Assignment Zero : Crowdsourced Novels Roll Call!

News Type: Event — Wed Mar 21, 2007 9:23 AM EDT

world-news, community, fiction, creativity, novel, collaboration, assignment-zero

Does it have to be this way? My experience tells me "YES!", but I could be wrong...

Now that the commotion around the introduction of the Newsvine/Assignment Zero cooperative journalism project has died down a bit, it is time for everyone to 'fess up to exactly what they are willing to give to the project. Mykola is point person for Crowdsourced Nonfiction, Adam Hobson has assumed the role of fearless leader on Crowdfunding, and I will be heading up the effort for Crowdsourced Novels. Who wants to help?

The idea behind the Crowdsourced Novels project is that while traditionally creative writing efforts have taken place in private, with one (probably drunk, inevitably dying) misunderstood genius slaving away behind closed doors day and night until the final product can be ripped to shreds in a fit of pique and painstakingly pieced together by their great-nephew so that the writer's genius can be realized many years after their demise, these days it doesn't have to work like that. With so many people able to find community online, and with the ease of collaboration, even across great distances, writing together can become a satisfying and productive effort.

That's the theory. The question which we must explore is whether it can be effectively done, or whether a meshing of truly creative minds is doomed from the start.

The AZ website gives our starting point as A Million Penguins, a crowdsourced novel. This project started in January and appears to have wrapped up recently. Other related efforts are Exit Strategy, written by Douglas Rushkoff, but left up online for a year so that anyone could add footnotes and annotations, These Wicked Games, a romance novella ebook in which multiple writers submitted chapters, The Open Source Novel, which is an online open work of fiction with over 200 authors, and the one-time project Smart Genes, which seems to have disappeared from the web. Are there other online collaborative efforts just waiting to be discovered? Seems like there must be...

Also springing to my mind are the Known Space series by Larry Niven, which he later opened up to other authors, and Robert Asprin's Thieves' World in which many authors played off each others' stories in order to create a comprehensive fictional world. Does anyone know of any other print precursors to the current online trend?

What we need right now are a bunch of people willing to spend some time investigating these various angles. Any research or interviews you do can be published to your own column, first and foremost, and you will also be given credit in the final article for any work you put into this. I, for one, am really curious to see the answer to the question of whether creative authors can work effectively together. Will you come help?

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{"commentId":602461,"authorDomain":"farmer"}

oldfogey

Celestina, I was checking about an hour ago but some family came in and I got distracted. I am in Houston now. Just north at the Woodlands. It now looks as we will only be staying for the weekend and then probably over to Atlanta and then home. How far are you from Mt. Airy as we will be going up I-77 if we go to Atlanta?

{"commentId":602461,"threadId":"86720","contentId":"625113","authorDomain":"farmer"}

#26 - Thu Mar 22, 2007 7:35 PM EDT

{"commentId":603370,"authorDomain":"celestina"}

Celestina

I am going to work on researching These Wicked Games and Smart Genes (though I am willing to share if anyone else wants to work on those, too).
We really need someone to take on Exit Strategy and Open Source Novel, at the very least. David, Orlando, Samantha, synthesis, yasmin, whatwasleft? What would you like to cover?

{"commentId":603370,"threadId":"86720","contentId":"625113","authorDomain":"celestina"}

#27 - Fri Mar 23, 2007 10:49 AM EDT

{"commentId":603927,"authorDomain":"yasmin"}

yasmin

I'll help with These Wicked Games if you don't mind sharing. ;-) I think I'm just starting to understand what this all means!

{"commentId":603927,"threadId":"86720","contentId":"625113","authorDomain":"yasmin"}

2 votes

#28 - Fri Mar 23, 2007 2:39 PM EDT

{"commentId":604992,"authorDomain":"celestina"}

Celestina

I don't mind sharing in the slightest. For starters, we can order the ebook online for $2.99. I'm a little scared of it...*grin*

{"commentId":604992,"threadId":"86720","contentId":"625113","authorDomain":"celestina"}

#28.1 - Sat Mar 24, 2007 9:22 AM EDT

{"commentId":605129,"authorDomain":"yasmin"}

yasmin

You and me both!

I'll look into it today. I've never gone the ebook route before. This doesn't necessarily mean engaging literature... ok I'll be nice. I'm intrigued.

{"commentId":605129,"threadId":"86720","contentId":"625113","authorDomain":"yasmin"}

2 votes

#28.2 - Sat Mar 24, 2007 11:59 AM EDT

{"commentId":604553,"authorDomain":"SimplyTRUE"}

Orlando Dozier

Celestina,

I'll work on researching Exit Strategy.

{"commentId":604553,"threadId":"86720","contentId":"625113","authorDomain":"SimplyTRUE"}

3 votes

#29 - Fri Mar 23, 2007 8:08 PM EDT

{"commentId":604795,"authorDomain":"PrimarySources"}

Synthesis

Orlando, assuming that I, too, will be looking at Exit Strategy, should we put heads together at some point?

Or do we pursue an idiosyncratic approach, and then take a stab at fusing stuff together later?

Or, alternatively, do we lash together a pile of notes, half-formed thoughts, cribbed musings, booze-soaked ponderings and outright gibberish, and fire it off to a third party (Celestina?) to our mutual amusement?

None of the above?

Celestina? Thoughts?

{"commentId":604795,"threadId":"86720","contentId":"625113","authorDomain":"PrimarySources"}

#29.1 - Fri Mar 23, 2007 11:27 PM EDT

{"commentId":604999,"authorDomain":"celestina"}

Celestina

Great! I am glad you two are on that. Any way you can work together will be great. But..um...if you can manage complete thoughts and some sort of more or less cohesive framework that would be helpful to me. *smile*

{"commentId":604999,"threadId":"86720","contentId":"625113","authorDomain":"celestina"}

#29.2 - Sat Mar 24, 2007 9:28 AM EDT

{"commentId":604671,"authorDomain":"PrimarySources"}

Synthesis

Unless you need me to get onto something else, I'm interested in Exit Strategy as well.

{"commentId":604671,"threadId":"86720","contentId":"625113","authorDomain":"PrimarySources"}

#30 - Fri Mar 23, 2007 9:53 PM EDT

{"commentId":604793,"authorDomain":"PrimarySources"}

Synthesis

Hoping the answer to me previous post is 'Yeah, okay Synthesis, go ahead, because since I posted that, I've spent a bit of time researching and now have a few pages of notes and the beginnings of a thought about an outline. Celestina, I'm still a bit unclear as to the nuts and bolts of how we proceed here. How far am I to go before I send something in for a group blessing?

{"commentId":604793,"threadId":"86720","contentId":"625113","authorDomain":"PrimarySources"}

#31 - Fri Mar 23, 2007 11:24 PM EDT

{"commentId":604893,"authorDomain":"SimplyTRUE"}

Orlando Dozier

Sorry about getting back with you so late, but it's been one of those weeks. Do you have a gmail account? If so, we can use gmail docs to collaborate on a join file and eliminate duplication. I can send you an invite if you need a gmail account. They bought writely.com a few months back and made it into docs. If you haven't used it before, it's a simply ms word clone, but has great collaboration features. You can upload a word document and share it out to me.

{"commentId":604893,"threadId":"86720","contentId":"625113","authorDomain":"SimplyTRUE"}

1 vote

#31.1 - Sat Mar 24, 2007 7:05 AM EDT

{"commentId":605000,"authorDomain":"celestina"}

Celestina

Oooh...I hadn't thought of anyone doing that. Clever.

{"commentId":605000,"threadId":"86720","contentId":"625113","authorDomain":"celestina"}

#31.2 - Sat Mar 24, 2007 9:29 AM EDT

{"commentId":605002,"authorDomain":"celestina"}

Celestina

Synthesis--

How 'bout you get an initial write-up of your research, and then you can post it up on your columns or on AZ and provide a link here, and we can all go and look over it, and then when you feel it is complete we can pass it over to one of our editors? Does that seem like a good plan?

{"commentId":605002,"threadId":"86720","contentId":"625113","authorDomain":"celestina"}

#31.3 - Sat Mar 24, 2007 9:32 AM EDT

{"commentId":605030,"authorDomain":"PrimarySources"}

Synthesis

Nope, I don't have a Gmail account, Orlando (bit of a luddite, sorry 'bout that), but if you send an invite, I can look into it.

In the meantime, I will follow Celestina's suggestion and post what I've got in my column, linking back from here. I'll do that immediately, with the caveat that all I've got so far is just a (very) bare bones chunk of some research and a few odd thoughts that it spawned.

Wait one, and I'll send a link.

{"commentId":605030,"threadId":"86720","contentId":"625113","authorDomain":"PrimarySources"}

#31.4 - Sat Mar 24, 2007 10:05 AM EDT

{"commentId":605090,"authorDomain":"PrimarySources"}

Synthesis

Okay, let's light this candle.

Preliminary notes only, rough, raw, uncensored, skeletal...intended as thought starters only, and in no way representing themselves as even completed research, are available at the link.

Did I mention that this is draft only? A first cut?

Be gentle with me.

{"commentId":605090,"threadId":"86720","contentId":"625113","authorDomain":"PrimarySources"}

#31.5 - Sat Mar 24, 2007 11:13 AM EDT

{"commentId":605366,"authorDomain":"SimplyTRUE"}

Orlando Dozier

Synthesis,

My preliminary notes are also very rough and can be found at the link below.

{"commentId":605366,"threadId":"86720","contentId":"625113","authorDomain":"SimplyTRUE"}

#31.6 - Sat Mar 24, 2007 5:09 PM EDT

{"commentId":605367,"authorDomain":"SimplyTRUE"}

Orlando Dozier

http://simplytrue.newsvine.com/_news/2007/03/24/630416-exit-strategy-raw-notes-rev-od001?mode=edit

{"commentId":605367,"threadId":"86720","contentId":"625113","authorDomain":"SimplyTRUE"}

#31.7 - Sat Mar 24, 2007 5:10 PM EDT

{"commentId":605370,"authorDomain":"SimplyTRUE"}

Orlando Dozier

Man, talk about dry-drunk posting... Sorry I seem to be keyboard challenged at the moment.

http://simplytrue.newsvine.com/_news/2007/03/24/630416-exit-strategy-raw-notes-rev-od001

{"commentId":605370,"threadId":"86720","contentId":"625113","authorDomain":"SimplyTRUE"}

#31.8 - Sat Mar 24, 2007 5:16 PM EDT

{"commentId":606595,"authorDomain":"PrimarySources"}

Synthesis

Great stuff, Orlando, and it's interesting that you pulled some material from different sources than I did. So far, we've not ended up with too much in the way of overlap, or conflicting conclusions. Cool.

So based on what we've got so far, we could take a stab at an outline that might look something like:

1. What is a crowdsourced novel/background of the concept. (Orlando's material)
2. Enter Rushkoff, self-proclaimed creator of the world's first 'open-source' novel (Orlando/Syn)
3. Description of Exit Strategy (Orlando)
4. What did it do? (Orlando/Syn)
5. What are its implications? (Syn)
6. Is it/he for real? (Syn)
7. How well did it accomplish its goals (Orland/Syn)
8. The future...? (both?)

What do you think?

{"commentId":606595,"threadId":"86720","contentId":"625113","authorDomain":"PrimarySources"}

1 vote

#32 - Sun Mar 25, 2007 9:22 PM EDT

{"commentId":607052,"authorDomain":"SimplyTRUE"}

Orlando Dozier

Sounds good to me. I was out most of the weekend and didn't check in. Have you started already?

{"commentId":607052,"threadId":"86720","contentId":"625113","authorDomain":"SimplyTRUE"}

#32.1 - Mon Mar 26, 2007 9:54 AM EDT

{"commentId":607989,"authorDomain":"PrimarySources"}

Synthesis

Nope. Sounds like what we've got is just what we've both posted. Do you want to take a stab at integrating the two? Or should I?

{"commentId":607989,"threadId":"86720","contentId":"625113","authorDomain":"PrimarySources"}

#32.2 - Mon Mar 26, 2007 5:17 PM EDT

{"commentId":610189,"authorDomain":"SimplyTRUE"}

Orlando Dozier

If you haven't already started, I will combine later this evening and let you know when I am complete.

PS: what's your favorite beer?

{"commentId":610189,"threadId":"86720","contentId":"625113","authorDomain":"SimplyTRUE"}

#32.3 - Tue Mar 27, 2007 6:55 PM EDT

{"commentId":611603,"authorDomain":"PrimarySources"}

Synthesis

Hey, Orlando...sorry for being out of touch. I unexpectedly got called out of town for work on a quick overnighter yesterday. I am around tonight and tomorrow night, but then I've got to go out of town again Friday. Maybe you should take the first stab at it if you don't mind....

Beerwise, I favour a sort-of obscure Canadian brand called Upper Canada Lager. If I'm in the States, I'll go for Sam Adams, Slickrock Lager (if I'm in the Utah area). Heck, I've even been known to enjoy a Rolling Rock, or even a Miller Hi-Life.

How about you?

{"commentId":611603,"threadId":"86720","contentId":"625113","authorDomain":"PrimarySources"}

#32.4 - Wed Mar 28, 2007 9:56 PM EDT

{"commentId":640992,"authorDomain":"PrimarySources"}

Synthesis

OK. I'm back after several days of withdrawal and having to take my poor aged computer (aka the Antikythera Mechanism) in for major surgery. The poor thing is not quite its old self even yet, but I'm at least able to get online. I'm buggered if I can get MS Office up and running again, though, since I can't find the box with my registration number on it....

Anyway, where are we at? Have I missed anything?

Sorry for the absence!

{"commentId":640992,"threadId":"86720","contentId":"625113","authorDomain":"PrimarySources"}

#32.5 - Fri Apr 13, 2007 8:44 PM EDT

{"commentId":606647,"authorDomain":"celestina"}

Celestina

I am not sure we need to be taking on still more topics at this point, but I stumbled on this tonight and was intrigued. Is anyone familiar with this?

{"commentId":606647,"threadId":"86720","contentId":"625113","authorDomain":"celestina"}

1 vote

#33 - Sun Mar 25, 2007 10:22 PM EDT

{"commentId":606689,"authorDomain":"danCharles"}

Dan Charles

I have read the novels and Ring of Fire. I also remember reading an interview with Flint where he discussed how Ring of Fire and Grantville Gazette story lines and characters turned up in 1634. Give me some time and I will track that source down.

{"commentId":606689,"threadId":"86720","contentId":"625113","authorDomain":"danCharles"}

1 vote

#33.1 - Sun Mar 25, 2007 11:08 PM EDT

{"commentId":606939,"authorDomain":"celestina"}

Celestina

Thanks, Dan. Only if you have time, though. I know you are already working on NCTM and the Hatrack workshop. This just piqued my interest and I was wondering about it.

{"commentId":606939,"threadId":"86720","contentId":"625113","authorDomain":"celestina"}

1 vote

#33.2 - Mon Mar 26, 2007 8:42 AM EDT

{"commentId":608470,"authorDomain":"celestina"}

Celestina

Hey, everyone, how's it coming? I know Orlando and Synthesis are coming along, but how 'bout the rest of you? Dan, evano, Shibbolith?

Don't forget, the deadline for research is this Friday. Let me know if you are getting bogged down or need some help.

{"commentId":608470,"threadId":"86720","contentId":"625113","authorDomain":"celestina"}

#34 - Mon Mar 26, 2007 10:12 PM EDT

{"commentId":608734,"authorDomain":"economist"}

BartlebyDeleted

{"commentId":610066,"authorDomain":"celestina"}

Celestina

Thanks, Bartleby. Right now, we just need to focus on getting our research done and in. Would you like to look into the Grantville Gazette series that I linked to above? Or do you have any particular other "crowdsourced fiction" threads you would like to track down?

{"commentId":610066,"threadId":"86720","contentId":"625113","authorDomain":"celestina"}

#34.2 - Tue Mar 27, 2007 6:00 PM EDT

{"commentId":610205,"authorDomain":"danCharles"}

Dan Charles

I have gathered background info on NCTM, and tracked down the main instigator. I just need to work up a quick list of questions for him, and shoot them off.

{"commentId":610205,"threadId":"86720","contentId":"625113","authorDomain":"danCharles"}

1 vote

#34.3 - Tue Mar 27, 2007 7:04 PM EDT

{"commentId":611653,"authorDomain":"yasmin"}

yasmin

Notes:
http://yasmin.newsvine.com/_news/2007/03/28/635319-notes-these-wicked-games

{"commentId":611653,"threadId":"86720","contentId":"625113","authorDomain":"yasmin"}

#35 - Wed Mar 28, 2007 11:08 PM EDT

{"commentId":611660,"authorDomain":"yasmin"}

yasmin

Again

{"commentId":611660,"threadId":"86720","contentId":"625113","authorDomain":"yasmin"}

#36 - Wed Mar 28, 2007 11:10 PM EDT

{"commentId":611934,"authorDomain":"farmer"}

oldfogey

Celestina, I woke up in Atlanta, Ga, this morning so I must be here. Vicki and I had an uneventful but nice trip across the deep south and will be heading up to Ohio sometime next week. We HAVE to do the yard sales in Atlanta this weekend. Again, let me know if I can help and where to go. LOL.

{"commentId":611934,"threadId":"86720","contentId":"625113","authorDomain":"farmer"}

#37 - Thu Mar 29, 2007 8:34 AM EDT

{"commentId":615262,"authorDomain":"celestina"}

Celestina

We have a week's extension on the research deadline. Just so y'all know...

{"commentId":615262,"threadId":"86720","contentId":"625113","authorDomain":"celestina"}

1 vote

#38 - Fri Mar 30, 2007 10:27 PM EDT

{"commentId":621045,"authorDomain":"danCharles"}

Dan Charles

Naked Came the Manatee notes are here.

{"commentId":621045,"threadId":"86720","contentId":"625113","authorDomain":"danCharles"}

1 vote

#39 - Tue Apr 3, 2007 2:38 PM EDT

{"commentId":635349,"authorDomain":"celestina"}

Celestina

OK, so it's the 10th, and we were supposed to have our research in by last Friday. Some of you have been fantastic about staying on top of things and getting your work posted. Thanks. Some of you (and myself) have not been quite so punctual. I have been emailing some with AZ and with Calvin (who has been talking with them about what has gone wrong with their process), and I have seen Mykola's articles talking about his frustration and eventual resignation from the project. It seems we are the only aspect of this project on Newsvine still going, and so we need to make some decisions.

What we have so far is initial thoughts and notes on three aspects: Naked Came the Manatee, These Wicked Games, and Exit Strategy. Over on AZ, there is some material on A Million Penguins and Smart Genes. If we want to continue with this project, we need to find out if we are getting any more data in and what we want to do with what we have. I had originally figured I would wind up trying to compile all the info into one article which I would then submit back to you for ideas and additions, etc., but Dan Charles suggested in an email to me that perhaps I could write an intro/summary article which would then steer readers into individual articles written on the specific aspects that each contributor has researched. That way, each of you can get full credit for the work you have done, and I like that idea much better.

So...what are your thoughts? Do we continue? Anyone have research they haven't gotten in yet? How do we proceed to the next stage?

{"commentId":635349,"threadId":"86720","contentId":"625113","authorDomain":"celestina"}

1 vote

#40 - Wed Apr 11, 2007 11:41 AM EDT

{"commentId":635363,"authorDomain":"celestina"}

Celestina

Oh, and Dan, yasmin, Orlando, and Synthesis...can I post links to your notes on your topics over at AZ? We definitely need to try to get all the research in one place.

{"commentId":635363,"threadId":"86720","contentId":"625113","authorDomain":"celestina"}

1 vote

#41 - Wed Apr 11, 2007 11:47 AM EDT

{"commentId":635420,"authorDomain":"danCharles"}

Dan Charles

Go for it.

{"commentId":635420,"threadId":"86720","contentId":"625113","authorDomain":"danCharles"}

#41.1 - Wed Apr 11, 2007 12:15 PM EDT

{"commentId":635696,"authorDomain":"yasmin"}

yasmin

Definitely!

{"commentId":635696,"threadId":"86720","contentId":"625113","authorDomain":"yasmin"}

#41.2 - Wed Apr 11, 2007 1:57 PM EDT

{"commentId":641002,"authorDomain":"PrimarySources"}

Synthesis

Works for me. Although, I thought that Orlando was going to take a crack at integrating it all into one piece first, but whatever works.

And as I posted above, sorry about my enforced absence over the last few days....

{"commentId":641002,"threadId":"86720","contentId":"625113","authorDomain":"PrimarySources"}

#41.3 - Fri Apr 13, 2007 8:47 PM EDT

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