For this final unit of our Humanities class, Endurance, and my final unit of Humanities ever here at GCE, we ended up going on our own personal Field Experiences, tailored to what we chose to do for both our previous Action Project (12 hours of Endurance), and this one. I chose to visit the Deering Family Galleries of Medieval and Renaissance Art, Arms, and Armor at the Art Institute, to get a better idea of what people would've worn in the general time period I'm interested in writing for.
For this Action Project, we had to create a survival guide to what our dream job would be, and plan out how we'd get there. Below is my Survival Guide on becoming a fantasy writer, specifically for Tabletop Roleplaying Games, such as Dungeons and Dragons.
Writer’s Dream:
This Survival Handbook is a guide for someone who may have a dream similar to mine. My dream is to become a writer, and ultimately a Tabletop Content Producer for Wizards of the Coast - the official writers/publishers of the modern-day Dungeons and Dragons source books. I’m just about to graduate high school and enter college. There are a lot of things I still need to work on to achieve my dream. I want to become a person that has fun with what they’re doing for a living, someone who’s productive and successful in their field. I hope to positively impact my community by being able to create writing that they can enjoy alongside me, and have as much fun with it as I had writing it.
Lay of the Land:
A Tabletop Content Producer works closely with the content team to generate content plans in advance of upcoming releases, features, and other special events related to tabletop gaming. This role manages the creation of written, video, and editorial pieces from ideation through execution, writing as well as assigning to freelance contractors or staff. A game content writer is part of the overall game design team. They write the storyline and character backstories that accompany the gameplay, graphics and other technical elements of the game. Game writers can work as freelancers and accept individual projects or work for a large company that creates several games and works on internal projects with a small team of writers.
Games generated an estimated $36 billion in revenues in the U.S. in 2017, according to the trade group Entertainment Software Association. Overall, games have become a $116 billion industry worldwide, according to market research. However, Indeed.com notes declines in some of the general job categories related to games since 2015. Postings for game designers are down 30 percent and postings for developers and engineers dropping by 36 percent. The web site also reports that since game writers are primarily writers, their salary is very similar to the national average salary of writers, which is $51,131 per year.
To become a Tabletop Content Producer, I will need a Bachelor’s Degree with an English Literature Major. and experience in game and coding software development. My research has shown me that video game writers often have some background in coding or software development to better understand how the other game designers will use their language in the context of the game.
Timeline:
2021 - Graduate from GCE
2021 - Network within online community
2021 - First day at Knox College
2022 - Seek out Wizards of the Coast’s internship program
2023 - Make connections in the industry through internship program/college
2025 - Graduate from Knox with a Major in English, Minor in Gaming Software Development
2026 - Intern or entry level position with Video Game Design production company
2026 - Build writing portfolio, specifically plot/character development samples
2028 - Work as freelance writer or within alternate production role to build credibility
2030 - Join Wizards of the Coast as content writer
Materials:
There’s no need for really any specific equipment to go into this field, outside of my phone, my computer, and access to basic needs like an apartment with internet access, and my education. Beyond an English Literature Bachelors degree, it will be important to learn from people and organizations.
I may need to contact an agent, broker, or other experienced game industry professional who can assist me further in my effort to get a game idea published or submitted. A person I could learn from is Neil Gaiman. He offers a Masterclass in fantasy writing. He’s one of the most successful fantasy writers of recent history, so I think that learning from him through this Masterclass could be really beneficial to my ability as a writer. On the other hand, an organization I could learn from is the Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America. The purpose of the SFWA is to promote, advance, and support science fiction and fantasy writing in the United States by supporting and empowering science fiction and fantasy writers.
Non-Negotiables:
If I hit a roadblock, I think I’m willing to sacrifice working on tabletop rpgs and instead look to working on writing for video games instead. I’m definitely not willing to sacrifice my desire to work in a field where writing’s involved and my primary job. I don’t want to be stuck at a desk job crunching numbers; I want to be able to brainstorm freely and creatively for a fantasy world made by whoever I’m working alongside.
What If?:
What if I can’t find entry level work, and fail to find freelance contracts? One of the greatest challenges as a creator in the TTRPG community is finding freelance contract work. Most opportunities come from friends and colleagues within the community. So I will need contacts across the TTRPG space that are experts in various systems and genres. And if that doesn’t work then I will write for another industry. I’m inspired by Michael Galvis, a content producer at D&D Beyond.
Wizards of The Coast is the ideal company I’d want to work for, as they’re the official publishers of the source material books for Dungeons and Dragons. For most of Gavis’ career, he was a writer, a first editor, a copy editor, or a managing editor in the personal finance space. He stated in an interview that “aside from some temp jobs and side work I did, I never broke into the gaming space. I was never particularly passionate about the (finance) industry....But then this job opportunity came along...I’ve been passionate about tabletop gaming about as long as I’ve been working professionally.” This is inspirational to me because even if I can’t get a job within the industry of my choice, I can still be a writer of content and still work towards landing my dream job.
Road Map:
Inspiration:
“I would like the world to remember me as the guy who really enjoyed playing games and sharing his knowledge and his fun pastimes with everybody else.”
~ Gary Gygax
“Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work.”
~ Steven King
“Just write every day of your life. Read intensely. Then see what happens. Most of my friends who are put on that diet have very pleasant careers.”
~ Ray Bradbury
“The English language is an arsenal of weapons. If you are going to brandish them without checking to see whether or not they are loaded, you must expect to have them explode in your face from time to time.”
~ Stephen Fry
“Good writing is remembering detail. Most people want to forget. Don’t forget things that were painful or embarrassing or silly. Turn them into a story that tells the truth.”
~ Paula Danziger
These quotes highlight ideas that will help me get through rough times as I travel the road to reach my dream. They are my inspiration and also my advice to others. Be someone who’s remembered as a person who enjoys sharing his knowledge. Be someone who works hard and writes every day, but is careful with the arsenal of words at his disposal. Be someone who is brave enough to remember the details in order to write a story that tells the truth.
In conclusion, I thought that this final Humanities Action Project was a good one to close out the year and my time here at GCE with. It was quite interesting to be able to research into our futures, pick what path we'd want to choose in life, and plan how it theoretically might turn out.
Sources:
“Business News.” Business News, 19 May 2017 | 15 Minute News - Know the News, www.15minutenews.com/business/2017/05/19/#!
CareerExplorer. “The Job Market for Video Game Designers in the United States.” CareerExplorer, CareerExplorer, 14 Nov. 2019, www.careerexplorer.com/careers/video-game-designer/job-market/.
Galvis, Michael. “Home.” Greetings, Adventurers! My Name's Michael, and I'm New Here, 29 Apr. 2021, www.dndbeyond.com/posts/975-greetings-adventurers-my-names-michael-and-im-new.
“Home.” Writer Salary in United States, www.indeed.com/career/writer/salaries.
“Home: Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America.” SFWA, 30 Apr. 2013, www.sfwa.org/.
“How To Become a Video Game Writer.” Indeed Career Guide, www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/how-to-become-a-video-game-writer.
“Internships & Apprenticeships.” Wizards of the Coast, company.wizards.com/en/news/internships-apprenticeships.
“Neil Gaiman Teaches the Art of Storytelling.” MasterClass, MasterClass, www.masterclass.com/classes/neil-gaiman-teaches-the-art-of-storytelling.
“Who We Are.” Wizards of the Coast, company.wizards.com/en/who-we-are.
www.recruiter.com. “Career Outlook and Job Vacancies for Video Game Designers.” Recruiter, www.recruiter.com/careers/video-game-designers/outlook/.
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