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 |
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#2 Neutral Good
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Aug 27, 22 - Oct 08, 22 | Sat - Sep 03, 22 - 4:00 PM UTC |
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Cohort Name
Neutral Good
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Class PeriodAug 27, 22 - Oct 08, 22
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Registration DeadlineSat - Sep 03, 22 - 4:00 PM UTC
| Cohort Name | Class Period | Registration Deadline |
|---|---|---|
#1 Lawful Good
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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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TlhopieTlhopie
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Jason
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SarahNew to this, but eager to learn!
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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 and why does it matter
- World, Character, Tone, and Theme
- Strategies that allow you to outline a story quickly
- Writing strategies
- The bad idea and how to build on it
- The Writing Process
- 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)
- 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 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
- What’s next - building your portfolio
- Career considerations
- The future and how “you” fit into it
- 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
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
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How can I get my company to pay for my course?
We can issue an invoice directly to your company. The steps we need you to take are:
- Sign up at Classpert and send us your username or the email you use to register on Classpert
- Provide us with the following company information: name, full address, email and tax ID
Once we receive the payment confirmation, we’ll enroll you in the class
How can I get my company to pay for my course? We can issue an invoice directly to your company. The steps we need you to take are: 1. Sign up at Classpert and send us your username or the email you use to register on Classpert 2. Provide us with the following company information: name, full address, email and tax ID Once we receive the payment confirmation, we'll enroll you in the class -
Do I receive a certificate at the end of the course?
To be eligible to earn a certificate, you need to complete the final project with a passing grade.
Do I receive a certificate at the end of the course? To be eligible to earn a certificate, you need to complete the final project with a passing grade. -
Is attending the live sessions required?
All live sessions are recorded and made available to all students later, so attending them is not mandatory. However, we strongly encourage all students to attend live sessions whenever possible. This is the chance to get your questions directly answered by the instructor and network with other students during breakout sessions. If you do not attend the live session, you can still get your questions answered on our Discord server.
Is attending the live sessions required? All live sessions are recorded and made available to all students later, so attending them is not mandatory. However, we strongly encourage all students to attend live sessions whenever possible. This is the chance to get your questions directly answered by the instructor and network with other students during breakout sessions. If you do not attend the live session, you can still get your questions answered on our Discord server. -
Do I still get access to all materials after the class is over?
Yes, you get lifetime access to all class materials and the community after the class is over. Additionally, new content that is added to future cohorts will be made available to yours too.
Do I still get access to all materials after the class is over? Yes, you get lifetime access to all class materials and the community after the class is over. Additionally, new content that is added to future cohorts will be made available to yours too. -
I work full time. Will this interfere with this course?
The course is structured in such a way that knowledge is built in incremental steps until you’re able to demonstrate you’ve reached the course’s learning goals by turning in the final project and getting a passing grade. Homework and class activities are mostly peer-graded or self-graded so turning them in is not required. If you can’t find the time to complete those activities there will be no penalties. As long as you achieve the learning goals, you should be fine.
I work full time. Will this interfere with this course? The course is structured in such a way that knowledge is built in incremental steps until you're able to demonstrate you've reached the course's learning goals by turning in the final project and getting a passing grade. Homework and class activities are mostly peer-graded or self-graded so turning them in is not required. If you can't find the time to complete those activities there will be no penalties. As long as you achieve the learning goals, you should be fine. -
How do refunds work?
If the course does not meet your expectations you can ask for a full refund before the end of week 1. Please, read the text below to check conditions:
- Students who are absent from class will not receive a refund. While we expect students to participate in the class according to the schedule outlined in the syllabus - including completing the weekly assignments (readings, videos, quizzes, and exercises) and attending scheduled class sessions - students who cannot attend will still be able to view recordings of class sessions asynchronously, and thus can fully participate in the course.
- If a student has a personal situation arise that prevents them from continuing to participate in the course, the student must immediately notify the Classpert course manager. In such a case, Classpert will allow the student to continue in a future cohort, beginning the course again at week one. If a student does not proactively notify Classpert’s course manager of a scheduling conflict, the student will be considered an absent participant in the course, and will not be eligible for a deferment.
- If the lead instructor(s) can’t continue the course for any reason, we will offer admission to a future cohort. If the lead instructor is not able to offer future cohorts, we will offer a refund according to the schedule outlined below.
- If a student chooses to withdraw from the course, Classpert will refund whatever portion of the tuition is eligible, given the proration schedule outlined below. Students who withdraw from the course will immediately lose access to the course materials.
Students who withdraw from the course will immediately lose access to the course materials. If a student satisfies all conditions above for terminating enrollment in a course, their tuition will be refunded in an amount based on the number of weeks that have concluded, minus the list price of the shipped class materials.
Weeks will be considered concluded when the lecture for that week ends. For example, week 1 will conclude when the lecture for week 1 ends.
Tuition Refund Proration Schedule
- Less than 1 week of the course (from the kickoff class until the conclusion of the week 1 lecture): 100% tuition refund
- After 1 week of the course (after conclusion of week 1 lecture): 80% tuition refunded
- After 2 weeks of the course (after the conclusion of the week 2 lecture): 60% tuition refunded
- After 3 weeks of the course (after the conclusion of the week 3 lecture): 40% tuition refunded
- After 4 weeks of the course (after the conclusion of the week 4 lecture): 20% tuition refunded After 5 of the course weeks have concluded, no refunds will be offered
How do refunds work? If the course does not meet your expectations you can ask for a full refund before the end of week 1. Please, read the text below to check conditions: <ol type="a"> <li>Students who are absent from class will not receive a refund. While we expect students to participate in the class according to the schedule outlined in the syllabus - including completing the weekly assignments (readings, videos, quizzes, and exercises) and attending scheduled class sessions - students who cannot attend will still be able to view recordings of class sessions asynchronously, and thus can fully participate in the course.</li> <li>If a student has a personal situation arise that prevents them from continuing to participate in the course, the student must immediately notify the Classpert course manager. In such a case, Classpert will allow the student to continue in a future cohort, beginning the course again at week one. If a student does not proactively notify Classpert’s course manager of a scheduling conflict, the student will be considered an absent participant in the course, and will not be eligible for a deferment.</li> <li>If the lead instructor(s) can’t continue the course for any reason, we will offer admission to a future cohort. If the lead instructor is not able to offer future cohorts, we will offer a refund according to the schedule outlined below.</li> <li>If a student chooses to withdraw from the course, Classpert will refund whatever portion of the tuition is eligible, given the proration schedule outlined below. Students who withdraw from the course will immediately lose access to the course materials.</li> </ol> Students who withdraw from the course will immediately lose access to the course materials. If a student satisfies all conditions above for terminating enrollment in a course, their tuition will be refunded in an amount based on the number of weeks that have concluded, minus the list price of the shipped class materials. Weeks will be considered concluded when the lecture for that week ends. For example, week 1 will conclude when the lecture for week 1 ends. Tuition Refund Proration Schedule <ol type="a"> <li>Less than 1 week of the course (from the kickoff class until the conclusion of the week 1 lecture): 100% tuition refund</li> <li>After 1 week of the course (after conclusion of week 1 lecture): 80% tuition refunded</li> <li>After 2 weeks of the course (after the conclusion of the week 2 lecture): 60% tuition refunded</li> <li>After 3 weeks of the course (after the conclusion of the week 3 lecture): 40% tuition refunded</li> <li>After 4 weeks of the course (after the conclusion of the week 4 lecture): 20% tuition refunded After 5 of the course weeks have concluded, no refunds will be offered</li> </ol> -
Do I need to do anything to get ready for the course?
No, all class instructions will be given by the instructor to the classroom during the kickoff session.
Do I need to do anything to get ready for the course? No, all class instructions will be given by the instructor to the classroom during the kickoff session.