THE STORY SPOT

Now here’s something interesting in the world of interactive storytelling. Crushing It is a comedy series/soap unfolding right now, in real time, on Twitter. How’s that, you say? Series Creator Jill Golick has dreamed into reality a setting, characters, and a hijinks-fraught storyline then turned them loose on Twitter for one week only.

“Think of this as an improv performance on the virtual stage of the Internet,” they say. We’ll think of it as brilliant. Screenwriters play the wedding-stressed characters and the audience fills in the rest.
What are you waiting for? Jump in!

CRUSHING IT
February 1 to February 5th, 2010
Only on Twitter
http://twitter.com/crushingitstory/crushing-it-story/
#cistory

Screenwriter Jill Golick’s Blog: “Running with My Eyes Closed“

The eternal debate rages on, does it not? In this segment of human entertainment history, we seem to be swaying heavily toward factual stories — creative non-fiction, memoir, documentaries and the like — as “best”. But as we people will do, our collective minds will eventually change and the course of time will shift these pun-laden sands to invented tales then back again. In the meantime, here’s a little something from intrepid New Yorker, Charlie Todd, a man who understands with the fibre of his being that experience is truth. Period.

Charlie Todd’s Improv Everywhere

Bonus Track: Here’s a terrific program (featuring Improv Everywhere) that peeks inside perception and experience as truth:
“Mind Games: Act Two, The Spy Who Loved Everyone“ Episode 286 of This American Life

I found this languishing around my desk today having been clipped long, long ago. The newsprint has yellowed and curled, as befits something read in times of need. So here it is for you.

Turns out the text is an excerpt of Michael Cunningham’s introduction to the Michael Henry Heim translation of Thomas Mann’s Death in Venice. The full introduction is available at the PEN American Center site for your inspirational pleasure.

Click the image to enlarge it. Good writing.

Good writing, everyone!

Let the festivities begin! The list of nominees for the 81st annual Academy Awards are hot off the presses. The big day is Sunday, February 22, 2009. Where will your Oscar Party be?

And the nominees are…

The 81st annual Academy Awards list of nominees at Oscar.com

P.S. Joan & Melissa, it’s never been the same without you.