Narrative designer, writer, forest creature
Hey there! I'm Marianne, and I'm a freelance narrative designer and game writer with a wide and ever-increasing range of experience. I got my start in games as a UX/UI designer before pivoting to narrative, pursuing a Master's in creative writing alongside joining Fishlabs as a narrative designer. I'm currently a writer at Mad Head Games, as well as a narrative designer at indie startup StrayDogs.
I'm half-English, half-Canadian, and live in Durham (UK) with two sleepy cats and an evergrowing hoard of spider plants. I'm queer, and use they/them pronouns.
Samples of my work can be found on my Portfolio page. Please feel free to contact me with any queries!
FISHLABS
Selected Experience
Narrative Designer | Oct 2023 - Dec 2023
Junior Narrative Designer | Nov 2022 - Promoted
Hamburg, Germany (Remote)
As part of a small team of narrative designers, I participated in writers' rooms and took an active role in worldbuilding and story generation. I was responsible for designing our dynamic dialogue system, writing dialogue, and collaborating with level design on implementation.
SPRUNG STUDIOS
Junior UX/UI Designer | July 2020 - March 2021
Brighton, UK
Working as part of a dedicated team on external dev projects, I was responsible for the full UX/UI pipeline. I also had extensive communication with developers and shareholders.
Education
QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY BELFAST
MA Creative Writing
Grade: Distinction
2021-2023
BA Games Art & Design
Grade: First Class
2017-2020
NORWICH UNIVERSITY OF THE ARTS
Key Skills
Specialist: Narrative design, systems design, scriptwriting, dialogue, worldbuilding, plot and character creation, interactive storytelling
Professional: Teamwork, written & verbal communication, user-centered design, iteration based on feedback, problem-solving
Software: Unreal Engine 4/5, Articy Draft, Twine, Ink, Ren’Py, Final Draft, Scrivener, Miro, Lucidchart, Adobe Suite
Testimonials
" Marianne is a wonderful person to both work with and be responsible for. As a colleague, I found Marianne to be fun, highly skilled, and effective. They brighten every writer’s room, always finding the appropriate balance between humour, humanity, and sleeves-up work."
As a member of my team, Marianne was someone I could count on. If there was ever an issue, professional or personal, they would communicate it readily and maturely to minimise its impact on our work. Marianne was self-motivated and took quickly to finding tasks for themself during spare moments, and in particular could be relied upon to hyper-focus and pull excellent work out of thin air when curveballs came our way.
I will dearly miss working with Marianne, and would have them on my team again in an instant. In fact, I intend to, just as soon as I can. So I advise you to beat me to it. "
- Antony de Fault, Lead Narrative Designer at Fishlabs
"Marianne is hands down the best junior designer I got to work with in the past few years.
On top of great analytical skills, they bring a can-do attitude and welcome feedback with a lot of enthusiasm. Their attention to detail and the care they put in their craft are a comforting sight for the future of the industry.
They are a seemingly unending source of joy and positivity I wish every team could have and for this I would love to work again with them in the future."
- Inari Bornholm, Senior Game Designer at Fishlabs
"Having Marianne as a teammate was a highlight of my experience at Fishlabs. As a narrative designer, they are meticulous and knowledgeable about all versions of the story beats and level design, as well as how they intersect.
In the writer’s room, their insight was invaluable: from navigating word choice in dialogue to examining theme to considering real world references for our story, they excelled at it all.
I truly felt like I could come to Marianne with any script and leave our conversation with new insights on character, scene structure, overall narrative arcs, and gameplay impact. Don’t hesitate: hire Marianne!"
- Ashley Jeffalone, Writer at Fishlabs
MAD HEAD GAMES
Game Writer | Apr 2024 - Present
Novi Sad, Serbia (Remote)
I'm currently a contract writer at Mad Head Games, working on an unannounced title. I report to the narrative lead, and am primarily responsible for cutscene scripts and barks, collaborating closely with the cinematics and audio teams alongside the narrative designers.
STRAY DOGS
Narrative Designer | Mar 2024 - Present
Nuremberg, Germany (Remote)
StrayDogs is a small startup currently working on its first project. I am the sole narrative designer/writer on the team, which currently involves primarily proof-of-concept work and narrative pitching.
TWIN FANGS DIGITAL
Founder | Mar 2024 - Present
Remote
Twin Fangs Digital is an indie studio started by myself and Valeria Graff. We are currently working on our first title, a sci-fi visual novel/dating sim.
