Now in its third year, GamesHub, Melbourne International Games Week and Creative Victoria are once again running WordPlay, a Games Writing Mentorship Program.
The Wordplay program for 2023 will commission emerging writers from Victoria who have an interest in games to write a long-form feature article inspired or informed by the events of Melbourne International Games Week 2023, which will be published and promoted by GamesHub.
Applicants will receive media-level access to MIGW 2023 events, such as Games Connect Asia Pacific, PAX Aus, High Score, and Freeplay: Parallels. Guiding them through the program will be some of Australia’s most experienced writers in games media.
Each WordPlay participant will also benefit from one-on-one mentoring sessions, as well as group workshops with a focus on sharing knowledge and learning practical skills related to professional games writing and reporting.
These activities will take place in the weeks surrounding Melbourne International Games Week 2023, which runs from 30 September 2023 to 8 October 2023. All participants will be entitled to a commission of $300 (AUD) upon submission of their final work.
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Who can apply for WordPlay 2023?
Applications are open to residents of Victoria.
Submissions from First Peoples, LGBTQ+, and culturally and linguistically diverse applicants are highly encouraged.
One of the four mentorship placements is reserved for First Peoples applicants.
How do you apply for WordPlay 2023?
To apply, email editor@gameshub.com with the subject line ‘WordPlay 2023 Application‘.
Please include in your application:
1. A short personal introduction describing yourself, your aspirations for writing, and your relationship to games.
2a. An existing piece of your writing about games that you feel best demonstrates your preferred style and capabilities.
OR
2b. An existing piece of your writing about any topic that you feel best demonstrates your preferred style and capabilities.\
What kind of writing are we looking for?
We welcome all sorts of writing related to games. These pieces can include, but are not limited to:
- Critical analysis of a game or an aspect of a game, such as a review or essay.
- Reporting about game-related issues, including – interviews, profiles, or pieces about gaming culture.
- Personal prose or op-eds about a game-related topic.
Audio and video versions of the above will also be considered. Any questions can be directed to editor@gameshub.com.
What are the key dates for Wordplay 2023?
Applications for the WordPlay 2023 games writing mentorship program will close 11:59pm, 17 September 2023.
Successful applicants will be contacted the week commencing 18 September 2023, and will be announced the following week.
Revisit Wordplay
The WordPlay cohorts from 2021 and 2022 saw several talented individuals produce a suite of fascinating articles. Since completing the program, former Wordplay participants have continued to write for GamesHub, and have found themselves in places such as ACMI, Kotaku, Samurai Punk, and The Project.
We encourage you to read some of their excellent work:
- James O’Brien – What are games worth? Australian mobile game developers talk monetisation
- Samuel Harris – The Philosophy of Achievement Design in Australian Games
- Percy Harris – Freeplay: Parallels and making games on your own terms
- Josefina Huq – Unpacking’s developers discuss homes as reflective and human places
- Claire Osborn-Li – God, give me a body! How Virtual events and museums can be better
- Emily Spindler – Gamifying grief: learning how to say goodbye through games
- Percy Ranson – The Hero’s Journey and Monomyth: Does it work for all games?
- Alivia Mantel – Representation in video games starts offscreen
- Jam Walker – How COVID helped tabletop RPGs go mainstream
- Nidula Geeganage – Australian Game Developers are Perfecting Simplicity
