A new way of writing a story in Glypho.com

February 11th, 2009 in News, by Head Honcho

Have you ever wondered how a novelist goes about in writing a story? Does he research first? Does he hole himself up in a room to contemplate what will happen next in the story? Does he observe others to form an idea about his protagonist? Judy Reeves lists the different writing quirks of famous authors that seem to work for them. For instance, Charles Dickens walked twenty to thirty miles a day. Alexandre Dumas ate an apple at 7 a.m. each morning under the Arc de Triomphe. Stephen King must always have his same seat and the papers are all arranged in the same places, among other things.

Should an aspiring writer adopt a quirk of his own in order to finish a novel? Maybe. Does an aspiring writer have to finish a novel all by lonesome self? Definitely not.

Not everyone may have the skills to go through the process of writing a story from start to end. But there is a website where amateur, newbie and wannabe writers can contribute in the process of making a story. The website is Glypho.com.

Glypho offers a new way to read and write novels by crowdsourcing the elements that go with the how a story is written. Do you want to participate in the process of writing a story? Or do you have an idea for a story that you want others to continue? Being a member of Glypho can give you that opportunity.

Here is how Glypho works: a member can give an idea for a story. Other members can pick things up from there and give ideas for the characters, the plot, and the development of the story. Another member can write a chapter in collaboration with others, or he can write a chapter by himself. If there is more than one chapter submitted, the users can review and vote to select the best contribution. This process continues until the story is finally finished.

As a member, the more you contribute, the more you earn points. You can get 10 points for a new story; 60 points for a chapter; 5 points for a character; 3 points for a plot idea; and 2 points for a chapter review.

The stories being submitted for writing in Glypho range from drama to scifi. And there are stories that have been finished by members of Glypho. Hopefully, as the membership of the site grows, more and more stories can be completed through its members’ teamwork and collaboration.