Best storywriting rpg game8/8/2023 ![]() ![]() Include three strong writing samples that show your range.Don’t let a busy layout distract from your content.To recap, here are the most important elements of a good narrative design portfolio: Just make sure they’re sharing space with more polished work. I’ve included a few of my own in my portfolio. In fact, jam games are a great way to strengthen your portfolio. That’s not to say you can’t have any prototypes, vertical slices, or game jam games. Show that you know how to complete projects, and how to write an ending. Finished work is very important.Īn elaborate, branching story is less impressive if it never ends. Note: This applies to all design portfolios. When possible, it’s best to include short, finished works rather than long and unfinished ones. Do you bend the game or the story first?īeing able to play through your interactive fiction will give a feel for your style as a narrative designer.What do you do when the game and story are at odds?.Games have unique qualities and challenges as a storytelling medium.Īs a narrative designer, you need to show you understand how to navigate and address ludonarrative dissonance (a topic that deserves its own blog post). Speaking of which… Showcase Interactivity and Choice Can You Make the Right Choice? What’s important is that you show that you can incorporate interactivity and choice into your fiction. ![]() Twine, CYOA stories, or even quest design docs will all work. If your narrative design work isn’t in a published game yet, make an interactive story using free or cheap tools. If a game is too long for a studio to quickly review, include a playable demo and/or a video trailer highlighting your best contributions. In addition to your writing samples, you need a minimum of one playable work. (I don’t have one myself, but “do as I say, not as I do” and all that.) I would also recommend including a script if you have one, since script writing is often similar to game writing. This demonstrates my range, but it’s not as important for the reviewer to read each one. Show Varietyīesides those, I include five other pieces to show that I can write different types of stories. You might want to swap the order of your samples if there’s an extreme mismatch (like intense gothic fiction when applying for a Sesame Street tie-in), but in general, just lead with your strongest work. In my experience, the writing samples you submit don’t have to be a perfect fit for the tone or genre of the studio. ![]() I also include a variety of tones, voices, scenes, environments, and characters in these samples. Pick Your Strongest Fictionīecause of that, I recommend choosing fiction writing samples that highlight a range of writing experience, ideally including game narrative work.įor example, I lead with my three strongest samples that best show how I write dialogue, scenes, and lore (exposition). Quality is much more important than quantity here: realistically, the hiring manager will only read the first two or three writing samples. Your narrative design portfolio also needs to show your talents as a writer. Showcase Your Skill Range as a Writer & Designer Optimize for Quality Over Quantity I prefer to keep it clean and concise, using bullet points and lots of white space on the page. Personally, I use a simple home screen with direct links to my best work, organized by category. There is no “right way” to lay out a portfolio, but the layout shouldn’t distract from the content. No one wants to dig around through nested menus and drop downs to hunt down your best work. Make it easy to find your content in the fewest clicks possible. Organize Your Portfolio for User ExperienceĪ well-organized website is also a form of communication. Just be sure you aren’t burying your work underneath superfluous words. If you prefer a more verbose communication style, that can also be effective. Using my own portfolio as an example, I speak concisely about my work, using pictures and videos to do the heavy lifting. Creating a clear, easy-to-understand document is crucial for any design role, and how you talk about yourself and your work tells me a lot about how you present information. Tip 2: Get a Grammar checking software such as Grammarly.īut more than that, if I’m reviewing your portfolio, I need to get a sense of how you communicate professionally. This will motivate you to improve your grammar. Tip 1: Have a friend proofread and pay them a dollar for every mistake they find. Hopefully, it goes without saying that there shouldn’t be any grammar or spelling mistakes. Right away, your portfolio needs to show that you are a clear and effective communicator. Showcase Your Skill Range as a Writer & Designer.Organize Your Portfolio for User Experience. ![]()
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