Combining games and school — what more could you ask for?
Director of Academic Technology, TR Knight, has recently added a new course for the professional writing major ― Tabletop Game Writing Lab.
The Tabletop Game Writing Lab is a follow up course to Knight’s precursor course, Writing and Editing for Gaming.
The goal of Knight’s new class is for students to develop and publish a source book for role playing games (RPGs). This fall is the first semester this class has been offered, and several students are taking the course.
“At the end of this course, students will have experienced the unique elements and skills required for writing, editing, layout, and self-publishing in the tabletop game industry,” Knight wrote in his course description.
The Tabletop Game Writing Lab is a new opportunity for Taylor students to apply their creativity to their writing abilities.
Students enrolled in this class will have the opportunity to invest in something they are interested in and care about, and to further their horizons in terms of writing careers.
“In under five months they will be picking a topic, outlining, researching, writing, editing, rewriting, proofreading, choosing art, laying out, and publishing the book,” Knight said.
As the name may suggest, an RPG is a game in which the player assumes the role of a specific character. The platforms for these games can range anywhere from a video game to a board game. This new class focuses on RPG board games specifically.
As a board game enthusiast himself, Knight is excited for this class. Knight enjoys playing strategy games such as Axis and Allies, Settlers of Catan and Call of Cthulhu.
“My interest in games began at an early age playing various board and card games with my family, then in junior high I was introduced to the Villains & Vigilantes roleplaying game, becoming hooked to rpgs for life,” Knight wrote on his blog. “I vividly remember being introduced to the larger world of hobby games when friends shared Settlers of Catan with my wife and I.”
Knight hopes to spread his passion on the subject through these newly offered courses.
Senior Carson Jacobs, professional writing major, has enjoyed being a part of Tabletop Game Writing.
“The best part is knowing that all of our hectic work is actually going somewhere,” Jacobs said. “We’re coming together to make something tangible, something to be enjoyed. Hopefully by many.”
According to Jacobs, that’s the part that really excites him about the class. Jacobs sees this as an opportunity to accomplish something as a creative group and maybe even get students’ names out there a bit.
As a whole, Taylor’s professional writing major looks to equip students with the proper means to write in any environment or sphere of publication.
“Professional writing students learn the ins and outs of the publishing industry, while broadening their writing skills across a variety of forms and genres,” Taylor University wrote on their website.
As Knight looks to push the boundaries of Taylor’s writing platforms, the careers of professional writing students are pushed forward as well.
Linda Taylor, assistant professor of professional writing, is one of many excited for the new class.
“I’m excited that we can offer our students a wide range of opportunities for where the love of words can take them,” Taylor said.
Knight said his game collection continues to grow. With the establishment of this class, Taylor hopes the abilities of her students will as well.
