Sticky Notes Blog

A blog of writing news, tips, and inspiration from Fat Plum

Blogs and fiction

People are noticing that weblogs (online journals, like this one) can be a new literary form. Jim McClellan of the Guardian makes the argument that blogs have the "potential to be a new fictional form." (Thanks to Stephany Aulenback for the link. She also highlights Jim Munroe's forthcoming blog novel, An Opening Act of Unspeakable Evil, which I hadn't known about but am now eager to see.)

The first blog that caught my full attention was that of Mark Phillips, a writer in San Francisco. Mark had submitted several of his blog entries to Inkburns, with the suggestion that the collection of them could make for an interesting piece. Mark's blog blurs the lines between fiction and nonfiction, diary and writing journal, writing and art. We published a set of entries related to life in San Francisco, writing, and more.

In thinking about blogging as fiction, though, I also think of the serial I started for Inkburns, "Lift." The main reason for publishing "Lift," to be honest, was to have something to flesh out the journal in the early days, before we were known and had piles of submissions to consider. But writing it turned out to be a good discipline for me: it provided a monthly deadline, required thought and character development, made me work at writing more seriously. I don't considered it a finished work, but I do hope to revisit the characters and situations and create something with them that feels more cohesive and full than "Lift" turned out to be.

Posted by Cindy on April 12, 2004
This entry was posted in the following categories: Literary genres