Working without a net on the net.

[alexandraerin]

I've got another blog post in me about self-reflection and the limits of it (or rather, why it's good for it to have limits), and I realized halfway through that it'd be better as two blog posts. So I'm making this one first, because this is the "action item" portion of it. But the other part was meant as pre-amble for this, so if this seems like it's out of the blue... well, it wouldn't have, if I'd put up the other post first.

But I didn't.

So it is.

So anyway, here's a thought I'm having about my work. Let's do this "embrace this technology" thing a little bit more... let's take the original idea, "working without a net", "writing as performance art", etc., and go one step further with it.

Basically, I want to let you folks watch me write. Not like sit there and watch the cursor move across the screen, or watch a YouTube video or live streaming thing of me sitting in front of a keyboard tapping away.

What I mean is, I put up the stuff I'm working on as I'm working on it. Not in the spot where it's going to end up. That would be confusing, some people won't want to see anything but the finished product, and it'd screw up things like RSS feeds and the like because the content wouldn't be "new" any more when it was finished. Also, it would mean the first big bulk of comments on any story would be its unfinished state, which is undesirable... as would be wiping out those early comments.

So the questions are:

1.

Is there value in this idea?

I think so. I think people might find it interesting. I think it would help keep me "on task", both in the sense of making me more aware of how much time I'm spending trying to perfect a 300-3000 word piece of writing and in the sense that it would require and engender more confidence in what I'm writing. I've been scrapping a lot more writing than I used to, and I don't think it's because it's bad, I think it's because I'm too caught up in analysis. My first idea was to start writing smaller chunks again, but then I realized I'm also doing this on the smaller pieces

But this is the thing: no matter how nervous you are when you're waiting in the wings, once you step out into the lights it's do-or-die, you know? But if nobody's interested in reading it, then it's not going to go anywhere.

2.

Having established that, what would be the best way to do it? Use some document-sharing tool? Make blog posts somewhere else (the right now-disused AlexandraErin.com)? Just do it here? Is there some site/tool out there somebody knows about that's more geared for this sort of thing, that incorporates publicly viewable comments?

If I go forward with this, then once I've got the space established for it I'd do the following: any smaller story segments (like Tribe and the others) would probably go up there when they're more or less finished, so people can see the "draft". If I'm stuck on an ending or missing a key line of dialogue, I'll put it up with that note and move on to something else instead of sitting there in frustration or throwing it out and starting again. With longer things, I'll put it up piecemeal as I finish. The whole story of a TOMU chapter might not make it up there... I might redact spoilers or withhold the ending until the final version goes up. But I might not. The whole thing will be "CAUTION: SPOILERS!"

Note that this isn't about letting the Viewers At Home vote on how the story goes or anything like that. I'm not giving up my driver's seat. I'm not really capable of giving that up. Really, I expect that with anything I put up anywhere some people will love it and some people will hate it and those two groups will vary in membership with each thing I post, so all I'd be looking for in terms of confidence-boosting feedback is that things go about the way I expect them in that department.

So... thoughts? Suggestions?

Comments

[matt_doyle]

I have no helpful ideas, but I'd be interested in seeing this.

[alexandraerin.livejournal.com]

Knowing that is helpful.

Anybody else reading this, even if that's all you have to say I'd like to hear it.

[cluudle.livejournal.com]

I'd read a WIP as it was IP, too.

[natalief.livejournal.com]

*nods* This.

[tychomonger.livejournal.com]

I think this might make an interesting "pay a little bit to watch" thing for big fans. I found this site called Writeboard (http://writeboard.com/) which might be appropriate. You can post new revisions to it and keep the previous ones. The only snag is that to view it you need the password, and if you have the password, you can edit it, since it is designed for collaboration. You can also revert it back, but it still does have the potential for vandalism.

[alexandraerin.livejournal.com]

I thought about "pay-per-view", but I'd rather have more eyes than fewer... if I'm going to be mercenary about this, I think the bigger benefit is in attracting attention and keeping interest piqued.

I'd also rather avoid something that requires me to ignore a collaborative elements.

One thing I'm leaning towards is just using the blogging tools I'm familiar with. Wordpress has a "page break" feature I currently don't use, that I could use to preserve previous major revisions if I wanted to.

[alexandraerin.livejournal.com]

Having looked at Writeboard, I'm disappointed... it would be perfect if I could make viewing and commenting publicly available without distributing the password.

[tychomonger.livejournal.com]

In the terms you agree to when making a page, it says this: 'Pages being "Public" shared may be promoted and linked by 37signals as example uses of the Service.' I couldn't find the option on the site anywhere though, so perhaps it is a planned or abandoned feature?

[alexandraerin.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I don't see it, either.

The other thing that gives me misgivings is that the front page mentions "recently" winning a 2005 award. Makes me wonder if it's not abandonware.

[digitalxero.livejournal.com]

I too would like to see this. I dont know if I would actually read the drafts, but it would be nice to see that progress is coming along, and maybe we the reads can help spot a pattern of whats causing you frustration :)

[mpilnick.livejournal.com]

How ugly IS the process? I bet a ustream would be pretty popular, at least during your productive phases. You'd have to hide the chat from yourself...

[alexandraerin.livejournal.com]

I don't think it's ugly at all, honestly. I convince myself the end result is ugly too often. But a camera would make me feel inhibited, and inhibition is the death of creativity for me... inhibited in the sense of "shy" and inhibited in the sense of feeling constrained. When I'm working, that often means I'm getting up and moving around.

[fatefox.livejournal.com]

I would enjoy any works in progress. Maybe posting pieces here at lj, then finalizing them at the ToMU site? You can moderate comments so they are only visible to you here, so you don't have discussion on the not-finalized chapters, but can read opinions. That way conversations don't devolve into the tiny details but you get your broad stroke commentary. I would enjoy watching your writing mind at work :)

[alexandraerin.livejournal.com]

Now that's an idea that appeals, because I don't have to learn or maintain anything new! If I give those posts their own tags, people can bookmark (and I believe RSS) the tag's link if they're not interested in anything else I blog about.

The story stuff will obviously go under a cut, so people who don't want to see them won't have to.

[carsonfiles.livejournal.com]

I really like the idea of not seeing other comments. The rabbit trails and side debates are fun on the finished chapters, but I think they would probably be distracting to you--and certainly to me--on the WIP.

Please forgive if this comment turned up a half-dozen times. I kept getting an error, so kept trying.

[alexandraerin.livejournal.com]

Just once, but it'd be fine if it did show up multiple times. You expect that from time to time with LJ.

[carsonfiles.livejournal.com]

Very brave inviting the internet to be your beta readers (except not exactly). I'll answer 1. yes, 2. first thought that springs to mind is google docs, but there are probably a googol drawbacks to that solution, so we'll see what some of the more savvy readers say. During the last few weeks I've been exploring some of your other writing, and have found the flash fiction very fun to read.

[alexandraerin.livejournal.com]

A++++ word play. Three trophies.

[carsonfiles.livejournal.com]

(blush) thank you. . .I was going to say a bajillion, but realized the opportunity was right there. . .

[luinmir.livejournal.com]

Have you looked at Google Wave? Dunno if it's exactly what you're looking for - it would allow people to watch either in real time or whenever they're online, and it has a playback option to allow people to go back and look at how the thing was edited. Worth checking out anyway, even though Google has announced that they're not going to develop it any more.

[alexandraerin.livejournal.com]

I considered it, but I think that... especially at first, but maybe always... I'd feel too shy to go that far in "performing live".

[tychomonger.livejournal.com]

Another alternative software might be the MediaWiki software you already have installed over here in the ToMU Wiki (http://talesofmu.nfshost.com/wiki/index.php/Main_Page). It also does that nice revision control. You should be able to lock the pages you're producing so only you can edit them, and leave the attached Talk page open for comments on it.

[cassiend.livejournal.com]

I live the idea of this. I have no idea if it will be of any help but I always find a beauty in the process. But yes it should have giant spoiler warnings. But the great thing is you can just decide to stop if you want to stop, with no obligations to us.

Google docs

[zeel-01.livejournal.com]

Google docs is really the best thing i can think of (I am doing some research though)

its nice because it is a very good word processor on its own, while letting you share with us.

however there is one big drawback. to leave a "comment" on a document, you need full editing permission. now you can ONLY give it to select people, that you trust will not edit the story its self.

[bobmacpharson.livejournal.com]

I'd be interested. 'Nuff said.

I like this!

[amelia vriezelaar (from livejournal.com)]

I'm an avid reader of Mu, and I love the idea of this! I get antsy for something to read now and then, and it would be really interesting to have a snippet here and there from the story, and see how it progresses!

As far as where to do it- I do not know how people would feel about the idea, but I've found proboards.com to be an easy place to keep track of and post things, viewable and available for comment by the public! Also, it's free, and very easy to customize.

Anyhow, I love the idea. Maybe knowing that people are monitoring your writing progress will inspire you? Maybe comments on the progress can give you a chance at interesting new directions for the story! :D

-Lia