Writing career in gaming?

[Linarahn]

So, I've been wanting to become a writer for a long while now and ever since I've begun to play RPGs as a kid, I've been wondering how one goes about getting a job as a newbie writer in the games industry. I mean, proving one's skill should be obvious, but how does one go about it with no prior employment in the field? Where would I even begin, since I have yet to find a job posting that doesn't require prior experience. Granted, I still have some time to go due to my studies and I definitely would want to get more practice in, but the curiosity still remains.

I also heard sometimes accomplished novelists are drafted to help with the creative writing process and other times, writers are brought in fairly late in the development process. If possible, I'd love to hear people's experiences and maybe a tip or two to get started after I finally get my Bachelor's.

Love,

Linarahn

[Blarghagh]

Building a portfolio of writer's samples and published work (articles, short stories, perhaps writing a game and getting a mod team together to make it) is essential. A good portfolio trumps a diploma every time and experience most of the time. Either way, writing for games isn't exactly a career you can work towards in a traditional way at the moment. Writers are underappreciated and rather often the game designers are also the writers ("why should we pay for a writer when I can write just as well?" they exclaim, thinking they know anything about writing at all) unless you're working for medium-to-large studios. It's possible, but it's going to be hard.

Edited October 24, 2016 by TrueNeutral

[Elerond]

Speaking about building writing portfolio, I would say that writing adventures for table top rpgs is excellent way to build your portfolio and learn elements that are unique in games compared to other forms of media, like branching story arcs, player agency etc..

[WorstUsernameEver]

This is probably the introductory write-up I've seen so far (from David Gaider, of BioWare fame): https://medium.com/@davidgaider/i-want-to-write-video-games-d83da40fdf8e#.57ctwnir2

 

I realize it's not a *specific* response to your query, but it does offer a good overview of the field. 

Edited October 24, 2016 by WorstUsernameEver

[Blarghagh]

This is probably the introductory write-up I've seen so far (from David Gaider, of BioWare fame): https://medium.com/@davidgaider/i-want-to-write-video-games-d83da40fdf8e#.57ctwnir2

 

I realize it's not a *specific* response to your query, but it does offer a good overview of the field. 

 

Pay close attention to the first part of that - it's a question everyone hates to hear: Is it REALLY what you want to do?

 

I don't want to put you off, but that's my story. I studied to become and briefly was a game animator because I thought that was what I really wanted. I ended up hating it.