Story Development
From the first idea to a functioning narrative.
A strong story begins long before the first scene is written. I work with creators and production teams to develop:
Premises >> What is the story actually about?
Characters >> Who wants what — and why should the audience care?
Worlds >> What environment, history and rules make the story possible?
Plot >> What happens, and how do events transform the characters?
Structure >> How should information, conflict and emotion unfold?
Narrative >> What does the audience experience — and in what order?
Dialogue >> How do characters reveal themselves through what they say and don’t say?
I can work at different stages of development.
EARLY CONCEPT
Premise · Concept · Characters · World
↓
STORY DEVELOPMENT
Plot · Structure · Narrative Architecture
↓
SCRIPT DEVELOPMENT
Treatment · Outline · Screenplay · Dialogue
↓
INTERACTIVE DEVELOPMENT
Game Narrative · Branching Stories · Quests · Lore
↓
REVISION
Structural Analysis · Character Development · Dialogue · Script Notes
Narrative Design
Games don’t just tell stories. They let players participate in them.
Narrative design is the process of creating the structures that allow story and player action to coexist.
I work with:
Characters >> Creating personalities, motivations, relationships and arcs.
Worldbuilding >> Creating worlds that can sustain exploration and narrative.
Quest Design >> Turning story objectives into playable experiences.
Branching Narrative >> Creating meaningful alternatives, consequences and endings.
Dialogue >> Writing dialogue that serves both character and gameplay.
Lore >> Creating the deeper fictional architecture behind the player’s experience.
Tabletop Narrative >> Designing stories that preserve player agency while maintaining dramatic structure.
WORKFLOW
One of the most interesting aspects of creative writing is that often times we not only need to create stories, but create the very way of working for the project. In game writing this is particularly true, since game development requires a variety of elements, from character creation and worldbuilding to structuring branching narratives and integrating story and text to the mechanics and economics of the gameplay. Even for screenwriting a reasonable time dedicated to planning, plotting and structuring narratives is advisable, and very often it also means less try-an-error situations and rewrites.
So expect my dedication and availability for the following:
- Previous acclimatizing and studying time – each job demands getting acquainted to already created or considered characters, universes and plots, studying previous versions, chapters and already written material and other preliminary dedication before real creative work begins. I will always dedicate considerable time to studying, learning and getting familiar with the project, before real work starts and with no compensation or fees charged.
- Test writing – I’m also used to be tested and to write samples, or even text that can be used further previously to the actual work begins. These previous samples usually aren’t as much a test than an approach, because the question at this height of the work is not exactly about capacity, but learning, adapting and fine-tunning format and style so it attends the project and client.
- Mapping and plotting – The most usual thing I see happening in creative projects is that we plan a shorter amount of time for plotting than it ends up demanding, and a longer period or larger amount of work (or even versions/drafts) than it ends up needing. The lesson I have learned is that it’s always important to dedicate a reasonable amount of time and work to plotting – the project might take more time to convey the feeling that it’s moving forward in the beginning, but it might save it from an excessive number of versions and even rewrites (rewrites are not drafts, they usually are fixing to compensate lack of planning).
Softwares and Platforms I’m experienced in
Software and platforms I’m used to work with:
Final Draft, Movie Magic, Dropbox Paper, Twine, Scrivener, VUE (Visual Understanding Environment – TUFTS), Draw.io, Adobe InDesign, Premiere, Final Cut, Photoshop, XMind, Microsoft Project, Coggle, Google, ProWritingAid, Celtx, Wattpad. At present I also have been experimenting with AI platforms and programs when clients demand it, such as ChatGPT, QuillBot, Hemingway and others.