2026/09 - The Game Studio Writer and Narrative Designer: How to Pitch, Collaborate, and Champion Your Narrative Work (Adam Dolin)

• Understand common studio dynamics that narrative designers face and how to navigate them (Who actually decides narrative direction? When does narrative lead vs support? How to build allies in design & production? When to escalate vs adapt?...)
• Identify what makes a story worth telling — and how to find yours
• Learn techniques for aligning narrative with gameplay systems, player agency, and production realities
• Develop practical frameworks for pitching narrative ideas to non-writers across departments
• Build skills for receiving, processing, and implementing feedback from multiple disciplines without losing the thread of your story
• Practice championing narrative work through production milestones, cuts, and compromises

What Story Does Your Game Need?

• Before you can write a good story, you need to find the right one. We'll work through frameworks for identifying what your game is actually about — mechanically, thematically, emotionally — and how to build a narrative that serves that identity rather than fighting it. Whether you're working on a 2d puzzle game or an FPS RPG, the process starts here.

Writing for Player Agency Across Formats

• We'll align on definitions for linear, branching, and emergent storytelling, then go over best practices writing for each. The focus is on understanding what each format demands from the writer and where the craft challenges differ.

Characters, Dialog, Conditions, Variables — The Game Writer's Toolkit

• We'll break down how characters function as systems, how dialog serves different purposes depending on context and format, and how conditions and variables give writers control over when, how, and whether a player encounters narrative content. This is the craft layer between "I have a good story" and "I can actually implement it."

Pitching Narrative in Production

• Your story is only as good as your ability to communicate it to people who think in different vocabularies. We'll practice pitching narrative ideas to designers, artists, programmers, and producers — and learn what each discipline actually needs to hear.

Adapting to Cross-Department Feedback

• Feedback from non-writers can feel like it's dismantling your vision. Sometimes it is. We'll work through how to keep other disciplines in mind while writing, how to distinguish between feedback that strengthens your story and feedback that just changes it, and how to pivot without losing the thread.

Making Data-Informed Editorial Decisions

• Creative direction boils down to two skills: communicating your vision and making choices. We'll talk about using data, playtesting insights, and production realities to make editorial calls with confidence — including when to kill your darlings and when to fight for them.

For companies wishing to have their training costs covered by their OPCO, registration must be completed no later than two weeks before the start of the training to meet the OPCO’s processing deadlines. In all other cases, registrations can be accepted up to two business days before the start of the training. Accessibility: We are available to work with individuals with disabilities to assess the accommodations needed so they can comfortably participate in the training programs offered.