There are two common types of Internet online writing: hypertext and interactive. Hypertext writing uses the Internet’s jump abilities to create non-sequential works. Readers are offered a selection of links to choose from in each section of text and they may wander from part to part as it pleases them. Although this can technically be called interactive writing, that term is usually saved for online games or puzzles. Interactive writing usually leads to a specific goal, such as solving a puzzle, while hypertext writing may have no overt structure at all. The most important difference between these two forms and paper writing is that in online writing the author has limited control over how readers choose to "interact" with the work.
Let’s look at a very basic example of hypertext fiction. Imagine a short story about two couples who are on a tropical vacation together. On the first or index page, you might see six photographs, one for each of the characters, one of the beach and one of the hotel. Click on one of the people photos and you’ll jump to a chapter written from the point-of-view of that character. Click on the beach or hotel and you’ll get a third-person chapter that describes each of those places in detail. The tale may have all the traditional parts that a short story should have but there is no beginning and no end. Because you can read the chapters in any order you choose, the author must write the piece in such as way that sequence does not matter.
For an example of interactive fiction, suppose you’re reading an online mystery novel starring private eye Sam Spud. First there is an introductory chapter which sets the scene and presents the first reader choices. Sam is drinking whiskey in his cheap one-room office when he gets a phone call from his pal, Otto Bismirk, who works on the homicide squad. Otto tells Sam that one of his stoolies, professional bookie Roy Snime, has been murdered, and the gun that did it is registered in Sam's name.
At this point you are presented with choices in the form of hyperlinks (jumps to other pages):
Each choice leads to a different chapter that provides Sam (and the reader) with certain information. At the end of each chapter there are more jumps to choose from. Eventually, the reader will guide Sam to the final chapter that reveals who-dunit and the story will be finished.
Online writing often uses graphics as visual links. For example, when you go to Roy Snime’s apartment, you might see an actual photograph of a sleazy apartment. When you pass your mouse cursor over certain items, you see that they are "hotspots" or active links. Click on a notebook and the first page appears onscreen. If you want to see what’s in the box under the bed, click on it and the link will show you a picture of the box’s contents.
The use of multimedia aids is also common in online writing, although more so in interactive games and puzzles than in hypertext. For example, each "scene" in the mystery can have different musical score or the author can use a short video of the people that Sam Spud interviews instead of offering word descriptions. At the most basic level online writing is merely text that lets you read sections out-of-sequence. At the upper end of the art an online work can be a full movie requiring scripts, actors, music and sound effects.
I’ve used fiction for the examples, but online writing works just as well for non-fiction. Imagine a series of food photographs where you can click on each dish and see the recipe or see a video of someone actually making it. How about a bird book that plays a video of the creature flying when you click on its name? The are endless ways to use these techniques and many different types of work that can benefit from them.
Here are a few samples. You can find many more by entering either "hypertext writing" or "interactive writing" in your favorite search engine.
Mostly game related but a few non-game works too.
http://users.rcn.com/eileen.interport//design/if-links.html
Hypertext novels where readers may add new chapters of their own.
http://users.rcn.com/eileen.interport//design/if-links.html
Teaching and learning with interactive fiction, a Web site for kids and educators
http://people.ne.mediaone.net/bdesilets/
A collection of critical discussions about hypertext fiction
http://www.duke.edu/~mshumate/theory.html#hypercrit
A hypertext fiction literary magazine
http://www.hypertxt.com/sh/hyper98/
Links to hypertext journals and Webzines
http://www.eastgate.com/hypertext/WebHypertext.html
An interlinked multimedia work of fiction
http://www.idaspoetics.com.au/rice/riceindex.html