16.20: Branching Narratives

Your Hosts: Mary Robinette Kowal, James L. Sutter, Dan Wells, Cassandra Khaw, and Howard Tayler

How do you give players meaningful choices while still keeping the story within a reasonable set of boundaries? In this episode James and Cassandra lead us in a discussion of branching narratives, and the ways in which we as writers can create them.

Credits: this episode was recorded by Marshall Carr, Jr., and mastered by Alex Jackson

Liner Notes: Dan mentioned this collection of “Choose your own adventure” plot maps.
Howard illustrated the concept of “narrative bumper pool” in Tracy Hickman’s X-TREME DUNGEON MASTERY

A branching path which begins at point A, and ends at either point X, Y, or Z. — Narrative Bumper Pool from X-TREME DUNGEON MASTERY, used with permission.

Homework: Write a short “choose-your-own-adventure” story.

Thing of the week: The Planet Mercenary RPG, created by Alan Bahr, Howard Tayler, and Sandra Tayler.

16.20: Branching Narratives

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