Hi, I’m Dana. The programmer, writer, dog mom, and all around dork.
Since I was five, I either had my eyes glued to a book or my nose buried in my GameBoy. Wait, I think I got that backwards…
Growing up I would go through a book every week (sometimes two) and logged more hours playing Pokemon than I dare to try to count. Oddly enough, I am still not a Pokemon Master. Fast forward to high school and not much had changed, except for my parent’s tolerance of always being behind a screen. I enrolled in a summer program that allowed me to take classes on a college campus despite my age. It was through these classes that I discovered Jane McGonigal and made a decision that would impact my life: I was going to learn how to make video games.
Now I won’t bore you with every detail here, but I went on to study Computer Science at the University of Texas. While there, I had the opportunity to meet another incredible woman, Susan O’Connor, who encouraged me to explore a more creative side of game development: Interactive Narrative Design. Thanks to her and her class, I began writing again and now… well now I’m here.
What else?
I have one fur baby named Ikaros. She is full of attitude and a complete princess; I can give her a command like “sit” and she will obey, but you can expect her to talk back. That being said, she is also incredibly sweet, loving, and has kept me grounded through my struggles. She was never really one for wax wings anyways.
I like doing things by hand. I rather write first drafts on sticky notes, college ruled notebooks, and legal pads. I’ve solved a surprising number of bugs by rewriting my code on pizza boxes. Sometimes the pen just has more power than the esteemed keyboard.
While I might protest leaving my screens behind, I actually really enjoy being out in nature. Some of my favorite memories have been of hiking, camping, and rock climbing outdoors. But I have learned I cannot be the one to pack food for these trips; I guarantee I will end up packing far more than what is needed.
Aside from Pokemon, my favorite games are those that I feel like I am controlling the story and impacting the world. I have spent Multiplayer Online Survival Arena (MOSA) styled games fighting different survival challenges and creating my own epic stories. Some of my favorite have cleverly placed lore and level designs that give the world a story that is parallel to the one I develop.
Dev With Dana 