The World's First Wiki Novel

British publisher Penguin just launched a very interesting project called "a million penguins."  It's the worlds first wiki novel.  The idea is simple, anybody can edit and contribute to a novel.  The result is a book written by the crowds. It's a novel experiment and I applaud the project and hope it is successful.  You can visit the site and read the chapters that are being edited as we speak.  In Penguin's own words:

"A Million Penguins is an experiment in creative writing and community. Anyone can join in. Anyone can write. Anyone can edit. Anyone can be special. Even YOU. Yes you. Let’s see if the crowds are not only wise, but creative. Or will too many cooks spoil the broth?"

The project is supposed to go on for a few months. I read the current version and am curiuos to see the last version.  There is one little thing that needs to be monitored though.  The project reminds me of the high school game where you go around in a circle and each person writes one sentence of a story.  I remember one time, we were on a blue voyage near Bodrum sleeping under the stars and we decided that we go around writing a horror story.  It went around among my friends like this:

Baris: "It was the third straight day in our dig in Egypt to find the lost tomb of the cursed pharoah and every day one member of our crew died in an accident."

Ali: "It was dark and we didn't notice the strage clouds gathering around the pyramid."

Isik: "Until that night, I hadn't noticed the female archeologist in our crew"

I wonder if a million penguins will write it any differently.  From the way the project's started, they won't. :-)

Comments

[ali_akgun]

I remember those "choose your own adventure" books.. Where you read a few pages, and the protagonist has a decision to make. Each possible decision is represented by a skip to another page -- you decide, and then the story forks in the direction of your choice.

Rather than a wiki, something like that could be great in an online collobarotive environment. A in the text, skip to another 'page' and continue. Another author comes, doesn't like something that one of your characters did, and branches you off to a totally different direction.

Hold that thought for a second while I visit the patent office pages :-)

[baris]

I think it is an awesome idea. The writer of the page choses who's link to chose to go to next.

Are you back from the patent office yet?

[CFD]

Thank you so much for that information. Actually, I do love reading your books. I’m always excited to see what’s new. I am always updating into it. Keep on posting. I’ll be devoted to visit it every day.