I am very pleased to announce that I have had the pleasure of interviewing strategy guide writer Stephen Stratton. I have wanted to interview him since my review of the Phantom Hourglass guide, because not only did I find the guide to be most helpful, but also because his writing made me chuckle, particularly when Link found new weapons. He has been in the industry for quite some time, and anyone who is into Zelda *coughcoughlikemecoughcough* will recognize his name on most of the Zelda guides.

But without further ado, the interview with Stephen Stratton.

1. Which strategy guide company do you write for, or are you a freelancer?

I’m a contracted author for Prima Games, and I’ve written guides for Prima for the past 8 years.

2. How did you get into guide writing?

My brother Bryan and I both got in the same way: through a mutual friend and longtime Prima author named David Hodgson, whom we both worked with at a now-defunct videogame magazine/website called Incite.com. About a year after Incite went under, we started working for Prima, having been recommended to them by David. He’s a helluva guy. 🙂

3. What elements do you like to personally ensure go into a guide?

Every guide I write begins with a helpful introductory chapter that sets the tone for the guide and explains how to use the book. Next comes a thorough training chapter that touches on all the key elements of gameplay, teaching the nuances of the game’s mechanics and providing a wide range of tips on how to play with skill. The walkthrough usually comes next, which needs to be well organized and thorough, providing fast answers without getting bogged down in too much narrative (something I’ve had to work on). I like to conclude my guides with several pages of quick-reference checklists at the back for those who just like fast answers. In short, I try to make each guide as versatile and informative as possible, so that the reader can quickly find the information they seek no matter how they choose to reference it.

4. What do you think separates a great guide from a horrible one?

Great guides are very difficult to produce these days, requiring incredible effort from all parties involved. This includes the author(s), the designer(s), the project manager(s), and even the game’s developers, whom we guide makers must often rely upon to get the job done by deadline. But no matter how much or how little support the author gets, there is no excuse for writing a horrible guide – that’s always avoidable. No matter how challenging a project might be, a solid and valuable guide can always be produced if the author takes the time and puts in the effort required. Awful guides that offer little helpful information or have no clear organization to them are the either result of an amateur, or pure laziness.

5. When you first start on a guide project, what are some prewriting steps you like to take in addition to playing the game?

The moment I’m told what my next project will be, I immediately begin researching the game online, then begin outlining what my guide needs to contain, and how to best present it all. I brainstorm as much as possible before the game arrives, because deadlines are often very strict. While playing the game, I’m constantly taking notes in Excel format, jotting down each character, enemy, skill, spell, item, enemy, collectible, and so on as I encounter them. I’ve found that taking copious notes slows down the gameplay phase of the project, but it helps me quickly find information during the writing phase, which is invaluable to me in keeping a rhythm going. Also, I usually end up turning these tables of notes into the checklists that appear at the back of the book. So it’s almost like I’m using the checklists myself while writing the guide.

6. Can you take us through the general process of what it takes to develop and publish a guide?

In short: lots of work! From an author’s perspective, you have to play the game, master it fully, outline a cohesive guide and then write, write, write. Time is always short, so it’s the author’s job to keep everybody else working – the faster I turn in text, the faster it can be copyedited, laid out, and then sent off to the game’s publisher for approval. Corrections invariably come back to us authors, which we implement before the guide can be sent off to print. So it’s sort of like an assembly line that begins and ends with the author.

7. How much time in advance do you prefer to have a game before the final guide deadline? How much time do you actually receive?

It depends on the size of the game and the support provided, along with the state of the game in the months leading up to its release. A short, straightforward action game with no multiplayer aspect can be handled comfortably in about 2-3 weeks from my end, assuming the game is near final when I get it. For a larger game, like an RPG or sandbox action/adventure, I prefer at least 4-6 weeks. More time to work on a book is always welcome, as it allows me to go into greater detail in the guide. But the reality of deadlines is that they’re often very restrictive. For example, alongside fellow Prima author David Knight, I wrote my most recent Zelda guide (Spirit Tracks) in just 3 weeks, from my first day with the game to my last day of writing!

8. What is your biggest pet peeve when writing a guide?

Corrections, for sure. There’s nothing worse than having a boatload of nitpicky corrections come back at you at the tail end of an exhausting project! It’s something you learn to live with, though.

9. What do you like most about guide writing?

There’s so much to like about this job, but if I had to pick the single best thing, I’d say it’s the awesome people I get to meet and interact with. This is a very unusual job in a very unique industry, so I end up meeting all sorts of interesting and creative folks. I’ve traveled to Nintendo of America countless times, but I always get a chill walking into that place for the first time on a new project. Other perks include getting to play games before they come out, working from home most of the time, and seeing my guides in stores. That’s just too cool for words!

10. Has guide writing affected how you view video games? In what way?

Not really, I still love games, and I’m certain that I always will. But it has affected how I play them. After years of writing guides, it’s become something that I can’t just turn off. I catch myself searching every little nook and cranny of every level to find all the hidden goodies. Then I slap myself and start actually playing the game for fun again!

11. What is your favorite genre of game to play and what is your favorite to write about?

I can get into any type of game as long as it’s well made and inventive. But in my free time, I tend to seek out unusual games, probably because most games that I write about are pretty mainstream. My favorite guides to write are RPGs, strategy games, and action/advetures, because to me, these genres seem to warrant guides a bit more than others.

12. You have an incredibly extensive strategy guide bibliography. Of all the guides you have written, which one is your favorite?

It’s a five-way tie between all five of the Zelda books I’ve worked on. Zelda has always been one of my favorite franchises and every one of those projects was a labor of love.

13. Now which one do you think is the best?

Chaotic: The Official Players’ Guide. Just kidding! I think that my best guide, in terms of how well the whole thing came together, would have to be The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker. I’m pretty sure that I invented the whole idea of a “tour” chapter in that guide, which effectively allows you to reference the book in a whole different way outside of the step-by-step walkthrough. If that idea had appeared in previous guides by other authors, I’d never seen it before! Add to that a beautiful layout by Jody Seltzer, guide designer extraordinaire, and you have my best guide to date.

14. Do you have any advice for writers/gamers who would like to break into guide writing?

I sort of fell into this gig, so I’m not really sure how one goes about getting a job like this without knowing somebody in the industry. My brother earned a degree in English, which eventually led to his landing a job as a writer at Incite.com, which in turn became my way into the biz. Did I mention how much I like my brother? 🙂

I can say that this is an extremely challenging job, particularly if you’re not skilled at writing or lack the self-discipline it takes to sit yourself down and work steadily for 12 hours a day, week after week. The job actually breaks down to about 25% playing games and 75% writing, coordinating, correcting, and persevering. It took me a long time to feel confident in my writing, having never gone to college for that purpose. So it’s a tough job for the average gamer to master, but it can be incredibly rewarding if you have a passion for it.

15. Now for the hard question. What is your favorite video game of all time?

That’s a tough one, all right! There are just so many ways to judge games, and I’ve enjoyed so many over the years. But the game that first had the greatest impact on me was the original Legend of Zelda, as it opened my eyes to the fact that games really could take you to a world of pure creativity, discovery, and adventure, and do so in a way unlike any other medium in the world.

16. Do you have anything currently in the works that you can discuss?

I’m actually on vacation right now, having satisfied my contractual commitment for the year with Spirit Tracks. I’m not sure what my next book will be in early 2010, but I’m already looking forward to it. I hope it’s met with rave reviews! 🙂

Oh yeah, no pressure on me, right? Hee. Thanks so much for your time, Stephen! I look forward to all of your future projects, whether they involve Zelda or not.

Bryan Stratton, writer of guides that include Mass Effect, Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, and Wind Waker, was kind enough to let me interview him about his glamorous life as a strategy guide writer. Bryan has had extensive experience with both Prima Games and BradyGames, and he provided a hilarious outlook into the industry as well as into his own products.

1. Which strategy guide company do you write for, or are you a freelancer?

I’m a freelancer, and I’ve been writing guides since 2000. Most of them were for Prima Games (where I was an exclusively contracted author for several years). I began writing guides for BradyGames in 2005 as well, which is where I’m spending most of my guide-writing time these days.

2. How did you get into guide writing?

My friend David Hodgson, a contracted author at Prima Games, was my in. He convinced them to take a chance on me after the two of us had run two gaming sites into the ground within 12 months. 🙂

3. What elements do you like to personally ensure go into a guide?

My main priority is to create a clean, comprehensive walkthrough that’s easy for a gamer to jump in and out of, while still being enjoyable enough to read from start to finish. I’m a huge fan of detailed appendices for quick-reference purposes, and I’m not afraid to present the same information in several different formats, if that helps the reader find what they’re looking for quickly.

4. What do you think separates a great guide from a horrible one?

There are a lot of things that can make a good guide great, or an average guide terrible. Support from the licensor is a big one—getting solid, playable builds early in the writing process is a must, and being provided with as much accurate, nuts-and-bolts information as possible gives us a solid base to work from. The publisher’s editorial staff is also a vital component; the less an author has to worry about chasing down info or editing and revising submitted text, the more time they have to invest in the game and the writing of the guide. But ultimately, it comes down to the writer’s commitment: if you’re not willing and able to dedicate some extremely long hours and maintain focus on a highly detail-oriented project, this is probably not the job for you.

5. When you first start on a guide project, what are some prewriting steps you like to take in addition to playing the game?

Clearing my schedule is a big one. I treat the week before I start a guide like it’s the last week before I’m deployed overseas—hanging out with friends, going to shows, quality time with the girlfriend, etc.—because I know that, once I get going, the momentum is very difficult to maintain if I knock off early and meet my pals for drinks. I also try to do as much research on the game and franchise as possible before I get the first build of the game. And because I’ve written over 60 guides by now, I can start mentally outlining the guide before I even receive the game, because I know what a solid guide for a game of that genre should include.

6. Can you take us through the general process of what it takes to develop and publish a guide?

Well, it starts with a comprehensive playthrough, during which you create an outline and table of contents for the guide. This is also the point when you compile a “wish list” of assets to request from the licensor (character art, weapon data, spell lists, etc.). As you’re going through that first playthrough, you also have to determine which parts of the game are finished enough to be able to write final text from, and which you can only outline until you get a more polished build of the game. As soon as you’re able to start writing and taking screenshots, you have to hit the ground running, because there’s a ton of work to be done in a very short time.

7. How much time in advance do you prefer to have a game before the final guide deadline? How much time do you actually receive?

Ideally, 6 to 8 weeks with a finished, polished game would be perfect. In reality, we’re lucky to get that amount of time with an unfinished build.

8. What is your biggest pet peeve when writing a guide?

The absolute WORST thing is when you get a new build of the game toward the end of the project, and they’ve made a meaningless but universal change to the game, like the shape of the crosshairs or color of the health bar. 99 times out of 100, that means that the guide writer has to play through the entire game all over again and take all new screens because of that one element. When you’re already running on empty, that can really break you.

9. What do you like most about guide writing?

I like getting to play with new toys before anyone else. Oh, and the checks. 🙂

10. Has guide writing affected how you view video games? In what way?

It makes me really appreciate the times when I play a game for fun and realize that I don’t need to earn every achievement and find every hidden item—I can just enjoy the experience and turn it off when I’m tired of it!

11. What is your favorite genre of game to play and what is your favorite to write about?

In both cases, third-person action-adventure games.

12. You have an incredibly extensive strategy guide bibliography (60+ and counting!). Of all the guides you have written, which one is your favorite?

I don’t know if I could choose just one, but the two Legend of Zelda guides I co-wrote (Link to the Past and Wind Waker) are very high on that list, both because I love the games and because my brother Steve was my co-author. I’m also personally quite proud of the UFC 2009 Undisputed guide that I wrote, if only for the outrageously comprehensive training section. And way back in the day, I wrote the guide for Uru: Ages Beyond Myst as a first-person narrative, which was a lot of fun. All of the guys at Cyan Studios were absolutely fantastic to work with.

13. Now which one do you think is the best?

It’s a first-place tie for all 60+. 🙂

14. Do you have any advice for writers/gamers who would like to break into guide writing?

Honestly, I’d caution against it. It’s not a growth industry, there’s not a ton of work available most of the year, and it’s not the sort of job that prepares you for anything except writing more strategy guides. I really enjoy the work, I’ve been lucky to have been involved with some great people and titles, and by virtue of my track record and seniority, I’m able to make a pretty good go of it. But I also got into the business almost 10 years ago, when it was a very different industry. I don’t know that the same opportunities are there for someone just coming into it today.

15. Now for the hard question. What is your favorite video game of all time?

That’s not just hard, that’s impossible! 🙂 But if you’re going to make me choose, I’ll go with Resident Evil 4 on the Wii.

16. Do you have anything currently in the works that you can discuss?

Well, I’ve just started work on a new guide for BradyGames that will be out shortly after the start of the new year. I’m also a game reviewer for G4TV.com, a product evaluator for Kalypso Media (publishers of Tropico 3), the PR manager for social media developer StepChange Group and co-writer of a fumetti (photo-comic) called Gunslinger Girl. So, yeah, I’ve got a pretty full plate. 🙂

Thank you so much, Bryan, for participating! I look forward to your upcoming guides.

Dan Birlew has been writing strategy guides since 1999 and has cranked out over 60 guides since his debut (more than a few have a place in my collection). Despite his current busy writing schedule, he has been kind enough grant an interview and let us all get a brief glimpse of the world of guide writing.

Which strategy guide company do you write for, or are you a freelancer?

I’m freelance, but I work mostly with Bradygames.

How did you get into guide writing?

I was writing online FAQs for games in the late 1990’s such as Resident Evil and Silent Hill, and my readers were very complimentary. The encouragement led me to spend a lot of time on it, and my wife got upset. She said I either had to turn video games into some kind of job, or cut down on the time I was giving it. So I took a sample from a Resident Evil 2 FAQ I was writing up at the time and submitted it to Bradygames. My timing was unbelievable, because they were looking for a freelance to write a guide for Resident Evil 3. So I was hired basically the next day.

What elements do you like to personally ensure go into a guide?

Accuracy, comprehensiveness, good grammar, understandability, plenty of tips, and as much coverage of side quests or bonus play material as I can cram in there.

What do you think separates a great guide from a horrible one?

A strategy guide is a reference manual, and the writer’s ability to organize the information is what sets good guides and bad guides apart. If the writer doesn’t arrange the information in a way that allows the reader to easily and quickly find what they need, then the guide fails in that respect.

When you first start on a guide project, what are some prewriting steps you like to take in addition to playing the game?

Sometimes developers pass along design bibles or highly technical design documents. Sometimes these files are in Japanese or some other language, and need to be translated for the best possible understanding. Other than that, I continue to study the craft of writing and the rules of grammar, because strong writing skills are key to producing a better strategy guide.

Can you take us through the general process of what it takes to develop and publish a guide?

From the time we receive a pre-release build of the game, I begin playing it almost nonstop. While playing, I record video in the highest resolution possible. From this video I capture screenshots and make notes in the form of a skeleton walkthrough. Then I rewrite the notes as text submissions. The stage walkthrough comes first, and then I write the peripheral chapters. Sometimes the developer provides game and promotional artwork for the guide. The writer often has to be the one to sort those materials, since he or she is the usually the only one involved who actually plays the game. Then we must coordinate and mark maps, capture still images from the video, slap it all together in the book layout and give it to the developer for corrections before going to the printer.

How much time in advance do you prefer to have a game before the final guide deadline? How much time do you actually receive?

I prefer to have as much time as possible, naturally. If I get six months with a game, it’s awesome. But that’s only happened once in my career. Exterior factors can reduce the time you have with a game, such as licensing and corrections. Most of the guides I’ve worked on had to be done in 1-3 weeks.

What is your biggest pet peeve when writing a guide?

Stale gummy worms, and Red Bull breath.

What do you like most about guide writing?

Helping people enjoy video games to the fullest. And I’m always gratified to hear that a book helped.

Has guide writing affected how you view video games? In what way?

I’ve definitely had some behind the scenes access and experience, and traveled to some great companies like EA and Nintendo, but no matter what the developer may want the guide to say I still enjoy the games in my own way. And I think that’s important to writing a guide, because the writer must bring some perception of playing the game to the reader, so they have your personal experience to build upon. It’s no different than hiring a Sherpa to lead you into the Himalayas. You want someone who can remember to say, “Hey, watch out for that loose boulder,” and bring you back alive.

What is your favorite genre of game to play and what is your favorite to write about?

I really enjoy playing adventure and action games with some story, regardless of the engine style. I buy first-person shooters, third-person shooters, platform jumpers, RPGs, jRPGs, action RPGs, and even many fighting games and driving games.

You have an incredibly extensive strategy guide bibliography. Of all the guides you have written, which one is your favorite?

I think my Resident Evil 4 guide, since I just had the best time playing the game. Sometimes, a really fun game can make the writing effortless. Seeing that game come together and develop from one build to another was also truly memorable.

Now which one do you think is the best?

I guess I did a pretty good job with the Kingdom Hearts guide, and I’m still proud of that book in spite of how long ago that was. One of the localization guys at Squaresoft (as it was called then) added a different strategy for Sephiroth, which I appreciated because it really made the book complete.

Do you have any advice for writers/gamers who would like to break into guide writing?

Playing the games isn’t as big a part as you might think. Sure you have to be a good, experienced game player, but writing skill is key. Writing coherently, quickly, in a highly organized manner is essential. Graduate from college and study the writing craft. Be a word nerd more than a game nerd. Also understand that the field is extremely limited. There’s maybe 20-25 published guide writers working today, and maybe only 10-15 of us working at any given time.

Now for the hard question. What is your favorite video game of all time?

I’ve played Castlevania Symphony of the Night about 368 times, it’s like pixel crack.

Do you have anything currently in the works that you can discuss?

I’m about to start writing another strategy guide, and I’m currently marketing a young adult novel and trying to hire a literary agent.

Thanks again, Dan, for the interview. I look forward using and reviewing your future work!