Hypercompendia

I feel very guilty doing this, since the whole purpose of the program is to link things, not repeat them, but for the second or third time now I find myself duplicating the text within a Writing Space.  This was done once for convenience, just to avoid the link to a single Space and back again with all the guard fields necessary to keep the reader from going ahead into one of the other stories where things wouldn’t make sense.  Now I find it a useful way of tying things in without linking (sorry, Mark!). 

What happened was this:  I saw another scenario for the end of story #1, and in writing it, realized that something similar had come up (out of the blue, unrelated, different person, blah-blah) in Story #3.  Well, in working traditionally, that snippet likely wouldn’t be there, and if it were, it’d be moved once I saw this better spot for it.  I have the option to link, but since I want to take that particular snippet and change a word or two, as well as expand upon it here in Story #1, I think it’s neat to be able to repeat it, though not verbatim.  A reader will make the connection, I’m sure, once he’s read both pieces of text in their own contexts, and will not need to go back for confirmation.  Plus, maybe I don’t want him to do that. 

Now you just couldn’t do that without considerable skill in unhypertexted narrative (unhypertexted, def: old-fashioned straight linear text without reason or ability for wandering unless that much of a skimmer).

The capability of duplicating a piece of story here is along the lines of creating leit motif perhaps.  A recurrence that becomes recognizable.  Maybe it’s just reinforcing a notion of possibilities, or relating the characters to each other by a pattern. 

It’s another use of the tool. 

Steve Ersinghaus has an interesting posting regarding endings and what they traditionally mean or as construed in various patterns of thought and form.

He says, "A better question may be why multiple paths, not alternative endings (which assumes a primary and secondary set), may be called for in a given story. "  Steve has produced a novel, The Life of Geronimo Sandoval, in hypertext format using Storyspace, so he fully understands the question of paths and variables based on choice.  His novel has paths that run concurrently in time and space, as well as overlaps in these areas–meaning, alternatives.

In focusing on my plan to give Story #1 two endings, he says, "What’s interesting here is the implication for Story 1 that it has two endings and not one. But how can this be so?"  Actually, in adding another "ending" to Story #1, I’ve in fact added a third or fourth, since the four stories themselves are all alternative paths.  That may not make sense, but the whole piece is based on the concept of choice.  Choice and regret; choice and satisfaction; choice and action, inaction, and reaction. 

Then throw character perspective in there and you’ve got a whole lot of options.  As a matter of fact (dammitdammitdammit!) there’s an idea swimming around that maybe the main four stories aren’t really the full story.  I can easily see a few more possibilities, even based on one summer back somewhere in the 70’s.  I can see dreams and wishes as clearly as memories.  That’s no reason they all can’t be part of the narrative; aren’t they, after all, a part of every man’s life?

Something’s at work here; just as the form of poetry inhibits extraneous words and description often comes down to an immediate metaphor, Writing Spaces appear to be doing the same thing for me.

Now from the manual, it seems that Writing Spaces (which appear on my laptop screen as approximately 2-1/2" x 4-1/4" in writing area) can be enlarged to accommodate more, or can work via a scrollbar which automatically appears if the text box is kept small but the text rambles on.  The manual also tells me that each space can hold 32,768 characters, or the equivalent of 5000 words. That’s a lot.  I don’t think that for story use this capability will ever be used to its maximum.  It’d sorta defeat the purpose, becoming like a mini-version of any writing program such as Word, with the bonus of link ability.  And even Word gives you that if it’s an URL you’re planning on linking.

For me, as I’ve said before, the space becomes part of the story process by influencing not only the dramatic breaks in narrative flow, but as with poetry, the tendency to overwrite or ramble is overcome by the visual limit of the "page."  It also inspires closer revision to make each word work, and to present each sentence and event in its most inviting form.  For example:

Original:  A tall thin boy stiffly held her with a hand on her back, knowing that fathers watched closely.

Revised:  A tall thin boy stiffly held her with a hand barely touching her back, feeling the eyes of lions upon him.

Not a huge difference, but a poetic one that adds a succinct image by metaphor.  I really believe that the often tiresome job of revision (though I’ve always loved it personally…well, up to a point) becomes almost a challenge taken in smaller, more easily accessible and so, successful doses.  The smaller focal point is a magnifier that sees the sentence rather than the page.

The idea finally hit, in the middle of making chicken’n’dumplings for dinner tonight:  The Writing Space that’s held me hostage has now officially given me two endings for story #1.  As mentioned before, that involves the "special link" in Storyspace of ?(n) — in this case, (n) being 2, or every other time it’s read.  I was going to leave a loop and text-link one of the endings, but hey, what’s better than a couple readers arguing about how it ended when only you know that they read two different things?  Hee-hee.

Besides, in this particular narrative, there not only is no ending, there are several.  Figure that out.

One thing about the folks at Eastgate, they do seem to care a lot about their customers, the users of their software such as Storyspace, Tinderbox, etc. 

On his own weblog, Mark Bernstein has kindly pointed the way back here to my experiences with Storyspace. One thing I’ve always been strong about is that feedback to a writer is vital.  Boo’s or applause, it’s all helpful.  Didn’t realize that writers of creative programs often appreciate this just as much as writers of story.  While I’m very glad to offer any and all help back to the providers of this program, I sure wish I’d made sure my postings were a bit more professional than my odd but adorable way of drifting off into metaphorical fantasy or practicing my Faulkner. 

A good thing: Mark wisely linked to the category archives that will follow the Storyspace experience and this will be updated with every new posting I place under that specific Storyspace title, so my futher adventures will be available there on new project areas as well as the initial novella of Paths.  And with a little luck, I’ll remember to put things a bit more clearly and concisely.  And I suppose, be on my best behavior…for a little while anyway.

Going through Paths for language use, typos, that kind of thing because I thought the cycles had been complete.  A passage holds me within a certain Writing Space.  It’s towards the end of this particular path, and is part of the original writing.  I’ve read it maybe a hundred times or more, and yet…why didn’t I see this, the choice and possibilities?

I really, really think that the format of Writing Spaces focuses the writer (and hopefully, the reader) on the words as well as the episodic nature of the environment.  In this case, it was always a lead towards the end:

I wonder if I were a bird, if I could be a seagull.  I think I’m not as graceful now.  I think perhaps I’d have to be a rounded mourning dove, with the whirring flutter that never allows complete free flight and that peculiar pecking walk that seems so timid and afraid.  I carry my shoes and walk along the slip and sliding water’s edge to feel the moving silt beneath bare feet.

Man, that’s like wide open.  Yet I’d put an ending to it within a couple more paragraphs.  Being forced to see this excerpt without the next what I’ll call ‘predetermined action,’ since this what is set in place, I’m seeing something else happening.  In the split second between this and the next moment for this character, in that split second that I as writer have separated the text into Writing Spaces, this character does something other than what I had expected.

Now that’s what I think Storyspace does for creative production.  Contradictory to its visual small border of Writing Space, it offers not merely more white space to fill with words that progress the story, but unlimited spaces that can continue a thread, or fork off again.  The end is not in sight, creatively, nor technically with the visual maps and charts of the program. The last text box is never automatically the last.  And never necessarily remains where it is within the story.

It’s normal for me to call a halt to a project, decide enough’s enough, and just as normal to sneak back in and play some more.  So for a while yet, I’ll still be on Paths, though another Storyspace project may soon start and be posted upon concurrently.

I’ve been going through, Writing Space by Writing Space, putting some finesse on the language.  Making sure that with the Storyspace capability of seeing everything via Map View (or one of the other views) laid open with some text showing, that it hasn’t affected the voice of the narrative nor the characters by such random editing.  What did I find?

I see a small cast of characters standing in blue light onstage, taking turns as the spotlight shines down on one, then another.  They step forward into the light, speak their minds, step back into their place on the map.

Love it.

Now that I’m here,  want to be there.  In other words, I dug into the manual to find out the ways of sharing the project.  Which, by the way, I’m thinking more of in terms of story written, rather than a project to test out and learn the Storyspace software.

So in wanting to share, I found a few ways, but it’s like having to put the special Storyspace reader and story files on a CD and handing it out on the streetcorner ’cause friends certainly aren’t begging to see it.  Then it hits me;  it’s really not ready yet.  I haven’t done the serious revision of story and language that I do with my short stories though I do tweak it as I go by. 

So no, it’s not ready for distribution and I can’t really link to it here because it’s not readable in both logistic and asethetic form yet.

One interesting thing:  If one wanted to go the self-publishing route this format is easier and cheaper than making up books.  Just a case of putting those few files on a CD.  Would be much easier to distribute, I imagine, like working up an audio CD and running it around to all the local DJs. 

Not for me, though.  I’ll just keep working at it until it’s perfect and start another Storyspace project, this time from scratch.

After working with this software, I find myself taken by the opportunities it offers both writers and readers in the hypertext format.

I’ve gone into this, as I tend to do with all things new, armed to the teeth with yeahbuts and hate’ems.  That’s my method of discovery.  If I can scout out all the negatives and resolve those questions, than the road ahead is a romp through Candyland.  I’ve never backed away from the untraditional; it just takes me a while to storm the gates.

Obviously one of the most interesting aspects of the process is the options granted the reader to make his own way through the narrative.  Seeings that it is non-linear and offers many paths, it is up to the writer to act as guide.  If he’s predisposed to simians, then he’ll make sure you visit the monkey house.  If it’s vipers he likes, then the snake house or your local Dodge dealer.  What I particularly loved was that it left room to expand on random thoughts that were not necessary to story, but certainly enhanced the characters and plot by their insight.  I became prone to a psychological realism frame of mind and often stared at a Writing Space for minutes, or wandered back to it often enough to realize there was something I wanted to say.  I like this.  It’s hard to insert these bits into static text because once they’re there, they insist on being read; in hypertext, the reader only need read them if he’s got the same curiosity that spurred the writer to set them in.

For the writer, the small Writing Spaces may be inspirational.  Not as daunting as a blank page or screen, the space may be filled with one sentence–one special sentence or a thought–and voila!–you’re being productive!  I’ve looked at places in the story where I just knew I could expand (or expound!) but didn’t have the words yet.  And, didn’t want to lose the thought.  Very easy to stamp out a few Writing Spaces, give the first one a title that indicates the general idea of direction, tie them all together with a thread, and you’ve got the place all warm and cozy and waiting for the creative moment to strike and settle in.

On the physical side, there is little wrong with the way the program works and there’s little that need be added to it.  I would, however, beg that any upgrade include that "Do you want to save your work?" box that makes you feel like an idiot in other programs but try working without one.  I’ve gotten so paranoid that I’ve got Paths saved in three spots on the hard drive and in two flash drives.

While I may still tinker with Paths, I’m anxious to move on and have a couple of ideas on where I want to go and explore.  In "conclusion" is a misnomer.  I’m not done; only beginning.

And my favorite line of the day:

Timmy, their first, was a true love child who spent his first three years as a banana.