Do you hear or see a story? Most people would consider this an odd question, but it is a valid one in the history of fiction. To explain why this question is the basis of this site, the idea of a story needs defining.
Is a story told or is it written? Must a story follow the same rules all the time or can a story change its form? These questions match the first one asked, do you hear a story told to you or do you see a story printed on paper or a computer screen?
For the purposes of this site, a story is a work of fiction
communicated to another person. Storytelling
is the oral communication of a story. Myths, epics, the anecdote you tell
your best friend are all examples of storytelling. A linear printed story
is self-explanatory, it is a story told in a linear narrative and is
communicated through print. The
novel is an example of this. Hyperfiction
is a story told through hypertext links and found on a computer screen. The
function of telling a story has not changed through out history,
even though the forms and methods have. And one form or method will not replace
all others.
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