Lizard advice (below) is good, and reminds me of a book that I recommend all
would-be creative entrepreneurs to read:
Steven King's _On_Writing_
Yeah, yeah, we want to make game stuff, and he's talking about writing fiction
of the more convential variety. But I would bet that you'll get a lot out of
it...
and if you're already following the macaroni-and-cheese model of starving
writer, then remember your local library...
good luck all!
john
> Well, *my* plan is as follows:
> a)Marry a wonderful woman who, when you say, "Dear, I want to
> give up my
> high paying job as a programmer and be a starving writer" replies with
> "I will learn to make exciting meals from macaroni and cheese" as
> opposed to "I want a divorce."
>
> b)Start trying to get published anywhere. Send in magazine articles,
> submissions to open calls, etc. Be active on lists with a lot of game
> designers. Find out if you really DO have any talent or
> ability, as well
> as the determination needed to sit down, stare at a blank screen, and
> say, "Now I will *CREATE*!" -- and keep staring at the blank screen
> until blood comes from your forehead.[1]
>
> c)Hope that, after several months or years of freelancing in whatever
> off hours you have, someone is impressed enough with your work to say
> "Hi. We want to give you a full time job at sub-minimum wage
> levels, but
> you'll be writing for a living."
>
> But I don't want to run my own company. I know I have no
> business sense.
> I just want a job where I am told "We need 50,000 words on
> the Snorbian
> Flooophs for our upcoming supplement, get it to us in a
> week". Which is
> on par with "We need the entire back-end rewritten in LOGO.
> Get it to us
> in a week.", so I'm used to it.
>
> [1]The joys of writing. I recently had an article published which
> contained words to the effect of "the river blah empties into the
> coolname ocean". My editor basically came back with:"Wow!
> Coolname ocean
> is so cool sounding! We want an article on that! 5000 words, next
> issue!" I, of course, had no idea WHAT coolname ocean was all about --
> it just sounded cool. Well, now I know -- 'and knowing is half the
> battle'.
