4th Edition
Writing for Interactive Media Social Media, Websites, Applications, e-Learning, Games
This thoroughly revised fourth edition teaches students and professionals how to create interactive content for all types of new media and become successful writers or designers in a variety of fields.
This comprehensive guide is grounded in the core principles and skills of interactive media writing, in which writers create text and structure content to guide users through interactive products such as websites or software. The book examines case studies on interactive formats including complex informational websites, computer games, e-learning courses, training programs, and immersive exhibits. These case studies assess real-world products and documentation used by professional writers such as scripts, outlines, screenshots, and flowcharts. The book also provides practical advice on how to use interactive media writing skills to advance careers in the social media, technical, instructional communication, and creative media fields. This edition includes new chapters on UX Writing and Content Design, Social Media Writing, and Writing for Mobile.
Writing for Interactive Media prepares students for the writing challenges of today’s technology and media. It can be used as a core textbook for courses in UX Writing, Writing for Digital Media, and Technical and Professional Communication and is a valuable resource for writing professionals at all levels.
Supplemental resources include a sample syllabus, class assignments, student exercises, scripts, outlines, flowcharts, and other interactive writing samples. They are available online at www.routledge.com/9781032554242
PART I: Challenges Writing for Interactive Media
1. The Challenge of Interactivity
2. Writing for Many Media
3. Interactive Writing Tools and Script Formats
4. Collaborating with a Team
5. Key Points from Part I: Challenges Writing for Interactive Media
Part II: Conversational Writing—UX Writing, Social Media, Mobile
6. UX Writing and Content Design—Software and Applications
7. Social Media Writing—Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok
8. Writing for Mobile—Phones, Tablets, Readers
9. Key Points from Part II: Conversational Writing—UX Writing, Social Media, Mobile
Part III: Writing and Structuring Long Form Interactive Information—Websites, E-Learning, Simulations
10. Defining and Achieving Goals for Interactive Information Projects
11. Information and Interactive Architecture Patterns
12 Writing a Marketing Website from Proposale to Documentation: Realty
13. Educational Simulation: The Nauticus Shipbuilding Company
14. E-Learning: Interactive Math and Statistics Lessons
15. Key Points from Part III: Writing and Structuring Long Form Interactive Information—Websites, E-Learning, Simulations
Part IV: Writing and Designing Interactive Narrative—Games, Immersive Experiences
16. Interactive Multimedia Narrative vs. Linear Narrative
17. The Elements of Interactive Narrative
18. Adapting a Classic Book to a Computer Game for the Female Audience: Nancy Drew: Secret of the Old Clock
19. Using Interactive Narrative to Present Information: The New England Economic Adventure
20. Adding Story to a Simulation Amped III
21. Key Points from Part IV: Writing and Designing Interactive Narrative—Games, Immersive Experiences
Part V: Interactive Writing Careers
22. Conclusion and Career Tips
Biography
Timothy Garrand is a Lead UX Product Designer who has led numerous projects for major corporations including JPMorgan Chase & Co., Merrill Lynch, Bloomberg, Proctor & Gamble, and Iron Mountain.
Praise for earlier editions:
“A better title for this book might be, Writing for the 21st Century. Garrand not only provides a wealth of behind-the-scenes information on current products, but he makes clear that the written word—and its medium-appropriate manipulation—is responsible for their impact. Anyone considering a writing career should either get his book, or have access to a good time machine.”
Anne Collins-Ludwick, scriptwriter/producer, Nancy Drew PC games“This is the best textbook I've found for examining the theory and practice of multimedia writing. The text is straightforward, and the case studies and tools facilitate student achievement. I've tried several other texts for my Writing for Multimedia course, but I always return to Garrand. His book sets the standard in the field.”
Michael Huntsberger, University of Oregon, USA
