How can you design a story that branches into multiple directions? How does writing for games help with writing a novel? Ed McRae explains narrative design and the opportunities for writers in the gaming industry. In the intro, ‘the inevitable decline of open platforms' [Seth Godin]; pros and cons of different print distribution models [Adam Croft; ALLi]; Canterbury: A History of England Written in Stone. Do you need help with editing and cover design, marketing, or translations? Find a curated list of vetted professionals at the Reedsy marketplace, along with free training on writing, self-publishing, and book marketing. Check it out at: www.TheCreativePenn.com/reedsy Edwin McRae is a freelance narrative designer for the games industry. He's also a game design teacher, and writer of nonfiction for authors, including Narrative Design for Writers. You can listen above or on your favorite podcast app or read the notes and links below. Here are the highlights and the full transcript is below. Show Notes * What is narrative design in video games?* Why is gaming important to the entertainment industry?* How writing for games differs from writing a linear book* Creating many options for story beats and character actions* Writing like a reader* The skills needed to break into different areas of writing for games* The increased opportunities for writers with gaming, AI, VR and AR You can find Edwin McRae at EdMcRae.com and on Twitter @edmcraewriter Transcript of Interview with Edwin McRae Joanna: Edwin McRae is a freelance narrative designer for the games industry. He's also a game design teacher, and writer of nonfiction for authors, including Narrative Design for Writers. Welcome, Edwin. Edwin: Kia ora Joanna, and tena koutou to your audience. It's really cool to be here. Joanna: You should probably just explain that. Edwin: I just said, basically, ‘Hello,' and ‘Hello everyone,' in Maori. Joanna: It's because you're in New Zealand, right? Edwin: Exactly. Joanna: Just so everybody knows. Edwin: Yeah, it's quite nice. A lot of people here we try to use Te Reo, which is Te Reo Maori, in everyday conversation as much as possible these days. So, we're all gradually becoming bilingual. Joanna: Interesting. Tell us a bit more about how you got into writing and what your job actually is like.