As an enthusiast of interactive fiction, there are some parameters I usually go by when writing. I don't consider the items listed here as universal truths, but they help steer my creative process and support the experience I'm trying to convey. I'd like to hear your feedback as well as your own personal guidelines for writing interactive stories.
To better establish where I'm coming from, the two main genres I write in are fantasy and science-fiction. My stories often carry a serious tone, and while I try to raise concepts and questions to think about when convenient, I also feel it's perfectly fine to have a solid piece of entertainment that isn't focusing on being a philosophical breakthrough. I enjoy having character menus to keep track of items and skills (sometimes character classes), but I try to have these as simple and accessible as possible. Having said that, systems that require dice rolls, provided that they are easy to get into, are also ok by me.
Anyways, here are some of the standards I stick by:
Dos
a) Realism. What I define as realism in this scenario is how a story manages to make you feel like a part of it by relying on basic principles of human needs and interaction: What does something smell like? Is the body language displayed by others coherent with who they are and what they're going through? Being out in the unforgiving cold will surely not be good on your health. It's fine that the character you're interacting says, 'huh' in the middle of a sentence while thinking on what to say next... Spontaneous spoken speech is very different from the written or planned versions, and that should reflect on dialogue. Realism contributes to the roleplaying experience by making it seem more familiar, thus within our reach.
b) Simple, but catchy plot and gameplay. The easier and less complex something is, the better it is to approach it. Overly elaborate systems and heavy bursts of information can turn readers away.
c) Originality. I should be able to point out at least one aspect of my work that is fairly unique and worthy of note, be it plot or gameplay related.
d) Two (or more) main diverging paths should be equally rich in content. People who chose X over Z should not be penalised with less interactions. While the encounters found in different paths should not be the same, each must be enticing and interesting in its own way.
Don'ts
a) Don't name the main character/player. This is a pet peeve of mine, and it's related to roleplaying. I like to allow the readers to see themselves as the protagonist, and by keeping the name, gender, beliefs, and appearance vague I feel that there's room for that transition. The downside of this decision is running the risk of the action being too bland due to a seemingly uninteresting main character, but an exciting story with appealing choices should cover up for that. Besides, part of the charm of an interactive novel is the willingness of the reader to roleplay, thus some of the feelings will not be in writing, but rather created or interpreted by the player him/herself. Titles and nicknames are fine.
b) Don't write if you don't feel like it. You owe it to yourself to have a good time creating, and it's healthy to step away from it every now and then to replenish your energies.
c) If I think about how a story will develop in its entirety, I lose interest in writing it. Therefore, part of it must remain obscured, though a very basic draft/map definitely helps.
d) Avoid curse words in fantasy. There are smarter ways to convey distress. No problems with it in sci-fi dialogue, thpugh.
e) No unforeseen player death. I hate when games have you die in order to learn the tactic. Instead, the world itself will hold clues about potential danger. So, if you pay attention and can put two and two together, you will not instantly die by selecting a seemingly innocent choice.
Oks
a) It's ok to have some matters left unsolved. Loose ends aren't evil; they're real. How many times have you seen a character in a show comment on something apparently random, only to have that thing pop up/be used later on? Or in the end of the story the protagonists always discover who a secret person was, and all mysteries are wrapped up? In fact, as you very well know, life is not like that. Our daily lives are full of situations that never find closure, and the addition of these adds to the realism. Besides, it leaves room for the imagination to put together what something might have been and even puzzle out possible justifications for certain events, which is always a fun exercise. Too many unsolved cases might frustrate the player, however, so they must be well balanced with fulfilled plot lines.
b) When the protagonist speaks, it can be represented in two ways:
'Where are you headed, traveller?' you ask the weary man.
You ask the weary man where he is headed.
Both are fine, but if you'd like to keep the protagonist even more of a blank page so that the reader can project him/herself onto the main character, then use the second option.
c) It's ok not to have humongous worlds with endless options. I used to strive for the creation of a universe as complex as possible to be explored like an RPG in an interactive novel. However, this concept requires an absurd amount of detail that most players would rather go without. Moreover, having to write numerous descriptions and set up scenarios based on endless possibilities is extremely exhausting.
d) Clichés are not so bad if you can pull them off smoothly by fitting them well in the story. Just don't go overboard.
submitted by Keeper-of-Balance
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