TRAINING SPOTLIGHT This month: Arvon
ARVON RUNS AN annual programme of residential courses and retreats for aspiring creative writers, and has incorporated a week-long study of games writing to its long list of available courses.
Tutors explore both triple-A and indie examples in storytelling through a series of open workshops and one-to-one tutorials, with time also made available for pupils to work on their own projects as well. “There are very few short courses that deal specifi cally with writing for interactive media,” says Arvon tutor and writer David Varela, whose works include mobile titles Sherlock: The Network and Space Ape’s Samurai Siege.
“We teach games developers about how to write – or work with writers – and we teach
University of Hull It’s no coincidence all
three of us have recent Develop Award nominations.
David Varela, Arvon
Arvon
Lumb Bank, The Ted Hughes Arvon Centre, Heptonstall, Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire HX7 6DF
established writers from other media about how to write for games. “It’s only a week-long course, but it’s residential and intensive. We’re based in Ted Hughes’ old farmhouse and I think a combination of the isolation and the literary history make for a really inspiring atmosphere. Eating, drinking and working with a dozen people like this can forge some incredibly strong friendships. One
T: 01422 843714 E:
lumbbank@arvon.org W:
www.arvon.org
student last year called it ‘the best week of her life’.”
Varela says the idea is to broaden people’s horizons by educating them on just how many types of game there are and what stories they could tell in them, teaching skills that can be transferred into a variety of genres. The retreat has a number of famous games writing staff on its team, including Varela himself and Steven Hall, who has written for Crytek on a number of titles such as Ryse: Son of Rome and Crysis 3. Tomb Raider writer Rhianna Pratchett, meanwhile, is an industry guest tutor at Arvon, and they are all helping to ensure pupils are learning from those with experience in games.
“It’s no coincidence that all three of us have recent Develop Award nominations for Use of Narrative,” states Varela. “We draw on our experience outside games to make games writing better.”
David Varela (left) says Arvon off ers intensive residential courses (above)
www.hull.ac.uk/dcs Epic Games
A single room at Arvon costs £700, but as the course is accredited by Creative Skillset, those already working in the games industry can save 50 per cent off the price.
www.epicgames.com/careers
54 | JULY 2014
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