Publishers turn over a new leaf, letting readers change the story

What if Romeo and Juliet lived happily ever after, or Van Helsing decided Dracula wasn’t worth the trouble? In a high- tech twist on Choose Your Own Adventure, “active fiction” imbues readers with precisely that kind of power.

Launching this month in Amazon’s Kindle Store, Coliloquy e- books are peppered with “choice points” that allow readers to take the story in the direction most appealing to them — whether it’s experiencing a critical moment through another character’s eyes, setting the protagonist on a new path, or seeing what a sex scene would look like with a different partner.

Academics call it the “game- ification” of reading. But given the recent avalanche of interactive literature products, it may be more accurate to call it reading’s future.

“Think about how you tell stories to your friends,” says Lisa Rutherford, Coliloquy’s co- founder. “I bet it’s more of a conversation. And I also bet you give instalments over time, and that the feedback from those conversations can shape how and what happens next.”

Every Coliloquy book is published as an active Kindle application, as opposed to a static file. That means authors are able to write episodically, building the story using real- time feedback from readers.

Rutherford says the idea isn’t to crowd- source the writing process but rather to allow readers and authors an opportunity to engage in a way that’s mutually beneficial.

“In some cases, an author may find out that the market just isn’t there — and isn’t it better to know that now, rather than years later?” she says.

Literary agent Michelle Wolfson describes the concept as a hybrid of Choose Your Own Adventure and DVD special features. So far, she says the authors she’s approached about it have been intrigued rather than threatened by the notion of sharing creative control.

“The idea that readers can help influence [ the story] feels like an exciting proposition for authors in what has, until now, been a very solo, solitary occupation,” says Wolfson.

Coliloquy titles are available only in the U. S., but a positive reception is expected to see the imprint expand to Amazon’s Canadian arm. Rutherford says the company is actively seeking Canadian authors who’d be a good fit to pen new active fiction books.