Feedback from the workshop was encouraging – and raised some interesting points about the site and about the stories.

The concept itself was well received and the potential for links between the stories, literally and inexplicitly were appreciated, so readers might see connections that authors hadn’t intended but that have been made by their reading experience. The only connection I had intended between Jumble and Fumble was jumble sales, but readers connected the characters. It will be interesting to see what unintended connections arise when we have more content.

The button jar was a familiar thing to everyone and buttons as starting points, random stimulus, seemed to inspire people. The idea of random stimulus is something I would like to explore –

I have made some amendments. I have added a grey * to all of the buttons that have a story attached. Please let me know if that works – or if it is too subtle – it looks pretty. I have made the button on the story pages a link back to the page of buttons, although, I have left the pick a button too for now.

I do need and will provide a more accessible version – text only – and an index too when we have more content.

The stories have been edited too – now include things like punctuation! – Thanks for the edits.

The button jar is an old jam jar crammed with stories and can be seen at: http://www.staff.ljmu.ac.uk/ICDSHAYN/mywriting/buttonjar/index.html 

Collaborators are invited to look at the buttons and stories and to contribute a story to be attached to a button. The site will evolve over time and this blog will be a place to share observations about the development of narratives in the button jar site and observations about the process. 

To read a story visit the site and select pick a button. This will take you to a page of buttons. Select a button and you will go to a story associated with that button.

To contribute to the site follow this process:
1. Go to the site and follow the pick a button link. Select a button and see if it is free by hovering over the button - it will either display a title and authors name -meaning the button already has a story or it will display a number, for example button 10, which means it is still available.
2. Make a note of the number of the button and email me a story (maximum 500 words) and the number of the button you would like it attached to.
3. If you would like to link your story to another authors, for example does your character meet their character, or does one event follow another, or are they merely set in the same place, then also tell me which story you want to be connected to and which word is the link from your page.

The more stories added the better.

On this blog I would like to know how readers find the stories and any interconnections that develop as a reading experience. Also from writers how they feel about the process.