Networked, Collectively Constructed Books

I’ve read a bit about networked books, specifically non-fiction books, often books about technology, applications, new media, that kind of thing. The idea of a networked book is that the author or publisher releases the book initially on the internet. Early readers (other experts in the designated field, those using the book to learn applications, other self-appointed interested parties) read the book on-line and in various ways can contribute to the end product; sometimes readers can change the book outright a la wikipedia, or maybe they can only email the publisher or author with suggestions and or corrections. Or, maybe they create forums surrounding the living document, and a real discussion and community grows. It sounds especially useful for tech related non-fiction. A final hardcopy of the book might eventually be released by the publisher, the revisions ultimately being a product of the Internet community. The idea is that for these subjects, this material, is that a collective revision and editing process can only make the text better, more useful.

But can the same idea work for fiction? Do you want to readers to vote on what will happen next, or suggest plot devices? It reminds me of those Choose Your Own Mystery children’s books. Allen Strider is trying to write a novel using the online community at his fingertips:

The world already exists in very exact ways but certain important decisions of major characters will be up to you. At the end of every chapter, I will take the best 2 or 3 suggestions and create a poll. The decision will be made by the popular vote.

September 26, 2006 0

Hitting it Big with FanFiction

Some diligent writers of fanfiction have landed book deals. They’ve been self-publishing on the Web and have been discovered by the big boys:

She writes about a group of young wizards attending the Hogwarts School. She has legions of readers throughout the world. Her name is Hannah Jones, and she’s 19 years old. […]

There’s a librarian in Rathdrum, Idaho, who spent 10 years posting her writings about a character from Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” online; Simon & Schuster paid her a $150,000 advance to publish the works as a three-novel trilogy. In Brooklyn, N.Y., a free-lance copy editor has become one of the Web’s best-known “Lord of the Rings” and “Harry Potter” fan-fiction writers, and has landed a three-book publishing deal for a young-adult fantasy series. When a comic-book store manager in New Jersey decided to take his first stab at fan fiction this year, entering a contest sponsored by Showtime’s “The L Word,” he got the attention of a literary agent, who signed him last month. And Ms. Jones will soon have her first book published.

This is from “Rewriting the Rules of Fiction,” an article in The Wall Street Journal this past weekend. I’d written off fanfiction, having characterized it in my head as often simply being slash scenarios, Captain Kirk and Spock getting it on or whatever, but maybe it’s time to reassess the playing field.

September 19, 2006 0

Cool Sentiments vs. Self-aggrandizing Twitticisms.

I’ve been thinking about different kinds of texts lately, different modes of discourse–new ones, old standards. I read an article in The Wall Street Journal about networked books (which hopefully I’ll blog about soon, when time allows) and one about novels sent in text message installments (twice a day) over cell phones. And today I was reminded of an old, but persistent text, a way many people communicate with their fellow man every day: the bumper sticker. I saw one today that made me smile:

I’d rather be reading Flannery O’Conner.

That’s a nice sentiment. And it sure would beat Atlanta traffic. BUT, then I saw one on the back of a black Lexus LX something or other SUV. It was the only sticker, centered right on the back of the car:

Don’t let the car fool you. My treasure is in heaven.

I found a picture of the same sticker on flickr, in case you just can’t believe me. Okey-dokey. So, you’re bragging about your slick (obnoxiously huge) ride, and the fact that you’re so super special you’re guaranteed a place in heaven? Peachy! It doesn’t make that much sense in the first place. If the person who chose this sticker is to be given any credit at all, I can only hope that they do maintain some ironic distance from the reality of the situation. But, deep down, after much consideration, I can still only assume that the driver of this car is a self-aggrandizing twit. I hope your heaven is big enough for your ego.

September 16, 2006 1

The Fest

My husband took my son, Keegan, to the Decatur Book Festival early Saturday. They missed the Cat in the Hat parade, but they did catch a reading by Chris Raschka of Charlie Parker Played Be Bop, which is a book meant to give children a sense of Jazz. My son (20 months old) now struts around the house saying Be Bop! Be. Bop! BeBop. Raschka won the Caldecott Medal in 2006 for The Hello, Goodbye Window (written by Norton Juster). Raschka’s book Yo! Yes? was a 1994 Caldecott Medal Honor Book. I’m a big fan of Yo! Yes? It’s a story about friendship in only 34 words.

All three of us went back to the festival that evening. We stopped by the Five Points booth and wandered around the book market. Unfortunately, we were there between music performances. We hung out at Little Shop of Stories, which is a welcoming kids’ bookstore and a Jake’s Ice Cream store in one. We had to pry Keegan away from a large Elmo doll. He’s never seen Sesame Street, but he has played Elmo rhyming and alphabet games on the computer. And that was enough. He knew who Elmo was, wanted Elmo terribly. So the Elmo phenomenon begins. I thought we’d avoid it somehow because we don’t have cable. We also shared some $5 vegeterian corn dogs. $5! I didn’t plan ahead to attend any panels or readings, and we were sort of just relaxing this weekend, so I didn’t take full advantage of what Decatur had to offer…But, I do plan on planning ahead and being more involved in the 2007 AWP conference, which is to be here in the great Hotlanta.

ETA: I also picked up a copy of Verb: two and a half hours of original ficiton, poetry, and music on 2 cds.

September 3, 2006 1