The Art of Writing for Video Games
Flint and JZP are the writers of established franchises like G.I. Joe, Transformers, Ghostbusters, Jurassic Park, Uncharted, Dead to Rights, Diablo 3, Ingress, Avatar, Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu, and many more. These industry legends - with 30+ years of experience creating remarkable video games, comics, and movies - will teach you what it takes to thrive as a writer.
The Art of Writing for Video Games
A 10-week program with live discussions, real-life projects, and teamwork that will take you from inspiration to creating scripts and characters for the professional game industry
If you want to launch a career in writing for video games or other media, this course is for you.
Week by week, you’ll learn the essentials of video game writing, and apply the principles in developing your own video game from idea to pitch.
You’ll come out of The Art of Writing for Video Games with a polished design doc for your very own game, which can serve as a work sample you can submit for game writing jobs, or to sell your game to studios. They’ll also teach you how to transform video game stories into successful franchises
You’ll gain tons of practical knowledge and insights on how to navigate the video game industry, from two of the most successful writers of the century. This course is the essential accelerator for your video game writing career.
| Cohort Name | Class Period | Registration Deadline |
|---|---|---|
#1 Lawful Good
|
Dec 04, 21 - Feb 26, 22 | Sat - Dec 11, 21 - 5:00 PM UTC |
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Cohort Name
Lawful Good
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Class PeriodDec 04, 21 - Feb 26, 22
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Registration DeadlineSat - Dec 11, 21 - 5:00 PM UTC
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dolan
dolan -
adam
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Lucas
Lucas -
Joseph -
Nicholas -
TiffanyTiffany
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Rebecca -
Brad -
Jason
Jason -
Alaa -
Andrew -
Fifo -
Sergio
Sergio -
Thiago -
Emily
Emily -
Ave -
SarahNew to this, but eager to learn!
Sarah -
Michael -
Adam
Adam -
TlhopieTlhopie
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Kevin
Kevin -
AMÂDE
AMÂDE -
Ahmet -
Aaron
Aaron -
Jason -
Ryan
Ryan -
Jeff
Jeff
Program Structure
Typical week in the cohort
Communication and networking are core components of the ClasspertX course experience. In this course, you will be part of a global learning community. In order to accommodate all participants, we have designed much of the course experience to take place asynchronously, with a synchronous class session that occurs weekly on Saturdays
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Reading from the book
Includes a free copy of the bookThis course is centered around The Ultimate Guide to Video Game Writing and Design which will be used as a supplementary material for the classes
- Videos
- Quizzes
- Exercises
- Students will be prompted to submit questions during the week, and the instructor should choose questions to answer for students during the weekend session
Sync Sessions on Zoom~ 2 hours of lectures and exercises on the weekend- Q&A with the instructor
- Additional demos / examples of key topics
- Group practice - students break out to work on an exercise
- Group discussion
Syllabus
- What is Narrative (Story) within the context of games
- Why it matters
- What you will learn during the course
- Examples of games that have strong, compelling stories
- Info about us, and why we do what we do
- Expectations and an overview of the course
- Spitballing ideas and brainstorming
- World, Character, Tone, and Theme
- Building an IP
- Creating strategies that allow you to outline a story quickly
- Writing strategies
- The bad idea and how to build on it
- The various type of game characters - PC, NPCs, Ambient Characters, Cannon Fodder
- Character Alignments
- 3rd person (tethered) vs. 1st person vs. Cinematic Camera
- Character Archetypes
- Matching characters to core gameplay mechanics
- Character Template and how to use it
- Paracosms and how they are created
- Famous fictional worlds and why they work
- Creating backstories for your worlds - myths, systems, societies, religions, languages, etc.
- Reality vs. Hyper-Reality (comic worlds that layer over real ones - Gotham, John Wick)
- Exploration vs. Linear reveals for your world(s)
- Linear vs. Non-Linear vs. Nodal vs. Emergent
- Engaging the player
- Integrating story into gameplay - game as story
- Cinematics and examples
- The purpose of story in games
- A look at the various platforms for games: Apps, Consoles, PC, AR/VR/ARGs, Social Media games (FB, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok)
- How platforms affect both the narrative content and the story-telling strategy
- Why you should be developing IPs rather than one-off ideas
- Envisioning your IP across multiple media
- Creating complementary expressions of a single idea
- Budgetary considerations when you think big
- Laying the groundwork for a franchise
- Improving your chances by providing the vision
- What is an RPG
- Brief history of D&D
- Breaking down a monster into a series of numbers (stats)
- Chance vs. Percentages
- How we can hide math within a story while using it to create tension
- Miniatures vs. Theater of the Mind
- What should be included
- Pitching your idea - 3 main points
- Examples and discussion of what works and what doesn’t
- Including visuals
- Punching up the text and presentation
- Retro of the course - what was learned and what resonated
- What’s next - building your portfolio
- Career considerations
- The future and how “you” fit into it
Final Project
Create and Pitch your Game Concept To The Class
For the final project you will
- Create a ~15-page design document similar to Lobo - The Game
- Pitch your game concept to the class
- Receive high level feedback from Flint Dille and JZP, fellow creatives and invited guests
- End up with a final polished version of your design document, one you can submit to a potential employer or buyer
What you'll learn
- Creating a Narrative for your Game
- Creating Compelling Characters
- World Building for Games
- Various Types of Storytelling
- Exploring Different Platforms for Games
- Transmedia: The Expansion of the Game IP (creating franchises)
- Creating Compelling Stories for Role-playing Games
Who this course is for
We do expect attendees to interact with other students on their exercises as one of our goals is to teach creative networking and teamwork.
Who this course is for
Target Audience- Professional and aspiring writers looking to develop stories in the context of games
- Game designers and Indie game developers wanting to work amazing stories into their games
- Game enthusiasts who are curious about learning how to create narratives in games
- Willingness to become a professional writer
- Genuine interest in games and game stories
- A desire to entertain through story and games
Your Instructors
Flint Dille is the most produced game writer globally, with over 14 Gold and platinum games, including: Uncharted, Riddick, Diablo, and Ingress. Many of his scripts received critical acclaim and have withstood the test of time, as evidenced by ongoing franchise opportunities. He was creative lead at Niantic from 2012-2020, creators of Ingress and Pokemon Go. He is currently Narrative Lead at Deviation Games.
- Writer for remarkable video games including Ghostbusters (2009), The Chronicles of Riddick (2009), Transformers (2007), Superman Returns (2006), and Fantastic Four (2007)
- Writer for Steven Spielberg’s movies: Fievel Goes West (1991) and Tiny Toons (1992)
- Story editor for TV series including G.I. Joe (55 episodes), The Transformers (30 episodes), and Ingress (11 episodes)
- Together with Gary Gygax (the creator of Dungeons & Dragons), Flint Dille created the interactive gamebook series, Sagard the Barbarian
- Lead creative at Niantic Labs, creators of Ingress and Pokemon GO
John is a writer and designer who has shipped over 80 games. With over 30 years of experience in the business, John has written for established franchises such as Jurassic World, Ghostbusters, The Fast and the Furious, and The Chronicles of Riddick. He was a lead creative at Niantic Labs, creators of Ingress and Pokemon GO. John has also written feature films, comics, television and streaming content.
- Writer for remarkable video games including Jurassic World Evolution (2018), Apache Air Assault (2010), Ghostbusters (2009), The Chronicles of Riddick (2009), Transformers (2007), and Tom Cat Alley (1994)
- Story writer for the TV series Harry and the Hendersons (1993)
- Lead creative at Niantic Labs, creators of Ingress and Pokemon GO
I bought this book and have enjoyed it immensely. Both the authors provided much more than I was hoping for. They are seasoned game writers/designers who have worked on many games you know and are still working on games. The book breaks down not only how to write for games, but what that entails, including hardships you will find along the way (both with writing and people).
This book is the best I’ve ever read on Game Writing and Design (and I’ve read a lot, and taught Game Writing and Design a lot, and written a million-seller game) If anyone here is keen on taking a crack at either adapting your film project to a game or writing an original IP game, I would seriously read this book first.