Collaborative Writing Links
The internet combines different styles of communication creating the perfect system for collaborative projects. This page looks mainly at those projects that combine email and the web. The web offers a way of publishing work to an international audience while email makes the actual process of collaboration possible even when the writer's reside in different countries.
I have tried to show examples of as many different works as possible. Some of the pages are more successful than others, but they are all worth a look even if you decide their approach is not successful. Ultimately these internet projects are still very experimental and the writing is often quite raw but the variety of ideas and styles of writing that can be brought together by just a click of a mouse button makes this an exciting area to explore.
Linear hyperfiction works take advantage of the ease of collaboration offered by the web and email but still follow traditional narrative structures. The works have a beginning a middle and, eventually, an end. Many of these works are still unfinished.
- Internovel
Internovel was one of the first to offer opportunities for collaborative writing. They offer a $500 reward for every chapter published. They now have several ongoing novels.
- Barbarella - Bumper Sticker Poems
Following the tradition of bumper stickers these collaborative poems tend to revolve around different variations of the same phrase. Irrelevant but fun in small doses.
- Tales from the Vault
Here you will find ten chambers for different genres of writing each chamber contains numerous ongoing stories where the writer's often write anything from one paragraph to a more substantial couple of screens.
Non linear works branch off in all directions without any one path through the work. These works take full advantage of their hypertext and collaborative styles. These works are true hyperfiction
- Lenov
A novel produced in both russian and english makes this work a little stilted at times but the ideas in the story make it worth reading.
- No Dead Trees
One of the first successful collaborative novels. The No Dead Trees Interactive Novel has now been running for over two years and is still going strong. The story tends to be mainly gothic fantasy.
- The Company Therapist
Surrounding the work of a physiatrist, working for a large corporate organization, this novel can be explored through the working notes interviews and diaries of the characters and their therapist.
- Dragon Cry
This story is a traditional fantasy in style but the structure is shaped by the different branches of the collaborative authors. Each branch ends with several different directions that can be followed by either reader or writer. The decisions are mainly of the do you want to fight or run type but they also include other points for the writer to consider that take the writing to a much deeper level.
- Barbarella- Go Ambient
As the title suggests this work is more about atmosphere than story line but it's still worth a look for its compact simplicity and ease of collaboration.
- Dark Lethe
A cyberpunk/science fiction novel still in its early development. Writer's choose the depth of their involvement either through web forms or a majordormo mailing list.
- My Name is Scibe
One of the early collaborative works begun when the main writer was recovering from an accident. Well worth a look.
Back to Collaborating on the Net
This page was last updated by L J Winson on 08 December 1997 11:40:49
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