Novel by blog, or Web 2.0 storytelling

Another story told by blog: The Coffin.  It starts here, February 13th.  Comments have already appeared.

Novels have been appearing in blogs for more than two years (for example; another example; my own project; the oldest example?).  In a related vein, there's also the practice of podcasting novels (for example).

Web 2.0 storytelling: I threw this term out earlier, and find myself returning to it.  So here are some hasty, far too quickly-noted thoughts on Web 2.0 storytelling, not in any order:

• Web 2.0 story content might privilege mysteries, since there needs to be a hook to drive readers from piece to ditributed piece.  Note, for instance, the predominance of mysteries in alternate reality games.
• Web 2.0 stories are likely to focus on time as a major structural element.  I can see smaller Web 2.0 stories which don't do this, but the timeliness and fluidity of Web 2.0 seems likely to drive content that changes over time, morphs, appears on a schedule, and so on.  Readers/users should want to check back on a Web site, or a story RSS feed.  Related: are Web 2.0 stories always in beta?
• Web 2.0 narratives should be social.  It's an obvious point, given the social software element within the Web 2.0 idea, but worth returning to.  Fan fiction, reader communities, participatory narratives, reader contributions, modding, mixing should be hallmarks.
• Rich media appears, but in the context of microcontent, social software, continuous release, open services, and so on.  A single podcast won't do it, without the social participation.  New digital video can't just be experienced as one movie watched on DVD, but should be involved with other pieces.
• Await the backlash.  First will come the Rosens and egostorytelling; next will be the scary Web.

I will get back to this.  The topic feels rich.

(thanks, Steve - have a good trip)

Comments

[Andy Havens]

Two very different media; "Novel by Blog" and "Web 2.0 Storytelling." I've been playing with both, and they leverage the strengths of the Web in very different ways.

I hosted a semi-private blog more than a year ago to post chapters of a novel I was working on and solicit comments and editorial help from a group of more than a dozen friends. It stalled (my fault entirely, not theirs), and I'm thinking of trying again, in a more public fashion, because -- again, because of my mental state -- having more readers might make me feel more guilty about not getting the thing done. Also, more readers = more ideas, and that can't be bad.

"Novel by Blog" is a great way to get comments and edits without getting "marks" in the original text, and to start conversations between readers/editors, and to compare editorial viewpoints and critiques. Frankly -- I loved it. As a writer, it was like "Extreme Writing Buddy." Which some writing mavens think is a bad idea, but I enjoyed. If I do go forward posting the bits again, I'll probably do it at www.lit.org under my username there, andyhavens, if anyone had any interest. The name of that novel is "The Sideways."

"Web 2.0 Storytelling," on the other hand, seems more like utilizing the interactive options of the Web for more collaborative writing projects. I've engaged, for example, in roleplaying by email for years, and recently thought that using a blog or wiki or other CMS would be a great improvement, from a logistics standpoint, on that tech. I'm working with some buddies right now on putting together a site to host text-based, collaborative roleplaying stories; multiple authors, multiple games, multiple worlds, etc. We'll see how that goes.

Indeed a rich topic.

[HP]

Dionaea House dates from 2004, and combines archived emails, blog entries, copied-and-pasted text messages, chat logs, and I forget what all else. I don't know if it was ever finished.