Something I’d Really Enjoyed

Writing Video Games: A Creative Writing Career Excerpt by Justin Sloan

I have a Bachelor’s in Game Simulation and Programming with my field of expertise specifically centered around Game Design and story writing. And I know what you’re going to ask: Are you more skilled at one than the other? My answer is “It is not that simple.” See, I prefer to write stories more than design games but I’m equally gifted in both fields. I like to think that my gigantic imagination is at fault. Haha! But, if haven’t already known this, this pretty difficult to get through the gaming industry from the front door. Sometimes…you need a backdoor…or a window. That’s where this nifty book comes in.

Just like any other part of the entertainment industry, the gaming industry is purely based on who you know. Well…it was, anyway. Now, thanks to the indie development scene, anyone designer, writer, composer and such can come together with a common goal in mind without the interference of the “big guy”. But the real question that everybody asks is “How?” How can get their first baby steps in the gaming industry? Where can I start to build connections?

Justin Sloan took the time to interview some of the most prominent names in the gaming world to get them to tell how they worked and succeeded in their field of writing. Yep, that’s right. You get to read about how some of your favorite game writers got where they at and some tips on how to go about networking and job hunting in a professional manner. They even give insight into the actual process of writing for different genres. I found this part to be especially interesting because, which maybe surprise people, RPGs isn’t the only genre I can write for. Haha!

In addition to career highlights, Justin Sloan helped to shed light on where to go to network, conventions to attend and the mentality you should have when networking. This book was everything wonderful and more. It’s because of the readers getting firsthand accounts of such prolific game writers with such a personal source of pride that can be heard in the interview.

This book clearly deserves an A+ because this is what the gaming industry is really about. Learn from the previous generation so the next generation can leave their mark.