Newsgroups: rec.arts.int-fiction
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From: whitten@netcom.com (David Whitten)
Subject: Mood establishment and Plot Development
Message-ID: <whittenCx3vI8.58B@netcom.com>
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 261-4700 guest)
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Date: Mon, 3 Oct 1994 16:37:05 GMT
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If I were to write a short story, I might start it like the following:


"How could she? She KNOWS I have carried that bear with me everywhere
I went since I was in first grade!" Janice fumed.
Dotty patted Janice on the shoulder. 
"I know exactly how you feel." she said. "I had to rescue Puff at least
twelve times before my mom quit trying to get rid of her"
Janice hugged her lime green dragon tightly around the neck.
"maybe... " she whispered "We can rescue Kelly too..."


Now this story  fragment definitely sets a mood. But it also definitely
is made up of 'atmosphere' pieces that could be presented to the
reader/player based on a timed fuse.

Now, when the IFstory/game is just starting up, it is permissible to
give a block of text to the reader to 'set up' the story. Enhanced has
a good example of this.  There are also examples of 'finish up' text
such as when the reader/player has died.

But is there a common form used to insert blocks of 'mood or plot
development' into the middle of the IFstory/game ? The only examples out 
there that I can think of is the little snips on arcade games when you
have completed a level.  Maybe a corresponding point would be when
you have completed a task/solved a puzzle.

Any thoughts?

David Whitten (whitten@netcom.com) (214) 437-5255

