Well this was something totally new for me. I was so hesitant at first and had thoughts about not completing this task, but I’ve already opted to not do one, so I wanted to leave my other opt out for a time when I may need it!!
I am not a gamer. I have limited experience with writing code or designing online platforms or games. I will admit I was confused after “playing” The temple of no, but I’m sure it was because I was only half paying attention to the content and was trying to think ahead to my own use of Twine.
I started by opening a Google Doc and starting on my story. This really helped because I was sitting outside the hockey rink while my kids had a little practice with a coach friend and didn’t have my laptop. Not sure of the capabilities of starting this on my phone, I just started typing in the doc to get my story going. Once I started, it came together pretty well.
I struggled through the formatting, finding a style I liked and getting the background and font colours to change. I then entered the rabbit hole of adding pictures! I had to stop myself, because I was taking WAY too long to find the right picture and I don’t have a ton of time to spare these days with the end of the school year (and report cards) approaching.
I enjoyed having the story link together and do admit that I was a fan of the Choose Your Own Adventure novels of the 1980s. I found this week’s reading enlightening as we really have always linked our new and current knowledge to that of the past – it’s nothing new. We are in a time where things are changing like crazy and people are always looking for simplified versions of things. Like Bolter reference’s “electronic hypertext is not the end of print; it is instead the remediation of print” (p. 46). We are not reinventing the wheel, just changing things to keep up with the times!
I hope you enjoy my story – it’s a choose your own adventure that all leads to the same moral, that is probably a common parental frustration! It’s a constant struggle in my life, so hopefully you will see some comparisons to your own lives and maybe even giggle a bit.
Click on the link below and download it to your computer to play. I hope you enjoy!
What’s for Dinner
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Bolter, J. D. (2001). Writing space: Computers, hypertext, and the remediation of print. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Margaret this was awesome! I also don’t consider myself a gamer per se but I know my way around a few. I opted to not do this assignment as everything was just piling up too fast for me with it being the end of the school year. But, I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed your twine! I have two young boys, 4.5 and 3, and I swear their motto is “snack life,” and their purpose on this earth is to never try anything new. I couldn’t help but relate to this task so much that I even went back and restarted to see all the other options you had put in there, and alas, every time I found myself having been in that exact same position. It’s as if we’re living the same lives, or maybe this is just what ALL moms experience!
Hey Sasha! Thanks for the comment – I know the feeling! With report cards and year end things these weeks are hectic! I had already opted out of a task, so I didn’t want to leave myself with no additional outs for tasks in the future, so I sat down and figured out this Twine! I thought a parent or two may look at it and be able to relate. My boys have the “snack life” motto too! I’m sure we are in good company with at least a few other moms!! There is a Twine task in our Digital Games course in a few weeks, so you may be able to give it a try then!