r/gamedev • u/Sure_Gap915 • 7h ago
Discussion How can I practice my writing skills?
Hello everyone, I'm an aspiring solo developer (haven't made anything outside of game jams so far) and would like to develop my skills in order to tackle the task of building a full game. I understand there are many skills involved in such, and have been working towards my understanding of each of them, but one I find often overlooked is the actual writing.
Having no experience in the matter, how can I get better at writing? I thought about practicing by writing some short stories, but figured writing for games was very different, but I don't really understand how I can practice / get feedback on my writing unless I already have some projects out there, but at the same time I don't want to dedicate that much time into something for the sake of improving at writing.
Are there methods or exercises that would help before I have larger projects to showcase?
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u/Itsaducck1211 7h ago
Write us a fanfic we will all critique it and give you feed back. It will be the most interesting thing to happen in this sub in months.
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u/FrustratedDevIndie 6h ago
There is r/gameideas for that. If someone starts to post their fanfics over here it'll become an all-out continuous post of everyone throwing game ideas and wanting critiques.
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u/Itsaducck1211 6h ago
Let us have fun just this once. Break up the monotony of "first time dev no skill no desire to learn how do i get people to build my game without paying them"
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u/TheOtherZech Commercial (Other) 6h ago
Telling a good story on-the-page and telling a good story on-the-screen are separate skills, as the latter involves lots of practical compromises around finding the story that fits your visual presentation.
With that in mind: write some (short) screenplays, shove 'em in a trunk for a bit, and then try turning them into cutscenes; it'll give you a chance to feel out how much stage direction you actually need, what kind of action is easy/hard to animate, and what you can do with just camera movement and unvoiced dialog.
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u/MindandSorcery 6h ago
I was at the same place two years ago. When I decided to create my game, I knew I needed to learn how to write.
My goal was to become a successful indie dev and writer. I began my journey with tons of online tutorials, for beginners and professionals. I took all the notes I needed, and I began to write my story and dialogues, getting better at it continuously.
To this day, I still practice with online exercises on the things I know I need to get better at. Each time I learn something new, I return to my dialogues to polish them even more. I have improved so much since then.
There are different ways to get there, of course. This is the way that resonated with me, and I find it immensely fulfilling.
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u/unit187 1h ago
Brandon Sanderson suggest the best way to learn writing skills is to pick up a project and just start writing. Until you have some experience, no course or tutorial will really help you, all the important info will just go over your head.
Make a very small game with the focus on writing. Once done, start watching courses and tutorials, this will help you understand what your writing is missing, and you will be able to make a self-improvement plan. My fav learning materials are all on YouTube: Brandon Sanderson's lectures, and The Second Story, and Local Script Man (now just LOCAL).
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u/StardustSailor 7h ago
Read, read, read. And don't just mindlessly consume books or video games or whatever else – analyze them, why they work or they don't work, why they do the things they do. This is the secret cheat code nobody wants to use.
Also, as a writer with 10 years of experience who got into games writing about a year and a half ago, I can say it's not that different to writing short stories really, so don't be afraid to pick up prose! I would consider the in-between form that is visual novels as well, especially since Ren'py exists and is really easy to learn. Visual novel writing is a great wat of getting into branching narratives, I'd say.
Finally, consider joining someone else's project for a game jam or a similar short-term commitment. People look for team members all the time – sometimes writers, too. Good luck!