18 November,2014 07:43 AM IST | | Nevin Thomas
A website that started out as a platform for friends to share stories has in a few weeks become the most popular destination for budding writers
crowd
How many times have we all looked at a picture and interpreted it differently from a tiny description that gives words to the image. One Frame Stories, an initiative by Bench Media, is an online platform that encourages people, from all walks of life, to write and share their perspectives.
(below above) Some frames used for storytelling. PICS COURTESY/JAN JOSEPH GEORGE
How it works?
A new photograph is posted on the website every Friday, based on which one can write a story or express one's views about it in the less than 99 words. The story has to be in English and has to submitted before the next Friday. The team at One Frame Stories then evaluates the stories based on the submission criteria. Selected stories for each frame are published the next Friday.
When and why?
Jayakrishnan Pillai and Anup Joy, co-founders of Bench Media, started One Frame stories almost three months back, with the simple intention of providing a platform for their friends to share their stories. The rest was magic. What started with 17 writers on a basic Wordpress website, has nearly 250 excited storytellers today, and gets over 150 stories every week.
The response
"The response has been amazing. Today we have some great storytellers who enjoy writing week in week out. The stories that have been coming out are amazing," shares Pillai. With over three lakh Twitter impressions being made in such a short period of time, it is very clear that One Frame Stories is gaining popularity. "With One Frame Stories we have been able to encourage people who aren't exactly known as writers to produce some great works. Be it an established writer or rookie, everyone is on an even plane here," maintains Joy.
On the coffee table
At the moment, the co-founders tell us, the plan is to reach out to more people who have stories to tell and photographs to share. In the future, they also hope to publish a coffee table book with the frames and their best stories. "The objective of One Frame Stories will continue to be the same though. To showcase how there are hidden storytellers among us," assures Pillai.
Twitter handle: @OneFrameStories
