Creative Works
Nicholas Galinski
M.A. Creative Writing & Literature
I see creativity as an evolving conversation, guided by curiosity, refined through feedback, and grounded in craft. Every idea earns its place by how well it resonates.
Sacred Grounds Gaming
Creative Director
INFO
Sacred Grounds Gaming was a company I co-founded in 2014 to create products and live experiences in the tabletop RPG and immersive experiential spaces. As Creative Director, I established the brand’s tone of adventure and discovery and managed all creative output across writing, art, game design, and live production.
I led teams of writers, artists, engineers, and game officials to develop cohesive worlds and experiences unified behind a single creative vision.
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Key Achievements:
• Launched a successful Kickstarter campaign used for both funding and low-cost marketing exposure
• Created multiple published products, including rulebooks and lore materials that expanded the game’s world and voice
• Directed over 50 large-scale live gaming events (2014–2019), overseeing all story, lore, art, and written content
• Used customer data and feedback to inform creative decisions and evolve the brand in real time
• Produced convention-based marketing events for both original content and licensed IPs (including DC’s Arrowverse)
• Negotiated and completed the sale of all intellectual property in 2019
Each Sacred Grounds event was a large-scale production, spanning from Friday evening through Sunday morning, and required deep coordination among creative, operational, and stakeholder teams. Delivering these near-monthly experiences sharpened my skills in creative direction, writing, production, and cross-functional leadership.
Below are several key projects highlighting that work.
Promotional photos
Sacred Grounds' IP was a living world for customers to immerse themselves in
Promotional photos
Material “Item cards” used during a live experience
Sample rulebook content
Sacred Grounds' IP was a living world for customers to immerse themselves in
Example contracted art based on my art briefs
Staff at a convention marketing event
Example rulebook page
— PROJECT NAME
Sacred Grounds Gaming – The Colonist's Guide to Aularia, The Merchant's Guide to Aularia, The Fae of Aularia, Vaniiri of Aularia, City Elves of Aularia, Bara'kaa of Aularia, Wild Elves of Aularia
— KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Creative direction Copywriting Branding
— DATE
2013-2019
Directed the multi-year creative development of The Aularia Series, a suite of experiential gaming products defining the Sacred Grounds universe. Led a cross-functional team of writers, artists, and QA testers in producing the flagship 273-page rulebook The Colonist’s Guide to Aularia, managing the full content lifecycle from concept and foundational documentation to publication.
Expanded the brand with the 143-page Merchant’s Guide to Aularia and six supplemental lore releases that deepened the world’s mythology and tone of “adventure and discovery.” Oversaw creative production, vendor contracting, and editorial management through to the IP sale in 2019.
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Write Your Legend: The Aularia Experience
CAMPAIGN OBJECTIVE
Expand The Aularia Series from a niche gaming brand into a broader lifestyle and community experience. Use in-person storytelling events, social content, and influencer partnerships to create emotional resonance and awareness for The Colonist’s Guide to Aularia and its lore expansions.
TARGET AUDIENCE
• Tabletop gamers (ages 18–55)
• Fantasy and cosplay communities
• Live-action and immersive experience enthusiasts
• Theater kids
BIG IDEA
You don’t just play Aularia. You write your legend. Players become part of an unfolding narrative told both online and in the real world. The campaign invites fans to create, share, and physically embody their own legends through storytelling, collaboration, and influencer-driven world-building.
TAGLINES
• Write your fate. Forge your name. The frontier awaits.
• The world of Aularia remembers those who dared.
• Adventure unbound.
CORE CAMPAIGN PILLARS
1. Influencer-Led Story Threads
Partner with fantasy content creators who each receive a “Starter Tome of Aularia” containing unique lore seeds. Each influencer plays a role at the event and serve as a "plot bus" for customers to get involved in the experience.
Purpose: Turn influencers into entry points into the world.
2. The Aularian Frontier (Live Pop-Up Experience)
Transform a convention space into an Aularian frontier camp, half tavern and half expedition base. Visitors have arrived just in time for a local fighting tournament that they can participate in. RFID scans of items at prop stations lead to digital lore pages or secret content to unlock an escape-room-style mystery. Mini quests and live NPC interactions encourage guests to post journal entries. The live convention experience emulates a simplified version of the full game rules in the Aularia publications.
Purpose: Blend physical immersion with shareable moments. Create an emotional connection with the world, lore, and publications.
3. The "Faces of Aularia" Art Contest (Social Activation)
Invite fans to create fan art of key characters in the world. Winners can have their work included on our Facebook page or rulebook.
Purpose: Drive sustained engagement and user-generated content.
TONE AND VOICE
Adventurous, inclusive, mythic, and warm. The campaign invites participation rather than spectacle: “Join us” instead of “Watch us.”
EXAMPLE COPY
Launch Post / Hero Line
Adventure isn’t found. It’s made. This spring, the frontier of Aularia opens to all who dare to write their legend.
Influencer Invite Email
We’re looking for storytellers, dreamers, and dungeon delvers to help shape a new world. Your choices will echo through Aularia and across your channels. Invite your audience to join your party and shape a world.
Three days. One world. Infinite stories.
Want to tell a story with us?
Social
The frontier doesn't care who you were. Only who you're brave enough to become.
RESULTS
• Established an initial core audience of "forever fans" that would be the foundation of further growth.
• Created a cohesive identity and brand direction that tied publications to live experiences.
• Provided an entry point for unique gamified
An intro designed to engage customers with the feeling behind the game
— PROJECT NAME
Sacred Grounds Gaming Kickstarter
— KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Creative direction Copywriting Branding
Scriptwriting
— DATE
2013
Launched the first Sacred Grounds Gaming campaign to fund startup costs and establish the brand’s public identity. Developed the creative direction, voice, and tone for the brand, wrote the video script and shot list, and created art briefs and photo guidelines. Directed video producers, artists, and writers throughout production to ensure consistent storytelling and tone.
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RESULTS
• Successfully funded the campaign’s goal and built early brand awareness in the live-gaming niche
• Garnered attention from media and influencer channels within the immersive experiential gaming community
• Established the foundational “adventure and discovery” tone that guided future Sacred Grounds projects
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Sacred Grounds: A Colonial Steampunk Fantasy
CAMPAIGN OBJECTIVE
To launch Sacred Grounds, a live-action role-playing game set in northeastern Pennsylvania, and raise startup funds for essential props and marketing through Kickstarter. The campaign aimed to build a player community, establish a brand voice grounded in adventure and discovery, and prove the market viability of an immersive, story-driven LARP experience.
BIG IDEA
A game where story and system coexist. Sacred Grounds positions itself as a “Colonial Steampunk Fantasy” where players could shape the fate of a new world, balancing narrative depth with rich character customization. The campaign invited supporters to build the world alongside its creators and to “write their legend” in the new colonies of Aularia.
CORE THEMES AND POSITIONING
Unlike many LARPs that prioritized either rules or story, Sacred Grounds promises both. The copy highlights that “a game does not have to have bad rules to have good story, and good story does not mean weak systems.” This message became a central pillar of the brand, speaking directly to experienced players frustrated by existing limitations in the genre.
KEY MESSAGING POINTS FROM CAMPAIGN COPY
• “Sacred Grounds is a Colonial Steampunk Fantasy LARP.”
• “The new world is ripe with adventure, danger, and opportunity.”
• “Players will determine whether magic or technology shapes the future.”
• “Our world, Aularia, is one trying to find itself—and player choices will decide where it goes.”
• “We need your help to create custom coin and paper currencies, improve props, and bring this world to life.”
MARKETING AND EXECUTION
• Produced and scripted the Kickstarter video to introduce the world, tone, and gameplay.
• Authored all campaign copy, including the “Risks and Challenges” section, to establish trust and transparency with potential backers.
• Used lore excerpts, concept art, and costuming examples to showcase tone and visual identity.
• Leveraged Kickstarter’s discoverability and niche LARP networks for organic reach.
• Drove social engagement through updates and cross-posts to Facebook and community forums.
TONE AND VOICE
Adventurous, collaborative, and aspirational. The campaign spoke directly to players as co-creators and pioneers, inviting them to join the “second wave of colonists” in Aularia. The voice was both mythic and accessible, balancing literary inspiration with enthusiasm and warmth.
RESULTS
• Funded at 372% of goal ($5,583 of $1,500)
• 70+ backers and strong social engagement within the LARP community
• Served as the foundation for multiple successful live events and follow-up publications
• Established the brand voice that guided Sacred Grounds for its five-year run
WHY IT WORKED
The campaign demonstrated how narrative craft can become a marketing engine. It transformed a small-budget launch into a story-driven brand event, using authentic copy, community engagement, and clear tone to build emotional investment. Paved the way for exponential growth of revenue.
— PROJECT NAME
Sacred Grounds Gaming – Live events
— KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Creative direction Copywriting Branding Event management
— DATE
2014-2019
Led the creative vision and execution of over 50 immersive live events, transforming campgrounds into full-scale interactive storytelling experiences. Designed narrative structures and world-building elements that allowed participants to embody characters using Sacred Grounds’ rulebooks and supplemental lore. Oversaw writing, story development, and on-site creative production to ensure each event delivered emotional resonance, cohesive storytelling, and a satisfying conclusion.
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RESULTS
• Directed narrative and brand experience for dozens of large-scale live productions
• Maintained and grew participant engagement across a multi-year event series
• Established a repeatable framework for immersive storytelling and live event design
Our emotionally resonant brand led to customers engaging in major life events at our experiences
— PROJECT NAME
Sacred Grounds Gaming – Convention events
— KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Creative direction
Copy
Branding Stakeholder collaboration Event production
— DATE
2014-2019
Directed and produced branded live experiences for conventions, designed to both expand the Sacred Grounds audience and drive event engagement. Oversaw creative direction and storytelling for key productions including The Supernal Gardens, Shadows Over Landriga Bay, and BREACH! An Arrowverse Experience.
Collaborated closely with convention organizers and IP stakeholders to ensure brand consistency, audience immersion, and alignment with partner expectations.
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RESULTS
• Expanded Sacred Grounds’ presence through high-profile convention partnerships
• Adapted brand tone and storytelling frameworks to align with external IPs
• Strengthened brand visibility and community engagement within the live experience industry
— PROJECT NAME
Sacred Grounds Gaming – Intellectual property sale
— KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Stakeholder negotiation
IP handover liaison
— DATE
2019
Managed the successful sale and transition of the Sacred Grounds Gaming intellectual property to Salt & Pepper Gaming. Oversaw handoff of all creative assets, including five years of written material, proprietary tools, and brand documentation. Collaborated with legal and creative stakeholders to ensure a seamless transfer of ownership while preserving the brand’s creative integrity and legacy. -
RESULTS
• Completed a full IP acquisition and transition with no disruption to continuity
• Successfully transferred all creative, digital, and operational assets to new ownership
• Closed a five-year creative venture with a strong brand and cohesive world identity
Accenture supporting Google
Lead Content Writer
— PROJECT NAME
Lead Writer – Google Search, Pixel, Classroom, Cloud
— KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Customer-facing and internal content copy for guides and feature releases
Managed a global team of 10 writers
Style guide iteration
— DATE
2020-2023
I was contracted by Accenture to support Google's content efforts. I worked closely with Google's style guide to produce technical and marketing content across multiple channels, both customer-facing and internal.
EXAMPLE COPY
Subject: See the bigger picture in Search.
Header: More context. Fewer clicks.
Body:
Search just got smarter.
We’re introducing Generative Overviews, a new way to explore information that uses AI to summarize insights from across the web so you can see the big picture.
These overviews appear right above your standard results, giving you a snapshot of what people, experts, and publishers are saying on a topic. You’ll still have the option to dive deeper into individual sources, but now, you can start from a stronger foundation.
Behind the scenes, our teams have refined ranking, safety, and attribution systems to ensure that overviews highlight trustworthy, high-quality content.
CTA:
Learn more about what’s next for Search - Subject: See the world in your language.
Header: Translate what you see with Pixel.
Body:
Now your camera helps you understand the world around you. With Translate with Lens, you can point your Pixel at any sign, menu, or image and see the words appear in your language, right on your screen.
Built into the Pixel camera and Photos app, Translate with Lens makes it simple to read and explore wherever you are. It’s fast, seamless, and even works offline.
From street signs to handwritten notes, your camera now turns curiosity into connection.
CTA:
Try Translate with Lens
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Everland MMO
Lead Narrative Designer
— PROJECT NAME
Everland MMO - Lead Narrative Designer
— KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
In-game narrative Brand voice System design Art direction
— DATE
2019-2020
Hired to define the creative and narrative vision for Everland, a cozy, community-driven MMO. Developed proposals for the game’s story and collaborated with stakeholders to establish a brand tone described as “cozy, whimsical, and creative.” Directed narrative integration across in-game dialogue, quests, and lore while ensuring cohesion with art direction and system design. Oversaw copy and storytelling across marketing, blog posts, and social channels to maintain a consistent voice and thematic identity. Wrote over 10,000 strings of in-game dialogue and interactables copy.
RESULTS
• Defined the narrative foundation that shaped the game’s tone and brand identity
• Led cross-disciplinary alignment between narrative, art, and gameplay teams
• Built cohesive lore and world elements emphasizing player creativity and nostalgia Game presentation had 16k live viewers and 2M YouTube views
Everland’s brand direction was “cozy, whimsical, and creative”
Wrote all in-game dialogue and strings for interactables
Wrote all in-game dialogue and strings for interactables
Website copy concisely highlighting key features
Website copy concisely emphasizing key features
I maintained the Everland DevBlog
Website copy and CTA
Channel F
Creative Producer / Host
— PROJECT NAME
Channel F – Hatewatchers Podcast
— ROLE
Content producer Co-host Talent relations
— DATE
2023
Produced and co-hosted Hatewatchers, a limited-run podcast exploring influential creators who shaped the livestreaming and digital video space. Partnered with Elgato as a brand sponsor. Oversaw creative direction and branding for both Channel F and Hatewatchers, managed influencer outreach and guest booking, and developed episodic outlines and discussion framing.
RESULTS
• Reached 4K live viewers on premiere episode and 50K YouTube views
• Viral clips generated 500K+ cross-platform views (including third-party shares)
• The 7-episode series achieved 180K total VOD views across YouTube and Twitch • Averaged 2K live viewers • Influencer collaborations included Roflgator, Sodapoppin, Alinity, LukeAFK, Simplyn64, DKane, RazorATX, Erobb221 • Successful brand partnership with Elgato
Channel F Influencer Collaborations
Eschaton Media
Narrative writer / Copywriter
— PROJECT NAME
Eschaton Media – Dystopia Rising: Embers of the Irradiated West
— ROLE
Narrative writer
— DATE
2013
Contracted by Eschaton Media to expand the Dystopia Rising universe for tabletop publication. Wrote over 70,000 words of original lore exploring post-apocalyptic Mexico, developing regional cultures, tone, and world-building consistent with the franchise’s established canon. Delivered narrative direction and prose that became a key component of the published sourcebook Embers of the Irradiated West.
Other projects
Various creative roles
Copywriting
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Website copy & brand voice
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Created copy for a production company’s website, designed to appeal to creatives in the influencer space.
Copywriting
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Website copy & brand voice
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Worked with artists and stakeholders to develop a comprehensive brand voice to tell the story of a company that can provide unique experiences to customers.
Copywriting
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Marketing copy & brand voice
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Created marketing copy and established brand voice for the Museum of American Finance as it expanded into the event rental space, shaping its tone and positioning for a new audience.
Producer – “Twitch Tinder”, “King of the Hill”, “Rajj Royale”
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Talent direction, show concepts, & content outlines
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Developed concepts for livestream content that fit with the AustinShow brand, recruited and prepped talent for on-air participation.
Twitch Fit Check Fashion Show
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Creative director & host
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Talent direction, show concepts, & content outlines
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Partnered with influencers and sponsors in the livestreaming space to produce a series of cosplay contests to cross-pollinate audiences
Legacy: Mysteries of Kaelforth College
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Creative direction & talent
- Partnered with DiceEnvy as a sponsor to produce a limited series live Dungeons & Dragons show.
