One of my goals is to write interactive fiction (IF) full-time. I have written a number of story outlines that I believe I can flesh-out into full stories. The problem is deciding if writing IF will ever be more than a side-gig. Currently I work as a React/JavaScript web developer, so in order to be viable, writing IF full-time has to bring in a similar amount of money.

I could write an IF in Inform, or in JavaScript/React Native–but let’s assume that I’ll write my first game in ChoiceScript and sell it to Hosted Games/Choice of Games. Assume that an average Hosted Games game is 250,000 words long. If an author can write 500 words per hour, it would take 500 hours to write. One month of full time work is approximately 160 hours. Let’s say that with polishing, a game takes four months, or 640 hours.

If a game nets $25,000 that works out to $39/h. It’s not a bad pay rate, but I can make a lot more as a React/JavaScript developer. In Toronto, Canada, the average contract front-end developer makes at least $65/h. For 640 hours of work, the game would need to net $41,600. That seems kind of high to me. Also, the developer would also need to produce two or three games per year.

How much money a game would actually net is another issue entirely and it depends on a lot of factors–not all of which are under control of the author. Especially for a first game, counting on income from sales is like counting on winning the lottery. Writing IF is a side-gig at best.

I believe it was either Stephen King or J. Michael Straczynski who said that writing is something that they feel compelled to do–that they would write even if they couldn’t make a living at it. I do have all these stories in my head fighting to get out. Right now, every night, I sit in my living room with the lights low, and just tell myself stories until I fall asleep.

So why don’t I just write? The problem with that is that I can only handle one job at a time. Working as a React developer fills 10-12 hours per day and I have to do that to pay the bills. There isn’t much time left over for writing.

I do write about 1,000 words per day in my journal, but that’s just stream-of-consciousness writing. I get to practice spelling, punctuation, and good grammar, but I get to do very little character or plot development. I need my journal just to keep track of my life, so it’s not going anywhere. To write IF, therefore, will need even more time.

There is no magical solution. I simply need to set aside time to write every day. Instead of sitting in my living room telling myself stories, I need to be sitting at the keyboard doing the same thing. Getting that first piece of IF written and sold will be the hardest part and there will be no guarantee that it will even pay for itself.

If I want to write IF then it’s clear I simply have to write IF. No excuses.

Categories: Interactive-Fiction, Work, Writing

Tags: IF, Work, Writing