Though some may argue the point, microblogging is no longer simply a harbor for inane, random messages from one person to another. One group of users utilizing these platforms for a different purpose are writers and authors, using the short message inputs to create short stories and novels.
Writers have already put down the pen and paper in favor of their keyboard and a word processor, but microblogging makes things even easier. PSFK points out that the medium has obvious advantages for the writer just trying to find time to get thoughts down. When everyone is bombarded my media and other aspects of life 24/7, it can be difficult to find the time to write a full-length story. Where microblogging comes in is that authors can jot out pieces of their storyline right as they are thinking about it, from wherever they are.
What Platforms are Authors Using?
- Twitter - Copyblogger held a Twitter writing contest where users submitted an entire story in 140 characters. Ron Gould, Anthony Juliano and Thelonius Monk each submitted winning entries (click the name for their entry).
- Plurk - R. Alexander Spoerer is writing an entire novel, 140 characters at a time. R. Alexander is using three different Plurk accounts created to represent the story’s main characters, CallingHome, Allen and Sandeep. Users can add each account to their friends list to watch the story unfold, or visit the Tumblr page for Calling Home where all of the messages are being captured chronologically.
Both Twitter and Plurk limit entries to 140 characters, but Kwippy and Pownce have no limits (within reason) on the amount of characters, which could become an even better platform for the author wanting to go a bit longer than 1.5 sentences.
What Happens Next?
Several successful bloggers have garnered book deals as a result of their efforts, like Robert Scoble’s Naked Conversations and Darren Rowse’s Problogger Book. Could these microblogged novels turn into writing deals as well? There’s no way to know right now, but it’s certainly a possibility. Just because a story was posted in 140 character bits over 6 months time doesn’t mean it wouldn’t make a good hard copy.
If you know of someone writing a story or novel via microblogging, please include a link in the comments. We’d love to put together a reading list for those that are interested in the subject.
Rob is one of the founders of Microblink. His interests include how people are using microblogs and the community growing around them.
Mike writes and edits for Microblink day-in and day-out. He is known as the marketing guy and handles most of the microblogging accounts.
Mark contributes to Microblink's development-oriented posts. He researches the intimidating, dirty, scary things - and writes about them.
I’ve been considering this for a while now but the thing about stories is that most require heavy editing and reorganization. Twitter and other microblogers to not facilitate this essential process whereas Word and alike do. I’m not disputing the power of these services in terms of recording on-the-go ideas though.
OM–Granted, traditional forms of writing require editing, but I think what we’re looking at here is something more immediate than the edited and polished text. What if this form is more like live storytelling or improv theater. For that matter mousewords’s approach was to write the piece first and then distribute it via Twitter. This would have afforded her time to edit first. Creating in Twitter is another story. TR
Building off of ehusserl, I think the beauty of microblogging as a storytelling medium is the fact that you don’t have time to edit it all. You construct your 140 character post as best as you can and then release it to the world.
While it may not read perfectly or exactly like a published book, I think that’s ok because it is not a book. It’s a story being shared with readers in small, short bursts.
I think there is some real potential for certain types of authors to succeed with this medium and I would be interested to see how things shape up.
I still believe that without the ability to backtrack the quality of the story told will be rudimentary at best.