You may recall a previous post we did listing several web-based fiction writing resources…well, here’s another one to add to that list: Protagonize. The Protagonize web site is an online creative writing community dedicated solely to collaborative fiction. At Protagonize, one author begins a story, and others post different branches or chapters to it.
You don’t have to be an author to enjoy the community here – you can just read and enjoy the stories submitted by others. Stories offer an RSS feed, so you can follow your favorites in your PC’s feed reader or on any device that has an internet connection, like your mobile phone.
Registered users at Protagonize receive their own author profile page, can write new stories, branches and chapters, add page markers, keep track of their favorite authors, add comments, rate stories, send items to friends, view and print stories, and more.
To get started with your first story, you click the “Protagonize!” link from the right-hand menu. If you want to contribute a branch or chapter to someone else’s story, you find a story that has an incomplete story fragment. There will be a form to post a new fragment, instead of the normal branch or chapter content. Fill out the form with your new piece, press “Publish” once you’re satisfied with your contribution, and it will be saved.
Different Types of Stories
Earlier this month, Protagonize began offering a new feature: linear stories. Originally, all stories on this site were addventure-style stories (yes, that’s spelled right). Addventure stories, are much like the online component to the “Choose Your Own Adventure” books you may have read as a child. An addventure story is an online, collaborative, interactive fiction in which many authors contribute to a story, each writing discrete segments.
However, now Protagonize is offering the ability for authors to create linear stories, which are more like a traditional novel with chapters. With this option, Protagonize hopes to appeal to a wider audience while also allowing authors to exert more thematic control over their stories.
No matter your story preference, Protagonize is a fun place to enjoy web-based collaborative fiction or explore your own inner author.
