Blog fiction
Encyclopedia
Blog fiction is a form of fiction writing that uses blog
s to reach its readership. It is a small-scale fringe activity in the world of blogging, and although it has generated some literary critical interest, it remains isolated. It is presented in many forms, from a pretend diary or posted novel to a serialblog.
, rising in popularity when free, automated blog
generators began appearing in 1999 and, most likely, will come to full artistic fruition within the iGeneration
. Echoing eighteenth century pamphleteering and the serialized publication
of fictional works from the eighteenth century to the present day, such as Laurence Sterne
’s Tristram Shandy (1759-67), many of Charles Dickens
' novels, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes
series, and Henry James
' The Ambassadors
(1903, with each of its twelve parts appearing in The North American Review before being published as a whole that same year), blog fiction appears in short installments of textual pieces, lexia, that must both stand on their own and work towards a larger whole.
by a fictitious person that may or may not announce its own fictional status. Many "non-fiction" blogs may likewise be elaborate sets of fictionalized personae, a situation which points to the seemingly limitless possibilities for identity production in cyberspace. Therefore, it is difficult to determine how many fictionalized "real" blogs there are on the Internet. Some adopt a portraiture style, trying to depict fictional lives or people, some engage in mock diaries, such as Fake Steve Jobs in which an anonymous author writes from the perspective of three fictional characters. Some attempt to tell serialized stories like a syndicated magazine (called a serialblog). Some blogs, such as Belle de Jour, have been accused of being fictional, with mixed results.
Though a relatively new genre, blog fiction has begun to develop its own set of conventions, whose antecedents can be found in innovative fiction such as The Journalist by Harry Mathews. It is common for fictional blogs to link into real world articles, or even other faked articles, to construct the illusion of a character within a world.
Within the realm of critical theory
and literature, blog fiction establishes a critical conversation with Roland Barthes
' conception of a "reality effect" or '"realistic effect" (effet de réel), which posits that the accumulation of redundant, superfluous and minute details within historiography
or a fictional narrative may not forward the plot yet persuasively signifies verisimilitude
.
, which began in 2006. The Blooker prize is an award given to the best "blook" of the year: a work of fiction begun as blog fiction and then transformed into a printed publication. Thus, even despite the radical and democratizing potential of blog fiction, printed works still maintain greater authority and "official" status in the world of fiction and academia.
However, many fictional blogs do not survive to this stage, and there exists no common recognition in general internet readership for fictional blogs per se at this time.
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
s to reach its readership. It is a small-scale fringe activity in the world of blogging, and although it has generated some literary critical interest, it remains isolated. It is presented in many forms, from a pretend diary or posted novel to a serialblog.
History
Using weblogs to explore various possibilities for constructing fictional works, blog fiction is a burgeoning format for creative digital writing and distribution on the InternetInternet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
, rising in popularity when free, automated blog
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
generators began appearing in 1999 and, most likely, will come to full artistic fruition within the iGeneration
IGeneration
iGeneration may refer to:* i-Generation Superstars of Wrestling, a former professional wrestling promotion* A song by American rap artist MC Lars.* The internet generation, also known as Generation Z...
. Echoing eighteenth century pamphleteering and the serialized publication
Serial (literature)
In literature, a serial is a publishing format by which a single large work, most often a work of narrative fiction, is presented in contiguous installments—also known as numbers, parts, or fascicles—either issued as separate publications or appearing in sequential issues of a single periodical...
of fictional works from the eighteenth century to the present day, such as Laurence Sterne
Laurence Sterne
Laurence Sterne was an Irish novelist and an Anglican clergyman. He is best known for his novels The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman, and A Sentimental Journey Through France and Italy; but he also published many sermons, wrote memoirs, and was involved in local politics...
’s Tristram Shandy (1759-67), many of Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
' novels, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by Scottish author and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The fantastic London-based "consulting detective", Holmes is famous for his astute logical reasoning, his ability to take almost any disguise, and his use of forensic science skills to solve...
series, and Henry James
Henry James
Henry James, OM was an American-born writer, regarded as one of the key figures of 19th-century literary realism. He was the son of Henry James, Sr., a clergyman, and the brother of philosopher and psychologist William James and diarist Alice James....
' The Ambassadors
The Ambassadors
The Ambassadors is a 1903 novel by Henry James, originally published as a serial in the North American Review . This dark comedy, one of the masterpieces of James's final period, follows the trip of protagonist Lewis Lambert Strether to Europe in pursuit of Chad, his widowed fiancée's supposedly...
(1903, with each of its twelve parts appearing in The North American Review before being published as a whole that same year), blog fiction appears in short installments of textual pieces, lexia, that must both stand on their own and work towards a larger whole.
Truth or Fake?
Some blog fiction takes the form of a fake blogFake blog
A fake blog is an electronic communication form that appears to originate from a credible, non-biased source, but which in fact is created by a company or organization for the purpose of marketing a product, service, or political viewpoint...
by a fictitious person that may or may not announce its own fictional status. Many "non-fiction" blogs may likewise be elaborate sets of fictionalized personae, a situation which points to the seemingly limitless possibilities for identity production in cyberspace. Therefore, it is difficult to determine how many fictionalized "real" blogs there are on the Internet. Some adopt a portraiture style, trying to depict fictional lives or people, some engage in mock diaries, such as Fake Steve Jobs in which an anonymous author writes from the perspective of three fictional characters. Some attempt to tell serialized stories like a syndicated magazine (called a serialblog). Some blogs, such as Belle de Jour, have been accused of being fictional, with mixed results.
Though a relatively new genre, blog fiction has begun to develop its own set of conventions, whose antecedents can be found in innovative fiction such as The Journalist by Harry Mathews. It is common for fictional blogs to link into real world articles, or even other faked articles, to construct the illusion of a character within a world.
Within the realm of critical theory
Critical theory
Critical theory is an examination and critique of society and culture, drawing from knowledge across the social sciences and humanities. The term has two different meanings with different origins and histories: one originating in sociology and the other in literary criticism...
and literature, blog fiction establishes a critical conversation with Roland Barthes
Roland Barthes
Roland Gérard Barthes was a French literary theorist, philosopher, critic, and semiotician. Barthes' ideas explored a diverse range of fields and he influenced the development of schools of theory including structuralism, semiotics, existentialism, social theory, Marxism, anthropology and...
' conception of a "reality effect" or '"realistic effect" (effet de réel), which posits that the accumulation of redundant, superfluous and minute details within historiography
Historiography
Historiography refers either to the study of the history and methodology of history as a discipline, or to a body of historical work on a specialized topic...
or a fictional narrative may not forward the plot yet persuasively signifies verisimilitude
Verisimilitude
Verisimilitude is the quality of realism in something .-Competing ideas:The problem of verisimilitude is the problem of articulating what it takes for one false theory to be closer to the truth than another false theory...
.
Controversy
Though many critics and literary scholars dismiss blog fiction as an inferior and faddish literary form, there is a trend towards the recognition of blogs as a legitimate arena of fiction production. For instance, self-publishing provider Lulu sponsors the Lulu Blooker PrizeLulu Blooker Prize
Lulu Blooker Prize is a literary award for "Blooks" , awarded in 2006 and 2007.It was sponsored by Lulu.com, a print on demand publisher, the name being a pun on the long-established Man Booker Prize....
, which began in 2006. The Blooker prize is an award given to the best "blook" of the year: a work of fiction begun as blog fiction and then transformed into a printed publication. Thus, even despite the radical and democratizing potential of blog fiction, printed works still maintain greater authority and "official" status in the world of fiction and academia.
However, many fictional blogs do not survive to this stage, and there exists no common recognition in general internet readership for fictional blogs per se at this time.