I found writing in Storyspace technically very easy, but conceptually, rather overwhelming. Knowing that each bit of writing had the possibility of connecting to another often prevented me from simply writing whatever came into my head; I couldn't separate it from the context of the other material. Organizing the different bits of writing was also a challenge, as they often spanned numerous categorical distinctions. Ultimately, though, I hoped for the project to articulate my own lack of understanding as to how, exactly, I came to develop an eating disorder, and think that Storyspace facilitated this better than any other writing form could have. After having gone through intense treatment and therapy, my own feelings of guilt, inadequacy, and a lack of control have come to the surface; I also understand that a lot of my early experiences were related to food (eating well in front of other parents, trying out new foods and impressing other adults, for example). Still, I will never fully comprehend when and how these feelings culminated in such a real and physical way. The lack of direct Storyspace lexias between the themes was supposed to represent this; though I am clear that all of these experiences should exist in the same "space" I am not clear how, exactly, they exist in relation to each other.
found the use of a blog quite different than Storyspace, but equally as satisfying. I liked the confessional nature of a blog, where the audience clearly has the potential to be much larger and more public than a Storyspace audience. I also enjoyed the linearity that blogging provided; sometimes, as aforementioned, the amount of choice available to a reader in Storyspace can be conceptually overwhelming for an author. Linking to outside internet sites was infinitely easier in the blog than it was in Storyspace, but linking between entries was not possible; I found this to be a give-and-take of equal proportions, especially in a more public space such as a blog--the secrets I exposed within my project were a little less accessible in the blog (or, at least connections between various causes/effects were), which I appreciated.
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Last modified 1 April 2008