Dear Reader:
Game writers need to work hand-in-hand with developers
“There’s a tendency to put writers in boxes – I think far more developers are aware of the need for writers but they don’t really know how to integrate them into the team. It’s like, ‘Orders go in the box, and words come out of it. The writer will not be integrated into the team for fear of affecting their work.’ That’s really how it happens – I’ve been on projects where I haven’t seen the game! So it’s a good thing that they’re realising that you need professionals to do it – but they don’t really know how to use them, how to integrate them with a team.” - Writers Guild of Great Britain Award-winning game writer Rhianna Pratchett
Often, we hear that developers have an idea for a gameplay mechanic, and then they have writers put together a story around that idea. I don’t get how this even works! While I know that games are different from TV and movies, could you imagine either of those mediums being dictated by a single idea?
Okay…we want to do a TV show where the main character has the hilarious catch-phrase, “Wha happened?!”. Now…put together a set of 12 episodes for us…we’ll get back to you in 6 months!