Collaborative StorytellingA collaborative story is a story told by at least two authors. Each author takes a turn in expanding the story's narrative. These stories often focus on a few specific characters and their interactions and experiences.
The short video above describes one use of collaborative storytelling: forming connections between people. Collaborative storytelling can be used to elaborate on shared experiences and provide different aspects to a story. This video comes from a project called the Future of Storytelling (FoST), which aims to use new media and technology to share a story and make connections through words, pictures, videos, and more. This particular video discusses the collaborative storytelling methods that are currently being used to make the 9/11 memorial more personal and honest to what went on that day for the people of the United States and other places.
This article written by Yiannis Gabriel and Con Connell from Management Learning discusses stories told by multiple people using a Japanese style of writing called "renga" as a starting off point. The article defines collaborative storytelling in the terms of co-creation, or "the way a story is created simultaneously and often in different variants as several people interact and add particular elements to the narrative." The article explains that this type of storytelling is becoming increasingly popular and allows for a different kind of storytelling where each author is needed to create and shape the plot. This is useful to my research because it shows how co-created stories are made and how they are used in today's writing professions.
|
Transmedia StorytellingA transmedia story is a story told across multiple different media platforms. This could include videos, Twitter, Facebook, blogs, writing, and any other media platform where people can share material.
Carlos A. Scalori's article from the International Journal of Communication defines transmedia storytelling as "'stories told across multiple media'" (Jenkins, Purushotma, Clinton, Weigel & Robison, 2006, p.46). The article provides examples of transmedia storytelling and how their structures are created. The article also explains how to expand upon a writer's fiction. This article could be useful for my research because it explains an aspect of interactive/adaptive storytelling in a clear way and provides examples. Originally I was not thinking about my project in regards to transmedia, however, this article has helped me understand that that might be a better definition for what I am researching.
Carlos A. Scalori's article from Semiotica defines transmedia storytelling as a form of storytelling that uses different media platforms to expand upon a narrative. The article explains that many stories began as being on a singular media platform, but have been expanded to other forms of media as different social media platforms and YouTube have been used with more frequency and ease. The article also reminds readers that transmedia storytelling is more than just fiction, but also non-fiction, like advertising, and has been since multiple media platforms have been more widely available. This relates to my project because as transmedia storytelling has become more popular, the definition of storytelling itself has changed to a broader definition.
|
Interactive StorytellingI first thought interactive storytelling was when users were involved with a story in some way with direct interactions between the user and characters or authors. After doing some research, I see that interactive storytelling is when the user is involved, however, the term is generally only associated with computer and video game storytelling where users control characters with different commands.
This Interactive Entertainment article by Marc Cavazza, Fred Charles, and Steven J. describes one future of storytelling called interactive storytelling. It explains that the term is used in computer and video games where users can work with the characters or plot in a story at any time. In the system the article refers to, users must interact in a preexisting storyline to continue the narrative. The system the article refers to uses a variety of hierarchies to develop possible scenarios the characters can go through to accomplish different goals. This is much different than what I expected of interactive storytelling, but I think the idea where the audience can play a part in a story is important to any writer looking to further his or her career in a world that focuses heavily on new media.
Chris Crawford's book on Interactive Storytelling describes the different perceptions of the newer field of interactive storytelling. This author considers interactive storytelling to be separate from movies or games, even though this is a common way of interpreting the term. The author explains that in order to be a good interactive storyteller, one must understand storytelling backgrounds in many fields like film and gaming, but expand on that to create and use interactive storytelling as a "new and unique medium." I found this book very useful because it explained the different aspects of interactive storytelling and traditional storytelling, as well as the confusion that currently goes along with the terms.
|