You Can Do It!

When they told you that you could do anything and be anything if you are dedicated and keep working towards it?

Well, they were right!

So much in the world of writing has changed in the last couple handfulls of years, and I only see more transformation.

When I first started focusing on writing as a career, it was much more difficult to "make it." For two years I trudged through assignments that paid little to nothing, wrote about things I couldn't care less about, and beg and fight for my place in the crowd. I basically had to work my way up the ladder. Now it's much more commonplace to see "remote," "telecommute" and "work from home" when searching writing job boards, and companies are paying significantly higher rates.

After a while I was making all of my income from writing, and for some time I was happy with that.

Then, one day in May 2017 while meandering the job boards, I came across an ad for a game writer. The title piqued my interest so I clicked on it to learn more.

A company was searching for a fiction writer to help develop video games. One of the skills listed was "World Creator."

Now that grabbed me. Interesting they should say they wanted a world creator. That was actually what my friends considered me as!

To apply I had to send in 5 pages of dialogue with my CV. So I did. Two weeks later I received an email stating that I wrote too much to be considered for the position, but I could re-apply in one year.

I asked them what they meant by wrote too much. They said my writing style was great for novels, not so much for the average gamer who wants to hurry and read so they can get on with the action.

I could do that! I had been learning to condense my writing for the web. Unfortunately I couldn't do it for that company for at least a year, so I looked elsewhere, determined to land a gig in the gaming field.

I found two gigs. One required relocation across the country, which I was not in a position for at the time, and the other required relocation to a whole other county.

I kept searching, daily. I would find an opening about every 3 months, but they all required gaming degrees or job experience- neither of which I had.

By the time November was finishing up I was frustrated by the lack of prospects. So I decided I would write my own game! I learned about Interactive Fiction gaming and studied platforms. My experience teaching students to write and publish Choose Your Own Adventure books already had me thinking in non-linear ways. This would be epic! And it would give what few potential employers there were something solid to reference.

I already had the guts of a story so I adapted it to fit the IF format over the next few months. I was also searching for a graphic artist who would contract with me for part of the earnings as I did not have the cash flow to pay upfront.

I couldn't find someone so I enrolled in classes to learn to do it all myself. I knew this would be a grand undertaking, but I was determined. Game writing was definitely for me!

Then, suddenly, I saw an explosion of game studios searching for a game writer! Just recently! It's as if the floodgates suddenly opened! From only two or three a month hiring to two or three a day!

I sent my CV far and wide and quickly found a startup in California where I created my first game in May. That led to a contract with a larger studio in October.

I am now a (very busy) Game narration Designer, and I am finally creating the game I want.

I didn't give up. That's the thing- you cannot give up. And you have to be willing to compromise as things will not always go as you envision them. But if you nurture an open mind and keep making strides toward your goal, you will achieve it!

There's no way you can't :)

Forget the sky- the only limit is the one you place on yourself.