Reactive Writing -- Reactive Interviews

A Reactive Interview with Mark Fennell

Mark Fennell, author of 'Faith the Cat', gives us the benefit of his experience. He talks about hypertext, writing, and......toilets?

Q.What first attracted you to writing hypertext?

The need to dissemenate information quickly and easily to an audience that had minimal computer experience. My first project in HTML was an on-line help screen for students who had previously only used computers for word processing.

Q.What do you feel are the main advantages of writing in hypertext over a more linear media?

In no particular order: The ability to skip over information the user already knows and get to the information that is pertinent to the situation. Therefore, reducing the amount of time spent researching and increasing the amount of time working. Secondly, I suppose environmental reasons come into the equation at some point. Finally, it seems to be the natural progression of things in a sense, following the revolutions past. It allows for the logical and personal flow of information.

Q. What do you feel are the main problems of publishing on the net?

There are so many different standards that no one average person can fully take advantage of the net. I say average because most people can't afford all of the equipment needed to read, write and execute thing on the net in an as efficient manner as possible. But we are young and will evolve into a more perfect network of life.

Q. How much response do you get from people who have read your pages and how does this effect your writing?

I personally have gotten very little response. The net is like society. Cater to sex or money and the response is fantastic. However, by watching the logs of who came and how long they stayed, I can gauge which people are focusing on which parts. The success of the net is based on the randomness, the chaos, which is nature. The chaos that recognizes individuality as survival.

Q.Do you think writing in hypertext changes the way you write a piece of fiction?

YES! In NO linear format could I as author explore possible endings. In NO other format could I retrace steps as a reader. The arguments for a mild return to the ways of an oral tradition are interesting in light of the possibilities of stories.

Part 2