Game Writing Handbook

This practical guide is ideal for anyone interested in learning how to write scripts and stories for video games, particularly movie writers and fiction authors. It is also intended to instruct current video game writers and designers about how to be more effective in collaborating with the developers, programmers, level designers, designers, musicians, concept artists, producers, and directors. It details how important writing a good story is, and provides practical information about designing storylines, creating characters, and writing dialogue. The book offers field-tested techniques for organizing data, formatting documents, and presenting information. It outlines a framework for guiding the creative process, and features spreadsheets, checklists, document templates, and dozens of examples of screenplays. In addition, it teaches the nuts-and-bolts facts about the process of writing a game, along with details on the day-to-day work of a writer, from concept to ship date. Each chapter is accompanied by from-the-trenches interviews with experienced game writers and designers.

This practical guide is ideal for anyone interested in learning how to write scripts and stories for video games, particularly movie writers and fiction authors. It is also intended to instruct current video game writers and designers about how to be more effective in collaborating with the developers, programmers, level designers, designers, musicians, concept artists, producers, and directors. It details how important writing a good story is, and provides practical information about designing storylines, creating characters, and writing dialogue. The book offers field-tested techniques for organizing data, formatting documents, and presenting information. It outlines a framework for guiding the creative process, and features spreadsheets, checklists, document templates, and dozens of examples of screenplays. In addition, it teaches the nuts-and-bolts facts about the process of writing a game, along with details on the day-to-day work of a writer, from concept to ship date. Each chapter is accompanied by from-the-trenches interviews with experienced game writers and designers.

Rafael Chandler is a multimedia writer with over seven years of game industry experience. He has written story lines, dialogue, design documents, and/or marketing materials for Electronic Arts, SouthPeak Games, 1C, Ubisoft, and NHN. He has contributed to over 35 games, including Monster Madness: Battle For Suburbia, Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter, Rainbow Six: Lockdown, Air Warrior III: Millennium Version, and various unannounced next-generation projects. Chandler is the author of 'Screen/Play,' a regular feature at Gamasutra.com, and he has lectured on game narrative and design at the Russian Game Developers Conference and the Game Writers Conference. In addition to his work in the video game industry, Chandler is also a published author of horror fiction, and was the writer of Dread: The First Book of Pandemonium, a tabletop role-playing game of horror-action. For more information, visit www.rafaelchandler.com.