The "Pick-a-Path" Game Narrative Writing Workshop taught young people the tools to build the multi-choice plots behind the roleplaying games fads of the 1980s and the high-intensity computer games of today.
The workshop was organised by Lawrence Creative Arts and presented by professional games designer Edwin McRae, a recent arrival in the town.
"Most stories work in the first or third person — I or he," Mr McRae said.
"Games work in the second person: You — the player — character. Good games are all about presenting the player with interesting choices and consequences."
A dozen adults and children supplied with books and examples worked through a pirate adventure, beginning in a port with adventure options on an island or a cave.
Each choice generated a situation offering more choices, resulting in a pyramid diagram where every option was given a number.
The number allocated a page in an ordinary notebook where the scene description and new options could be written and flipped to elsewhere in the book.
From fantasy and science-fiction to romance and horror, the budding games designers enthusiastically listed their own favourite genres, where they could create an adventure exactly suited for themselves.
Mr McRae has freelanced as a writer and narrative designer in the games industry since 2011.
He has written two non-fiction books on narrative design and worked on collectable card and video games including Void Crew, Sorcery, Flintlock and Flesh & Blood.
"My motto is ‘play is what we do. Story is why we do it’," he said.
"Rachel [of Lawrence Creative Arts] suggested I run the workshop and we’re very grateful to Clutha Creative Communities for their funding . . . I really enjoy sharing interactive stories in this way because showing how they work, it takes it back off the screen and brings people together in person."
