An experiment in collaborative storytelling
(for any creative person with a few minutes and the price of a stamp)
THE IDEA
i write a brief beginning to a story, a "seed". i send the seed to anyone interested in advancing the story (i'll detail that later). every time the story is advanced and returned to me, i'll write a bit more, make copies and send it out again and again in this way, until the stories conclude, then i will print them into mini zines with credit to all contributing authors and send copies to everyone and also share them in the mail art world and here on my blog.
THE FORMAT
1/8th sized pages. each panel represents a page in the zine.
8.5 x 11 page divided into 8 panels
ADVANCING THE STORY
you'll receive a page or two with a story that's partially written. the empty numbered panels represent the next blank pages that should be filled. fill as many as you like. if you need another page, grab a blank letter sized page and fold or mark it like the above diagram and number the corners.
WRITING
to advance the story by writing words (prose or poetry) simply hand write, type write, scan it into your computer and type on it using a graphics program or print something out and paste into the panel. it needs to physically fit in the panel because if i reduce a large sheet of words down it might become illegible. i can't stress enough that format, spelling and grammar do not matter to me. this is art, not english class. do whatever you feel.
ARTWORK
to advance the story with any kind of art, draw a comic, paint a picture, make a collage etc. etc. SEND A BLACK AND WHITE COPY (DON'T SEND ORIGINALS, YOU MIGHT NOT GET IT BACK) ON A HALF SHEET OF PAPER TURNED SIDEWAYS:
to contribute an ILLUSTRATION for part of the story you or someone else wrote, make art as described above but include a relevant caption beneath like "dave found the cursed monkey paw" or "that's when i knew the pie was poisoned"
EXPERIMENTATION
to advance the story with a video clip, animation or a song (or anything else i haven't thought of) just produce it and post it on youtube, vimeo, soundcloud etc. write a link to the clip in the next panel and send it back to me.RETURNING
with your advancement of the story, please send a slip of paper with the name you'd like to be credited under in the zine and online. a website you'd like mentioned on the blog and your return address if you'd like copies. if you want to remain anonymous that's fine but send a note saying so, so i don''t knock myself out trying to contact you.IMPORTANT THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND
1. format, spelling and grammar don't matter2. if you advance the story in a language other than english, please include an english translation and email me a digital version of the untranslated text noting in what language it's written
3. you can't mess it up.
4. no one's judging your work, it's not a submission, there's no process, there's no judgmental community. it's just me reaching out to the world.
5. i have brain damage, i make mistakes, if i forgot you or credited you wrong just email me, i'll fix it
6. don't write on the back, get a new sheet
7. the story is over at 16 pages
contact me for any reason, especially to participate:
mr.anthead@gmail.com
