Sunday, August 1, 2010

M.T. Anderson's Literary Experiment Hot Tip... And Challenge!

One of the Nine Experimental Techniques M.T. shared with his session attendees was the experimental technique of "hypertext." (That's any text you don't demand be read in a particular order) like those "Choose your own adventure" novels, or a narrative with footnotes. It's an experimental method that M.T. thinks will become more popular in the future of Children's Literature. (Think video games with branching narratives...)

He challenged the room of writers to consider hypertext, and the other techniques, as our resources to defamiliarize what we know too well. (Especially in light of how children today - and all of us adults as well - are so accustomed to the fragmentation of our attention.)

The question is: can you use it and still maintain the kind of intensity you can have in a long form narrative?


Fascinating!

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