NICOLE JENELLE SMITH
Narrative Writing & Design, Worldbuilding
Hi! I'm Nicole, a Sr. Narrative Writer & Designer with three years of industry experience across multiple titles and mediums.
My skills include worldbuilding, character development, VO script writing, flavor text, marketing copy, comics, short story, and long-form prose. In my current role, I am also additionally specialized in foundational worldbuilding and licensor education. I thrive in collaborative interdisciplinary environments and enjoy untangling and improving complex creative development processes in addition to my core narrative skillset. Take a look at my work experience below, or download my resume here.
my creative philosophy
I love storytelling. Whether it's game writing, narrative theory, capturing patient narratives in clinical spaces, or the latest fantasy bestseller, I believe that telling stories is one of our best tools to empower, empathize, and have positive impact on our own lives and the lives of others.
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Like many game development professionals, I took a nontraditional path into this industry. To me, working in game development as a narrative writer means not only sharpening the core skills related to getting words onto a blank page, but also understanding where and how story can move audiences (and colleagues) by leveraging different disciplines. Multimedia storytelling is therefore not only a great proving grounds for the power of narrative—I believe it is the future of storytelling altogether.
My philosophy as a narrative writer and designer boils down to this: narrative is the glue of game development. When executed with consideration and care for the varied pieces of every game, narrative holds things together, providing a cohesive, consistent, and inspiring game experience for the player.
work experience
take a look at some of my sample work here.
Jul 2024 - Current
Disney Lorcana
Ravensburger
Sr. Narrative Writer & Designer leading three expansions from concept to print, with additional allocations to worldbuilding, publishing, and creative text teams. Specialized in foundational worldbuilding alignment and the communication of worldbuilding information to non-narrative and non-creative teams, including designing workshops for licensor education. Writing for core formats, additional play patterns, and multiple publishing products, including comprehensive consumer-facing worldbuilding projects. Represented narrative and worldbuilding interests to internal brand and marketing teams in addition to licensor entities, including brand guide writing.
March 2023 - March 2024
Legends of Runeterra
Riot Games
Lead narrative writer on three expansions. Owned all narrative and marketing text needs as sole writer on the product. Developed multiple champions (including an IP original champion) in collaboration with art and design. Wrote 25+ completed VO scripts, in addition to flavor text for 300+ cards across base IP and more than half a dozen AUs. Significant work on character adaptation while retaining essential elements of voice, tone, personality, and likeness. Experience in scratch scripts, casting, and VO records. Represented narrative interests in the design of exploratory PvE branching gameplay. Additional supporting writer credits on Bandle Tale.
Summer 2022
Writing & Editing Services Team
Riot Games
Provided narrative support on a number of projects across different mediums, including VO scriptwriting, comics, short stories, and worldbuilding work. Produced exploratory work for game formats including PvP, PvE, MMO, MOBA, and RPG, in addition to exploratory script work for animation. Developed improved work request pipeline for partner teams to solicit central services narrative support.
education
Aug 2024 - Current
M.S. - Narrative Medicine
USC Keck School of Medicine
I am currently working towards my master in science in Narrative Medicine, an emerging interdiscplinary field of study that leverages narrative theory and the power of storytelling to improve patient-clinician outcomes. This degree involves intensive work in topics ranging from qualitative research to narrative ethics to racial medicine. For my capstone, I am pursuing a study on the theory of fantasy and the ways in which fantasy as a genre can allow us to examine and reimagine our own reality. This degree represents the intersection of my interests in narrative and medicine. (Prior to and concurrently with my work in game development, I worked as a certified medical and surgical assistant, but that's a topic for another portfolio entirely.)
2019 - 2023
B.A. - English Literature
UCLA
After spending half my degree in Physiological Science as a pre-medical student, I made the decision to switch into English, where I focused on narrative theory (particularly theory of the novel), completing a capstone on the representation of consciousness in literature. I graduated with a 3.84 GPA and was elected to UCLA's Phi Beta Kappa society, in addition to extensive community service work and multiple student leadership positions.
2015 - 2019
High School Diploma
Harvard-Westlake High School
Graduated with honors and a 4.4 GPA from a competitive preparatory high school in the Los Angeles area. Four years of varsity soccer, competing in matches across the nation.