Writing
Found below are short samples of some of my personal writing projects, in a variety of forms that I feel they best demonstrate my ability to write in script and prose format, and include horror, fantasy and science fiction genres.
I welcome any conversations about these projects and the possibility to collaborate and develop my work.
Project Umbra
“And DO remember, take a moment everyday to look outside and enjoy that spectacular view!”
It’s been ten years since the scientific expedition on Proxima Centauri c first established base. And three years since they went silent. That station has waited in equilibrium, in a state of mystery ever since – in a state of total darkness. Now it’s time to turn the lights on, and uncover the truth of what happened to the crew of Project Umbra.
Project Umbra is an original game concept, a narrative driven science-fiction horror, inspired by a range of dystopian and atmospheric games like Bioshock and Dead Space. Attached below are some short writing samples intended to demonstrate my ability to write in-game object texts for interactions and collectables.
‘We Are Spared Hell’
“Know yourself, avoid bad company, and stand firm.”
A traumatised orphan, an ostracised nun, both trying to survive a country torn apart by war. Against the backdrop of religious persecution and destruction, their parallel stories will intertwine as they each navigate the cruel machinations of men and a mysterious apocalyptic prophesy. With the time for miracles now passed, how far can their faith be tested, and what promises will they make to survive…
An original story inspired by the 17th century picaresque novel ‘Simplicius Simplicissimus’, written by Hans Jakob Christoffel von Grimmelshausen. It is a folkloric horror that combines the grim setting of the Thirty Years War (1618-48) with Germanic and Christian mythologies, to produce a story focused on superstition, existentialism, and faith. The story is being developed as both a feature-length screenplay and larger novel manuscript, and samples of each style are provided below.
Spacewalker in an Antique Land
“Soon enough you’ll be a star yourself, a twinkle in the night sky…”
The first human to venture to the edge of the galaxy, Abigail feels the weight of expectation and the fear of the unknown. And now, sitting alone at her journey’s end, she is left alone with only her thoughts, and the remnants of what came before.
A project in its infancy, this meditative science fiction story is an exploration on loneliness, the cosmic awe of space, and the bounds of human achievement. Below is a short sample of prose, inspired by varying science fiction sources, and a rather poignant poem by Percy Shelley…
Dancing Machines
“It is erratic… it is… inconsistent… illogical even. They are… are… Dancing!”
In the year 2048, David Dubois is a former robot expert called in by the enigmatic Penniworth Toy Packaging Company to investigate an outbreak of a virus amongst their synthetic workforce that causes the robots to dance. As he tries to stop the virus spreading and uncover its cause, he soon begins to wonder about the broader scientific and philosophical questions the machines raise.
Inspired by my game prototype of the same name, Dancing Machines is a short sci-fi comedy inspired by short stories found in Isaac Asimov’s ‘I, Robot’. I am still experimenting whether I want it to be prose or script, but below is a sample opening in the latter format.
Heterotopia
“A place between… a stop on the line that you know you’ll never get off at. You pass it every day and don’t think twice. It’s nowhere to us, but something must be there…”
Four strangers become witnesses to a brutal and senseless attack on the London Underground. As they try to move on, they find themselves plagued by increasingly inexplicable experiences every time they step foot on a train. As they seek to answer to what connects them together, they question what draws them back to the Underground… and what keeps following them out?
An adaptation of my game prototype of the name same, this psychological horror is inspired by the common experiences of commuters navigating the social melting pot that is the London Underground. Written as a feature-length screenplay, a sample of the opening scene is provided below.
‘Where No Gentle Breeze Blows’
“With his capriciousness, his viciousness, and undeniable charm, he is a dangerous man in any walk of life- as outstanding an American as I have ever seen.”
San Francisco, 1856. A city of near limitless opportunity and fortune, where a man can re-make himself into something greater. But it is also a city of violence, depravity and terror. The gangs rule the streets, the politicians control the gangs, and gold rules the hearts of every man who it touches.
But now, with the emergence of a Vigilance Committee threatening to wrestle back control of the city and take the fights to the streets, how far are San Francisco’s self-made tyrants willing to go to protect their fortune?
A semi-fictional historical epic, inspired by Martin Scorsese’s ‘Gangs of New York’, and based on the works of Herbert Asbury, this is intended as a limited series television script that details the most infamous cases of vigilante justice in American history. Linked below is the potential opening scene for the first episode, setting the tone of the city.