In just over the minute or two that it takes you to read this article, you could take in a complete piece of fiction, complete with exposition, complication, rising action, crisis, climax, resolution and moral, all on your cell phone.
Concerned that short story compilations are becoming a harder sell, Columbia College journalism profession Daniel Sinker has created a mobile site -- cellstories.net -- which offers a daily dose of short prose whenever you need it.
Sinker says the short stories -- the perfect length for "L" or bus commutes -- are free.
"Right now the point of CellStories is to put something amazing out into the world," Sinker told WBEZ radio. "If that turns into a way to make a modest amount of money, that’s great."
The stories that are currently offered were hand-picked by Sinker, but he said he's "taking a generous approach" in the offerings. Stories have been submitted to him by multi-novel authors and a Chicago cab driver. Professional publishers also add to the mix to "keep standards high," he said.
The mobile site isn't an app ("Not everything needs to be an app. Really! It's true!" he writes on the site). Just point your iPhone, iPod Touch or Android phone to cellstories.net and enjoy.
