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I'll crit yours - you crit mine

Started by October 19, 2017 03:05 PM
8 comments, last by the_cheetah 7 years, 1 month ago

I'm looking for other game writers to crit (give feedback on) my script or parts of it. In return, I'll crit (give feedback on) yours. An exchange.

I have done this a handful of times with other writers; it is an excellent way to improve your writing. I have critted novels and game scripts of up to around 300 pages. I will crit anything.

Anyone interested? I suggest we share links via private messages, since no one likes to post their entire script in public.

Here's an excerpt from mine to prove I'm real.

8 hours ago, the_cheetah said:

no one likes to post their entire script in public.

Is that really true?

-- Tom Sloper -- sloperama.com

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1 hour ago, Tom Sloper said:

Is that really true?

I haven't seen too many game writers post complete scripts before the game shipped, or ever for that matter.

I really like this. I'm writing a game story I've very slowly developed for around a year and a half or two years. So far just a small handful of possible scenes and plot structure/character trait ideas. I could PM you a scene or two if you'd like? Also using them in my writing course this fall term. Gotten a little feedback, but not much. 

"Don't make a girl a promise....if you know you can't keep it." - Halo 2

"If they came to hear me beg, they would be disappointed." - Halo 2

"Were it so Easy." - Halo 3

"Dear Humanity. We regret being alien bastards. We regret coming to earth. And we most certainly regret that the Corps just blew up our raggedy a** fleet!" - Halo 2

"One Final Effort is all that remains." - Halo 3

"Brute ships! Staggered line! Ship Master, they outnumber us, three to one!"

(response) "Then it is an even fight. All ships fire at will! Burn their mongrel hides!" - Halo 3

"Everyone I have cared for has either died or left me. Everybody  f****** except for you! So you don't tell me I'd be safer with someone else, because the truth is I would just be more scared." The Last of Us

"If you had had a child, Elisabet, what would you have wished for him or her?" (GAIA)

(response) "I guess....I would have wanted her to be...curious. And willful -- unstoppable even...but with enough compassion to...heal the world...just a little bit." Elisabet Sobeck to GAIA - Horizon Zero Dawn

6 hours ago, the_cheetah said:

I haven't seen too many game writers post complete scripts before the game shipped, or ever for that matter.

I don't think most game writers have the luxury of being allowed to write a full script in advance, given that much of the time their role is to come in and retrofit some sort of story to a bunch of environments and characters that were already decided for them.

Can we get back to crits for crits?

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9 hours ago, Matthew Birdzell said:

I really like this. I'm writing a game story I've very slowly developed for around a year and a half or two years. So far just a small handful of possible scenes and plot structure/character trait ideas. I could PM you a scene or two if you'd like? Also using them in my writing course this fall term. Gotten a little feedback, but not much. 

Sure, fire away. I'll PM you an equivalent amount of text back.

On 10/19/2017 at 4:15 PM, Tom Sloper said:

Is that really true?

Yes and no. It depends on the situation. Most game script writers don't really have a script to share since it would be far longer and more branching than say, a film script. Film script writers share theirs quite a bit because of the fact that they like to share.  I have done some sharing of scripts, but I have not shared any games scripts as I have not really worked on a game script, but I think they do share at times. Probably most excerpts and shorter sections of the whole script.

13 hours ago, gambit924 said:

Yes and no. It depends on the situation. Most game script writers don't really have a script to share since it would be far longer and more branching than say, a film script. Film script writers share theirs quite a bit because of the fact that they like to share.  I have done some sharing of scripts, but I have not shared any games scripts as I have not really worked on a game script, but I think they do share at times. Probably most excerpts and shorter sections of the whole script.

"They" do share scripts (I've shared mine with half a dozen people). They just don't usually slap it up in completeness on a public internet forum. Just like you wouldn't upload your Unity stages or your props for everyone to take. You may put a GIF on facebook to get some feedback, but you don't upload your Maya files.

A game script doesn't have to be multiple times the length of a film script, unless it's an AAA title and you're counting all the dialogue lines from interactive NPC dialogue. Mine is just rough gameplay description (details are up to level designers etc) and cinematic cutscenes. It's in a format similar to what's called "script-ment" in film. It is for an independent game and it's 200 pages 12 point script with large margins and lots of film script-formatted dialogue.

All the game scripts people shared with me so far have looked different, btw. There's no Hollywood standard in games.

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