Tech Tip: Twine

For my storybook this semester, I chose to created an interactive fiction story. To do this I used a piece of software called Twine. Twine is a really cool program that helps you create interactive stories without a huge programming background. I wanted to go ahead and do a quick tech tip over the software and how to get started with it. If you've never read an interactive story before, you might check out this developer. They are one of the prominent IF companies out there right now.

You don't need a huge programming background to get started with Twine, but there are a couple of things you should know. First, Twine exports to a custom html page that the story passage runs on. You'll need to be able to upload and link to custom pages to use it. Second, Twine uses a scripting language called Harlowe. If you've used a scripting language before, it's pretty easy to get into Harlowe. If you haven't, it'll take a little extra work. Here's a link to a manual on the Harlow language for reference. If you've got those two things down, you've got everything you need to be successful with Twine.

The first step in getting started with Twine is downloading it here. For my project, I used Twine 2, the latest version available at the time. There are download links at the top right of the page. Click the appropriate link for your operating system and open the downloaded file.

Twine Download Link

The executable will run through a quick installation. Afterwards open up Twine, and you'll get a page similar to the one below (minus the stories). You can click the green button on the right to start a new story. Twine will run through a quick tutorial for your first story showing you how to get started writing.

Twine Starting Page

Once you've finished up the story, you can export it to html, by clicking the menu button in the bottom left and selecting publish to file. You'll then be given a dialog box to save the html page.

Publish Story

That's all there is to it. Of course, this is a very light intro to Twine, and I didn't go into detail on everything. There is a more detailed guide to getting started with Twine here. That should help fill in most of the gaps as you go. Really, the best thing you can do is jump in and go for it.

Reading Review

There were a lot of reading options I never got the chance to look into, but I enjoyed all the readings that I did try. I think the approach I took over the semester made the experience much better. Starting with the more traditional versions of the larger narratives was a good way to get a broad perspective of the mythology. Then, reading the graphic novels and watching the videos after was a great juxtaposition in style. I enjoyed the style and creativity of the graphic novels, but I think I learned the most from Narayan's novels. Those were really a great first step into the stories.

After reading for a while, I started doing my diaries from the perspective of how I might use elements of the stories in my writing. Looking at it from this perspective made writing the diaries much easier, and what I ended up writing was more useful for my stories. It also affected how I read the stories, and I started noticing narrative tropes, writing paces, plot holes, etc.

I think the balance of the writing, reading, and comments was very strong. They are divided evenly by default, and I like that there are more opportunities for reading if you want. I think that's a great approach to it. If I had any advice on the reading, I think it would be to look ahead and plan. Before you finish one reading, you should know what you want to read next. It makes the process flow more quickly.

Reflections

This has been a pretty hectic and tough semester for me in all of my classes, but I can honestly say that I've thoroughly enjoyed my experience in Indian Epics. Coming into this class, I hadn't stretched my creative writing muscles since high school, and I was really rusty. After this semester though, I think that I'm not only warmed up again but a much more creative writer than I've ever been. For my first story, I was barely able to come up with enough to say, and it took me a very long time to get through it. Now, I can knock out a thousand word story in under an hour. That's not to mention how much more I know about Hindu mythology now after reading through the Ramayana and Mahabharata. I think the best thing I've gotten from this class though is a new perspective on writing in general, and I think that will make me a better writer in any setting.

Week 14 Reading, continued: Bhagawat

Reading: Bhagawat: The Krishna Avatar, Amar Chitra Katha


So, this section focused mostly on the stories of how Krishna got his wives. He actually kidnapped his first wife from her wedding. Apparently, do that is called Rakshasa Vivaha. Although, she had asked him to do it, I don't know that it really fits with the kind of character Krishna is said to be. However, there are definitely some ancient Hindu marriage customs that I just really don't understand that well.

Anyways, after he kidnapped her, her brother, Rukmi, came after Krishna to get her back. The fight that ensued, from a bystander's viewpoint, was hilarious. As soon as Rukmi caught up, Krishna shot and kill his chariot driver and both his horses. Then, every time Rukmi pulled out a weapon to retaliate, Krishna broke it with an arrow from his bow. It was like the black knight from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. I was just waiting for Rukmi to tell Krishna that he'd bite off his kneecaps. Finally, after Rukmi was beat, Krishna shaved half of his head, including his mustache, as a punishment.

It's just a flesh wound!
taken from Monty Python and the Holy Grail - Source

Tech Tip: Automotivator

I pulled the quote from a set of inspirational running quotes on the Medical Daily site, and the image is pull from justcuteanimals.com. I thought this quote was really appropriate at this time of the semester.

Image Source
Quote Source

Week 14 Storytelling: Eye for an Eye

"Where am I?" thought the man. He had tried to open his eyes, but he still couldn't see anything. The man tried to move, but he found himself restrained. His hands and feet had been bound by what appeared to be some form of rope. He was able to sit up from what felt like a stone floor. How long had he been here? How did he get here? He couldn't remember. The man looked around him, but still, he saw nothing. He was in complete and utter darkness.

The man shuffled around in place trying desperately to find some source of light, but it was to no avail. "I must be in some sort of cave," he inferred. "But how did I get here? The last thing I remember was... nothing. I don't remember anything! Who am I?!"

"Kamsa...  Kamsa..."

"What? Kamsa?" said the man quizzically. Then, it all came rushing back to him. "Kamsa, that's my name. I had been holding a large festival at Mathura, the capital of my kingdom. However, it had just been a ruse to get at Krishna. Krishna! This must be his doing. When I get a hold of - "

"Kamsa..."

"Wait, where is that coming from? Who's there? How did I get here?!" yelled Kamsa, shrinking back. Just then, there was a flash of light and a small woosh as a match was lit. Kamsa was immediately blinded as this new source of light cut through the darkness. As his eyes adjusted, Kamsa was struck with terror at what he saw. There were three man-like creatures with pitch-black skin in front of him. Their mouths were filled to the brim with razor sharp fangs, their heads were adorned with large, twisting horns, and they had long claws extending from their fingertips, but most terrifying of all, they each had dark, black holes where their eyes should be.

Yamadutas
Naraka Wiki

The nearest creature spoke up in a hissing voice, "Who we are is of little consequence, but as for how you got here... Oh, I think you know the answer to that question." A horrifying smile spread across his lips.

Then, Kamsa remembered. During the festival, Krishna had attacked him, and they had been engaged in combat. However, Kamsa had been losing, badly. Krishna knocked him on his back, and Kamsa was too beaten to stand back up. Krishna lifted up his hand into a mighty fist, dropped it onto Kamsa's head, and everything went black.

Recognizing the realization on Kamsa's face, one of the demons bellowed, "Hahaha! Welcome to Naraka!" The creatures chuckled in unison moving in around Kamsa. Each of them pulled out a large club, and before Kamsa could say anything, they began to beat him with a wretched rhythm. The beating lasted for several minutes before, unable to handle the pain any longer, Kamsa passed out.

When Kamsa awoke, he looked around. He was unable to move much due to the grievous injuries covering his body, but he seemed be on a conveyor system. At the end of the conveyor was a large metal roller. Next to the roller stood a tall dark figure. Kamsa recognized him from his childhood stories. It was Yama, the god of death.

"Please! I beg of you," Kamsa pleaded. "Have mercy on me! Please let me go, and I will never do wrong again!"

In reply, Yama smiled and flipped a switch turning on the conveyor system.


Author's Note:

This story is based on one of the stories from the Bhagawat about Krishna. In the stories, Kamsa, the main character in this story, is a cruel tyrant, and he is told that one day his nephew will kill him. So, he killed all the children of his sibling, up until Krishna was born, and Krishna was smuggled to a small village to keep him safe. Several years later, Krishna came back and killed Kamsa.

For my story, I wanted to look at what would happen to Kamsa in the afterlife. As Krishna grew up, Kamsa tried to kill him several times, and Kamsa did many evil things besides, so he definitely deserved some punishment after death. The descriptions I gave are based on Naraka, the Hindu hell. In Hinduism, there are different hells for different sins, and I thought Kamsa's actions fit with Tamisra and Shukaramukha which I described in my story.

Bibliography:

Naraka, Wikipedia, link
Bhagawat: The Krishna Avatar, 2000, Amar Chitra Katha

Week 14 Reading, continued: Bhagawat

Reading: Bhagawat: The Krishna Avatar, Amar Chitra Katha

 This section of the story deals with Krishna's life as a prince after beating Kamsa. After beating Kamsa, Krishna made up for lost time in his training as a warrior. He and Balarama managed to complete their training in 64 days, and to thank their teacher, they brought his son back from the dead. Also, stereotypical training montage (Although I guess if he did it first, it wasn't stereotypical then.):

Krishna and Balarama Training
taken from Bhagawat

Krishna was attacked several times by a relative of Kamsa. Every time, he brought a army numbering in the tens of thousands, and every time, his army was slaughtered. I swear, I keep thinking this book couldn't describe anything more amazing, and it keeps stepping it up.

This chapter is named after the fortress Dwaraka that Krishna makes during this time. However, this section doesn't seem to have a set goal like the previous chapters. The biggest thing it seems to be doing is setting up for Krishna's interactions with the Pandavas. Other than that, it seems to just kind of ramble on with different stories.