GROUP PERSONAS

Ideation Boards

Interactive story design: Narrative Design

Linear vs Non-Linear storytelling.

Linear narratives present stories in a logical and straightforward manner by moving from one point in time to the next without using flashbacks or flash-forwards and then returning to the present. The story follows a strict path and viewers can often speculate as to the where the plot is going

Non-linear narratives present stories in an illogical manner, often beginning within a flashback and progressing to the present. Random sections can appear and seem like nonsense, but it fits into the overall narrative.

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I had a thought about the way I can juxtapose my story line in a non-linear form, which follows one narrative in two different times; present and future. The art of subtle comparative visualization will come in handy here, as I can use two styles over the top of each other within the website. As I plan to use parallax scrolling to move scene-to-scene, I can easily transition when a choice is made.

This also makes use of my two art styles;
For the majority of the story, I will have ink layered over a painted background. The painted backgrounds will be very rough and patchy, the textures and colour simply complimenting my bold, comical ink lines.

As negative choices are made, the coloured backgrounds roughen, patch and break, the saturation lessening dramatically. A ‘scary’ world that we do not want.

I take inspiration from “The Boat” in this instance, as I found the jagged edges and abrupt movements quite shocking and they played with my emotions. This would be a fantastic ability in the context of my story.

Have the background as the present/future, and the inside narrative (ink) as the past/present. An actions that my character(s) make in the present, will make changes to the landscape or background.

Ideation Feedback:

• Love that you’re telling a story
• Love the illustrations! – very moody, love it!
• Could you implement music into the website to add to the atmosphere?

STUDY OF NON LINEAR NARRATIVE

memento film – there is more than one answer to things.

What is linearity? Then what is non-linearity? Research the boundaries. the possibility to make something new. – look at the complexity of the story and the choices.

The below images are my handwritten notes about Non-linearity, and the way which I would like my story to possibly progress. The challenge with non linear narrative is that you typically do not use time to layer. Non linear stories are most often linked with conditions. For example it may be that a character can only progress, or certain plot points are not revealed until after a player completes a required puzzle, or makes a solitary action. This action may then exclude a large chunk of the story. When we write stories in English, we write from left to write, top to the bottom of the page.
WHAT IF I designed the story in the way we actually read a book? You are reading a line, your eyes skip ahead to the next line before you go back to the sentence you were on. Now you have lost focus and have to reread the line again to understand the story. You should not move forward without understanding that line or you will be lost. This story requires you to pay attention to the little things.
Not just the story’s progression but the WAY in which we read the story is a form of linear narrative. We read a chapter front to back and then stop, taking a break. Even if a story IS NOT linear, our experience of that story IS linear. Do I want to work with this or move against it…

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