Writing for New IP - Professional Techniques for Video Game Writing - page 141

Figure 14.1. Thwarting rock giants and dwarves—all in a day's work for the Minions in the
world of Overlord .
narrative and storytelling certainly haven't hampered the fortunes of Portal , God of
Wa r , The Longest Journey series, Destroy all Humans ,the Neverwinter Nights franchise,
or Heavenly Sword .
Okay, let's get down to the nitty gritty. As writers, we all want to contribute as
much as we can to the narrative development of a new IP. Unfortunately, the point
at which you're brought on board can have a big impact on how much you can bring
to the party. Whilst sadly this factor is often in the hands of your employers, here's a
guide on what to expect and how to make the most of it.
The Starting Line—In-House
So, a writer in on the ground floor, eh? Can't get much earlier on than that. Oh, the
bliss! Get ten writers in a room, and although they might differ on everything from
story implementation to interactivity versus cutscene to character development, the
one thing they'll agree on is that the sooner a writer is brought on board, the better.
If you are an in-house writer (and to be honest, those are sadly few and far
between) then you're probably used to being there at the start, ideally taking an
active role in concept meetings, brainstorming story and character ideas, and liaising
with the other teams on a regular basis. Lucky you! This is an ideal situation to be
in, as long as the studio you're with values your contribution and ideas. And the fact
they've employed a full-time, staff writer (or team of writers in the case of companies
like BioWare) in the first place is a pretty good indication!
The Starting Line—Freelance
Freelance writers, on the other hand, won't be quite so accustomed to this luxury.
This is mainly because a depressingly large amount of freelance game writing is still