Thing I’ve learned while working as a game writer at a studio where I have to communicate with, and convince, non-writers of stuff: you cannot demand a curriculum.

You can win ONE argument with “(story you haven’t read) does it this way.” You can’t win EVERY argument with that.

My first few years as a lead writer have been a crash course in learning how to show my work and explain clearly why a thing I want to do is the right thing to do.

If I can only do that by referencing a story someone else hasn’t read, I eventually fail as a lead.

Same goes in the writer room. MY perfect reference for a narrative beat might be something done on DC’s Legends of Tomorrow, but since I’m the only writer who watches that show, I guess I better learn how to speak whatever Darmok and Jalad today’s teens use at Tanagra.

Anyways. Everyone should watch and read and generally experience both the classics in their field and the random stuff that is outside their personal comfort zone, and if you’re in a lead role and have an official required curriculum, you’d best make that clear beforehand.

Source: I have a Master’s in English. If I could get whatever I wanted by saying, “Come back when you’ve read Joyce’s Ulysses,” our games would have had a whole lot more sexy musical numbers than they’ve had so far.