STORYTELLING VIA REAL-TIME TWEETS
In mobile app Everyst, stories come in snippets, delivered by the characters themselves
Let’s face it, reading can get boring.
When reading a book, for instance, we tend to skim through uninteresting parts to get to the good stuff—character-driven moments that can either lift our spirits or break our hearts. But what if the journey that is reading is as simple and as satisfying as reading a tweet?
Welcome to Everyst, a manga and light novel mobile app that tells its stories in real time, through tweets delivered by the characters themselves. This playful and unconventional twist on storytelling is the brainchild of an international group of creatives led by Ben Watanabe.
“What we wanted to do is make stories that could be read in five-second glances,” said Everyst CEO Watanabe. “It’s so different from a book. You can’t tear out a page of a book and share it with your friends and instantly have a conversation.”
Available on iOS, Everyst cultivated a strong and dedicated fan base in the months following its release. In line with Everyst’s success and its growing roster of Filipino illustrators and writers, the company wants to draw more young readers in the country.
“We really love our Filipino fans because they pick up on the small details,” said Watanabe. “Seeing people fall in love with our characters makes us really happy. Fans go back and reference our stories. With Everyst, it’s easy for people to come together.”
Over 100 stories
Users who download Everyst can enjoy a library of over 100 stories, spanning multiple genres. Stories are delivered every week through chapters, a pattern that mimics the cycle of popular television shows.
Geek culture
Today, geek culture is enjoying a renaissance. Today’s young audience now have a multitude of choices at their fingertips.
No matter how obscure “fandom” may be, there’s an almost infinite number of ways for fans to interact with what they love most.
But direct character interaction remains one of the most crucial elements missing from the fan experience.
“It’s not every day that you get characters delivering their thoughts and dialogue directly to their audience. Everyst brings characters to life,” said Alfonso, who is among Everyst’s young Filipino creators.
“I think young Filipinos will embrace Everyst because there is a growing population of manga, comic and animé lovers,” she added.
And this is what makes Everyst such a unique platform for creators to tell their stories. Because each segment is told through tweets, young readers now have the power to interact with the very characters that compelled them to fall in love with a story in the first place.