Online Writing Guide

As with a more traditional composition, hypertext writing requires organization. A hypertext composition, like a more traditional composition, has to have a logical design. In most cases, a traditional composition follows a linear pattern, from one topic to another, which come together to form a logical whole.

When writing a hypertext composition to be published on the Web, you need to also think about ways to organize your material so that you have logical "chunks" of text, and other media if appropriate, to present on separate links, which all tie together to make a whole composition.

To confuse the issue a bit, some hypertexts (like novels and poetry) do not have a distinct pattern to follow. The reader can select links at random to create her/his own creative composition, based on a predetermined number of choices.

The medium for which you compose hypertext, is the Web, which is read on a computer monitor/screen, not a paper format.

As with any composition, the language you use and the style depends upon your audience and purpose. The examples you use, the detail, and the graphical elements you provide should help your intended audience understand what points you are trying to make.

Linking strategies

With a Web document, the addition of links to material created by you (text, graphics, and, possibly, links to external sources can help your readers situate themselves in your topic and help them better understand what you are saying in your composition. (Ask permission to link to someone else's Web material).

If you have too many links, or links that are not sufficiently relevant to your topic, you will only confuse and/or frustrate the visitors to your Web site.

Planning strategies

As you should do when writing any composition, you need to map out how you are going to organize your material. Here are some suggested approaches:

Free write ideas without censoring them in your head.
Make a list of ideas.
Create an outline of the main categories of information and possible links.
Create a preliminary flow chart of the structure of your Web material.

After you get a pretty good picture of the hierarchical structure of your Web pages (main topics, sub topics) you can then begin to see how each of these components fits together to help you decide how to create separate files which will contain the different components to make up the whole of your document. Some of the links may not be files of text you created yourself, but links to other Web material and graphics you created or which you have copyright permission to use.

Then create a more detailed story board of your design and composition. You may want to create a visual representation of your Web site. Create sheets of paper (boards) for each separate "page," containing an outline of content for that "page," complimentary graphics, links, and other content. You can manipulate the boards, like playing cards to see how the pieces fit together.

The "home" page/file in a Web directory/folder is always named index.html.There should be only one index.html file in each Web directory/folder. The broswer defaults to that page when it opens to your Web site. Begin with a separate front page for each new project. Each "front page" should contain a title, your name as author, your email address, and the date you posted or updated the material.

Design strategies

Hypertext compositions can be strictly text based (with the underlying html tags to make it visible on a computer screen, of course) or they can be multimedia, incorporating images, sound, video, etc.

Include an index or list of links to all components in your your Web based composition and Web site will keep your readers from getting lost.

Too many "bells and whistles" can distract the reader. Make sure the elements you use compliment your information.

Your background should be distinct from your text to make it easy for your audience to read your text. Too many different sizes, colors and styles of font can distract from the content. Too many graphics and graphics not complimentary to the subject of the composition will also distract and confuse the reader.

Your design should also be influenced by the technology equipment expectations of your audience. Computers with limited storage or memory take too long to "read" graphics. Some browsers can't handle advanced features such as JAVA, Flash or Shockwave components.

Composition strategies

In order to keep your audience interested, Web compositions, like all good writing, must be concise, clear and free of grammatical and spelling errors.

Unlike more traditional, linear texts, Web compositions are divided into blocks/units of text. Each block should be coherent, like a paragraph in a more traditional essay, with a clear beginning and conclusion. If your reader clicks on one "mini essay," for example, that reader should be able to read that mini essay, a unit of information, that makes sense when read on its own. Each "mini essay," or unit, should have a link back to the previous section and a link forward to the next section.

However, there are exceptions to this guideline. If your purpose is to create a literary text, like a poem or a story, in which you, the author, want the reader to make his/her own choices as to where the poem or story leads next, then you would not make such obvious links to a "previous" or "next" section.

Remember, how well you get your information across should take precedence over "gee whiz" design elements. Your primary goal should be to have well written information, with supporting graphics if applicable, which is easy to access and navigate in a hypertext environment.

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