Texts & Supplies

The Practical Book
Timothy Garrand, Writing for Multimedia and the Web, Focal Press (paperback)

I still use this book for Writing for Multimedia because many students tell me how useful it is, not only for this class but also for multimedia production classes and professional projects. Garrand breaks down the tasks of the interactive writer, analyzes various levels of interactivity, and the strategies for scripting them, and provides strong examples of the main scripting formats you might encounter. He includes myriad examples of professional projects, accompanied by a helpful CD-ROM.

The Art & Theory Book
Mark Stephen Meadows, Pause and Effect: the art of interactive narrative, New Riders Press (paperback)

I adopted this book because Meadows plunges into the theoretical background (from art, creative writing, dramaturgy, etc.) to interactive narrative. But he never vanishes into the world of abstract navel-gazing. Instead he concentrates, via text, illustration and the very design of each page, on applying theoretical knowledge to practical production, Again, I hope this book will prove useful in other multimedia production, digital design and animation classes you select, and in professional tasks.

Supplies

• Discs suitable for use in university labs (UCIS recommends that you avoid the clear colored plastic discs: they frequently stick in the lab. computers)
  
• Newsprint pad or large sheets of card or file cards
  
• A writer's handbook (choose your own)
  
• Patience and a sense of humor (not compulsory but it helps)