Exploring the Branching Narrative

UG - Undergraduate

From choose-your-own-adventure books to video games, branching stories are everywhere! But how do you know what to write or where to even begin? This semester-long course explores the basics of creating branching and multi-narrative stories across a plethora of genres of writing and entertainment. During the course, we will investigate and discuss choose-your-own adventure novels, live immersive and interactive experiences, video games and VR, experimental film and television, and more to uncover what makes branching narratives so alluring! Students will learn the thrills and challenges of writing a branching story through in-class activities, reading assignments, and presentations/workshops; in addition to being given the opportunity to present and/or workshop a small-scale branching piece of art. Topics that will be covered over the course will include: audience/reader agency, interactivity, the "illusion of choice", cause-and-effect, the different styles of writing a branching narrative, etc.