Here’s what I had to learn as a narrative designer — and why your story matters more than you think.

For a long time, I didn’t feel like a “real” narrative designer.

I hadn’t won any awards. I wasn’t working for a big studio. Most of my projects were private — or still stuck inside my head.

And every time I looked around, I saw people who were more experienced, more polished, more “qualified.”

Maybe you’ve felt that too.

Maybe you’ve told yourself you’re just a hobbyist. Just an indie dev. Just someone with a story idea.

But here’s what I’ve learned — and what I have to remind myself of every day:

Being a narrative designer isn’t something someone gives you. It’s something you choose to become.

You’re Not Behind. You’re Becoming.

We live in a world that celebrates loud wins and public milestones.

We don’t always see the quiet victories — the late-night writing sessions, the notes on your phone, the branching scene in your head you can’t stop playing with.

But that’s where it starts. That’s where all of us start.

No one wakes up one day and gets “certified” as a narrative designer. There’s no award or job title that suddenly makes you valid.

You become a narrative designer the moment you decide to design narratives — To shape stories, to explore choices, to say something morally true through your writing.

That includes:

  • The ideas you haven’t finished
  • The drafts no one else has read
  • The interactive moments you’re still sketching out in your head

If that’s you? You’re one of us.

I Had to Learn This Too

I’ve written hundreds of thousands of words of narrative content. I’ve designed branching paths, emotional arcs, complex systems of consequence.

And still — even now — I have to remind myself:

I am a narrative designer. Not because someone said so. But because I believe in the power of story — and I keep showing up to create it.

That belief — that quiet decision — is what makes us who we are.

And if you’re here, reading this?

I think it’s because you believe in it too.

You Don’t Need Permission

You don’t need an investor. You don’t need to be published. You don’t need to be perfect. You don’t need to wait until you “feel ready.”

You’re a narrative designer if you’re choosing to tell stories that matter. If you’re imagining what a player might feel in a certain moment. If you’re trying to build something that moves someone, even just a little.

You don’t need permission.

But in case you’re still waiting for someone to say it out loud:

You’re a narrative designer. And your stories are worth telling.

NarrativeFlow Is Here to Support You

That’s exactly why I created NarrativeFlow — a visual narrative design tool for writers, designers, and storytellers like you.

Not just for the professionals or the “polished.” But for anyone who’s ready to turn their story into something real.

Whether you’re just starting out or deep in your design process, NarrativeFlow helps you:

  • Organize your story structure visually
  • Map choices and branches with clarity
  • Stay in your flow without clunky tools breaking your focus

Because your ideas are worth more than a spreadsheet, CSVs, or dreaded lines of code.

You Belong Here

I may not know what your project is. I may not know how far along you are. But I do know this:

The world needs better stories — stories with light, truth, meaning, and heart.

And those stories need you.

You’re not “just” someone with a story idea.

You’re a narrative designer.

So go write it.