Hello there, I'm Charlene Putney! I'm a writer from Dublin, Ireland. At the moment, I live in Copenhagen. I'm currently:

Setting up a brand new game studio with my partner Martin Pichlmair. More to come - stay tuned!
Making weird experiments with AI and creativity under the LAIKA name.
An award-winning games writer available for freelance hire. Previously I worked on Larian Studios’ Divinity series and Baldur’s Gate 3, wrote the award-winning NUTS, and was Story Lead at Die Gute Fabrik.
Really into crafting procedural generation experiments and weaving nifty puzzle designs.
A university lecturer on interactive fiction, RPGs and project management.
A creative yoga teacher.
A speaker at play conferences and game jams.
…and when I’m not busy with those things, I work on my own writing.

Once upon a time, I worked for both Google and Facebook in management positions before deciding to try to live more creatively. It’s been working out pretty good since 2013, long may it continue!

I like to speak on the intersections between writing, play and psychology. I’ve given talks at many festivals, and game jams, including:

Teaching quantum scientists at CERN how to craft interactive narratives for one of their hackathons.
Leading workshops on gaining writing inspiration for games at Nordic Game Jam 2018, Konsoll 2018, Creative Coast 2018.
Getting 450 people to just breathe at A:MAZE Berlin;
Speaking to full houses on "Arcane Play: Occult Influences in Games ... & Vice Versa" at GameCity and on “Playful Occulture: Application of Esoteric Techniques on Playful Culture” at the Playful Arts Festival.
Running interactive fiction workshops at the Irish Writers’ Centre; Pushing Buttons at the V&A, Circa Words, and State of Play.
I'd probably like to speak at your event too, so please let me know if you think I'd be a good fit!

If you'd love to have a realllllllly good night's sleep, you might like this little bedtime yoga practice I've designed. In pyjamas, in bed, some meditation, chill stretches, yin yoga using pillows as props, and a deeply relaxing yoga nidra to finish. It's a pay-what-you-want practice with a suggested payment of €5. If the time doesn't suit you, don't worry - all sign-ups will receive a link to the recording so you can have your own "turning in" practice whenever suits you ❤ Sign up at: alphachar.com/events/turningin

Yoga & writing, crafting morning practices. 2.5 hours on May 30th. Pay-what-you-want, suggested amount €10-15, but no pressure. Sign up at alphachar.com/events/morningpractice ❤

Making Tuesday yoga a regular event. Just let me know if you'd like to be on the list ❤

Happy full moon in Scorpio to all you weirdos out there 💖🧘‍♂️💖

I've been getting great benefits from my yoga practice over the last few months & I'd like to share - I know a lot of my friends haven't tried yoga & could be nervous of trying a class. This is free, gentle & just one hour. If you'd like to join, just email me. And if you like it, I'll point you towards some wonderful regular online classes!

I'm a glasses person now.

The view from my bedroom window in winter is this beautiful wall - a sacred ritual, connection, prayer, community. In summer it's obscured by the bright green leaves of the trees. Only in the dark times does it shine, a little bit of precious revealed, a little heart unmasked by hardship.

This day 4 weeks we'll be heading to Svalbard to visit the ice bears, the seed bank, the statue of Lenin in the ghost town of Pyramiden, the glaciers, the dog sledding, the snow and dark and isolation! Can't wait!!

Crafts with the bestest 2.5 year old = big happy energy ☀️

Good morning, universe ❤ "Treat time & all conditions of Event as Servants of thy Will, appointed to present the Universe to thee in the form of thy Plan." - Book of Thoth "Unfolding, relaxing, easing into the moment before us releases the frantic grip of time. The past and the future are always trying to influence our thoughts by pulling us away from ourselves and from the present. Making space for the moment requires releasing your burdens for a needed rest. This brings an abundance of yourself to you and widens out the space around you, strengthening with the cool, lasting breeze of eternity that lifts you into a force of nature." - Supra Oracle

Home through another stunner

Good morning Engelskirchen, you're only gorgeous. Sometimes getting up at 6.45am on a Saturday has its perks 🌅

... follow the crow. Never too late to take wing 🐥

"O Omnipresent, the embodiment of all virtues, the creator of this cosmic universe, the king of dancers, who dances the Ananda Tandava in the twilight, I salute thee." Presented by: The Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India