When I first started this class, I knew nothing about writing for hypertext. I, like many of my peers, had spent hours reading hypertexts, though I was not aware of how to go about writing for websites. I had to learn to adapt my knowledge of a linear writing style to a web of connecting “chunks” of visual appealing writing. My ignorance to writing for hypertext changed as I was introduced to DreamWeaver. Soon, I was on my way to authoring my own 70+ page website.
My first hypertext was a comparison between Tim Burton and Edgar Allen Poe. I was extremely proud of my work; I spent hours working on the aesthetic details of my website, and felt that I brought up interesting comparisons between the two men. It was a good first project since the topic interested me, though it was clear that I still had much room to grow. My second hypertext was a look at America’s ignorance. I wanted to see if the accusations about Americans were indeed true. I conducted a survey in order to see how knowledgeable my friends were in current events, and I included several interviews with people with varying opinions on the topic. One again, I was pleased with my work. My third hypertext was a look at student workers in the middle to upper-middle class, and the ideal workload that allows students to grow without shutting down in exhaustion. This was the hardest hypertext for me, because I had to do some outside research through databases to support my information on the topic. I had never used databases in high school, and I was shocked to discover I had access to millions of scholarly journals.
At the end of the quarter I felt accomplished (though exhausted). I had learned how difficult it is to write for hypertext, as well as how easy it is to physically construct the websites. I was impressed with my ability to use DreamWeaver—a skill I was sure I will use in the future.
As quarter two began, I did not know what to expect. We had already completed the research paper used as the “final project” in the other Creative Thinking and Writing courses. I felt we had learned so much, and was unsure what else we would attempt to accomplish. My first hypertext was a way to be re-introduced to DreamWeaver and writing for hypertext. After reading Cory Doctorow’s Little Brother*, I did a comparison on how Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, and the other Beat Writers were like Marcus Yallow, the protagonist of the novel. I had to do outside research in order to educate myself on the writers, the Beat Movement, and the events surrounding that time in history. It was a different kind of hypertext in which I learned how difficult it is to balance historical material and biographies with my own critical thinking. It was something that I did not fully master by the time the hypertext was due, but I was aware of the problem and will be able to address it in future projects throughout my college career. Sometimes learning things through failures (or un-complete successes) is more helpful than mastering every project.
Our second project was to write a screenplay. My screenplay took the “villain” character from Little Brother and elaborated on her personal history. I wanted to give her reason for being unhappy and cruel. I wanted the audience to see “her side of the story”. I had never written a screenplay before. I was able to learn the basics of screenwriting, which may help me in a variety of different ways in the future. I learned different codes used in film scripts and the basic format for indicating location and time. The second half of this project was to create a movie out of a chosen screenplay. I was in the team who worked on Katie Bobbin’s* screenplay. Our movie* took over thirty hours to create. I had no idea how much work was put into making films. This lesson taught me great respect for filmmakers (and every person involved with film-making, in general).
Our third project was to remix Little Brother in any way we wanted to. In the novel, there is extensive surveillance in Marcus’ life. I wanted to apply this idea of extensive surveillance into the world of Santa Clara University. I created a fake character who blogged about her first year in college who becomes disgusted by the continual privacy invasion. I was especially proud of this third hypertext. I had to use a theme from a novel and allow it to inspire some sort of creative remix. I chose a topic that was close to home, and I am extremely happy with the result.
After talking to some of my friends in other Creative Thinking and Writing courses, I’ve come to the conclusion that this course was a great deal more work. At the time, it was tiring to hammer out three projects a quarter but, now, I am happy with the progress I’ve made. Not only have I learned how to create websites, but I have also learned to write for hypertext. I learned how to connect websites together in a way that keeps an Internet reader engaged. Another skill I learned in these courses was the concept of “bringing something new” to an existing conversation. It took me months before I understood the importance of not merely summarizing existing material, but bringing in a new perspective to the on-going conversation.
As a business student with plans to major in accounting, I cannot see an immediate use for all of the knowledge I learned in this class, however, I am sure that it will aid me in my future endeavors one way or another. By taking this class, I will be able to add DreamWeaver, IShowU, GarageBand, and iMovie skills to my resume. In a society that continues to lean toward technological advancement, I am glad to be able to say I’m familiar with these programs. In twenty weeks I have created five webpages, one screenplay, and a nine minute long Machinima video—and I’m damn proud of it.
* indicate outside links