Reflection (out-of-character)

This topic allowed for a lot of fun, and very different, experiments in writing. First, it was a “living” subject: throughout the journaling process, I had to focus on recording events primarily, and then could move on to my own reactions. Creating interview questions and speaking to players of the Humans versus Zombies game was a lot of fun (even if the interview audio was not ready to be posted by the due date of the multi-genre project); the map was constructed from much of the material I gained from interviews, and through the culture that sprang up during the game. (People very seriously discussed events like “the Mark Twain Massacre” and a hero called “The Fox”—it was an interesting world to explore.)

This blog will be a great resource in my continuing study of the HvZ game, and its folkloristic implications (a discussion too long and specific for this project). Besides organizing and learning more about the material I will be analyzing, I also gained a lot of practice with online publishing and coding. Before creating a zombie map, I had not heard of CommunityWalk; I had also not begun to explore the possibilities Blogger offered. I did learn more about the genres and modes of writing in this project, while getting a deeper understanding of my topic (zombies in general, as well as HvZ). Creating a frame that echoed the pieces inside of the project was the most fun; playing along with this world in different formats was much more fun than dispassionate reporting.

I’m already preparing for the game next fall...