Resume:
Skills: Story progression, character biographies, world building, and dialogue. I create many details going into the narrative. It could be aliens discussing cookies while on guard duty or the logical flow of plot. I’m a pretty visual person. So I can see my stories as if they’re a movie.
Irreverent dialogue is my flavor of character speech. It gives an extra kinetic punch to character relationships, especially action scenes. In addition, I like exploring character through their emotional ups and downs.
CHARACTER BIOGRAPHY, MONOCHROME RPG: Link to Steam Store Page
Role: Freelance Writer for DVNC, Tech. They’re developing Episode 1: Maniacal Morning for the Monochrome RPG.
What I learned: In order for artists, animators, and programmers to build a character, I learned how to order and format details in a word doc. There are the NPC character building blocks – goals, motivations, struggles, successes, and how the game’s protagonist, Otto, would encounter him. Gaston needs to be likeable, funny, ambitious like the rest of Talent Town, and show that there’s more than one kind of talent to be found.
I had about an 80/20 split with creative freedom and including details managers wanted.
NPC DIALOGUE – HALO 2: Click Link.
Disclaimer: I have not worked at Bungie nor on Halo… yet.
My process with writing the Halo barks was two specifics: context and formatting. Having played the Halo games a lot, I had a good idea of the writing style to use. I intended on writing original and existing characters. Chipps Dubbo has that iconic Aussie accent. And I reference Master Chief. All other characters are my own.
I actually wrote this first in Trelby. I thought as it is dialogue, it ought to be formatted like a script. I mean, it made sense. After I wrote this, I didn’t like the visual layout. Barks have moment to moment specificities. Showing them in table layout makes for an clean flow of context-specific dialogue. I just took the script style for the other conversations.
The ideas is this reads as if it were already in the game. Enjoy elites talking about cookies!
FANTASY ADVENTURE SAMPLE SCRIPT: Click Link.
SCI-FI FPS SAMPLE SCRIPT: Click Link.
What I learned: Providing essential summaries of scene information to designers. I focused on details essential to moving the story forward. From little animations blocked out by note blocks to characters asking questions or shooting at an alien.
The first question I considered for the fantasy script is “How can I write button prompts into a cutscene” ? Because its an action taken by the player, I used that corresponding script format. Then the same thing for closing the prompt. I imagined that noting it made it easily seen by coders or level designers. The second question I considered was “What are they searching for”? I end the script hinting at that while transitioning to third person gameplay.
With the sci fi script, I took the above and expanded on it. My thoughts were to incorporate gameplay of supply pick-ups with cutscenes. Then I cut to gameplay at the end of the script. In doing it this way, the player watches some action unfold after the option for gearing up. The break from cutscene to gameplay can be programmed in.
My itch.io dashboard for the following short games. Each is less than 30 minutes long: https://matthew-birdzell.itch.io/
The Sound Upstairs
Description: Alone for the first time, a teenage boy tracks down a sound in his house.
Tools used: Twine 2.
Team or Solo: Solo Writer.
Possibility for a Pair
Description: Milton, a SentientBot, needs vital parts of his body repaired and upgraded by his creator, John. While he receives these, he reveals a deeper side John didn’t expect.
Tools used: Twine 2.
Team or Solo: Solo Writer.
Click to see how the text for “Decisions, Decisions” flows for Possibility for a Pair:
Click to see how the texts for Click to Attic and Apprentice’s Quest flow in The Sound Upstairs:
Matthew Birdzell 