Hypercompendia

Dimensional

This was a bit of fun and a bit of exploration. Inspired both by Steve’s story, The Point, that reminded me of Flatland (and thus the primary colors of the hypertext presentation) and the question of dimension (or so I understood it to be) and by James Revillini’s offering for Day #8 #20090529 that you just gotta check out and I’ve just gotta learn how to do. I could use this concept in the hypertexts as a bit of visual movement that could be an exciting addition.

And really, that’s all they can be for to list strict rules as to how to read a hypertext would be at crosspurposes to its intent, that of granting the reader the freedom of choice and flexibility of creating a unique and individual narrative out of a poor author’s offerings.

In response to one request, I gave the following reply:

“( . . . ) a couple things that I do is 1) first read the entire writing space (page or box) before wandering off. 2) decide between or among the links by keeping a couple things in mind. In most hypertexts, just clicking on the bottom of the box will bring you to the next box/space in a fairly linear storyline.  In mine [here online], the last word in the box that is text-linked is usually what will bring you to the next linear space.  Text links anywhere else within the writing space usually are a sidetrail that relates to that word or concept within the sentence. 3) With the online hypertexts, you have an additional choice that is a valuable tool; your browser toolbar arrow to go back to the previous page (just as you would go back in your browser). I use this when I land someplace I don’t particularly like and want to return to a writing space that made me feel more comfortable and had another link choiceavailable.

“( . . . ) If you want to play with one, try #7Schematica; it is the simplest layout and if you look at the map (a bigger version available in the next post after it) you’ll see the logic.  Maybe.

If I’ve mastered the technique of hypertext narrative, then even if the links do not seem to always make sense (think poetry, think exploration and the natural wandering of thought patterns), the sum total of the links followed should present a satisfactory story with a beginning, a middle, and an end.

If not, well I’m still new at this too!

Fictionality

It has occurred to me been brought to my attention that a lot of people aren’t familiar with hypertext and even if they have attempted to read this narrative format before, many have come away from it swearing that their lives are perfectly satisfactory without hypertext.

To me, this conclusion is the challenge. Even as I myself learn the underpinnings of the genre, I think it’s necessary to help spread the faith and maybe make these mini hypertexts a bit more simple and less frustrating to follow. It’s as discouraging for the creator as it is for the reader to lose or get lost in a mumble of words that are poor excuse for a story. This particular piece does go back on itself, but there are only two main story lines–a question that Steve has raised in Champion 2 of fiction being both the possibility and the reality of our lives.

Maybe I won’t make any converts, but I think that including the maps here, keeping the hypertexts more flowing yet simple, and offering to help in any way that I can to decipher this medium to help you enjoy it is a start.

Evilution

This one is a little bit weird, but has a basic theme of wanting things and changes made that affect a whole lot more than expected. Inspired by the juxtaposition of inside and outside, colors and sizes in Steve’s story, a world was created that still needed a master at the controls.

I’ve also half-successfully entered some images in this piece and will keep working on them to correct the half that didn’t succeed.

Just because it’s a first for me–mapping out the entire narrative before even writing a word or knowing what the story would be–I’m posting this image of the map that was laid out in Tinderbox for hypertext story #7, Schematica.

It is an example of the simplest plotting in story, with the required conflicts, complications, and required choices–whether made by the protagonist in traditional text or by the reader in hypertext.

Mimicking the “You’re dead!” of the Interactive Fiction and gaming genres, I’ve included a deadly choice (Outcome2 and Outcome4) here but have given the reader the ability to go back to the point where that choice was made to enable a change of heart. The main purpose of this piece was to follow Steve’s lead in following story guidelines, so the map was easy enough to lay out with lexias that were clear enough in what they would contain. Then all it took was to decide what time period, place, and characters would fill in the spaces.

Schematica

This one was highly influenced by Calvino’s if on a winter’s night a traveler since Steve served up his story with the very traditional elements of arc, conflicts, complications, change, et al and for me, Calvino’s novel is as much a how-to on good writing as it is an entertaining piece of fiction. It was a good time to relearn the rules, actually make a diagram of the entire hypertext before a word of story was written. Good practice; great fun. There were some css maneuverings I wanted to do with this piece, i.e., changing background color in the boxes, but I’ll have to work on that tonight since the code insertion point is something I’ve forgotten but have elsewhere. For me, this project will help in many arenas of creative learning.

While I’ve started creating new color schemes for the individual pieces via css sheets and have overhauled the old into some of the new themes, there are questions and trails of thoughts popping up every hour. Maybe that’s why I only got three hours’ sleep last night.

This is where Tinderbox may be the answer; while I couldn’t seem to work with a single file covering all the separate hypertext stories–I’m sure that there’s a way around this, but for now, each story is a separate file–I can see where the story files, which now include the Tinderbox rendition, an .html, a css, and the hypertext itself with each lexia in an .html file–may need to be linked at some point.

The other connection is the css sheets, which are pat except for the color themes. Right now, I have a separate CSS Folder which holds an individual folder for each different color stylesheet (this enables me to maintain the file name of ‘main100.css’ so that the main100.html does not need to be changed for each hypertext; just copied.

While it would seem to make sense to start with the program and grow outward, it appears that in my own assbackwards way I’ve created the child before the parent. So in between hypertexts, I’ll be working on structure by exploring the Tinderbox Way.

Impressions

There was an extraordinary appeal in the idea of weightlessness having such weight; the incongruity of the situation coupled with the reactions of others to the protagonist’s plight revealed a sense of self that is too often affected by others.

Shadows – (Marley 2)

In this continuation of “The Rabbit” scenario, I played with the cause and effect of changes made consciously in order to pursue a more desired form of ourselves. There is, however, that shadow we cast that touches others and influences their own lives.

It’s the butterfly effect on a small scale, limited by borders of lexias.

Commitment – (Marley)

What struck me in “The Rabbit” series of Steve’s stories was the action of the main character in responding to other people’s direction, even as he retained his own sense of self. I liked the idea of throwing a curve ball into his plans.

It’s such a human thing to do; live according to others’ needs, anxious to please. Sometimes it produces a cauldron of resentment, sometimes the light strikes and we do a complete turnaround. Sometimes it just doesn’t matter.