Interactive Fiction Workshop 1

—Interactive Fiction Workshop 1 (Writing for the Internet)

This morning I introduced my Writing for the Internet class to Pick up the Phone booth and Die and 9:05.

I always enjoy this class period. Most get to at least one of the endings in 9:05. About five minutes before class ends, I ask the students for their reaction to the ending they reached. Then, just before class ends, I ask them to restart 9:05, and I tell them to perform an action that gives away the ending from the first move… I won’t spoil it here. If Adam Cadre could hear the gasps and see the amused/shocked expressions in the room, I’m sure he’d be very gratified.

For homework, they are to play Photopia.

In upcoming IF workshops, students will learn to program a short game. After that exercise, they will play some more IF. They are usually better able to appreciate the accomplishments of a polished and detailed IF work after they have built one of their own.