Wetware City & Utilising Play and Emergent Storytelling in Writing Fiction

The creative component of this thesis consists of the novel Wetware City, a stacked narrative that consists of memories of a man trying to live forever, a mystery plot involving a kidnapped scientist and a MMORPG videogame, and the story of a wargaming miniature desperately trying to stop the war he finds himself entangled in against his will. All three strands examine themes of transhumanism and the power of gaming as a force that drives storytelling and can result in meaningful relationships in the real world.

The critical component explores the concept of play as a powerful tool, one that writers can use to develop, experiment, and engage with their own work. Play allows us to envision other points of view and encourages experimentation, freeing us from the constraints that can come with established traditions. Particular attention is paid to the lessons we can take from other forms, such as videogames and tabletop roleplaying games, and how these allow for the development of emergent narratives. During the play experiments undertaken during this project, I developed the term 'stacked narratives'- a term which refers to works with multiple narrative strands that are linked more strongly by theme than story, giving a writer the opportunity to create their work in a free-flowing manner. Finally, genre is examined as a force that can stifle play, by imposing limits on writers that are usually value based or commercial in concern.