Developing a Choice-Based Digital Fiction for Body Image Bibliotherapy

Body dissatisfaction is so common in the western world that it has become norm, especially among women and girls. Writing New Worlds a transdisciplinary research-creation project aims to address these issues by developing an interactive digital fiction for body image bibliotherapy. It created with critical co-design participation of group young non-binary individuals (aged 18–25) from diverse backgrounds, who are representative its intended audience. This article discusses how our participant research influenced creative development fiction, characters novel ludonarrative or story-game design. theorizes specific affordances choice-based narrative, situates reader-player mind fictional protagonist, may lead enhanced empathic identification agency and, therefore, more profoundly immersive potentially transformative experience. process “diegetic enactment” where we postulate therapeutic value lies: ontological oscillation between reader-player’s mind, which induce reflect upon, perhaps subtly alter, their own image.