Creativity in this project exists in both the structure designed by the creator and the path experienced by the reader. On one hand, the design of the pattern (the arrangement of choices, tones, and transitions) acts as the invisible architecture of the story.

It sets the rhythm, tension, and possibility for every emotional shift. But the true creative spark also happens when the reader begins to navigate it. Each decision changes the sequence and meaning of the fragments, creating a new emotional map in their mind. The story doesn’t live fully on the page; it lives in the space between the creator’s design and the reader’s interpretation. Every path becomes a small act of co-creation, where structure meets imagination.

Where does creativity occur — in the design of the pattern, or in the reader’s navigation?

The rule transformed the way I thought about narrative flow. By requiring each page to speak from a different voice — the living, the dead, or memory — the story stopped being linear and became more like an echo or a circle. Instead of building a single plot, I had to think about tone, perspective, and transition.
The constraint pushed me to create fragments that could stand alone yet transform depending on the order the reader experiences them. This shifted the storytelling process from one of control to one of invitation: I wasn’t just telling a story, I was building a world that others could wander through and assemble differently in their own minds.

How did the rule or constraint change your storytelling process?

Reflection