Theories of Interactive Narrative.

A Final Project Proposal, by Zach Tomaszewski

for CIS 702, Fall 2004, taught by Dr. Martha Crosby


Story-telling is one of the oldest forms of human entertainment. The medium for conveying narratives has changed with technology, however--from voice alone to written text, theatre, opera, and film. Current technology allows for alternative forms of narrative (such as parallel plotlines and multimodal presentation), as well as stories generated based on user input or preferences. Most importantly, it could allow users to affect elements of the narrative (usually the plot) as it happens.

What I propose for my final project is a literature review of existing theories of interactive narrative. I hope to answer such questions as:

Such a theory would be most helpful in computer game design, but would also aid interactive movies, roleplaying, and the use of narratives in education.