Contest and Character Design: Emma Derey

I recently participated in a game writing contest (my first) that included a character design sheet alongside a short cinematic script (2–3 pages). The prompt was post-apocalyptic, and we had one week to write a scene and draft a character design. Ultimately, I was fortunate enough to make it to the final round, placing 3rd among a very talented field.

This came as a very pleasant surprise, as I didn’t feel particularly inspired by my entry—I’d more or less forced my way through it. Still, I stuck to fundamentals, treating the project as an exercise in crafting a complete mini-story: something self-contained, conflict focused, but suggestive of a larger world. Even if the result felt a bit rote to me, I focused on making sure the details were there and that I'd put an appropriate amount of time and effort into the design.

The character I created is a young physicist named Emma Derey. At 25, she's a lead science officer who happens to be, aside from prodigious in her field, five months pregnant.

In the brief time I spent developing her story, I became rather fond of her. So, in a somewhat self-promoting spirit, I wanted to share her here rather than let the design gather dust in a forgotten folder.

Below is the original design document and the script, which includes background on the character and a list of 20 barks in sheet format (per the contest requirements). It’s still in its raw form and hasn’t yet been meaningfully revised.

LOG 7 _ The Convoy .pdf

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