Imagine being able to say, “I’m a senior narrative designer at Bungie.” 🤩

That’s Ash Poprik’s new job title (as of two weeks ago!) It's kind of unreal, so it's good to practice saying it:

"It still feels surreal to say that, even two weeks in."

For anyone who knows games, this is like making it to the majors – Bungie is the studio behind Halo and Destiny. It’s one of the best places to be in the industry.

There was a time when that kind of dream job felt out of reach for Ash - back when she was a college freshman who didn’t even know that game writing WAS a job.

But once she found out that, yes, it IS an actual job, she knew she had found her calling. And she went after her goal 10000%.

In this interview, she’s going to share with you some career advice that might change how you approach your game-writing journey: it turns out that the connections you make are just as important as the work you create.

While most aspiring game writers lay low, obsessing over polishing their dialogue and perfecting their character arcs, Ash's experience drives home the fact that an invisible currency – community – has been the real driver of her success. It's also the one asset most writers overlook until it's too late.

The Journey: From College Freshman to Industry Pro

Ash's path to Bungie wasn't exactly a straight line. When she started college, she didn't even know game writing was a real career option. Surprise! Here’s how she found out:

(Spoiler alert: she did not pester me at all 💖)

"I was just a college freshman who loved games and writing, but I had no idea those two things could come together as a profession.”

But when she found out, she got after it. She got involved with student game-dev groups on campus, took writing classes, and learned everything she could.

She knew that the thing that would help her most was real-world experience. For Ash, that meant an internship.

"My journey started with an internship at Insomniac Games, which opened my eyes to what was possible."

From there, Ash leveled up through a series of increasingly awesome (and challenging) roles:

• Her first full-time writing position at Bonus XP
• Work at High Moon Studios on massive franchises like Call of Duty (Modern Warfare 3, Black Ops 6)
• And now, Bungie

"Looking back, it's wild to see how each role built on the last," she reflects. "So much of this had almost nothing to do with my portfolio. It was about so much more."

The Challenges of Breaking In (and Staying In)

Does Ash an impressive resume? YES. But that doesn’t mean it’s been easy.

At her first studio, she found herself as the only writer, surrounded by designers with decades more experience. Intimidating? You bet. Recipe for imposter syndrome? 100%. (Spoiler alert: imposter syndrome is forever, no matter how far you go.)

Once you start working at a game studio - ANY game studio - you quickly find out that the real challenge isn’t just writing great material —it’s learning how to communicate effectively with all the other people on your team, including designers and artists who need you to speak their language.

"I quickly realized my writing skills were just table stakes. The real challenge was learning how to be part of a team, how to give and receive feedback, and how to pitch my ideas in ways that made sense to designers, artists, and programmers."

How The Narrative Department’s Masterclass Made a Difference

It was during this make-or-break phase of her career that Ash found The Narrative Department's game writing masterclass.

"The masterclass came at exactly the right time for me," she explains. "I was the only writer at my studio, which meant I didn't have a writing team to learn from or bounce ideas off of. The masterclass gave me that community when I needed it most."

Being the only writer at a studio can be TOUGH. 😬 You're often figuring things out as you go, with no one to turn to who really gets the specific challenges of game writing. That's exactly where Ash found herself.

The masterclass offered Ash something that her traditional education and even her on-the-job training hadn't given her: an understanding how story and gameplay REALLY fit together, and the language to explain her work to other people on the team.

"It taught me to articulate what game writing is in a holistic sense—not just dialogue and characters, but how narrative functions within gameplay," Ash says. "I learned how to communicate with designers effectively, and that's what helped me do well at my job."

Basically, she learned how to speak designer. 🙌

But the biggest game-changer? Finding her people.

"Getting feedback from other writers who understand the weird challenges of game narrative was invaluable. We weren't just critiquing each other's work—we were building a support network. Some of us are still in touch to this day."

The Power of Community Connections

What would have happened if she hadn’t found The Narrative Department? Personally, I know she would have succeeded no matter what. 💥 But Ash believes that without TND, her career would have been a longer, steeper, rougher road.

"Being able to communicate and build trust within my team is why I am where I am today. Technical skills matter, for sure. But it's the relationships I've built, the trust I've earned, and the community I'm part of that have opened doors."

(Editor's note: ^^^^^^^^^)

Ash credits TND with helping her develop these crucial people skills.

"The masterclass wasn't just teaching us how to write for games—it was teaching us how to be game writers, which is a completely different thing. Game writing is SO collaborative, and the masterclass showed us what that really looked like."

Through structured feedback sessions, group projects, and ongoing community shenanigans, Ash figured out how to navigate the social and professional dynamics that define success in this (or any) industry.

Essential Skills for Game Writers

So what skills do you ACTUALLY need to succeed in games? Based on her experience, Ash talks about three major categories:

Soft skills: "Communication is number one. Listening, collaborating, and building trust with your team are absolutely essential. The best story in the world won't make it into the game if you can't work with other people to implement it."

Technical skills: "Understanding tools, implementation processes, and actually playing games critically are all important. You need to speak the language of game development, not just the language of storytelling."

(In other words, it helps a LOT if you can talk about more than just your brilliant narrative ideas. Learn how the sausage gets made!)

Adaptability: "Be flexible and open to learning new approaches. Game development is constantly evolving, and what works on one project might not work on another. It's kind of adapt or die."

If you've ever worked in game development, you know that things change CONSTANTLY. The ability to pivot without having a meltdown is basically a superpower. 💪

Advice for Aspiring Game Writers

Want to follow in Ash’s footsteps? Here’s her advice:

"Study playwriting—it's storytelling in space, which is exactly what games do. Be willing to bend or break the writing rules you've learned from other mediums. Games are unique, and they require unique approaches to narrative."

But she really drove home that community is where it's at.

"Connect with the game development community. Don't be afraid to reach out and make connections. Attend events if you can, join online communities, take courses like the masterclass that put you in touch with other writers.

"The relationships you build now are the foundation for whatever you do in the future. I can track almost every professional opportunity I've had back to a connection I made earlier in my career."

Shout it from the mountaintop: EVERY professional opportunity Ash has had can be traced back to a connection she made earlier in her career. That's how important community is. (And good news: if you know how to make a friend, you know how to build community.)

The Masterclass Difference

Looking back at her rocket-powered career trajectory, Ash is crystal clear about the impact The Narrative Department's masterclass had on her path.

"Without TND, my journey would have been very different and just more difficult. It accelerated my growth by years, not just by teaching me essential skills but by connecting me to a community that continues to support me."

Today, as she settles into her role at Bungie, Ash remains connected to that community—both as someone who benefits from it and as someone who gives back (as a Pro Reader for TND!).

"That's what I really value about a true community," she says. "It's not just about what you get; it's about what you give back. Now I find myself in a position to help others the way people helped me, and that's really rewarding."

Ash you are a superstar!!! Thanks for sharing your story with us. 💖

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Susan’s first job as a game writer was for “a slumber party game - for girls!” She’s gone on to work on over 25 projects, including award-winning titles in the BioShock, Far Cry and Tomb Raider franchises. Titles in her portfolio have sold over 30 million copies and generated over $500 million in sales. She founded the Game Narrative Summit at GDC. Now, she partners with studios, publishers, and writers to help teams ship great games with great stories. She is dedicated to supporting creatives in the games industry so that they can do their best work.