The art of storytelling has always been subject to change. Through the process of digitalization and the accompanying media convergence, we’re now on the verge of a quantum leap. We are no longer viewers, listeners, readers, users, or players. Today, we are “experiencers”, whose roles and behaviors change based on how we use and approach media.
With this reality in mind, we take this opportunity to propose eleven theses on the future of storytelling:
Thesis 1
Claiming reality
Fiction supersedes reality, becoming as immersive as possible.
Thesis 2
Rabbit holes
The story offers multiple entry points to the experiencer, depending on the medium and situation in which it is used.
Thesis 3
Story universe
The experiencer no longer follows one dramatic thread but chooses among several intersecting storylines, which merge into a single story-universe.
Thesis 4
Interactivity
Experiencers communicate with each other and with fictional characters thereby actively participating in the story and influencing its overall arc.
Thesis 5
Usergenerated content
The story-universe enables the experiencer to contribute creatively at selected points of the story.
Thesis 6
Transmediality
The story-universe does not limit itself to one single medium but takes advantage of the strengths of every medium to create something new out of their symbiosis.
Thesis 7
Location based storytelling
The experiencer becomes the vehicle of fiction by visiting real places where parts of the story-universe unfold.
Thesis 8
Lean back, lean forward
The story-universe attracts different types of experiencers by offering a variety of roles for more active and more passive media users.
Thesis 9
Infinitude
The story-universe has the potential to become a breeding ground for a neverending story through sequels, spin-offs and perpetual re-use of story-elements.
Thesis 10
Multipayment
The diversification of storytelling enables the freemium-payment-model, which prompts multiple contributions per experiencer.
Thesis 11
Collaborative work
The story-universe is developed in collaboration by a versatile and interdisciplinary team, whose range of skills can meet the demands of experience-based storytelling.