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Interactive novels allow readers to interact with the text, from choosing the story’s direction to adding to it. They can be open-ended or have a desired goal, and may include media options. The basis is in text, but future technology may change this.
An interactive novel is, quite simply, a text that the reader can interact with on some level. While the most common type of interactive fiction involves choosing the direction of the story from a number of options, interactions beyond this basic structure are also possible. For example, novels may be reader-driven because they are ongoing, with the author actively changing the story based on interactions. Alternatively, a novel can be played as a game, with the player inputting commands or adding to the story. This type of novel is especially popular for online and electronic literature because the technical capabilities of these formats foster interaction.
Most people are familiar with the basic type of interactive novel, which involves choosing a direction for the story to take. Interaction in this case involves deciding which of the options presented the reader would like to follow. In some of these novels there is a desired goal or ending, which is compared to the ending in which the protagonist dies. Some classic novels of this type were designed in the second person, creating an adventure with the reader as the protagonist.
An interactive novel can also be open-ended, where no particular path wins or loses. In many cases, this type of novel is explained as a type of setting for the reader to explore. This type of interactive novel is somewhat similar to a text-based RPG, though often with significantly more artistic considerations and less focus on the action.
Collaborative interactive novels are slightly more complicated, because in many ways they lose the general format of a novel and move entirely into a new form of fiction. Novels that include reader input and media options are often included in this category. The main thread that binds all these types of interactive fiction together is their basis in text, although this too is fading.
Other types of interaction with the novel may not even require direct responses from the reader. For example, a novel with location-based interaction might feature different parts of the novel depending on where the reader is. Some novels take the form of a game and release content only when the reader has completed certain tasks. With future technology, it may be possible to have an interactive novel that connects to readers in different ways, such as through physical movement or completing tasks. Depending on the interest in this genre of fiction, there may one day be innovations in how information is presented to readers as well, and people may read on special devices designed specifically for this type of literature.
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