Hypercompendia

Now that I’m feeling all cocky and proud of myself for finally learning how to get something working online, I’m more interested in pursuing the hypertext path of narrative. Just the idea that maybe somebody would read my work, would have the ability to access it, makes it a viable format for any efforts put into it. As with linear narrative, there has to be an outlet for work unless all you’re writing is a secret diary that you don’t want anyone to find.

While I’ve got a long way to go yet on learning to manipulate the hypertext environment, I’m beginning to find my way round enough to feel comfortable with the idea of devoting a longer narrative to its possibilities. Even as I straddle the simple stuff like colors and order and layout, the more intriguing concept of images and animation, or film backgrounds and audio are already lobbying for my attention. With A Bottle of Beer, there is such an obvious call for visuals–despite my best attempts as a writer to paint background and movement with words. I envision the long road that runs by Yolanda’s small house, disappearing into the sunset. I see the man running into the picture as the mountain shadows lengthen and reach towards her. I see the evening darken into dusk, hear the creak of her rocker on the porch, the night prowling of coyotes and the rush of a scorpion across the hot sands.

So that’s what’s brewing in my mind even as I get ridiculously self-satisfied in learning to manage a thin line of border around text. It’s just a step towards an intersection of paths up ahead; sort of a living, working hypertext.