In line with the launch of BlackBerry 10, the BlackBerry Keep Moving Project was created to show that when the right people and the right technology come together, amazing things can happen. Author Neil Gaiman is part of the initiative and has kicked off Phase II of his Keep Moving Project this week.
Over the past two weeks Neil used his BlackBerry Z10 smartphone to engage with fans to get the inspiration for 12 short stories he has written and recorded. The “Calendar of Tales” representing each calendar month has resulted in some interesting themes, including:
JANUARY: A grizzled and experienced soldier fighting in a unique war hands the reigns over to his fresh-faced successor.
APRIL: Some clever ducks teach a man a lesson or two about dealing from the bottom of the card deck.
OCTOBER: A woman gets an unexpected visit from a genie – only it’s the genie who finds himself rather startled by her response.
DECEMBER: A young runaway finds herself alone at night on the streets, and runs into someone she never would have thought to meet.
All 12 written stories are available on the BlackBerry Keep Moving Hub (recordings of Neil reading the stories will be available Feb. 25).
Part II of Neil’s Keep Moving Project is calling for fans to provide the visual accompaniment to the tales that he is writing. These could be illustrations, photographs, collages or even examples of costume play (where people dress up as fictional characters from the stories). Fans will have three weeks to contribute this content (Feb 19 to March 11). As in Phase I, Neil will interact with fans over the course of this phase, providing comments on the most interesting contributions from his BlackBerry Z10 smartphone. Deviant Art, a vibrant community of artists, will also be encouraging artists to contribute and participate.
Neil has been using his BlackBerry Z10 smartphone to tweet about the Keep Moving Project and stay organized as he travels the globe. Two of his favorite BlackBerry Z10 features are:
- BlackBerry Remember for organizing the project tweets (and now the images). BlackBerry Remember groups relevant photos, lists, messages and web links into one place.
- The Touchscreen Keyboard for fast, accurate typing. The keyboard learns your writing style and builds a library of words you commonly use. Words are offered up as you type, and with a simple “flick,” the next word falls into place.
Neil is planning to complete his Calendar of Tales soon. In the meantime we encourage you to check out the process as it continues at BlackBerry Keep Moving Hub.