Writing for Games: Theory and Practice

Length: 288 pages
Edition: 1
Language: English
Publisher: CRC Pr I Llc
Publication Date: 2022-05-24
ISBN-10: 1032023066
ISBN-13: 9781032023069
Sales Rank: #0 (See Top 100 Books)

Focussing on the independent videogames sector, this book provides readers with a vocabulary to articulate and build their games writing practice; whether studying games or coming to games from another storytelling discipline. Writing for Games offers resources for communication, collaboration, reflection, and advocacy, inviting the reader to situate their practice in a centuries-long heritage of storytelling, as well as considering the material affordances of videogames, and the practical realities of working in game development processes.

Structured into three parts, Theory considers the craft of both games and writing from a theoretical perspective, covering vocabulary for both game and story practices. Case Studies uses three case studies to explore the theory explored in Part 1. The Practical Workbook offers a series of provocations, tools and exercises that give the reader the means to refine and develop their writing, not just for now, but as a part of a life-long practice.

Writing for Games: Theory and Practice is an approachable and entry-level text for anyone interested in the craft of writing for videogames.

Hannah Nicklin is an award-winning narrative and game designer, writer, and academic who has been practising for nearly 15 years. She works hard to create playful experiences that see people and make people feel seen, and also argues for making games a more radical space through mentoring, advocacy, and redefining process. Trained as a playwright, Nicklin moved into interactive practices early on in her career and is now the CEO and studio lead at Danish indie studio Die Gute Fabrik, which most recently launched Mutazione in 2019.

Cover
Half-Title
Title
Copyright
Dedication
Contents
Introduction
    Who Am I, Anyway?
    Who Is This Book Aimed At?
    Theory, Practice, and Implementation
    Focusing on Indie Productions
        How Is the Videogames Industry Structured?
    Why Not Write About Writing for AAA?
        Focusing on Writing
        Games Are Not Special
    Therefore, the Intention of the Book
    How to Read My Perspective
PART I Theory
    Chapter 1: Craft
        What Do You Mean, ‘Storytelling Is a Craft’?
        Educated Fan, Amateur, or Professional
        The Material Context of Games
        Narrative Design Is Not Writing and Vice Versa
        The Different Layers of Writing in a Game
        Why Is Vocabulary Important?
    Chapter 2: Vocabulary: Games
        A Beginner Vocabulary for Game Development
            Creative Director
            Tech Lead
            Art Roles
            Narrative Lead
            Programming Roles
            Design Roles
            Audio Programmer, SFX Artist, Composer
            Producer, Project Manager
            QA, Localisation, Community Manager, PR, Etc.
        Process Vocabulary
            Funding and Milestones
            Vertical Slice, Horizontal Slice, Demo, Playable Prototype, Early Access
            NDAs, Rights Assignment, and Revenue Shares
            Design Processes
            Story Tools
            Project Management and Collaboration
            Defining Your Process
    Chapter 3: Vocabulary: Story Structure
        The Tyranny of Film
        Structure
            Acts
            Aristotle and Horace
            Freytag’s Pyramid
            The Monomyth and the Hero’s Journey
            Christopher Booker’s Seven Basic Plots
        The Problem with All of This
        Where Else Might We Turn?
            Promenade, Panorama, Pass It On
            Ibsen Crumbles the Walls of A Doll’s House
            Dada and Meaning-Making in a World of Meaningless Horror
            Brecht
            Boal
            Television
            So … I Have to Do a PhD in Literary Theory throughout History?
    Chapter 4: Vocabulary: Story Components
        Story
        Story-World
        Plot
        Subplots
        Narrative
        Writing
        Genre
        Form
        Setting
        Literary Devices
            Deus ex Machina
            Red Herrings
            Dramatic Irony
            MacGuffins
            Cliffhangers
            Foreshadowing
            Set-Ups and Pay-Offs
            Reversals
            Allegory
            Imagery, Motifs, Symbolism
            Narrator(s)
        Format
        Enough Vocabulary
    Chapter 5: Games Writing As a Discipline
        Writing for Games
        Writing for Speaking vs. Writing for Reading: Examples
        Some Affordances of Writing for Games
        What Is the Writing in the Game Supposed to Do? What Is Its Verb?
        Writing for a Player Character
        Choice Voice, Type, and Modality
        When Is Writing Not It?
        Building a Palette for Showing Not Telling
        Game-Specific Formats of Writing
            Barks
            Found Objects
            Item Descriptions
            Lore
            Tutorial Text, Clues, Hints, To-Do Lists
            Menu and UI Text
        Loc, VO, Accessibility, Style Guides, Proofreading
        Documentation, Proposals, and Design Meetings
        Scope
        Project-Specific Vocabulary
        What If the Writing Can’t Solve the Problem?
    Chapter 6: Form-Led Design
        What Is Form-Led Design?
            Form-Led Thinking in Games
            Form and Craft: What Game Stories Can Learn from Other Storytelling Disciplines
            Dance
            Poetry
            Ceramics
            Live Art
            Radio Drama
        Other Forms
        Conclusions
    Chapter 7: A Note on Writing Comedy
    Chapter 8: Further Reading
        Straight-Up Technique
        Workbooks
        Understanding Format
        Journeys in Writing Practices
    Chapter 9: A Note on Ethics
PART II Case Studies
    Chapter 10: Introduction to the Case Studies
    Chapter 11: Character and Dialogue in Life is Strange 2
        Key Takeaways
        Further Reading
    Chapter 12: Ethics and Adaptation in 80 Days
        Key Takeaways
        Further Reading
    Chapter 13: Format and the Heist in Last Stop
        A General Note on Format in Last Stop
        The Heist
        Key Takeaways
        Further Reading
Part III A Practical Workbook
    Chapter 14: Introduction to the Workbook
        Know Thyself
        How Do You Learn?
        How Do You Work?
        How Do You Reflect?
        Pathfinding
        Practice Is Not Career
            Tools
    Chapter 15: Tools for Starting
        Seeds
        Form-Driven Design
            Form-Driven Design Sheet
        Character Sheets
            Character Design Sheet
        Other Character-Creation Techniques
        World Sheets
        Place Design Sheets
        Applied Use of Sheets: Story-Driven Puzzle Design
        Puzzle Design Form
        Brief Setting
    Chapter 16: Tools for Developing
        Critical Response Theory
            Roles
                The Artist
                The Responder(s)
                The Facilitator
            The Four Stages of Feedback
        A Note on Playtesting
        Prototyping
        Developing Character: Dialogue
            Writing Begins with Listening
        Developing Story: Structure
        Learning to Edit
        Diagnosing What’s Wrong
        Advocacy, Diversity, and Representation
        Tools for Collaboration: Design Documentation
        Case Study: Gardens or Story?
            Location_Name
        What Happens When You Don’t Get What You Need?
        Writing Is Cheap
        Developing Your Practice
    Chapter 17: Tools for Finishing
        After Content Lock
        Quality Assurance
        Loc and VO
        Certification, Marketing, and PR
        Reviews
        Reflecting
        Portfolio
        Practice
Conclusion
Select Glossary of Games Industry Terms
Bibliography
Index