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ShareMUMBAI: 'Miguel Pasiviero was a male chauvinist pig, long before the expression became common parlance...' These are the opening lines of Jeffrey Archer's new story 'Women's Rights'. As has been the case with Archer's other stories, this one too is remarkable in its own sense. Remarkable, because Archer has contributed only 147 words to this story.
For the story to progress, people like you and me have to begin from where Archer left. All this action takes place on a website whose name says it all--www.theneverendingstory.co.uk. The site provides internet users from all over the world a chance to contribute to stories and poems started by well-known authors and personalities or site members themselves.
The best part about this website is the ease with which you can make contributions. All you need to do is simply log in, go to the story and click the 'write the next page' link. Following this a blank page appears on which you can write your part of the story.
This website is a brainchild of Arup Biswas, a former journalist who is based inthe United Kingdom. Biswas speaks about the idea behind this concept. "I wanted to create a story writing website where story lovers could read constantly evolving stories and make additions themselves, thus influencing the storyline and plots."
He adds that people from all over the world contributing to a story bring together many cultures and life experiences. This has the potential of making remarkable stories."
The website was launched on April 2 (Hans Christian Andersen's birthday), 2006. After many tests, an upgraded was launched in February 2007. The new site has a
specially designed programme called DocRoc which allows members to start their stories. Members can keep their stories private or put them live on the site for other members to read and contribute.
Biswas says the company aims to publish the best stories and poems created on the website as books, acknowledging every site member who has contributed a page or verse.
According to Biswas, the website has over 1,000 members and this number is swelling by the day. "More and more people are contributing to stories," says Biswas.
So does a story ever come to an end? Biswas says that "though a book may come to a conclusion the story itself can carry on, even if it's following another character and exploring their story."
"Have you never wondered what happened to a particular character from your favourite book? Maybe that could be the start of your story," remarks Biswas.
