Copywriting & Content Strategy
This page showcases my work as a writer — across journalism, game design, cultural consulting, and content strategy. Whether guiding a player through a scene, helping clients tell their brand story, or contributing to award-winning games and publications, I bring a narrative-first, audience-aware approach to everything I write.
Before I wrote code, I wrote for local newspapers and edited independent publications. Today, I combine that editorial mindset with a developer’s toolkit to help small businesses, nonprofits, and creative teams communicate with purpose and precision.
📰 Journalism & Editorial
I began my writing career in journalism, reporting for independent papers in Corvallis, Oregon. As a staff writer and beat lead, I covered music, nightlife, and local culture — writing quickly, clearly, and with a voice grounded in community. These experiences taught me how to find the angle, respect the subject, and deliver stories that connect.
The clarity, tone awareness, and audience focus I learned in journalism still guide my work today — whether I’m writing narrative dialogue for games, copy for clients, or educational content for interactive tools.
📰 Journalism & Editorial Writing
Before my work in tech, I was a staff writer and editor covering music, politics, Indigenous activism, and cultural life in the Pacific Northwest. I honed my ability to engage real communities with clarity, insight, and narrative drive — a skill I carry into all forms of content work today.
Busting the Corvallis Hip-Hop Myth
“You don’t often hear locals talking about the vibrant hip-hop scene hiding in plain sight — but it’s there, and it matters.”
Idle No More: Oregon Joins the Movement
“From the steps of the Capitol to the banks of the Willamette, Oregon’s Native communities stood tall in a wave of continental resistance.”
Sub-Zero & the Riots
“The crowd surged forward — the music stopped — and what followed was more than just a show gone wrong.”
🗞️ Publications & Editorial Roles
- The Corvallis Advocate — Staff Writer & Music/Nightlife Beat Lead (30+ published pieces)
- The Corvallis Independent — Board Member, Editor & Contributor
When Rivers Were Trails
Contributing Writer · Educational Narrative Game · IndieCade Game of the Year (2019)
When Rivers Were Trails is a branching narrative game developed by the Games for Entertainment and Learning Lab at Michigan State University. The game follows an Anishinaabe protagonist displaced by the 1890s Land Allotment Acts, weaving together Indigenous oral history, political resistance, and environmental storytelling.
I was invited to contribute narrative content to the project in 2018 and am credited in the final release as a contributing writer. My submission included three complete scenes set in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, informed by Kalapuya history and traditional storytelling. These scenes explored themes of land loss, community resilience, and the Coyote trickster figure common to many Indigenous cultures.
Scenes Submitted
- Maybell Coyote’s Story – A grandmother shares a traditional Coyote tale while asking the player to find her missing husband, a resistance leader.
- Coyote and Mountain Lion – A symbolic encounter mirroring the earlier story, asking the player to intervene (or not) in a chase.
- Skinner’s Mudhole – A somber reunion with the elder John Coyote, who reflects on broken treaties and ancestral land as the player seeks his guidance.
Excerpt from Submitted Scene
“One night the Coyote, that old trickster, was taking his evening walk by the Yamhill River. He was hungry and there was nothing to eat… Then, he found Cougar sleeping under a Douglas-fir…”
Skills Demonstrated: Narrative design · Historical storytelling · Branching dialogue · Cultural sensitivity · Collaborative editorial process
📄 Download My Original Script (PDF)
📸 View My Name in the Game Credits
Note: These screenshots reflect locations I wrote scenes for. While I cannot confirm if my exact dialogue appears in the final game, I am credited as a contributing writer, and my submissions helped shape the storytelling for these regions.
Tabletop RPG Writing & Cultural Consulting
I’ve contributed professionally to the tabletop RPG industry through Paizo’s Starfinder and Pathfinder product lines, working as a writer and cultural consultant. These projects highlight my ability to blend narrative depth, stat block clarity, and cultural sensitivity in game design and storytelling.
🌠 Starfinder Bounty #9: Burning Ambitions
Role: Author
Publisher: Paizo
Level: Designed for 4th-level characters
I wrote this one-shot Starfinder bounty from scratch, combining fast-paced science-fantasy intrigue, colorful NPCs, and explosive escalation. The scenario includes narrative progression, encounter design, and mechanical balance tuned for pick-up-and-play table sessions.
Skills Used: Narrative design · Encounter design · Collaborative writing
🧙 Pathfinder NPC Core
Role: Contributing Writer
Publisher: Paizo
Format: Hardcover Sourcebook
I contributed multiple NPC entries to this massive reference for Pathfinder 2e GMs — blending mechanics, flavor text, and lore to create characters that GMs can drop into any fantasy campaign. My focus was on evocative storytelling and practical stat block design.
Skills Demonstrated: Lore creation · Stat block writing · Collaborative worldbuilding
🌿 Cultural Consultant – Pathfinder
Role: Cultural Consultant
Focus: Monster inspired by Ojibwe legend
I worked with Paizo to ensure respectful and accurate representation of Ojibwe culture in the creation of a Pathfinder creature based on Indigenous mythology. I advised on tone, symbolism, and design language from a lived and scholarly Indigenous perspective.
Skills Demonstrated: Cultural sensitivity · Indigenous knowledge · Creative guidance
This work supports respectful, inclusive storytelling in gaming and genre fiction.