hen we’re young and invincible, we believe we can become anything. From Astronauts to Aeronautical Engineers, Paramedics to Porn Stars, nothing is a stretch; nothing seems too far out of our reach. When I was young, I wanted to be a writer. More than that, I wanted to write about video games. It seemed like the logical choice really, I spent my childhood playing them; studying them, reading about them, cherishing them and criticising them — why not do it for a living?

But it was just a dream. Just one of those goals you set, but always know you’ll never really achieve. I wasn’t going to get paid to write about games any sooner than I was going to make my living designing aeroplanes or exploring the bitter reaches of space.

At least, that’s what everyone kept telling me. How wrong they were.

The only warning you’ll ever get, and the only one you’ll ever need.

You may think me silly — beginning an article designed to teach you how to become a game writer by first telling you that it’s not going to happen — but you’d be wrong. It’s really the only way to begin, because it’s the one thing that will most likely keep you from actually doing it. Believing in yourself is everything when it comes to achieving your goals. This is what it really all comes down to, if you’re not willing to believe in yourself, to work hard and to put in the time and effort required of success, then you’ve already failed and you don’t need to read any further.

Writing is a pleasure, not a job. We writers’ don’t live lavish lives and drive luxury cars. We don’t eat with golden cutlery, we don’t get to hire a butler, and we don’t enjoy private dinners with the Playboy Bunnies. We do, on the other hand, get the benefit of doing something we love, everyday, and most of us make enough to live comfortably from it. We do get to work from the comfort of our own homes (or in my case, my wonderful queen-sized bed, where I lay at this very moment writing), we do get the luxury of working without a boss breathing down our necks, and more importantly, we do get to say whatever the hell we like. Our voice is a force to be reckoned with, our words strike fear into the hearts of our enemies, and bring joy to our closest friends. Oh, and we get to show off, all the time, and tell everyone how we get all the new games for free, before they’re even allowed to buy them.

Consider the above my disclaimer, my subtle little “I told you so” in case you read my guide and fail, and try to pin the blame on me. The writing business is a hard slog, and from the perspective of the majority, it’s not really worth it either. But if you’ve read this far then it’s safe to assume that you’ve got the same juice flowing through your veins as I do in mine, and in that case, you already know that it’s all worth it, and that in our world — this is as good as it gets.

A few things you should know about writers and the things that few of them know.

If you’ve decided that writing is for you, and that you’re okay with the aforementioned sacrifices required for success, then there’re a few things that you should know before you begin. Some of you may already know of these, other will need to spend a few days on Google brushing up, but be assured that they are all essential, and that without them, success as a writer is unachievable.

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Grammar and Syntax

I’m not going to discuss spelling and punctuation because for the most part, you should already know it, and if you don’t, Microsoft Word will take care of it for you. Grammar and Syntax however are a little more difficult, and as you might expect, a lot more important.

Grammar is the set of rules that we must follow in order to make our writing readable and enjoyable. It’s knowing the difference between a noun and an adjective, a verb and a conjunction, a preposition and a pronoun. It’s knowing if it’s there or their, which or witch, to, too, or two. But more importantly, it’s knowing how to craft beautiful sentences that capture and immerse your reader, and take them on your journey.

You could spend your entire life studying the proper usages of grammar and there’s a good chance that you wouldn’t know it all before you die, but it’s important to know as much as possible, and to practice it every time you write. Get a dictionary and a good book on grammar, or spend a few hours searching Google every now and then. You’ll be surprised at how quickly you can learn a lot of it, and at how much better your writing will be as a result.

Finding your voice

Your voice is what makes your writing yours, much like it does when you speak, and when you sing. Finding your voice is a long and difficult journey that every writer must undergo, and the only way to do it is to write. Write as much as you can, as often as you can, and never look back. Do this, because you must. Do this because it will make your writing yours, and set you apart from the rest.

The Walnut Shell

‘The Walnut Shell’ is a skin that you will need to develop in order to succeed, as in the path to becoming a writer; you’re going to write a lot of crap. I look back at my first writings now and I can barely recognise them at all. We do this, so that we can get better, but people aren’t always nice, and both I and every other writer on the globe will tell you that if you don’t put the past behind you, you’ll never move forward.

Learn from your rejections, and grow from them, too. If someone doesn’t like your writing, found out why so that you can make it better. Develop a thick skin, a ‘Walnut Shell’, and keep moving forward. It won’t be long before you’ll having trouble recognising some of your work, too.

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It’s not a lot really, when it all comes down to it, and it’s not something that you’re likely to learn overnight, but learn and love these three slices of advice and you’ll be leagues ahead of the rest. Next time, I’ll be focusing more on writing specifically for games, and the art of the introduction — those first few sentences that decide everything. Stay tuned.