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

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

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

⏱️ 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 🎧 🐲

Limuni

helping Founders become directors and create the business of their dreams ✨️ 

DM me to book an intro call 🍋

Founder & Business Strategist 🍋 

NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

🚀 Inclusion Diversity Equity & Access Consulting

🚀 Reviewing inclusion plans of STEM programmes

🚀 Focus on creative solutions to inclusion needs 

🚀 Collaborate with IDEA teams to form effective feedback

IDEA Professional

Nobody Studios

Crowd Investor

THE NONBINARY CORNER

Co-Founder & Host

Events Industry

⬛️ I have organised 800+ events in 10 yrs & led 50+ International teams generating over £200k to my clients directly 


⬛️ I have specialised in Festivals operations and worked across the UK and Sicily (IT) ranging between the 3.000 - 60.000 people attendance and coordinated single-handedly teams varying from 2 - 30 people and also coordinated online events with a few hundred in the audience.

⬛️ I have contributed to the smooth run of traffic management operations, artist liaison, stage management, decor project management, events planning and set up, de-rigging and conflict management. 

I have worked for a large variety of Events and Festivals in the UK, here's a sample :

⬛️ Eden Festival, Scotland / June 2017, 2018, 2019, 2024
⬛️ Solfest Festival, Cumbria / August 2018
⬛️ Sketchy Beats Stage, Lindisfarne Festival, Northumberland / August 2018
⬛️ Kelburn Garden Party Festival, Scotland / July 2016,2017,2022,2024
⬛️ Eye Of Storm Events Company, Boomtown Fair, England / August 2017
⬛️Audio Soup 2016,2017
⬛️ Knockengorroch 2017


Some of the roles covered

𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐫
𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫
𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐫
𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐏𝐎𝐂
𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐆𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧
𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐆𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭
𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐫
𝐂𝐨𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦
𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐭 𝐏𝐲𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐝 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞
𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫
𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐋𝐢𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐎𝐥𝐝 𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞

Festivals and Events Operations Manager

The Founders' Strategist 🌞 I help you overcome OVERWHELM by building a clear strategy that takes your biz to the next level | Nonbinary Sicilian Founder 🏳️‍🌈

I support scaling Founders in building stable businesses. 🍋 


my Founders have this issue : 

1) they have scaled their business successfully but are working too much 


this makes them overwhelmed by having to lead all biz areas and causes them to either shut down or scale down their biz 

this issue is common because scaling forces a Founder to grow from specialist to director which is what I support with.



when I started my Events Operations career, I had the same exact issues.

today, I have 800 events projects under my belt and a strategic directorial skillset so I can work with my passions without being overwhelmed.



I love teaching Founders the same skillset using these 4 steps : 

AUDIT : to define your point A 

STRATEGY ALIGNMENT : ensuring your biz strategy is aligned with personal needs 

ACCOUNTABILITY AND SUPPORT : you get clear and simple action plans to execute and remove decision making fatigue 

TRAINING: I will train you on strategic thinking so you learn how to be a director to your business and take the best decisions 






Client Case Study 


Karissa Pearlstone : 

- helped her build an Ops department and her first team to sustain £10k -> £40k growth 

- learned to hire, onboard and fire in a ethical and effective way 

- defined workflow process and systems 

- defined ideal clients and staff 

- clear long - term vision and plan to buy her time back 

- clear short - term actions to stabilise the business 

- improved client experience pathway 

- created a bank of SOPs to speed up staff onboarding 


In 1 yr, Karissa has quadrupled her income, built a team , went on 3 holidays, moved to her dream country and reconnected with herself. 



Today Karissa is working 1:1 with me and also joined my Strategy Mastermind where I coach a group of driven Founders. 


If you're a scaling Founder who wants to build stability in their business, DM to book a chat.  🍋

taplio

The Battle

Alena Lysiakova

Lu Castello 🍋

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The Battle

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Lu Castello 🍋

Followers

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Engagements

Likes

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