Lauren O'Donoghue
Writer, game designer and workshop facilitator
About Me
I am a writer, game designer and workshop facilitator based in South Yorkshire, UK. I am currently studying towards a PhD in Creative Writing at Lancaster University. Alongside my writing work, I have experience in community outreach roles for charities and museums.I have published short fiction in a variety of outlets, and have worked with a number of clients in the UK and abroad to produce text games and deliver creative workshops.I'm passionate about collaborating with clients and participants to create exciting, inspiring and original work, especially when it involves broadening participation in the arts.Wondering whether I'd be a good fit for your project? Please get in touch for a chat! I'd love to hear from you.
My Work
Here are some examples of my published work.Short Fiction
Hypertext Games
What I OfferI offer bespoke writing, text game development and workshop delivery services. I've previously worked with clients including Levenshulme Old Library, Barnsley Museums, Leeds Trinity University and Rotherham Children's Capital of Culture, and I'm always excited to hear about new projects!
Fiction writing (prose, audio, video games)
Hypertext game development
Creative writing workshops (short stories, interactive fiction, writing for wellbeing)
Twine workshops for educators
Coproduction project coordination
Community outreach
Guest lectures (writing, game design, creative industries)
RatesStandard day rate (8 hours) £250
Standard half-day rate (4 hours) £125
Prose writing (per 100 words) £10Travel expenses covered where necessaryThese rates are based on the Artist's Union England rates of pay guidelines for freelancers. I'm very happy to discuss sliding-scale pricing for longer-term projects and smaller charitable organisations.
Twine for Educators Course
I am currently offering a one-day Twine for Educators course, for teachers and practitioners working in school and community settings. Twine is a free, open source program for making interactive fiction stories, and is a wonderful tool for teaching writing, game design and basic coding principles.Twine is a wonderfully accessible piece of software that is suitable for most ages. I teach the Harlowe format of Twine, which uses a simple scripting language aimed at non-coders.The cost of the course covers:
One day course for up to 12 participants
A pack of digital resources including group exercises and PDF reference sheets
Ongoing support and troubleshooting
During the course, participants will learn:
How to use Twine to build interactive fiction games
How to add images and visual styling to their games
Strategies for supporting students to develop their ideas
The course costs £300 as standard (reduced rates may be available for small charitable organisations)