I'm Lorraine Hopping (@HoppingFun), pro writer, game designer with experience in product development and editorial direction. I'm into storytelling (media agnostic), languages, science, math, games, puzzles, education, certain cats.












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Events


NOW to September 1 (!): I'm working a part-time editorial project in Washington, D.C. Eager to connect with fellow professionals in media, publishing, science writing, education, and game design.

May 25-27: In Toronto to play board games and catch up with friends in the Transmedia 101 world. Monday the 27th is my day to connect and network.

Current Projects


Heart of Ganesh Video Game


Our Global Game Jam 2013 project, Heart of Ganesh, has legs—elephant legs!

In a nutshell: "Lead your elephant family to the watering hole in the shortest amount of time and moves you can. Oh, and try not to trample anybody. Bad karma."

Does the topic of elephant-human conflict interest you? How about wildlife corridors in highly populated areas? There's also an element of problem solving and games for social good—this arose, after all, out of a Games for Change jam site.

Contact me if you'd like more information or to get involved.

My Global Game Jam profile:

Global Game Jam

Inanimate Alice


I'm working with the talented Inanimate Alice team to extend this transmedia story across the internet, including Everloop, the social media site for tweens. Everloop is the only place where kids can interact directly with Alice and her team, sharing digital adventure stories across the globe, asking questions, and meeting other fans.

Michigan Game Designers!


Interested in designing games? Any genre, platform, medium, level of progress. Join us!

Game Makers Workshop (Michigan)

My Meetup Groups


If our geography and interests align, here are a few chances for us to connect in real life. If you're a Meetup member, check out my Meetup profile for other groups that I've joined.

IGDA (Independent Game Developers Assoc) New York City
StoryCode.org
A non-profit group for transmedia creatives.
New York Gaming
NY Tech Meetup
Ann Arbor New Tech
Gameful Website
Check out my Roll and Shuffle group for board game makers.

Just a Joke



Q: How many creative types does it take to change a light bulb?
A. That depends: What do you want to change it into?

Q. How many editors does it take to change a light bulb?
A. Three. One to change it. Two to change it back.

Q: How many writers does it take to change a light bulb?
A: Tell me again, "Why do we have to change it?"


Google+
Suggested circles: game design, writers/authors, transmedia, publishing, science, journalism.

EMAIL LORRAINE
EMAIL LOUISE (Readalicious! blog)

Books, Games, Scripts, & Other Jazzy Content

I'm glad you stopped by.

Hopping Fun Creations is my editorial services and content development company, creating professional quality board and card games, video game scripts, interactive stories and articles, books (50+ titles!), and other jazzy content for publishers, game makers, and other media producers.

If you're developing a transmedia or crossmedia property, let's talk!

Check out so very many successful projects and satisfied, repeat clients!

Scholastic :: Smithsonian :: FableVision :: PBS-WGBH :: Bradfield Productions :: Microsoft Education :: McGraw-Hill :: Penguin :: Sterling :: Sesame Workshop and others!

Mayan Mysteries: Join Team Q to track down the elusive Ladrone as she loots her way across Central America! I wrote the storyline, sequential art-style, for this content-rich video game.


I wrote "Escape from Antcatraz," my first interactive fiction script, in 1985. (Anyone still own an Apple IIe?) I love writing game scripts!

I've authored 50+ books, including fiction and nonfiction for tweens, teens, and adults. Whatever the topic and medium, I love to tell a great story.

This bestselling, well-reviewed board game is now a classic: 16 years in print! I've invented and developed more than a dozen games from idea to store shelf.

Good writing is good writing, whatever the medium or the message.


Teamwork! I love it.

Professional Recommendations


“Lorraine has written several books for becker&mayer! Each book required extensive research, a high degree of creativity, and the ability to meet ridiculous deadlines. She is a professional who writes to the age group, gets her facts straight, and makes dry material fun. I hope she'll write many more books for us!”
—Betsy Pringle, Manager, Juvenile Editorial Group, becker&mayer

"Lorraine wrote fiction for Microzine, a Scholastic software product, that was funny, educational, and scientifically sound. Our interactive fiction was a new medium back then, and Lorri just "got it." She understood the capabilities and limitations of the machine and used it to the story's best advantage. All that insight, plus her professionalism in meeting deadlines and working with our editors. She was a delight to work with."
—Amy Kefauver, former editorial director at Scholastic

"Lorraine Hopping Egan is a tour de force writer, editor, and creator of games. I learned an enormous amount under her tutelage at Scholastic and continue to be impressed by the books, games, and other materials she creates."
—Mary Kay Carson, children's book author and former associate editor of Scholastic's SuperScience magazine

"Lorri has so many ideas, angles and original products, it's amazing! She does a masterful job of balancing ideas and enthusiasm with experience in such a way that her process and products are realistic and engaging. Highly motivated and creative. She's a natural collaborator."
—Alison Austin, program coordinator at Washtenaw Literacy

Teachers and Other Educators


My bestselling game and activity book for teachers has sold more than 50,000 copies and is still going strong.

See what games and fun educational activities Hopping Fun Creations has created just for you. As you browse the site, look for FREEBIE word searches, math puzzles, and topical quizzes to download, print out, and use in your classroom today.

KIDS!


Have you read my books or played my board games? Find out who I am and why it's fun to be a writer.

If you're looking for your next favorite book, take a look at the Readalicious! blog, written by Ms. Hopping (my sister), a teacher who loves books and kids and knows how to put the two together.

All the material on this website is copyright © 2000-2013 by Hopping Fun Creations. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to visitors to download, print, and use the "Freebie" reproducibles free of charge for educational use only. Reproduction, reposting, or distribution in any form or media is prohibited without the written permission of Hopping Fun Creations.

Featured Books and Games

Children's Books
Read the sad, moving tale of a peace-loving leader who lost his land, many of his people, and his life-long fight to keep the peace. (FREEBIE history puzzles.)
The true science adventures of Diane France, forensic anthropologist. NSTA Selector's Choice, AAAS/SB&F Subaru finalist, starred reviews!
Adriana Ocampo found her path to science adventure through space-traveling robots and crashing asteroids! (FREEBIE science quizzes and a FREE ebook by Adriana.)
The Body as Evidence (Autopsies) and Crime Scene Investigation!
Venus and Serena, Peyton Manning, Michelle Kwan, and others for ages 6-9. (FREEBIE sports quizzes.)
Outdoor fun for 6 to 8 year olds.
Tornadoes! and Hurricanes! are my two best-selling books with 1.6 million sold!
Games
A must-have card game set for English language (ESL/EFL) and language arts teachers and tutors. (FREEBIE ESL materials.)
My top selling game book! (FREEBIE math puzzles.)
Lively games and activities about grammar, vocabulary, and dictionary skills. (FREEBIE word puzzles.)
Great American History Games, 15 Primary Source Activities (plays, games, readings, and more) and more!
Race from Earth to Mars, an orbiting target, by fixing malfunctions and answering intriguing science questions. Endorsed by astronaut Jack Lousma.