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ADVANCED GAME WRITING

Dates: 4 DEC 2024 - 29 JAN 2025
Duration: 6 WEEKS
MONDAYS & WEDNESDAYS
5:30 PM PST / 8:30 PM EST
ADAM DOLIN
EX-SANTA MONICA
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ADVANCED GAME WRITING
DATES:

4 DEC 2024 - 29 JAN 2025


DURATION:

6 WEEKS
MONDAYS & WEDNESDAYS
5:30 PM PST / 8:30 PM EST

It’s time to level up! Master advanced screenwriting techniques and narrative design to create an interactive narrative-driven game.

Continue your game writing journey with Adam Dolin, Senior Writer & Lead Narrative Designer, ex-Santa Monica Studio and Netflix Games, and explore the management side of game production.

THIS COURSE IS FOR YOU, IF...

  • YOU ARE A PAST GAME WRITING STUDENT

     

    Welcome back! Elevate your skills by delving into advanced screenwriting techniques, mastering game engines like Ink, Twine, and Ren'Py, and honing your world-building prowess to create your own game.

  • YOU WANT TO LEAD THE NARRATIVE TEAM

     

    Unlock the secrets to mastering team management in creative projects with our advanced video game writing course. Learn essential management techniques like task tracking, scheduling, and goal setting. Remember - leading with empathy is key!

  • YOU WANT TO PITCH AND CREATE YOUR OWN GAME

     

    Bring your creative vision to life! Equip yourself with the tools to develop a compelling narrative-driven game and effectively pitch it to studios. Master the essentials, from playtesting and refining your projects to crafting a presentation that clearly communicates your ideas.

YOUR ASCENT STARTS HERE

5 of the top 10 highest-grossing games on Steam in 2024 so far were created by indie publishers.

If you are ready to take the next step and create your own indie projects, this course will equip you with the skills to succeed as a game writer and a creative leader.

Utilize game engines to write interactive narratives, deliver engaging exposition, and playtest projects to get feedback. 

Prepare yourself for real-world scenarios.

Our course equips you with the soft skills to confidently navigate leadership positions.

Gain practical experience in successful pitching, leading a creative team, and effectively communicating with stakeholders to set up your own successful indie project.

 
ABOUT THE COURSE / WHAT YOU'LL DO
01
PRACTICAL LEARNING

Improve your skills in scriptwriting, writing lore, playtesting, and more across 6 assignments, while gaining valuable experience in pitching, table reads, and presentations during 4 hands-on workshops.

02
COURSE PROJECT

Incorporate everything you’ve learned into a playable format! Create your own interactive narrative-focused game to showcase your skills. 

03
CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

Get the opportunity to pitch your games to the ELVTR Game Development Alumni in a bonus class! Form teams with other alumni to bring your vision to life.

INSTRUCTOR
  • Senior Writer & Lead Narrative Designer, ex-Santa Monica Studio and Netflix Games
  • Has over a decade of experience in the gaming industry.
  • Worked on projects like God of War (2018), Horizon: Forbidden West, and God of War: Ragnarok.
  • Contributed to award-winning AAA titles and dynamic indie projects.
  • Has won the WGA Award for Excellence in Video Game Writing and Best Narrative at The Game Awards. 
syllabus
00
TUE (12/3), 5:30 PM PST/8:30 PM EST
Meet Your Instructor & Course Overview

Get to know — or reunite with — your instructor, dive into what’s in store for the next 12 classes, and discover how you’ll turn your game writing skills into an epic, original project. By the end of this course, you’ll even have the chance to showcase your work to the ELVTR Gamer Guild — who knows, it might just be the start of your dream team!

 

  • Meet your instructor & class overview
  • Goals for Advanced Game Writing
  • Industry insights & staying optimistic
  • Q&A session
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01
WED (12/4), 5:30 PM PST/8:30 PM EST
A Narrative Refresher

This class gives you a quick refresher on key writing skills like screenwriting, character development, and feedback. Plus, you’ll connect — or reconnect — with classmates. It’s the first step toward crafting the foundation of your next original game.

 

  • Screenwriting essentials
  • Character, themes, outlines, and dialogue
  • The art of feedback
  • Breakout rooms: Meet your fellow students

Assignment 1: Cinematic Script 
Craft a 2-3 page scene from one of the provided prompts.

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02
WED (12/9), 5:30 PM PST/8:30 PM EST
Scene Study 201

Screenwriting is an essential skill for every game writer. Explore screenwriting techniques and see how they translate into killer game scenes and quests. By the end, you'll know how to make your scenes come to life and nail that studio writing test. Plus, we'll have some fun reading each other's in-progress scripts.

 

  • The anatomy of a strong scene
  • Adapting scenes into quests
  • Writing gameplay inside a scene
  • How to ace a game studio’s writing test
  • Workshop: Table reads
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03
WED (12/11), 5:30 PM PST/8:30 PM EST
Writing Non-Linear Story

Branching dialoue is a staple of many narrative games. In this class, you'll learn how to build branching dialogues that give players real choices without blowing the scope. Plus, we’ll outline a branching narrative together. Time to make those decisions matter!

 

  • The power of “choice” in games
  • Crafting effective and engaging dialogue options
  • How to use conditionals and if/then statements
  • Workshop: Outlining a branching narrative sequence
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04
MON (12/16), 5:30 PM PST/8:30 PM EST
Game Engines and Scripting Languages

Discover three game engines — Ink, Twine, and Ren'Py — and learn how to create interactive narratives with minimal coding. By the end of this class, you'll be ready to turn your story ideas into playable experiences.

 

  • Demos: Ink, Twine, Ren’Py
  • Strengths, weaknesses, and best practices
  • Course project introduction

Final Assignment Introduction: Interactive Game
Design a game using Twine, Ink, Ren'Py, or any other game engine of your choice.

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05
WED (12/18), 5:30 PM PST/8:30 PM EST
Exposition, Lore, and Worldbuilding

Master worldbuilding that captivates without overwhelming. You'll learn how to shape rich environments, sociologies, and backstories, while making sure your lore hooks, rather than bores. Let's make sure your worlds are as fascinating to others as they are to you.

 

  • Environmental storytelling
  • Sociological and ensemble storytelling
  • Best practices for lore bibles
  • Weaving lore and exposition into your story

Assignment 2: Lore Bible Outline
Start building a lore bible to organize and present your project’s world.

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06
MON (1/6), 5:30 PM PST/8:30 PM EST
Ideation and Production + Guest Speakers

A good producer knows how to give the creative team freedom to experiment, while keeping the project on track. Let’s be real — producing is basically “herding cats.” You’ll learn how to balance creativity with structure & use frameworks to set goals and manage tasks, all while hearing insider tips from industry pros.

 

  • How to scope a project
  • Working within constraints 
  • Task tracking and scheduling
  • Setting goals using a framework methodology

Assignment 3 (Optional): Task Tracker
Set up a task tracker for your final project.

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07
WED (1/8), 5:30 PM PST/8:30 PM EST
Presentation Skills

Wow your audience! In this class, you'll pick up smart tips for engaging virtual and in-person presentations to either investors, coworkers, or leads. Learn how to make your slides pop and get some hands-on practice pitching your ideas.

 

  • Structuring an effective presentation
  • Public speaking tips & tricks
  • The difference between a good and a bad slide 
  • Workshop: Pitch practice

Assignment 4 (Optional): Pitch Deck
Create a pitch deck to showcase your final project.

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08
MON (1/13), 5:30 PM PST/8:30 PM EST
Playtesting

Playtesting is a crucial part of the game development process. You'll learn how to run effective tests, gather valuable feedback, and fine-tune your game like a pro. Get ready to explore different methodologies, craft insightful surveys, and ace focus groups.

 

  • How, why, and when to run a playtest
  • Different playtest methodologies
  • Writing and administering surveys
  • Best practices for focus groups

Assignment 5: Playtest
Conduct a playtest for your course project game.

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09
WED (1/15), 5:30 PM PST/8:30 PM EST
Writers vs. Large Language Models

LLMs are a hot topic, to say the least. Let’s talk about it. Will Chat GPT replace writers? Should we treat this new technology as a game-changer or just another buzzword? Should we ignore the ethical concerns? Spoiler: “No” to all three.

 

  • Use cases and criticisms of LLMs
  • ChatGPT as a creative writing tool: Limitations
  • Exploring ethical concerns and nuanced discussions
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10
WED (1/22), 5:30 PM PST/8:30 PM EST
Creative Leadership

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together,” remember? In this class, you'll discover how leading with empathy can transform your team dynamics, turn stressful moments into growth opportunities, and harness the power of diversity to drive group game development. Let's make teamwork not just effective, but enjoyable and impactful.

 

  • Leading with empathy
  • Managing upwards
  • The power of diversity
  • Radical candor
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11
MON (1/27), 5:30 PM PST/8:30 PM EST
Pitch Your Ideas: Special 90-Minute Class

Pitching an idea is a skill – one that we’ll practice in a group. You'll refine your pitch and get real-time feedback on your projects, honing the ability to sell your ideas.

 

  • Workshop: Pitch deck presentations
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12
WED (1/29), 5:30 PM PST/8:30 PM EST
The Business of Indie + Guest Speakers

The video game industry is tumultuous. Well-funded AAA games often fail, while tiny teams and solo devs can hit it big. How do you operate in such a chaotic industry? From launching your own studio to mastering funding and marketing, we’ll navigate the mess and hear from industry pros to guide you through it all.

 

  • How to (legally) form your own studio
  • Searching for funding
  • Marketing your projects
  • Setting budgets

Assignment 6: Course Project
Develop a playable game that showcases your skills in writing and narrative design.

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13
MON (2/3), 5:30 PM PST/8:30 PM EST
Pitch-a-thon! Bonus Class

Gear up for the Pitch-a-thon, an event available to the entire ELVTR Game Development alumni. Grab your 5-10 minutes of fame to pitch your game ideas to your peers. It's your chance to form dream teams and turn your vision into reality!

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What our students say

Carla Valdes
LEAD WRITER AT ANIMAGIC STUDIOS
"Adam is a wealth of knowledge and has really opened my eyes to what to expect as a Video Game writer and developer."
Ricardo J. Varona
FILMMAKER, PRODUCER, RANDOM GOOD FILMS
"I really love getting a close look at what the industry actually looks like. Adam's perspective is awesome and the class really makes you feel like you're peering over the fence at an industry that normally feels totally inaccessible."
Janelle Bawayan
TTRPG GAME WRITER
"The course is well-paced and the resources given are quite plentiful both during the lesson and on the slides. The assignments were challenging if you were new to a particular concept (ie screenwriting) but not only was there value in the exercise, there was great value in getting feedback from professionals."
Jinx Leepack
WRITER, NARRATIVE DESIGNER
"The class was worth every moment, and it was so amazing to connect with likeminded, passionate people who want to tell stories."
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