STOP WATCHING YOUR BEST STORY IDEAS DIE IN DESIGN MEETINGSÂ
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A free 90-minute intensive workshop for working game writers
You've been there: You write something beautiful. You hand it to your designer. And then you watch it get stretched, squished, cut, or mangled by mechanical changes you didn't see coming.
The problem isn't that you're a bad writer. The problem is that designers see systems where you see stories—and when you can't speak their language, your best ideas die in your documents.
This workshop will show you how to pitch story ideas in a way that designers actually want to build.
Saturday, January 24th, 2026
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2 pm Central Standard Time | 90 minutes
In This Workshop, You'll Learn:
- Why designers seem to ignore your documentation—and what actually makes them pay attention
- The 3 mistakes writers make when pitching to design that kill your ideas before they get started
- How to "speak designer" without becoming one (you're a writer—stay a writer)
- A simple framework for pitching stories that gets designers excited to collaborate with you
- How to position yourself as essential rather than expendable in an unstable industry
Learn clearly, apply immediately
"Susan, you're an excellent teacher and your clear explanations and exercises helped me internalize the information." - William K
Perfect balance of learning and doing
"I loved the balance between learning new concepts, doing quiet individual work, and talking with other participants - it was perfect!" - Rue T
Think deeper, apply faster
"The multiple sections where we had to take what was taught and implement it. Made me think a lot more about the concepts and how they're applied in writing." - Tiago
Who This Workshop Is For
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This intensive is designed for working game writers and narrative designers who are tired of feeling like "just the writer" on their team.
If you've ever had a carefully crafted scene cut because "pacing feels off," or watched designers make mechanical changes that break your story, or struggled to get designers to read your documentation... this workshop is for you.
Who's Leading This Workshop
Susan O'Connor
Founder of The Narrative Department, with 15+ years in game writing (BioShock, Far Cry 2, Tomb Raider). After shipping over 25 titles, Susan has lived the writer/designer gap from every angle.
Featuring Will Shen
Lead Designer at Unknown Worlds (Subnautica), former Design Director at Bethesda (Skyrim, Fallout 4, Starfield). Will is a designer who can actually explain design to writers—incredible.