I went to a literature convention last weekend, and one presentation was about a kind of game/collaborative fiction. How it works is, someone writes a letter, taking on the persona of a fictional person. Then someone else will write another letter, continuing the story which was begun in the first letter. Letters can be written to and from any character already mentioned, or you can introduce new characters, just so long as you build on the story in some way.
I've written a letter from "Angela" to "Patricia," here. If you want to play, PM me your email address and I'll make this file editable for you. (Don't post your email publicly in this thread. Remember this is a public forum and you don't want your info stolen.) Then you can go in and write a second letter, or a third, etc, continuing the story.
The rules are:
- You may not write more than one letter in a row. Allow at least one other player to submit a letter before you write a new one. If someone is in the process of writing a letter (you'll be able to see them editing in Google), allow them to finish before you begin your letter. (Who knows? Maybe they'll reveal some crucial information to forward the plot!)
- You cannot flatly contradict what has already been written. This is not to say that you can't seem to contradict it. So-and-so is dead? No, he's really alive! Or perhaps two characters seem to contradict each other because one of them was wrong, or lying. But if a previous writer has ascertained that the action takes place on board a space ship, you can't decide that it's really a story about the Alamo, for instance.
- The story should always remain family friendly. Some light cursing is probably allowable, but this is not going to become, say, an erotica novel.
- The genre of the story (barring erotica) is entirely open. Love story? Sci fi? Historical novel? Dragons and wizards? I have no idea, yet, and neither do you!
- As you read each letter, you may correct typos if you like, but do not alter previous letters in any material way! (Also bear in mind they may not be typos. Perhaps the character who wrote the letter is a poor speller.
) - DO NOT criticize another writer's writing skills, storytelling skills, creativity, or in any other way put down any person participating in this game. That's a good way to make it no fun for anyone to play, and then we'll never find out how the story ends!
- Most recent letters are at the top of the page; oldest letters at the bottom.
- After the close of each letter, include your name (or pseudonym) in brackets, just because I think it'll be fun for people to know who wrote which parts of the story.
- When you have submitted your letter, please post here to let everyone know that there's a new installment.
EDIT:
Armstrong Family Tree
Angela Family Tree
We have a few more hints now about some of the people and the setting, and a new character has been introduced!
) : Can two letters in a row be from the same writer (not actual LV author, but the 'writer' of the letters in the story)? For example, letter 3 is from Rebecca-- if someone wanted to, could letter 4 be from Rebecca to a same/different recipient?