Comments on: A Million Ophelias http://amillionpenguins.com/blog/?p=20 Can a community write a novel? Let's find out... Wed, 08 Sep 2010 01:54:36 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.1 By: Technology » Blog Archive » Wiki wave sweeps on http://amillionpenguins.com/blog/?p=20#comment-989 Technology » Blog Archive » Wiki wave sweeps on Thu, 24 May 2007 08:52:51 +0000 http://amillionpenguins.com/blog/?p=20#comment-989 [...] One is the “wiki novel” started by established, conventional book publisher Penguin. Amillionpenguins is fascinating, chaotic and often perplexing for the editor appointed to oversee it. Here’s a recent extract from the editors blog: [...] […] One is the “wiki novel” started by established, conventional book publisher Penguin. Amillionpenguins is fascinating, chaotic and often perplexing for the editor appointed to oversee it. Here’s a recent extract from the editors blog: […]

]]> By: Ed Illig http://amillionpenguins.com/blog/?p=20#comment-171 Ed Illig Tue, 13 Feb 2007 14:38:55 +0000 http://amillionpenguins.com/blog/?p=20#comment-171 Jon, may I call you Jon? More than an experiment, A Million Penguins serves to differentiate Penguin (Pearson) as a thought leader in traditional and online publishing realms. Your embrace of online social networking cultures and mediums is to be applauded. Nice. Jon, may I call you Jon?

More than an experiment, A Million Penguins serves to
differentiate Penguin (Pearson) as a thought leader in traditional and online
publishing realms. Your embrace of online social networking cultures and
mediums is to be applauded.

Nice.

]]> By: Sentinel68 http://amillionpenguins.com/blog/?p=20#comment-169 Sentinel68 Tue, 13 Feb 2007 00:46:34 +0000 http://amillionpenguins.com/blog/?p=20#comment-169 Hi M, thanks, I agree with your thoughts, and I am certainly not suggeting that everyone ought to use the sections such as 'discussion section' in the same way, different strokes for ... as they say... but I was really just making a point about the fact that the discussion section seems confusing for me so that I can't readily see where the progressive, newest entries are coming up, in the same way I can see what the linear discussion is like on this blog here... if the discussion section was like this site we are talking on now, it may be less confusing... anyways thats just a thought cheers, Hi M, thanks, I agree with your thoughts, and I am certainly not suggeting that everyone ought to use the sections such as ‘discussion section’ in the same way, different strokes for … as they say…

but I was really just making a point about the fact that the discussion section seems confusing for me so that I can’t readily see where the progressive, newest entries are coming up, in the same way I can see what the linear discussion is like on this blog here… if the discussion section was like this site we are talking on now, it may be less confusing… anyways thats just a thought

cheers,

]]> By: M http://amillionpenguins.com/blog/?p=20#comment-167 M Mon, 12 Feb 2007 10:40:57 +0000 http://amillionpenguins.com/blog/?p=20#comment-167 Sentinel68 - hi there! I think that the discussion section, and how it is used depends on the people and so on; I think there is a learning process for those of us who haven't contributed to wikipedia (or other wiki's that use the same engine), it is a lot when all we want to do is write "this is my idea" or "this is where I think we should be going" - that all said, I think it is something people get used to. In some parts of the wiki, discussions are hit as much as the primary starting chapters of the novel; on other parts, smaller groups move at their own pace and discussions (and the novel) progress in a reasonable fashion; without undue confusion etc. Although maybe this in part is due to the number of people using it. Maybe we have a limited life here in the wiki-novel world; maybe it'll keep on going ad infinitum. Time will tell. M. Sentinel68 - hi there! I think that the discussion section, and how it is used depends on the people and so on; I think there is a learning process for those of us who haven’t contributed to wikipedia (or other wiki’s that use the same engine), it is a lot when all we want to do is write “this is my idea” or “this is where I think we should be going” - that all said, I think it is something people get used to. In some parts of the wiki, discussions are hit as much as the primary starting chapters of the novel; on other parts, smaller groups move at their own pace and discussions (and the novel) progress in a reasonable fashion; without undue confusion etc. Although maybe this in part is due to the number of people using it.
Maybe we have a limited life here in the wiki-novel world; maybe it’ll keep on going ad infinitum. Time will tell.
M.

]]> By: Sentinel68 http://amillionpenguins.com/blog/?p=20#comment-158 Sentinel68 Sun, 11 Feb 2007 15:11:45 +0000 http://amillionpenguins.com/blog/?p=20#comment-158 Hi, just a bit of feedback. I think one drawback in this system is that the 'discussion section' (to me at least) appears to be a mares nest of confusion. Perhaps it would be a good idea to make the discussion section just like a blog like this so we can see the most up-to-date entries and follow them through and progress discussions or arguments or points of view, great project though, cheerio Hi,
just a bit of feedback. I think one drawback in this system is that the ‘discussion section’ (to me at least) appears to be a mares nest of confusion. Perhaps it would be a good idea to make the discussion section just like a blog like this so we can see the most up-to-date entries and follow them through and progress discussions or arguments or points of view,

great project though,

cheerio

]]> By: Sue Thomas http://amillionpenguins.com/blog/?p=20#comment-157 Sue Thomas Sun, 11 Feb 2007 14:32:24 +0000 http://amillionpenguins.com/blog/?p=20#comment-157 I've just read a fascinating analysis of the story by my colleague Bruce Mason here http://www.hum.dmu.ac.uk/blogs/wdl/2007/02/a_dream_of_penguins.html Highly recommended! I’ve just read a fascinating analysis of the story by my colleague Bruce Mason here http://www.hum.dmu.ac.uk/blogs/wdl/2007/02/a_dream_of_penguins.html

Highly recommended!

]]> By: Sentinel68 http://amillionpenguins.com/blog/?p=20#comment-154 Sentinel68 Sun, 11 Feb 2007 10:41:23 +0000 http://amillionpenguins.com/blog/?p=20#comment-154 Hi again, I agree with Sue and with respect i completely disagree with nostrum. I don't quite know what nostrum means by offering to be the editor, i feel that would be an imposition on the whole concept. Also, i fear that reducing cast and reducing or combining 'transitory' material is really based on a value judgement. I personally think that it is arguable that none of it is transitory. I also would completely disagree if one were to suggest, for example that the true kernel of the novel as it stands now is the 'serious traditional elements of some kind of spy thing' and that the transitory and excisable bits are the little gems of interlude, observation, etc, etc. It would be a sad, sad day if some right-brained 'well nrespected editor' went through and killed the patient in order to make it more palatable (sorry for the mixed metaphor) cheerio Hi again, I agree with Sue and with respect i completely disagree with nostrum. I don’t quite know what nostrum means by offering to be the editor, i feel that would be an imposition on the whole concept. Also, i fear that reducing cast and reducing or combining ‘transitory’ material is really based on a value judgement. I personally think that it is arguable that none of it is transitory. I also would completely disagree if one were to suggest, for example that the true kernel of the novel as it stands now is the ’serious traditional elements of some kind of spy thing’ and that the transitory and excisable bits are the little gems of interlude, observation, etc, etc. It would be a sad, sad day if some right-brained ‘well nrespected editor’ went through and killed the patient in order to make it more palatable (sorry for the mixed metaphor)

cheerio

]]> By: Sue Thomas http://amillionpenguins.com/blog/?p=20#comment-149 Sue Thomas Sun, 11 Feb 2007 08:30:07 +0000 http://amillionpenguins.com/blog/?p=20#comment-149 Or... you could leave the finished product as it is, frozen and in situ, and invite readers to extract stories from it at their leisure, like collecting pebbles from a beach to lay out designs in the sand. With this method, essentially one of silent reading, there would be no record of which stories were taken, or why or how, but the readers themselves might go away satisfied after a pleasurable hour or so. Or… you could leave the finished product as it is, frozen and in situ, and invite readers to extract stories from it at their leisure, like collecting pebbles from a beach to lay out designs in the sand. With this method, essentially one of silent reading, there would be no record of which stories were taken, or why or how, but the readers themselves might go away satisfied after a pleasurable hour or so.

]]> By: user:nostrum19 http://amillionpenguins.com/blog/?p=20#comment-148 user:nostrum19 Sun, 11 Feb 2007 07:41:08 +0000 http://amillionpenguins.com/blog/?p=20#comment-148 Come to think of it, you could take the finished product and give everyone that has contributed to it a certain amount of time to submit an edited version of it within certain guidelines (For example no more than X words can be deleted and no more than X words can be added to it). An award could be given to the best submission. What do you think? Come to think of it, you could take the finished product and give everyone that has contributed to it a certain amount of time to submit an edited version of it within certain guidelines (For example no more than X words can be deleted and no more than X words can be added to it). An award could be given to the best submission. What do you think?

]]> By: user:nostrum19 http://amillionpenguins.com/blog/?p=20#comment-146 user:nostrum19 Sun, 11 Feb 2007 07:33:00 +0000 http://amillionpenguins.com/blog/?p=20#comment-146 After the time is up I suggest that some reputable editor (or group of editors) go through and tidy up the finished product. Said person should be sensitive to the established aesthetic. I would certainly be able to do this. Edits would include but are not limited to 1) deciding on a much smaller cast of characters to replace the multitudinous ones we have now, 2) deciding on a much smaller list of settings and again replacing, and 3) adding transitory material to better unify the whole. The transitory material should be used as sparingly as possible, of course. Just enough not to destroy the schizophrenic aesthetic that has been established. After the time is up I suggest that some reputable editor (or group of editors) go through and tidy up the finished product. Said person should be sensitive to the established aesthetic. I would certainly be able to do this.

Edits would include but are not limited to 1) deciding on a much smaller cast of characters to replace the multitudinous ones we have now, 2) deciding on a much smaller list of settings and again replacing, and 3) adding transitory material to better unify the whole.

The transitory material should be used as sparingly as possible, of course. Just enough not to destroy the schizophrenic aesthetic that has been established.

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