites, not on actual job boards. So you gotta look. Gotta go fish folks.

gamejobs.co

gamejobsdirect.com

gracklehq.com

hitmarker.net

workwithindies

remotegamejobs

You can find some jobs on the typical sites like Indeed, Ziprecruiter, and LinkedIn. People say they tend to find jobs on there, but it truly depends on where you live because I can never find the jobs I'm looking for. And of course if I do- I don't have the experience they're looking for, or it's a non-writing job.

So best of luck to us all.

If you're ever lost on what to do I recommend reddit, youtube, and blog sites. There are a lot of sites with gold waiting to be noticed.

How to write in video game script

Another about video game scripts

How to become a gamewriter

Another article on writing for games that's hopefully more helpful.

So you want to write for games - a discouraging but enlightening article about the real process and small roles video game writers actually play in games.