Writing Interactive Fiction with Twine

Book excerpt: Writing Interactive Fiction with Twine: Play Inside a Story If you’ve ever dreamed about walking through the pages of a book, fighting dragons, or exploring planets then Twine is for you. This interactive fiction program enables you to create computer games where worlds are constructed out of words and simple scripts can allow the player to pick up or drop objects, use items collected in the game to solve puzzles, or track injury in battle by reducing hit points. If you’ve clicked your way through 80 Days, trekked through the underground Zork kingdom, or attempted to save an astronaut with Lifeline, you’re already familiar with interactive fiction. If not, get ready to have your imagination stretched as you learn how to direct a story path. The best part about interactive fiction stories is that they are simple to make and can serve as a gateway into the world of coding for the nonprogrammer or new programmer. You’ll find expert advice on everything from creating vivid characters to building settings that come alive. Ford’s easy writing prompts help you get started, so you’ll never face a blank screen. Her “Try It Out” exercises go way beyond the basics, helping you bring personal creativity and passion to every story you create! Get familiar with the popular Twine scripting program Learn how to design puzzles Build your own role-playing game with stat systems Maintain an inventory of objects Learn game design and writing basics Change the look of your story using CSS and HTML Discover where you can upload your finished games and find players