Storytelling is changing and the authors at Greyville Writer’s Colony have banded together to tell tales in the metaverse. The writers have created interactive stories, allowing readers to explore their worlds as their story unfolds on the screen.
Offerings in this first set of tales range from 500 to 1,300 words. Story scenes are scattered throughout the metaverse and readers are transported to scenes located on a variety of grids. Some scenes make use of a grid’s unique settings and others are constructed and decorated according to the author’s needs.
Begin your adventure in the park to the left of the landing area in Greyville. (word.narasnook.com:8900:Greyville) Choose a story to follow. Walk into the book. Yes, you have to walk forward until you smack into it. You will be teleported to the first scene in the story. When you’ve discovered all the pieces of story in one scene, you’ll get a landmark to the next scene.
You’ll be transported through about half a dozen scenes. While we try to make it obvious where the gameplay is contained we hope you’ll explore the lovely regions you’re visiting.
None of these stories are erotic, some are romantic. Two have sets in Redlight Hotel, the adult region of Next Reality grid. One takes you across the garden wall into Second Life. The idea here is to showcase regions and build a stronger community across the grids. All of the authors involved have made new friends and discovered new places to play in the metaverse as a result of this project. Thay hope you will too.
Poetry Trail
For those too strapped for time to take in a whole story, we have a poetry trail featuring works of Oshi Shikigami, Jeff Cuneo, Nara Malone as well as original photography and art from Endora Twinklens. You will find blamgates to take you to those sites at the same location in Greyville Park.
Our project will be in place until St. Patrick’s Day with a few bonus settings to be added before the end. Have fun, and please take time to explore the hosting grids.
Stories launched today include:
The Twisted Circle
Star wanted the challenge and camaraderie of working magick with others, so she gave up practicing as a solitary witch and joined the Black Waters Coven.
What she discovers is a history of murder and a quest to find someone who may not want to be found.
A Letter to Charlie
A Letter to Charlie, a Spark Before Dying Flash Fiction Tale: Veronika knows what life inside the strip club means, but when a man comes offering her a chance at redemption, she can’t help but give in to his kindness. Every decision has consequences. This is flash fiction connected to the Angels Cry novella – a part of the Spark Before Dying Series.
Blue Harbor
Blue is a young girl full of secrets. Determined to protect the men who failed to protect her she stops talking. When her family decides she is an uncomfortable secret that needs putting away, Blue has to find a way back to sanity and freedom.
Blue Harbor is an award-winning flash fiction/poetry mash-up adapted to interactive fiction for this project.
Incubus Dream
Cassie knew dreams could come true, but she’d never expected a dream to be this real. Ivan needs a rescue, and only Cassie can do it, but dreams are tricky, the dreamer easily lost. Ivan leads her through worlds she’d only dreamed of seeing and she’s not sure what’s real and what isn’t.
But when he returns her to her room, she’s forever changed and so is he. This short story is an intro to a longer novel in the Cloudburst, Colorado Series.
Other Participants
This wouldn’t have been possible without the scripting wizardry of Fred Beckhusen and Whitestar Magic. Mike Hart took time out to help with props and set building. Shawn K Maloney and Endora Twinklens did our bug testing.
Participating Grids
- Next Reality Grid: Redlight Hotel from Mike Hart
- Metropolis: Independetly Spoken from Crystal Brewton
- Craft Grid: Spirit of Arcadia: Cogtown from Virtual Christine, Pitcairn: 111shawn from Shawn K Maloney, OS Grid: Virunga Mountains: from Debbie Edwards and Fred Beckhusen, Transmedia Learning 1 and 4 from Nara Malone
- NarasNookGrid: Greyville, Quarterz City, Siobhan Muir 1, Tina Glasneck 12, Series, Shadowling Manor, and Theria from the Greyville Authors.
- Second Life: Phaze Demesnes from Debbie Edwards and Fred Beckhusen, Karpov from an anonymous donor.
Article adapted with permission from Nara’s Nook. Award winning novelist and poet Nara Malone contributed to this article. As a freelance journalist and writer, her feature profiles on women entrepreneurs and her romantic short stories have been published in newspapers, magazines, and digital publications.
- Hypergrid stories project launched - March 10, 2014