Storytelling, Twitter Style - The Results

I've completed my first experiment in "Twitter Storytelling," @NoWedgiesForMe, consisting of forty-one tweets between December 12th and 20th in the voice of Alexander, the protagonist in my book, "My Life at the Bottom of the Food Chain."

In concept, I find the idea fascinating: telling a story in "real time," through the intimate perspective of a fictional character and the 140-character brevity of a tweet. Minimal description, combined with what is essentially a stream-of-consciousness illusion could create an engaging story.

In practice, I enjoyed the creation of forty one tweets, which told a uniquely "Alexander" story, in which his wildly active imagination led him to the conclusion that he would be the victim of a horrible prank on the last day before school was out for the holidays. His panic builds until the last hours of the last day, when he's not the recipient of a horrible prank, but a mysterious wrapped gift from his supposed enemies, and a request "not to open before Christmas." With that cliffhanger, I concluded the test.

This wasn't a wide test - @NoWedgiesForMe has only seven followers - but putting the concept into practice left with with several questions to consider:

1. How might this concept best be applied? Is this Twitter account an opportunity to tell an entirely new, ongoing story - or should it reflect the existing (and future) book more directly? 
2. What is the ultimate objective? Is this simply added-value content?
3. Should Alexander's story exist across several platforms that cross-promote - Twitter, and a blog, for example? Instagram and other platforms might also be part of Alexander's world - but naturally require a much larger investment in time and resources to create a photo record of Alexander's fictional life.
4. How can I make sure that people actually see these tweets? While the real time concept is intriguing - a Twitter feed is constantly moving. The "authenticity" of Alexander tweeting in real time probably translates into the fact that most followers would never see his tweets. Most Twitter users don't search back in their timeline too far.  Will anyone really see what Alexander tweets at 7:30 or 10 am? 

Gary Vaynerchuk, one of the most well-respected experts on the use social media (Crush It, among other titles), recently posted a opinion in favor of tweeting the same message multiple times - to make certain that users in different time zones might see the same message (i.e. a 9am tweet on the east coast is likely to be missed by someone on the west coast, so that same tweet might be repeated at 9 am Pacific time).  This would make sense in the case of @NoWedgiesForMe, but a second phase of this experiment would need to explore a new methodology in order to maintain Alexander's voice.  After all, he wouldn't have typically retweeted most of the 41 existing tweets.

I'm considering the lessons of the small, first attempt, and in the new year I'll adjust the concept and try again - stay tuned!

Have you seen a similar concept in practice?  Let me know!

Previous blogs on this topic:
Getting Real: My Protagonist Tweets!
Alexander's Tweets @NoWedgiesForMe (Update)

Alexander's Tweets @NoWedgiesForMe (Update)

Almost a week ago, I began an experiment in, for the lack of a better term, Twitter Storytelling. I've created a Twitter account [@NoWedgiesForMe] for Alexander, the central protagonist in my novel, "My Life at the Bottom of the Food Chain." I know that there are numerous experiments going on that are along these lines, and I liked the idea of creating a supplementary "reality" for the universe by the book and it's upcoming follow-up. 


The big question - will people actually see these tweets? I don't usually search back on your earlier tweets - I'll read what you tweet now. Do I need to make Alexander a habitual repeat tweeter, so that people will actually see these?  Or, do I simply use the Twitter account as a basis to create updates elsewhere (here, or on the Facebook page, for example).  If a reader is more interested, then they can follow on Twitter directly.  What do you think?

The Story So Far:

As winter vacation looms, Alexander gets nervous that bullies might plan something on the last school day before the holidays...

Outside the (Storytelling) Box

Are you stuck in one dimension?

On a recent visit to a Barnes and Noble bookstore (to actually buy something, rather than target titles to download!) I came across a display for a new young adult novel that signals a developing option in storytelling.

"Chopsticks," by Jessica Anthony, is a mystery about the disappearance of Glory, a teen piano prodigy, and her relationship with Frank, an artistic boy next door.  According to the official description, "nothing is what it seems, and Glory's reality is not reality at all."  Through words, pictures and photographs, the reader has to determine the line between what is real, what is imagined - and and what is madness.

The display at Barnes and Noble drew my attention, however, because it suggests far more than a straightforward literary experience: "A Book.  An App.  A Website. A Love Story. Read It. View It. Experience It."  Storytelling, in this case, expands beyond the page and engages the reader through other platforms.

A cursory view of the description for the $6.99 iPad/iPhone app suggests that it offers additional features to help readers solve the mystery at hand, and delve deeper into the lives of the central characters.   For example, readers can explore hidden clues in Glory's scrapbook, drill down into the CD mix she shares with Frank, or watch their IM conversations "live." In some cases, there's even video.

I haven't read the book, or bought the app - but the concept of storytelling across platforms is intriguing - for the right premise.   Differentiating true storytelling with a promotional gimmick, however, will be the challenge.

Both traditional and online content creators involved in creative storytelling seem to remain focused on building linear, platform-specific product, providing only supplementary and fan-related content across other platforms.  Few, it seems, are looking for ways to enhance or expand the story experience across these platforms.

What do you think?  I'd also like to hear about vloggers or other online content creators who are experimenting with multi-platform storytelling.  Let me know - I'd love to share your experience.

Story. Telling.

I wanted to share with you a recent vlog by OhCurt, one of the vloggers I met during a meet-up in Santa Monica several months ago.  Though Curt's not a video professional, he has a great sense of story.  His recent vlog, "Green," is about his decision to leave Los Angeles in search of greener pastures in Northern California.

Look at the video, and you'll notice classic storytelling.  There's a beginning, a middle and an end in the vlog, even though it's just under three and a half minutes.  First, Curt makes a decision: he needs to leave Los Angeles.  Then, he heads out on the road and ponders the process of making the huge decision to leave his hometown.  Finally, he comes to a conclusion and expresses some peace of mind about the path he's now pursuing.

It's a simple, direct story - a lesson that can be applied in whatever type of video you're creating online, even if it's just a couple of minutes long.