One of my last writer resourcing match-ups at production company Side was for a large RPG that needed urgent help. Deadlines were looming and the in-house writing team was overwhelmed. I sourced not one but a team of writers to help the project get across the finish line.
The freelance writers were initially brought on to polish translated dialogue but as deadlines got closer and the in-house writers got to know their work, the team was also assigned original dialogue. The scripts were often checked and sent into the recording studios only days later, it was a fast turnaround!
Because that’s how it can be at the far end of a pipeline. It’s all hands-on deck and heave-ho, things are moving and you’d better hang on tight.
With everything moving so quickly and your internal team working hard, it’s important that anyone being brought on later in the process is brought up to speed quickly and comprehensively. So, when onboarding a writer to a game already deep into development, what do they need to know to get going?
Confirmed Requirements – sounds obvious, but writers can do everything from a light touch translation check, smoothing out the roughest lines, to a deep dive into specific character voices, adding authenticity for someone speaking a specific dialect or adding comedy zing. Each type of support takes time, skill, and may have a different fee and working rate, so be realistic about what you need and what your budget can cover, especially if those deadlines are looming.
Genre and Style – if you’re working in a well-established genre, then ‘in the style of’ guidance is a great shorthand. Writers will quickly understand a popular genre, and may even specialise in writing for it. If you’re shaking things up a bit, you need to be clear how your game is different. Provide any existing script – indicating what’s working and what’s not, plus artwork and mood boards that’ll help the writer get a good feel of your game.
Target – who is your target player? Is it aimed predominantly at the American market? The larger Western market playing in English? This can affect vocabulary and language. The other big thing to affect both: your target age rating. Swearing, threats or reports of violence, bullying, racism, sexism (all the -isms), sexual innuendo or clearly stated intentions – a writer needs to understand what’s appropriate for your intended age rating.
Vocabulary – all writers need to know the vocabulary specific to this game, in terms of any place names, weaponry, etc. And reminder, it’ll also be affected by your target age rating.
Language – related to vocab, it’s important the writer understands how the characters should speak. For instance, fantasy RPGs especially can run into issues with ‘medieval’ speech – is it historically authentic, fantasy historic (ye olde speech), a more contemporary way of speaking, or somewhere in-between? There may also be differences in speech amongst tribes, nationalities, or ranks in a hierarchical organisation (e.g. militaristic). How formal do you want a commander to be; how uneducated your poorest villager?
Characters – share any character docs and art you have. This will help the writer work in each character’s voice. If the various character voices are a bit generic and overlapping, this may be something the writer can help fix, time and line count dependent, of course. Again, you must be clear what your priorities are.
Polish – there is a range of ways a writer can add sparkle or polish to a script. If working on a translation, it may be a check that the dialogue will flow when spoken aloud English (and be specific about whether it’s American-English, British-English, or accented/English spoken as a second language). There’s then a far deeper localisation dive that can happen, where more cultural differences can affect the edit, be it adding colloquialisms (common slang, phrases, expressions), regional dialect, and humour. If the game has a historical setting, research may be done to ensure authenticity – though this must be checked against the game’s design, as you don’t want your 1890s sheriff talking about a real-world revolver brand which can’t be included in the game-world due to trademark.
Point of Contact – it’s easier for both your busy team and the writer if there is one point of contact, most likely your lead writer or narrative designer, or your creative lead if you don’t have a writer in-house. They will brief the freelance writer and then be on-hand for questions, which should become minimal after the first few days. This POC should check a small piece of script – be it polished or original writing by the writer, within the first week with clear explanations about what works and what doesn’t. No one wants to be on the wrong path.
If a team of writers is required, such as with the RPG I mentioned, it’s a good idea to have an experienced writer in the group, preferably someone who has worked in the genre or style before, be made the lead for the group – that way while all writers are briefed together, the Lead becomes the first port of call for questions, thus taking pressure off the internal writers/point of contact.
Freelance writers can be, as pro Rhianna Pratchett has said, ‘narrative paramedics’, skilled at jumping in and stopping the bleeders. Find the right one and they’ll help you make it to the end. If you’re in need of a writer – be it for original work or script polish, I can source them for you! I established and ran the Sidelines Game Writers’ Agency for a decade and maintain a network of fantastic writers from up-and-coming to veteran (some of them have literally written the book on this stuff).
