Susan O'Connor Writing Studio

If your players want a story

Give them something great
It's Worth The Effort

You set out to build a game that tells a great story. That is a TOUGH assignment. There will be days when you'll feel like you're climbing a mountain. In the winter time. In your underwear.

But you do it. You do it because you know it's worth the effort. You know that a game with heart and soul will move units and win awards - but more importantly, it'll be a project you and your team can be proud of for years to come.

And that's why you put in the long hours and sleepless nights - because you want to make something great.

I'm here to help. Let's make this happen - together.
About

Hi! I'm Susan

What up

I provide story development and scriptwriting services to game studios and their publishers.

Titles in my portfolio have generated over a billion dollars in sales. (What!)

I’ve worked with some of the best studios and designers in the country, and contributed to award-winning, groundbreaking titles.

I’ve turned that experience into a set of practices that can help any team.
Clients

I've worked with some amazing clients, and I would love to work with you.
Portfolio

Tomb Raider

Crystal Dynamics

The origin story of Miss Lara Croft

Nominee, "Outstanding Achievement in Story", DICE & "Best Narrative," GDC

Over 5 million copies sold worldwide

Star Wars 1313

Lucas Arts

A descent into the ruthless underworld of Coruscant

31 award nominations, 10 wins at E3

Far Cry 2

Ubisoft Montreal

Mercenaries prowling a failed African state...

Nominee, "Best Writing" award, GDC

BioShock 2

2K Games

Once more under the sea

Best-selling game in UK and North America in first week of release

BioShock

2K Games

Welcome to Rapture!

Winner, "Best Writing" award, GDC
What I Do

Let's kick some ass.

Heavy Lifting

"Time to make the donuts."

- Dunkin Donuts man

I provide a full range of storytelling services for my clients. I start with your game's world, and continue through character development and narrative design, all the way to the final line of dialog. I can work independently or alongside your team's writing talent to help bring your story to life.

Firefighting

"If you're going through hell, keep going."

- Winston Churchill

It's every developer's nightmare -- your advance reviewers tear your story apart, the testers hate your characters, your plot doesn’t integrate with your levels, and the dialog is a disaster.

Are you doomed?

Of course not!

I have come onto projects late in development - as late as content lock - and helped the team correct course. If you're facing a storytelling challenge, I can help.

Expert Services

If your goal is to earn a Metacritic score of 90+, your game will have to have a great story. And it won’t be told by just one person – everybody on the team will play a part. I lead brainstorming sessions, provide story reviews, develop IP, and run game-writing workshops.

I work with studios to help turn game developers into professional storytellers.
Speaking

I offer presentations, seminars, and workshops worldwide.

I love it!

I've learned a ton about storytelling, and I want to share it with you.

Here I am, not falling off the stage at TEDx.
FAQ

Have you worked on our kind of game before?

I'll bet you five dollars the answer is Yes. This ain't my first rodeo. I've worked on console games, mobile games and social games. I've worked on first-person shooters, action-adventure titles, RPGs, RTS projects, and open-world games. I've worked on horror stories, fantasy epics, adventure stories, crime dramas, sci-fi projects...well, you get the idea.

(Now give me my five bucks.)

We're committed to our creative direction for this game. Can you roll with it, or will you want to throw it all out and start over?

You are not hiring me to do what I want. (I'll do that on my own time.) My job is to give you what YOU want, in the best form and fashion possible. I will give you the full benefit of my expertise, and I'll flag any potential problems I see, but it's my job to follow your lead. I'm here for you.

We already have writing talent on staff. Can you work with our narrative designer, our other writer, our creative director?

All day long and twice on Sundays. I am a writer than loves to collaborate with other people. It truly is one of the greatest parts of my job. This industry is full of smart, creative, interesting people and I want to work with as many of them as I can.

We have no other writer on staff! Can you be a one-man band?

Without a doubt. But let's at least get lunch together, yeah?

Are you available?

I only work with one client at a time. That means that if we're working together, you get my full attention, my complete love and care. But it also means that my schedule fills up quickly.

Can we afford this?

You know what they say: if you think it's expensive to hire a professional, wait until you hire an amateur.

I bet I can write this thing myself. Why do I need a writer?

I bet you could write that thing yourself. But here's my advice: pull out your business card. Look under your name. What do you see? That is the role you are being paid cash money to perform. It has to come first.

When push comes to shove -- when you have 10 hours in a day and 20 hours of work left to do - your primary job description takes top priority. If you're a designer, and you deliver a great story but crappy design, guess what? You're fired.

Your team is counting on you to deliver the best [job title] you can. Give it your all. Don't stretch yourself too thin. Hire an expert, outsource what you can, and focus on your core badassery.

But if your heart is set on tackling this awesome challenge, I say mazel tov. Here's my number; I'm here if you need me.

Here are some ways you can leverage my expertise:

Bring me in for a brainstorming session, to lay the foundation for your game.

Bring me in for a story review, as a second pair of eyes to reassure your boss that Yes, your story is on track.

If things go pear-shaped, you know where to find me.

I have worked with teams in nearly every capacity, from full-time writer to short-time consultant to oh-sh*t crisis manager.

Together, we can decide what makes most sense for you and your project.
Praise

Feeling grateful

The Narrative Designer

John Stafford

Crystal Dynamics

"Susan is a great collaborator who thrives under pressure. Her great sense of humor and easy manner makes her a pleasure to work with. In tough situations, she's the picture of grace under pressure. Where others might throw their hands up and retreat, she is always happy to jump into the fray and get things done... likely with a smile on her face!"

The Guy In The Audience

Anonymous speaker evaluation

GDC 2014

"Susan was amazing, as she always is."

The Game Designer

Stephen McManus

Telltale Games

"Susan is an amazing writer who's able to challenge the tired cliches of video game narrative while still accommodating the demands of gameplay. Her style is sharp, creative, and has a certain snap to it. She's got great instincts for genre and character motivation. Working with her and learning from her was a great privilege, and I hope to do so again."
This is what I like to do, all day long.

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Because you don't have to do this alone. I'm here to help.

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