Weaving Stories Weaving Spells

Writing online with all the responses coming in here and elsewhere to the two stories has been very exciting. It’s a different experience from working as a ’solitary writer’ and I guess if people get into the habit, it may lead to a different kind of writing.

It has been fascinating reading the feedback - what illuminating comments. Thank you all for taking such trouble.

I’ve added some sound effects and a better ‘look and feel’ to Henwoman., and some more of Mrs Tamarind’s story. Have a look again to see if you think they are improved

I’ve also added some of the possible endings to the story of that part of Susan’s life.

You may like to read a different approach to the henwoman tale I’d value comments. It’s a starker approach to the matter of choices in a woman’s life.

I invite you to add an ending, or a further brief chapter.

These are all connected to hypertext fiction that I’ve enjoyed or admired, or to people who are writing online in various ways.
If you have any that you think should be included, post them here and I’ll add them.

This is a story (in progress) to do with the way we are viewed by different people, and what the effect of that is.

The tamarind is a sweet-sour fruit that my children used to eat when we lived in Fiji - and ageing is a sweet-sour business I find.

More later as I progress the work.

In the Henwoman story, I’ve been using a hypertext structure to explore the notion of choices in a woman’s life, and wondering whether in the end they make any difference. I’ve sometimes thought that whatever we choose, in the end we may end up in the same place, as Susan did at one stage. But I’m from a different generation - maybe it’s an age thing.

What’s your view about choices?

Let’s talk about hypertext narrative.

People say “a story is surely linear” - I see it differently. You can draw a linear story from a set of happenings or a section of time passing - but so much has to be left out.

Take “The Hero’s Journey” a favourite linear model. Hero has a challenge, gets a helper, meets the challenge, overcomes it, comes home.

AND …what did his mother think when he left like that? How did the old crone come to be there when he needed help, and what was her story? and detail - what was he wearing? did he like those clothes? What had the giant’s life been like up to then?
In my view, the complexity is part of the story; it’s hard to set the boundaries of ‘relevant to the tale’ or ‘not relevant’ in a linear presentation. Hypertext gives us the opportunity to suggest the whole picture: we can give the ‘tell me a story’ readers a straight plot line and also let discursive readers follow their interests and still find their way home.