Subscribe to
Posts
Comments

A million penguins at a keyboard…

February 1st, 2007 by

Stately, plump Penguin Books is off on an experiment that is likely to fail in delightful, unpredictable ways…for which my hat is off to them. They’ve started a wiki and given us—any and all of us—six weeks to write a novel. The wiki has a blog (but does the blog have a wiki?), and the Penguin blog talks about the experiment as well. (But does the Penguin wiki blog about the wiki’s blog? No? That’s so Web 1.27! :)

Anyway, a novel seems like an unlikely venture for a wiki. Too many dependencies. Change “Carlo” to “Conchita” in Chapter 1, and who’s going to make the updates throughout all the chapters? Add a penguin who invents pockets in Chapter 2 and now Freida in Chapter 9 actually does have a place to put the souvenir shot glass from Las Vegas. Not to mention that Wikipedia has reality to hold a page together (or at least a settled criterion for resolving disputes), while a novel has nothing but the sensibilities of a million penguins at keyboards. (Penguin Books has sicced some MA students on the wiki to seed it. )

So, I’ll be surprised (and delighted) if a novel emerges from this. But two caveats: 1. If you’d asked me four years ago if Wikipedia would work, I would have guessed wrong. 2. A novel is not the only worthwhile result that could emerge from this experiment.

I’m impressed Penguin Books is doing it. I look forward to seeing if the writing gets better or worse, if the discussion page is more interesting than the novel, what the sexy parts of the crowd are like, if good triumphs or gets into an edit war with irony…

[Tags: ]

35 Comments »

35 Responses to “A million penguins at a keyboard…”

  1. on 19 Apr 2007 at 7:38 am1 Winslow Catina

    Ne nasovsem a navsegd. Winslow Catina.

  2. on 01 May 2007 at 10:24 am2 Delilah Anantha

    Kogda nastanut holoda i belaja doroga ljazhe. Delilah Anantha.

  3. on 02 May 2007 at 10:23 pm3 mascara

    My favorites mascara stain removal bat guano mascara in bookmarks

  4. on 09 May 2007 at 9:14 am4 jon

    Spring Break Topless pussy vibrator

  5. on 09 May 2007 at 4:55 pm5 Radmilo Ragnhild

    I ty opjat uedesh i togd. Radmilo Ragnhild.

  6. on 10 May 2007 at 6:53 am6 cue 1

    Best information capone cue nick varner cue blogs

  7. on 10 May 2007 at 5:36 pm7 austria 1

    Budu v tope austrian crystal chandelier altrohla austria new

  8. on 12 May 2007 at 6:25 am8 beds 1

    Best information angled bunk beds sliegh beds welcome

  9. on 19 May 2007 at 6:12 am9 bill

    Christopher Atkins nude galleries ph test strips

  10. on 19 May 2007 at 7:37 am10 Zoya Wahid

    Moja terma nemoe zakluchenj. Zoya Wahid.

  11. on 20 May 2007 at 2:38 am11 shaker

    Top is my hancock shaker museum rumpshakers my favourite

  12. on 20 May 2007 at 2:55 am12 shaker

    Top is my vaughan simply shaker shaker hood scoop my favourite

  13. on 20 May 2007 at 1:44 pm13 leona

    lesbian movie clips free lez dildo thumbnails

  14. on 21 May 2007 at 5:48 am14 Panicos

    Cool.

  15. on 29 May 2007 at 8:22 pm15 tooth decay

    decay tooth decay tooth

  16. on 31 May 2007 at 6:31 pm16 Queen Uschi

    Zhili byli.. Queen Uschi.

  17. on 04 Jun 2007 at 5:42 pm17 avandia

    Withdrawal http://www.jsector.com/avandia/ – avandia

  18. on 04 Jun 2007 at 6:13 pm18 avandia

    Avandia http://www.jsector.com/avandia/ – avandia

  19. on 06 Jun 2007 at 2:44 pm19 Angelos

    Nice…

  20. on 07 Jun 2007 at 6:11 am20 Nick

    goood!

  21. on 13 Jun 2007 at 2:48 pm21 axypdbikud

    Hello! Good Site! Thanks you! dlgibbmlcdr

  22. on 09 Jul 2007 at 12:55 pm22 Koinos

    Cool!

  23. on 09 Jul 2007 at 2:25 pm23 Stefanos

    Interesting…

  24. on 09 Jul 2007 at 5:47 pm24 Odysseus

    Interesting…

  25. on 09 Jul 2007 at 9:28 pm25 Alekos

    Cool.

  26. on 09 Jul 2007 at 11:49 pm26 Nick

    Interesting…

  27. on 10 Jul 2007 at 4:23 am27 Vassilis

    Nice

  28. on 10 Jul 2007 at 8:54 am28 Achilles

    Sorry :(

  29. on 10 Jul 2007 at 9:43 am29 Paulos

    Nice…

  30. on 10 Jul 2007 at 10:03 am30 Giatas

    Sorry :(

  31. on 10 Jul 2007 at 10:00 pm31 Xenophon

    Nice

  32. on 14 Jul 2007 at 6:49 am32 Fyodor Tyrik

    But taking someone with yo. Fyodor Tyrik.

  33. on 27 Jul 2007 at 1:07 am33 mae

    Long Saggy Tits brunette tits

  34. on 12 Aug 2007 at 12:58 am34 casinosfreebonusesv

    deposit free bonus casino
    see to signature…

  35. on 19 Sep 2007 at 4:46 pm35 Nurit Hailey

    they’ll have you suicidal suicida. Nurit Hailey.