by J. Nathan Matias

Conclusion

What will/should web creative nonfiction look like? I don't know

This paper's basic, surface research raises nests of ideas and questions I am only beginning to understand. However, I can guess some things about the future.

• The genre will be artifactual. As more information is digitized, authors will find it increasingly easy to put together creative works out of primary sources.
• The genre will be inductive. Unlike most current nonfiction efforts, the sources are not going to merely be tools to convince the public that the writer/filmmaker is right. Since narratives will be constructed out of sources already online, questions taken out of context in highly rhetorical documentary will equally coexist with more careful or neutral works, but people will be able to check the documentation to decide for themselves.
• Developments in Copyright, URIs, and Transclusion will determine the possibility and popularity of this potential genre.
• The genre will be truly pluralistic by nature. The same sources might have different or opposing stories relate to them.
• The genre will include creative artwork that enhances the story without casting doubt on the accuracy of storytelling. Fray.com already does this.
• The genre will give readers much more agency than exists in any existing creative nonfiction genre.

The diversity of potential is amazing. Rather than try to delineate all of the possible permutations, I will make a proposal for the creation of one specific sort of creative web nonfiction. One out of many possibilities. It rests on ideas from three websites: fray.com, dohistory.org, and salt.edu.

Fray is a community storytelling site that publishes first-person creative nonfiction. Each piece of nonfiction is paired with custom artwork and forms a catalyst for the personal stories from members of the Fray community. Fray demonstrates the usefulness of creative arts in nonfiction. Fray also gives readers high levels of agency by letting them tell their own stories.

Do History accomplishes many of the ideas propounded in this series of documents. While the site doesn't include any creative or narrative nonfiction, the use of sources is exemplary. One section attempts to teach visitors how to use primary sources by asking visitors to research, holding their hand along the way. Finally, DoHistory embraces pluralism in the section called "One Rape. Two Stories." In this section of the site, visitors are asked to peruse original documents while reading one of two possible stories explaining the rape. Visitors see how a common set of resources can result in two opposing stories. Visitors are then asked to decide the truth for themselves.

Salt.edu is an outstanding place to study creative documentary writing. But they only offer one scholarship. They must judge on the quality of applicants' documentary writing, but some topics are easier than others. What do they do? They standardize the topic.

Applicants for Salt's nonfiction writing competition must use only sources from a set digitized by Salt. I love the idea.

What do we get when we combine Salt, Midwifery, and Fray? I think someone should create a site like Fray, except one which produces research-based nonfiction hypertext/art. Every month or so, the creators of the site could point to a topic, and archive, or a set of sources online. This would encourage more-dedicated members to write stories based on the digital archival information provided. Other members, like those of Fray's community, could post their own, diverging narratives, share personal stories, or just hang out.

Would people spend the time to write for it? They write for Fray. They write for Brevity, another creative nonfiction journal. While neither site pays for articles, writers work hard to get published on these sites. The prestige of being chosen by these publications is enough reward.

But would researched nonfiction work? Most storytelling sites are about personal stories. Why would anyone write researched nonfiction online? How could you build a community around it? A well-researched piece of creative hypertext nonfiction can be the catalyst for other stories, artifact-based or not. Band of Brothers has encouraged many long-silent World War II veterans to tell their stories. Why? The book and film have told the story so well, so accurately that their memories and motivations are stirred. No doubt, an online version of Last Night's Fun could spark much debate and a flurry of more storytelling, songs, jokes, and poetry.

This idea may be half-baked. But it just might work. Either way, I'm looking forward to the time when hypertext, nonfiction, and the creative arts come together to make beautiful things.

This is just one idea. Many methods could be used to tie together creative nonfiction and hypertext. If you think of something, let me know.