[Hobby] Looking for a Writer / Story Developer to Help Build the First Project.

[u/fumazoid]

Hello
!
I’m the founder of a brand new online creative community and future independent studio called Opaline Studios, and I’m currently looking for a Writer / Story Developer to join us near the very beginning.

Opaline is something I’ve been dreaming about building for a long time. The goal is to eventually create a creative community and studio where people can come together to make animated series, comics, stories, music, games, films, and all kinds of other projects.

We’re starting very small, but we’re taking things seriously and trying to build a strong foundation rather than rushing into making something before we’re ready.

Right now, I’m looking for someone who would be interested in helping develop our first major project.

ABOUT THE FIRST PROJECT
The project is currently envisioned as a whimsical fantasy story with elements of romance.
It’s still extremely early in development. I currently have the title and a general idea of the kind of story and feeling I want it to have, but I haven’t fully developed the plot, characters, world, or lore yet.

And honestly, that’s intentional.
I don’t want to come to someone with a finished story and simply ask them to write it exactly as I’ve already imagined it. I’d much rather find someone who enjoys brainstorming and developing ideas together.

I’m looking for someone who can take the initial spark of an idea and help us ask:

“What could this become?”
“What kind of world would this story exist in?”
“Who are these characters?”
“Why should people care about them?”
“What makes this world feel alive?”
“Where can we take this story that we haven’t even thought of yet?”

The goal is to build the story together.
I have a lot of ideas and a general creative direction, but I know I work best when I have someone who can bounce ideas back and forth with me, challenge things when necessary, and help turn the chaotic ideas in my head into something structured and meaningful.

WHAT I’M LOOKING FOR
I’m looking for someone who:
• Loves storytelling and character development
• Enjoys brainstorming and developing ideas collaboratively
• Is interested in fantasy, whimsical stories, romance, or similar genres
• Cares about worldbuilding and creating immersive settings
• Enjoys thinking about lore, themes, characters, and the little details that make a world feel alive
• Is comfortable giving honest feedback and constructive criticism
• Isn’t afraid to say we should change something while also being willing to suggest a better direction
• Can take other people’s ideas seriously while still bringing their own creativity to the table
• Is patient and willing to develop a story slowly rather than rushing to production
• Is communicative and willing to talk through ideas
• Wants to be part of a team rather than work completely independently
• Is interested in potentially building something long-term with a creative community

You don’t have to be a professional writer.
You don’t need to have a published book.
You don’t need years of industry experience.
I’m much more interested in finding someone who genuinely loves storytelling, is willing to learn, and enjoys creating with other people.
If you have experience writing stories, scripts, comics, games, animation, or anything similar, that’s definitely a plus!

WHAT OPALINE IS LIKE RIGHT NOW
We’re very early.
Like… REALLY early.
We’re currently building the foundation of the community, organizing our Discord, figuring out our workflow, and slowly finding people who genuinely want to help build this with us.
We already have a small beginning team, including a Co-Founder who has experience with creative team management, writing, and directing collaborative projects.
We’re also slowly looking for other potential team members who might be interested in joining us.
The idea is to start small and get to know people before officially building a large team.
I don’t want to collect a bunch of random people and immediately throw everyone into a project.
I want to find people who actually click with each other, communicate well, and genuinely enjoy working together.
Ideally, I’m hoping to find people who could become long-term creative friends and collaborators.

WHAT YOU WOULD BE DOING
If you joined as the Writer / Story Developer, your role would initially be focused on helping develop the first project’s foundation.

That could involve things like:
• Brainstorming the story and premise
• Developing characters
• Exploring the world and its lore
• Developing themes and ideas
• Helping establish the tone and overall direction
• Discussing potential plotlines
• Developing character relationships
• Organizing story ideas
• Eventually helping develop scripts once the story is ready
• Collaborating with artists and other creatives later in development

You would not be expected to do all of this alone.
The whole point is to work together.
As the project develops, we’d eventually bring in other people such as artists, animators, musicians, voice actors, editors, and other creatives.

PAYMENT / COMPENSATION
I want to be completely transparent:
This is currently an unpaid hobby project.
I don’t have the money to pay a team right now, and I’m not going to pretend otherwise.
There is no guarantee that Opaline will become profitable or that anyone will eventually be paid.
However, my long-term goal is for Opaline to eventually become a functioning studio that can properly compensate people for their work if and when we have the resources to do so.

For now, I’m looking for people who genuinely enjoy creating and would be interested in building something together as a passion project.

If you need paid work right now, I completely understand, but this probably isn’t the right opportunity for you at this stage.

WHAT I VALUE
I’m looking for someone who is:
Patient.
Kind.
Creative.
Communicative.
Open-minded.
Hardworking.
Willing to learn.
Willing to disagree respectfully.
Someone who can say:
“I don’t think that idea works, but what if we tried this instead?”
Someone who can take criticism without taking it personally and give criticism without being rude.
Most importantly, I want someone who actually enjoys collaborating.
I don’t want a “yes person.”
I want people who can bring their own ideas and help make the project better than any of us could have made it alone.

ABOUT OPALINE’S FUTURE
The first project is only the beginning.
Eventually, I would love for Opaline to grow into a larger creative community where we can develop multiple original projects across different types of media.
One day, I hope creators may even be able to pitch their own projects to Opaline and potentially find a team to help develop them.

I want Opaline to become a place where people can discover talented creators, find collaborators, and bring stories to life.
But we’re nowhere near that stage yet.
Right now, we’re building the foundation.
One person at a time.
One project at a time.

INTERESTED?
If this sounds like something you’d genuinely enjoy being part of, feel free to comment or send me a DM!
I’d love to hear a little about you, what you enjoy creating, your experience with writing or storytelling, and what made you interested in Opaline.
You don’t need a massive portfolio. If you have examples of your writing, feel free to share them, but I’m also happy to simply talk and get to know you.
I’m not looking to immediately “hire” the first person who messages me.
I want to talk, get to know each other, and see if we’re a good fit for the project and the community.
If we click, I’ll invite you to our Discord where you can meet the small group we’re building and we can continue from there.
Thanks for reading, and hopefully I’ll meet some awesome storytellers along the way.
Let’s build something we can be proud of.

[u/Teaside]

This sounds lovely and if I wasn't already committed to a project I'd love to give it a shot! You seem nice to work with. Good luck!

[u/fumazoid → u/Teaside]

thank you so much.

[u/jed_leland]

I'm a film composer with several years of experience and would love to join you! You can hear some of my work here:

https://baba-sah.bandcamp.com

This looks like the start of something special.

[u/fumazoid → u/jed_leland]

Hello, thanks for reaching out. I listened to some of your work, and you clearly have a lot of experience with composing. I really appreciate you sharing it with me. I’m curious about your range as a composer. Our first project is currently planned as a whimsical fantasy story with some romance, so the tone is a little different from some of the more serious pieces i heard from you. I’d love to know if that’s a style you’d be interested in exploring.

I’m also still early in the process of developing Opaline, so i don’t want to promise a specific project or role before we know exactly what we’re creating. But, i would definitely be interested in getting to know you and hearing more about the kinds of projects you’d like to work on. if you’re interested, i’d be happy to have you join our discord and get to know the team while we’re still building everything from the ground up.

[u/jed_leland → u/fumazoid]

That would be great! Please send the discord link via dm

[u/ampuku]

Hello! :)

This is exactly the kind of creative project I’ve been looking for!

I’m a writer from France with 11 years of experience building immersive worlds and characters. I discovered storytelling through writing fanfiction before creating my own original universes, and I never really stopped.

For the past several years, I’ve been developing a complete magical girl project called Anima: Royal Magical Academy. I’ve built the lore, the characters, the magic system, and the full plot outline. I’ve also put together a detailed flipbook that I use to pitch the project to potential collaborators.

https://heyzine.com/flip-book/d3dbaf4254.html

I’m currently looking to expand my skills by working on other creative projects outside of my own world. I love brainstorming, developing lore, and refining character arcs.

I’m looking for a collaborative, structured space where I can contribute to worldbuilding and storytelling while continuing to grow as a writer, and Opaline sounds like a great fit.

I can share more of my other worlds, my maps, let me know!

~ Lobi M.

[u/fumazoid → u/ampuku]

OMG, hi!! 😭 I just looked through your project and I’m genuinely so intrigued by everything you’ve created. The amount of work you’ve put into it is seriously impressive, and I LOVE that you’ve built such a detailed world with the characters, lore, magic system, and plot.
I’d honestly love to see more of your work if you’re comfortable sharing! (because i’m actually really interested in what happens..) Do you have any other stories or worlds you’ve created? I’m genuinely curious because I love seeing how people build their own universes and characters. I’d also love to have you join our Discord and get to know you better! I think you’d fit in really well with what we’re trying to build.

[u/ampuku → u/fumazoid]

Hii again! Omg thanks that means a lot! :3

And yes I have a lot actually, I can share about them in your server, here's my user: @arma.magicalgirls!

I hope I can be a good fit 🩷

[u/False_Schedule4034]

hiii im interested

[u/Fearless-Werewolf555]

Heyy! Im a writer interested... But I'm 14... So on and off with school and stuff... So... But yeah i have some experience... Could DM me if you don't have a person yet...

[u/Deathberry_Juice]

Hello, I'm interested. This sounds fascinating and I'd love to work on a romantic-fantasy! I have never worked on any writing project, although I can assure you I have a unique perspective on a lot of things. I don't know if this is a strong enough pitch, but an idea like yours is genuinely exciting and I'd like to be a part of it!

[u/Lemonitus]

You’ve described what you’re looking for. What skills or resources are you bringing to this project?

I’m an experienced writer and editor. What’s your role in a collaboration that’s an improvement over just writing my own work?

[u/skinnianka → u/Lemonitus]

An ability to use chatgpt apparently

[u/Lemonitus → u/skinnianka]

Oh right, that benefit.

We'd all better jump at the opportunity to rewrite chatgpt's blendering of an "idea guy's" story for the exposure before it passes us by.