I want to take a moment to thank my Electronic Literature classmates for welcoming me into a world that was completely new to me. This course was an unexpected learning experience, and a deeply appreciated one. I walked in unsure of how I would fit into a space filled with such creative writers and thinkers, but each of you taught me something. Your projects, your interpretations, your willingness to experiment, and even the way you discussed the readings pushed me to grow in ways I didn’t anticipate.

I am especially grateful to Dr. Zamora. She is an extraordinary professor: engaged, encouraging, patient, and genuinely invested in her students. She mentored me through material that felt foreign at first, and she helped me believe I could actually do this work. My only regret is that we met at the very end of my graduate journey rather than at the beginning.

This class opened up a part of literature I did not realize existed. Interacting with electronic literature, and with all of you who approach storytelling so differently, expanded my understanding of what writing can be. It challenged me to think beyond traditional forms and to participate in a creative conversation that felt alive and unpredictable and above all CREATIVE (something I have missed from my life).

I would recommend this class to every graduate student, but with one caveat: you have to be willing to push yourself. There is a lot of reading, a lot of writing, and a lot of thinking. It asks you to stretch, to experiment, and sometimes to sit in confusion until something clicks. But it is absolutely worth it.

Thank you all for helping me discover something new at a time in my degree when I thought I already knew what to expect. I’m leaving this class more open, more curious, and honestly, a little proud of myself for making it through. I hope you enjoy playing/reading/experimenting with “Is The Grass Always Greener?”

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1SCo2PqoaMX7KDYfU92wejVg3_OhA7muEZlhUgiBCbvo/edit?usp=sharing

As I moved from planning my e lit project into actually creating it, I quickly realized I had taken on more than I fully understood. I began searching for platforms and tools, only to discover that I had no idea how to use RenPy, Twine, or anything remotely connected to coding. I had never written a line of code in my life, yet here I was trying to build an interactive digital love story.

This is where the perks of teaching tech-savvy students came in. One of my students teased me for not knowing how to use Twine and insisted that there was no way I could use RenPy without learning to code first. Instead of feeling discouraged, it motivated me. She spent an entire week showing me how things worked, and I slowly learned the basics of CSS, JavaScript, and variables.

I am still figuring out how to embed images and occasionally break something by accident, but the progress I’ve made feels huge. More than anything, I’m proud that I didn’t back down from the challenge. This project is pushing me to grow in ways I didn’t expect, and even with its frustrations, it’s becoming something I’m genuinely excited about.

Onward to the final step.

I finished up my project by adding some hidden easter eggs alluding to poems throughout “The Wild Iris” by Louise Glück (the book my Minecraft experience is based on).

I planned to present my work by reading some key poems from the book before going through the experience in order to create context for those who haven’t read the book (although I highly recommend you read it if you like poetry!)

I’m hoping to receive feedback in class about anything I might be able to add in order to make the experience feel more fulfilling.

This week I pretty much finished my final project. I say “pretty much” because I anticipate some feedback during tomorrow’s class and will want to make some final changes before submitting. I think I will definitely need feedback on the pacing of my piece and if I accomplished a light-hearted experience. It is so crazy that we are at the end of the semester and that this upcoming class will be my last Monday class EVER.

I enjoyed using Canva for this project. I had fun choosing the graphics and writing the dialogue. I was tempted many times to purchase Canva premium but I decided against it. I ran into a few speed bumps along the way but thank goodness for Youtube and having people who know how to use Canva well. I am looking forward to getting feedback from you all and seeing all of your projects!

I’m not sure if this is the last update on the project but I can definitely say I have finished my final project this weekend. I’m also not sure if I ever fully coherently described by project but here ya go: For my final project, I created an interactive story on Twine. The story is called “Straightener Spirals”. This story follows a girl who struggles with anxiety and OCD, and her thoughts spiral around as she fixates on something as simple as a hair straightener. Through clickable choices, the player will attempt to guide the speaker into a calmer direction, but the story highlights that anxiety and OCD look different for everyone. Sometimes rational advice is neither realistic nor helpful. This platform allows the player to explore multiple options, but each choice reflects how intrusive thoughts can overpower logic. “Straightener Spirals is meant to create empathy by placing the reader directly inside the experience of spiraling, where they are unable to control even if they are just trying to help.

Now, the only thing that disappoints me is that if I had more time, I would’ve like to found another website that allows me to add music or some kind of ominous soundtrack to add to the readers emotions as they are making their way through the piece. Additionally, I am literally going into class blind, for some reason the course website did not work for me this Sunday. I wanted to check to see what exactly I should have prepared, but hey..at least I am done :).

I was excited about creating my own electronic literature piece; now I’m a stressed mess about it.  The end of my Masters has been so much more taxing then I even could have anticipated. My nerves are shot and I have several (4) larger projects to finish up. I have already taken my comprehensive exam and I have my defense on Friday.

I originally thought it would be fun to do a parody of on-line dating, where you could pick your own destiny (pull downs or easy to answer questions) but even that has become terribly difficult.  I cannot figure-out the html piece of this project.

I have a couple of ‘prewritten’ pieces I thought about utilizing, but no matter what I pick I’m having a very difficult time executing.  I’m not trying to learn code, and even the simplest navigation is difficult for me. I’ve read other peoples experiences and blogs and I have to say that I’m impressed with the over all great attitude and self esteem this class has as a whole.

I’ve been working on this for days and I’m no closer to having anything to share with the class, but I’m going to continue to try.  I need to focus better, just follow my instincts and stick to a single subject.  I’m going to try and storyboard this for easier execution. 

Visiting my family in Spain was important to me, I had not planned to take a Monday night class when I made the arrangements, and missing two classes is very much not like me.  I’m bummed that I missed workshopping this, it would have been helpful.  I’m going to read the notes and everything else I can get my hands on and do the best job I can with what I have and what I know.