Friday, April 30, 2010

Launch fever stirring up @tweetarrator

That's right folks… tweetarrator launches on Saturday May 1st, 2010 @ 10.00am NZT (New Zealand Time).

For those in other parts of the world the means you get it before you arrive… how awesome is that?

I have something special planned at 8.00am NZT as we begin something that is really quite new for the internet, twitter and facebook -  Twitter storytelling.

Keep tuned in.

The Mountain in Labor enjoy

  • A Mountain was once greatly agitated. Loud groans and noises were heard, and crowds of people came from all parts to see
  • what was the matter. While they were assembled in anxious expectation of some terrible calamity, out came a Mouse.
  • Don't make much ado about nothing. The End.

Thursday, April 29, 2010

The Wolf and the Crane

  • A Wolf who had a bone stuck in his throat hired a Crane, for a large sum, to put her head into his mouth and draw out the bone.
  • When the Crane had extracted the bone and demanded the promised payment, the Wolf, grinning and grinding his teeth, exclaimed:
  • "Why, you have surely already had a sufficient recompense, in having been permitted to draw out your head in safety from
  • the mouth and jaws of a wolf." In serving the wicked, expect no reward, and be thankful if you escape injury for your pains. The End.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

The Father and His Sons

  • A father had a family of sons who were perpetually quarreling among themselves. When he failed to heal their disputes by his exhortations,
  • he determined to give them a practical illustration of the evils of disunion; and for this purpose he one day told them to bring him
  • a bundle of sticks [a faggot]. When they had done so, he placed the faggot into the hands of each of them in succession,
  • and ordered them to break it in pieces. They tried with all their strength, and were not able to do it.
  • He next opened the faggot, took the sticks separately, one by one, and again put them into his sons' hands,
  • upon which they broke them easily. He then addressed them in these words: "My sons, if you are of one mind, and unite to assist each other,
  • you will be as this faggot, uninjured by all the attempts of your enemies; but if you are divided among yourselves,
  • you will be broken as easily as these sticks." The End.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Story Coming 1st May 2010

Its our place and you are invited.

On the first of may our first story will be broadcast.

Prelaunch proverbs & their meanings

Proverb1: Absence makes the heart grow fonder.
Meaning1: When you are away from someone you love, you love them even more.
Proverb2: Accidents will happen.
Meaning2: Some unfortunate events must be accepted as inevitable.
Proverb3: Actions speak louder than words.
Meaning3: What a person actually does is more important that what they say they will do.

Monday, April 26, 2010

The Boy Hunting Locusts

  • A boy was hunting for locusts. He had caught a goodly number, when he saw a Scorpion, and mistaking him for a locust,
  • reached out his hand to take him. The Scorpion, showing his sting, said: "If you had but touched me, my friend,
  • you would have lost me, and all your locusts too!" The End.

Sunday, April 25, 2010

The Farmer and the Stork

  • A Farmer placed nets on his newly-sown ploughlands and caught a number of Cranes, which came to pick up his seed.
  • With them he trapped a Stork that had fractured his leg in the net and was earnestly beseeching the Farmer to spare his life.
  • "Pray save me, Master," he said, "and let me go free this once. My broken limb should excite your pity.
  • Besides, I am no Crane, I am a Stork, a bird of excellent character; and see how I love and slave for my father and mother.
  • Look too, at my feathers-- they are not the least like those of a Crane." The Farmer laughed aloud and said,
  • "It may be all as you say, I only know this: I have taken you with these robbers, the Cranes, and you must die in their company."
  • Birds of a feather flock together. The End.

Saturday, April 24, 2010

it's coming and you're invited!

Follow @tweetarrator and begin reading.

That's right - commencing 1st May 2010 you can be part of one of the most unique reading groups on planet earth.  Fiction delivered in 'story chunks' direct to you via twitter.

Every day (Mon to Sat) we will tweetarrate (narrate via twitter) a story to you.  tweetarrator will broadcast 4 to 6 tweets within a few minutes to give the follower (you) a chunk of the short story we are reading together.  A story of around 3,500 words will take approximately 30 days to broadcast.

tweetarrations (story chunks) are sent once a day in a quick burst to keep you interested in the story and not completely sidetracked from your busy day. We think that's pretty cool and we hope you do as well. If you don't check your tweets in a particular day that's cool, the tweets will be waiting for you.  It won't take too much to catch up.

As followers increase we will develop this twitter service further. Some ideas like:
  • Showcasing classic, readable, authors of the past to reignite a passion for reading fiction
  • Tweetarrator marathons (reading events where we read a whole book over a compressed timefame)
  • Author introductions and interviews
  • Book launches (sampling of new books for follower feedback and promotion) 
  • Writing competitions - an opportuinity for new authors to emerge
It's easy, it's free - simply follow @tweetarrator and we'll do the rest... how easy is that?

The Hare and the Tortoise

  • A Hare one day ridiculed the short feet and slow pace of the Tortoise, who replied, laughing: "Though you be swift as the wind,
  • I will beat you in a race." The Hare, believing her assertion to be simply impossible, assented to the proposal;
  • and they agreed that the Fox should choose the course and fix the goal. On the day appointed for the race the two started together.
  • The Tortoise never for a moment stopped, but went on with a slow but steady pace straight to the end of the course.
  • The Hare, lying down by the wayside, fell fast asleep. At last waking up, and moving as fast as he could,
  • he saw the Tortoise had reached the goal, and was comfortably dozing after her fatigue. Slow but steady wins the race. The End.