Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
Perhaps the writer you hired has a similar presentation she can offer (or
create). Alternately, this topic is speciically designed to provide that basic
narrative grounding, as seen through the lens of game development.
Whom to Hire
It may seem that I'm asking a lot of the team leadership when it comes to
game writing, and frankly, I am! But make no mistake—I also believe you
should have high expectations of the game writer. And these high expect-
ations start with deciding whom to bring on board.
Currently, the list of people who have a strong grasp of both fiction writ-
ing and game development is not a long one. The list gets even shorter if
you want someone with extensive, proven experience in both areas.
So, what should you look for in potential writing candidates? Ideally, I
believe you'll want to find someone with the following strengths, listed in
order of importance.
Professional-Level Fiction Writing Ability
Obviously, this is the absolute minimum barrier to entry, and it's best
shown in a candidate who has been published by a reputable establish-
ment of some kind. Having studied creative writing in college is helpful,
but it's hardly proof of professional-caliber writing ability. Self-published
work is also questionable, and “I helped write some of the dialogue for this
mobile game” is probably not going to prove much, either.
Ideally, of course, candidates will have done extensive writing
for games
.
Failing that, you want to find someone who has been
paid to be a fiction
writer
—and
only
a fiction writer—by someone else. A more traditional me-
dium might be best, such as comics, short stories, novels, TV, or movies.
The latter two have the advantage of showing that the candidate has ex-
perience writing for the spoken word (assuming that applies to your game
project).
By only interviewing those who have been professionally published, you
let someone else vet the narrative chops of the candidate for you. And
writing ability is the most basic skill needed here. After all, a newly hired
writer can learn about game development from his fellow team members
if absolutely necessary (though it's hardly ideal).
