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

Finishing my first #vertical rom-com sample taught me one thing very clearly: you don’t write episodes from the beginning. You write them from the cliffhanger. 🙂 


In verticals, the ending isn’t a nice wrap-up. It’s the engine. Every episode has to land on a moment that reframes what we just saw, emotionally, romantically, or comedically, and makes the next episode unavoidable.
So instead of asking, “How does this episode start?” I started asking, “What’s the last thing I want the viewer to feel?” 

💡 Once the cliffhanger is clear, the rest of the episode snaps into place. Scenes suddenly know how long they’re allowed to be. Dialogue stops rambling. Every beat either pushes toward that final turn or it gets cut.

Writing verticals this way changed how I think about structure in general.
Endings first. Then precision. Then mercy for nothing that doesn’t earn its place. In most of the cases, if the cliffhanger works, the episode works. Everything else is just scaffolding.

#VerticalSeries #Screenwriting #StoryStructure

Alena Lysiakova 🐉

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

🐲 Ever wondered why some audio games pull you in instantly, and others just sound like long audiobooks with buttons?

It’s rarely a tech problem. It’s almost always a writing problem.
That’s why I’m running a live masterclass on writing for audio interactive games, and it’s built as a write-along session, not a lecture. 

What we’ll do together:
- Start with a simple inner pitch and turn it into a playable audio scene
- Learn how to write stories that work without visuals, using sound, silence, and pacing
- Craft dialogue that actually survives being spoken aloud
- Design micro-choices that create emotional pressure instead of fake branching
- Learn how to ask the right questions that drive interactive audio forward
- Break down the most common mistakes in audio interactive writing, and fix them with less text 

We’ll also explore TWIST, the interactive audio engine by EarReality, and how it makes writing for audio easy, intuitive, and exciting, even if you’re not technical.

You’ll leave with:
- A playable audio micro-scene you wrote during the session
- A repeatable way of thinking about interactive audio writing
- Clear next steps to continue developing your story

This is for you if you’re:
- A writer curious about games but focused on story
- A narrative designer moving into audio
- An audio drama creator exploring interactivity
- A creator looking for new storytelling formats

📝 Come ready to write. This is a write-along interactive session.
Event details & registration are below 👇 
https://lnkd.in/eiV_CTyB

Audio interactive games are not audiobooks. They are not podcasts with choices. And they don’t work if you “just write good dialogue.”

This live masterclass is a writing-first, hands-on session focused entirely on how stories change when they are written for ears, choice, and listener agency. We are not talking about game mechanics or coding. We are talking about writing — and how to rethink it for interactive audio.

📝 Be ready to write a lot. And interact a lot. This masterclass is designed for people who learn by doing, not by watching slides.

Vera Leininger, Wynona Cybil Alwyn and 24 other attendees

View event: Masterclass: Writing for Interactive Audio Games

Masterclass: Writing for Interactive Audio Games

One of the fastest ways to break immersion in an audio game is letting the protagonist know more than the player. 👾 


The moment that happens, intimacy is gone. 💀 
Audio works because it’s close. Personal. Almost conspiratorial. The player is inside the character’s head. And that only works when discovery happens together.

Shared ignorance is powerful.

When neither the player nor the protagonist knows what’s behind the door, every sound matters. Every pause carries weight. Every choice feels risky, not because it’s complex, but because it’s unknown.

From a narrative design perspective, this changes how you structure information:
🐲 Exposition becomes something you earn, not something you dump
🐲 Revelations land harder because they surprise both sides
🐲 Trust forms between player and character; you’re figuring it out together

The opposite is also true. If the protagonist casually hints at knowledge the player doesn’t have (“You already know why this is bad…”), the player is suddenly outside the story, trying to catch up instead of living it.

In audio, dramatic irony is a luxury you rarely need. Alignment beats cleverness.

👉 Design your stories so the player and protagonist learn, doubt, and panic at the same pace. That’s where audio stops being a format and becomes an experience.

#NarrativeDesign #AudioGames #StoryArchitecture

In audio games, choices aren’t just content. 
👉 They’re mechanics.


“Open the door.” “Crack the door quietly.” “Kick the door in.”
Same action. Completely different game.

The phrasing doesn’t just describe behavior, it tells the player how to feel about the choice. Safe. Careful. Aggressive. Desperate. Confident. Panicked.

That’s why writing choices is a design task, not just a writing one.
When I work on audio narratives, I think about:
🐲 What emotional tone does this phrasing signal?
🐲 Does it invite caution or recklessness?
🐲 Does it frame the player as in control or reacting under pressure?
🐲 Does it suggest consequences without spelling them out?

The player isn’t only choosing what to do. They’re choosing how they are doing it and who they are in this moment.

If your choices are all written in the same neutral voice, you’re flattening player agency, even if the branches are complex. In audio, wording is gameplay.

#NarrativeDesign #AudioGames #GameWriting

🐲 Audio games shine when they tap into instinct. 


Fear. Curiosity. Trust. Suspicion. That split-second feeling of “this feels wrong” or “I should follow this voice.” 

💀 What they don’t do well?
Turning into memory exams.

If a good outcome depends on recalling a name, a code, or a tiny detail from 20 minutes ago, you’re fighting the format. Audio isn’t built for note-taking. It’s built for presence.

Instead, strong audio choices are designed around:
🐲 Emotional recognition (“This voice feels unsafe.”)
🐲 Pattern sensing (“This keeps happening when I trust them.”)
🐲 Narrative logic (“They warned me about this kind of room.”)

That way, even if the player doesn’t remember the exact detail, they still feel like they made a meaningful choice, not a random guess.

Good audio design doesn’t ask: “Did you remember?”
It asks: “What does your gut tell you right now?”

That’s where audio becomes powerful.

#NarrativeDesign #AudioGames

Quick reminder: besides writing stories, I also help other people write theirs. 🎧✍️

I’m opening a few free coaching spots this month for storytellers:  screenwriters, game writers and copywriters or anyone trying to untangle their plot at 2am. 

👉 If you want sharp feedback, practical tools, and zero sugarcoating (but lots of support), hop in.

Open article: ADPList: Get mentored by Alena Lysiakova 🐉 on ADPList by adplist.org

ADPList: Get mentored by Alena Lysiakova 🐉 on ADPList

Feel Good Murder TV was on 🔥 in 2025. Is it still so?

That TV trend that feels strange to explain but makes total sense once you experience it. 🐲 

In my latest article, I explore why feel-good murder shows are suddenly everywhere and why audiences are strangely into it.

👉 https://lnkd.in/euAhfDMu

If you’re interested in how tone, genre expectations, and emotional hooks shape modern storytelling (especially in TV), this one might make you rethink what “comfort viewing” really means.

#Storytelling #TVTrends #MediaAnalysis

Open article: The rise of feel-good murder TV by meer.com

Not every choice needs to derail the plot. 👾 


But every choice should change the experience.

In audio games especially, meaningful choices aren’t always about branching into entirely new storylines. They’re about shaping how the story feels to the player.

Good choices can:
🐲 Shift tone (kind, cautious, reckless, ruthless)
🐲 Redefine relationships and trust
🐲 Change how the player sees themselves in the story
🐲 Unlock bonus lore or small secrets that reward attention

One of my favorite design approaches is building narrative branches as journeys between fixed plot points. The destination stays the same, but the path there changes who you are when you arrive. The agency lives in letting the player leave their fingerprints all over it.

👉 If a choice makes the player think, “This felt like me,” then it worked, even if the plot stayed exactly where it was.

#NarrativeDesign #AudioGames #GameWriting

⏱️ Starting in ONE hour!

The masterclass on writing for interactive audio is about to begin. 
If you’re in — grab your spot now and join live.

👉 https://lnkd.in/edpWX8TG

See you there 🎧 🐲

Microland Limited

Responsible for driving the company's growth and service delivery in the region. This includes developing and implementing strategies to increase market share, enhance customer relationships, and ensure service delivery. 

Have a deep understanding of the EMEA market and a proven track record of success in leading and growing teams. Skilled in building and maintaining strong relationships with key stakeholders, including customers, partners, and employees.

Have delivered ~40% growth in the first two years of this role. Developed and implemented effective strategies, established strong partnerships, and multiple go-to-market initiatives across Energy & Utilities, Manufacturing, Business Services and Local Government.

SVP and Head of EMEA

Responsible for driving the company's marketing strategy and overseeing all marketing initiatives. This includes developing and implementing plans to increase brand awareness, lead generation, and customer engagement. Plan and execute integrated marketing campaigns across a variety of channels, including events, social media, email, and content marketing.

Work closely with cross-functional teams to align marketing efforts with the overall business goals and objectives. 

Skilled at leveraging data and insights to inform marketing decisions.

Chief Marketing Officer (Interim)

Helping IT service providers to scale fast and accelerate growth.

Senior Vice President -  Global Technology Alliances

Responsible for the company's business in the ANZ/ASEAN region. I'm also responsible for the global solutioning and bid management for Microland.

Part of Microland since 2003 and have played many critical leadership roles in the US, UK, Australia and India. I have extensive experience in leading strategic, operational and functional pursuits in the IT outsourcing space with a keen eye for digital technologies and their application in support services. I have led many global deals for Microland and acquired customers that are strategic/top 10 accounts today.

Senior Vice President & Geo Head - ANZ

I was responsible for setting up the company locally and building the business from the ground up. This included developing and implementing strategies to establish a strong presence in the market, establish key partnerships, and drive revenue growth.

Vice President and Country Head (ANZ)

Was responsible for leading the company's information technology strategy and overseeing all IT initiatives. This included developing and implementing plans to improve system infrastructure, data management, and cybersecurity.

I worked very closely with the executive team to define and execute the company's IT vision, and I was instrumental in delivering innovative and cost-effective solutions, including two large transformation programs that supported the organisation's growth.

Chief Information Officer

Responsible for developing end to end solutions and bid responses for all prospects and customers of Microland globally across verticals. This includes presales support, collateral creation, solution design and bid management. Also responsible for commercial modeling and overall business realization.

Vice President - Solutions & Bid Management

AVP - Solutions & Services

Associate Vice President & Head -  Application Management Services

AGM & Practice Head - Infrastructure Application Services

Associate General Manager – Technology

Consultant/ Sr. Consultant / Group Consultant

Microland

Specialist

Entrepreneur

Founder

EMEA Business Head | Intrapreneur |Technology Solutions | Revenue Growth | Ex-CIO | Ex-CMO | Generative AI Enthusiast - Follow me for GPT Enterprise Use Cases

I am an accomplished business leader and intrapreneur with over 20 years of experience in the IT industry. I currently lead the EMEA business at Microland Limited, a global digital transformation company that provides innovative solutions to customers across various sectors. I am responsible for driving the company's growth and service delivery in the region, developing and implementing strategies to increase market share, enhance customer relationships, and ensure service excellence.

I have a deep understanding of the EMEA market and a proven track record of success in leading and growing teams. I have delivered ~40% growth in the first two years of this role, established strong partnerships, and launched multiple go-to-market initiatives across Energy & Utilities, Manufacturing, Business Services, and Local Government. 

I have also served as an interim CMO and a CIO at Microland Limited, gaining valuable insights into the marketing and technology functions. I have an MBA from Alliance Manchester Business School and a PowerMBA certification, which have enriched my knowledge and skills in business administration and management. I am also an advocate and enthusiast of Generative AI, a transformative technology that has immense potential for innovation and value creation.

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