Narrative in Linear & Interactive Media

🎓 Course Title: Narrative in Linear & Interactive Media

Course Headline: Mastering Storytelling Across Media - Theory & Practice

Course Description: Dive deep into the captivating world of narrative with our comprehensive online course, where we explore the intricacies of storytelling in both linear and interactive media. Drawing from a university-level semester's worth of material, this course is designed to give you a robust understanding of narrative theory and its practical application across various forms of media. From films and literature to comics and video games, we'll uncover the principles that shape compelling narratives.

• Foundational Concepts: Learn the core elements of narrative within analog and digital mediums.
• Cognitive Aspects: Delve into how audiences perceive, interact with, and cognitively process stories.
• Structural Elements: Understand plot structures, character development, and narrative arcs.
• Visual and Verbal Techniques: Master the art of dialogue, monologue, and humor in storytelling.
• Interactive Storytelling: Grapple with the unique challenges of writing for interactive experiences, from spreadsheets to decision trees.
• Thematic Exploration: Discuss themes and tropes, and how they contribute to a narrative's depth and interpretation.
• Contesting Narratives: Examine the interplay between fact and fiction, and the ways narratives can be challenged and reinterpreted.

Why Take This Course? Whether you're interested in crafting linear stories for traditional media or venturing into the realms of interactive narratives, this course provides the skills and knowledge necessary to create engaging, thought-provoking, and impactful stories. By examining a wide array of narrative forms, you'll gain insights that transcend any single medium, equipping you with a versatile toolkit for storytelling.

Linear vs. Interactive Narratives:

Linear Narrative:

• Definition: A form of storytelling where events unfold in a cause-and-effect sequence predetermined by the creator.
• Characteristics: A fixed order, where audience experiences the story as intended by the writer or director.

Interactive Narrative:

• Definition: Storytelling that allows audiences to make choices affecting the narrative's direction and outcome.
• Challenges: Developing scripts and stories that cater to audience interaction, often requiring innovative planning and production tools like spreadsheets or online mind mapping platforms.

Historical Perspective: While interactive narratives are often associated with digital media, it's important to remember that interactivity in storytelling is not new. Historical examples of interactive analog technologies, such as manipulating playheads on audio and video tape, remind us that the audience's interaction with the narrative has a rich and varied history.

What You'll Learn:

• 📚 Narrative Cognition: How audiences process and interact with narratives.
• 🤔 Narrative Structures: The art of structuring stories and managing complex plots.
• 🎭 Character Development: Crafting memorable characters and designing their visual elements.
• 💬 Dialogue & Humor: Techniques to enhance the story through conversation and comedic moments.
• 🌍 Space & Storyworld: Understanding the importance of setting in narrative development.
• 👀 Point of View: Exploring focalization and narratorial devices to deepen the reader's engagement.
• 🔄 Themes, Tropes & Interpretation: Analyzing the deeper layers of storytelling.
• 🤝 Fact vs. Fiction: Navigating the relationship between real and imagined elements in narratives.
• 🤔 Narrative Contestation: Understanding how stories can be challenged, reinterpreted, or reshaped.

Join us on this journey through the narrative landscape, where you'll not only learn about the theory behind storytelling but also gain practical skills to bring your narratives to life in today's multifaceted media environment. 🚀