Whenever I’m asked what I do for a living, I’m never quite sure how to answer; “I’m a writer” barely seems to cover it. I work in video games and was one of the writers of Batman: Arkham Origins, but if I say that I’m a game writer the common response is, “Oh, you write code.” No. I write stories!
And I also write graphic novels, I write screenplays, teleplays – it gets to be a mouthful. I did write a novella while I was in high school and have a couple of book ideas kicking around, but I hesitate to include ‘novelist’ in the description. The trouble with novels is… there are so many words!
Words are what most people associate with the act of writing – writers write words. But what words? Creating a compelling experience for an audience is about far more than words on a page, or dialogue spoken by actors. It is about what words to use, where they are used, when and how they are used, and, critically, when not to use them. I was once told by a producer that I'm the only writer he'd ever met who didn't like writing. But I'm not interested in hitting a word count. I'm interested in evoking an emotional response in my audience.
That said, games, films, comics, all require teams of talented people to bring words to life. While I sometimes need a few hours of uninterrupted focus, one of the appeals of working in games is the collaboration with artists, animators, designers, and the opportunity it affords to build off of each others' passion and expertise.
I studied screenwriting at film school in Vancouver, software development at Sheridan College, and, among other things, Management Economics at the University of Guelph where my best marks were in astrophysics and critical thinking. To help my writing, I’ve also taken courses in directing and acting and I was once a fairly decent artist. I’m a fan of history and have done research in a few different periods for pleasure and for personal projects. I’ve traveled all over Canada and the US, lived in Ontario, BC, and now in Quebec. I’ve also spent extended periods in the mountains of north Georgia, the sprawl of Los Angeles, and in the paradise of the British Virgin Islands where I worked on a 75-foot catamaran called Ppalu. And in all that travel I’ve found that it’s not so much where you are, but who you’re with.
About King Cookie Press
King Cookie Press is the self-publishing label I use for all of my graphic novel projects.
Services
VIDEO GAMES: game writing, narrative design, voice directing
FILM & TELEVISION: screenwriting
GRAPHIC NOVELS: writing, producing, publishing