Constitution of the IGDA Game Writing SIG

This Constitution was ratified on 09/09/2025 by the 2025 Constitutional Convention1 of the IGDA Game Writing SIG

MISSION STATEMENT

The purpose of the Game Writing Special Interest Group (SIG) is as follows:

  1. To build a worldwide digital community of game writers, enhanced by connections at in-person events.
  2. To promote the art and craft of narrative in the games industry as a whole.
  3. To educate the games industry about narrative, and to educate writers about the games industry.
  4. To identify, and strive to address, those issues of importance to our community of game writers.
  5. To work towards better narrative in games.

We include anyone who writes, edits, facilitates, or designs narrative for games. We consider anyone who fulfills these roles to be eligible for membership in our community regardless of their title within a company.

CONSTITUTION

The purpose of the constitution is to provide a framework for achieving our mission through effective organizational structure, volunteer coordination, and community governance.

  1. Membership. All SIG Members are volunteers from the digital community who agree to abide by the published Code of Conduct.
    1. Membership Designation. Members are designated as General, Committee, or Emeritus.
    2. General Membership. The SIG and its General Membership include all game writers who participate in the digital community with Good Standing.
    3. Good Standing. A Member of Good Standing adheres to the published Code of Conduct without violation, completes all requirements of their designation and role, and retains the right to participate in the community. Any Member currently under censure or facing any disciplinary action by the Committee is not in Good Standing.
    4. Membership Status. The Good Standing status of any Member of any designation is determined at the sole discretion of the Committee and its appointed Moderators. Any Member of any designation may have their Good Standing status and Membership designation revoked or revised at any time by Committee Decision.
    5. Censure. Revocation of Good Standing is enforced by temporary or permanent removal from participation in online spaces of the digital community and in-person events. This may include the immediate temporary Decision of a Moderator, when urgent or necessary to uphold the published Code of Conduct and the safety of the digital community.
  2. Organization Committee. The SIG will be organized by a Committee, whose Members govern the community through Meetings, Duties, and Decisions. Unless circumstances warrant otherwise, the Committee will endeavor at all times to contain at least seven, and no more than fifteen Members.
    1. Committee Membership. Committee Members may take on roles that include titles with additional documented responsibilities, such as the Executive Panel Member, Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, Moderator, etc. All Committee Members remain equal in representation while participating in the decision-making process.
    2. Committee Decisions. Decisions will be made by the Committee using the principles of sociocratic consent. No reasonable objections will be ignored and consent is derived from non-objection. When no reasonable objections exist, a Decision may proceed immediately through digital messaging. When objections arise, the matter must be resolved through discussion or formal Committee vote requiring quorum, which may be conducted through digital messaging unless the nature of the objections require input from the broader community or transparency that warrants public discussion at a Meeting.
    3. Committee Quorum. Quorum is at least one more than half the Committee, and must include at least one member of the Executive Panel.
    4. Committee Meetings. The Committee must schedule and document monthly Committee Meetings. Regular attendance at Committee Meetings is a requirement of Committee Membership.
    5. Committee Meeting Absences. Committee Members who cannot attend a meeting are required to provide a Notification of Circumstances within a reasonable timeframe. A simple digital message sent to the Committee or the Chair will satisfy this requirement. Receipt of the Notification of Circumstances will be entered into the attendance record of the minutes of the Meeting.
    6. Committee Duties. In addition to attendance at Committee Meetings, each Committee Member agrees to lead one or more Initiatives that constitute their volunteer Duties in service of the SIG.
      1. Initiatives. An Initiative is a documented set of Duties, or a role with established Duties, performed by a Committee Member with the purpose of accomplishing goals related to the SIG Mission.
      2. Determination. Each Committee Member is required to accept responsibility for an Initiative immediately upon appointment. The primary Initiative associated with each Committee Member must be identified and documented no later than the end of their first Committee Meeting.
      3. Documentation. All Committee Duties will be documented, regularly updated, and published in an online document accessible to the digital community, for the purpose of discussion and General Member participation.
      4. Leadership. Committee Members should recruit General Member volunteers to assist and participate in their Initiative.
      5. Moderator Role. At any one time, at least two Committee Members must accept the role of Moderator, performing the Duties of a Moderator for the digital community in General Member discussion spaces.
    7. Committee Member Approval. Given a vacancy, any General Member may be appointed to Committee Membership at any time by a Committee Decision. To initiate approval, a Committee Member should send the Committee a digital message suggesting a General Member for appointment. The message must include a Statement of Interest from the General Member for Committee review prior to a Committee Decision. Committee review procedures, including content requirements for the Statement of Interest, will be documented, regularly updated, and published in an online document accessible to the digital community.
    8. Committee Member Resignation. Resigning Committee Members will be thanked for their contributions and become General Members, making room for new Committee Members.
    9. Committee Member Passive Resignation. Unless overturned, the following Committee Member behaviors are considered an immediate resignation of a Committee post:
      1. Meeting Absences. Two Committee Meeting absences, each without a recorded Notification of Circumstances.
      2. Inactivity. Lack of involvement with an Initiative for more than four months.
    10. Committee Member Removal. Committee Member designation or Executive Panelist status, as well as the Member’s Good Standing, may be temporarily revoked at any time by a Committee Decision of sociocratic consent outside a Meeting. This may include the immediate temporary Decision of a Moderator, when urgent or necessary to uphold the published Code of Conduct and the safety of the digital community. At the next Committee Meeting an anonymous Confidence Vote will be held for a final determination of the temporary or permanent nature of the original Decision. The temporarily removed Committee Member whose designation and Good Standing are in question may be present at the Meeting unless the nature of the offense or the published Code of Conduct warrant otherwise. A Vote of No Confidence will enforce the permanence of the Decision.
  3. Executive Panel. At all times, three members of the Committee will constitute an Executive Panel.
    1. Executive Decisions. The Executive Panel can make decisions on behalf of the Committee, but at least two Executive Panelists are needed in order to do so.
    2. Executive Duties. The Executive Panel is responsible for all Executive Duties, which will be documented, regularly updated, and published in an online document accessible to the digital community.
    3. Executive Accountability. The Executive Panel and its individually elected Committee Members are accountable to the Committee, who will censure the Panel or its members for any inappropriate behavior, including the neglect of established Executive Duties. Censure may include removal from the Committee.
    4. Executive Elections. Executive Panelists are elected annually with staggered three-year terms.
      1. Term Length. Executive Panelists serve three-year terms with a maximum of two terms (six years total).
      2. Staggered Elections. One Executive seat is elected annually, ensuring continuous institutional knowledge while enabling regular renewal.
      3. Scheduling. The Committee and its Executive Panel will organize and hold an election annually, no later than fourteen months after the previous election.
      4. Nominations. Nominations are conducted by voluntary proxy: any Committee Member may nominate any other Committee Member, who must then decide whether or not to accept the Nomination. Those who accept the Nomination will be eligible candidates for Election.
      5. Voting. Each Committee Member receives one vote for the open Executive position. Votes will be tallied anonymously by Committee-appointed non-SIG IGDA member(s). The candidate with the most votes is elected.
      6. Executive Chair. Among the three elected Executive Panelists, one Member must accept the role of Executive Chair, whose Duties include chairing the Committee Meetings as well as maintaining or appointing the maintenance of an Agenda and Meeting Minutes. The Chair position rotates among Executive Panelists as determined by the Panel.
      7. Term Expiration. Executive Panelists whose terms expire automatically become Committee Members, unless they choose to resign from the Committee. If an Executive Member receives a Vote of No Confidence, or resigns from the Panel mid-term, the Committee will hold a special election to fill the remainder of the term. An Executive term of less than eighteen months will not count toward the elected Executive Panelist’s maximum terms.
      8. Election Accountability. If over fourteen months have passed since the last election, the Executive Panelist whose term should have expired immediately becomes a General Member. At the next Meeting, a Committee Member will be promoted to the temporary position of Interim Executive Chair, whose primary responsibility will be to schedule and hold an election for the vacant seat.
  4. Emeritus Membership. Any Member who serves at least three consecutive years as a Committee Member immediately becomes an Emeritus Member at the conclusion of their Committee service, provided that the Member remains in Good Standing. Emeritus Members receive recognition in a published list acknowledging and thanking them for their service. Emeritus Members retain the same rights and privileges of General Members, in addition to a private Emeritus Member communication channel within the digital community.
  5. Open Governance. The SIG will practice Open Governance.
    1. Meeting Attendance. Any General Member is free to attend SIG Committee Meetings. General Members may contact any Committee Member to receive an invite to a Committee Meeting.
    2. Committee Transparency. The minutes and recording of each Committee Meeting will be made available to the community in our digital spaces.
    3. Petitioning the Committee. General Members of the SIG are invited to petition any Member of the Committee to bring up an issue for discussion at a Committee Meeting. They are also welcome to attend a Committee Meeting in order to discuss any issue.
    4. Caveat Lector. This constitution will self-destruct if it gets in the way of getting things done.

ORGANIZATIONAL INDEPENDENCE

As an organization with independently established governing procedures under this constitutional framework, the Game Writing SIG operates in partnership with the IGDA as an official Special Interest Group. Wherever there exist competing agendas, the SIG and its Committee are duty bound to act in the best interests of its mission and membership over and above the interests of the IGDA or any other related group.

1 The Constitutional Convention of 2025 convened from September 1-9, 2025. The participating delegates and officers included: