Chat fiction is a format of

web fiction Web fiction is written works of literature available primarily or solely on the Internet. A common type of web fiction is the web serial. The term comes from old serial stories that were once published regularly in newspapers and magazines. Unlike ...

written solely in the form of

text-message Text messaging, or texting, is the act of composing and sending electronic messages, typically consisting of alphabetic and numeric characters, between two or more users of mobile devices, desktops/laptops, or another type of compatible compute ...

instant messaging Instant messaging (IM) technology is a type of online chat allowing real-time text transmission over the Internet or another computer network. Messages are typically transmitted between two or more parties, when each user inputs text and trigge ...

conversations. Works are read primarily through dedicated mobile phone applications, the earliest being Hooked, which launched in 2015. The format became popular among teenagers and young adults, and other competing platforms followed, including Yarn and Tap, among others.

History

The first chat fiction platform, Hooked, was created by

Prerna Gupta Prerna Gupta is an American serial entrepreneur focused on consumer entertainment. She currently is the CEO of Telepathic Inc., which developed the smartphone app Hooked. She cofounded several startups focused on music, dating, and short-stories ...

and Parag Chordia, who were writing a novel and decided to do

A/B testing A/B testing (also known as bucket testing, split-run testing, or split testing) is a user experience research methodology. A/B tests consist of a randomized experiment that usually involves two variants (A and B), although the concept can be also ...

to gauge reader preferences. They found that most of their target audience of teenagers failed to finish 1,000-word excerpts of best-selling young-adult novels, but read through stories of the same length written as text message conversations. They accordingly developed and launched Hook in 2015. The app gained popularity from late 2016, and reached the Apple

App Store An App Store (or app marketplace) is a type of digital distribution platform for computer software called applications, often in a mobile context. Apps provide a specific set of functions which, by definition, do not include the running of the co ...

's top position among free apps in 2017. Competing apps began launching the same year, including

Yarn Yarn is a long continuous length of interlocked fibres, used in sewing, crocheting, knitting, weaving, embroidery, ropemaking, and the production of textiles. Thread is a type of yarn intended for sewing by hand or machine. Modern manufact ...

, which also has a focus on

interactive fiction '' Interactive fiction, often abbreviated IF, is software simulating environments in which players use text commands to control characters and influence the environment. Works in this form can be understood as literary narratives, either in the ...

, and Tap, developed by the online publishing platform

Wattpad Wattpad is an online literature platform intended for users to read and write original stories. The founders Allen Lau and Ivan Yuen say that the platform aims to create social communities around stories and remove the barriers between readers a ...

Format

Chat fiction stories are presented as digital text conversations between two or more characters, without any

narration Narration is the use of a written or spoken commentary to storytelling, convey a narrative, story to an audience. Narration is conveyed by a narrator: a specific person, or unspecified literary voice, developed by the creator of the story to deli ...

. The format limits possible storytelling options, and presents a challenge to authors in conveying narrative only through dialogue. Most popular stories are of the horror and thriller genres. The format has been popular among teenagers and young adults, though it has been criticized as not providing a meaningful reading experience. Applications usually present the story incrementally, with the user tapping to advance the story message by message. Some platforms feature content by paid writers, while others allow or rely on user contributions. Revenue is usually based on a

freemium Freemium, a portmanteau of the words "free" and "premium," is a pricing strategy by which a basic product or service is provided free of charge, but money (a premium) is charged for additional features, services, or virtual (online) or physical (o ...

model, with basic access being free while subscribing offers removal of limits and other benefits.

References

{{reflist Web fiction Fiction forms Interactive fiction Interactive narrative Instant messaging