Craft Your Narrative: A Comprehensive Guide to Writing Stories on the Episode App

The Episode app isn’t just for playing interactive stories; it’s also a powerful platform for aspiring writers to create their own! Whether you’re a seasoned novelist or someone just dipping their toes into the world of storytelling, Episode provides the tools you need to bring your imagination to life. This guide will walk you through the process of writing stories on the Episode app using your iPhone or iPad, step by step.

Why Write Stories on Episode?

Before we dive into the specifics, let’s explore why you might choose Episode as your creative outlet:

• Interactive Storytelling: Episode allows you to create stories where the reader makes choices that directly affect the plot and character relationships. This dynamic format is highly engaging.
• Visual Medium: You can use a library of pre-designed backgrounds, characters, outfits, and animations to create a visually appealing experience, making your story more immersive.
• Community Engagement: Share your stories with millions of Episode users worldwide and receive feedback. Connect with other writers and readers in a supportive community.
• Creative Freedom: While there are guidelines and assets to follow, you have significant freedom to create unique characters, storylines, and settings.
• Learning Opportunity: Creating Episode stories can improve your writing, directing, and visual storytelling skills. It’s also a great way to experiment with different genres and styles.

Getting Started: Setting Up Your Episode Account

Before you can start writing, you’ll need an Episode account and to familiarize yourself with the app:

1. Download the Episode App: If you haven’t already, download the free Episode app from the App Store on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Create an Account: Launch the app and sign up using your email, Facebook, or Google account.
3. Familiarize Yourself with the Interface: Explore the app, paying attention to the main menu options, the story library, and any community features. Specifically, note the “Create” section, as this is where you’ll be doing most of your work.

The Creator Portal: Your Story Creation Hub

The Creator Portal is where you’ll write, direct, and publish your stories. You can access the Creator Portal from the Episode app. The steps are slightly different depending on your device, but they generally look like this:

• From the Episode App on your phone or tablet: Tap the ‘Create’ button. Usually located in the middle at the bottom of the screen. This will often send you to a web address to log in with your same Episode details.
• From a Web Browser on your computer or tablet: Go to the Episode Creator website by searching “Episode Creator Portal” or directly at create.episodeinteractive.com. Login with your account details. You can then work on your story through a webpage, which some people find easier.

Once logged in, you will be taken to the Creator Portal’s main dashboard. Here you will find:

• My Stories: A list of the stories you’re currently working on.
• Create a Story: The option to start a new project.
• Guides and Tutorials: Resources to help you learn the ropes.
• Community Forums: Places to connect with other creators.

Step-by-Step Guide to Writing Your Episode Story

Now, let’s get into the nitty-gritty of story creation:

Step 1: Start a New Project

1. Click the “Create a Story” button: This will start a brand new project.
2. Choose Your Story Style: Episode offers different styles, such as the original “Classic,” the more visually polished “Ink,” and the modern “Limelight.” Select the style that best suits your vision. Limelight is the most recent and is preferred by most creators and readers.
3. Give Your Story a Title: Enter a compelling title that reflects the story’s theme and genre.
4. Write a Description: Write a short summary of your story to attract readers. Include genre, a hook, and the core premise of the story to lure potential readers.
5. Select a Story Cover: Episode provides options for creating a basic cover or you can upload your own. A well-designed cover is key to getting readers to click on your story. The correct size is 420 x 580px

Step 2: Creating Your First Episode

Every Episode story is made up of individual episodes. These are essentially “chapters” of your story. Begin with your first one:

1. Name Your Episode: Give your first episode a title that fits its place in the story and generates curiosity.
2. Background: Choose a background from the extensive library. This will be the backdrop of your scene. There are many options in the different styles. You can search for backgrounds that match your scenario using the search bar.
3. Characters: Select the characters you want to include in the scene from the library or choose to create your own. You can customize outfits, hair, accessories, and more using the ‘Customize’ button.
4. Place Your Characters: Once you have added the background and the characters you can move them to where you want them to be in the scene by using the X, Y, Z coordinates. The Z axis is important for determining if they are in front or behind other characters or objects in the scene.

Step 3: Writing Dialogue and Actions

This is the core of storytelling. Here is how to add dialogue and actions to your scenes:

• Dialogue: Add the text your characters will say in quotes. To add a character’s dialogue, type the character name, followed by their animation using an animation code in parenthesis, then a colon and then their dialogue within quotes, like this:
  

  CHARACTERNAME (animation) "This is an example of dialogue."

  You can also use the script helpers on the page.

• Actions: Actions are also added with special coding. Example code would be:

  CHARACTERNAME is animation

  You should use ‘is’ when the character is doing the action for example, if they are walking. When you want the character to change to a new animation, you should use ‘does’ for example, if they are changing an emotion. For Example:

  CHARACTERNAME does animation

• Narrator Text: Use narrator text for descriptions, inner thoughts, or information for the readers. You do this using this syntax:

  NARRATOR (Text)

• Directing Commands: Episode uses a scripting language for directing. You can use commands to move characters, change camera angles, add overlays, special effects, and more. Some essential commands are:

  @CHARACTERNAME spot X Y Z

  This command will place the character in your scene using X, Y, Z coordinates and scale. You can also use the tools at the side of the screen to manually place them and the code will be added to the script for you.

  @transition fade in [colour] in [time]

  This code will add a screen transition between scenes, allowing you to fade out the current scene before moving to the next.

  @zoom on X Y to % in [time]

  This will zoom in or out of the scene.

Step 4: Adding Choices and Branching

The key to interactive storytelling on Episode is choices. Here’s how to add them:

• Add a Choice: Use the choice command in the script to present options to the reader. For example:

  choice "Option 1" {
      #Code for option 1
  } "Option 2" {
      #Code for option 2
  } 

• Create Branching Paths: Use curly braces to direct each option to a specific part of your story. For example: if the reader chooses Option 1, direct it to a section of the story where the character performs an action based on that. If the reader chooses option 2, direct it to a section that changes the storyline.
• Use Labels: You can create labels for different sections of your script and direct the different choices to these. This will help make your script more organised. For example, you might create a label called ‘party’ and direct a choice to that label like this:

  goto party

  You can then create this label in your script by doing this:

  label party

  and then adding the code for that part of the scene.

• Preview the Choices: Always preview your choices to make sure they work as intended. You can use the preview tools to make sure that each different choice takes the story in the correct direction.

Step 5: Testing and Refining Your Episode

Before publishing, rigorously test your story:

• Use the Preview Tool: Episode provides a preview feature that lets you experience your story from the reader’s perspective.
• Play Through All Branches: Ensure all your choices work as expected and there are no plot holes or errors.
• Check for Typos and Formatting: Proofread your dialogue and narrative text to ensure that it’s free of errors.
• Get Feedback: Share your work with friends or other Episode creators for constructive criticism before publishing.

Step 6: Publishing Your Episode Story

Once you’re confident in your story, it’s time to share it with the world:

• Review the Guidelines: Make sure your story adheres to Episode’s content guidelines. These will be found on their website.
• Publish Your First Episode: Click the publish button. Your episode will be submitted for review by Episode. Once reviewed it will be published. It will also be sent to your profile on the app.
• Promote Your Story: Share your story on social media and in the Episode community to get more readers.
• Update and Refine: Continue to update and refine your story based on reader feedback.

Tips for Success:

• Plan Your Story: Before you start scripting, create a basic outline, map your characters, and plan the key plot points.
• Develop Unique Characters: Give your characters distinct personalities, flaws, and motivations to make them memorable.
• Pay Attention to Pacing: Vary the rhythm of your story, using dialogue, action, and narrative to keep readers engaged.
• Use Music and Sound Effects: Enhance the atmosphere of your story with appropriate background music and sound effects.
• Join the Community: Engage with other writers, share your work, and learn from their experiences.
• Be Consistent: Aim to upload your episodes regularly to keep readers interested in your story.

Conclusion

Writing stories on Episode is an exciting way to unleash your creativity and share your unique narratives with a wide audience. By following these steps, you can develop compelling characters, create engaging storylines, and build a community around your work. Start creating today, and who knows – you might become the next big Episode author!