Video Game Writer: Yes, You Can Find This Internship

Posted: March 20, 2018

Joanne Oh pictures in OxfordThere were only four people working at Lux Science when Joanne Oh, a junior English and Writing Seminars major, became their intern. The small, bootstrapped startup's goal: create a story-driven educational video game to teach kids about science. Then-sophomore Joanne was the sole writer and editor, and she spent her first few months researching and writing remotely to create a general story arc for the game, including all the characters, the conflict, setting and premise. The game's main character Alex lives in a post-apocalyptic world (think Ender's Game) and is invited to study at a space-mining academy, one of the few places still providing lots of jobs on Earth.

"Storytelling in video games is different from in theater or a show," Joanne says. "A lot of the story is going to be engaged in action, and you want to be engaged in the action. It's ultimately going to be told through game play."

Joanne has always loved playing video games and decided to put in the extra work to find a way to write for them. A lot of jobs for game level designers require coding skills and 3-5 years of experience, but Joanne set up specific Handshake searches and went through every page of results (regularly) until the Lux Science position appeared. She submitted a science fiction story she had written for a JHU class, completed a Skype interview, and was hired to work on Lux Science's game concept.

"They were interested that someone into writing is also interested in science fiction, and video games," she says. "In the end, it's about doing your research. I searched Handshake really thoroughly, and kept my options open."

That persistence means that Joanne now has a year+ of crucial video game writing experience, as well as content marketing, and collaboration with company founders under her belt. Now that the company is working to find and apply for grants, she has less writing responsibilities, but calls in twice a month to meet with the ~10 staff members. She can complete her work from anywhere in the U.S., or in the world—she's continued working with Lux Science while studying in Oxford with JHU Study Abroad.

Her advice to other writing students looking for opportunities in video games or non-traditional writing: use your classes to create really great samples. Consider getting experience with writing for film or TV, which might be more transferable. Consider getting some coding experience and skills. Look for video game writing opportunities in mobile games or apps, which have more flexible requirements. But mostly, keep looking, and think creatively when looking for positions!

These related positions are currently open on Handshake:

3D Animation/Film Production/Game Design Internships (Summer 2018) at Universal Parks and Resorts

Digital Content Creator at Untethered Labs (job)

Graphic Designer & Data Visualization Specialist at Untethered Labs (job)

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