When I was at University studying communications, we were taught about interactive storytelling. Even now I still believe it to be a minor fad, since interactive storytelling is linked to gaming. It won’t be the future. It will just be another category added to the mix.

In my own opinion, I cannot stand that kind of storytelling. It has no substance. The storyline is only as good as your playing with it. And let’s face it, not everyone is a clever plotter like George R.R. Martin. Not only that, but that’s what storytelling is about. Its aim is to challenge. You cannot get that when you make the decisions yourself. It’s like reading a narrative in second-person perspective with a god-like mind.

If you’re interested in what will really change the way we look at media and storytelling, have a look at multimodal storytelling. This is a new approach to online storytelling, where the reader is immersed deeper into the narrative. This also includes interactivity — not in choosing the narrative, but in using your mouse, finger or thumb to unlock the narrative.

You should check out these feature stories on SBS. Most of them are better read on a desktop computer, though. However, this one called K’gari can be read/navigated on a smartphone.

I cannot wait to see what the future of telling stories will entail!