Writer/Editor/Proofreader seeking short projects [Free, Open] Thread

Hi everyone. I've been writing and playing video games for over ten years, and recently decided I wanted to combine those passions. I'm offering my services here as a writer, editor, or proofreader for your game's script.

Experience & Samples:
I've written multiple fantasy/sci-fi novels as part of NaNoWriMo (7-time participant), have been mentored by published authors in traditional creative writing workshops, and write poetry and fanfiction for fun. On the editing front, aside from the inevitable essays and letters friends and family ask me to proofread as the resident English major, I've had experience critiquing others' writing in a workshop setting and beta-ing others' fanfic.
Writing Sample, fantasy
Writing Sample, realistic

Services:
Story consulting/idea bouncing for any genre. I am addicted to narrative, story tropes, and the endless possibilities of their combinations and execution that visual novels provide. I've taken classes on story structure, and have spent countless nights getting lost in the labyrinth that is TVTropes. I would love to assist you or your creative team in discussing the story, setting, or characters that make your game unique.
Writing for shorter projects. I'm most comfortable with the science fiction, fantasy or drama genres. My strengths are character psychology and style, my weakness action.
Editing and proofreading for projects of any length. No typos will escape me.

I've a special fondness for RPGs and experimental, psychological games, but I'm very flexible about the types of projects I will take on, so if interested send me a PM with a description of your game (genre, summary, what stage it is currently at) and what kind of service(s) you require, and we can discuss whether I'd be a good fit. I'm not averse to longer projects, but I prefer shorter ones for now as I'm looking to build my portfolio. I am very communicative and responsive on Skype and email, and am happy to work solo or be part of a creative team. Because I do not have prior game writing experience, I am offering my services for free right now, although I would appreciate a small stipend if you'd like me to work on a commercial project. That's all - thank you, and I look forward to working together!

Hi altairity!

First off, nice post! You set up your stall pretty well. Sensible of you to prioritise short projects: as well as getting more on your portfolio, it also minimises the risk of the project collapsing before completion (unfortunately this happens a lot and it is heartbreaking).

I would recommend getting some kind of interactive narrative credit into your portfolio. Whether that's your game, or someone else's, or a jam, or a Twine project - it counts for a LOT to be able to demonstrate experience of having completed an interactive story. The difference between a short story and a video game is the difference between playing acoustic guitar and conducting an orchestra: there's a common language and set of concepts there, but a very different skill-set.

Twine is a brilliant way to prototype things like dialogue trees for an RPG, or scenes in a point-and-click or interactive adventure. Like anything it takes a bit of getting used to, but once you've got the hang of it, you'll find it to be a valuable tool. Best of all though, you can do it yourself! You don't need to wait for a team or a project, just cobble a 20 "page" Twine story together to showcase your skills.

Secondly, make sure to put your name and some kind of contact detail in your Google Docs. Just think how awful it would be for a potential employer to bookmark one of your stories, read it a week later (people who make games are ALWAYS busy), fall in love with it, and be unable to figure out who the author is. It also pays to present your work to a professional standard. Adding titles and line breaks between paragraphs maks the piece look finished and polished before anyone reads it, and so it's a little bit more likely to get a positive reception. In fact, here's a secret: plenty of recruiters won't know a good story from a bad one, but they will certainly appreciate good presentation and formatting.

Thirdly, don't be afraid to post a longer or more story-driven sample. You've shown you can write good English - but your forum post is eloquent enough to convince me of that. But neither piece has much story to it: no journey, no emotional resonance, no twist. As a writer, you have to not just write pretty words - but also to provide plot, tone and texture to a game's story. Experimenting with flash fiction is a great way to learn to tell a story with very few words (and guess what, that's a skill you'll need to develop if you want to write for games!).

Good luck!

Pleas contact me at Smakdudeisback@gmail.com