Stimulating, inspirational... the Writing for Games & Interactive Narrative event

On Tonight! One night only!|!!Writing Games & Interactive Narrative Event in Maynooth

Having worked on a number of games & apps, the first full narrative I designed for a role playing game (RPG) was Grief, which is still in development. I really connected with the really interesting concept but as a writer who loves creating character and story, this was also an opportunity to design 7-9 HOURS of story!! What's not to like about that!?

So, as Screenwriter in Residence at Maynooth Uni and Kildare Co. Council Library & Arts Services, I'm running a free event with the Media Studies Department at Maynooth University next Weds evening (November 16th). There's a great line up of speakers - Devin Doyle, Charlene Putney & Chris Gregan - and, as a writer who has worked in games, it is a whole new exciting world. You don't even have to be a 'gamer' to end up writing for them, as Devin and I would admit!

It's in the NIRSA Seminar room (2.31), Second Floor, Iontas Building - that's in the North Campus - from 6-8 on the 16th.

Hope to see some of you there! (PS There's a direct train to Maynooth from Connolly & Drumcondra stations and regular busses from the quays.)

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS....

DEVIN DOYLE

Screenwriter Devin Doyle wrote the sci-fi horror web series Rapt for RTÉ’s Storyland in 2014, which led to work on Fair City, and ultimately, despite knowing very little about video games, a job writing on Larian Studios' heroic fantasy cRPG Divinity: Original Sin 2. Before graduating from the prestigious Australian Film Television and Radio School in 2012, Devin spent twenty years working in advertising.

CHARLENE PUTNEY

Charlene writes for Larian Studios scripting narrative and dialogues for Divinity: Original Sin 2 and combat dialogue and tooltips for Divinity: Original Sin. When she's not doing that, she lectures on Role Playing Games and interactive narrative at DIT and Trinity, teaches yoga and writes speculative fiction. She also performs and lectures at game festivals, most recently at the Playful Arts Festival, Netherlands and at GameCity, Nottingham. Catch her on Twitter: @alphachar or www.alphachar.com

CHRIS GREGAN

A passionate advocate for making game development accessible to everybody, Chris Gregan is a founder at Fungus Games Ltd. and is the author of Fungus, a free open source tool for easily creating storytelling games in Unity 3D. Chris has worked in the games industry for 13 years, previously founding the Irish office for the San Francisco-based PlayFirst Inc. As Chief Architect, he drove the company's global games technology strategy. He has lead developer credits on chart topping mobile games including the hit Diner Dash franchise.

On Tonight! One night only!|!!Writing Games & Interactive Narrative Event in Maynooth

Having worked on a number of games & apps, the first full narrative I designed for a role playing game (RPG) was Grief, which is still in development. I really connected with the really interesting concept but as a writer who loves creating character and story, this was also an opportunity to design 7-9 HOURS of story!! What's not to like about that!?

So, as Screenwriter in Residence at Maynooth Uni and Kildare Co. Council Library & Arts Services, I'm running a free event with the Media Studies Department at Maynooth University next Weds evening (November 16th). There's a great line up of speakers - Devin Doyle, Charlene Putney & Chris Gregan - and, as a writer who has worked in games, it is a whole new exciting world. You don't even have to be a 'gamer' to end up writing for them, as Devin and I would admit!

It's in the NIRSA Seminar room (2.31), Second Floor, Iontas Building - that's in the North Campus - from 6-8 on the 16th.

Hope to see some of you there! (PS There's a direct train to Maynooth from Connolly & Drumcondra stations and regular busses from the quays.)

ABOUT THE SPEAKERS....

DEVIN DOYLE

Screenwriter Devin Doyle wrote the sci-fi horror web series Rapt for RTÉ’s Storyland in 2014, which led to work on Fair City, and ultimately, despite knowing very little about video games, a job writing on Larian Studios' heroic fantasy cRPG Divinity: Original Sin 2. Before graduating from the prestigious Australian Film Television and Radio School in 2012, Devin spent twenty years working in advertising.

CHARLENE PUTNEY

Charlene writes for Larian Studios scripting narrative and dialogues for Divinity: Original Sin 2 and combat dialogue and tooltips for Divinity: Original Sin. When she's not doing that, she lectures on Role Playing Games and interactive narrative at DIT and Trinity, teaches yoga and writes speculative fiction. She also performs and lectures at game festivals, most recently at the Playful Arts Festival, Netherlands and at GameCity, Nottingham. Catch her on Twitter: @alphachar or www.alphachar.com

CHRIS GREGAN

A passionate advocate for making game development accessible to everybody, Chris Gregan is a founder at Fungus Games Ltd. and is the author of Fungus, a free open source tool for easily creating storytelling games in Unity 3D. Chris has worked in the games industry for 13 years, previously founding the Irish office for the San Francisco-based PlayFirst Inc. As Chief Architect, he drove the company's global games technology strategy. He has lead developer credits on chart topping mobile games including the hit Diner Dash franchise.

And WULFIE begins!

Just heard from Deirdre Barry of Monster Entertainment that my series WULFIE - the cute little Big Bad (and purple) Wolf called Wolfgang Amadeus Rachmaninov III and his best friend Libby - got funding as part of their Media Slate application.

I am over the moon, as any of you who know me can imagine.

WULFIE began with bedtime stories I made up for my daughter in 2005... when she was all of six. She's now 14. We are both eeping at each other with delight, punching the air and grinning insanely.

To everyone who is a writer with ideas that haven't yet been recognised.... take this as hope!



(Concept designs by Mark Flood.)

Second Success for the Animation Networking Group

March 12th, an empty room in Temple Bar fills with the hum of conversation and networking at its finest -- good conversation, interesting people, nobody actually selling anything but enjoying each other's company and making connections.

We had another great group -- some managed to make it back from the first but, as usual, we all ran out of time and I'm not sure we all managed to talk to everyone but that's why the network is growing.

All being well, I'm planning another for April 30th. Which seems miles away but dates can creep up on padded toes in a very underhand way when life is busy! So, if you want to come, let me know and I'll put your name down. It is a fantastic way to make connections. If the energy in the room and the sheer heat of the space was anything to go by during the first two, something good will come from it.

And a huge big thank you again to the Screen Directors Guild of Ireland, to Birch and Angie who came along on the night, for the wonderful space.

Diary Dates: For Animation Networking Events

March 12th
April 30th, rather than 23rd.

Frameworks -- usually March but not released yet. Focus for collaborations people?!

The Next Animation Networking Event for writers and animation directors...

Yup, it's a snappy title. I can't help them - they just flood from the keyboard!

Anyway, following on the success and popularity of the first networking event, I'm organising another one to take place on March 12th in Temple Bar.

The purpose of these events is to bring writers and animation directors together and see if we can't start collaborating with each other on various projects from shorts to features to series to, even, books. Who knows? There was so much creativity in the SDGI Screening Room the last time that if I hadn't called it to a close, I suspect we might still be there now! (Okay, slight exaggeration.)

There will be another event six weeks later on April 23rd and I'm hoping that we can get a Facebook Page up for on-line networking after the next one. There is a waiting list from the last event on Jan 31st but if you want to be part of the momentum, let me know.

The Animation Networking Event is now officially and enthusiastically ALIVE!

The inaugural meeting last night of the Animation Networking Event - yes, we are on the hunt for a title for the group, all suggestions welcome - was a fantastic night. So many talented and enthusiastic people in one room, all with the desire to collaborate. Writers came from every field from theatre, animation and soap with a desire to work on ideas from horror shorts to pre-school TV, from post watershed TV series to features and competition shorts. The animators came from backgrounds in modelling, 2D, stop motion, 2.5 D, flash, concept design, games...

Best of all, everyone was of the opinion that the bringing together of our two species - animators and writers - should have happened a long time ago, can only lead to good things - maybe in two days, two months, two years... and that the group was overwhelmingly worth developing into a viable and long-term critical mass...

Phew.

FEW PLACES LEFT FOR ANIMATORS

INAUGURAL ANIMATION NETWORKING EVENT

Next Monday 30th at 7pm, the first networking event to bring together a group of writers and animators takes place in Temple Bar. Limited by space, there are three spaces remaining for animators.

The initiative will, hopefully, become a monthly event – there is great interest on both sides and a waiting list of writers and animators for the next event – but we do need to make sure there is an even mix of writers and animators for the idea to work. Hence we need three more animators for this event so we can get this series off the ground.

My hope is that these evenings will bean opportunity for animators and animation directors and writers interested in or already writing in animation to meet in comfort, with a cup in their hand and get to know each other. The meetings will last about two hours and there is no cost involved. The hope is that various collaborations and partnerships may form that might lead to new, creative and wonderful work in animation. We have great writers lined up for this one and a waiting list of writers and animators for the ones to follow. But we need three more animators to come on next Monday .

The initiative is supported by The Irish Playwrights and Screenwriters Guild (IPSG) and SDGI.

All animation directors and writers working or interested in working in animation are welcome; if you can’t make this one, let me know you’re interested and I’ll put your name down for the next one.