Comments on: Crowdsourcing novels: LiveBook’s Facebook and Bebo projects let you rate new sentences Digg-style

By: Mag dej Stries

Mag dej Stries — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 21:37:26 +0000

Here’s another version of the FB novel. Search the name “Thomas Stolperer” in Facebook, read the novel as far back as you want (it’s backwards, of course), and link to his FB friends, who are also characters in the novel (most of them – a few are viewers)

By: David Rothman

David Rothman — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 01:57:50 +0000

Thanks, Garson. Most everyone can stand editing, and I'm no exception. The challenge is to sort out the good from the bad suggestions, and beyond that, I'm not sure if crowdsourcing fiction is always the best way to go, except for recreational purposes. As for "filling in the dotted lines," I have a little company. "Filling in the dotted lines" actually suggests something even more structured than "connecting the dots." Perhaps it'll do. Meanwhile I enjoyed your suggestions---which actually help me make my point that crowdsourcing can strip away a work's individuality; well, assuming it had some to begin with. I love wikis for imparting facts; I just don't see them or variants as right for even halfway-serious fiction. Thanks. David

By: Garson O'Toole

Garson O'Toole — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 23:39:16 +0000

David Rothman said “Participating in a crowdsourced novels, although fun for some, is like filling in the dotted lines, as opposed to creating art or first-rate entertainment from scratch.” If this article were submitted to crowdsourcing then the crowd might identify the phrase “filling in the dotted lines” as an awkward hybrid. The common phrases are “connect the dots”, “sign on the dotted line”, and “paint by number”. So some person in the crowd might rewrite the section to say “Participating in a crowdsourced novel is like filling in the regions of a canvas while guided by a “paint by number” toy set. Would the magnificent Michelangelo employ such a juvenile method to crowdsource his masterwork, the Sistine chapel?” Another prankster in the crowd would then link to the Wikipedia entry for “paint by number” that states “Michelangelo has been credited by some with the original idea by assigning colors to various areas of the Sistine Chapel for assistants to fill in over some 500 years ago.”

By: Mike Cane

Mike Cane — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 01:59:15 +0000

The “books” that emerge will be just like this video:

http://mikecane2008.wordpress.com/2008/03/29/just-good-business-online-video-veoh-video-network/

By: Joseph Gray

Joseph Gray — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 23:18:23 +0000

David, I have to agree with you on this one. I’m sure that this type of literary hodgepodge is fun and may even produce something that it readable. However, real creativity cannot by produced by committee.

I imagine that even when two professional authors collaborate on a work, it is difficult reconciling their different styles. Assigning each author to specific sections of the book would be much easier than a total melding of text. This is frequently done with popular books on technology (computer books in particular).