Анна

Anna Sharapova

Poznań, Poland (open to hybrid/remote)

English / Polish / Ukrainian

PROFILE

Narrative Designer / Narrative Writer with experience in interactive storytelling,
psychological drama, and branching narrative structures. Focused on creating
character-driven, emotionally engaging narratives for interactive formats, including
short-form fiction and game jam environments.

Experienced in structuring dialogue, pacing scenes, and designing player-choice based
storytelling. Interested in AI-assisted narrative systems and adaptive dialogue
generation.

CORE EXPERIENCE

Narrative Designer — Game Jam Project (2026)

- Designed and wrote interactive short-form narrative under strict time constraints (1
week production cycle)

- Developed branching story structure with player-choice driven progression

- Focused on emotional pacing, psychological tension, and scene-based storytelling

- Collaborated with small creative team (writing + design coordination)

- Achieved 8th place among ~100 submissions

- Worked within production constraints similar to real game development workflow

WRITING / PORTFOLIO PROJECTS

“Hold On Tight” — Interactive Psychological Noir
- Interactive narrative set in psychological noir environment

- Designed scene-based storytelling with branching dialogue structure

- Focus on character psychology, tension building, and atmospheric immersion

- Built as interactive experience with decision-driven progression

“Future Has Already Begun” — Interactive Time Narrative

- Choice-based narrative exploring future-self interaction concept

- Structured around branching dialogue and decision impact

- Focus on emotional storytelling, relationships, and consequence-based narrative flow

“The second place” — Interactive romance visual novel

Narrative design test task — create a story concept, branching dialogue structure,
character dynamics, premium choices, and chat-based progression for a
romance-focused interactive story.

SKILLS

- Interactive narrative design (branching storytelling, choice systems)

- Character-driven writing & dialogue design

- Scene structure & emotional pacing

- Psychological storytelling / atmosphere building

- Game jam / fast iteration writing workflows

- Narrative systems thinking

- AI-assisted writing workflows

- English (B1–B2+), Polish (working proficiency), Ukrainian (native)

FOCUS AREAS
- Interactive storytelling (mobile / web / narrative apps)

- Short-form drama / episodic fiction

- Character-driven branching dialogue design
Narrative Design Test Task (PlayMe)

Project Type

Interactive romance visual novel.

Goal

Create a story concept, branching dialogue structure, character dynamics,
premium choices, and chat-based progression for a romance-focused interactive
story.

Core Premise

The protagonist is a scholarship student from a financially vulnerable
background.

The antagonist is a wealthy, high-achieving rival student who discovers the
protagonist’s secret webcam activity.

Instead of exposing the secret, he uses it as leverage and forces the protagonist
into a reluctant arrangement.

The story explores:

● power imbalance
● rivalry
● class differences
● hidden vulnerability
● gradual emotional tension between characters

Character Dynamic

User (Protagonist)

● Top-performing student
● Financially dependent on scholarship support
 ● Secret webcam performer
● Intelligent, sarcastic and resilient
● Uses humor as a defense mechanism
● Refuses to submit emotionally despite external pressure

Character (Rival)

● Wealthy
● Competitive
● Obsessively focused on winning
● Resents the protagonist’s success
● Uses manipulation and intimidation
● Gradually reveals emotional vulnerability beneath hostility

Narrative Goals

Chapter 1

The rival discovers the protagonist’s secret and uses it for blackmail.

Primary goals:

● establish conflict
● introduce power imbalance
● reveal class differences
● create emotional tension
● establish future interaction

Premium choices:

● allow the protagonist to provoke the rival
● increase chemistry and emotional tension
● unlock additional dialogue variations

Chat Sequence
After the confrontation, the rival contacts the protagonist.

Goals:

● continue conflict in a lower-stakes environment
● establish recurring communication
● introduce the next plot event
● create opportunities for flirtation and verbal sparring

Premium choices:

● allow the protagonist to question the rival’s interest
● suggest possible attraction beneath the blackmail
● increase tension and curiosity

Design Considerations

● User remains gender-neutral (they/them).
● Player agency is primarily expressed through dialogue choices and
attitude.
● Premium choices focus on personality expression and relationship
dynamics.
● Story progression is driven by rivalry transforming into emotional
attachment.

Lessons Learned

Following review feedback, future iterations would strengthen:

● User agency and story impact.
● Clearer romantic motivation.
● More gradual emotional progression.
● Additional branching consequences tied to player decisions.
The Future Has Already Begun

Interactive Narrative Concept

Genre

Science Fiction / Drama / Interactive Fiction

Premise

On New Year’s Eve of 1999, an ordinary man hears an urban legend about a
mysterious payphone.

According to the legend, if someone calls the number exactly at midnight
between 1999 and 2000, they may reach their future self.

Curious and skeptical, the protagonist decides to try.

To his shock, somebody answers.

It is himself.

Twenty-two years older.

Narrative Hook

The story explores a universal fantasy:

If you could speak to your future self for one minute, what would you ask?

Instead of focusing on time-travel mechanics, the narrative centers on emotional
questions:

● family
● love
● regret
● success
● happiness
● the future of the country
● the value of ordinary moments
Interactive Structure

The player can choose which topic to discuss with their future self.

Available branches include:

Family

The protagonist asks about his wife and daughter.

Finances

The protagonist asks whether his family will eventually escape poverty.

Personal Future

Questions about success, aging, dreams, and fulfillment.

The State of the World

Questions about technology, politics, and the future of Ukraine.

Each branch reveals different aspects of the future while maintaining a sense of
mystery.

Narrative Themes

The Limits of Knowledge

The future self avoids giving direct answers that could dramatically alter the
timeline.

Ordinary Happiness

The story suggests that happiness is not found in extraordinary events but in
everyday moments.
Time and Regret

The older version of the protagonist reflects on missed opportunities and lessons
learned.

Hope

Although the future contains challenges, the overall tone remains optimistic and
warm.

Design Goals

● Create emotional engagement through relatable questions.
● Use branching dialogue to personalize the experience.
● Avoid excessive exposition about time travel.
● Maintain mystery while delivering meaningful emotional payoffs.
● End on a hopeful note rather than a dramatic twist.

Inspiration

The story draws inspiration from:

● Back to the Future
● The Time Machine
● Interstellar
● classic urban legends
● post-Soviet nostalgia of the late 1990s

Author’s Note

This project was created as an interactive short story exploring how people
imagine their future and what questions matter most when given only one
minute to ask them.
Hold On Tight

Interactive mystery/drama visual novel.

A story about Alex, a young criminal detained after a violent incident. During
interrogation, he begins to notice strange details about the detective questioning
him: familiar gestures, familiar habits, and memories that refuse to stay buried.

The narrative combines branching dialogue, relationship-based choices, and
flashback sequences that gradually reveal the connection between the
protagonist and the detective.

Responsibilities

● Story concept and narrative design
● Character creation and development
● Branching dialogue writing
● Choice design with different personality paths
● Flashback structure and pacing
● Scene scripting
● Relationship and mystery progression

Key Features

● Character-driven narrative
● Multiple dialogue approaches (provocative, neutral, hostile)
● Dynamic relationship building
● Gradual mystery reveal
● Psychological tension
● Non-linear storytelling through memory sequences

Genre

Mystery / Drama / Interactive Fiction