Excited to announce that I will once again be teaching Writing & Editing for Gaming for the Professional Writing department at Taylor University during the Spring 2019 semester. This will be my second time teaching the course (first time in 2017), and I can teach it up to three times before submitting it to become a permanent course for the university. The three times for a new course at Taylor allow faculty to learn and adjust the course those first few times to determine if the course is viable as a long term course and to finalize the syllabus and pedagogy. I now have this summer and the fall semester to prepare and plan for the second offering of the course. It is being updated from a 2 credit to a 3 credit hour course this time, which provides additional time for game industry professionals as guest speakers and class time devoted to final projects.
I am really looking forward to teaching this course again. Benjamin Whichcote, in his Moral and Religious Aphorisms, states it so well: “There is no better way to learn than to teach.” I learned so much while teaching this course last year that made me a better freelancer and a better teacher. I will bring that experience teaching this course in 2017 and my freelancing experience over the two years between classes to enhance this next revision of the course. Many of my students from that previous course are now working as freelancers in the game industry, and we continue to discuss topics from the course. I can’t wait to find out what conversations start in this next group of students and where the course leads them.
Below is the overview of the course from when I taught it in 2017. Any suggestions for updates to the course or industry speakers I should really consider?
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Provide understanding of the world of tabletop game publishing and how the various aspects of writing and editing fit. Students will learn about content editing, copyediting, proofreading, and writing for card games, board games, and roleplaying games.
COURSE GOALS: At the end of this course, students will know the unique elements and skills required for writing and editing in the tabletop game industry.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
- To understand the intersection of writing and games.
- To study the history of writing and editing in games.
- To understand the roles of writers and editors in the game industry.
- To understand the interaction of faith and gaming.
- To learn from game industry professionals.
- To give students practical knowledge that will help them garner the attention of game publishers.
Planned topics of discussion currently include
- Role of the writer & editor in gaming
- Text compared to Mechanics
- Publisher Expectations, Style Guides, and Standards
- Intellectual Property
- RPG writing & editing
- Back cover and Box text marketing
- Board game writing & editing
- Intersection of Writing and Games
- Theme, Story, and Worlds
- Diversity and Inclusivity in Games
- Faith and Gaming
- The Game Industry
- Looking to the future of interactive fiction and gaming
Please let me know any questions you have about the course or suggestions you might have for making it even better this time!
This looks great, T.R.!
Thanks! If you have any other suggestions, let me know.
Interestingly, I’ve spoken twice about Faith in relation to gaming in general and Vampire: The Masquerade specifically. That course looks great and comprehensive, and I hope it does well!
Thanks for your encouragement. I am currently updating and revising the syllabus and working on the upcoming class schedule.