by Austin Conrad
Like any other element of job hunting, creating a game writing portfolio is often vexing. Questions such as “What work should I choose? How should I present it? Will they even read it?” are natural. This is compounded by the diverse media and modes used in game writing. Unlike a novel excerpt or a magazine article, work for a game isn’t necessarily straightforward text. Game writing spans many formats, from technical writing for TTRPG mechanics to script writing for a video game’s dialogue. Assembling your work into a concise, attractive portfolio can feel daunting.
There are no hard-and-fast rules to creating a portfolio, although some employers or publishers have rigid requirements. What we can offer is guidelines. Think of this article—and subsequent articles in this series—as sketching out best practices for your portfolio. Just like in writing, sometimes breaking a rule is the best way to stand out.
Curating Samples
When selecting excerpts of your work, consider the total length of your portfolio. Competition for game writing positions (for instance, narrative designer) is fierce, and most employers pounce on any excuse to toss aside an application. Even if your work is fantastic, it’s unlikely someone will spend more than 15 minutes skimming it. Instead of showcasing your best writing, long, time-consuming portfolios risk going unread.
Likewise, ensure your excerpts are polished. Typos, grammar errors, and other infelicities give the reviewer an easy excuse to reject an application. It’s the same logic as when you’re proofreading a resume—businesses aren’t likely to hire a writer who mistypes their own name!
A taut portfolio typically features three to five excerpts. For a general portfolio, pick chunks of your writing that highlight different qualities of your work. For example, since I work mostly in TTRPGs, my portfolio includes a mix of mechanics, adventures, and setting. This variety gives the reviewer a holistic overview of your talents. Although it’s best to keep excerpts concise, also be aware of their original context. For example, some great bits of mechanical writing make no sense without their contextual place in a game’s narrative.
Each excerpt should be accompanied by a brief description of its source. At a minimum, this should include the original work’s name (with a link, if possible) and your role(s) in the project. If the excerpt is from a published work, mention where and by whom it was published. Space permitting, also describe responses to the project, such as critics’ quotes, customer reviews, and sales performance. One publisher to whom I recently submitted a portfolio limited descriptions to 100 words. That felt about right. Aim for 50 words, if you can.
Kinds of Work to Include
Some reviewers weigh applicants based on past publications, but others don’t. Personally, I prioritize portfolio excerpts in the following order:
external publisher > commissions > self-published > unpublished
In general, work paid for and published by someone else is esteemed because it indicates someone financially valued your writing. Frankly, “Did you get paid for it?” sometimes replaces evaluating your excerpt’s quality. I rank commissions next because they reflect that business ethos but don’t necessarily demonstrate the creative strengths of self-conceived work sold to a publisher.
Self-publishing’s stigma also lurks in the games industry. Its prevalence depends on your niche. For example, I don’t see much stigma toward self-published TTRPGs because, in that industry, most publishers are small and self-publishing is common. Emphasizing a self-published work’s financial performance and/or critical acclaim helps it stand out from excerpts in other competitors’ portfolios.
Sometimes, your strongest excerpts are unpublished. This is especially true when trying to “break in” or when branching into new aspects of game writing. If you’ve been published in other fields, blending published excerpts with unpublished game writing can be an effective strategy. The published excerpts show that your work is valued, while the unpublished excerpts demonstrate your game writing prowess. Further, excerpts from unpublished work are an effective way to add diversity to a portfolio by showing flexibility in writing for multiple games. Don’t be afraid to include an excerpt of unpublished work in your portfolio!
Access and Format
After curating your excerpts, you need to figure out how to present them to prospective employers. Some employers specify requirements, while others just ask for a link or an uploaded file.
Hosting your portfolio is a major reason for writers to have a website (even if there isn’t much else on the site). A public portfolio can be shared or discovered by other people. The portfolio page’s link is an easy way to submit your work to publishers. It can also be used in more atypical ways. For example, putting the page’s QR code on the back of a business card. A link to Google Drive or another file-sharing service also gets the job done. However, it won’t provide a website’s discoverability.
How to format a game writing portfolio can be quite tricky, especially if you’ve worked in a variety of media. The simplest method is to paste all your excerpts (and descriptions) into a word processor, then export it as a PDF. A bold header at the top of each excerpt and a page break afterward help keep your portfolio organized. On a website, it’s best to post excerpts right on the page—don’t make reviewers download a file. Similarly, if your portfolio is linked to a file-sharing service, it’s simplest to link a single PDF rather than multiple excerpts.
But if you still have questions, fear not! Further articles in this series offer guidance on specific topics. We’ll cover formatting portfolios for a variety of game media, how and when to make a portfolio tailored to specific employers, how to handle skill tests, and more. Altogether, we’ll provide you with the guidance and tools to decide how to craft your own portfolio.
Explore more articles from Portfolios in Game Writing
Austin Conrad is a full-time writer and game designer best known for his indie RuneQuest publications. He has been published by EN Publishing and Menagerie Press, and is a contributor to DualShockers. Austin’s most recent release is Treasures of Glorantha 2, a compendium of magic items from an age of god-manipulating sorcerers and imperial dragons. You can learn more about Austin’s work on his website, akhelas.com.