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.
