Title: Professional Techniques for Video Game Writing 

Authors: Wendy Despain (ed.), John Feil, Andrew S. Walsh, Anthony Burch, Marek Walton, Tracy A. Seamster, Samantha Wallschlaeger, Ross Berger, Haris Orkin, Heidi McDonald, Rhianna Pratchett, Richard Dansky, William Harms, Tom Abernathy, Maurice Suckling, Evan Skolnick, Alice Henderson, Beth A. Dillon, Sande Chen, Chris Klug, Jay Posey, Erin Hoffman

Publisher: CRC Press

First Published: 2008, second edition 2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003182832 , 2nd ed: https://doi.org/10.1201/9780429196539 

Abstract: This book by the International Game Developers Association (IGDA) Game Writing Special Interest Group focuses on various aspects of working as a professional game writer, including how to break in to game writing, writing manuals, narrative design, writing in a team, working as a freelancer, working with new intellectual property, and more.

Table of Contents - 1st edition:

1. How to Break In and Stay In (Beth A. Dillon)
2. Interactive Script Formatting (Wendy Despain)
3. Writing Pitch Docs and Exec Docs (Erin Hoffman)
4. Game Documentation Guide (John Feil)
5. Manuals, In-Game Text, and Credits (John Feil)
6. Narrative Design (Jay Posey)
7. Game Writing at a Distance (Chris Klug)
8. Writing in a Team (Sande Chen, Maurice Suckling, and Anne Toole)
9. Getting the Work Done (Wendy Despain)
10. Writing for All Audiences (Beth A. Dillon)
11. Writers in the Recording Studio (Haris Orkin)
12. Writing Tutorials, or Press Start. . . to Start (Andrew S. Walsh)
13. Writing Strategy Guides (Alice Henderson)
14. Writing for New IP (Rhianna Pratchett)
15. Script Doctoring (Richard Dansky)
16. Game Writing and Narrative in the Future (Evan Skolnick) 

Table of Contents - 2nd Edition:

1. Getting Writing Jobs in Video Games by Wendy Despain
2. Game Script Formatting by Wendy Despain
3. Documentation for Writers by John Feil
4. Writing Instructions, Helptext, Walkthroughs, and Manuals – Text to Train the Player by John Feil
5. Writing Tutorials – Write “Start” to Start by Andrew S. Walsh
6. Practical Techniques for Productivity – Getting the Work Done by Wendy Despain
7. Collaborating with Art, Design, and Engineering by Anthony Burch
8. Writing for AAA Games – Playing in the Big Leagues by Marek Walton
9. Writing for Indie Games by Wendy Despain
10. Game Writing Remotely – How to Pay the Rent Working from Home by Tracy A. Seamster
11. Game Writing On Staff by Samantha Wallschlaeger
12. Keeping Localization in Mind – When Game Narrative Travels Abroad by Ross Berger
13. Writers in the Recording Studio by Haris Orkin
14. Writing for Existing Licenses by Heidi McDonald
15. Writing for New IP by Rhianna Pratchett
16. Script Doctoring by Richard Dansky
17. Writing Compelling Game Characters by William Harms
18. Hiring Philosophies – We Can Do Better by Tom Abernathy
19. If It Works, Break It – Game Narrative Tropes and Innovation by Maurice Suckling