way, which corresponds to the heterogeneity of the text. Or, alternatively,
colour schemes can be carefully controlled, even systematic.
Links can take other forms than underlined words: they can appear in
bold, in different fonts or as visual icons. They can be hidden or partially
hidden. The pathways through the texts can be tightly fixed, programmed
to be random, or weighted towards certain possibilities.
Creating hypertexts: Linking and looping
The following are a number of different ways of creating hypertext for
Exercise 1. These strategies can also be combined:
- Write a short piece of text and choose three words that seem particu-
larly interesting: mark them out as potential links. Then write three
more texts which will be the destination point for those links. Put
three links in those next three texts, and write other texts to which
they can be linked. Continue this process until you have a large and
elaborate hypertext, though sometimes you may want to link back to
previous texts rather than creating new ones, forming hypertextual
loops. Think also about the different ways of exploiting the link word.
On the one hand it might hint at, or even symbolise, the contents of
the text it leads to. On the other hand it might be arbitrary (that is,
seem to have very little connection with the text it links to), or be
actually quite misleading. These are ways that you can trigger and con-
trol the curiosity of the reader. Links can also be made to texts outside
the work itself, so the hypertext links up to external sites. Building
through linking is a generative approach to writing hypertext. The
hyperlinking leads the way and suggests the material. - Alternatively, or in addition, write a number of short texts (possibly on
the same theme). Then retrospectively decide how you are going to link
these textual fragments in a hypertext (you may, when you put the texts
together, find you need to write some extra ones). - Think of a core story, but instead of narrowing it down to one possible
outcome, try and think of alternate possibilities. Construct a hypertext
in which the links take readers to different possible outcomes. We have
already explored this process in a different context, and with applica-
tion to on-the-page writing only, in Chapter 7. It means thinking in
terms of multiple possibilities. In the process of writing we often think
of such alternatives, but reduce them to one option.
As you undertake these tasks, experiment with the type and visibility of
the link. If you want to give the reader a clear choice between different
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