One of the most common forms of learning is through repetition and practice. This works for plenty of subjects, math, science, history, but how does it improve writing? It may seem obvious, but the simplest way to practice writing is to write. Students are often given bland assignments along the lines of a \u2018personal essay\u2019 or a \u2018reflection\u2019 to practice their writing skills, and creative writing fairs no better. To begin writing can be difficult, as any student could tell you. You need to think about your ideas, you need to make sure your story makes sense, and you need to spend hours on end by yourself writing or typing it out. This kind of practice is drab, it\u2019s boring, it\u2019s time-consuming. Even students who enjoy writing can find that assignments meant specifically to practice can take far too much time and energy for the work that comes out. This is the problem that Storyforge solves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Storyforge is a game created by Ryan Natcharian where any number of players simultaneously write individual sentences that are then strung together to create a story. The group selects a setting, a protagonist, and a goal that must become elements of the story, and then they each write a sentence. The sentences are then read in an order based on how many words were used, and this becomes the first draft of the story. If the story doesn\u2019t make sense this way (which it won\u2019t), the players can write another draft. They\u2019re each given a random sentence to edit, and they can change it however they want without altering the number of words that were used. Then, keeping the same order of sentences, the story is read again, and the process continues, with any free time the players have dedicated to illustrating the story for bonus points. When the players decide that their story is complete, they may submit it to the Editor (the player or instructor who was been reading the story aloud). The Editor marks up any errors made in grammar, coherence, or required elements, and if there aren\u2019t any, the players win! However, if there are mistakes, they get two more chance to submit to the Editor before they lose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Storyforge functions as a fantastic, game-based lesson to help students practice their writing and grammar in a creative, collaborative way. From the silliness of the story goals, to the fast, simultaneous play, it makes writing a fun, engaging activity for students to look forward to, perfect for any language or writing class. If you have a class that would enjoy Storyforge, or are just looking for some fun, collaborative storytelling, you can download a PDF of the full rules here:<\/p>\n\n\n\n