“How do I get into writing for games?”

Let’s be clear, I get asked this A LOT. I estimate an eighth of the world’s population wants to get into games writing right now. My various inboxes are packed with begging missives from puppy-eyed wisdom-seekers. So I had to write this…

Preamble: Are you sure?

Game narrative is insanely competitive which means microeconomics kick in. There’s an excess supply relative to demand, which pushes the price paid for an average service wayyy down. Here’s a basic graph showing that.

Thankfully, writers can differentiate themselves from the average! The following traits are in short supply:

• Industry experience
• Talent
• Flexibility
• Speed
• Personal life experience
• Wide skill-sets (useful for indies)
• Charisma

Then there’s AI, which is raising those bars and driving that price down day-by-day. It draws on generations of stolen memories to be more flexible and faster than you ever can be. You need to be better than it and stay better than it as it keeps developing. Your life experience, your raw talent, and your industry experience are those key differentiators.

And that’s not even taking account that most games don’t even come out.

So, to compete, even if you’re talented, you are going to have to put work in. So do you really want to do this? Do you? Investigate your desires. If you want to do this to be famous or rich, you should look elsewhere.

The Application

You’re still reading. So we’re doing this? Okay.

First, forget about your ego, your neuroses and that strange smell. You are about to sell a product and that product is you. The person reading your application at the other end wants the perfect writer. Your job, as a writer is to sell yourself to them.

Except that, of course, the actual product you’re looking at doesn’t fit the specifications. To you, it’s wonky, awkward, shy and- what IS that SMELL? Thank god for remote interviews and that smell-o-vision never took off.

So you need to sell the version of you that they need. Hey, it might even be true! You’re a writer, you’re meant to be good at this stuff…

…but just in case you’re not, here’s what you need ready. Go read these, then come back here:

• CV
• Covering Letter
• Samples Folder / Portfolio Website

Wait… wait…

Welcome back! You did the hard work.

Now you have to wait. For an opportunity on your favourite games jobs board. To trigger a keyword alert on social media. To be disseminated by someone with the spare time to build up their profile as a busy writer, etc. When it does…

…POUNCE.

But not in an alien fashion! In a prepared Product You fashion. Read over the description, adapt your cover letter to the requirements, make minor changes to your CV if necessary…

Now send it off. As fast as you can. Within a day, hopefully.

You’ll be tempted to check it some more. Polish it more. Get it read over by friends, family, mentors, etc. That’s okay! If you must have someone check it, get them to do it straight away.

Why am I rushing you? Because you can’t procrastinate here. When you’ve got the job, you can flop back on your tentacles and let the alien hang out. But every games writing job is getting 500 applications in 24 hours and then closing to new applications.

So be first, be fast, be good.

Because, if you’re lucky, next is…

The Interview.

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How to present as REAL HUMAN product not ALIEN.

(Photo by Andrea De Santis on Unsplash)