When I first started this blog I posted what the best definition of blog fiction I could come up with. It wasn't a very elegant definition. It was long and complicated and fit a new story telling medium into a rather small box.
I think I may have come up with a better definition.
The new definition has two advantages. The first advantage is that it's shorter and could be put into a dictionary. The second advantage it encompasses current blog fiction without precluding future innovation. I also think it's a little more flattering of a definition than the one Wikipedia gives:
A story published using blog software that uses common blogging tools to create the story in a way that would be difficult for other medium to replicate.
a form of fiction writing that uses weblogs to reach its readership. It is a small-scale fringe activity in the world of blogging, and although it has generated some literary critical interest, it remains isolated. It is presented in many forms, from a pretend diary or posted novel to a serialblog.Going forward my new definition is the one I will use when looking for new Blog Fiction. Hopefully the rest of you who find my blog will use this new definition when adding your own blog fiction to the list.
Compared to my last attempt at defining a blog fiction, I think it includes some of the categories I explicitly excluded last time. This was a conscious decision. Rereading my old definition and looking at more closely of the stuff that's out there, I decided that it was too narrow. That's why this one is a bit more broad.
Please let me know in the comments what you think of my new definition.
3 comments:
First off your right, it is a hell of a lot better than the Wikipedia version. Maybe you should edit their version ;)
Couple things though:
The part about "uses common blogging tools" may be seen as biased against less popular software or home brew publishing solutions -- does it really matter what exact tool is used to publish in many ways ?
And I am not sure I understand what "difficult for other medium to replicate" really means. Can you expand on this maybe ?
Anyway, just my thoughts -- off to read the review of starts now :)
TTFN
>>"uses common blogging tools"
By "common blogging tools", I didn't mean as in "Wordpress", "Blogger", or "Typepad". That would be common blog software.
What I meant was things such as, "comments", "labels", and "linking". Things that are common to all blog software.
>>"difficult for other medium to replicate"
By that I just mean, difficult for a paper, tv show, or movie to replicate.
Maybe I could use some rewording. This is only my first try at a succinct definition.
>> By "common blogging tools", I didn't mean as in "Wordpress", "Blogger", or "Typepad". That would be common blog software. What I meant was things such as, "comments", "labels", and "linking". Things that are common to all blog software.
Sorry, my bad, I see what your getting at now.
>>"difficult for other medium to replicate"
>>By that I just mean, difficult for a paper, tv show, or movie to replicate.
>>Maybe I could use some rewording. This is only my first try at a succinct definition.
What about something along the lines of “Blog Fiction: A work of fiction performed through, and wholly embracing, the use of common blogging idioms”
TTFN
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