Recent work
About
Hey there! I'm Lawrence, an African American writer and narrative designer with over six years of experience. I'm passionate about creating compelling stories. When I'm not working, you'll find me immersed in the world of horror and movies or lost in the pages of a comic book. I'm also a proud father to a needy, scaredy cat.I'm willing to learn, ready to grow, and motivated to inspire as a creator. Feel free to message me on any of my socials if you want to work together or discuss our favorite scary movies.
Recommendations:
"Highly recommend Lawrence to anyone looking for someone who brings a lot of fun to the table not only in the work aspect but also in the studio/office cultural aspects!"" Always with a bright smile and friendly demeanor, Lawrence illustrated considerable creativity and work ethic while assisting our lead writers on these projects""Lawrence is a force to be reckoned with in the narrative world. His ideas are thrilling and his execution is stellar."
Tarare
Publisher: oyoun
Platform: Physical Exhibit
Role: twine designer/developer
Release date: 12/1/2021
Time on project: 10/31 - 12/1
Released on December 1st as an in-person event in oyoun berlin - Tarare was a resounding success, with eager players forming lines to immerse themselves in the captivating linear narrative experience!As the lead designer and developer, I played a pivotal role in bringing all the ideas, concepts, and written words by téa boyarchuk to life in Twine!
The Design
diagram of the design before implementation
implementation of both scenes into twine
In the design, I focused on showcasing the artist's 3D models first & foremost and keeping everything on one screen without unneeded scrolling or blank space. This design allows the audience to quickly take in all the models on the screen without hassle.Most twine links are located in the text, giving the user control to navigate to the following passage. The majority of the text is kept to one line, ensuring the user is constantly engaged in the offline exhibit. This only changes when links are in the images, allowing the user to 'use' the image and further personalize their experience.
presentation of design
links in images
hover on images and narrator
text takes center screen
To accomplish feelings of tension and personal investment, I combined the use of animation HTML, short descriptions on hovered images, consistency in "using" and/or "doing" something with the ">" character, and verbiage of "USE" to make the player feel like they are personally on this journey with the narrator character.
Medicum Veloctic
Publisher: Independent
Platform: itch.io
Role: narrative designer/writer
Release date: 5/14/2021
Time on project: 1/2021 - 5/2021
More:
A narrative experience focused on the love between a man and a hero - Medium Veloctic was 2021's Spring Thing's winner of the following awards:Best Superhero Sidekick Take, Best Melodrama, and Best Hints!The game is free on Itch and has over 1000+ browser plays and a 5-star rating! As lead designer and writer, I created the game from the ground up, designed the experience to compliment the narrative, and wrote every word.
narrative level layout
GDD overview
change in narrative structure
Before being brought into twine, I established all branches of the narrative. From the design of each level's story to the characters and gameplay overview. However, small elements changed due to time constraints with the Spring Thing festival. I documented these changes accordingly.
injuries documented
injuries implemented
in-game sidebar
I used a table format in Google Docs, and translating that into Twine with a combination of CSS and HTML ( and tons of Google searches) allowed for creating the game's titular system, the Medicum Veloctic. Information on the injuries the character Arthur could face would be available for the player when needed. Players accessed the medium veloctic through Twine's sidebar, where the sidebar would display the injury itself! I chose the theme of a computer interface to connect the player playing online through a computer and the characters accessing the Medicum Veloctic through technology.It was this system that led to Medicum Veloctic winning the prestigious BEST HINTS award at Spring Thing! .
in-game screenshot
showcase of the dropdown
I presented solutions as a drop-down rather than a list of twine links, allowing for a sense of professionalism & repetition in the actions of saving Arthur.
in-game scene
in-game scene
in-game scene
in-game scene
Written in 92 passages and over 29,000 words, Medicum Veloctic averages about 25 - 30 minutes of gameplay. I wrote all the dialogue, descriptions, and events! Above are some spotlights of both dialogues and descriptions!
Untitled
Untitled
I also used Twine's built-in UI Pop-up display to create "notebook" moments, which were essentially glimpses into the past of Arthur and Reyes. These moments allowed the player to get an intimate look at the two and connect the player to their protagonist!
All @ Once
Publisher: Independent
Platform: itch.io
Role: Narrative Designer/Writer
Release date:10/2020
Time on project: 3/2020 - 10/2020
More:
game screenshot
game screenshot
game screenshot
Written, planned, and designed by me, All @ Once is a branching twine game about a young boy who gains the ability to read minds. Players can make choices that affect variables on the relationship side and personalize the young boy in their own ways.The game has over 200 downloads and is part of 147 collections on itch.io!
a scene written on google docs
the same scene in engine
a scene with a choice
choice 1
choice 2
choices in a document
I wrote over 170,000 words for All @ Once in a document copied and pasted into Twine beforehand. In the documentation, I wrote choices in a table to emulate and quickly show branching results before joining back together.I focused on telling a supernatural coming-of-age story with a PoC protagonist relatable through their dialogue, actions, and feelings.
& In the war I find you
Publisher: Independent
Platform: itch.io
Role: Narrative designer/Writer
Release date: 6/26/2020
Time on project: 6/1/2020 - 6/26/2020
More:
game screenshot
game screenshot
game screenshot
Written, planned, and designed by me, & in the war I find you, had a straightforward design and writing period, a game to combat feelings of loss during a global crisis. Intending to leave players with a smooth and heart-warming experience no matter what.With an internal timer variable affected by each player's choice, the game has two endings based on whether they make it to the end in time.
bad ending
good ending
Umbrella Terms - video essay about the game!
CONTACT
Other Projects
Tarare
twine live exhibit
role: technical narrative designer
Racially Motivated
unity live exhibit
role: technical narrative designer
All Magical Girls Must Die
Publisher: Pixelberry
Platform: Storyloom
Role: Lead Writer
Release date: 2/22/2023
Released in February 2023 on the Storyloom website, All Magical Girls Must Die became an immediate success in the superhero genre, with over 1000 reads in the first chapter. The story continues to retain readers even as it reaches double digits in chapter count.As the lead writer and designer for this project, I was responsible for all aspects of dialogue, character creation, and worldbuilding.
The Design
This is my third story on Storyloom, and I wanted to showcase the extent and power its current systems of variables and looks could achieve, from deciding the protagonist's gender to affecting their relationship with other NPCs.Through these decisions, the world and characters will react differently to the player, and the character of certain cast members will change.I've written every dialogue and description and received numerous notes of editor feedback to create the current 16 chapters available.
I also took this opportunity to focus on worldbuilding. This series is set in a world that, while similar to ours, has a significant difference. I crafted unique slang words for dialogue and meticulously planned various world-specific events that have significantly shaped the castmates' histories.This was a labor of love, a concerted effort to enrich the work and give it a distinct identity on Storyloom.
Retrograde
Publisher: Pixelberry
Platform: Storyloom
Role: Lead Writer
Release date: 12/07/2022
Time on project: December - January
Released in December 2022 on the Storyloom website, Retrograde was written, conceptualized, and developed by myself with the in-engine Storyloom tools.The story revolves around amnesia, forcing the player to create their character through their decisions at the moment. The story's ending was also determined by a player's choice.
The Design
My creation highlight was the appearance customization, from designing characters with similar body types to developing the interface, which allowed a player to see each customization before picking it.I wrote all the dialogue for nine chapters of short, snappy gameplay and received numerous notes of editor feedback to enhance the experience.
Alive->Dead
Publisher: Pixelberry
Platform: Storyloom
Role: Lead Writer
Release Date: 06/15/2022
Time on project: June - October
Released in June 2022 on the Storyloom website, Alive -> Dead was my first time using the Storyloom engine. I wrote all the dialogue and narration that spanned the 13 chapters of horror.I took constant editor feedback to create an experience showcasing the Storyloom engine.
Pogo Games
Publisher: Electronic Arts
Platform: Pogo Games Website
Role: Game Scripter
Time on project: September 2022 - June 2023
I was responsible for developing the badge rewards and game events for a live-service product with over 60 games.While utilizing my development skills, I also became responsible for badge naming, marketing copies for sitewide events, promotions, and game events, and event dialogue for products like Garden Blast or Bejeweled Stars.I became familiar with the Pogo brand's tone and emulated it when writing copy to keep the experience similar for new and returning players.
Racially Motivated
Publisher: Royal Academy of Art
Platform: live exhibit
Role: technical narrative designer
Time on project: February 2022 - July 2022
Released in July for the Royal Academy of Art, Racially Motivated was met with success as lines of players formed to experience the game.As the lead technical narrative designer, I was primarily responsible for taking 3D models, design concepts, and written words by téa boyarchuk and developing and designing gameplay levels in Unity.My work on Racially Motivated involved meticulous planning to ensure that the gameplay complemented the narrative and resonated with the project's themes. I scripted NPC interactions that were in harmony with the game's message and designed gameplay moments that showcased téa's art and text without disrupting the player's experience.
Love is a Deadly Game
Publisher: Crazy Maple Studios
Platform: Chapters Mobile App
Role: Narrative Designer
Release date: 4/17/2024
Released in April 2024 on the Chapters: Romance app, Love is a Deadly Game was a significant success, following through on the CMS team initiative to create new stories that brought back old audiences and made new ones.As the narrative designer for this project, I was the driving force behind the creation of the characters. I was responsible for all aspects of dialogue, character creation, and worldbuilding, as well as the artistic direction the game should take regarding character designs, outfits, and background design.
The Hero of Dekker City
Publisher: independent
Platform: itch.io
Role: narrative designer
I wrote, planned, and designed The Hero of Dekker City, a short test involving the management of three essential stats. Players would work to balance the three stats as they made decisions in a short time frame.As a narrative designer, I was responsible for all dialogue, characters, and worldbuilding. In my role as the sole designer, I was also responsible for the intricate process of balancing when it came to adding and subtracting values. This involved considering the impact of each decision on the three essential stats and ensuring that the gameplay remained challenging and engaging.
Confined to His Chaos
Publisher: Crazy Maple Studios
Platform: Chapters Mobile App
Role: Narrative Designer
Release date: 1/5/2024
Released in January 2024 on the Chapters: Romance app, Confined to His Chaos was one of the first projects released with the Spellbound initiative to create fantasy works that still have a heavy romance theme. Confined to His Chaos is an eldritch-god dating sim.As the narrative designer for this project, I was responsible for all aspects of dialogue, character creation, and worldbuilding, as well as the artistic direction the game should take regarding character designs, outfits, and background design.
Publisher: Crazy Maple studios
platform: App store & Google Play Store
Role: Narrative Designer
Begin date: 09/2024
Worked on multiple Tales of Dacardia narrative tasks like quest building, outlining, and implementation in the Unity Engine using pre-built assets and Fungus. Wrote copy for marketing materials for the classic Neopets website as well.Responsible for the following PUBLISHED quests:
25th anniversary Aisha Questline
Character ideation, Quest Ideation, Documentation
Quest Writing and Quest Implementation
Achieved Great Financial Success for TADA's 25th Anniversary EventCybunny questline
Quest Writing and Quest Implementation2024 Halloween Event
Questline Implementation2024 Winter Event
Questline Implementation2025 Lunar New Year Event
Questline Implementation
A collection of game writing scripts from projects:
Samples of quest outline and narrative design document for a narrative focused game:
Samples of quest flow in a narrative focused game:
Samples of quest dialogue in a narrative focused game:
A collection of game writing scripts from projects:
Samples of Protagonist Introduction Screenplay:
Samples of Character Interaction Screenplay:
A collection of worldbuilding samples from an unreleased project:
A sample of worldbuilding documentation that covers world lore, location design, and level designs:
Samples of narrative location design:
Samples of level design:
Samples of timeline design:
A collection of worldbuilding documentation:
A sample that covers game information (intro, objective, and synopsis ) and character design:
A sample that covers game mechanics and its integration to the narrative:
A flowchart sample that covers a dialogue branch:
A collection of sample narrative writing for short stories, comics, and more:
Samples of Introduction Screenplay:
Samples of Voice Actor Script:
Sampl;e off Comic Script Writing: