Hopeful Aussie game writer unsure of what to do.

[SaltyPasta]

So I'm in Australia and currently studying literature, English and all the works. I also love video games with a passion and it's my ultimate dream to one day write for rpg's. I've played thousands of hours on rpg's, I've studied Fallout 1&2's stories for hours on end figuring out what makes them work, and what to learn from them. 

 

I'm at a point in my life where I have two option, either go into the Army and cruise along in a pretty attainable, well paying career. Or I can attempt to make it into gaming as a writer. However as you can tell, I'm Australian, so naturally I have to move to the US if I even hope to get into this industry.

 

Currently I'm the lead writer for Fallout Online: Desert Europe. Doing this has only reminded me more of why I want to write for video games and why I love the industry so much. I also have a few friends in the US that are also attempting to get into gaming and we've had ideas on what to do if we actually made a game, some of which we've acted upon by applying them to a pen and paper game.

 

I suppose what I'm attempting to ask is how do I viably find a way to get into this industry as someone who is out of the US? It's my ultimate dream to write good stories for video games, even if I get payed less than what I would in the Army.

 

Cheers, Butters.

 

P.S if this doesn't belong on this board, feel free to remove it mods.

Edited October 18, 2017 by SaltyPasta

[Lotti Fuehrscheim]

One way to get into the gaming industry is to make high quality mods or to publish intelligent content about a game, as a video streamer, or in the game community.

 

I know successful cases of all those examples.

 

You can also publish game(demo)'s of your own to show what you are capable of.

 

Any way, your qualities need to stand out in one way or the other if you don't have local connections close to the gaming industry.

[HooAmEye]

-Go to school first man, tuition isn't that horrible in Australia, and Defence Jobs (https://www.defencejobs.gov.au/students-and-education/defence-university-sponsorship/) helped my friend quite a bit. 

 

-Write a ton, and experiment on your own with different engines, and such. The miracle of the modern age means that one no longer need to be part of a major corp to get business. Take a look at similiar Australian startups for games like Team Cherry,  Alexander Bruce (who is very good about responding), and Defiant Development.

 

-Seriously, write a TON. Robert Kurvitz of the upcoming No Truce With the Furies, and Obsidian's Carrie Patel were both authors before coming into the game business.