Let me take you back to mid/late 2006. In several key ways, the podcast fiction landscape was very different than it is today. There were probably 80 titles at Podiobooks.com (as opposed to the nearly 430 (!!!) at the time of this writing). The podfic space was essentially still forming, and creative and promotional precedents were consistently being set. The creator community was smaller (and as a natural by-product of this, generally tighter). Some of the current biggest names in the space weren’t yet on the scene.

While the current podfic space is obviously vibrant and thriving, there is little doubt for those of us who personally experienced that explosion of creativity in 2006 (and in 2005, from several brilliantly prescient authors) that there was a palatable newness in the air, a collective Go Out And Create Awesome Things vibe in the creator community. This was way before anyone snagged a major print deal. All we creators had was you — our listeners — and each other.

During 2006, during what I recall to be the height of this initial go-get-’em collaborative spirit, Mur Lafferty released her supernatural fantasy novella Heaven. It was, deservedly, a hit. In a brilliant plot twist halfway in the story, the world ends. Boom. Done. (Since the novella has been out for about four years, the statute of limitations on spoilers has passed, amigo.) And this incredible development set off an epic brainstorm in my noggin.

What follows is a document I wrote and pitched to Mur Lafferty — and informally pitched to several podfic authors at the time. There was a lot of enthusiasm for the project. For a few weeks, many IMs were sent from author to author — “A Crisis On Infinite Earths for podiobooks? Cool!” — and the groundbreaking idea code-named The End Is Nigh, conceived before Mur wrote the Heaven sequels, looked like it might actually happen.

(more…)

I have the unbelievable privilege to report that I have received the highest honor that can be bestowed by my home state, the Commonwealth of Kentucky. I am now a Kentucky Colonel. Yes, I can in fact put “Col. J.C. Hutchins” on my business cards.

While you need not hail from the Bluegrass State to receive this supercool distinction (and true honor), I suspect most Kentuckians grow up hearing about the Colonels and maybe — in their secret hearts — quietly hope they might someday become a Colonel themselves. I certainly know I did. The title is an honorary one (it’s the best deal ever — it requires no duties, and carries no pay or compensation other than membership in the Honorable Order of Kentucky Colonels), but is absolutely awesome.

How did this come to pass? Thank Jack Staples (left), a fan of my fiction. Jack secretly nominated me for this honor, which apparently survived the vetting process and was presented to Governor Steve Beshear for consideration. (Only Colonels can nominate others for commission; Jack himself is a Colonel.) Today, I received a package containing an 11″x17″ certificate signed by Beshear and Secretary of State Trey Grayson. Also included was a hand-written note from Jack:

While no one can speak for the Governor as to why he writes a commission, I can tell you why I nominated you. It was for your selfless dedication to the people around you as you rose in the ranks of podcasting, as well as your contributions to the field of podcasting.

As I told Jack, I’m absolutely humbled that he believed anything I’ve done in the New Media space warranted such attention. The fact that this potboiler-writing (and pot-bellied!) wordherder was approved further stupefies me.

According to a document that accompanied the certificate, Kentucky Colonels are “Kentucky’s ambassadors of goodwill and fellowship around the world.” This is very cool, but it’s got me wondering: Does this mean I have to behave myself?

Unbelievably, I’m now in the company of Colonels such as Johnny Depp, Muhammed Ali, Elvis Presley, Winston Churchill, Whoopi Goldberg, Tiger Woods, Betty White, Babe Ruth and Pope John Paul II. I take greatest pleasure in knowing I have the same honorary Colonel-dom bestowed to Harland Sanders (the KFC colonel) and Tom Parker (“The Colonel,” Elvis Presley’s manager).

Personally, I’m hoping someone cooks up a fan-created “Novelist Version” of the Clue board game, if only so someone out there can someday say: “Colonel Hutchins in the Library with the Revolver!”

In all sincerity, I’m absolutely honored to be a Kentucky Colonel, and am especially grateful to Jack Staples for finding me worthy of nomination.

Call me Colonel,

–J.C.

Here’s an excerpt of a blog post made by my dear friend Jeff Sass — a former co-worker and contributor of 2008′s 7th Son: Obsidian — at Dad-O-Matic. It’s about the #StillHere experience:

“I found out about JoinTheColony.com from an unexpected package that I received, and I made the short video below to document my own experiences with this clever promotion.  If you are reading this, then you can assume I survived and am #STILLHERE.  Enjoy!”

Check out Jeff’s brilliant video below … and then read his post at Dad-O-Matic. He gives the #StillHere experience a big thumb’s up, and also poses an intriguing question about kids and new forms of entertainment. Give him an appreciative shout in the comments at Dad-O-Matic!

Also, be sure to check out additional unboxing videos from two of my personal #geekcrushes: the stellarly-talented blogger/author Violet Blue and ever-awesome author Christiana Ellis (who was also an Obsidian contributor).

As someone who’s received special packages like this in the past, I’m thrilled that they’ve all enjoyed their experiences so far.

#StillHere,

–J.C.

If you’re a podcaster looking to fill about 50 seconds of your show for a cool creative project, give this audio promo for #StillHere a spin. It promotes the transmedia prequel experience for Discovery Channel’s The Colony, which can by found at JoinTheColony.com.

I collaborated with dozens of brilliant creators and programmers at Campfire on this groundbreaking narrative as #StillHere’s Lead Writer.

–J.C.

 Podcast Audio Promo For #StillHere [00:50m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The only thing cooler than helping Campfire create a celebrity Public Service Announcement set in the fictional post-apocalyptic world of #StillHere is watching it after it’s been assembled and published.

Of course, it’s exponentially cooler when that celebrity is actress Denise Crosby, perhaps best-known for her role as Lt. Tasha Yar on Star Trek: The Next Generation. (TNG geeks like me also know her as “Sela.”) This is one of the coolest things I’ve ever worked on. Check it. Tweet and FB it. Embed it at your blog.

Join The Colony from Campfire on Vimeo.

This PSA — and more than 300 other updates, comments, newscasts, blog posts, breaking news stories, photos and videos — await you at JoinTheColony.com. It’s an online prequel experience simulation for Discovery Channel’s show The Colony. The Colony’s second season debuts on July 27.

Mainline this free content at JoinTheColony.com. Sign in via Facebook Connect to behold how the incurable virus Denise describes — the Nuclear Flu — might affect you, and those closes to you: your family and friends. (A Facebook login isn’t required, but boy, does it make it so much cooler…)

#StillHere,

–J.C.

My latest fiction project — a groundbreaking online narrative that gives you and your friends ringside seats to the end of the world — is now live. I’ve worked with dozens of talented creators and developers on this story for months now, and hope you’ll find it as fun and resonant as we do.

We’ve nicknamed this story #StillHere. It’s a transmedia experience designed to introduce you the devastated world of the Discovery Channel’s TV program The Colony. It’s an interesting place to visit, but you wouldn’t want to live here: this world has been wrecked by an ultra-contagious virus called “Nuclear Flu.” The second season of The Colony debuts in the U.S. on Tuesday, July 27.

The Colony show features seven non-actor volunteers participating in an immersive social experiment, exploring what life might be like after this biological catastrophe. They’re tasked with surviving without creature comforts, facing physical and emotional challenges — including danger from rival survivors. I’ve seen The Colony’s first season, and thought it was pretty amazing.

My involvement with The Colony and Discovery begins and ends with #StillHere, an exclusive online prequel experience that simulates how this pandemic could spread and affect those closest to you. Using the familiar setting of your favorite social network, you’ll bear witness to the unhinging of the world, told from many unique perspectives: those of your family and friends.

Literally, your family and friends. Your Facebook-connected buddies are already posting at the site, riding shotgun toward the apocalypse. Your loved ones are writing status updates about hope and coping in this damaged world … sharing newscast videos about the virus … commenting on blog posts, photo galleries, home-made videos, breaking news stories and more. They’re scraping by, desperately trying to outrun the Nuclear Flu, and need you to join them.

Which you should do. Right now. At JoinTheColony.com.

More than 300 updates and comments — and dozens of videos, photos, articles and more — await you, all set in an America ravaged by this unstoppable virus. As part of a creative team that included artists, filmmakers, animators and programmers, I acted as Lead Writer, playing a large role in creating the world of #StillHere. But this narrative machine had many moving parts, and the people who envisioned and executed this project are as numerous as they are talented.

I’ll soon tell you more about #StillHere, the experience of crafting its content, and the astoundingly brilliant folks at Campfire, the company that conceived this project and invited me to collaborate with them.

In the meantime, give the #StillHere simulation a spin. Visit JoinTheColony.com, log in using Facebook Connect, and behold a unique narrative experience customized solely for you. If you enjoy it, share its content on Twitter and Facebook with your friends and family. Spread the word.

Oh. One thing. Don’t bother getting a preventative flu shot or buying a surgical face mask before embarking on your #StillHere experience. Nuclear Flu is already in the air, right now. You’ve probably already contracted it.

Your friends certainly have. As you’ll soon discover, not all of them will make it.

JoinTheColony.com. Have fun.

#StillHere,

–J.C.

In mere days, a groundbreaking fiction experience I’ve been working on since mid-May will debut online. I’m very proud of it, and hope you’ll check it out when it’s live.

What is this new story? I’ve been working under a non-disclosure agreement for months now, and can’t reveal much until it’s in the wild. But I convinced my keepers to let me leak a few deets before then. I’ll first tell you what it isn’t … and then follow up with what it is.

This new fiction experience, which I’ve nicknamed #NewHutchFiction on Twitter and Facebook (since I can’t yet reveal its title), is NOT:

• A novel, novella or short story
• A podcast in any shape or form
• A “paid” experience — it’ll be Free
• Available in any conventional format such as a printed book or e-book, and will never be

Egad! No book? No podcast? Nope. It’s something new, a breed of fiction that — to the best of my knowledge — has never been seen before. It will unfold exclusively online, using familiar web technologies in unfamiliar, but very cool, ways.

So what can I reveal? This fiction experience IS:

• Designed to be a realistic, authentic experience
• Text, video, photos and other multimedia stories, nearly all of which were written by me
• Dozens of other talented creators — from producers to model makers to art directors and filmmakers — contributed to this experience, making it an amazing and unique collaboration (an environment in which I thrive)
• In a surreal twist, YOU will be the star of this story (though it’s not a Choose Your Own Adventure-like tale)
• The project is a spin-off of a television series from a major cable network
• You know this network
• Being a geek like me, you watch and love this network

By my reckoning, this experience is red-hot. It’s something I would enjoy experiencing as an audience member, which is the primary reason I signed up to help create it. I, and the company that hired me to realize this project, have pulled out all the creative stops to create an authentic and emotionally resonant experience for you.

The money invested into this project is sick. We’ve hired professional actors, some from screen and stage. We’ve got slick production values. We’ve even got a celebrity cameo up our sleeve that’ll knock you out of your shoes.

Watch my site for more announcements. In the meantime, below are a few teaser images from the experience.

Oh wait. I forgot to tell you what the story’s actually about, didn’t I?

It’s about the end of the world.

–J.C.

My buddies Scott Roche and Zach Ricks — two incredible podcast storytellers — have cooked up something mighty cool for sci-fi fans. Learn all about it in this press release!

Enjoy Your Sci-fi and Fantasy How and Where You Want

Beginning July 4th, science fiction and fantasy fans will be given a new place where they can discover authors and stories they’ll be able to enjoy wherever they go.  Flagship, the new e-zine by publisher Flying Island Press, will soon be releasing these stories in formats for the Kindle, the iPad and iPhone, and other electronic readers.

Flying Island Press also recognizes the increasing popularity of podcasts and other forms of audio fiction.  So, in addition to the e-zine, an audio version will be available to listen to on any MP3 player.  Stories they release will be available both in text and in audio, allowing the consumer to choose their preferred version.

Zach Ricks, managing editor for Flagship, had this to say.  “I wanted to hearken back to what some have called the Golden Age of Science Fiction.”  It’s his hope that “FlagShip will be a place for optimistic, entertaining fiction.”

Each issue will cost $1.99 for the text version or the audio version or get both for just $2.99.

Issues are now available at FlyingIslandPress.com!