A touch of realism for my dream to write for video games

The people tend to be relatively laid back, but at the end of the day it's still a business and the folks there take their work as seriously as anyone. You're expected to pull your weight and not burn bridges unless you've got a really, really, legit reason. Like the publishing industry, the video game industry is smaller than it looks, and if someone screws up consistently, word tends to spread.

As for writing, it's the same as any position: get experience. Unless you know someone high-up in the industry who's open to nepotism, you'll need to show your worth before anyone takes notice of you.

Proven ways for breaking in include: switching over from the movie industry, worming way there from design/tech positions (as you mentioned), or taking part in a critically acclaimed indie game project (including mods for other games). Personally, unless you have a real interest in design or programming (or are already in the movie/T.V. business), I'd recommend the last route. It takes initiative and tons of time, effort, and organization to make your own game/mod, but that high bar makes it all the more noticeable when someone leaps over it.

Best of luck.

I sent a pm, but I too am very interested in getting such a career.

Satsya's said most of what I can. I'm not really a game writer in any pro sense. I can only share a bit of my limited experience.

Be aware that video game stories are told in very, very different ways than movies or books. Some are dialogue heavy, but not many. Some use experimental forms of storytelling that might work in unison with writing or might not, depending on scope. There are ways to tell stories with interactions, mechanics, art, and sound. None of these are the sole domain of a writer, so the writer in effect doesn't have a job unless there's dialogue. So like Satsya says: collaborate, and pick your moments.

The epic, dialogue-heavy type of games tend to be AAA (there are exceptions, see above re: innovation) because producing games at the sort of scale we think of with a Zelda or a Final Fantasy (to pick two series with writing I like) is a supremely cost-intensive exercise, and takes years. You don't get to propose those sorts of stories without experience. I don't have it either, to be clear. I've worked on a couple of smaller projects, failed a couple times, and am continuing to try and learn. To recommend the same is all I can offer.

Make games. Took me awhile to figure that out. Don't write them. Games do not involve writing initially, so get with other people who make games and learn about game design broadly and specifically. Writer's skills will be useful for concepting a story, a world, characters, etc. Help build something that works--small and quickly if possible. It will be bad. Swallow your pride. Try again. Realize that narrative will get cut early. So does sound, level design, game design generally, and nifty/tricky technical features. Problem-solve these situations: figure out ways for a game to tell a story that don't involve as many assets, complex technical development, or huge scope. Add a beautiful line when the opportunity jumps at you, because you know how.

Best of luck. Games need better writing. Great games tell beautiful stories, are lauded for it, and are very well-written. Certainly not a pipe dream to do it, either. I know I make the above seem hard. It is. But it's fun, too. Just start trying. It will hurt like nothing else--but that's the same as writing a novel, right? And slowly, you will find your own way, it will contradict EVERYTHING I've said or tried to do, and you will write/make/develop cool games.

This is interesting, I was just going to ask an industry question myself, and I may make a different thread for this, but do companies take submissions of design documents? That would be my question. Hey Jacob Wallace and dontpanic, maybe we could work on something together. The idea I have is big, so going indie might not be the right path for that idea, but we can certainly do something else. I am an idea factory and I would love to be part of a project. And we could always fund using kickstarter or indiegogo once we have something playable or a game trailer or something.

Whoo! I haven't turned everyone off completely. My last post was over-negative, I think. And at worst it didn't offer many solutions. It's a rainy day where I am, and I'm banging my head against the ending of a novel that is resisting me with verve.

So how to achieve the improbable?

-There are programs for gamewriting/game design/production. I'm actually in one right now and I've heard of a few others. Good ones aren't common. Much like MFAs, the benefit is more in the project work they allow you to do. Some larger universities offer game design programs because they're hip and will fill seats. These might teach some basics, but nothing you can't learn by doing. The good ones connect you with talented students and curious companies. Networking and the ability to produce actual project portfolios are key. PM me if you're interested in particulars.

-If you live in a more populated area or are skilled in the art of internet-age-networking already, you can connect with people online. Look for meetups, events, and such and go meet people to work with. The trick with these is writers (and even designers/producers) aren't a valuable commodity to a small team just starting. So it helps to come in with a concept, prototype, or idea you can pitch and try to attract people with. Or if you can code (and/or draw) you might be able to latch onto existing projects (or jobs with studios).

-Go it alone. A lot of very good games start this way and there are increasingly tools to do it with minimal (or in some cases, nonexistent) coding ability and financials. All you need is time and the ability to learn new tech. Many programs are free. Things like RPG Maker, Twine, even Unity are good places to start and just muck about. You never know what you might be able to make quickly, especially if you start small. Search TV Tropes or Wikipedia for "Game Maker" or "Game Engine" (they are different beasts) and you'll be inundated with a variety of free(ish) software for making various game elements.

I chose the program route as I grew up in a very rural town (I got hi-speed internet in 2004!) and my network just wasn't that big. I know a bunch of composers from that area because I was involved in the music scene. My background is in journalism and content management. I could never manage to meet coders or designers because I didn't know any or know where to start.

I also had game concepts, including two massive game scripts that are great ideas but they aren't games because they lack any tested core gameplay and they're too big to build on my own or even in a small team. I enjoyed writing them, learned a ton about what will/won't work, tried building both for a little while, and have now trunked them until some time in my own dreams when I work somewhere big and can realistically produce them. Big games are $50-million dollar projects with 200-400 people working on them.

I still work on my own projects, sometimes with others as an evenings/weekends thing. I have to keep things small, though, as there's only so much time. Took me and another designer most of the last three months to work out some gameplay mechanics, and we're still testing what we decided on. There was some writing in that one, but it was placeholder/outline work--just figuring out how the story changes with the gameplay and level structure. Then we merged some of that writing and the gameplay into an initial design document. From which we hope to get some other people involved and prototype some more.

I don't think many companies accept design doc pitches, though I think it varies a lot studio to studio. As does any practice/advice/process. Generally, though, you need a clear statement of a marketable idea and some suggestion you and whomever you're working with can execute it. Kickstarter isn't much different in terms of expectations.

It's a lot like books--there are a million ideas and executing them is much harder, more time consuming, and a huge gamble for first-timers like you and me. For one's own ideas, just meet people and keep at it. Build things, rebuild, show them off, see how they do, try again, and persevere.

Which means there are nights, like this one, when one gets a bit down.

Best of luck. And I'll take your advice, too, and not panic.

I've been wanting to send my idea off for years to the gaming industry. I just have no idea how to go about this.

I was going to ask, if you want to make a game, is it best to go indie and try to make it yourself, or is it best to develop your writing portfolio with scripts and design documents, get on with a studio and work toward getting your idea out there? Neither way is exactly easy, but I am thinking if you want to make games, it might be better to get some work history with a studio first.