From Archaeologist to Game Writer: Anna Merchant's Journey in the Industry

Welcome to the first series of my "Diversity in Games" newsletter, where I will be featuring interviews with talented women in the games industry. I am thrilled to have reached over 4,000 subscribers for the newsletter and excited to bring you these insightful and inspiring interviews.

Today, I had the pleasure of speaking with Anna Merchant, a game writer and editor at Socialpoint Games. Anna shares her journey into the gaming industry, the importance of diversity and representation in her work, and the challenges and rewards of being a game writer.

Me: Hi Anna, thank you for joining me today. Can you tell us a little bit about your role at Socialpoint Games?

Anna: Sure! I'm a writer and editor at Socialpoint Games, which is a mobile games studio that's part of Take2 Interactive. I work on two projects currently - Monster Legends, which is one of our flagship titles, and Two Dots, which we recently took over from its original studio in New York. I get to do a little bit of everything in my role, from narrative to microcopy to character development. I really enjoy the variety of tasks that I get to work on, especially creating backstories for our monsters.

Me: That sounds really interesting. Can you tell us more about your work on the DEI team at Socialpoint?

Anna: Yes, I'm also a member of Socialpoint's DEI team, where I help with many of their initiatives. In the past year, I've presented a seminar on inclusive language, started a Slack channel for discussing and sharing resources on neurodivergence, and written posts for the official DEI channel, among other things. It's been really rewarding to be able to contribute to the team and work on issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion within the company.

Me: How did you first get into game writing, and what drew you to this career path?

Anna: Before I started working as a game writer, I was an archaeologist and then a teacher. I always enjoyed games and had thought about writing them as a sort of pie-in-the-sky dream, but never really considered a career in the industry until I took over a friend’s copy editing job on an indie title. That quickly turned into scriptwriting, and when development on that title started wrapping up, I tried my hand at a few freelance gigs for mobile titles. It was fun and more challenging than I expected, because you can’t just write anything you want. You have to consider things like character limits, potential localization issues, your rating, the target audience…it was like solving a puzzle. I’ve been at Socialpoint for a little over a year now, and I’m still enjoying myself and learning a lot, so I think this whole “insane mid-life career switch” thing really paid off.

Me: That's a really interesting career path. Can you talk about your experience as a woman in the gaming industry, particularly as a game writer?

Anna: Because I’ve worked in a lot of different places with varying cultural attitudes and values regarding women, I have kind of a weird barometer for this. For me, being a woman in the games industry has largely been a positive experience, but there have definitely been some gender crimes!

One of my main reasons for wanting to be a game writer was to see better-written female characters. When I was younger, it sometimes felt like girls in video games were just there to have big boobs and make appreciative gasping noises, which is not exactly aspirational. But then I started to see female characters with different personalities who weren’t just paper dolls. I think Final Fantasy VII is a good example of this; you would expect Tifa to be the tough girl because she does all these cool-girl things like owning a bar and roundhouse-kicking bad guys in the face, but eventually, you realize that Aerith is actually the badass, despite being more stereotypically girly. I mean, it’s a very tiny subversion, but it’s there, and it works well with the story. And, of course, we’ve seen much better representation since then. Hades has some incredible female characters, for example. And there’s no longer this general vibe of “oh no, I have to play as a GIRL CHARACTER UGH” that I remember from my teenage years. Like, we don’t need the upskirt camera anymore to sell a female-fronted title. Lara Croft can finally stand up straight!

All that to say—for me, it’s been a mostly positive experience (with a few sour notes), and I think we’ll continue to see better gender diversity and representation in the future. I think there’s definitely an upward trend (hope I’m right!)

Me: How important is diversity and representation in the games you work on, and how do you incorporate diverse perspectives into your writing?

Anna: It’s a huge concern for me, and something I constantly strive for. I’m white, cis-gendered, and American; I have to check my privilege and carefully research the perspectives of others before I even start taking notes, let alone writing dialogue or creating characters. Since part of my work involves localization, I need to make sure I’m considering any possible issue. For example, hand gestures that are considered positive in one culture may be deeply offensive in another, so we have to be careful with what emojis we use in things like push notifications or in-game narrative events. I’m lucky to have a diverse group of coworkers and friends who can guide me, as well as solid research skills. But there’s always room for improvement, so I try to read as much as I can about diversity issues in gaming, and try to be a champion for diversity, equality, and inclusion whenever possible.

Me: That's great to hear. Do you have any challenges or rewards that stand out to you in your career as a game writer?

Anna: One of the biggest challenges I've faced is finding the balance between staying true to my own creative vision and meeting the needs of the project and the company. It can be tough to navigate sometimes, but it's also really rewarding when I'm able to find that balance and create something that I'm proud of and that resonates with players. Another reward is seeing the impact that my work has on players, whether it's through their enjoyment of the game or through the way it resonates with them personally. It's a great feeling to know that my work is making a difference in some way.

Me: Do you have any advice for aspiring game writers who are just starting out in their careers?

Anna: My main piece of advice would be to never be afraid to ask for help or advice. The gaming industry is vast and complex, and there are so many talented and experienced people out there who are willing to help and mentor others. I also think it's important to always be learning and growing in your career. There's always more to learn and ways to improve, and staying open to new ideas and techniques will help you to become a better writer and make a bigger impact in the industry.

Me: Thank you so much for sharing your insights and experiences with us, Anna. It's been great chatting to you today.

Anna: Thank you for having me. It's been a pleasure to chat with you and share a little bit about my journey in the gaming industry. I hope that my story can inspire and encourage others who are interested in pursuing a career in game writing.

Me: I definitely think it will. Thanks again for joining me and I wish you all the best in your future endeavors.

Anna: Thank you. I'm excited to see what the future holds and to continue learning and growing in my career. Take care!

Stay tuned for my next blog interview with Zeynep Balkan!