EarReality

Narrative Designer 

Screenwriter

Paralect

Full writing support for the needs of the company:
- Writing articles and guest posts
- Creating case studies and video scripts
- Writing ads for various online channels
- Interviewing
- Supporting sales, product and marketing activities

Left the company to study full-time for MA Serial Storytelling in Germany

Copywriter

StockBattle

Worked on several web and mobile games aimed at crypto and stock market education. 
- UX writing
- Social media writing
- Blogging

Media Manager

FBS Inc.

- Managing a creative team (6 people) of the traffic department, later - of the FBS Global product, team lead.
- Copywriting for websites, landing pages, offline and online materials of the company in English.
- Creation of creative concepts, UX copywriting
- Editing and proofreading of materials for novice copywriters, training for copywriters

Creative Team Lead / Copywriter 

Heads and Hands

Content marketing and PR for Russian and International markets:
- Strategy planning
- Content marketing (blogging, SMM, ratings, etc.)
- PR
- Online Marketing

Marketing and PR specialist

Reksoft

Marketing Manager

Marketing Assistant

All my life I’ve been a fierce force of imagination, persistence, and hard work: like a dragon hunting for gold. But instead of treasure, I’ve been searching for stories to tell and ways to make an impact.

Born in Belarus, I studied journalism in Bulgaria and worked in marketing in Russia, but storytelling has always been my true passion. I create narratives that allow people to explore fresh perspectives in a safe, immersive way.

As a queer, neurodivergent woman from a patriarchal country, I’m passionate about shedding light on complex topics through my work. Over the years, I’ve designed more than 100 LARP games, written 10+ original tabletop campaigns, and worked as a script supervisor on the short film Mein Name Akim (2024), which tells the story of transgender refugees in Germany.

During my MA in Serial Storytelling at IFS Cologne, I honed my skills across genres, working on solo projects as well as collaborating in Writers' Rooms.

Currently, I’m co-developing a visual novel game with a co-author as a passion project.

Now that I've completed my degree, I’m eager to bring my creativity to TV and gaming, crafting stories in both English and German.

Dragons never stop breathing fire. And neither do I, with an endless flow of ideas and stories I can’t wait to share.

Alena Lysiakova 🐉 🔜 GAMESCOM

Your script is not a novel.


And the sooner a writer accepts that, the faster their work starts to breathe.
A screenplay or game script isn’t meant to be read for beauty: it’s meant to be performed, built, acted, and played.

That means:
- Less inner monologue, more behavior.
- Less description, more playable action.
- Less “she feels broken inside,” more “she laughs at the wrong moment.”
Scripts are blueprints for collaboration: not literary exhibitions.

Once you start writing for performance instead of for pages, everything changes. Characters move. Scenes breathe. And suddenly, people can actually make the thing you wrote.

#Screenwriting #NarrativeDesign #GameDev #StoryForScreen

Alena Lysiakova 🐉

Narrative designer and screenwriter ▶️ Let's create stories that make an impact

Here’s a reminder: your antagonist thinks they’re the protagonist. ✍️


The best villains don’t twirl mustaches and cackle. They wake up convinced they’re right. Maybe even more right than your hero. And that makes them dangerous.

👉 When I write antagonists, I don’t start with “how do I make them evil?” I start with: “What do they want, and why does it make perfect sense to them?”

That’s when the lines blur: and suddenly, you’ve got an antagonist the audience can’t dismiss, because a part of them (almost)… makes sense. 

#Screenwriting #Storytelling

After six truly amazing months, my internship at EarReality has come to an end: and what a journey it’s been. 🎧✨


During this time, I grew both as a writer and a writing coach, learned the ins and outs of storytelling for audio games, and wrote six different games (with one more on the way!): three of them based on original IPs.

🖤 My story Heart for a Hunter was even featured as part of Gamescom Cologne Epixx, and several more of my projects are now in production.

I’ve had the absolute pleasure of working with incredibly talented people across Europe and the US: special thanks to Christian Mahnke 🔜 Bookfair Frankfurt, Jörg Benne, and Felix Kowalzik for their support and guidance, and to all the amazing coaches and interns who made every brainstorming session worth it. 💜 

🐲 Now it’s time for a new chapter. I’m opening up for freelance gigs as a narrative designer or game writer for the upcoming months: ready to bring more worlds, characters, and choices to life.

Let’s make something unforgettable. 💥

#NarrativeDesign #GameWriting #Storytelling #InteractiveFiction

Your narrator isn’t your babysitter. 🎙️


One of the biggest mistakes I see in interactive audio stories is over-explaining everything.

“Now you walk into the room.”
 “You see a strange light.”
 “You pick up the key.”

Cool. I got it. Let me imagine it.

💡 Audio storytelling works best when it trusts the listener’s brain to fill in the blanks. The human imagination is way better at worldbuilding than any descriptive monologue could ever be.

Your narrator should guide, not babysit. If they’re describing things the player already knows, you’re wasting both time and tension.

🐲 Leave space. Let silence and sound design do the talking. Give the player room to breathe and believe.

#NarrativeDesign #AudioGames #Storytelling

🐲  Last week, I took part in the Keep an Eye Narrative Jam.


And had an unreasonably good amount of fun turning caffeine and chaos into a short interactive story (around 10 minutes of playthrough).

👁️“Keep an Eye” is a cozy witch comedy about ambition, bad instructions, and one very judgmental eyeball in a jar.

If you’re up for some Halloween vibes with humor and pastry magic, check it out on itch: 
 👉 https://lnkd.in/eQZW9Wu8

Sometimes all you need to make a story work is a jar, a curse, and too much cinnamon.

#twine #interactivewriting #gamejam

Open article: Keep an Eye by shuhiyo.itch.io

Player attention span in audio games is ruthless. 💀 


You don’t get flashy visuals or dramatic camera cuts. You get a voice, a moment, and a few seconds to make them care.  If the opening lines don’t grab attention, the player doesn’t “come back later”: they just gone.

🐲 That’s why pacing in audio storytelling is brutal but beautiful.

👉 Short sentences. Hooks loaded with tension. Emotional stakes introduced early; not in Scene 5. No one will wait three scenes to “get to the point.” In audio, every second of silence or filler is a gamble against the player’s attention span.

🎧 Tip I live by: write like someone could leave at any moment. Because in audio: they will.

#NarrativeDesign #AudioGames #InteractiveFiction #GameWriting

Players don’t need perfect information. They need trust.


In interactive audio games, we can’t display stats, highlight paths, or show glowing icons saying “this is the correct choice.”

So yes, players often make decisions without all the context. And that’s fine.

The real issue isn’t not knowing everything. 👉 The real issue is when players stop believing the story will react fairly to what they choose.

If they feel like the game is listening, truly reacting, they relax into the narrative, even if they’re unsure. But if every choice feels random or disconnected, trust breaks. And once trust is gone, immersion follows.

So the goal isn't to explain more.

🐲 It’s to design with respect: give players just enough to feel in control, and they’ll happily fill in the rest with imagination.

#NarrativeDesign #AudioGames #PlayerExperience #GameWriting

Super excited to be writing a story set in the Titan Effect universe. Expect intricate plot twists, action, packed with moral dilemmas, and a few choices that might haunt you later. 💥✍️ 🐲 

Thank you, EarReality, for this amazing opportunity!

Helping Media Companies, Game Studios & Brands Expand Their IP Through Interactive Storytelling | CEO @ EarReality | TWIST Game Engine | Transmedia Strategy | In-Car, Mobile & Web Experiences

View Christian Mahnke 🔜 Bookfair Frankfurt’s profile

Happy to announce another collaboration project. Our superb writer and story coach Alena Lysiakova 🐉 is going to write an interactive audio stories related Christian Nommay's tabletop RPG Titan Effect.

Titan Effect is a tabletop role-playing game and a storyworld project set in a near-future where spies gifted with psychic powers clash with genetically enhanced soldiers, in a secret war in which the fate of human evolution is at stake.

Amazing setting. Amazing writer. I'm truly excited for this one!!

#EarReality #TWIST #marketing #storytelling #games #gaming #stories #audiobooks #audio #RPGs #writing #books #narrativedesign #automotive #innovation #InCarEntertainment

Exposition isn’t the enemy: boring exposition is. 💀 

“Show, don’t tell” gets thrown around like a sacred rule. But let’s be honest: sometimes, you need to tell stuff. Lore exists. Rules exist. Worlds have context. The problem isn’t exposition.

😑 The problem is when it feels like a lore lecture instead of a story.

If exposition happens through:
Conflict → two characters arguing about what’s true
Emotion → a reveal that hurts instead of informs
Humor or sarcasm → information delivered with personality
 …then it stops sounding like homework. 🐲 

"Show, don’t tell" is overrated. Better rule: “Tell it well or don’t tell it yet.”

#Screenwriting #NarrativeDesign #Storytelling

I occasionally write about TV and games, when I’m not busy writing for them. 🎮📺


It’s my way of poking at stories I love (and some I don’t) to see why they work, break, or haunt us for weeks afterward.

One of my latest pieces just came out:
 👉 The New Flesh: Modern Body Horror Beyond Gore
https://lnkd.in/eZdtaAkM

It looks at how modern body horror moved past cheap jump scares and buckets of blood: straight into the messier territory of identity, transformation, and being trapped in a body that won’t stop changing. 

🐲 If you like your storytelling dark, smart, and a little uncomfortable, give it a read.

#Writing #Storytelling #BodyHorror

Open article: The new flesh: modern body horror beyond gore by meer.com

The new flesh: modern body horror beyond gore

Darren Kanthal, PCC, CPCC, DiSC

The Kanthal Group

𝐄𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐎𝐟 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩
 
We empower C-suite executives and their teams to master critical challenges, overcome organizational conflict, inspire action, and steer transformative change. Anchored in robust research from Harvard, Stanford, and MIT, our proven coaching process forges executive teams into aligned, agile, and resilient units, equipped to navigate and lead through change and uncertainty.
 
𝐖𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐮𝐧𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐭𝐡𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝-𝐨𝐧. 
 
We're not here to sugarcoat or sidestep the real issues holding leaders and their organizations back. Instead, we shine a bright, unflinching light on the blind spots, negative self-talk, and counterproductive behaviors that keep them stuck.
 
𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐫.  𝐍𝐨 𝐁𝐒.

► Interested to know more?
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
Call: ✆ 720-295-5417 (Mobile) 
Email: ✉ darren@thekanthalgroup.com
Visit: ☛ www.TheKanthalGroup.com

CEO | Executive Coach

The Job Seeker 6

Chief Executive Officer

ICC: Innovate. Coach. Consult.

ICC provides human-based, innovative solutions that improve outcomes for leaders and employees in the workplace. Learn more at www.InnovateICC.com

★ EXECUTIVE COACHING
★ DEVELOPMENT FOR EMERGING LEADERS
★ COMPASSIONATE OUTPLACEMENT SERVICES

Senior Executive Coach & Consultant

HR Colorado

HR Colorado is an inclusive network that 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘴, 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘴 our local HR community.
We are the only local comprehensive network dedicated solely to Human Resources professionals in Colorado!

If you haven't already, please join our email distribution list for the latest HR jobs and events in Colorado and follow us on LinkedIn!  www.HRcolorado.com

Vice President, Operations & Business Development

Black Creek Group

Black Creek Capital is a real estate company that develops, acquires, operates, finances and sells commercial and residential real estate in the United States and Mexico.  

• Led and managed the team responsible for executing recruitment strategies, programs, sourcing and recruitment plans
• Reengineered, implemented, and automated various processes and tools including but not limited to a new ATS, job distribution platform, refined interview schedule/process, and background checks achieving a 20% reduction in time to fill, greater data integrity, and minimized manual entry
• Launched an employment brand and social media strategy that included a new careers website, employee referral program, and community, campus, and diversity integration that resulted in a 40% reduction in Agency hires and greater than $300k in annual savings 
• Responsible for the Talent Acquisition budget 
• Planned, evaluated, and implemented sourcing methods used to identify quality candidates by securing key advertising partnerships and industry specific channels; allocating and maximizing advertising budget based on source effectiveness
• Provided on-going coaching and development to hiring managers on techniques that effectively sold and marketed Black Creek as the employer-of-choice in the industry; designed and delivered interviewing and selection training programs to hiring managers
• Developed and utilized performance metrics such as start/acceptance rates, time to fill, cost per hire, source effectiveness and attrition to drive individual departmental accountability, performance and improvement
• Partnered with vendors to implement tools that combined performance and recruitment data to assist with understanding where our best hires come from; guided decisions surrounding recruitment strategy
• Ensured compliance with all federal, state, and local laws, including ADA, Affirmative Action, EEO and work eligibility documentation requirements

Assistant Vice President, Talent Acquisition and Development

Director, Talent Acquisition

Charles Schwab

Responsible for managing strategic recruitment and human resources projects and programs designed to more effectively source, select and retain top talent

•	Provided leadership of cross-functional teams, managed processes and saw projects through to completion
•	Ensured the overall success of programs including Employee Referrals, College Recruiting, Internship Programs, Social Media, Internal Mobility, and Military Recruiting.  Re-engineered existing procedures to streamline processes and ensure a better experience for the end user
•	Managed relationships, influenced and persuaded at all levels of the organization as well as with external partners
•	Conducted needs analyses and gathered requirements to make recommendations of future projects and initiatives

Talent Acquisition / Recruitment Program Manager - College, Veteran/Military, Employee Referrals

American Residential Communities

Regional HR Manager and leader of strategic initiatives operating in a five state region with approx 250 employees.

•	Coach and guide managers at all levels of the organization regarding leadership development, performance management, disciplinary action, staffing and recruitment and succession planning strategies
•	Implemented a progressive disciplinary action process and achieved fairness in dealing with employee relations issues by effectively collaborating with and advising Sr. Management
•	Conduct investigations; interview witnesses, determine validity of the accusations, propose appropriate action and draft witness and summary statements
•	Co-authored skill guides and conducted road shows to roll-out and train Field Managers
•	Create and provide Sr. Management dashboards to evaluate the success of HR programs and drive future initiatives
•	Present employee retention and turnover reduction strategies at annual meetings
•	Deliver company responses to EEOC, ADA, HIPAA, DOL, and unemployment hearings 
•	Proposed 9-block performance management model to identify top performers and prepare them to be successors for key roles within the company as well as identifying underperformers that should be exited from the business

HR Business Partner

Nelnet

Responsible for implementing a full-cycle recruiting strategy and diversity initiative for Nelnet and its subsidiaries.

•	Developed a comprehensive recruitment strategy to source and recruit qualified IT and Operations candidates to be placed within Nelnet and its family of companies: CUnet, Petersons, Sparkroom, Nelnet Business Solutions, and FACTS
•	Utilized job boards (traditional and niche), social networking, recruiting agencies, corporate website, referrals, and colleges/universities to identify a diverse pool of qualified candidates 
•	Ensured that company, state, and federal policies/laws are followed in recruitment and placement procedures
•	Provided a detailed analysis of the Predictive Index assessment comparing a candidates behavioral tendencies to those of the position
•	Partnered with Sr.  Leadership and HR Managers to identify future needs of the business and build a pool of viable, passive candidates
•	Experienced within the Interactive Advertising, Online Marketing and E-commerce industries
•	Worked with candidates and attorneys to finalize and apply for H1-B Visas

Sr. Recruiter

ITT Systems

ITT Corporation is a high-technology engineering and manufacturing company operating on all seven continents in three vital markets: water and fluids management, global defense and security, and motion and flow control. With a heritage of innovation, ITT partners with its customers to deliver extraordinary solutions that create more livable environments, provide protection and safety and connect our world. Headquartered in White Plains, N.Y., the company generated 2008 sales of $11.7 billion.

Responsible for placing government contractors in the Middle East to support military operations abroad.  Skill-set included Systems/Network Administrators and Engineers, Help Desk Technicians, Mechanics, Supply Clerks and Technicians

Contract Recruiter

First Data Corporation

First Data provides payment-processing services to the world’s largest financial services providers, to the merchant around the corner, and to businesses and governments of all sizes in between. We ensure that money moves accurately and securely anytime, anywhere.  Through our global reach, we provide value-added solutions to deliver real client successes through a strong belief in and a solid commitment to our vision and our mission.

Responsible for fully staffing a newly formed Project Management Office (PMO) to include Directors, Sr. Project Managers, Project Managers, PM Analyst, PM Coordinators

Sr. Contract Recruiter

𝐄𝐱𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 & 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐂𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬 | 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐄𝐱𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐮𝐥𝐞, 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.

𝐖𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐂-𝐬𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐨𝐛𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐬:
• Team misalignment
• Inefficient decision-making
• Communication challenges
• Conflict resolution

𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐄𝐱𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐠𝐨𝐚𝐥𝐬. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥:
• Master the internal doubts that hold you back from leading at your best
• Build cohesive, high-trust teams that drive results
• Create a ripple effect of excellence throughout your organization

Our strategic leadership coaching creates a ripple effect, where every change at the top creates positive transformation throughout your entire organization.

We’re not “hit-and-run” consultants—we’re your long-term partners, committed to sustainable executive leadership.

We speak truth to power, delivering insights without sugar-coating, because we know real growth begins with real talk.

𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐫. 𝐍𝐨 𝐁𝐒.

☎️Call: ✆ 720-295-5417 (Mobile)
📩Email: ✉ darren@thekanthalgroup.com
🌎Visit: ☛ www.TheKanthalGroup.com

Founder | Certified Executive Coach | Leadership Coach | Career Coach | Job Coaching

The Kanthal Group (Candid Career Coaching)—Who We Are
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
 
At The Kanthal Group, we have candid career conversations with our clients. We don’t avoid difficult topics. We address them head on – candidly – with tact, discretion and empathy. We have deep conversations and challenge our clients to think deeper about who they are, who they want to be, and how to create the career-life balance they want. The Kanthal Group coaches senior, mid-level, and emerging leaders throughout their careers.
 
 
Our Offering:
▬▬▬▬▬▬
► Leadership Coaching
► Career Coaching
► Positive Intelligence | Mental Fitness
► Professional Development | Workshops and Facilitation
► Speaking engagements
 
Our Vision:
▬▬▬▬▬
A trusted partner to help you navigate your career—whether you’re an experienced leader looking to be more effective in your role, or you’ve been passed over for a promotion and aren’t sure why. Perhaps you’re an emerging leader looking to soar out of the gate, or you’re in between jobs and lost about what to do. Now you don’t have to do it alone.
 
Why Us:
▬▬▬▬
The Kanthal Group does Career Coaching differently. We know what it takes to be an effective leader and coach you at all stages of your career, not just when you’re in between jobs.

► Interested to know more?
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
Call: ✆ 720-295-5417 (Mobile) 
Email: ✉ darren@thekanthalgroup.com
Visit: ☛ www.CandidCareerCoaching.com

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Alena Lysiakova 🐉 🔜 GAMESCOM

Darren Kanthal, PCC, CPCC, DiSC

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The Battle

Alena Lysiakova 🐉 🔜 GAMESCOM

Darren Kanthal, PCC, CPCC, DiSC

Followers

Posts

Engagements

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Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Alena Lysiakova 🐉 🔜 GAMESCOM's LinkedIn Performance

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Performance ScoreAlena Lysiakova 🐉 🔜 GAMESCOM's LinkedIn Performance