The idea of a book, TV show, or movie having deeper world-building experiences such as extending the story or universe across different mediums has interested me for a few years now. As part of my MFA, I created a website based on the world of my manuscript. The site (haptai.com) is for the services offered by mega-corporation (then called ParticCorp, now called Omnia) that dominates the world in future Boston. A subsite (archive.haptai.com) contains elements of ‘found footage’ from recovered entries and posts (video, audio, and text) from the universe prior to the floods that consume Boston (and the East Coast of the US) and about twenty years prior to the start of the novel.

I wasn’t completely aware when I created the site for my project that I was creating transmedia. The idea of expanding the story universe outside the novel is a big draw for me. Giving readers an immersive way to experience story is a fascinating subject. I love shows like Mr Robot and Westworld so am inspired to create something akin to those immersive experiences.

I ordered Haptai business cards that could be left places as part of a marketing campaign. I’m in the process of devising how else to expand the world of my story through different mediums concentrating on character, setting, and plot.