Even if they could, few people have the time to write a book. But what if they could Twitter one? For all those aspiring novelists out there, Quillpill might be the app to get them started.
Twitter clones have been cropping up all over the web in recent months with most of them replicating the “What are you doing?” concept in one way or the other.
Quillpill takes a totally different approach by wanting to know what stories you would like to tell. The site is primarily aimed at aspiring authors and readers of fiction. Quillpill is currently in private beta but available to the first 500 Techcrunch readers to sign up by sending an e-mail to techcrunch[at]quillpill[dot]com.
In order to compose a so-called book, users first choose a title and then submit posts with a maximum of 140 characters. Entries belonging together are displayed one below the other in a thread-like structure. Authors are able to create any kind of text-based content over time, including diaries, short stories, poems or even novels. Here is an excerpt from one called Saijo City Notebook by Eric Rice:
I remember reading in school about the controversy about broadcasting
public executions– a quaint and kitsch idea, considering the failure.Televised executions came and went, as fads do, because the interest
wasn’t there. The ratings sucked. In otherwords, death was canceled.
Why are entries limited to 140 characters? The answer is simple: Founders Derek Maune and Elissa Rose have their eyes on the mobile web. The Twitter-like approach makes it possible even for owners of low-end mobile devices to blog stories wherever they want, regardless if a PC is around or not. In addition to the regular web site, Quillpill is available in an optimized mobile and iPhone version (”ipill”). The founders claim the service can also be used on video game consoles such as the Nintendo Wii, the DS or the Sony PSP.
Quillpill does a lot of things right. The site’s most superficial selling point is a strangely futuristic, yet beautiful design. The threading mechanism is straightforward, allowing for an easy read for people who are often on the road. The minimalist interface lets users create books very easily. As of now, there isn’t even a help section on the site, and it’s not really needed.
With all essentials covered and no major competing service suited to serial fiction around, the question is if Quillpill’s underlying concept will actually work. It remains to be seen whether writers will embrace the concept of composing texts one thought at a time, on small keyboards and mini screens. At least as important, a critical mass of readers must be ready for “cellular storytelling” in order for Quillpill to become a scalable business.
Japanese readers began saying yes to mobile publishing quite a while ago. Books written on cell phones are selling hundreds of thousands of copies in Japan. The founders say this phenomenon actually triggered the development of Quillpill. Consequently, the site will be released almost simultaneously in the US and Japan (as “Kyupi”). Future enhancements such as exporting content to different formats or a reward system for popular stories are planned to be implemented into both versions at the same time. Tokyo-based web consultancy Genkii is currently in the process of localizing the service into Japanese.
As of now, using Quillpill is completely free, but a paid subscription system is planned. Readers will also be able to purchase Quillpill books as ebooks or hard copies through the site itself or via print-on-demand services. Just like Twitter Japan, the Japanese version will be additionally monetized with display ads.
Quillpill was founded by Kansas-based Synthetic Entertainment in January 2008 and has been self-funded, costing about $30,000 so far.
Twitter stories? Neat idea. At least you don’t have to do it via SMS- it would cost you $10,000 to write a novel.
what’s that logo? a flea / porcupine hybrid? it’s a bit creepy.
Didn’t notice that logo at first (it’s not on their homepage - just some other pages). It does really look like a flea (or a recently fed mosquito).
Cute idea. The folks at CNET’s “Buzz Out Loud” podcast recently endeavored to write a novel on Twitter collaboratively 140 characters at a time. Not sure if it’s still ongoing but it was difficult to track authors’ contributions. This might be one way to do it.
So… about those invites…
Okay, NOW mobile apps have become ridiculous. Is it so hard to find time, when you’re not on a cell phone, to sit in front of a computer and write a novel the normal way?
ha.
http://twitter.com/sull/statuses/8060201
http://twitter.com/sull/statuses/11403531
Sounds interesting, but I do not see any mention or a link to the invites.
Ahh, I see the updated text.
This is a really cool idea, I have sent away an email and hopefully I’ll get in to check it out. I got turned on to the whole Twitter micro-writing thing when Copyblogger held a 140-character contest last month. I’ve unilaterally dubbed the concept “TwitLit.”
I was so inspired, in fact, that I launched a micro-writing contest of my own last week called “Can You Put the Wit in Twitter?” All you have to do is submit your best example of wordplay in 140 characters or less and I’m giving the winner over $350 in donated prizes. The deadline is coming up, so if you’re interested in throwing your hat into the ring, go here for more details and to enter.
Oh and ps- I agree with Bernard and Mark, that mascot is even creepier than the Plurk logo… and that’s saying something.
Daniel Smith
that logo looks like Jeff Goldblum from The Fly remake
I love that Quillpill has taken in to account that a lot of people still have regular cell phones! Besides that, I think this captures the human essence. A really brilliant professor I had at UT introduced his media law class by describing how everything humans do is somehow storytelling. Now, a thought can be captured from anywhere and shared before it is forgotten. The story can be told and remembered somewhere. It will be interesting to see if this catches on with all of the other microblogging ‘clutter’ out there. I hope it does, the collaboration and co-creation of stories is very interesting, very much 2.0. Unfortunately, I think making people pay to use it is too great a deterrent for potential micro-novelists.
The writing service will remain free after the beta concludes. We will also be introducing a wider range of features that will be available for paid subscriptions, but the basics that are needed to write will remain free.
I have been doing twitter fiction on and off for awhil now. This might be right up my ally.
That logo is what happens to small animals after they fall into the Dead Pool.
Leo Laporte was doing this on TWIT a while back.
Thumb Tribes!
I can see it now. The economy is collapsing all around them, and all these out of work pimple-faced dot commers are gonna write quillpill novels on their cell phone. Ya. Good luck with that.
Very happy to hear the basics will be free!
More free stuff, great.
These aren’t going to go too quickly.
Harry “just sayin’” Wang
over a MILLION TITLES (not copies) of Mobile novels or “Keitai Shosetsu” have been published in Japan. This type of service might be able to import this phenomena to Western world if done right… Should be fun!
kwtk, there is a difference between a novel you READ on your cellphone , and a novel you WRITE on your cell phone. This is the dumbest idea ever.
You think they could ever put this on mobile twitter? http://www.readtheanswer.com/index.php?rta=snet
another fad that will be gone in a year.
Interesting idea, and slick site design!
If you’re curious to try it out, a much simpler prototype of this is already running on the web: http://www.penultimater.com/
You sign up and then randomly get an SMS with the last line of the story. You have 10 minutes to reply with the next line before somebody else is given a chance And so it goes.
P.S. Penultimater is powered by the free TextMarks API ( http://www.textmarks.com/ ) on the 41411 shortcode.
The tail end of the current Penultimator story (Dickens it ain’t, but amusing yes):
–
It leaves a tingling feeling on the tongue
like when pop rocks tickle the back of your throat or your friend cracks an egg on your head then runs their fingers down your back.
thats when u know that youre in for a good time
bring it on!
That what she always says when shes looking for her lumox.
She sighed. One of these days the anti-climatic nature of the job will have eaten a whole through his soul, like pacman.
–
llwvsrhswr6pkr http://www.751217.com/737187.html s8jwyh67j4fpp
llwvsrhswr6pkr y5rc60rcl4o9q2nr s8jwyh67j4fpp
No invites left. Does anyone know when they open the site for everyone?
This isn’t stupid, this is great.
At least to me, as a psuedo-semi-writer I like the idea of people who are into creative writing spicing up the sorta lame twitter updates.
Would add tiny art to everyday life. But that being said, I’m doubtful it would ever have a fraction of the people twitter does. But it would find a niche hopefully.
@28 If you follow them on Twitter (@quillpill), they randomly will be giving out invites.