Ask the Author: Jennifer Brandes Hepler
Answered Questions (6)
Jennifer Brandes Hepler
After The Game Narrative Toolbox was released, I wanted to follow up with a book about women in games, and I thought the best way would be to showcase the stories of as diverse a group of female game developers as I could possibly find and let them tell their experiences in their own words. Then I interspersed those stories with information on how to break into the industry in various fields, how to be a good ally if you're already working in those fields, and information on the latest research on things like hiring bias and imposter syndrome. I wanted there to be something to learn and relate to for anyone who might pick up the book.
Jennifer Brandes Hepler
Inspiration has never been a problem for me. I have more ideas that I could ever possibly make good on. If I'm stuck on something, I like to discuss ideas with my husband or other writer friends.
Jennifer Brandes Hepler
I work for an amazing company, Kognito, which uses videogame-like simulations to teach people how to have better, more empathetic communication skills. Right now, I am working on a simulation to help military spouses and caregivers learn how to practice self-care and prioritize their own needs.
Jennifer Brandes Hepler
Write. Write all the time. Write fanfic. Write spec scripts. Write terrible first draft novels that never see the light of day. Everything you write hones those pathways in your brain that let you react to life by channeling it into the perfect choice of words. Get your 10,000 hours in early; that will help you master the structure of storytelling -- once you know the right structure for how to plot, you can spend the rest of your career honing the poetry of your words.
Jennifer Brandes Hepler
I love the actual process of stringing words together to make them musical and meaningful. I read interviews with writers who hate the writing process, but just love having written, and I know I could never do this job if that was how I felt about it. I find it physically and mentally pleasurable to put together a turn of phrase that perfectly expresses what I want it to say. I feel incredibly lucky that I've been able to make a living doing the thing that I enjoy doing more than anything in the world.
Jennifer Brandes Hepler
I have never really experienced writer's block. My philosophy is that when I'm writing a first draft, I just write whatever I need to get the scene done, and I don't let myself freeze up about it, because it's just a first draft, it doesn't matter if it sucks. On the second draft, I usually find that it was better than I thought when I wrote it. And if it's not, the bad parts jump out at me right away and are easy to fix. I do a LOT of drafts, so it never really makes sense to me to get stuck on any one of them -- just write it or edit it or leave it and move on. If you miss something, you can always get it in the next pass.
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