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A skill we don’t talk about enough that you need to be a successful game writer: getting yourself hyped about other people’s ideas.
Comic and TV writers are especially good at this. Novelists... generally, not so much.
It’s one thing to go, “I have this idea; now I will write it.” It’s another for someone to hand you an idea and say, “now go write it. Like, real good.”
It’s one thing to go, “I have this idea; now I will write it.” It’s another for someone to hand you an idea and say, “now go write it. Like, real good.”
And I mean actually hyped, not faking it. You need to hear someone’s pitch (good, middling, or bleh) and be able to go, “I’m gonna figure out how to make that amazing.”
You’re going to be hired in genres you probably never would’ve written on your own. That’s a cool challenge! Being able to look at that genre and go, “okay, what is it about this that fans love? What could I add that would make it appealing to me?” will serve you well.
Et fin: the person with the ideas is rarely the most valuable one in the room; the person who can execute them beautifully is.
One more anecdote on the genres thing: I’ve been making games for *just* under five years. In that time, I’ve written: historical fiction, sci-fi, dystopia/horror, superhero, mystery, and kids games.
Get hyped & get curious!
Get hyped & get curious!
