A quick introduction to interactive storytelling techniques.

One year I was asked to give a day-long master class on interactive storytelling to a group of traditional film animators. I didn't know how much they knew about games and interactivity, so I put together this workshop. It consists of two mini-workshops back to back. We start with the Fundamentals Mini-workshop before lunch. After lunch, I give my lecture, "Introduction to Interactive Storytelling," and then the participants take a couple of hours to apply the principles they've learned to a story they already know, turning a linear story into an interactive one. To end the day, each person presents her story and explains how the player interacts with the plot, and we all discuss it together.

Key questions that the participants address:

What challenges and actions are appropriate to go with the story they have chosen?

What mechanism causes the plot to advance (meeting challenges, travel through space, time)?

Does the story branch as a result of choices the player makes, or in response to his success or failure at challenges?

How many endings does the story have and how do they reflect the player's choices and play?

As with all my workshops, worksheets guide their thinking, so they can't get lost or stuck.

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