How do I narrative

[Some Android]

Not necessary how do I write but also how do I create an interesting narrative. Basically I want to create some choose-your-own adventure style stories but with webpages. I'm not sure how to do this. I've DM'd before so I can do interactive stories at least okay but it's more flexible as I can just make up stuff if the situation arises - like generate random NPCs if my PCs want to talk to someone. With this I can't nearly create as many webpages but I still want it to feel unlimited and like you're in control - not shatter the suspension of disbelief.

Unless that could be good. Like would people want to read a linear story in the first person perspective because that would basically be this with devoid of as many choices.

I don't know. Hope I made it clear what I'm trying to do and what my plight it. If not feel free to ask. I'm working on some stories. I'll release those when they're done. See what works. Go from there.

Any advice/tips would be appreciated. Thanks!

[Bucky]

You could always fall back on the Recursive Plot Algorithm.


Start with: Character c in Situation s with Goal g
if (not enough plot):
Invent Obstacle o
Recurse (c, s, "overcome o")
Recurse (c, "o has been overcome", g)

[Alent]

What you're asking is essentially "how do I write a visual novel". They have this technique down to an art form. There are webpage scripting tools you can get that will build this for you, although i don't have the links to any handy.

To give you a basic idea or two, you need to set some baseline rules for how your story can flow.

Consider the opposed actors concept:

If the player has no goal and is aimless, placing him on a track towards a result. If the player is assigned a task and gets to figure out how he's going to get there, he starts on a track and can get off in any direction so long as it moves towards that result. (Or away from it, as the case may be, but this can be dangerous to forming a coherent narrative)

An NPC is acting on his own goal and will cross the player's path at some point because (fill in blank).

When their paths cross, the interaction between them will be the same unless there's a good reason for them to meet differently. This dialog is only created once, and called as needed, exiting to the correct "location" in the story regardless of how you get there. If the dialog is different because circumstances force it to be different, this is a variant rather than an "All new from scratch" set of dialog. This dialog either places them in conflict or makes them allies. Most scripting languages let you include "optional" text that will appear if a condition is met, so you can place the two characters in the same scenes without having to write completely original scenes for every possible combination.

This kind of actor narrative lets you create many permutations without dramatically increasing the number of options- it maintains verisimilitude since the NPCs goal conflicts or coincides with yours, it makes sense for them to always encounter you as you pursue that goal. Similarly, for the nameless NPCs you can create a list of "likely to encounter" characters based on their role at a given locale. (EG - you're going to encounter the shopkeeper if you're in his shop, the apprentice on an errand will always bump into you in this part of town.)

You really won't ever reach "unlimited possibilities", but you can make things feel pretty open with good branching options and some clever scriptwriting.