Leads with Her Game Writing Right Hook as Senior Game Designer of Narrative Design for Zynga Games. She wrote and designed MAFIA WARS 2, HIDDEN CHRONICLES, LORD OF THE RINGS: War in the North ... and many more.
Renaissance Woman (noun)
A woman knowledgeable or proficient in more than one field.
The Free Dictionary.com
A person who has wide interests and is expert in several areas. Merriam Webster.com
I can almost see Christy Mark's name in the definition. Hmm ...let's see ...she's a story editor, series developer, narrative designer, game writer, animation writer, live action television writer, screenwriter, graphic novelist, non-fiction author and comic book writer.
That's why I called her a Multimedia Renaissance Woman in today's blog title. But she doesn't stop there. She shares her long list of credits and expertise in her books: Writing for Animation, Comics, and Games
and Write Your Way into Animation and Games
Writing for Animation, Comics, and Games
Write Your Way into Animation and Games
Animation Television Shows
You've seen her name in the rolling credits of many of today's animated television shows. While writing for Hasbro's G.I. Joe Christy Marx created Jem and the Holograms, the #1 Nielsen rated show, airing from 1985-1988 and was the third most watched children's program in syndication with 2.5 million viewers weekly. It's currently aired on the Hub Network and Teletoon retro in Canada.
She also wrote for ZORRO: GENERATION Z (BKN)(in production), GI JOE, THE TRANSFORMERES, THE LEGEND OF THE DRAGON (BKN) (playing now on Toon Disney/Jetix), ALIEN RACERS (SD Ent./MGA) (in production), HE-MAN AND THE MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE (Cartoon Network) and the list continues. She's also known
Game Writing
For MMORPG Games -- (Slipgate Ironworks/Gazillion Ent.) Christy Marx led the team as Head Writer of Creative Development (for IP creating and transmedia adaptation) and Lead Story Designer.
She provided design consultation and quest writing for WAZZAMBA.COM, a virtual site dedicated to international travel.
Christy also gave her creative stamp to: URU: AGES BEYOND MYST, EARTH AND BEYOND: MMORPG, Tao Feng: Fist of the Lotus
, and THE LEGEND OF ALON D'AR... But we're just scratching the interactive surface of the many games she designed, wrote and consulted. Craving more information about Christy? Then stop by www.christymarx.com and feed your hunger for more.
Got Toon-Game Scribe?
We're thrilled to have Christy Marx join us in our interview chair for today's blog post. Whether you're a game writing pro or a wannabe, it's always great to find out what other professionals are working on, or learn strategies to break through the thumb-entry door.
Christy Marx Interview
for
Got Toon-Game Scribe
1. GTGS: How should a writer prepare to break into the interactive
writing market? What kinds of samples do you need?
CM: There's no established answer for this question. My general advice is to establish yourself as a writer in whatever other medium you can and have some professional credits.
You could have credits writing game reviews or short stories, but it would be stronger to have credits in other, related visual storytelling fields such as animation, comics, screenplays or teleplays. These forms of writing have a lot in common with writing games as they tell stories in a visual format.
Some companies will want you to do a writing test, so be prepared to show what you can do with established material in a tight time-frame. Samples should be short. They must demonstrate your ability to tell a visual story, and to write short, compelling dialogue for interesting characters.
Other advice about networking and trying to get in the door is laid out in my book, Writing for Animation, Comics, and Games.
2. GTGS: What scriptwriting software do you use to create an interactive script?
CM: I do most of my writing work in Word and Excel. Although Excel is terrible as a writing tool, it's often used to format the kind of text and dialogue used in games.
It's possible you'll need to use a proprietary software developed by the game company, so experiment with software used to create game writing for mods, such as the tools Bioware offered for its games.
3. GTGS: What was the best advice given that helped you in your career?
CM: Not for games specifically, but the most important thing drummed into my head as a scriptwriter was: MAKE YOUR DEADLINES.
Games are also written under tight deadlines, so you need to be able to produce competent work to meet those milestones. There's no room for a Prima Donna or people who can only write when it suits them.
4. GTGS: What are 3 skills you need to take you from a game writer to a game designer?
CM: First, decide which one you want to be. They're worlds apart and you need to know much more about creating a game to be a designer than to be a writer, though anyone writing for games is more valuable knowing the basics of game design.
There's another category that has developed recently. The most common title for it is Narrative Designer. I cover this in my book in more depth, but essentially I consider a Narrative Designer to be a writer with game dsign skills. It means you understand the mechanics, requirements and restrictions of gameplay and how to mesh it with storytelling.
Overlapping skills would include non-linear thinking, mental focus, attention to detail, and being able to track those details in the constantly morphing development of a game.
CM: There's no established answer for this question. My general advice is to establish yourself as a writer in whatever other medium you can and have some professional credits.
You could have credits writing game reviews or short stories, but it would be stronger to have credits in other, related visual storytelling fields such as animation, comics, screenplays or teleplays. These forms of writing have a lot in common with writing games as they tell stories in a visual format.
Some companies will want you to do a writing test, so be prepared to show what you can do with established material in a tight time-frame. Samples should be short. They must demonstrate your ability to tell a visual story, and to write short, compelling dialogue for interesting characters.
Other advice about networking and trying to get in the door is laid out in my book, Writing for Animation, Comics, and Games
.2. GTGS: What scriptwriting software do you use to create an interactive script?
CM: I do most of my writing work in Word and Excel. Although Excel is terrible as a writing tool, it's often used to format the kind of text and dialogue used in games.
It's possible you'll need to use a proprietary software developed by the game company, so experiment with software used to create game writing for mods, such as the tools Bioware offered for its games.
3. GTGS: What was the best advice given that helped you in your career?
CM: Not for games specifically, but the most important thing drummed into my head as a scriptwriter was: MAKE YOUR DEADLINES.
Games are also written under tight deadlines, so you need to be able to produce competent work to meet those milestones. There's no room for a Prima Donna or people who can only write when it suits them.
4. GTGS: What are 3 skills you need to take you from a game writer to a game designer?
CM: First, decide which one you want to be. They're worlds apart and you need to know much more about creating a game to be a designer than to be a writer, though anyone writing for games is more valuable knowing the basics of game design.
There's another category that has developed recently. The most common title for it is Narrative Designer. I cover this in my book in more depth, but essentially I consider a Narrative Designer to be a writer with game dsign skills. It means you understand the mechanics, requirements and restrictions of gameplay and how to mesh it with storytelling.
Overlapping skills would include non-linear thinking, mental focus, attention to detail, and being able to track those details in the constantly morphing development of a game.
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