Michael L. Fiegel
Seattle, WA * 415.298.6553
aeon@aeforge.com * www.aeforge.com/~aeon


Summary
------------------------------
I am an intuitive, experienced writer and game designer with both technical 
and creative aptitude. I am skilled at writing tight, realistic dialogue, 
as well as trimming and self-editing scripts to fit word counts and time 
constraints. I am a student of Jungian archetypes, comparative mythology 
and dramatic structure, especially as they apply to story arcs, quests and 
class mechanics. If you are are looking for someone like that, let's talk.


Game Industry Experience
------------------------------
Writer/Designer/Publisher, DBA aethereal FORGE
Seattle, WA '92-Present

* I write, design and publish games--both electronic and tabletop--and 
  provide world, quest and mechanic design for other clients. I also provide 
  other services as needed, including: technical writing; administrating 
  websites; hand-coding HTML; graphic design and layout; quality assurance 
  and testing; and community interaction via social networking, forums and 
  email lists. Titles and clients include:
 - Brain Chef, a zombie-themed casual multiplayer web-based game, '09 
 - GODSEND Agenda 2nd Edition, a mythological superhero RPG, '04-Present
 - HELLAS: Worlds of Sun & Stone, a Greek-themed science fiction RPG, 
   '07-Present
 - Power Grrrl, a comedic RPG that satirizes the "super-powered teen" 
   anime genre, '04
 - Rune Stryders, a fantasy-based mecha RPG, '03
 - Untitled, a casual Flash-based game for Adobe, unreleased

* My most notable indie creation to date has been Ninja Burger, a fictional 
  fast-food restaurant run entirely by (you guessed it) ninja. I created the 
  concept in '00, and since then have written and designed games and content 
  to support the main website, in addition to licensing the concept to others. 
  Titles include:
 - Ninja Burger: The RPG 2nd Edition, '06 and No Honor Edition, '08
 - Ninja Burger Card Game, licensed to Steve Jackson Games, '06-Present
 - Ninja Burger: Honorable Employee Handbook, published by Kensington/
   Citadel, '06
 - Ninja Burger: The RPG, licensed to 9th Level Games, '01-'05 

* I have researched and written game industry columns and reviews for 
  clients such as Dragon Magazine, The Escapist, Gamegrene, MMORPG.com, 
  R. Talsorian, RPGNow, The Silven Trumpeter and Slashdot.org. I was the 
  Lead Editor for RPG.net from '02 to '05, as well as a columnist for that 
  site.

Game Designer, Turpitude Design
Walnut Creek, CA '08-'09
* As part of a team of five, I designed mechanics, missions, worlds and 
  dialogue for two undisclosed, unreleased MMO titles. I also generated 
  game design specs, dialogue and missions for Facebook and MySpace games 
  created by a top social gaming company.

Quest Writer / Content Designer, Perpetual Entertainment
San Francisco, CA '07
* I designed, wrote and implemented quests for Gods & Heroes: Rome Rising, 
  an unreleased AAA MMORPG with a historical and mythological theme. After 
  only a few weeks on the job I was given control of the game's central story 
  arc, detailing the player character's apotheosis and ascension to the realm 
  of the gods through quests within an already-implemented game world. In 
  support of this effort, I wrote voiceover and cinematic dialogue, screened 
  and selected voice actors and attended recording sessions.


Game Industry Awards
------------------------------
* Brain Chef, Editor's Pick, MySpace Developer Team, March '09
* Folkloric: Baba Yaga, Winner, '06 ENnie Award for Best Electronic 
  Book, Nominee for Best Writing
* Iconoclast, a text-based cyberpunk game, January '98 MUD of the Month
* HELLAS: Worlds of Sun & Stone, Nominee, '09 ENnie Awards for Interior 
  Art, Production Values
* The House, a horror-themed RPG, First place, '09 Lulu.com Most Creative 
  Mini Book Contest


Other Experience
------------------------------
Technical Writer, (UltraDNS, Softbook Press, Onyx, Tello, Fox/IGN, 1Cast)
Various '00-'01, '05-'09
* As the sole Tech Writer in each instance I wrote documentation for 
  both Engineering and Marketing departments, including use cases, user 
  guides, FAQs, release notes and help files. In each case I improved 
  documentation quality by: creating and maintaining intranets, wikis, 
  document repositories and version control systems; establishing standards; 
  and driving company-wide adoption of said tools and standards.

Designer, Karen Brown's Guides
San Mateo, CA '02-'05
* I designed and laid out 17 annual travel guides, 
  as well as associated PDF and web-based content. I reduced costs by bringing
  design efforts in-house, creating and updating maps, graphics and covers for 
  each edition. I acted as the main point of contact with our overseas printer. 
  I helped keep sales steady despite industry decline by assisting with the 
  writing and editing of marketing copy, a redesign of a Yahoo-based 
  storefront, and the design of effective print advertisements.

Head Copywriter, AnotherUniverse.com
Manassas, VA '99-'00
* As part of a team of 10--including a junior copywriter, who I directly 
  managed--I wrote copy for, designed and laid out monthly and quarterly 
  catalogs devoted to comic books, games and collectibles. I composed and 
  edited monthly print ads, email and direct mail pieces, increasing sales 
  and conversion rates over previous years, even in the wake of a comic 
  book industry on a severe downturn.

Creative Director, Sinclair Broadcasting
Buffalo, NY '97-'99
* I headed a three-person Creative Services division that provided web, 
  print and broadcast material for six FM and AM radio stations in a Top 
  50 market. As the sole copywriter, I wrote, edited and produced radio
  commercials, selected voice talent and attended recording and production
  sessions. I also designed and maintained station websites as part of the 
  company's initial implementation and embrace of web content.

Assistant Editor, The RAMA Group
Buffalo, NY '95-'97
* As part of a team of four, I wrote and edited feature and news stories 
  for, and assisted in the weekly layout of, 16 editions of Metro Community 
  News and Metro Weekend. I managed several "stringers" and other freelance 
  staff, and updated and maintained the fledgling Metro Weekend website.


Education/Associations
------------------------------
* Member, International Game Developers Association and IGDA Writers SIG
* Member, Sigma Tau Delta, International English Honor Society
* Bachelor of Arts in English Honors, cum laude, Canisius College, 
  Buffalo, NY, '95


Miscellany
------------------------------
* Software Skills: Adobe Creative Suite, Aurora Toolset, BBEdit, Bugzilla, 
  CircleMUD, CVS/svn, hand-coded HTML, Jira, MediaWiki, MS Office Suite, 
  Perforce, Quark XPress, TWiki, Unix, VBulletin, vi, et al.
* Interests: I am learning to enjoy gardening by necessity, since my house 
  came with a heaping side of nature. I just finished my first novel, 
  Blackbird: The Chronicles of Edison North, and am in the final editing 
  stages. I am a strong proponent of ninja-related causes, and I am the 
  creator of the "Day of the Ninja," an annual ninja-themed holiday held 
  every year on December 5. Really--NPR covered it and everything.
* For more information about me, visit http://www.aeforge.com/~aeon and 
  http://www.ninjaburger.com