Build Non-Linear Narrative Writing Tools

David Dufresne, Open Doc Lab Fellow

Enrollment: Limited: Advance sign-up required
Attendance: second day is optional

In this 1-day workshop (with an optional 2nd day), join David Dufresne, award-winning interactive documentary storyteller and OpenDocLab fellow, in brainstorming and prototyping non-linear story writing tools.

The challenge: how to build a new tool to write and conceptualize non-linear stories in a way that directors, storytellers, designers and developers can understand and use for their work.

We need new tools for creating non-linear narratives. A word processor is poorly adapted to think in terms of fragmented narratives, database, and interactive research. Word or Google Docs are too linear in their design, Excel too boring and not inspiring. Scrivener is wonderful but for solo usage. Let’s invent the right writing and producing tool for the new narratives!

In this workshop we will brainstorm and prototype tools for non-linear documentary writing and conception. Anyone with an interest in developing interactive documentary tools is welcome including but not limited to students, faculty and staff with skills in storytelling, design, programming, and game design and development.

Sponsor(s): Comparative Media Studies/Writing
Contact: Sarah Wolozin, swolozin@mit.edu