We made the cover of Game Developer magazine!  By we, of course, I mean everyone who worked, and continues to work, on Wizard 101, the game that kept me in noodles during the WGA strike.  While the writers aren’t mentioned explicitly in the article, I’m sure it was just an oversight   I’m proud to have worked on such a fun game that players continue to enjoy.  MMOs rock.

The winner of the Write Brothers FBCC Comic Scriptwriting Competition 2009 has been chosen!  After the announcer finished catching her breath after that mouthful, she announced that I was the winner.  Woot!  The winning script follows a group of partisans in WWII as they attempt to infiltrate a Nazi base.  Now if you want to read the winning script, it is just possible you can find it on the site you are currently browsing.  If you’re brave.

If you’re looking for an insightful look at writing for TV and games… well, you might have to look elsewhere, but you may enjoy this podcast anyway.  In this interview, I talk about the differences between writing for television and games, what I like most about writing for games, the dilemma of in-game cut scenes, and then talk smack about everyone else.  One of those is not true   Check out the Kombo Breaker interview now.

Imagine you’re a game writer, and this happened to you.  I noticed that my comic-con panel, “Writing for the Computer Gaming Industry” got written up in the Examiner.com.  Yay on that.  All panelists were listed including a random credit.  Mine was The Witcher.  The writer of the article then proceeded to say, “The Witcher was written by a WOMAN??!!”  I don’t know if he couldn’t believe a woman would write the Witcher because of its sexual content, or if he couldn’t believe that a woman would write something like the Witcher, but I’ll take it as a compliment either way

What’s your take?

I’m headed down to Comic-Con this fine day and will be attending all 4.5 days.   If you’re there, I’m sure I will pass you about five times as we go about our quests for comics and adventure.  If you actually want to say hello, you can catch me at my panel on Thursday, July 23:

5:30-6:30 Writing for the Computer Gaming Industry— Great storytelling forms the foundation for immersive games that emotionally draw players into a gaming universe. Veteran game writers Neal Hallford (Betrayal at Krondor, Dungeon Siege), Chris Avellone (Knights of the Old Republic, Neverwinter Nights II), Anne Toole (The Witcher), Wynne McLaughlin (Star Wars: The Old Republic, Command & Conquer: Renegade), Haris Orkin (Call of Juarez 2: Bound In Blood), and John Zuur Platten (F.E.A.R 2: Project Origin, Ghostbusters) engage in a lively discussion of their art. Moderated by Jana Hallford (co-author of Swords & Circuitry: A Designer’s Guide to Computer Role-Playing Games). Room 4
Categories: Games | Seminars & Workshops | Writers & Writing

See you there, and happy comicing!

Another exciting episode of Written By features many of us who spoke on the Writing for Games panel at the Writers Guild last year. Read the entire article: The Game’s the Thing.

I will be speaking on a panel entitled “Games Go Social,” presented by Digital LA. Join me, if you dare…

7:00-10:00pm
uWink – Hollywood & Highland
6801 Hollywood Boulevard #411 (4th flr)
Los Angeles, CA

Video games are expanding beyond core young male gamers to reach females, casual gamers, and the mainstream. Online communities, social network gaming, and mobile games are jumping in use and popularity. Join our Digital LA and Girl Gamer.com prE-3 panel to cover topics including:

- Rise in casual games: party, music, dancing, fitness
- Games going beyond the core to reach females and mainstream audiences
- Online casual games, apps, and social networks
- Online communities for hard core and casual gamers to trade tips, cheats, socialize, compete, etc.
- Mobile games to play on your cell, iPhone, PDA

Scheduled speakers include:
- Carlson Choi, Activision, Director Interactive Marketing
- Travis Falstad, EA Mobile, Social Marketing @eamobile
- Mike Prasad, GirlGamer.com, Co-Founder @girlgamer
- Anne Toole, writer/designer (Stargate Worlds, Wizard 101, The Witcher (WGA nominated))
- Steven McClurg, President, Social Potatoes

AGENDA
7-8: Check-in and networking
8-9:30 Panel and Q&A
9:30-10 Even more networking

$18 ADVANCE REGISTRATION REQUIRED by MAY 19. Space limited.

Check out the Jan/Feb issue of Written By, the magazine of the WGA, for my interview!

Going through old notes I scrawled on various scraps of paper about writing, I came across some from the LA WorldCon in 2006.  What follows are tips for plotting stories, breaking blocks, and getting trucking:

1.  Come up with major story moments, then put blocks along the way

2.  You don’t need to write sequentially

3.  Use puppets; play with kids

4.  Start with the thing you most want to write about

5.  Don’t think — get emotions

6.  Take a class in something you hate

7.  Learn to trust yourself more

8.  Know your strengths, then skip the other parts

Too bad WorldCon is someplace far next year.

First let me say that although I have written four novels, I don’t consider myself a prose writer.  That said, I will do this technique I read about because it sounds like it might actually work!  This suggestion comes from a book by James Frey.

1.  Find a book that is well-written.

2.  Copy, literally, a couple pages of that fine prose each day.

3.  Write an original scene in the same style each day.  If the scene you copied was about an emotional view of the countryside, write an emotional view of something or other.

4.  Rinse, repeat with various books daily until you’ve got the hang of it.

Allegedly, your writing will in fact improve.  I will test drive it and see how it goes.

Question: Anyone have suggestions about which books I should copy?  Only writer whose prose style I remember loving was Kathe Koja.