What I’m Reading
Mar
16
Choose Your Own Blogventure
Filed Under Uncategorized
So all weekend I was thinking about my post on the Choose Your Own Adventure books and the thing that kept popping back into my head was, wouldn’t it be awesome if a bunch of bloggers signed on and we all wrote our very own CYOA book and published it online? I feel like it would give all of us creative, talented people a chance to do a small bit of writing that we wouldn’t normally do. The beauty of it is that none of the story segments have to match. They can be funny! Or serious! Or historically accurate! Or twisted and bizarre and completely off the wall! The beauty of it is that the choice is yours.
Basically, I’ll start the story and then assign people segments to write. Once I have all the participants I’ll set up the hierarchy and send you an email with the order. After your section is written you’ll pass on only your portion of the story to the next two people in the chain who will continue from there. After all the story options are written out we’ll post them on a previously determined day. Sound complicated? It’s not, I assure you. Here is a makeshift diagram to help you visualize it:
RA was kind enough to help me with the logistics of putting this together using her supreme powers of common sense and organization, and she even made an awesome diagram that was 100 times nicer than the crude scribbling you see here. At the last minute I changed the order of things a little bit and rather than ask her to create another chart you are all stuck with my ugly version.
Anyway, I have concluded that I will need 14 bloggers to put together this first try. Three of those spots have already been filled by RA (she gets first dibs for helping my plan come to fruition), Aaron, and Chris, which leaves me with 11 more spots to go. I have absolutely no idea how many people will be into this idea so I’m going to say that sign ups will be first come, first serve this time around.
A few guidelines:
- Word maximum of 500, minimum of 300. You want it to be snappy, but also a complete storyline in itself.
- On the day that it is posted you must include links to the previous and next two options in the story. Otherwise, you’ll break the chain of the story and it will leave your readers hanging. And that is not cool.
- As RA says, “I assume that something plot-driven is best, like choosing to save the princess or fight the dragon, but I guess a choice between orange soda and lemonade might be intriguing, too. Diabetes, and whatnot.”
- You’ll have three days in which to complete your story segment before you have to pass it on to the next person. Otherwise it would be weeks before it got to be published, and I am an impatient woman.
And we’ll see how it goes. Personally, I’m thinking it will be hilarious, and I’m hoping there are a whole bunch of people who want to try on the mantle of creativity. For me it will be a break from constantly writing about my own life, hilarious as THAT is. If you’re not interested, that’s okay too. (Even though you know you want to.) But do please let me know what you think of the idea, it’s not every day I get to try out something new.
Who knows? Maybe it will be a grand success and the next one can include tons of people. If I’m not totally burnt out from thinking about this one, of course.
Comments
38 Responses to “Choose Your Own Blogventure”
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Sounds like fun. I’d love to do it.
If there’s a bandwagon in the making, I’m known to jump on it, so I’ll give this little experiment a try. We’ll get some advance warning prior to our three day window happening, right? (Like, it won’t need to be written during this, my very busy birthday week?)
(My birthday actually has little to do with my busy-ness. I just like to milk the birthday for all it’s worth.)
ooh, i’d love to join in! please?
LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT! Can I join???
I would so love to join… but the realities of me a) writing something worthwhile reading b) finishing writing something worthwhile reading are so low that I daren’t try. Sorry! It’s a grand scheme this one of yours. Very cool!
I’d like in on that.
I’m in. You’re a genius.
I loved loved loved CYOA books as a kid. I am so in!
I want to do it!!!!
That’s awesome! Can I be in, please?
did I make it? this sounds like such a GREAT idea.
Sounds really cool! I am so behind in blogland. I don’t think I can do it since I can barely update my own blog lately, but I can’t wait to read it!
I would love to join!
Great, because I decided to do work this morning instead of reading blogs first thing, it looks like I’m too late to make it to the first 11. But at least my customers will know about the latest news from my company, and that’s probably all the writing I can handle, anyway. Count me in for next time, if it happens!
If you want some inspiration, read Pretty Little Mistakes a “do over” novel. (CYOA for adults) It was a lot of fun. Maybe I’ll see if my copy is still hanging around.
That’s such a great idea!
Ooh! Ooh! I want to play!
Hello!!!
I would REALLY REALLY like to be a part of this!
Chloe
hey, no fair – I’m three hours behind! (that, and I slept in). Ah well… maybe i’ll make it next time.
All we need is 10 more people and we could build another level!
this is hilarious. after reading your post last week about CYOA books i started a draft of my own! but i’d love to participate in this one! pretty please?
You know what I think would be cool? Instead of a story, a CYOA through the Internet via blogs.
I totally want to participate in one of these…fortunately you totally have enough interest in the first one because I’m afraid my plot right now would have something to do with the girl who was sick of grad school.
And that’s not an adventure at all.
I like Ween’s idea, too. Blog hopping via hypothetical life choices.
I can’t wait to get started! NPW, you’re a genius! And, as I said to you, if this is a success, I am totally ripping off the idea. Sincerest form of flattery and all that.
This sounds like so much fun! Count me in!
Also, I just found this. Only librarians can appreciate it, and I’m not even sure we can:
http://cs.ala.org/ra/vr_adventure/
I think it made me want to die a little.
But I did utilize the evaluation section. What?
I want to be in on this. I’ve wanted to write one of these books since forever.
You go NPW……I always said you were a genius!!!!!
If you’re still taking folks, I’d love to get in on the action. Otherwise, I’m fine waiting until the next go-round.
Is it too late to sign up? I’ve been itching to write fiction again (itching/fiction ha! I crack myself up) and this would be a fun way to do it. this is so clever!
Ooh, am I too late? This is hilarious.
I am comment number 31, so I am guessing the writers have been chosen. But I can’t wait to read it!! Hilarious!
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Awww looks like I’m late to the party. If a spot opens up let me know…
Also, I came across this graph of a CYOA book a few weeks ago:
http://www.seanmichaelragan.com/html/%5B2008-03-07%5D_Choose_Your_Own_Adventure_book_as_directed_graph.shtml
Cheers!
I’m unfashionably late, as per usual. But if you need any more writers, I can help.
Otherwise, I’m SO excited to read them!
I’m for sure in next time. Looks awesome!
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