Printer-friendly version
Author:
Blog About:
Hey everyone!
I was knocking around ideas for a follow-up to my Adventure contest entry, and thought it might be fun to try doing an interactive story. The world is already based on D&D and similar fantasy RPGs, why not let the readers give some input into the characters' actions?
So, thoughts?
Comments
I know that someone else has
I know that someone else has been working on writing one also, but I suspect the online format isn't as conducive as hard copy.
http://bigclosetr.us/topshelf/book/25141/pickles-tg-choose-y...
took a bit but I remembered who and found it.
Stupidity is a capital offense. A summary not indictable.
If you're looking for an idea...
If you're looking for an idea, roleplaying could be a way for a group of shy friends to practice interacting with the opposite sex and overcome their fears. Perhaps one of them is great at playing a girl in their usual campaigns, and would be willing to stay in character in real life given the right incentives. Perhaps things go further than anyone expected, and the distinction between player and character becomes blurred...
Ah, I realize I wasn't very clear
I was thinking of doing a sequel to the Star-Crossed Swords, starring the same characters (Falen, Nimlye, Durga, Ayanda, and Rose). I'd write a bit and propose a few different paths to choose from, and let the readers decide which of those options is followed.
My bad
Apologies, your intent was clear enough but I saw an opportunity to sell a scenario I'd like to see play out. :)
I'm not a fan of interactive fiction (anymore). I prefer to give myself up to a story and live in a different world for a while. The interruptions and transitions between sections of interactive stories bring me back each time. I also worry about the parts I miss, but exploring every path requires either that I read parts over and over or that I patch it together in my mind. Either way, it all detracts from the experience IMO.
Perhaps I just haven't read the right interactive fiction yet, so don't let one jaded fool hold you back. I think, if you enjoy writing it, there will be people who will enjoy reading it.
A variation?
Without careful management, an interactive story can dissolve into hundreds of different (and often poorly written) threads, which no one can follow.
A group of people in my writing group do a variation of this which we call a story loop. We each write part 1 of a story, then pass onto another author who writes part 2. And so on until it arrives back with the original author who has to finish it. The approx length is specified, as is the timetable, and you can't do a "it was all a dream" to get out of a tricky situation the previous author has left you. That might work well amongst a prearranged group of writers on this site, each section being published as they proceed.
Single-author
My plan was to do all the writing myself, but structure it like a "Choose Your Own Adventure" novel. Write a few hundred, maybe a thousand words, post that much with a decision at the end, let the readers vote on the decision, repeat until concluded. Check out the "Pickles" story that Dawnfyre linked to in the first comment for an example of what I have in mind.
I do remember Pickles.
I do remember Pickles.
For me it was too similar to that computer game from the 1980s that starts with a well house over a stream. Maybe it was writing in the 2nd person that gave me the problems. I also suspected that maybe much of the story had been thought through in advance and only the first part of each episode had to be changed to follow on.