I have some exciting news! I’m branching out my writing with interactive fiction by joining the writing team at Tales!
What is interactive fiction?
A modern medium for reading by adding sound, images, and clicks to a novel. Clicks move the story forward, or can change the story as you read it, “branching” it into different stories. It can be a little bit like the old Choose Your Own Adventure stories, as your ending might be different from other readers, you may or may not unlock secret scenes, or your reactions from characters change. It is gamification of the reading world!
What is Tales?
It is a platform for reading interactive fiction, currently only on Apple. They have both “Branching” stories and “Linear Graphic Novels”. Episodes are 10 minutes at a time, and you use keys to read more episodes. Gems (or sometimes other coins) for unlocking advanced costly choices (usually if you didn’t do it right, you can buy your way out).
Why are you writing on Tales?
It’s simply a different way to gain readers! Kindle, Wattpad, paperback, all are different ways to read what I write to share.
Also, thinking about writing in a different way is a way to grow as a writer. Tales requires you to think about how you make your reader crave the next episode at a level different than chapters in a novel. It emphasizes dialog for character development. Balancing plot with backstory to keep the attention of your readers in every episode can be tougher than building over the entire novel.
The last reason I’ve chosen this platform is that I’m still an independent writer (although some can get sponsored and paid). I own my works so if it turns into a movie, or you want to buy a paper copy, all of that is still possible with me.
What should I read?
Here is my pilot! There is a forum on Reddit and Discord for readers, if you want to give feedback or beg for the next episode.
K M Hasling 