January 22nd, 2008
The cellphone novel
Dorothy Parker astutely remarked that “Writing is the art of applying one’s ass to the seat.” Anyone who has attempted this will know that rearranging your CDs/books/cleaning products alphabetically becomes very pressing when you try to sit down and write creatively. But shackling yourself to a desk and suffering for your art might just be a thing of the past. According to this article, novels can, and are, being written on mobile phones. So you could write on the bus, in the pub or sitting in the park. It’s big news in Japan where users tap out their writing on their phone, which is then serially uploaded on to a website where readers can comment.
The article says:
“Until recently, cellphone novels ”composed on phone keypads by young women wielding dexterous thumbs and read by fans on their tiny screens” had been dismissed in Japan as a subgenre unworthy of the country that gave the world its first novel, “The Tale of Genji” a millennium ago. Then last month, the year-end best-seller tally showed that cellphone novels, republished in book form, have not only infiltrated the mainstream but have come to dominate it.
Of last year’s 10 best-selling novels, five were originally cellphone novels, mostly love stories written in the short sentences characteristic of text messaging but containing little of the plotting or character development found in traditional novels. What is more, the top three spots were occupied by first-time cellphone novelists, touching off debates in the news media and blogosphere.”
One author Rin, typed up her novel while commuting and hanging around in just six months. It has been published in hardback and has sold 400,000.
Will this catch on here? Personally, I’m a notebook kinda gal but I like the mobility idea, as I hate dragging my laptop around.
January 22nd, 2008 at 11:38 am
Notebook kind of chap myself but it’s not much help when there’s a big block of nearly-finished text that just needs some shining up. I did find a way around the bulk of the laptop by getting an obsolete (and so very cheap)PDA and one of those fold up keyboards. Took some getting used to but very useful for coffee-shops, trains and park benches and it all fits into the same pocket the notebook does. Probably a lot less romantic though. And more than a little geeky.
January 22nd, 2008 at 11:43 am
Wow… I could never see myself doing that just because I find even texting very annoying sometimes. But then again, once you got your creative juices flowing, maybe it would be handy to be able to write anywhere you like, whenever an idea caught your attention. Must be bad for your thumbs though, no?
January 22nd, 2008 at 11:56 am
“…mostly love stories written in the short sentences characteristic of text messaging but containing little of the plotting or character development found in traditional novels.”
Will it catch on? Probably, for the Celia Larkins of the world. Don’t do it Sinead; we expect better from you.
January 22nd, 2008 at 1:15 pm
How cute is that Rin girl though? She’d better watch out or Gwen Stefani might kidnap her.
January 22nd, 2008 at 3:55 pm
What about films on phones David?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKiIroiCvZ0
January 23rd, 2008 at 12:02 am
Mobile chicklit? Bring on real books please.
January 23rd, 2008 at 12:34 pm
Regularly use phone (Nokia E61) or PDA (Dell Axim x51v) with my bluetooth keyboard (igo foldout keyboard - quite cheap on expansys.ie) to write notes, blog post draft or sections of larger documents. A document I’m working on at the moment (40k word target for the client) has been written mainly on my E61 with the bits pulled together and formatted on my laptop and gets any graphics that are needed stuck in.
Will it catch on? I suspect as people realise it can be done yes, but I don’t think it will be ‘mass appeal’ for quite some time. I just hate wasting 2.5 hours each way on my commute.
January 23rd, 2008 at 6:26 pm
You could always ‘do a radiohead’ and text everyone your novel, with the option to buy it in hardback for €80 in 3 months time…