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WRITING INTERACTIVE NARRATIVES: GAME WRITING WORKSHOP
Branching Narrative & Video Game Writing Skills Development
Craft your own game over 13 MFA-style live group workshops, with a direct line to your tutor for one-to-one feedback
This workshop is designed to guide you through creating your own interactive fiction game, developing and refining your writing skills along the way. We welcome both aspiring and experienced writers alike, because the challenge here isn’t about staying safe or comfortable: we are pushing each other to try something new.
There are no pre-recorded videos—each week, we play through your work in real time, making narrative choices together in a live session. This is followed by MFA-style group discussion and critique. Between these sessions, you can request one-to-one feedback and advice each week. I’m there every step of the way to help you challenge yourself, improve, and produce new work.
By the end, you’ll have at least 30 minutes of gameplay—whether that’s a full project or a solid prototype—ready to present at our end-of-course showcase, where an industry guest will provide insights and feedback. Throughout, you’ll be part of a supportive, committed community of fellow graduates and writers, building a game you can truly call your own.
Nobody needs formal training to get started, but I founded this workshop because MFA-style courses were invaluable in my own development, and I wanted to pass on what I had learned. The community, structure, advice, and commitment I made to myself all propelled me forward—experiences that ultimately benefited my career precisely because they weren’t about careers; they were about passion and honing my craft. Over several years, I’ve refined this model for game writing, always holding fast to one core ambition: don’t wait for a “perfect time” to create—such a thing does not and will not exist.
If you want to be a writer, be a writer. With workshops like this one? You don’t have to do it alone.
JOIN THE WAITING LIST USING THE FORM BELOW >>
Taught by Dr. Greg R. Buchanan
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- Writer of the BAFTA-Winning Video Game NO MAN’S SKY - over 10 million copies sold, with a 30 hour long branching text story introduced post-launch.
- Worked on major franchises such as DARK SOULS, UNTIL DAWN, THE DARK PICTURES, METRO & more.
- Voice Director for DIVINITY: ORIGINAL SIN 2.
- Bestselling Author of SIXTEEN HORSES (TV adaptation announced from Gaumont, the studio behind HANNIBAL & NARCOS) & CONSUMED.
- PhD in identification and ethics across novels and video games, teaching classes in literary theory and lecturing at King’s College London.
- Taught almost 100 students over three years since the workshop’s inception.
- Started his career with an early version of the BAFTA-longlisted text game AMERICAN ELECTION — using the exact same tools as this very workshop.
- Worried you don’t have enough experience? The application process will ensure you have the skills required to take the course - don’t worry!
- Experienced game writers have been present in almost all of our past classes — you will find a structured framework to refine your skills and explore narrative potential beyond the creative and/or time constraints of indie and AAA.
"Greg moved heaven and earth for me to keep working when I could and to give me the space to do what I needed to do. I'm going to publish a game this year: that is down to this course and what it has taught me.”
- Alastair Stuart (The Magnus Archives VA; Doctor Who TTRPG; Game Developer)
“Greg’s guidance & the support of fellow students make this an invaluable experience for anyone interested in writing for interactive mediums.”
— Nathan Vokal (Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, Infinity Ward)
"I really think that without this course it wouldn't have turned out as good as it did. The group feedback and dialogue exercises helped me streamline my work and create a range of dialogue options that were fun and interesting for the player to explore."
- Jillian Nerat (Narrative Designer and Storyboard Artist, BFA Game Design)
“This is the sort of structure that interactive narrative is crying out for. Access to honest, gentle, professional feedback in a medium where it can be hard to find is a blessing.”
— Thomas Davies (Whispers in the West)
Alumni have worked for:
Rockstar Games, Infinity Ward’s Call of Duty, Cloud Imperium’s Star Citizen, Raw Fury, The Lord of the Rings, PUBG Corporation & more, with writing across TTRPGs, TV, film & bestselling novels
"There's no substitute for other people reading & critiquing your work. Doing so in the safe & encouraging space that Greg provides has been genuinely career-changing.”
— Kate Gray (Moonstone Island, Winding Worlds)
"The one-on-one support from Greg was a really helpful and unique offering that I found even more personal and helpful than most of my college-level workshops. In the end, I created a prototype for a game that I was really happy with, and I loved getting feedback from industry professionals.”
- Luna Raydue (Gamedev, Voice Actor, Twitch Streamer, MFA Stony Brook)
Finish the workshop with:
- Tangible proof of your abilities and creativity that goes beyond fragments in a document—setting you apart in a competitive industry and giving you the basis for your first (or next) indie release.
- At least 30 minutes+ gameplay with a polished 8 minute demo presented to a senior industry guest at our showcase
- Graduation Certificate with LinkedIn Integration for those who meet criteria of quality and diligence
- Free Lifetime access to my archive of Substack articles
(If the Waiting List form is not displayed above, visit: https://toolbox.writinginteractive.com/gamewritingworkshop-apply)