Description
Eight Thursdays, Oct 8–Nov 26, 8:00–10:00 p.m.
Open to all
Limited to 12 participants
Hybrid workshop*
Interactive storytelling isn’t just for videogames, tabletop or board games. Immersive theatre, public art installations, museum exhibits, and educational experiences can all spring to life from narrative techniques that place the audience at the centre of the experience.
In this workshop, we’ll develop foundational storytelling skills that you can use in your own interactive projects, or to build your knowledge to work as a storyteller in interactive media, including games.
We’ll begin with evergreen writing skills, like character, worldbuilding and dialogue, and then consider the audience as a character, branching narrative and stories that respond to audience inputs and actions, and what all of this means for plot and structure.
Finally, we’ll discuss how to collaborate with other disciplines to make each part of an experience tell one great story.
Each session will include:
- A lecture and discussion of the topic of the week
- A participant-led analysis of an interactive story
- A generative writing exercise for hands-on practice
- Time for advice and Q&A about personal interactive projects
Notes:
Sharing in-session writing is optional. Given the collaborative nature of interactive media, occasional group work will be encouraged.
No special equipment is necessary. Please bring a notebook, pen, and all the curiosity and enthusiasm you can muster. You may bring a laptop or tablet if it’s your preference, but all exercises can be completed with a pen and paper.
This is a human-led workshop about human-made experiences for human audiences. While we may employ technology in the pursuit of this goal, this is not an appropriate space to use AI (like LLMs) or to undertake AI projects.
Recommended Reading:
The Game Narrative Kaleidoscope, collated by Jon Ingold (https://www.inklestudios.com/kaleidoscope/)
This anthology of over 100 current narrative practitioners, writing about the topics that move them also has a free podcast, in which contributors are interviewed.
Emily Short’s Interactive Storytelling: Narrative and games and new media (https://emshort.blog)
*This workshop will take place at the QWF Office (Room 3, 1200 Atwater Avenue, Westmount, Quebec) with up to 2 virtual spots for participants who are unable to attend in-person because of distance or disability. By default, all workshop registrations are for in-person spots. If you would like to request a virtual slot, contact John at john@qwf.org stating the reason for which you would need the virtual spot, then wait for a response before registering. Please do not register until you receive confirmation of a virtual spot for you.
Workshop leader
Former theatre kid Jill Murray has designed and written for videogames since 2011. She has over 25 games to her name, from AAA titles (Shadow of the Tomb Raider) to big indie games (Subnautica: Below Zero), and small ones (The Big Con). Her art games have been showcased at the Young V&A museum, and poetry festivals in the UK. She previously published two young adult novels and is now completing her MFA in Creative Nonfiction. She has taught game design and writing in workshops and classes to writers of all stripes and is excited to do it again.
Bluesky: @jillmurray.bsky.social
LinkedIn: Jill Murray
