Mok 1

Weslee Mok
Professor Fimbres
Kinesiology 003
9 June 2019

Interview Project Final Submission

The interview with Lauren was a successful project that provided her unique takes on
subjects we both were well-versed in and enlightening to my knowledge as a freelance writer. In
general, I found that her responses were eloquent but soft-spoken and warm as if she were
speaking to an old friend rather than an interviewer. The consensus I gathered from the interview
can be broken down into several factors: be proud of your work, do your best in all endeavors, be
cordial but friendly, and most importantly, enjoy what you are doing. Her responses reflected the
honesty of how she felt in the work field and also what inspired her to continue moving forward.

Her candid nature proved to show exactly how she felt when it came down to her work
and the setting she was in. As a freelance writer, we have a lot of freedom that writers working
for massive companies do not. We can set our rates and work on-the-go, which majors
differently from corporations or working in a office setting. But that freedom does come at a
price, and there are times where we are undermined for our hard work simply because we do not
have the repertoire we are expected to have. There will be times where we will be underpaid for
the quality work we provide, and more times than not, we are forced to work long hours without
extra pay. Payment and scheduling are both buoyant factors in freelance work, which makes it
difficult to gauge how much we should be paid in the long-run. Developers in the indie game
community often take writers for granted, as both Lauren and I have experienced. And yet,
despite the odds, she finds pride in all the work she offers, whether it be slightly underpaid or
under tense working environments.

Whenever I would ask about the benefits to her work, Lauren would always answer with
a smile on her face. She explained that even though there were a few bumps along the road while
she was working that she would never trade the moments for anything else. Her achievements in
publishing games were one of her biggest dreams, and I could tell from the look in her eyes that
 Mok 2

she cherished every piece of work she put out for her clients. She told me that the challenges she
came across only helped her become more successful overall, simply because it pushed her to
work even harder than she had been. Even if there were instances of sudden deadline changes,
impatient clients, and personal life getting in the way, she managed to overcome all of those in
order to create quality content that she would be proud of. It clearly shows in her work from
what I have seen, and I could not help but ask how she was able to handle certain situations with
clients and disagreements within a creative team.

Lauren explained to me that freelance workers come from all different backgrounds and
cultures, so it is important to know when to take a step back to give them a chance to explain
themselves if something does go awry during the project. At times we may face clients that come
up with unreasonable requests or team members that might disagree with an idea that we propose
to them. She says that remaining professional and cordial during these times is extremely vital
when dealing with a team in a working environment. Being friendly is a great element of a good
team member, but maintaining respect and keeping feelings out of work is the most efficient way
to handle situations like I had mentioned. And having this level of respect and professional
attitude, in general, translates to how our personal lives and relationships are affected as well.

There are times where work may get in the way of our personal matters and schedules, so
I learned from Lauren that you have to prioritize yourself first and foremost. We often forget to
give ourselves time to breathe throughout a busy work week, We may experience ‘writer’s
block’ when the stress and pressure from our lives pile on us, but Lauren simply said to take a
step back and give it time. Sometimes she will write for fun rather than a paycheck, which helps
break that mold of forcing ideas out when the creative flow isn’t nearly as smooth as usual. It can
be draining, but she reinstates the idea that we can never make ourselves like something. If we
truly do love doing something, then we will never stop working on it. I take these words to heart,
simply because I find that there are times where I doubt my work and my career path. I become
too harsh on myself and I never realize how many people enjoy my work until I look around.
Lauren recommended that I never treat my work like a burden, but rather find joy in creating
content that I would enjoy as a consumer.
 Mok 3

The advantages and disadvantages of this work field vary, but I primarily think the
benefits of this job is the flexibility. In terms of scheduling, rates, and creativity, I find that it is
much easier to manage as opposed to working in a company where everything has already been
preset by the manager or boss. I can set the rates with my clients and we can negotiate the
payment as well as including revenue shares for long-term projects. The scheduling is fully
dependent on my own hours, and I can set out to working for 5-6 hours per day rather than
following a strict 8-12 hour day job. Most of the clients I work with are very encouraging about
idea bouncing for their stories, and we work together to create a more cohesive story. Another
advantage would be validation and respect I earn from indie game companies, developers,
writers, and other content creators. When you have several published titles under your name,
people will begin to recognize you and I think that is one of the most rewarding things we could
possibly earn as content creators. The praise is a wonderful addition, but hearing someone say
that they played the game I had written is incredibly fulfilling. It brings me such joy to know that
my creativity is being shared with everyone.

The disadvantages of working as a freelance writer are mainly the treatment we receive
from developers and the strain it has on our lives. At times I find that these developers and
companies see us as expendable creators, dropping us when they see fit or treating us poorly
simply because we are not under a definite contract. I am offered extremely low rates and I have
been compared to massive corporations in terms of production quality. It is disheartening, but it
is one of the things I was prepared for when I decided on this occupation. In terms of strain, I
may have already mentioned this earlier, but there are instances where I become stressed about
my work because I worry over the quality of it. I give myself unnecessary stress and end up
burning out near the end, which causes the quality of my work to decrease. When I feel
extremely stressed over my work, I tend to lose interest in the things around me such as proper
meal prep and taking breaks to talk to my friends or family. However, I find that the advantages
outweigh the disadvantages, which is why I take this occupation so seriously.

I am absolutely still interested in continuing with this career. Despite all the hardships I
have faced and the ones that Lauren described to me, I know that this occupation is meant for
me. I have a passion for writing and game development as well as a dream of sharing my stories
 Mok 4

with the world around me. I have certainly achieved that, no matter how small the scale of it may
be. In reality, I understand that it may be a harsh working environment since freelancers do not
have a company they are officially signed to, but I truly do appreciate the flexibility this job
offers. I can set my hours, however stressful they may be, and my rates as well. I have the right
to decline job requests and I have a say in the creative process of every single project I work
with. I have published games that I am proud of, even if I had to struggle with them. There are
times where I doubt the quality of my work, but my friends and peers always reassure me that it
is enjoyable. Overall this interview provided me great insight into the career, but it also
confirmed that I need to continue working hard in this occupation, no matter the odds.