The Video Game Writer's Guide to Surviving an Industry That Hates You

Richard Dansky

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English

CRC Press
26 August 2025

Digital animation; Games development & programming; Audio processing

There have been many books written about how to write for games, but just as important as creating the deliverables is knowing how to do the job itself. In an industry that can seem like it’s stacked against a game writer’s professional survival, knowing how to navigate the choppy waters of building schedules, interfacing with other team members, getting actionable feedback, and putting yourself in a position to do your best work without killing yourself is vital information.

This book is a guide to identifying, approaching, and triumphing over those tasks beyond just laying down words as well as finding the power and joy in writing for video games. By turns humorous, horrifying, and hopeful, this is a user’s manual to a role that is frequently misunderstood and underappreciated. Drawing on over two decades’ experience in the game writing trenches, Richard Dansky takes you on a journey through the things you must know in order to survive and thrive as a game writer.

By: Richard Dansky
Imprint: CRC Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 280mm, Width: 210mm,
Weight: 260g
ISBN: 9781032972619
ISBN 10: 1032972610
Pages: 14
Publication Date: 26 August 2025
Audience: Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

1. Chapter One: The Dreaded Introduction, 2. Chapter Two: Why People Think Game Writing Sucks And Why They Are Almost Always Wrong, 3. Chapter Three: What Is A Game Writer? Brutal Realities of the Job, 4. Chapter Four: The Unique Things That Go Into Game Writing and Nothing Else - The Player Shaped Hole, Barks, and Letting Go, 5. Chapter Five: Tips, Tricks, and Techniques - Things That Will Make You a Better Game Writer, 6. Chapter Six: Dansky’s Three Laws of Game Writing, 7. Chapter Seven: The Game Writer On the Team - What Do You Actually Do Versus What They Think You Do, 8. Chapter Eight: Breaking In and Finding the Next Gig, 9. Chapter Nine: Working With Other Disciplines, 10. Chapter Ten: What Is It Good For - Teaching Others the Value of Game Writing, 11. Chapter Eleven: The Value of Internal PR and Techniques For Doing It, 12. Chapter Twelve: Idea Generation and Narrative Integrity, 13. Chapter Thirteen: Feedback - Giving It, Taking It, Training Others to Do It Right, 14. Chapter Fourteen: Loops and Boundaries, 15. Chapter Fifteen: Leveraging Production, 16. Chapter Sixteen: Dealing With the Negatives, 17. Chapter Seventeen: How They Will Try To Screw You, 18. Chapter Eighteen: Raising Up the Next Generation and Keeping the Old One From Fossilizing, 19. Chapter Nineteen: Building Your Name, Keeping Your Credits, 20. Chapter Twenty: It Ain’t Easy, But It Just Might Be Worth It

A 25-year veteran of the video game industry, Richard Dansky has written for franchises, including The Division, Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, and Splinter Cell. He has published eight novels and two short story collections and was a key contributor to the classic TTRPG setting The World of Darkness. Widely regarded as a leading expert on game narrative and writing, he is currently the Narrative Director at Romero Games. Richard lives in North Carolina.

Reviews for The Video Game Writer's Guide to Surviving an Industry That Hates You

“Angry but thoughtful, blunt but considered, THIS is the guidebook every game writer needs.” - Antony Johnston (Dead Space, Middle Earth: The Shadow of Mordor, Resident Evil Village) “Richard Dansky has seen it all in his decades as a writer, and he’s here to tell you the unflinching truth about the good, bad, and downright ugly of writing for video games. This book is a must-read for video game professionals and hopefuls alike.” - Anna Megill, Lead Writer, Author, and Game Narrative Veteran “This is 'On Writing' for videogames.” - Olivier Henriot (Assassin' Creed, Far Cry, Watch Dogs) “This really is the book our industry has been waiting for.” - Rhianna Pratchett “The book that could revolutionize our industry.” - Leanne Taylor-Giles