Fifty-Word Fiction Frenzy: A Community Collaboration
Write the next paragraph in this story to receive all liquid payout from the post.
Recently I have been thinking about potential methods of bringing the community together and strengthening the bonds between us. I believe that through a shared sentiment of unity, we can guarantee the success of the platform and all of its dedicated users.
I took inspiration for this project from this innovative idea for a community written novel. Whilst this is an amazing idea, and one that I shall be participating in myself, I felt that it invites only those who have a keen interest in writing fiction.
I have initiated this project with the hope that it will attract all users-- even those that have little or no experience in writing, but want to be a part of something that is created by the community as a whole.
Here's How It Works
I am going to kick start the story with an opening paragraph that is around fifty words or less. Each of you can then propose a second paragraph in the comments section-- again around fifty words or less.
The community will decide the next part of the story by upvoting their favourite paragraphs. The next piece will be decided by vote count, not vote weight, so please be sure to vote for whichever you would like to be the next part of our story.
Whichever paragraph is chosen by the community will be added to the story in the next post, and the author will receive 100% of the liquid payout from this one.
Once the next part has been selected and the author has been paid for their participation, I will create a follow up post where I will write the following paragraph, and then the process will repeat as before.
NOTE: I will refrain from upvoting on submissions so that I will be able to use my vote to break a tie if two paragraphs have the same amount of votes when payout has ended.
Anticipated Questions
What Perspective Is The Story Going To Be Written From?
I feel that a first-person perspective would be the easiest point view for anyone to get involved in. Though there is a danger of the story lacking consistency if we utilise this method of writing, I think the upside of having the emotional input of so many different community members sounds very appealing. The story will also be in the past tense.
To any that may not know, first person is when the narrator is telling their own story.
Example; I couldn't believe my luck when I saw what had arrived in the mail.
Who Can Participate?
Absolutely anyone who is a part of the Steemit community can participate. It matters not whether you have written before. Just submit a short paragraph and your words could end up being in the completed story. If you have difficulty with spelling or grammar, perhaps because English is not your first language-- don't let that stop you. I will make any necessary amendments to the text or grammar before publishing it in the next post.
What Genre Are We Writing?
My opening paragraph will give the story a plot, but it is up to you where it progresses from there. It could end up a comedy, a romance, a drama or something else. I don't feel I have the right to decide as this is our story.
How Long Will The Story Be?
It would be good if we could finish somewhere between 5000-7500 words. However, the length will be dictated by the community. I do not feel it wise to aim for any particular length, as then the ending may seem rushed as we try to wrap it up on target. Let's just continue the story naturally and we will know when it is coming close to its end.
What Happens When It Is Complete?
Once the story is complete the plan is to distribute it as widely as possible. We will make it available for free on an as many sites as possible and promote it as a story written by the Steemit community-- so let's make sure it's a good one! I will also make an audio-book version for YouTube and I'm sure the community will put forth even more ideas on how to get it out there for the world to read.
What's The Title Of The Story?!
As we have no clue what this story is about yet, and we do not want the title influencing the community and hindering the creativity of those who will participate, I think we ought to wait until the story is complete and then vote on a title.
If you have any questions I didn't cover here, feel free to ask away in the comments section.
Paragraph One
Who would have thought that earning three million dollars could cost me so much. I had gone from rags to riches in scarcely a year, but I'd have given it all back in a heartbeat if it meant regaining all I had lost. Let me tell you how it began.
It was a total fluke that this ended up being exactly fifty words. Please don't feel that you have to aim for fifty as well. If you go over or under, that's completely fine. It's the content that counts.
Place your submissions(maximum of three per-person) in the comment section below if you want a chance to win STEEM, SBD and a place in the community's story. If you do not want to submit a paragraph, please upvote your favourite one below.
As this story is going to be associated with our community, we want it to end up as great as possible. Please resteem this post to raise awareness of the project and to encourage as many submissions as possible. That way, we have plenty to choose from and the story will be a lot better.
His name was Arty, he had slid into the train seat beside me, smiling, gold tooth glinting. 'Hey Danny, you wanna get rich?'.
What the hell? How'd this guy know my name? I froze as Arty's smile turned into a cold leer. Something metallic shoved into my side. 'Because you see Danny... I aint askin.'
Very interesting. Sounds rather Dickensian.
Thanks for taking part!
Cheers man, I like the sound of this thing!
I think it could be really great as long as we can get enough people involved. It should also be a great way to bring the community together and to gain followers/find people to follow through reading the submissions.
Such as how your paragraph just earned you a new follower- me.
I definitely think it is a good idea. Things like this that have an easy entry point are good at attracting people which as you say can then be seen, noticed and followed! You too have a new follower!
This made me chuckle!
Hege, I had fun with it! Cheers!
What I quickly discovered was that money doesn't change you as much as it changes those people around you. The moment my dream came true everyone wanted me to fund theirs and when I wouldn’t or couldn’t, they despised me for it. I now sit in a prison cell comprised of the number three with six zeroes behind it.
Oh you have flipped the script entirely here. Great entry and thanks for participating.
My pleasure! It was fun and good for the creativity muscle! I appreciate the invite to participate.
Excellent and mind-bendingly inventive, @ericvancewalton! :)
Thank you, man! Much appreciated!
Time. Time is where it began. Or when it began... I guess. You see time is limited for each and everyone of us. I used to watch the clocks; every day, every hour, every minute, every second. I work in a train station... I mean I... I used to. It wasn't the best job in the world, but it paid the bills, and it gave me plenty of time to think. I enjoyed a simple life with a few good friends, and my little shit of a cat who I loved. I'd spend most of the working day staring at those clocks. It was as if I was waiting for something. All the different time zones ticking away, promising something. If only I had known that what I would gain would be lost along with everything else.
Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock... and then one day on a quiet platform a strange passenger appeared as if from nowhere.
"Where did she come from?" I didn't have time to think.
I had to get back to watching the clocks. I felt as though what I was waiting for was imminent.
Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock..." and then my simple life was over.
BOOM!
Shiiii-iet! Well over 50 words. I can't do this. 50 words is too short.
I love the idea though and will be following.
Yes, well over. Lol. I don't think that matters though. As long as it is one paragraph it should be good.
It may be better to end it at;
Then it won't be overly lengthy.
Good entry though, and thanks for participating. You might want to give this a resteem to give as many people as possible the opportunity to vote for your submission.
Agreed! I enjoy this one, but I would definitely end it where you suggested and pick up there with the next entry. Writing isn't my forte, but I enjoyed reading this entry a lot.
Or to vote for whatever submission they prefer 😉
Well yes. That is what I meant. Lol.
I just worry there won't be enough votes to make it interesting as this is the first installment and no one really knows about it yet.
It will grow.
Resteemed for more exposure.
Judging by the low involvement this is getting, I suggest a couple tweaks to the system:
When posting this, set a date that all submissions need to be in by (2-3 days?).
Then, when that day and time arrives, you reply to each person's submission, asking them to come, read all entries, and vote for at least one person other than themselves (they can vote for themselves too, if they think it's best, but also one other person at minimum). You can vote for as many people as you like. Have a day or two for the voting.
Also, I imagine the Fiction-Trail Newsletter, gets read by a fair number of authors on Steemit. So, ask @Baerdric to include a link to this in some of those issues.
I think this will take ten years to complete if we are waiting five days in between each post. I aim to do one every day if possible.
I think the reason there is limited voting is because the comments section is all over the place. In the next round I am going to leave a comment which states "Respond here with submission" so that they will all be in one thread and very easy to look through and select a favourite.
I will certainly get in contact with fiction-trail as you said though. It will be good to get more visibility, and should increase the amount of entries, and therefor the quality of the final piece.
Well you are right, if it's 1 week between paragraphs it would take a little under 2 years to make it to 5000 words (at about 50 words per). You are free to do this however you want to. However, I do think that if you want ongoing engagement and a quality creation, there needs to be a system to alert everyone that all entries have been received and now go back and read all the entries and vote. Even if that's 1 day to post the paragraph and 1 day to vote. Then it's 2 days per paragraph. It would be done in half a year or so, and have higher quality and higher engagement.
Authors will feel more inspired to write if they know their piece will be read. I think it's crucial that everyone who posts a paragraph also takes the time to read all entries, and then votes, but that's not going to happen consistently unless you nudge each author. Otherwise, so many people's entries aren't going to be seen by the earlier authors. It will certainly make the tale more haphazard, I think, and probably decrease some author's involvement.
Of course, if the post were getting a lot more votes by people other than the authors, then no need for the system. But if it's authors who are writing and voting (which it appears to be for the most part now), then we need to rely on them to participate in coming back and voting on all entries.
I understand what you are saying. I anticipate that the project will gain more and more attention as it progresses. So I'm hoping that by the time we reach the ninth or tenth paragraph, there are enough people paying attention that there isn't a necessity for such a system.
Should we arrive at the point and still have a problem with minimal votes, I will make use of this suggestion. Thanks for sharing it.
Sounds like a plan! :)
Sounds good but I need to sit on it. Is it a 24 hours time frame?
When the initial payout cycle ends, I will see which submission has the most upvotes.
The earlier you make an entry though, the higher chance of it getting voted in, as more people will see it.
If you can't take part in this one, there will be plenty more to come in future as the story progresses, so I wouldn't worry too much.
No sweat then...for some :)
Drenched in coffee and flat on my back.
That's what I got for trying to answer a frantic text from my sister on my way out of Steem's Net Cafe. Head down, I didn't see Mouse, a Cafe fixture, barrelling towards me until it was too late.
I was sitting at the bus stop trying to get the courage up to talk to the reed-thin dreadlocked chick selling bracelets. The gunshot startled me. A split second later, I screamed as I heard the high whine of the bullet slice the air next to my cheek. A blur of bruising movement, and I was cowering behind the trashcan with the wide-eyed bracelet babe. Bond would have said something witty. All that came out of my mouth was, “Shit!”
This is superb writing. I really hope you participate in the following stages of this project,
Thanks! fun initiative you have started!
I was born in Alabama to poor farmers. When I was barely two my parents were caught outside in a tornado. When it was over, I was found wandering down the dirt road that led to our home. I was adopted by the town's mayor. He was a Mason and the world I was led into was very dark.
Can we do more than one? I had a few ideas but not sure if its against the 'rules' thanks for making a game for us, I need something to lighten me up.
I hadn't thought about that. I suppose multiple entries are fine. But, let's not exceed three entries per person or there will be too much for people to read and vote on.
Fear! It is fear that has paralyzed my ability to think in the moment. He did me a disservice. A series of mishaps and problems have dogged me for the last few years. It seemed to me that there is no possibility to get out of this hell, but then there was this encounter with Artie. The meeting, which was able to change my entire life. But if it wasn't random?....
Thanks for the entry, but you're posting on round one which is already over.
We are on round three now.
https://steemit.com/steemit/@son-of-satire/fifty-word-fiction-frenzy-a-community-collaboration-round-three
Just seeing this. I'm 17 hours late so I'll just wait this out till the next one 😊
I'll vote for my pick tho. Looks fun already.
I will post the next part later tonight, so keep an eye out.