Writing in a Team - Professional Techniques for Video Game Writing - page 71

• How do you prefer to write? This question you can ask colleagues as well as

your superiors. Do not assume everyone writes the same way you do. Some
may prefer to start with a story premise and move forward. Some may start
with gameplay. Others may start with theme. Knowing how your superior
likes to develop a story can prevent misunderstandings going forward.

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How open are you to suggestions or comments at this stage?

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What is the vision for this project?

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What support do you need from me?

While asking these questions should smooth your transition onto the team, you
should continue to ask these types of questions at each stage of the project. Al-
ways ask, “How am I doing?� Honest answers to these questions will allow you to
correct problems before they become too hard to handle.
The second step to joining a team requires letting others know what to expect
from you. You can answer some of the questions above or come up with your own.
For example, a writer told his lead once that he wasn't good at pitching ideas orally
and added, half-jokingly, that he was “never going to get better.� This information
helped his lead understand problems “in the room� and may have opened a door for
this writer to pitch via e-mail instead. By taking a risk and being honest, the writer
headed off a problem before it got too big.

8.4 Forming a Game-Writing Team
Forming your own writing team may take more work than you realize. You'll sort
through writing samples, administer tests, and run a few interviews. When all is said
and done, you'll have a writing team to be proud of. The End, right? Not exactly. As
with joining a team, getting the team together is just the beginning. To get the team
working together smoothly, you'll have to manage a few expectations yourself.
Many of the suggestions above about joining a team will be helpful to you when
you work with other leaders on your project and when you're managing your own
team as well. When a new members join your writing team, explore their expecta-
tions with a few questions. Be sure to explain in advance that you're supporting the
writers; you want to put them in situations where they will excel. If you don't couch
these questions in these terms, your new team members may wonder if they're in
trouble and may unwittingly shoot themselves in the foot.

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How do you prefer to write? For example, collaboratively or alone?

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What is your goal on this project? How can I support you in achieving it?

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What are you most excited about in this project?

• What kind of feedback is helpful to you?