Polydina Flynt
Author / Playwright / Game Designer / Digital Designer / Comic Writer / Producer
Wellington, NZ
www.plyflynt.com
twitter @polydinaFlynt
Q What do you do?
“I develop Awkward Digital Products and
write non-fiction about my developer
journey. I write novels, short fiction, and
video games/comic strips, which I also
develop and do art direction for. ”
In my spare time I write pen-and-paper RPGs, and digital environments: as free mecha web applications, and do animation hacking and make animatics with stick figures and strong visual storytelling inspired by Firth/Hertzfeldt/Mantzaris/Feiss/Chung. I’m a video game designer; and I help other small indie teams with web dev, level design, recruiting, forecasting, sourcing and writing support. I write and design digital theatre. And I write cultural non-fiction.
I sketch as well, a little bit.
I’m mostly interested in developing with new (and old hardware hacking) technologies, designing new products and developing creative solutions and tools) - this I do mostly via stories for non-fiction projects. I’m also interested in Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator vector art and comic strip wallpaper.
What a writer who is also a game developer, cartoonist, emerging novelist, comic writer and tv writer, and mecha concept artist with a fascination for puppets, digital products and toy design, usually does, when struggling in writing for film to get past the gatekeepers, is write a novel. And I have shifted to going down that route, but I am also established as a software developer and animation writing is a very strong skill - so I’m relying on those three to support the rest of my interests. I also have a wealth of experience working as a volunteer in art direction, and in the indie game dev community, micro-budget filmmaking on video and open-source online community. So I can do a lot myself.
Q What steps did you take to get to where you are now?
Aced algebra at 15, 98% highest score in my high school. Then came depression and I dropped out two years before graduating. After a year to decide what to do with my life I decided I wanted to get into art. I would need another year of high school. I completed that year at a different school and went into University at 17. Studied Television, Theatre and Radio for 1yr - major in video production including work experience at the tv station as a studio camera operator, sound booth operator and video editor. Minors in Theatre Co- Writing, Production, Performance, Touring. Radio Tech, PR; Writing, Producing and Programming Ads; and DJ Performance.
Got lost in parties but continued writing. Then in 2008, I found a Bachelor’s in creative writing. So I signed up, completed that in 2011 March with a merit in short fiction. In 1995, I wrote my first 500 page manuscript, but it was not at a publishable standard. I was thirteen and inspired by Stephen King’s It (still my favourite novel) as well as Magic: the Gathering and Paul Bonner’s Nepharite Warlords in the game Warzone: Mutant Chronicles (which was resurrected in 2013 by Prodos Games using a successful Kickstarter. And then again recently by ResNova and Bryan Steele, whom I had a conversation with for my book about nerd culture business) In 2003 I wrote a TV Pilot script which caught the attention of TVNZ but was deemed too expensive to produce.
I wrote three feature film screenplays under the mentorship of the late and supremely generous Graham Tetley, while studying for my degree. After earning my degree, I moved away from screenwriting and wrote another draft of my novel - which, in 2012 the New Zealand Society of Authors liked enough to prescribe me (and pay for) a mentor - Barbara Else (pro nz author) was a huge help in getting me to rethink and fine tune, and to motivate me to work harder and faster on my novel.
After University, I studied cartooning and 2d digital art for 2.5yrs graduating with a (level 6) Honours diploma in 2d digital art and art direction for cartoons.
In 2013, I finished my last University program, had a lot of internal struggles and did a lot of writing and it wasn’t until 2018 that I began to see that I could use - my combination of expert knowledge and understanding of craft and form, and eagerness to communicate in such a way as to create new energy around a topic - by freelancing online, making tiny budget grassroots community artworks collaboratively and still continue being a solo creative, but also learning new useful skills that could springboard my opportunities - such as tinkering with product management and self-studying production design, DIY FX and comic illustration. And relying on my strongest skills for my main income: writing for animation, writing books, micro-budget filmmaking on video.
Q: How do you stand out in your field?
I write 14-23 feature manuscripts yearly, my web design prices are extremely affordable, and I have been writing, and designing games and toys since I was eleven, as an amateur. I have 6.5 years of university study to sculpt and polish my process, my craft, and my technical ability.
My voice is unique, it doesn’t get much darker, while still optimistic and quirky. It doesn’t get much more self-investigative and intellectual, while sparing time for sentiment and romanticism; and effective emotional expression - I’m a born poet. But there is always substance and meaning amongst the magic and chaos. I never do the same thing twice and
I am always looking to explore; to create something that didn’t exist before.
Q What are you working on right now?
Q What’s your style?
My style is: The quirky New Zealander specialist vibe - and the gothic horror intellectual experimental vibe. As a self-taught professor of the fantastic, my style is either about deep thought, or something well thought through. Deep and abstract BUT specificity in the action/setting.
I have learned to write three kinds of narratives:
1. The magical and scientific, because I’m very passionate about believing in the supposedly impossible.
2. Minimalist indie intellectual action/drama – because I’ve always been super-fixated on dismantling and the function and functioning of various processes – especially mental and creative.
3. When I am challenged to write with certain limitations – budget, number of locations, characters, etc. I am seriously fascinated by the development of digital works. “Digital products” encompasses software, hardware, consumer electronics, digital toys and mechatronics.
Mechatronics is a combination of mechanical output and electronic parts (usually the brain and power source and control system are electronic.) This includes but is not limited to animatronics. You can have mechatronic spaces, toys, art installations, etc. I am working on writing a web series to pitch to producers about hardware construction.
I also do digital cartoons.
My sense of humour is similar to a blend of Stephen Sinclair, Steve Wrigley, David Firth, Rik Mayall, Matt Lucas, Lloyd Kaufman, Bill Bailey and Chris O’Neill (Oney).
Q Out of all your slashies, which one do you wish you could do more often?
Digital product/environment design.
Q What is frustrating you right now?
Trying to focus on my work when there are so many distractions - mental stutters. Trying to make sure that I exercise daily when I just want to lie on my bed and get work done. Trying to socialize, I’m a friendly person but I too often have difficulty with anxiety in open groups.
Q If you could hire someone for $20/hour, what would you have them do to make your day easier?
Art for my game, but they wouldn’t do it for that, I’d be happy to pay them $60/hr if I get a full-time writing gig. Technically US$20/hr would be 30mins/wk (NZ$60/hr).
My current main projects include: a 360-page storyboard for a 6hr animated film storyboard due in December. An animated series pilot made with RPG Maker 2003 and NCH Video Pad Video Editor. Early prototypes and open source finished indie video game for Patreon: High School Hustler. My indie video game studio: BG Art House Studio. A proposal for a theatre-in-the-round, mixed with promenade theatre: A Mechatronic Space, Multiple- Software Demo Space, A small puppetry theatre space with sequential art wallpaper covering the walls, and an AR project – all based around a main story taken in pieces and an secondary story for the puppets. A non-fiction coffee table book containing 28 conversations with nerd culture businesses and fans around the world. A series of non- fiction books documenting developer journeys of the production of low-volume Awkward Digital Products. Two comic books. Two theatre scripts, three novels; and some short fiction for submitting to magazines.
I’m also learning Adobe Illustrator.
Q What do you wish you could have told yourself, when, and why?
Don’t worry so much, live a little, laugh a little, do the work, and you can do 7 things, do them well and don’t worry about naysayers.
Q If you could talk to an expert to gain more insight on something, what would it be about?
Neri Oxman.
Emerging social problems and the latest emerging technologies.
Bob Russell - software designer for the C64 - I’d just like to pick his brain. The C64 was a monumental success, a game changer - and my real introduction to video games.
Tom Kalinske, I almost spoke to him for an interview as part of when I was going to do documentary movies, but I’d like to have weeks of long chats so I can really get a handle on
business and marketing strategy. How to ask for more from my connections without making it awkward. Dean Kamen, Matt Dalio, Jay Silver, Eric Chahi, Richard Garfield, Bill Gaines…
I know the business side of fiction writing, blogging, and web development. But I’d like to get more insight into the business side of game development, hardware product development, toy development, comic publishing and installation art.
Q What kind of opportunities/projects are you looking for?
Creative side-project collab with interesting people with strong voices.
Projects where I can lean on my strongest skills: design mechanics, theoretical design, narrative writing, scriptwriting, interaction design, interactive narrative design, character design, web series writing, toy design, critical analysis and art direction. I’m still new at software, but I can do enough that people often ask me for help and become my clients - I am starting to find national and international clients as well as clients for game writing and design documentation feedback, and also I have done about 9 manuscript assessments and an amusement design gig with 100% satisfied clients.
I’d love to do an interactive space - made with a hybrid of woodcraft and another material.
Woodworking is the only physically crafty thing I’m good at. But I’m writing a web series about hardware construction.
Q Describe your ideal job/client/collaboration.
Where I have creative control/freedom of the written part. Art direction for animation.
Narrative design for live puppetry and interactive art spaces. A mix of mediums (like comics and toys) or something completely out of the box - with a focus on story, world, design, sophisticated silliness, craft and intellect. Horror or gothic intellectual experimental. A mix of software and hardware. I could really get into projects that can span 1-5 years - as long as I feel like both parties are contributing the same amount of work. Made with environmentally sustainable materials and/or a small footprint. Ideally with funding.
I’d love to work with a talented animator who has a unique vision. I would love to work with Ant Timpson (48hrs filmmaking competition and The ABCs of Death) and Stephen Hall-Jones (Mothras Dunedin.)
Q: What is your rate?
I usually do animation, game, digital product projects with a budget of NZ$5-8k for R&D and first versions to raise NZ$300-700k for the bigger versions. My rate as a freelancer is about NZ$75-100/hr, but I have some options for NZ$40 for a 1pager or a short read and review.
Q How should someone approach you about working together?
Contact me via my twitter or if you see a project of mine online I'm often looking for help with stuff.
Q Who is a creative you admire?
Lynda Chan-wai Earle NZ, poet, and playwright - she is really understanding and I love her brain and she’s funny and cool, too - she totally got what I was getting at with my graduating manuscript. That critique really pushed me to keep going, but go deeper and get better and follow through.
Cartoons by Chris Hallbeck and Dogmo Dog, Don Hertzfeldt, Ken Reid, Ronald Searle, Jack Cole, Jhonen Vasquez, Sam Kieth and Pancake Wendy.
And reading Terry Pratchett, Greg Egan, and Stephen King I learn so much from the way they tell stories. Reading about Jane Hamsher, Peter Jackson’s early work and David Cronenberg was really meaningful.
Tom Holland, Director of Child’s Play 1, The Temp, Fright Night, and The Langoliers. I wrote to him a few times on Twitter and once by email and he actually wrote back: It was really in-depth, generous, kind, and full of good advice. Matt Forbeck and Peter Tamte have been really supportive on socials. Both of them and Tom Kalinske are very humble and generous with their time. And they’re awesome talents. Roo Falcon, Adrian Chappell, Sarah Pou, Rhodri McCormack, Jorsh Pena, Paul Bonner, Robert Bauder, Shane Carruth, Brendon Small, and Anna Mantzaris - you should totally check out their work, they’re amazing!
Music-wise - Neil Young, Iggy Pop, Greta Van Fleet, Eric Burdon, Rod Argent, Phil Anselmo, Bowie, Megadeth, Slipknot, Citizen Cope, Aphex Twin, Everlast, Rancid, Efterklang, Hobo Johnson, Sepultura, Slayer, Primus, Daft Punk, Rage Against the Machine/One Day As A Lion, Suicidal Tendencies, Ten Years After, B52s, Grandson, Hotel Ugly and Londynn B, Coal Chamber/Devildriver, Maneskin, Led Zeppelin, CCR, Ghost, Swedish Metal, Surf Curse, Idles, liam lynch, Buffalo Springfield, Van Morrison, Rory Gallagher, Danzig, The Band, Crosby Stills Nash and Young, Chvrches.
Q Oh! and… how do you stay creative?
I write every day - or try to: 2k words on major projects including rewrites + pencilling,
photoshop, training myself with a digital tool, video editing and a bit of reading. I try to take
the day off on Mondays to do my shopping.
This member profile was originally published in January 2022, Updated February 2024.