Hypertext Update

Recently I decided to edit my hypertext, mainly visually, but also in order to add some more structural changes. Unfortunately, I don’t own a Mac and Storyspace is quite pricey. I searched for some free “Mind Mapping” software and came upon this list of various programs that work in a similar ways to Tinderbox. However, none really had the HTML output, web abilities and media integration that I desired so I was forced to use Microsoft Publisher.

The software is a simple website making tool with many elements of Microsoft Word. It allowed me to take images and juxtapose them within my already existing hypertext. The process entailed a simple plug in of text, reformatting and then adding images that I had taken previously and just had “laying around” my computer. I would not have chosen to write a work of Hypertext fiction from scratch in Microsoft Publisher but it did make for easy media integration and editing.

As far as structure goes my main goal was to provide better navigation and clarify some points of the hypertext. Those who read Frank & I may have noticed that the last link leads back to the third page. I did this in order to relate back to the original subplot as presented by the narrator. However, once the reader had looped back to that point they were then stuck and would have to click back until they had reached the beginning again. Because of this reason I added a “Home” link only on that page. This adds the needed navigation but also may just confuse readers. I hope that when I can purchase Storyspace I will be able to make the link inactive until the reader has gone through the story. However, I feel that the first half of the story could be read alone and want to improve on how linear my hypertext is so I truly am torn on the issue.

Additionally, I cropped the image on the last page into four sections and linked those sections to the first, second and third pages and the last section simply refreshes the current page. Thus, creating the loop of the story again and re-iterating that those four sections could be read as an independent entity.There is still much work to do as far as the hypertext itself goes and I still feel like it is much too linear and has incredibly frustrating navigation. At this point it is just a matter of adding content and variation.

I am learning that hypertext requires a writer to give up many aspects of control over what is read by their reader. The traditional storytelling allows one to craft a tale and say “This is it, read it.” whereas Hypertext is more “Well this is it, and that can be this. But if you read that,  it will become this and won’t be that at all.” I look forward to editing further to make my hypertext, more of a hypertext.