Which content management system should I use for a collaborative storytelling website?

February 19, 2004 9:24 PM

I'm looking for a new project, and I'd like to build some sort of collaborative storytelling site. Kind of like Fray, but only in the storytelling sense -- more prolific, more interactive, more user-driven. So, I'm looking for an engine. [MI]

I have fairly mad client side skillz, but only moderate server side skills, so I'm hoping someone can point me to some sort of (non-expensive) solution. Something on a MovableType scale, but more like a forum. It would ideally have automated user sign up, the ability to categorize stories for future sorting, etc.

Any thoughts?

posted by o2b to computers & internet (8 comments total)

Open collaboration? Editors or moderators? Free for all?

I don't know of "storytelling site" code that's already out there, and without knowing more about how you wish it would work, it's tough to say what might be most suitable for the purpose of bending to your will. You work client-side, you know how it is when the customer doesn't give you the requirements but still wants you to "do stuff." This is like that.

Got some requirements? You may very well be able to warp Scoop, or one of the other many pseudo-Slashcodes that inexplicably get labelled as CMSes, to your desires.
posted by majick at 10:27 PM on February 19, 2004

I always thought the mefi engine would work great for storytelling...
posted by chaz at 10:38 PM on February 19, 2004

I was thinking of doing this a few years back - collaborative story-telling with reader/writers rating individual parts of a story to fork it off in new directions. Then found out that most of what I was thinking of doing was implemented in Interactive Fiction. Never could get the demo working on my server, though, so I can't offer an opinion about how good it is. (Hmm, switched servers a while back, guess I should try again.)
posted by rory at 2:14 AM on February 20, 2004

Take a look at BrambleStory. It's a fairly new site with some interesting web-based interfaces for collaborative writing and critiquing. Could be a good source of functionality ideas, if nothing else. And if you contacted the developer (Tim Spalding, who also runs Isidore-of-Seville.com), he might be willing to give you a look at his codebase.
posted by staggernation at 6:08 AM on February 20, 2004

I'm currently working on a similar site to the one you describe. I'm doing it all with MT and it's working out pretty nicely. I don't really want to link it here though as it's not anywhere near complete. shoot me an email if you'd like to see it/want more info.
posted by soplerfo at 7:16 AM on February 20, 2004

OT: Please stop using [MI]
posted by riffola at 7:56 AM on February 20, 2004

Wait, wait, wait... the irony is killing me...

Interactive Fiction, linked to above, looks interesting, at least from the demo. I don't know how much you can or want to customize it to your particular purpose, but at least the basics are as you describe your project.
posted by JollyWanker at 8:59 AM on February 20, 2004

Interactive Fiction looks very groovy. Thanks.
posted by o2b at 9:20 AM on February 20, 2004