Photo by Tajreen Hedayet Photography
Hi, I’m Jean Ferruzola, a writer and narrative designer based in Seattle. I write stories that explore intergenerational storytelling, heritage, and the complex, messy, beautiful dynamics of family. As a first-generation Ecuadorian American, I’m especially interested in how identity and history shape the way we tell—and pass down—our stories.
My work has appeared in The Los Angeles Review, Brevity, The Offing, Entropy Magazine, and ELLE Magazine, among others. I earned my MFA from the University of Washington, was a 2014/2015 Hugo House Fellow, and received Artist Trust’s Grants for Artist Projects in 2016. In 2021, I was honored to be a YA Tin House Scholar, and I’m currently querying my first contemporary YA novel.
As a narrative designer, I bring my background in fiction to interactive storytelling, crafting worlds and characters that people want to return to—not just because they’re compelling, but because they feel real and alive. I believe the best stories, whether in books or games, invite us in and make us feel something lasting. That’s the kind of work I strive to create.