Narrative Design – Writing for Games

PLEASE NOTE: Bookings for this workshop are currently sold out. If you would like to be added to the wait list, please contact admin@awg.com.au.

Join a one-day workshop with Narrative Designer and Facilitator Alexander Swords, to develop practical skills in creating industry-ready narrative content in a collaborative way. This workshop is brought to you by the Australian Writers’ Guild. 

Alexander Swords is a writer and narrative designer working across emotional games, games for change, the adaptation and evolution of stories moving to new mediums and advocating for the power of interactive narrative and the need for diverse future storytellers. 

Alexander has created the Forest Paths Method for Narrative Design. It is an accessible and collaborative approach to writing and narrative design for interactive and non-interactive story. It is now used internationally to develop, research and educate in games and screenwriting.

During this one-day workshop, Alexander will take the participants through three modules:

• Module 1: Understanding the Player’s Perspective
• Module 2: Designing Valuable Choices
• Module 3: The Forest Paths Method for Narrative Design
• ‘How to format an interactive game narrative for users and how to make valuable choices.’
• ‘Key tenets of how to write narrative for games, a solid process for approaching story design.’
• ‘The nature of storytelling in games, how to define and distinguish different styles of choices, how to begin developing my own game concept and how to use different online platforms to help format my game story structure. It was a wonderful workshop.’

Attendees are required to bring a laptop. Please note that no experience with a game engine or coding is required. Tools used are Miro and Twine and no prior experience is required. Those who have previously purchased the book Forest Paths Method for Narrative Design will benefit from the practical exercises that will provide more specific context and examples, as well as the potential network a workshop provides.

Previous workshop participants said they learnt: 

• ‘How to format an interactive game narrative for users and how to make valuable choices.’
• ‘Key tenets of how to write narrative for games, a solid process for approaching story design.’
• ‘The nature of storytelling in games, how to define and distinguish different styles of choices, how to begin developing my own game concept and how to use different online platforms to help format my game story structure. It was a wonderful workshop.’

WHEN: Saturday, 1 October 2022, 10am to 4pm AEST

WHERE: ACMI X Social Space, Level 4, 2 Kavanagh St Southbank VIC 3006

TICKETS: $20 for members of the Australian Writers’ Guild, $50 for non-members

Bookings essential. Places are limited. Don’t miss this incredible opportunity.