Blog Post # 3

Blog Post: A) Post your early ideas for the Hypertext Assignment (Project B) Post your experiences with your demo google.site thus far - try to identify what kind of help you are going to need.

A)   So far, my ideas for the Hypertext Assignment seem to be working out good.  First, I want my website to be about a young adult fiction story.  A story about teenage girl who states that her family is “perfect” but then she receives some news that her whole life changes and she may not be so perfect after all.  Second, I may want my writing to be all diary entries (or maybe some).  Third, there will be up to six characters in my story but each character will play a significant role.  Fourth, I want music to be playing in the background once the reader starts reading the diary entries.  Fifth, I may have two different stories in my hypertext assignment but eventually they will both connect and fall into place. 

B)   My experience so far with “Google sites” is something that I need to practice more on.  This is my first time making my own website through Google site.  I am still trying to figure out how I can incorporate music, and have some pictures floating around on some pages of my story.  I'm glad we are using Google Docs in class because I am able to put my notes and writing into a folder and then when I’m ready to organize/fix/ or change it around, I will then be set to go.  Hopefully by using the tutorial of Google sites and many other information I may look into, I will then know how to make my website the way I want it to be.  Google sites will be an experience that I may never forget because at the end of the semester my story will be creative and unique.    

Blog Post # 2

Blog #2:

Write about some of the pieces you have been exploring in the ELC.  

When I first started looking through the electronic literature pieces in the collection there were some that I found interesting, funny, and loved.

A)My Ball by Shawn Rider:  I clicked on “Begin” to start the website, then there was a box that said, “click here” in order to begin reading.  It took me to a “Welcome” page, in where I feel I was being well invited to the website, therefore I was already interested in finding out what this famous “ball” was about.  I automatically knew that the website was going to be user friendly.  What I loved about the website was that it was all in sequential order; I didn’t get lost and knew what to click in order to keep on reading.  The audio (website) had an amazing sound that was related to the background and images of the website.  While I was reading more and more the sound affect took me to another world.  I felt that I was going on a mission to another planet and figuring out about a new toy in outer space that was making every child in the world a life changing experience.  I couldn’t believe that someone actually wrote a website about a new toy that was making miracles to parents and children. “My Ball” website was entertaining and funny to read about because it was about a robotic and learning toy.  Every child who owned gave their testimony about their experience of the “ball” was as if it was their new best friend.  You can dress up the ball; if a parent missies a soccer game the ball can record the game, play games, sing songs, help with homework, say prayers, float, roll, bounce and teach manners.  The website indicated that if a child had no one to talk to, then the ball was the answer to their problem.  The ball would record and keep secrets in an “internal memory chip” that no one had access (only the child or with a parent’s permission, which was funny that I couldn’t stop laughing).  In reality who in the world would talk to a ball about their problems (people would think you’re going crazy).  Most importantly, I think this website may attract parents to read on and buy the “BALL” because this can keep a child entertained in many ways

B)Faith by Robert Kendall: Faith was an interesting piece of electronic literature that was about a poem.  I loved that it had two options; if I wanted the website to start playing with or without music.  I played it with music.  At first I saw words floating and coming out of nowhere one by one, but then there came a point in time that the words were coming way too fast (all at once).  I got confused and didn’t know where to start reading either at the bottom, middle or end, in order to understand the poem.  But then I got the hang of it and my eyes just started following each word that appeared and connect with the sentence or word.  The sound effect was a mellow instrumental song that made me get more interested in reading the poem. I felt as if I was in a maze that took me to a different dimension in life.  The poem “Faith” had taken me to a route where I needed to be patience and not get frustrated because I knew soon or later I would understand the poem, all I needed was to have faith and trust in myself.  But I can say this piece of literature is an art of work.  

C)Pieces of Herself by Juliet Davis: Reading, “Pieces of Herself” is something that I know many females can relate to.  It’s about how woman in today’s society feel internally broken.  When I first clicked “begin,” I thought I was going to read a story about a young teenage girl but then the website was about sound effects and a woman talking (sometimes).  I felt like I was playing a game, just drag and drop, that simple!  Once I started to drag and drop images in any body part that I choose, it would inform me new information about the significance of the image or body part.  Many females have emotional problems with relationships and many other things in life.  This was the kind of website that one can figure out what was going on in a female’s body.  There were different options (settings) that I was allowed to click on, in order to find out the different perspectives of what was going on such as: office, shower, bedroom, kitchen, living room, office, and many more.  This website was something out of the ordinary, something that I would have never thought of doing (maybe).  Hearing what every body part had to say was something that dealt with identity crisis.  It’s where a female is on a journey to “find” herself and the navigator will finally find the truth behind those closed doors.  

*I had fun looking through the electronic pieces of collection. Hopefully one day I will make my own website with the creativity that some of these pieces have, but mine will be unique (one of a kind!).* :) 

Blog Post # 1

Blog assignment: Describe some of the strategies you used to “read” Twelve Blue.  Indicate what you did + what you hoped to achieve- and what you out of doing whatever you did. 

 When I first read the introduction of the story, which seemed to be a “synopsis,” I knew that it would be something I would be interested in reading. It contained many different types of genres such as friendship, love and murder.  When I clicked on “Begin” and saw the page numbers I knew where I had to start, page “1…” After reading page one I didn’t know what to click next because there was no “Next” button or something at the end that could have said “Page 2.”  But then I realized there was a sentence that was hyperlinked, so I figured that it was going be the next page of the story.  Apparently, when I clicked on the hyperlinked it took me to another page, which it wasn’t following the story from page 1 (in my point of view).  It connected to the hyperlinked sentence.  Then page after page there was always a hyperlinked sentence either it started in the beginning, middle or end.  It drove me crazy because I felt as if I wasn’t getting nowhere because I still couldn’t figure out if I was actually reading the story in a sequential order. 

            

Therefore, I needed to find out what to do in order to follow the story correctly.  On the left side of the website there were different colors of strands that looked like a yarn; a yarn that was going over and over (loops).  But I thought, maybe I need to unwind it in order to solve the pattern of the story.  “Where do I even start?” (is what I kept thinking in my mind).  I started to navigate the webpage even more and clicked on the colorful strands, but noticed that whenever I clicked on it, it would take me to a different page. However, the language of the reading was playful and descriptive. It was a language that made me confused and frustrated to not keep on reading. I decided to click on the strand from top to bottom and noticed that the story appeared to be falling into place (or maybe?).  After all, I figured out that by clicking the hyperlinked sentences (on each page) it would take me to a different page that connected or gave a meaning to the hyperlinked sentences.  There were some hyperlinked sentences that led me to an image, but once I clicked the image there it was, another page to read on from the hypertext fiction story.  After all, I have learned that electronic literature hypertext fiction stories can be confusing, interesting and fun to read.  It was a journey for me to find out where I had to start. Even though, I can state that “Twelve Blue” took me on an adventure to explore and find new ways in trying to read the story.  This is what I call “creative writing” in electronic literature (using one’s own imagination of writing). 

*My question is still not answered clearly about the hypertext fiction story.  Where do I even click or begin the story? Or is there no such thing as page after page (order)?   Hopefully, someday I will be able to find the right answer to my question and say, “Ohhhhhh…. now I get it. *