Creating Interactive Stories: The Creative Process Using Visual Novels in Games

The gaming industry is constantly turning toward interactivity. Unlike cinema and literature, here the player doesn’t just watch—they take part in building the story, make choices, and gain experience that results from a unique playthrough.

This book explains what interactive literature is and, step by step, shows the complete process of creating it using the example of visual novels in games. You’ll master the basic principles of screenwriting and narrative design that will be useful not only in game development, but in any projects where interactivity and nonlinear storytelling matter.

Learn to come up with stories that are impossible to put down!
• What is a character “bible,” what is it for, and how to create it?
• What kinds of settings are there, and how do you choose the right one?
• How to build a conflict that will keep attention until the very end?
• What story tools are applicable in games?
• How to write clear briefs for artists and composers?
• What programs and platforms does a screenwriter work with?

Natalya Andrianova is a visual novel course instructor at “Narratorika” and a game scripting instructor at “Netology.” For many years, she led the narrative department at game studios.

Author of the books “How to Create Stories. Fundamentals of Game Screenwriting and Narrative Design in 12 Steps” and “How Games Are Made. Development Fundamentals for Beginner Game Developers.”