ABSTRACT
This chapter presents a comprehensive picture of the factors that render a work of interactive storytelling and enact it for the audience: that is, the act of displaying the dynamic elements described in Chapters 2 and 3, namely units and agents’ behaviours. The focus here is the manifestation of interactive storytelling through one or more media devices, which in turn define the methods of audience reception and participation: reading an interactive book, watching an interactive film, playing an interactive drama or video game. The factors that define this manifestation include not only the types of media, but also the way the system manages the distribution of content in relation to the way the audience participates. In this way, most aspects of interaction design are integrated into the notion of display. Some elements of the user experience will be discussed, but a production point of view (rather than a sociological or anthropological one) will continue to be followed and the focus will be on the tasks that authors need to keep in mind in order to make the relationship with the user effective and engaging. The aim is to support the creation of stories where participation consists of actions, behaviours and choices, and where these evoke some kind of emotional involvement.
