"How would you break into game design as a profession if your strengths are writing (I have been published, don't worry) and creative design?"

Submitted by: Benjamin K. Graham

Answered by: Susan Frischer (writer/designer, Sierra On-Line)

"Hi, Benjamin. I don’t know if I’m a good one to ask or not, since I came to computer gaming by a long and tortuous route (beginning with a degree in geology!). Writing is still a skill that is not terribly appreciated in this industry, especially now that the adventure game has fallen out of favor. However, I don’t want to discourage you. For whatever they’re worth, here are my words of advice.

1. Be an enthusiastic gamer. This is a tough industry and you have to absolutely love what you’re doing to make the stress and long hours worth it. Play a lot of different kinds of games so you can talk the talk and know what’s hot.
2. Study interface design and interactive scripting if you can. Writing for games is very different than scripting a movie or writing a novel.
3. Network. Join the Computer Game Developers Association and attend the annual conference. Bring a resume and writing samples to the job fair there. Talk to lots of people!
4. Be willing to start low and work your way up. With some interactive design work already under my belt, I began at Sierra making slides for sales shows, writing for the in-house magazine, and proofreading game dialogue. Then I wrote technical documentation for six months before I got a chance to actually work on a game. Hang in there, keep the quality of your work high, and hopefully you’ll get your chance too.

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