Writing Interactive Fiction with Twine: Play Inside a Story

If you’ve ever dreamed about walking through the pages of a book, fighting dragons, or exploring planets then Twine is for you. This interactive fiction program enables you to create computer games where worlds are constructed out of words and simple scripts can allow the player to pick up or drop objects, use items collected in the game to solve puzzles, or track injury in battle by reducing hit points. If you’ve clicked your way through 80 Days, trekked through the underground Zork kingdom, or attempted to save an astronaut with Lifeline, you’re already familiar with interactive fiction. If not, get ready to have your imagination stretched as you learn how to direct a story path.

The best part about interactive fiction stories is that they are simple to make and can serve as a gateway into the world of coding for the nonprogrammer or new programmer.

You’ll find expert advice on everything from creating vivid characters to building settings that come alive. Ford’s easy writing prompts help you get started, so you’ll never face a blank screen. Her “Try It Out” exercises go way beyond the basics, helping you bring personal creativity and passion to every story you create!

• Get familiar with the popular Twine scripting program
• Learn how to design puzzles
• Build your own role-playing game with stat systems
• Maintain an inventory of objects
• Learn game design and writing basics
• Change the look of your story using CSS and HTML
• Discover where you can upload your finished games and find players

Melissa Ford is the author of numerous works of fiction and nonfiction. She has been a huge interactive fiction fan since 1982, when her dad gave her a copy of Zorkto help her become a better speller. She is the blogging and social media editor at BlogHer, a contributor at GeekDad, and the Twine mentor at her local computer club. She is also the author of the award-winning blog Stirrup Queens. She earned her MFA from University of Massachusetts—Amherst.

Foreword (by the creator of Twine, Chris Klimas)
Introduction to Interactive Fiction
1. The Nuts and Bolts: Getting Started with Twine
2. Using Choice to Create Agency
3. Creating a Vivid Setting
4. Designing Puzzles
5. Building Objects with Variables
6. Stasis, Catalyst, and Climax: Understanding Story Arc
7. Exploring Interactive Fiction Genres
8. Constructing Believable Characters
9. Maintaining an Inventory
10. Setting up Obstacles to Slow Game Play
11. Foreshadowing Important Clues
12. Making a Role Playing Game
13. Randomizing Results: Another Virtual Dice Roll
14. Changing the Appearance of the Text
15. Changing the Appearance of the Game
16. Adding Images and Sound
17. Setting up the Pre-Story, Central Story, and Post-Story
18. Developing a Strong Player Character
19. Pacing and Action: Jumping Across Plot Points
20. Keeping Players Engaged
21. Showing and Not Telling
22. Changing the Appearance of the Game, Part Two
23. Three. Finishing Up and Hitting Publish