Maybe it’s the blog, or my love of reading, or my three-year break from student life, but I’ve discovered a new love for writing. Instead of dreading essay assignments, I now crave them. Just today, I completed two analysis papers within the breaks between classes, and I’m already hungry for more.
Now, I can’t tell you whether or not my writing is actually any good; you’ll have to be the judge of that. I think the joy I get in writing is that I have a voice, a way to communicate my unique perspectives without any interruptions from others. I can shoot out all my thoughts, put them aside, then go back later and make them sound more coherent or add more humor. Writing gives me the freedom to share my writing when I please or keep it to myself without fear of judgment.
As with many industries, game design is built around clear communication. Great game designers not only come up with great ideas, but they have the intellectual prowess to communicate those ideas effectively, both verbally and on paper. You might have the most innovative idea the world’s never heard of, but if you can’t tell people about it, it may soon become someone else’s great idea.
So if you’re thinking about a career in the game industry, start first with a pen and paper. Jot down ideas for characters, for different levels…heck, you could even jot down what you had for lunch. Just write. The more you write, the better you’ll get. Think of it as leveling up, in the world of writing.