This document discusses interactive narratives and participation. It recommends leaving room for interactivity in stories while ensuring they still work without it. It advises building on existing storytelling techniques and structuring stories to reward varying levels of participant enthusiasm. Interactivity can lower costs through integrated marketing and increase sales via social sharing and engaged advocates. Effective interactive stories make participation easy and meaningful through layered storytelling that motivates both casual and dedicated fans.

1. Interactive Narratives
Participation: Why, What & How
Robert Pratten
CEO, Transmedia Storyteller.com

2. Summary
• Leave a door open
• Good stories work with or without interactivity
• Build on what you know
• Structure for enthusiasm

3. Why bother with participation?
• The business case
– lower costs
• marketing is integrated into the product (as it should)
– increased sales
• social recommendation & spread
• empowerment of advocates
– engagement is measurable
• The creative case
– audience interaction is thrilling and addictive

4. How do I do it?
• Objective:
– Make it easy
– Make it worthwhile and meaningful
• Steps
– Sketch the experience you want to create
(consider artistic and commercial scenarios)
– Layer your story for different levels of enthusiasm
such that it works for the lazy and rewards the fan

5. Make it easy

6. Incentivize participation

7. Layering your story

8. Additional content for fans

9. Content for attraction

10. Layers united by story

11. Examples
• Lowlifes.tv
– solo participation
– QR codes offer additional subplot
– email-based (alternative reality) game
• HorrorUnlimited short story
– play with friends
– two-player twitter game
• 3 Interactive Pigs
– play in teams
– multiplayer interactive storytelling

12. 3 Interactive Pigs
• Strong authorship (story is on rails) but…
• Audience decides outcome at plot points
– House of Straw, House of Sticks, House of Bricks
• Pigs vs Wolf – you decide!
• Do the pigs live or die?
• Why bother?
– Fun to create and fun to play
– Facilitate social play which
• strengthens relationships
• raise awareness of other (paid) media
– Reward fans

13. 3 Interactive Pigs in Layers

14. Layered engagement

15. Call To Action

16. Poking friends
Matchword used to trigger Conducttr - tells
@BigBadWolf_2011 to send a tweet to these friends

17. Summary
• Leave a door open
• Good stories work with or without interactivity
• Build on what you know
• Structure for enthusiasm
• Lower costs
• Increased sales

18. Next steps
Start writing for interactivity:
www.tstoryteller.com
Robert Pratten
CEO TransmediaStoryteller.com
@robpratten or @tstoryteller