I am lookiing to try and find my way into the gaming industry, and as a writer, my passion lies in the game story creation, rather than the actual programming.

A while ago, on a whim, I started working on a game design document, which I know is not the normal process for game development, but now I'm wondering. Is it possible to shop it around studios or would I be wasting my time?

If so, does anybody have any times on how to get involved with story writing for games?

Thansk for your time.

Vanplank said:
I started working on a game design document, which I know is not the normal process for game development, but now I'm wondering. Is it possible to shop it around studios or would I be wasting my time?

It is not abnormal to write a game design document.

Anything is possible, so of course you can shop it around. It wouldn't be a waste of time (you will learn from the experience) but nobody will buy your idea. Read https://sloperama.com/advice/lesson11.html

Vanplank said:
how to get involved with story writing for games?

I assume you mean professionally. First, a writing degree. Then, a portfolio of work (TV shows, comic books, graphic novels, novels). Then, be in the right place at the right time. https://sloperama.com/advice/lesson32.html

@Tom Sloper Thanks for the response. I don't have a writing degree, but I do have 22 published novels to my name and a number of anthology and short story compilations out there.

While considering how many existing books that games can be based on with an existing fanbase and how few authors that can get their book published as it is, you would certainly be wasting your time. Writing story for games has to be a part of the whole design process. For each game, there are many developers who learned game programming because they wanted to tell their story.

You can however forget about the big studios. You don't need them. Because you are probably an artist who want to tell your story without being limited by corporate interests. During a job interview at Electronic Arts, they asked me why I didn't just create my own company, which they saw like a big adventure compared to being in the huge office landscape doing one tiny part for years. Being independent means artistic freedom and owning your work.

If you write the book first to take the path of The Witcher and Harry Potter, count on having to write at least 10000 pages before being a professional author. After that, temporary trends and knowing the right people leads to getting the book published. Then you might earn $500 per month even if you have many fans, because the publisher takes most of the cut for all the failed books they had to invest in.

If you make the game yourself, you can become the next big game company and own it. Learn comic drawing, voice acting and a game making software. If you simply say “I'm just an author”, then that is all you can ever become. One month of practice and you will have made your first game. Then find a team of hobby developers to improve it with an open mind to changes.

Edit: Saw your reply after posting. You are one the right track as an author if you have published already.

If any idea has arisen in your head, then collect as many opinions as possible among your loved ones about this idea. Then, among your colleagues. Even if there is someone among the colleagues who will use it, you will be able to observe the actions and avoid mistakes.

Be cunning.

Vanplank said:
I don't have a writing degree, but I do have 22 published novels to my name and a number of anthology and short story compilations out there.

Then you're qualified, but you still have to break through the eggshell. You do that by networking, but we have a pandemic going on right now. Have you tried writing game story? Try writing some interactive dialogue (branching dialogue, where conversation goes differently depending on which response a player chooses) - like a “choose your own adventure” book. If you don't know what I mean, look it up, get some. You need to create a portfolio suitable for games.

Those novels you wrote, what audience are they for? Adults? YA? What genre? Some genres are better (more applicable) experience for game writing than others.

@Tom Sloper That is exactly what I am about to start doing. Yes.