A digital, serialized, erotic novella for the month of August
On July 31st we got a press release about “29 Days of August,” a “digital novella of appetites” meant to be read throughout the month on “the social networks you already use.” Here’s the scoop:
Designed as an accompaniment to the languid, over-heated days of summer, “29 Days of August” follows the adventures of two lovers as they travel in a vintage Porsche 914 through Europe and steal a painting that captured the imagination of 19th century luminaries from Oscar Wilde to Sarah Bernhardt. This couple lives by two simple rules. First, hide nothingâshare with radical transparency each moment, each caress. Second, never utter a word about the pastâno names, no history, no baggage.
Taking queues from serialized classics such as “One Thousand and One Nights,” but unlike anything that has come until now in the digital age, “29 Days of August” is customized to the reading habits of a wired, mobile world. Broken into 29 bite-size installments delivered every day at 2 PM EST from August 1 – 29, the story of this coupleâs sexual, aesthetic and gustatory passions will unfold online across all the major digital venues where consumers are already reading. Simply âlikeâ “29 Days of August” on Facebook or âfollowâ it on Twitter and each episode of the story will be delivered to your feed.
Stylistically, the piece is written to respect the most technically limited of online platforms: Twitter. Each paragraph is reduced to the breathless, fractured format of this mediumâs 140 character bursts. However, a custom, “flood_streamâ algorithm has been developed that will allow posts to be displayed chronologically as multiple tweets, thereby filling a readerâs feed each day with a more lengthy sensual interlude. “29 Days of August” is embedded within the fabric of social networks but exists at a slower, vacation-oriented velocity, asking to be relished leisurely through the course of the month.
But we still had some questions, so we asked ORO:
Q: What is ORO Design? There isn’t anything on oro-design.com – how come?
A: Great question. Mostly because we haven’t found a good way to unify the things we work on. Our core focus is on pleasure – [we make]Â Mile High intimacy kits – but we also design textiles.
Q: How racy/raunchy does the novella get?
A: Very.
Q: Is it merely sexy or sex-related, or could this be considered erotica?
A: Yes, erotica, but with a deeper narrative that lives through the month. The reader is going to get a little sensual bump every day and will progressively be drawn into the life of this couple.
Q: About how many Tweets will there be per day?
A: Each installment is bite size – generally fewer than 2 pages. Each day is also accompanied by amazing illustrations from Suzanna Schlemm.
Q: Can you clarify the various ways you can read it?
A: We worked really hard to make this story available in as many online venues as possible. The simplest way to read is to join the mailing list from www.29daysofaugust.com. However, we think its more fun to:
- Follow on Twitter:Â www.twitter.com/29daysofaugust
- Follow on Tumblr:Â http://29daysofaugust.tumblr.com
- “Like” on Facebook: www.facebook.com/29doa (don’t forget to read this sorting by “most recent”)
These social networks make it really easy for you to share the good bits with your friends. If you subscribe to any of these social media sites, our posts will automatically show up in your feed at around 2PM EST. For the blog curmudgeon, the text is also available on http://29daysofaugust.wordpress.com.
Q: What’s the point, or the goal with this project?
A: Big picture: we wanted to take this very old form of storytelling, the serialized novel, and make it new through the use of social networks. On a more intimate level we wanted to create a narrative that as many people could live and share at the same time. Beyond that, it just seemed like a good idea to help people get a little hot and bothered this summer.
