INTERACTIVE MEMOIR

What does it mean to invite readers to play in—and with—your memories? Can memoir writing be…a game? In this seminar, we will explore the basics of interactive narrative design as applied to memoir, essay, and creative non-fiction, investigating how games and interactivity can transform what it means to tell your life story. We will will read, play, and discuss videogames, artgames, interactive (non-)fiction, innovative digital media, and experimental non-fiction, developing an aesthetics of interactive nonfiction writing that informs two open-platform interactive memoir projects over the course of the semester. Tutorials on interactive narrative tools like Twine, Bitsy, and Downpour will accompany playtesting workshops to establish a game-literate creative community committed to pushing the boundaries of the form.