58386Magic PaperClosedFeasibility StudiesInnovate UKIn the age of lockdowns and social distancing, imagination matters more than ever. Creative writing is a powerful outlet, a way for young people to make sense of the world around them and to tell their stories - but it's a hard sell compared to video games and on-demand streaming services. But what if you could gamify storytelling? The Story Engine is an interactive storytelling platform that brings the written word to life. Users have free rein to write about whatever they wish, and a virtual mentor - who happens to be a jellyfish - is always on hand with encouragement, narrative prompts, and tips on spelling and grammar. There are already AI-powered writing assistants, such as Grammarly. What makes The Story Engine so innovative is the fact that it's aimed specifically at young people, and is specifically for writing fiction. As well as equipping the writing mentor with more sophisticated AI capabilities, and adding live mentors to the chat channel we're going to add a transactional front-end to enable home users and schools to access the platform alongside our network of writing centre partners. We believe in the power of storytelling to transcend the everyday. With The Story Engine, we want to give young people the tools they need not just to passively absorb stories, but to create their own. Designed for 8- to 16-year-olds, the ultimate aim of The Story Engine is to instill in our users a lifelong love of language and storytelling that will sustain them through the quarantine and beyond.