Margaret Kerrison: Writing For Real And Imagined Worlds
Apr 28, 2022
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Margaret Kerrison, Creative/Story Lead with 14 years of experience, discusses the importance of immersive storytelling and the role of writers in creating transformative experiences. She shares insights on working with IPs like Star Wars, the impact of multicultural influences on storytelling, and the evolution of storytelling in a post-COVID world.
Childhood dreams can hold the key to our purpose in life, shaping our future accomplishments.
Diverse environments and cultures can influence storytelling abilities and creative perspectives significantly.
Early love for writing can pave the way for a lifelong passion and self-expression through narratives.
Tenacity and resilience are crucial in pursuing creative paths, overcoming setbacks to achieve fulfilling roles.
Inclusive and immersive storytelling can transform audiences by creating engaging, meaningful experiences that resonate with diverse voices.
Deep dives
Childhood Passions as a Guide
Our childhood interests often foreshadow our future paths. The drive and creativity we exhibit as kids may lead to fulfilling careers. Margaret Kerison emphasizes that our childhood dreams can hold the key to our purpose in life. She highlights how being true to our childhood passions can shape our adult accomplishments.
Cultural Diversity's Impact
Growing up in diverse environments can significantly influence our perspectives and talents. Margaret shares how exposure to varied cultures from a young age shaped her storytelling fascination. Her multicultural background enriched her creativity and storytelling abilities, showcasing the power of diverse experiences in fostering unique talents.
Nurturing a Passion for Writing
Early inclinations towards writing can evolve into lifelong passions. Margaret's childhood love for storytelling and writing set the foundation for her career. From crafting imaginative stories to involving family and friends in her narratives, writing became an intrinsic part of her identity and source of self-expression.
Perseverance in Pursuing Creative Dreams
Pursuing creative paths often requires tenacity and resilience. Margaret's journey from a medical software company to USC's graduate screenwriting program showcases the importance of dedication. Despite facing setbacks, like a rejection from USC initially, her perseverance led her to fulfilling roles in the themed entertainment industry and beyond.
Empowering Immersive Storytelling
Immersive storytelling can transform audiences by creating engaging and meaningful experiences. Margaret's focus on crafting compelling narratives drives impactful storytelling. By involving diverse voices and perspectives in projects, she aims to create immersive worlds that resonate with a wide range of audiences, emphasizing the power of inclusive storytelling.
Championing Representation and Inclusion
Representation and diversity are essential in storytelling for broadening perspectives. Margaret emphasizes the significance of diverse voices in creative teams for authentic storytelling. By advocating for inclusive narratives, she promotes stories that connect with diverse audiences and challenge traditional storytelling norms.
The Metaverse and Future Storytelling
The emergence of the metaverse presents new storytelling opportunities and challenges. Margaret explores the evolving landscape of storytelling in virtual spaces. As companies navigate the metaverse, defining immersive experiences and narratives will shape the future of storytelling and audience engagement.
Continual Growth and Creative Innovation
Margaret's enthusiasm for future projects reflects her commitment to impactful storytelling. She anticipates her best work is yet to come, embodying a spirit of continual growth and creative exploration. Looking ahead, she aims to create memorable and transformative experiences that resonate with audiences and inspire shared connections.
The Book and Future Endeavors
Margaret's book, 'Immersive Storytelling for Real and Imagine Worlds,' encapsulates her insights and experiences in the industry. It serves as a guide for storytellers, offering practical advice and inspiration for crafting engaging narratives. With her move to Airbnb and a focus on travel and immersive experiences, Margaret continues to innovate in storytelling and shape future creative endeavors.
Born in Indonesia and raised in Singapore, Margaret Kerrison is a Creative/Story Lead for immersive experiences and brand narrative. Her goal is to help teams THINK BIG when it comes to developing and sharing compelling stories with the world. A disruptive thinker with 14 years of experience building award-winning projects from the ground up, she’s consistently challenging the status quo, asking "What If" and "Why Not?"
Margaret’s worked as a Story Lead, Story Consultant, and Writer for multiple immersive experiences including Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Star Wars: Launch Bay, Hyperspace Mountain, Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser, Avengers Campus, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, National Geographic HQ, NASA Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex’s Journey to Mars: Explorers Wanted, Heineken Experience, StoryGarden by AMOREPACIFIC, and the Information and Communications Pavilion (Expo 2010 Shanghai).
In addition to her role as Senior Experiential Creative Lead, Story Development at Airbnb, Margaret's just completed her first book: Immersive Storytelling for Real and Imagined Worlds: A Writer’s Guide. Whether you're a writer or not, she does a wonderful job outlining the important questions you need to ask and answer to get to the why of your story.
In this episode of Masters of Storytelling, Maya talks to Margaret about her craft as a creative story lead, the benefits of being a curious learner, and the critical yet often invisible role writers play in the development of immersive experiences.
To pre-order Margaret’s book, Immersive Storytelling for Real and Imagined Worlds: A Writer’s Guide visit: https://amzn.to/3vFVBXW
