Writer and Narrative Designer with more than four years of professional experience developing branching RPG content, dialogue, and systemic narrative design for shipped titles. Experienced in reactive quest design, variable-driven storytelling, and cross-disciplinary collaboration across long-form RPG production.…

James Pugsley

Writer and Narrative Designer with more than four years of professional experience developing branching RPG content, dialogue, and systemic narrative design for shipped titles. Experienced in reactive quest design, variable-driven storytelling, and cross-disciplinary collaboration across long-form RPG production.…

Available to hire

Writer and Narrative Designer with more than four years of professional experience developing branching RPG content, dialogue, and systemic narrative design for shipped titles. Experienced in reactive quest design, variable-driven storytelling, and cross-disciplinary collaboration across long-form RPG production.

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Skills

Experience Level

Language

English
Fluent
Hungarian
Intermediate

Work Experience

Writer / Narrative Designer at Into the Unknown
March 7, 2025 - September 26, 2025
• Designed and authored branching narrative content for Kingdoms Forlorn • Created visual narrative flowcharts and decision trees using draw.io to support implementation and narrative clarity • Collaborated rapidly within production timelines to deliver high-volume narrative content under contract
Narrative Designer / Writer (Contract) at Into the Unknown
March 1, 2025 - September 30, 2025
Designed and authored branching narrative content for Kingdoms Forlorn. Created visual narrative flowcharts and decision trees (draw.io) to support implementation and narrative clarity. Collaborated rapidly within production timelines to deliver high-volume narrative content under contract.
Writer / Narrative Designer at Lost Pilgrims Studio
April 22, 2022 - June 30, 2026
Narrative Designer / Writer at Lost Pilgrims Studio
April 1, 2022 - March 31, 2025
Designed and implemented branching quests, narrative events, and reactive dialogue for Vagrus – The Riven Realms. Authored approximately 750,000 words of shipped narrative content including quests, worldbuilding, events, and character dialogue. Managed complex narrative state systems involving faction reputation, race, gender, alignment, criminality, player progression, and specialty-based reactivity while maintaining narrative consistency across early-game through endgame.
Freelance Writer at Self-Employed
December 16, 2016 - Present
• Delivered commercial and narrative writing across commercial and SEO copy, web content, PR statements, social media, and screenwriting projects • Professional proofreading, editing, and developmental editing for novels, primarily genre fiction
Freelance Writer
December 1, 2016 - Present
Self-employed freelance writing across SEO copy, web content, PR statements, social media, and screenwriting projects. Includes professional proofreading, editing, and developmental editing for novels, primarily in genre fiction.
Student Welfare Agency Officer (Contract via Adecco) at Studylink New Zealand Government-run student welfare agency (Wellington Outreach)
October 1, 2008 - July 1, 2009
Worked in Studylink’s Wellington Outreach providing student welfare support as a contracting officer through Adecco.
Inbound Customer Service Representative; Outbound Sales Representative at Adecco Personnel Limited
November 1, 2006 - October 1, 2008
Provided inbound customer service and performed outbound sales roles via Adecco.

Education

Bachelor of Arts (Honours – First Class) majoring in Media Studies at Victoria University of Wellington
January 1, 2002 - July 1, 2007
School Certificate; University Entrance; Bursary at Rathkeale College
January 1, 1996 - January 1, 2002

Qualifications

Add your qualifications or awards here.

Industry Experience

Gaming, Media & Entertainment, Education, Government, Professional Services

Skills

Experience Level