Hi All,
This is what I am planning to do. I am wondering if anyone has tried something similar?
As storyteller/screenwriters we have more than one story in us. So I am not concerned about any particular story escaping into the public. I started writing a novel a few years back and never finished it. I have heaps of chapters and the unwritten chapters are all plotted and outlined.
What I intend, is to release each chapter as an episode of a weekly podcast. No actors, just me as the storyteller, telling the story.
I’ll post stats etc to let people know how it went. But has anyone tried using alternative avenues?
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^ That's clever. It's not something I'm invested in now, but I've previously thought of hiring a graphic novel-type artist to draw a few panels from a screenplay and publishing it on social media, like an interactive story. It is something I'd consider again to get more eyeballs on my work.
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I think that’s a swell idea. I tried a podcast a few months ago but had to dial back because it was too much of an undertaking with everything else in my life. As far as trying a different medium, the closest I’ve come has been writing fan fiction as an exercise to develop characters. The idea is I would use a world and premise from existing fiction and leave that untouched, forcing me to focus on developing characters and their relationships to move the plot forward. My first instinct to drive a story is to manipulate the world and setting, so I’m trying to cure myself of that.
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Thanks folks.
Podcasting is a big commitment. There is the podfade issue. People tend to drop off around episode 3. People don’t realise hold much effort it takes.
I am going to start this week. I am going to write up the “scriptment” I know the story. I will improv some of it.
Thanks again
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Craig D Griffiths if you want my opinion, I'll give it to you straight, what to do, take it or leave it. I don't think I know everything, but I'm pretty sure about this.
Do the whole book as an audiobook, but release it chapter by chapter as a podcast or FB or something free, with an option to purchase the whole book. If you get the timing right, you can do some pre-sales when you're sure you will have the whole book done. I think it has to come out with some limitation to pre-sale, 60 days or something like that.
Visit PBS.org and freedocumentaries.org for illustrations.
There is a thing called https://www.smsnovel.com and it takes novels and/or stories and you break them down into little bits and create a text form of the novel for people to read and react to/with. Know its popular in Asian countries and trying to find an audience here.
T.L. Davis the novel is partially written a few years ago. I started rereading it, it was a bit crappy. I don’t have the time or maybe the skill as a writer to complete the book. But I can talk about it. It’s a lazy option. But I do like the idea of promoting sales. You have me thinking now.
Rich Cook I’ll check it out. I had a podcast for a few years “making business and sales work”. It is gone now. Did over 120 episodes. The tech has changed a bit, I noticed Apple has changed considerably.
Joe Petricca sms novel, never heard of it. But I will be checking it out.
Tasha Lewis thanks, I’ll check it out.
There is also the reputation building benefit I hope.
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Craig D Griffiths I have a friend who is narrating his novels into audiobooks, it is a daunting process, but having done podcasts, I'm sure you understand that. I think if you know the whole thing and think you can tell the story verbally, it doesn't have to be written down. Outline of chapters and some detail about each chapter would probably keep you on track and you said you already have that, so why not?
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T.L. Davis I have about 200 pages written and only a few chapters to finish. But I am just not a novelist (I am honest with myself). It is like writing 5 features, but not as much fun or reward.
I am going to give a few chapters a run this weekend. We have a public holiday in Australia. If it sound half good I will keep going.
I’ll post about the process.
I have an episode format. Each one will start with a quote, either from the Bible or a famous person. This quote will be the theme of the chapter.
Intro & music will only be 10 seconds. So if someone is binge listening they are bored.
I’m in the same boat. I have been trying to write a novel for two years but I absolutely hate it. I can’t seem to nail prose writing. At the same time, I’d like to reach a wider audience and have people actually enjoy my stories, which isn’t likely to happen with screenwriting. I’ve had plenty of feedback on my prose and it’s been positive but sustaining an entire novel length story is difficult. I don’t know what to do. I’m locked in a trap and feel like I can’t get out. Writing isn’t fun anymore. I’d love to find an alternative medium like comics, but I don’t have money to hire an art team nor the presence to do a kickstarter. At least you have some sort of idea on what to do with your story.
Who hasn't at this point.
Good luck.
So hard to get noticed in a noisy world.
Craig D Griffiths , ever heard of Lesscenarios?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Closet_screenplay
Screenplay is generally not such material, but as all written work it can be published...Milcho Manchevski did this, having all of his scripts assembled into a book, but not changing the format.
The reasons for the podcast for me:
1) I have done hundreds in the past. I had 125 of “Making Business and Sales Work”, I was a regular on “The Bunker Project” out of Canada as well as a guest spots on “Business Book Review” and “Craft Beer Nation”. I have the infrastructure and can do this with little effort.
2) Podcasts are growing quickly into being a mainstream media channel. I was 10 years to early. They are a great way to build a rep and promote your other work. With Spotify and such tech built into cars I can see them being what streaming is for TV.
3) I already have griffithscreative.com.au which is where I can direct any activity created by the podcast.
For me a podcast wold cost about $5 a month and some time. Plus talking is the laziest thing I can do.