Writing for Interactive Multimedia

Multimedia is, of course, just one form of communication that uses interactivity. So, this page will take a broader focus than just multimedia scriptwriting, or just the web, or just CD-ROM. However, as these technologies converge, it often seems the writer gets lost in the process. Therefore, this page provides links that cover the whole gamut -- with the emphasis on writing.

One of the better collections of material specific to the writing of interactive media is -- surprise! -- that bastion of linear screenwriting, The Writer's Guild of America (West). The WGA has clearly taken note of the growth in this field, and provides interviews with top writers, sample scripts, and more.

I might include ButzgyLand just for the site name, but the real reason it's here is for Michael Butzgy's handy Writing for Multimedia guidelines, which cover most aspects of interactive script design and development. Even the summary Script Guidelines page is quite thorough.

The University of Minnesota's Digital Media Center [revised URL] continues to shuffle its content and its page locations. But they have lots of information for teachers who want to develop websites in support of academic courses. Although aimed primarily at web authors, much of it is applicable to other forms of interactive media. For example, Design a Template explains how to build a framework within which all other writing will be done.

Hyperquests is the name for "Interactive, Student-Centered, Multimedia/Internet Investigations and Activities" offered at the Plano, Texas Independent School District website. Its Multimedia Writing page offers links to several good resources for anybody getting started in this area.

For those interested in interactive and/or collaborative fiction, Hyperizons: the Search for Hypertext Fiction is a great, labor-of-love resource that reflects years of development. If you are interested in this topic, this is the place to start. Another good link is Reactive Writing, once self-described as "dedicated to exploring the use of Hypertext and E-mail to create new creative projects on-line."

Patrick Lynch and Sarah Horton were at Yale's Center for Advanced Instructional Media when they began developing what is now both a book and a fabulous website. Web Style Guide is what it sounds like, and much more. Any web author should check it out. A few mirror copies of the original version are still available elsewhere, including Patrick Lynch's 3-part article Visual Design for the User Interface, which "outlines the history of graphic interface design, and the theories that have influenced the development of today's major graphic user interfaces."

(For an even broader look at all these new technologies, jump to the Multimedia page elsewhere on this website.)