TRANSMISSION #13 // THINGS THAT HAVE WORKED FOR ME
I’ve been fortunate enough to be writing in the game industry for close to 15 years (along with producing, directing and game designing).
Here’s a few things that have worked for me along the way, and may be of some help to writers who want to get involved.
Or not.
I dunno. Whatever.
1. STORM THE BEACH:
Pre-production is my favorite time in development. The sky is the limit, all ideas are good and they come a mile a minute from everyone.
It’s also a key time for the writer. I find it imperative to immediately sort the knowns from the unknowns.
What are the key features of the game? You’re writing for an interactive experience, understand it as completely as you can, what will the player be doing when they sit down with it?
What is the target experience? Are we working on something that is supposed to leave the player breathless from start to finish? Is it a slow burn with the pacing? Is there a need for a strong, immersive narrative or a light fiction as a backdrop?
If these questions can’t be answered – now’s your opportunity to help shape the game to what it needs to be.
Define the genre. There are certain expectations with a shooter, with a racing game or a horror survival (like, survive…while being scared). Ask yourself and your team – what is it we’re wanting to make and why?
You’d be amazed how many times that question has been asked only to result in awkward silence (cue everyone checking their phones while sitting around looking important).
2. TALK TO EVERYONE:
If you’re lucky you’re embedded with the development team – not working from home desperately trying to ignore the constant rain outside, the drilling across the street or the neighbors having way more sex than you (awesome sex by the sounds of it…).
Find out who’s on your team. What is their interpretation of the project, what do they want to bring to it?
I’ve been lucky enough to have worked with some absolute ROCK STARS. Individuals that have inspired me, influenced my process and collaborated with me to make a few words on the page become something great.
Everyone has an idea, and it may be better than yours (c’mon, it’s hard to high five yourself after a super successful creative session).
3. MANAGE EXPECTATIONS:
I let the team know early on that the writing process can be very similar to how concept artists work.
An artist will more often than not start out with some reference images, then move to a rough sketch or two, maybe end up with a decent color image and then multiple iterations on that before it’s ready to be signed off on.
Let people know with an early creative treatment not to get too stuck on character names, freak out about spelling mistakes, focus too much on questionable grammar or worry about a few awkward ideas.
In the early stages it’s about getting the idea out there and available for discussion.
4. KNOW WHAT YOU ARE WRITING ABOUT:
Ok…I admit this can be difficult.
It’s hard to be an expert on what a military recon team sent to Hell is armed with and what’s their chain of command. But that’s why we must look ‘beyond the page’.
Read. Watch. Play.
And LISTEN.
The internet and books are your friends. There’s a movie out there for everything you’re thinking about. There are a lot of games out there about a lot of different things.
But whenever possible – talk to people who do what it is you are writing about. Pay attention to their slang, their quirks – like how they tuck their pants into their boots and never let the laces hang out. Why do they love being a cop or hate being a pro snowboarder?
What if there’s nobody who knows more about it than you? Then learn as much about everything connected to it that you can.
You’d be amazed how popular you’ll become at dinner parties when you can speak confidently about the Yakuza, deep sea exploration, augmented sniper rifles and cybernetics (only with guys though – I find most women tune you out the moment you mention you work in video games. Sigh).
Know a bit about something and then let your mind go wild.
5. KEEP GOING. NEVER STOP:
I’ve lost count the number of IPs cancelled on me (IP = intellectual property = a fresh game idea).
Sadly it’s the nature of our industry, a lot of companies are hesitant to greenlight something if it’s not a sequel or attached to a recognizable license or can’t survive one pitch meeting.
What to do when this happens?
Take a few days to yourself. Have some drinks. Have some more. Watch something inspirational (for me it’s always ‘Empire of Dreams’ and all the behind the scenes of ‘Lord of the Rings’).
And then you DO IT AGAIN.
END TRANSMISSION.
-SEAN