When starting to work on a video game, Anthony and his team of game writers and narrative designers usually like to write a short story. This allows them to:

• Set the tone for the game
• Explore the gameplay through a literary lens
• Discover the narrative core of the experience
• Brainstorm and expand their ideas

The short story they produce is usually below 3 pages, as they want to make sure it's both easy to read, and relatively fast to write. Clarity, precision, and creativity are crucial.

This document is then shared with the rest of the team in order to be discussed. Sometimes a second draft or an additional short story needs to be written and discussed.

These short stories are the textual equivalent of concept art - in many ways narrative prototypes. We explore, we search, we iterate, and we do it in a form that is far from the final game, and this narrative design course aims to teach you how to write such stories over 5 sessions.

🎓 Session #1 [~2 hours] is an introduction to the workshop, and the art of writing useful short stories. You will learn how to write short stories and sell them to clients, how to rapidly brainstorm and quickly structure narratives, and, crucially, how to receive feedback. Following a live, in-class writing workshop, you will be given materials and suggestions and start preparing your own story for session #2.  

🎓 Session #2 [~ 2.5 hours] is where the review of your first short story will take place. All the stories will receive feedback, and the class will explore ways to improve them. We will find together a new common theme to explore for session #3. We will also discuss how to use short stories to sell your profile.

🎓 Session #3 [~ 2.5 hours] is where we'll explore feedback (how to give, how to receive). We will then prepare for session #4 with a vague game concept, a tone, a setting, etc for a new short story. We will also discuss portfolios and eventually prepare some additional exercises to update your current portfolios. 

🎓 Session #4 [~ 2.5 hours]  is reserved for the review of the third short story. Rules and constraints for text updates will be provided. Additional topics, requested by the group of not, will be explored and discussed. 

🎓 Extra Session [~ 2.5 hours]  is when the 3rd short story will be finished, and the updated writings reviewed. The workshop will then be concluded.