Sarah Bolling

Writer. Editor. Game designer.

Storytelling with beauty and bite

About

Hi! I’m Sarah (she/her). I also go by Elle. Call me either!I’m a writer, editor, and tabletop game designer based in New York City.As a writer and designer, I’m fueled by a quadruplicate love of the uncanny, the campy, the sumptuous, and the sordid. Common motifs include: doubles, memory & nostalgia, pop culture, celebrity, and desire. My work is off-kilter and frequently dark, but always shot through with a strong grasp of theme, a knowing wink, and player-facing prompts that create emotionally resonant moments at the table.As an editor, I bring ten years of professional experience across book publishing and tabletop games. I began my career in the editorial department at W.W. Norton & Company before becoming a literary agent at The Gernert Company, where I worked with award-winning and best-selling authors to conceptualize, develop, and shepherd their books into the world.My educational background is in languages and literature. I earned a B.A. in East Asian Studies from Brown University, as well as an M.A. in Comparative Literature & Literary Theory from Goldsmiths, University of London, where my thesis examined feminism and the postmodern in Japanese literature. I am conversant in Japanese, French, Italian, and Korean.Want to work with me? Get in touch!

Writing & Design

"Sarah has perfect pitch for narrative that resonates."
—Ben Bisogno, co-designer of Ma Nishtana

For The Between RPG

The Map Room, The Dining Room, and The Theater (The Gauntlet)
Three sets of prompts for rooms in Hargrave House, along with campaign-altering custom movesThe Shoreditch Slugger (The Gauntlet)
Scenario about an underground fight club, class tension, and toxic masculinity

For Public Access RPG

Guerilla Makeover 012 Pure-White Pretext (The Gauntlet)
Home (invasion) makeover Odyssey TapeWelcome Home (Itch.io)
Odyssey Tape, inspired by short film My House Walk-ThroughYour Best Friend - Commercial (Itch.io)
Haunted doll commercial Odyssey TapeTotally Killer (Itch.io)
Slasher-horror scenario about fandom, loneliness, and a glam killer doll

For Brindlewood Bay RPG

Blood & Black Gloves (The Gauntlet, Patreon exclusive)
David Lynch-inspired mystery exposing the dark underbelly of Brindlewood BayGarden Variety Murder (DTRPG)
Scenario for The Unofficial Brindlewood Bay Mysteries ed. by Jonah KnightStarry-Eyed Visionaries (Itch.io)
A new villain and two thematic frameworks for alien horror Brindlewood Bay campaigns

For Bump In the Dark RPG

Dream Girl (Last Pine Press)
Stretch goal scenario for Revised Edition crowdfunding campaignDual Frequency (Last Pine Press)
Stretch goal scenario for Revised Edition crowdfunding campaignThis Tangled Web (Itch.io)
Scenario featuring spiders, body horror, and a complex web of conspiracyFinal Checkout (Itch.io)
B-movie slasher-horror scenario set in a haunted hotelBe Not Afraid (Itch.io)
Religious horror scenario about angelic fury and irresistible temptationsThe Culling (Itch.io)
Scenario about community and how it falls apartFertile Ground (Itch.io)
Scenario about a missing college student and the woods that claimed her

For Other RPGs

The Town of Erstwhile (The Gauntlet, Patreon exclusive)
Journey Scene about a half-forgotten ghost town for The Silt Verses RPGBargain Haunting (Alicia Furness Productions)
Scenario about the mundane terror of the curated retail experience
for Paranormal Inc.Only I Know the Taste of Your Tears (TBA)
Haute cuisine mystery for forthcoming giallo RPG Paradiso Rosso

Essays

Kiss Me Kill Me (Sprigs & Kindling)
Introduction for Volume 3: Sex, Love, and Obsession

SELECTED EDITING

"Working with Sarah is always a gift. Her thoughtful edits leave you feeling encouraged, energized, and eager to create more. She is not only a consummate professional, but also someone who brings out the best in your work."
—Amanda Mullins, Editor-in-Chief of Sprigs & Kindling and contributing writer to The Between

Role-playing games

Come On In by Wes Franks
(Plus One EXP, forthcoming 2026)The Between: Shadow Society by Jason Cordova
Hargrave House rooms
(The Gauntlet, forthcoming 2026)The Between by Jason Cordova
Hargrave House rooms
(The Gauntlet, forthcoming 2025)

Books

Anything of Value by Lorelei Lee [proposal]
(Harper, forthcoming 2026)The Thick and the Lean by Chana Porter
(Saga, 2023)Tacky by Rax King
(Knopf/Vintage, 2021)Gentrifier by Anne Elizabeth Moore
(Catapult, 2021)Against White Feminism by Rafia Zakaria [proposal]
(W.W. Norton & Company, 2021)The Seep by Chana Porter
(Soho Press, 2020)Answers in the Form of Questions by Claire McNear [proposal]
(Hachette/Twelve, 2020)

SERVICES

Writing & DesignI write and design for a variety of frameworks, including Powered by the Apocalypse, Forged in the Dark, and Carved from Brindlewood. I am also open to work on original and system agnostic games.I am available to write one-shot and short adventures, as well as evocative NPCs, factions, and lore. I design with emotional impact in mind, building mechanics that encourage PCs to make difficult, meaningful choices or uncover new aspects of their interiority. I offer a crystal-clear sense of style that nonetheless blends seamlessly with the setting and tone of your game.See my Writing & Design page for projects I have worked on. Reach out at [email protected] for samples of my work or to discuss rates for your project.

• Email

EditingI’ll bring ten years of editorial experience to your project. In addition to my freelance work on TTRPGs, I have edited novels, nonfiction books, essays, book proposals, and scholarly articles.For games, I offer developmental editing services, in addition to taking on select copyediting and proofreading work.See my Editing page for a selection of work I have edited. Reach out at [email protected] to discuss rates for your project.***Developmental editing can begin when you have a full first draft of your manuscript. I view a developmental edit as a conversation between creator and editor; I’ll provide several rounds of detailed feedback to help hone your game’s conceptual foundation and design until it’s razor-sharp.Copyediting happens when your game is almost ready for layout. In one round of edits, I’ll refine your text—focusing on clarity, economy of language, and amplifying your game’s unique voice. I’ll also ensure consistency throughout, in accordance with the style guide you provide (or that I create on your behalf).Proofreading is best for when your game is laid out in its near-final form. In a single round of edits, I’ll ruthlessly hunt down typos, as well as layout and formatting errors.