1st Edition
The Definitive Game Narrative Guide
Foreword
Acknowledgements
Skip This Introduction
Section 1: Storytelling
Chapter 1: The Basics
Chapter 2: Narrative Concepts
Chapter 3: Ideas
Chapter 4: Basic Structure
Section 2: Game Storytelling
Chapter 5: Storytelling that is Unique to Games
Chapter 6: Interactive Structure
Chapter 7: World Building
Section 3: Characters
Chapter 8: Where to Start
Chapter 9: Characters from the Outside
Chapter 10: Characters in a Story
Section 4: Dialogue & Voice Over
Chapter 11: Writing Dialogue for VO
Chapter 12: Barks
Chapter 13: Conversations
Chapter 14: Voice Over Sessions
Section 5: Cutscenes
Chapter 15: Before You Write the Cutscene
Chapter 16: Writing the Cutscene
Section 6: Intellectual Property
Chapter 17: Now You’re Thinking with IP
Chapter 18: Creating a New IP
Chapter 19: Developing an Existing IP
Section 7: Game Narrative Professional
Chapter 20: Being a professional
Chapter 21: Navigating the Creative Workplace
Addenda
Biography
Brian Kindregan is a veteran of BioWare, Blizzard, Epic Games, Ubisoft, NetEase, and Tencent. Brian has been a creative director, a narrative director, a lead writer, and a senior writer. In a previous life, he was a storyboard artist and animator in the film business and directed two seasons of a CG television series. He’s also taught at a number of universities and lectured on game narrative at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design. You can find him on Substack at @briankindregan.
Diandra Anne Lasrado is a veteran of BioWare, Blizzard, Riot Games, Carbine, Activision, Aniplex, and more. Diandra has been a lead narrative designer, senior narrative designer, and senior editor. She’s worked on World of Warcraft, League of Legends, Wildstar, Diablo, and more. She has mentored a number of young developers and lectured at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design. You can find her on BlueSky at @mesaanasedai and Substack at @mesaanasedai.
“I wish we had a book like this 30 years ago… Our generation of game writers and developers (whose sanity barely survived the late 80’s thru early 90’s) had to learn to do it on our own - on the fly - no drivers' manual or safety net. So how amazing is it to find this wealth of practical knowledge, proven experience and genuine inspiration for upcoming game writers today? Very clearly, Brian and Diandra have poured their passion, creativity and many, many experiences into this book. You wanna write games? Good. Start here.”
- Chris Metzen, Executive Creative Director, Warcraft
"I had the great fortune of working with Brian and experienced his immense talent in action. Leading a story during the process of game development requires a unique interdisciplinary set of skills - vision, story chops, diplomacy, and the ability to creatively direct. This means communicating to a vast group of disparate disciplines (programmers, designers, artists, producers, etc.) who each need to do their work in concert, driving toward the same narrative goals and creative north star of the game. You have to also understand the craft of dramatic writing and bring a fresh voice that begets unexpected and delightful dialog and playable set pieces. You solve puzzles - working closely with designers when things don't work, facilitating gameplay and revising story - and you have to always keep your eyes on the long term goal - shipping something great! Brian has all of that skill and experience, and most importantly for his and Diandra’s book, the skill to teach it. The Definitive Game Narrative Guide offers clear insight to what's needed to succeed as a writer in the game industry. It's a quest giver that can prep you for the adventures ahead!"
- James Waugh, Senior Vice President Franchise Story and Creative Strategy, Lucasfilm
“The Definitive Game Narrative Guide is an invaluable guide to the fundamental building blocks of storytelling in games. From the first steps to the final polish, the authors guide the reader seamlessly through the entire narrative process. Full of lessons, tips, and real-world examples from two accomplished industry veterans with over thirty combined years of experience, this book is a must read for any writer interested in a career in the video game industry.”
- Drew Karpyshyn, lead writer: Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Mass Effect, Mass Effect 2. Narrative director: Exodus
