Fast-Track Your Game-Writing Career
The Narrative Department’s Game Writing Masterclass is an 8-week online program for writers who eat, breathe, and dream video games…
and are ready to make their mark on this $196 billion/year industry.
Video games are the new storytelling frontier. But it’s a writing job like no other.
Game writers and narrative designers must show up at work with a base of knowledge, a toolbox of skills, and an ability to work across disciplines if they want to bring their ideas to life.
The Game Writing Masterclass can save you years of expensive and frustrating trial and error by giving you everything you need to achieve your game-writing goals – knowledge, direction, and support – in one 8-week program.
Our alumni have gone on to become game writers or narrative designers at Bad Robot Games, Blizzard, Cloud Chamber, Crimson Herring, Deck Nine, Deviation Games, EA, Firaxis, HakJak, High Moon Studios, Jam City, Kluge Interactive, Massive Games, Monumental, NetEase, Obsidian, Spooky Doorway, Squid Games, System Era Softworks, Telltale, Tencent, Undead Labs, Wizards of the Coast, and ZeniMax. And the list keeps growing.
If they can do it, you can do it, too.
Registration is open!
Does this sound familiar?
If you're an aspiring game writer:
You're struggling to break into the industry. You’re scouring job boards, taking writing tests, submitting applications - trying everything and anything you can think of – but you’re not landing the gigs.
And you know the job market is tougher than ever! You’re reading about layoffs at your favorite companies and getting more and more discouraged as time goes on.
Your dream of writing for video games feels far away and out of reach. You worry you’re just spinning your wheels, stuck in place. You’re afraid you’ll have to give up on the idea of becoming a working game writer.
I know EXACTLY what that feels like - I’ve been there - but trust me, you CAN have the career you dream of.
If you're a working game writer:
You're PSYCHED to have the job!!! (But secretly, you're not sure you know how actually to DO it.)
You're wondering how you’re supposed to keep story development on track when the game seems to change every day.
You’re spiraling at work, struggling to handle competing demands from different departments.
You wish you had someone in your corner, someone who’s been in your shoes and can help you chart the right path forward.
I know EXACTLY what that feels like - I’ve been there - but trust me, you CAN have the career you dream of.
Hi, I'm Susan
I'm the founder and CEO of The Narrative Department. Since my first job as a writer for “a slumber party game - for girls!” I’ve worked on groundbreaking, critically acclaimed franchises such as BioShock (Winner, Best Writing, GDC), Far Cry (Nominee, Best Writing, GDC), and Tomb Raider (Nominee, Outstanding Achievement in Story, AIAS). Projects in my portfolio have sold over 30 million copies and generated over $500 million in sales. I founded the Game Narrative Summit at GDC.
I’m dedicated to supporting creatives in the games industry – that’s why I created The Narrative Department.
Now, imagine this is you...
It's 10 am, Monday morning. You walk through the front doors of a studio, coffee in hand.
In the lobby, you walk past life-sized statues of characters from one of your favorite games - one you've played through a hundred times. You see your reflection in the awards cabinet, where over two dozen "Best Of" awards line the shelves.
There's no time to take a closer look - you have a brainstorming session in a few minutes.
You swipe your keycard and step inside.
You pass the design pit, where the level designers are playing last night's build. To your right, a group of animators are figuring out exactly how a roundhouse kick works. You duck a bit when you walk by.
You step into a conference room and sit beside the narrative director - your boss.
She turns to you and says,
"I hear you have some story ideas for the new map. I'm all ears."
She's asking because you're the newest writer on the team.
Your dream job? It's finally yours.
And HELL YES, you have some ideas to share!
You spent all weekend thinking about them.
You take a deep breath and get ready to shoot your shot...
-----
If this is a scenario you've been dreaming about for a long time, good news:
This story could be your story.
Register today for the ALL NEW Fall 2024 Session of The Narrative Department Game Writing Masterclass
JOIN NOWWhen I first started writing for games...
...I struggled. A LOT.
I was new to the job, and I didn’t know what I was doing.
To make it worse, I was essentially alone. There were plenty of artists, animators, designers, and coders on the team… but I was the only writer on staff. While the rest of the dev team could talk shop with other people who did the same job, there wasn’t anyone at the studio to mentor or guide me along the way.
And I certainly couldn’t ask my boss what I was supposed to be doing. I had struggled every step of the way in the application and hiring process, and admitting I was clueless would not help me keep the job I had fought so hard for.
(They had hired me to solve problems, not ask questions!)
I did NOT know what I was doing on my early projects. And frankly, it shows. But the industry was younger. The bar was lower. For the most part, it was still acceptable to be “figuring it out.”
These days, the video game market has matured. It’s a multi-billion-dollar industry, and there are a lot more people who’ve figured out how to write for it. You can’t count on on-the-job training. You need to know what you’re doing BEFORE you get to the interview. You need to bring your A-game to the table.
But what if you don’t have an A-game yet?
Take it from me: you do not want to work your butt off to land your dream job – or even your dream interview – only to discover you’re way over your head!
The good news? Disaster is easy to avert - if you learn what it really takes to write for a game. Spoiler: there’s more to it than a can-do attitude and confidence - you need a specialized resume and a portfolio. You need PROOF that you know what it takes to write for games.
That means you need to learn those skills and develop that body of work BEFORE you get that first game-writing job.
Because the single biggest issue new game writers face, over and over again, is…
How hard it is to bring story & gameplay together 😬
I struggled with this problem 24/7 for the first few years of my career. For me, it felt like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. My ideas kept clashing with the designers’ ideas. The issue caused huge friction with the design and development team – the team I was relying on to bring my story to life. I wasn’t sure what to do - and they didn’t understand what they needed from me either!
I started second-guessing everything I wrote. My confidence was shot, and I felt stressed and insecure, wondering if I even had what it took to succeed at this.
I knew I needed to figure things out. So, I read a lot of writing books and took a lot of writing classes.
And they were great! But they were geared towards screenwriters or TV writers.
(At the time, there were no classes on how to write for games.)
Sometimes, those books and classes were lifesavers. Other times, they did more harm than good.
Because games aren’t movies. Or TV shows. Or books. Game writing is ENTIRELY different from any other kind of writing out there, and the same storytelling strategies that help writers create amazing films, TV shows, or books can utterly backfire in the world of games.
The things I had been taught were getting in the way and holding me back.
I ended up learning most things the hard way - through trial and error, making many mistakes in front of colleagues and players alike. Yay? 🫤
After a whole lot of blood, sweat, and especially tears…
Things got better.
But not until I found other game writers.
My skills improved dramatically once I could talk shop and compare notes with other writers and narrative designers.
My confidence grew. I figured out how to deliver the kind of stories that players love. I felt good about the work I was doing. I finally felt like I was supporting the team, pulling my weight.
It was HARD to learn this craft through trial and error. But it doesn’t have to be that way for you.
I still work in the games industry as a story consultant. And I know from talking to creative leads and narrative directors that they have a hard time finding writers who know how to write for games.
Yes, you read that right. Studios need writers who can write for games. It's a rare skill. There are still plenty of roles for quality applicants.
Lots of people apply for these roles, but not many of them understand the work. My friends and colleagues at game studios have to sift through hundreds of applications to find a handful of viable applicants.
That’s why I’ve taken everything I’ve learned – all the systems, processes, and best practices – in my years in the industry and put it into this course.
It’s a roadmap - and strategy guide - that could make all the difference in your game-writing career.
Announcing ALL NEW for 2024:
THE NARRATIVE DEPARTMENT'S GAME WRITING MASTERCLASS
The fastest, most powerful way to grow your skills, your community, and your confidence
so that you can fast-track your game-writing career.
Our alumni have gone on to become game writers or narrative designers at Bad Robot Games, Blizzard, Cloud Chamber, Crimson Herring, Deck Nine, Deviation Games, EA, Firaxis, HakJak, High Moon Studios, Jam City, Kluge Interactive, Massive Games, Monumental, NetEase, Obsidian, Spooky Doorway, Squid Games, System Era Softworks, Telltale, Tencent, Undead Labs, Wizards of the Coast, and ZeniMax. And the list keeps growing.
If you're building your game writing career and you're ready to do the work, this class can help you reach your goals.
Registration opens Monday, September 2nd.
The registration deadline is Friday, September 6th, or once the class is full - whichever comes first.
Our self-study modules unlock Saturday, September 7th, and our first day of class is Saturday, September 21st.
In this masterclass, you'll discover...
- The "magic-wand solution" to building stories for games (this lesson is the most popular lesson we’ve ever taught!)
- Three storytelling strategies you can use to bring story and gameplay together
- The counterintuitive “Don’t Show, Don’t Tell” method of storytelling (this ONLY works in game writing)
- Why “writing words” isn’t your job description. It can even get in the way of doing your job
- The one writing tool you have to know to write great dialogue
- Why the first question we need to ask when creating characters has nothing to do with characters at all
- The “extra gear” that most game scripts miss - and that will take your work from good to great
- The three questions any good game-writing portfolio MUST answer…we’ll build yours TOGETHER
- The most effective way to get the job you want (it's the OPPOSITE of what most people do!)
- The key to working with our most important collaborator: the designer
- Step-by-step guides you can use to structure your game narrative - no matter what genre you're working in
- How to build your game-writing career so you can get your first – or next – writing job sooner rather than later
When you sign up, you'll get...
- Lifetime access to recorded video lectures, designed for maximum usability, that you can turn to again and again as your own personal game-writing library
- Weekly live coworking sessions
- Weekly live Ask Me Anything Zoom calls, where we get together as a class to talk about the week’s material, and I answer any questions you may have
- Writing pods and accountability buddies that will keep you on track and connected with the community
- Writing assignments custom-designed for your portfolio
- Career-development assignments that will help you develop your unique path forward based on your goals
- Your spot among an ever-growing community of like-minded writers, people that you can relate to and grow with
What makes The Narrative Department different?
Game writing is different from any other form of narrative writing. So, we designed this course to be unlike any other. It’s tailor-made to meet a game writer’s unique needs.
Small class size
Unlike other online classes with unlimited seats, we limit class size to 30 writers. And every class has a dedicated TA. You'll have weekly live sessions with me, where I answer your questions about every module.
In The Narrative Department, you'll never get lost in the crowd.
Feedback on your work
With TND, you can stop working (and writing) in a vacuum.
Every week, you'll receive direct feedback on your assignments from your fellow writers - and you'll be giving feedback as well.
And if you choose to register for our Pro Tier, you'll receive feedback from professional game writers as well.
A curriculum developed by (and with) game devs
Before we ever taught our first lesson, we went to our game-developer friends -- the people who run writing teams and game studios -- and asked them, "What do you wish game writers knew before joining your team?" We combined their answers with our 20+ years of industry experience. That knowledge informs every lesson we teach.
A course that follows the highest teaching standards
It’s not enough to find an expert; you want an expert who knows how to teach. For years, I taught game-writing courses at The University of Texas at Austin, learning the art of teaching at a world-class institution. We developed this curriculum with all the best practices of instructional design in mind. We want our material to be easy to absorb and impossible to forget.
We don't just KNOW our stuff; we know how to TEACH our stuff.
Instruction from an award-winning game writer
I’m Susan O’Connor, and I’ve worked on over 24 titles in nearly every game genre, from first-person shooters to RPGs to RTS games to action-adventure titles.
Titles in my portfolio have received multiple awards, including Best Writing and Game of the Year.
I developed every lesson in this course, and I teach every lesson, too.
I want to share everything I’ve learned over 20+ years of writing for games.
Career guidance
From the very beginning of class, we help you develop a vision and a strategy for your career through weekly assignments designed to give you clarity and a game plan. Every exercise in this course is designed to be a new addition to your portfolio. We dedicate an entire module to your job search. We've designed this course to help aspiring writers break in -- and to help working writers move their way up the ladder at their studio.
We're proud of our graduates who have gone on to break into the industry. We'd love to help you, too.
Industry recognition of TND
The Narrative Department can open doors. People in the industry recognize and respect the course.
As our recent alum, Sam, said, "A friend who works at [a AAA studio] said, 'In the interview, mention this class - they are gonna love that.' I've never had somebody say that to me about my college degree."
Above all, COMMUNITY
If you watch any of our student testimonials, you'll see that the one thing they rave about, over and over again, is the amazing community they've found inside The Narrative Department. And that's by design.
Our number one goal at The Narrative Department is to help writers connect with their colleagues.
Our students stay connected during class through Slack and our live Zoom calls. And they stay connected after graduation on our alumni Discord. We work hard to foster a supportive environment where creatives can reach past their comfort zones and discover what they’re capable of. We let every new student know that kindness is everything in TND.
Find your people!
Imagine having...
- Clarity on your career path
- Greater confidence in your skills and abilities as a game writer
- A clear roadmap for guiding a story through a game-dev cycle
- Freedom from the paralyzing self-doubt that may be holding you back
- Resources, tools, and strategies to improve your ability to collaborate with the team
- Wisdom and insights from your instructor, an award-winning, best-selling game writer
- A community of supportive, focused, and big-hearted writers, rooting for your success
Your Curriculum
We’ve totally overhauled our material, and we’re gearing up for our best session yet!
Register, and you can expect:
- The best lessons from the previous version of our course, now with all-new information
- New recordings, with clearer instruction and additional material
- Examples from popular and beloved video games, that illustrate concepts from class - you’ll see how other game devs applied those ideas to their own work
- A user-friendly platform for easy module navigation
- Weekly exercises to help you hone your game-writing skills - and develop your portfolio
Welcome to your new class
- Module 1: Orientation
- Games are the new storytelling frontier, and this module explains why. We’ll share an overview of the course and cover the writing & gaming basics to help you prepare for the start of class.
- Module 2: The Life Of A Game Writer
- You’re a game writer: Who do you work with? What do you do all day? What do you create? This module goes behind the scenes of one studio to see how the narrative department works and help you develop a deeper understanding of what game writers really do (this may surprise even working game writers!). We’ll also answer the #1 question people ask: “What does a game script look like?”
- Module 3: Storytelling In Games
- This module explores why the best game narratives are co-creations between the team and the players - and how to make that work in your scripts. We’ll also talk about "the magic wand solution" to story building for games and find out why the best game stories are ones you can break over and over again. You'll walk out of this module with an approach you can use to organize the team’s story ideas - no matter how wild - into a compelling game narrative.
- Module 4: The Player-Character Relationship
- In this module, we’ll step back and ask: What makes a character compelling to a player? We’ll look at the one trait that all great characters share (and why it’s the one that most game characters lack). You'll learn why it's essential to design a relationship between the player and their avatar – and how to make that happen.
- Module 5: Creating Characters For Games
- In this module, we’ll share advice on how to write for one of the toughest characters ever created - the player character. We’ll explore different strategies for creating great NPCs, and we’ll share why the first question we need to ask when creating characters has nothing to do with characters at all.
- Module 6: Writing For The Player
- This module looks at what it takes to connect with the player. We’ll explore how to create a story that responds to the player and introduce you to the different writing assignments you’ll likely encounter on the job. You’ll also learn how to ace an important test - the studio’s writing test.
- Module 7: How To Bring Gameplay and Story Together
- This module teaches you how to work with the game writer’s most important collaborator: the designer. We'll dive deeper into how to create stories players can live in. We’ll share strategies you can use to bring story and gameplay together, and we’ll also share the ONLY three storytelling hills worth dying on. By the end, you’ll know what it means to be a narrative problem solver and how game writers integrate narrative into an existing game.
- Module 8: Portfolio Week
- Welcome to the portfolio module. We’ll help you plan out your portfolio, once and for all. We’ll also show you how to develop a strategy based on your goals so that you can be sure you’re setting yourself up for the right job. You’ll learn the steps you want to follow to build your portfolio. We’ll let you know what you should include (and more importantly, NOT include) to get the job you want.
- Module 9: How To Get The Job You Want: Mindset
- In this module, you'll learn the most effective way to get the job you want. A successful job search puts you out of your comfort zone. You’ll need a new mindset to get through it. We’ll share the biggest mistake most job searchers make and how a smarter approach will get you where you want to go.
- Module 10: How To Get The Job You Want: The Networking Game
- This module takes a fresh look at a nerve-wracking topic for most people: networking. Landing a job is about building relationships. Here’s how to get building - and even have fun doing it. Yes, you can grow your network simply and authentically - and we’ll show you how.
But this course isn’t just a series of sit-and-watch sessions. You'll work on writing assignments to help you hone your game-writing skills and reflective career exercises to help you develop your strategies for getting where you want to go.
And, you'll join the ever-growing club of
TND Alumni
💖 Say hello to the game-writing community you've been looking for 💖
When you finish the course, you'll receive this very excellent certificate
Let the industry know you've gone pro
Recruiters love The Narrative Department...
The word is out about TND. More and more, game devs are recognizing TND as a place where they can find skilled game-writing talent. This recruiter sent us this job link as soon as it went public. He knew we could send good writers and narrative designers his way.
...for writers at EVERY level
As he says here, "I am proactively looking for the absolutely BEST experienced game-writing talent." And that's why he reached out to us. Smart!
We believe 100% in the power of this course. But don't take our word for it:
Here's what our students have to say
Lis Moberly, Senior Game Writer
"[Susan] gave me a language to communicate with other people in the studio... I found myself being able to connect so much better with art and design and production."
Ian McNicol, Quest Designer, Blizzard Entertainment
"There's so many aspects of narrative design that people just don't explain to you. And I think this class does a fantastic job of explaining and expanding upon those things that might not be immediately clear at first."
Hannah MacLeod, Senior Writer/Narrative Designer, Crystal Dynamics
"If I hadn't taken this class, I think I would be spiraling at work... It vastly changed my experience on the development team."
Emily Leonick: Game Writer & Producer
"This course gave me such a great writing community. It makes me really excited to just like go in and talk to other people about their writing, which has always been something that I've loved. And there's nothing but ample opportunity, because everybody's writing, everybody wants to talk about what they've written, everybody wants to read other people's stuff."
Andrew Jenner: Screenwriter & Narrative Designer
"Susan levels the playing field. As soon as I had my first meeting and saw everyone's smiling faces and got to hear their voices and learn about them, I was just, you know, I was just focused on the work, it all melted away, because I knew I was in good hands."
Gerald Ford: Game Writer & Content Creator
"If I had decided not to take this class, there's the obvious fact that I would not have made all the friends that I did. I think my writing, especially as it applies to game writing would have suffered. My opportunities to meet the right people and open the right doors would have diminished greatly. And that fire that I now find driving me to want to get into the game industry in a way that I haven't since I was a kid, I wouldn't have got that."
Ines Souquett: Narrative Designer
"My goal when signing up for the course was to learn everything I could about narrative design and basically how the game industry works. And I think this was the perfect introduction to that world that I've always loved so much but I never really had the opportunity to learn about."
Nicholas O'Brien: Writer, Game Designer, & Founder at Essay Games
"After joining The Narrative Department's community and taking the masterclass, I have a much clearer picture about what those next steps are going to be, and how I can get from where I am now to where I want to be with my career."
Andrew Alphonso: Localization Director, Capcom
"I felt that taking this course actually boosted my motivation for work like just exponentially. I feel a lot more confident in my interactions with people at work, I feel a lot more confident with how I'm actually writing."
Brady Sadler: Novelist & Game Writer
"I was kind of hesitant to see whether or not my skills would translate, and taking the class it really showed me they do, and it made my background, my experience all that more valuable because I knew how to align it, and I knew where it aligned and everything."
John Ryan: Senior Game Writer
"It is refreshing to be part of sort of this buzzing writer hive mind where you can all come together and you can all share work without fear of ridicule or anything else like that."
Taage Storey: Writer & Narrative Designer, Magic AG
"I think what makes Susan so great is that she gives you powerful tools. And then she leaves you to use them. You form your own process, which I think is ideal training because otherwise, you're just doing someone's method. And you're not expressing your own creative voice and unique way of solving problems. It was very tools-oriented and very practical in terms of game writing. It's easy to make it overcomplicated, and she brings it down to earth."
Leia French: Junior Unity Developer, Spooky Doorway
"In a world that's just so plagued by hyper-individualism and cutthroat competitiveness, Susan just somehow managed to find the kindest, most engaging, talented range of people from all around the world. This is a class that will make you feel like you found your people. These are people who will inspire you, lift you up, and make you feel like you're not alone in this. And many of them feel like they've become lifelong friends."
Crowe Whitney: Narrative Designer / Game Writer
"One big turning point for me was getting the feedback each week from the feedback buddies. It was amazing. I got all these wonderful notes from a variety of people from a variety of backgrounds that really liked my work and gave such interesting insights to make it even better."
Lovro Golac: Narrative Designer and Audio Director, Fox & Hound Studio
Lovro is a gaming industry professional with four years of experience. He's a composer, a sound designer, AND a game writer/narrative designer! His warm and generous personality shines through in this video.
"If you decide to embark on this short but long-lasting journey, I can promise you that it'll provide you with all the tools needed to build up your confidence, to build up your skills, and to make sure that you're headed where you need to be."
Sam Smyth: Narrative Designer, Game Designer, AU Game Center Alum
"Doing all the exercises, talking with everybody... gave me that confidence back and reinforced that "Oh, this is the thing that not only this thing that I want to do my whole life, it's the thing that I KNOW that I can do my whole life." And that's the biggest thing. I mean, everything else is just gravy."
Daniele Fusetto: Course Leader of Narrative Design at AIV - Accademia Italiana Videogiochi | Freelance Narrative & Game Designer
"If I hadn't taken this master class, I would probably have missed out on my current freelance gig/job - And without this course, I couldn't even believe to apply for this type of job."
Alex Kubodera: Co-Founder, White Rabbit LLC
"The feature of the course that I liked the most were probably the exercises. I think all of the exercises were incredibly well designed, not just for you, you know, encouraging creativity through time constraints, but the prompts themselves were also pretty real to how the industry functions. It's a great way to quickly work through ideas and develop them into something that is presentable."
Meredith Fletcher: Senior Product Manager, Many Hands SPC
Even accomplished game devs like Meredith get a lot of the masterclass. "Taking Susan's course just was tremendous for building up confidence and making me feel like, yeah, I could walk into a AAA studio and know what I'm talking about when I'm sitting with the rest of the narrative department."
Sergiu Lupse: Writer & Game Designer
"I think if you're really committed to writing, if you really want to discover what goes into the craft of game writing, just go ahead and do it. It's really, you know, a cornucopia of knowledge and emotion and friendship."
James Fite: Narrative Designer
"If I had not taken the master class? What would I have missed out on? Man, I'm super cheesy, I'm sorry. But honestly, it just, I would have missed out on that chance to bet on myself and believe in myself."
Sunny Berry: Game Writer and Narrative Designer, Datadyne
"You don't need fancy qualifications or the glowing golden piece of paper. You just need the drive and the willingness to connect with others. [The advice to apply] for jobs that you aren't 100% qualified for was a killer piece of advice for me because I am very much "I need to be 200% qualified for this job" type of person, and that's just not fair on myself."
Ellie Kirkner: Narrative Designer, Monolith
Ellie applied class lessons to her job search - and landed her dream role in our final week! "If you're on the fence about taking this class, you are the exact person this class is meant for."
Izzy Jones-McAuley: Narrative Designer & Game Writer
Izzy is pivoting from a brilliant theater career to a new adventure in games. "I feel like I learned as much in the last six weeks as I did in at least a couple of the years when I was at university."
Philip Balli: From TV to games
Phil is a writer who wanted to transition from his work in prestige television to a new career writing for video games - and Susan's class got him there.
William Hinz: From theater to games
This playwright joined us all the way from Australia! Soon after recording this, William landed their first professional narrative design contract. OMG! Congratulations, William!
Ian McNicol: From QA to narrative design
With several years of games-industry experience under his belt, Ian took Susan's masterclass to shift into his dream role of narrative designer. (Spoiler alert: he did it!)
Dave Kornfeld: Writer, Second Dinner
"I just loved knowing that the class was coming every week, knowing that I had these people who I could always reach out to on Slack, even if we didn't talk all the time. Just knowing that they were there created that structure and that rising creative tide in me that motivated me to do good work in the class."
Jackie Jin: CEO & Founder, Squid Games
Bosslady Jackie took this class to be a stronger advocate for story on her studio's projects. She hired one of her fellow Narrative Department students to join her team!
Shara Tran: Writer, editor, narrative designer
Working game writer Shara is a perfect example of the kind of generous, big-hearted writers you'll find in this masterclass.
Dan Stout: Novelist & Future Game Writer
Dan's a lifelong learner, always on the hunt for classes & resources to improve his craft. He said this game writing class was one of the absolute best he's experienced.
Darlene Barahona: Senior Narrative Designer, Undead Labs
When it was time to apply for her dream job, Darlene turned to the other writers in The Narrative Department for support. They helped her polish her resume and encouraged her to go for it. She did, and guess what - she got the job. Go Darlene!
Pauline Marliere: Lead Narrative Designer and Writer, Plane Toast
"Six weeks of masterclass is worth one year of my university because you do everything. You speed run the knowledge, you speed run the network, and speed run the friends."
Rachel Heleva: BizDev and Scouting Manager, Astra Logical (& Future Studio Head)
"Through the course of this class, you're actually empowered to take your own work really seriously and set up a portfolio of your creative writing as well as your career-focused writing and goals. For a long time I had wanted to create this library of samples, but it just wasn't happening. By taking the course I showed up for myself and I got that done."
Would it be worth it to you to get...
- Direct training from a best-selling, award-winning game writer
- A structured, step-by-step approach to writing for video games
- Guidance and support from your teacher, your TAs and your fellow students
- Small-group training, receiving feedback on every piece of writing you complete in class
- A roadmap to the ins and outs of game writing as quickly and efficiently as possible
- The clarity and tools you need to find, apply for, and GET the game-writing job of your dreams
- Killer samples of your writing, including exercises and assignments that are perfect for YOUR portfolio
- A reliable, time-tested strategy for landing your dream job...
...and above all, a game-writing community that will be there for you long after the class is over.
What would that do for you? How would that change your future?
Now, it can be yours - for only six payments of $299. OR you can save $297 by paying in full for $1497. You have options!
Register today for the Fall 2024 Session of The Narrative Department Game Writing Masterclass
JOIN NOWBACK BY POPULAR DEMAND:
Game Writing Masterclass: Pro Tier
We are very proud of the peer-feedback system we offer in our masterclass. It’s helped our writers grow by leaps and bounds - and it’s the #1 reason our community is so close-knit.
However, you may be looking for a different level of feedback. You may be ready to submit material to working game writers who can provide valuable insights into your work.
🌟That’s why we’re bringing back our hugely popular Game Writing Masterclass: Pro Tier. 🌟
📝 Imagine having direct access to the insights of experienced game writers every week – that's exactly what the Pro Tier offers. Elevate your game writing journey by receiving personalized feedback on your classwork, accelerating your learning process, and gaining the confidence to let your unique voice shine.
Meet Your Pro Readers
👋🏻 Say hello to the folks who are here to help you level up your game-writing skills! 👋🏻
Dave Kornfeld (he/him)
Dave Kornfeld is a narrative designer at Second Dinner. Previous credits include Pigeon Simulator (HakJak Studios), The Lord of the Rings: Return to Moria (Free Range Games), and Space Control (Moonmonster Studios). Before working in games, Dave spent over a decade as a writer and editor for The Onion.
Katie Canning (she/they)
Katie is a narrative designer at Romero Games in Galway, Ireland. She's a versatile writer and narrative designer who is comfortable working in a variety of genres, both game and literary. Equal parts creative and technical, with a holistic, multidisciplinary approach to game development informed by seven years experience in the industry. A stickler for nuanced characters and well-realised worlds, she is an IGDA Foundation mentor alumnus.
Laurence Kennedy (they/them)
Laurence Kennedy has led narrative teams in theatre, film, and, most recently, games for over a decade. Their narrative work on the blind-accessible game ‘Radio.play’ has been recognized as a finalist for the Ubisoft Indie Series and part of the Eidos Innovation Program. They have worked as the Narrative Lead at ZOAN, a Helsinki-based interactive media company. They are currently the Principal Narrative Designer at Liquid Swords working on an open world narrative game.
Lis Moberly (she/her)
Lis is a game writer and narrative designer with experience in AAA and indie development. Her credits include Last Sentinel (Senior Game Writer), Avowed (Narrative Designer), Hogwarts Legacy (Game Scriptwriter), Cursed To Golf (Narrative Designer), Singularity (Game Writer), and We Went Back (designer).
Meredith Fletcher (she/her)
Meredith is a senior narrative designer, product manager, and game producer. She works at Many Hands SPC as a senior producer for an indie trading card game. When she was younger and more energetic, she worked as a AAA producer for Lost Boys Interactive on a fancy-pants NDA-protected known franchise. Additionally, she worked on 20+ romance games for Top 100 Mobile RPG companies like Pixelberry, Episodes, Chapters: Interactive, and Maybe: Interactive. Talk to Meredith if you want to learn about writing AND production/product management for indie, mobile, and AAA spaces.
Nick Solari (he/him)
Born and raised in San Francisco, California, Nick is a graduate of the University of Southern California where he received a B.A. in Narrative Studies and minors in Video Game Programming and Russian.
After earning his first writing credit on Dark Deity, a Fire-Emblem-inspired SRPG, Nick left his cushy Google job to develop a new original AAA IP with Call of Duty veterans at Deviation Games.
Nick is now a writer at PlayStation Studios.
Phil Balli (he/him)
Philip earned his first credit as a game writer and narrative designer in 2023 while working for OrionGames, a fully remote indie studio. Prior to working with OrionGames, he completed short stints as a narrative consultant on mobile and VR projects. A native of Laredo, TX, he earned his MFA in screenwriting from the University of Texas at Austin. He has experience serving in various support staff positions in TV writers’ rooms for shows such as Fargo (FX) and Parasite (HBO).
Those are the professional writers who will be reviewing your work. Hooray!
There’s no faster way to improve your skills than to get this level of individualized attention and feedback.
🎮 What You'll Get as a Pro Tier Registrant 🎮
In addition to everything included in the main masterclass, you'll receive:
🔹 A Zoom intro each week to the game writer who will be reviewing your work so you can get on the same page and talk about what kind of feedback you need the most
🔹Professional feedback on every single one of your creative class exercises
🔹 A continuous cycle of growth as you progress through each module
🔹 The opportunity to receive feedback from a different professional every week so you can get multiple points of view on your work, and learn how to collaborate with different kinds of team members effectively
The Game Writing Masterclass: Pro Tier can be yours for only six payments of $399. Or, you can save $397 by paying in full for $1997.
We're very excited to offer this new way for you to grow your skills - and your community. ☀️
Questions? Check the FAQ further down this page!
If you’re feeling excited, but a little nervous, remember:
You're protected by our Satisfaction Guarantee
We stand by this course 100%. We know that if you engage with the material fully, and do the work, your skills as a game writer will grow by leaps and bounds. That’s our commitment to you.
If, at the end of the course, you still feel that you don’t have a strong foundation supporting you in your game-writing career, Susan will sit down with you for three additional one-on-one coaching sessions - valued at $1500 - to help get you back on track.
In this course, we share the same material that’s worked for writing teams at major studios and publishers. We know it will work for you as well.
Who this class is for
If you've come this far, you probably already know if this course is right for you. We want to give you the information you need to make a good decision for yourself. These are the kinds of people who have had great success in this masterclass:
- Writers early in their career who have a passion for storytelling and games and are looking for ways to bring them together into one dream job
- Mid-career writers who are ready to transition into the world of video games
- Game developers looking to move out of their current department (design, QA, etc) and into the narrative department
- Working game writers who want to hone their skills and advance their careers
- Creatives who love writing, love gaming, and want to professionally craft narrative experiences for gamers on the most exciting storytelling front of our lifetime
If you're committed to growing your game-writing skills and building your career - if you dream of creating work that will reach millions of people - this course can help you achieve your goals.
Who this class is not for
It's important to me that you're the right person for this course. Because if you're not the right fit, you won't end up with the success you deserve... no matter how hard you try to force it. So, instead of convincing you to sign up, I want to start with signs you'll do better elsewhere.
- If you aren't passionate about storytelling, this course is probably not for you. This class is designed for writers who love video games - not as a side hustle but as their true love.
- If you don't play games, this class is not right for you. The writing exercises draw on your love and knowledge of your favorite games, which assumes that there are games that you already know and love!
- If you are still in college, please wait to take this course until graduation. We do not accept college students in this course.
- If this isn't a serious pursuit for you, this course may not be right for you. We're invested in the success of my students, but we can't be more committed than you are.
- This class is not for lurkers. You'll meet with Susan directly after signing up, you'll be working with your TA, and you'll be giving and receiving feedback on writing exercises weekly. TND is like the bar in Cheers: everybody will know your name (and maybe yell it when you walk in the door).
- Don't take this class if it will cause undue financial hardship. I know all too well what it's like to be stressed out financially. I've been there. I would not wish that pain on anyone. Investing in yourself is a good idea, but only at the right time. One helpful question to think about in this (or ANY) class is not, "What does it cost?" -- because that question assumes the money is gone, never to return - but instead, "What return will I get on my investment?" A good investment leads to MORE money and job prospects in the future, but again, it's all about what you can comfortably do right now.
- If you are allergic to the idea of spending time with other people, this class is probably not for you. Game dev is a team sport, and this class is a place to meet new people who share your love for stories and games. We focus on community in this course because it's such an essential part of any game developer's career.
The community is the most important element of this class. My #1 goal is to make sure that we have a good cohort, full of kind-hearted people who are ready to help each other succeed. A rising tide really does lift all boats.
The job you want is out there.
Prepare for it.
You can keep doing what you’re doing now… learning in isolation, unsure whether what you’re doing is worth showing anyone, or if your dream of being a game writer is just that – a DREAM…
Or you can join us and find out how to build the career you’ve always wanted, and rise to meet your goals with our community cheering you on.
Register today for the Fall 2024 Session of
The Narrative Department Game Writing Masterclass
Game Writing Masterclass: Pro Tier
Only $1997 paid in full, or 6 payments of $399
6 PAYMENTS OF $399Masterclass FAQs
You've got questions. We've got answers.
What do we receive from the course?
How can I make the most out of this experience?
Who teaches this class?
When does the class begin?
How long does this masterclass last?
How does the class work?
What dates/times do we meet?
When can we access modules?
I have a scheduling conflict with my preferred cohort's coworking session! Help!
I live on the other side of the world from the US! Can I take this class?
Will I get feedback on my writing exercises?
Should I be worried about job prospects?
What about ChatGPT?
Can this class guarantee I'll get a game industry job?
Who else is taking this class?
Will we be doing any actual writing in this course?
Do we receive a certificate after completing the course?
Will there be a way for students to communicate with each other during the course?
What will I need (desktop app, materials, etc.) to complete the assignments/tasks given?
Can we talk about the current project I’m working on at my game studio?
Can I fit this course into my schedule?
Is it OK if I miss a live session?
How do installment payments work?
What are my payment options?
I love games but feel like I'm still new to games. Is this class for me?
Pro Tier FAQ
You’ve got more questions? We’ve got more answers.
What is the difference between the masterclass and the pro tier?
How does the process work?
Are any of the reviewers TND alumni?
Could you share the readers’ game credits?
Can we choose which pro reader we get feedback from?
Which assignments will the pro readers review?
What kind of feedback will I receive?
If I have questions about feedback, can the pro readers provide clarification?
Will I be able to iterate on my work after receiving feedback from a working game writer and then request feedback on the same portfolio piece and/or exercise?
Can we get feedback for projects we’ve done outside of the course (i.e. current portfolio pieces, screenplays, etc.)?
What happens if I miss a week (or am late with an assignment)?
Outside of the weekly feedback, will we have any contact with the pro readers?
What if I change my mind and want to opt in/out of Pro Tier during the masterclass?
Can we continue receiving feedback from the pro readers after the masterclass is done?
Will the pro readers be offering career advice?
How can I make the most of my experience in the Pro Tier of TND?
What You'll Get
As a reminder, here's everything you'll get in this course.
- Recorded video lectures, designed for maximum usability, that you can turn to again and again as your own personal game-writing library
- Weekly live coworking sessions
- Weekly live Ask Me Anything sessions, where we gather as a class to talk about the week’s material and answer any questions you may have
- Writing pods and accountability buddies that will keep you on track connected with your class
- Writing assignments custom-designed for your portfolio
- Career-development assignments that will help you develop your unique path forward, based on your goals
- A community of like-minded writers that you can relate to and grow with - including our Slack and Discord spaces that have become our digital campfires
Life's not a video game; you don't get extra lives
For a lot of people, this course is a big decision. Is now the time?
Painful truth: if you wait until you're 100% ready, you'll be waiting forever.
Life is not perfect. The industry is not perfect. And it never will be.
Is that going to keep you from shooting your shot?
You don't want to find yourself 2, 3, 10 years from now, saying, "woulda, coulda, shoulda,"
full of regrets for the risks you didn't take,
the dreams you refused to believe in.
I want your future to be even greater than you think is possible.
And it starts with taking that first step.
The registration deadline is Friday, September 6th, or once the class is full - whichever comes first.
