After this post, I have been thinking about the ideas and ideals of NewPulp and Open Source Pulp.
So I decided to come up with this:
----------------------------
NewPulp is a storytelling and media-making movement that recognizes the work and conditions of genre authors and artists of previous generations and builds upon those foundations to create a new, yet familiar brand of populist genre entertainment.
NewPulp crosses both genre and media lines creating a hybrid form of fictional entertainment that embraces the immediacy, variety and economy of the internet as a means of storytelling.
NewPulp is concerned primarily with entertaining its populist audience, and eschews any pretense of “importance.” NewPulp attempts to simply capture the joy of genre fiction storytelling for new audiences and new media.
New Pulp, while aiming first to entertain, also seeks to reinvent how such genre fiction may be created and presented. This includes, but is not limited to: new plot devices and structures; the use of new media; greater depth and variety of characterization; the use of popular cultural references and the application of today’s science, technology, politics and social norms and aberrations.
NewPulp is not concerned with either satire or parody of the form as the conventions of genre fiction from previous generations are well known and easy prey. NewPulp instead seeks to evolve the form so that the storytelling resonates with today’s audiences in a meaningful, entertaining and engaging manner.
NewPulp embraces the heroic ideal in all its forms,but is not limited by it.
NewPulp is by its very nature an amalgam of various genres and forms. It rejects only those strictures that seek to chain the fiction to realism, and is a storytelling movement of entertaining big ideas and ideals.
NewPulp understands and embraces interactivity with its audience as a means to develop material, creators and storytelling media and markets.
NewPulp is meant to be created and shared quickly no matter how the storytelling is accomplished - prose, art, video/film, audio, interactive game, poetry or performance --including cosplay. (edit to add: Just as previous generations of pulp creators wrote quickly in order to be paid for their work, today's NewPulp creators work quickly to feed the internet pipeline which entertains the audience).
NewPulp strives not for strict “perfection,” but for entertainment value in which it finds its “perfection.” It is imperfect and a storytelling predicated upon the willing suspension of disbelief of its audience.
--------------------------------
Not complete as I am sure I've left some gaping thoughts wide open, but it's a direction.
2 comments:
Excellent post Pulp Master,
The Declaration is excellent. It ties in greatly with the "new economy" and its three distinguishing characteristics: It is global, it favors intangible things - ideas, information and relationships and it is intensely interlinked.
On board! I posted some expressions of support on my blog, but I wanted to comment specifically on the way in which games intersect with NewPulp.
RPGs as a story-creation tool have led to the proliferation of "Story Hours" wherein folks relate the tales of their imaginary adventures to small audiences. A sort of "proving ground" for amateur writers to develop their craft, if they wish to.
New ideas thrive best in eco-systems where they can develop undisturbed by market forces. It will be interesting to see where NewPulp goes if these small backwaters are the markets it embraces.
Post a Comment