How Do Writing Tools Shape Interactive Stories?

Interactive Digital Storytelling is a diverse field, with a variety of different tools and platforms, many of them bespoke. Understanding how these tools effect the stories created using them would allow authors to better select tools for projects, and help developers understand the consequences of their design decisions. We present an initial exploration of this question, using a critical reflection method to analyze the process of adapting a story from StoryPlaces into both Twine and Inform 7. We report four significant differences that posed challenges for adaptation: support for rewinding and/or revisiting, the definition and description of locations, the way in which text is delivered to the reader, and how navigational cues are provided to help readers progress the story. Our observations show that tools impact the stories created using them in ways that are not obvious when working with one platform alone.