Text Message Novel Anyone?

(This short news update is from my newsletter, Sharing with Writers. Subscribe by sending an e-mail to me with with "subscribe" in the subject line. HoJoNews@aol.com)

What is a cell-phone novel?

Born of the wonderful art of texting, the Japanese are following their minimalist heritage (think haiku) to write cell-phone novels. I kid you not. Time Magazine reports they have "existed since 2000 when users of Japanese cell-phone websites started to upload their writing . . . " One of the first hits was Deep Love which was turned into a TV Show. Time also cites If You and Love Sky. Of course a form llike this requires carefully chosen words, concise-to-the-point words. Forget Latinate words with six syllables. Even if you can't conceive of writing a cell- phone novel, we all might learn something from the concise language required by the genre.

A couple of years ago a very with-it, tekky writing friend of mine, Joyce Faulkner, wanted to do something with texting mini-lessons for writers. It was beyond the ken of some of her partners. Read that "it was beyond my understanding!" I should have trusted someone with greater knowledge than I had. Heck, I might have been on the leading edge of a new wave in writing and communication with a bankroll to show for it. (-:

BTW, these novels "accounted for half of Japan's Top 10 novels in 2007."

Will text novels be the next thing we borrow from Asia. Seems graphic novels have done well, why not text. Mini-text to be absolutely accurate.

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Carolyn Howard-Johnson, author THIS IS THE PLACE; HARKENING: A COLLECTION OF STORIES REMEMBERED; TRACINGS, a chapbook of poetry; and two how to books, THE FRUGAL BOOK PROMOTER: HOW TO DO WHAT YOUR PUBLISHER WON'T; and THE FRUGAL EDITOR: PUT YOUR BEST BOOK FORWARD TO AVOID HUMILIATION AND ENSURE SUCCESS.
Her other blogs include TheNewBookReview.blogspot.com and AuthorsCoalition.blogspot.com, a blog that helps writers and publishers turn a ho-hum book fair booth into a sizzler.