NARRATIVE DESIGN
JACOB CONNER HARRIS
Writer & Author
Versatile creative writer experienced in defining and developing character strengths, flaws and voice. Jacob develops interactive fiction using the scripting language, Ink, to tell captivating stories starring unconventional casts. Approaches narrative design from a literary background, emphasizing meaningful symbolism, LGBTQIA representation, and cooperation on projects from pre-planning to final stages
PORTFOLIO OF WORK
Game Narrative Samples
THAT ONE DAY IN MEXICO
Hammered, drunk; another beer downed. The breeze drifting up the seashore whistles the grass sheeted eaves of the Mexican bar. The tune Margaritaville rings all too familiar...
Chat up eccentric townsfolk. Battle your chronic IBS. Or go fishing at the secret fishing hole behind the taco stand. Spend your final days of vacation however you like in this irreverent literary adventure game.
13 possible endings.
Similar titles (in terms of tone/voice): Space Quest; Disco Elysium; the text adventure from Nier
Built in Ink.
STEEL LOVE: THE LOVE STEALER
The God of Love, Deus AppDreckiish, has resurrected Damian to fulfil one simple task: Steal the love of Singuliera. Travel back in time to re-write the course of history, and prevent the love of your life from slipping away.
Includes *tasteful* sexual themes and the occasional naughty word.
Inspirations include Disco Elysium and The Stanley Parable.
Built in Ink for Robot Party Jam 2022 on Itch. Inspired by characters and themes created by jam host, Kyle Bosman, and his Twitch chat.
A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS DINNER PARTY, SIDE QUEST
A restaurant needs your help planning its dinner menu for an affluent politician's party. Sneak, debate or use brute force to solve this peculiar NPC's problem.
A design document for a side quest in the style of those found in the Elder Scrolls and Witcher series. It includes a quest synopsis, step-by-step instructions, and 4 possible resolutions depending on player action.
ALL PATHS LEAD TO GALACTIC DISAPPOINTMENT, PROJECT OUTLINE
Curious, but decrepit, cryptid investigators unfold the recent allegations of alien activity on a shoestring budget and baseless morale.
You and your partner, Alejandro, work for the government's underfunded Extraterrestrial Research Division (ERD). Located out of a broom closet in the FBI's Albuquerque office, your two-person operation must research the report of a UFO sighting on the outskirts of town.
TICKING STARS
Hotel vacancy. Roomba collection bin. Jamba Juice lobby. This place is no different: a vacuum for transients, dementia out-patients, and the sleep deprived.
Romance Life, talk to spiders, and lose your mind. Can you break out of the endless cycle of memories, dreams and thoughts?
9 possible endings.
Inspirations include: Disco Elysium, P.T., The Stanley Parable and
A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings
by Gabriel García Márquez.
Built in Ink for inkJam 2021, using the theme: You'll think of something.
Literature Samples
FLOWERS
PASSING BY
The partially fictitious story of a real life woman, Martha Mainser faces 19th century adversity head-on, in this timeless—yet timely—coming of age narrative.
A sample of emotionally charged character dialogue in a historical setting from the YA historical creative nonfiction novel: Flowers Passing By
SPACE IS A BIG PLACE
The Cumin Seed Hotel sits on the banks of the Mediterranean Sea. The otherworldly becomes the mundane in this collection of character tales. Neanderthals, detectives and marijuana traders all gather to discuss 1970's sitcoms and drink in the ocean breeze.
A sample of multi-perspective narration and character driven dialogue from the narrative fiction story: Space is a Big Place.
AIMLESS MISSOULIAN
Joshua is stuck in life. Bored, uninspired; time moves at an erratic pace. There's nothing left in this world for one so... aimless.
Nowhere to be, little to achieve. How do Joshua and his girlfriend, Meghan, proceed from here?
A sample of romantically inclined dialogue from the realistic fiction short story: Aimless Missoulian.
THE NATURAL ORDER OF THINGS:
LITTLE BIRDS DIE
Rain poured down on Oregon that day. Not on the coast like one expects every outdoor outing, but in the East—in the flat arid land—where a drone overhead observes textured ripples of grain and orchard; so subtle in its hills that the land serves as some people’s proof of God’s finger print: placed into the soil, imprinting His identity.
A sample of rich prose from the work-in-progress novella: Little Birds Die
EXPERTISE
BRANCHING & LINEAR SCRIPTWRITING
Video game narratives come in many shapes and sizes. They can branch, diverge and remerge in interesting ways, or be self-contained, tailored, cinematic experiences. Jacob works with clients to design narratives that are compelling, heartfelt and interactive throughout.
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
Characters are the crux of a compelling story. They build player investment and provide countless gameplay and narrative opportunities. Well-developed characters with clear voices, ideologies, strengths and flaws will ensure players care about an IP and keep coming back for more.
QUEST DESIGN
Every good RPG has quests. Side Quests enrich a game's greater narrative by adding a voice to the world's less crucial elements. They give context, perspective, and identity to a game environment. Innovative quest design is more complex than: go retrieve X item; kill that monster. It takes a professional writer's touch to make each quest feel special and worth accomplishing.
IN-GAME TEXT, LORE, MYTHOLOGY CREATION
It's what people love about the Souls and Elder Scrolls franchises. History, rules, environmental storytelling all ground a space and make it real. This is what makes players invested in a world, and thinking about it for long after they've put the controller down.