From there, new avenues began to open up. Brady Games was venturing into the realm of MMOG strategy guides, and were starting off with Shadowbane. When Brady asked Chris Mancil for names, he gave them mine and my soon-to-be co-author John Henderson's. Little did I know this would lead to two more book contracts with Brady Games for Artifact Entertainment's Horizons and for Blizzard's World of Warcraft. I believe I was the first female author Brady had ever worked with. But like all good things, it didn't come easy.
Trying to juggle pregnancies and later, two small children, as well as my work was not as easy as they make it seem on television. While co-workers were ordering in pizza and sleeping late, I was juggling grocery shopping, diapering, feedings, gaming, writing and very limited amounts of sleep. It was as if I blinked and both of my children were walking despite the fact they were never far away from me by my desk. My co-workers were infinitely patient with me, but I grew more and more frustrated with attempting to handle working at home and taking care of a family.
After many years, I've returned to my community roots and work as the Assistant Community Manager of Shadowbane. Some would say I have been lucky, and I would agree. I've seen an evolution among the female gaming population. We once were a hidden demographic and we now find ourselves openly struggling to pronounce our existence without wielding a sledgehammer. We are daughters, sisters and mothers of all ages, types and interests.
I now have two daughters of my own. While I continue to make my way fumblingly through this strange world of gaming, I hope to instill in them the idea that they can in fact do anything they wish, even pursue a career in the game development industry. Some things have changed since I was a girl, working my way to carpal tunnel on an Atari controller. Some things still need to change when it comes to acknowledging women as gamers and developers in the industry we have grown up loving.
Danielle "Sachant" Vanderlip is currently the Assistant Community Manager for Shadowbane for Wolfpack Studios a Ubi Soft Company. She is also the Co-Author of the Official Brady Games Strategy Guides for Shadowbane, Horizons and World of Warcraft.
