Everyst, the social fiction platform, has announced the addition of two new Filipino writers to its global roster of storytellers: writer/illustrator, Ramina Alexis Alfonso (@MiChan617), and writer/illustrator, Lerie Ly (@mocheekanon).
What is Everyst?
Everyst is a new storytelling platform that encourages readers to engage in real time through “Social Fiction”. Available across all mobile devices, Everyst provides readers with a fun and unconventional approach to manga and light novels. Stories are told through a series of immersive ‘tweets’ that make each read a compelling and character-driven adventure. Made in Japan, Everyst found immediate success across Southeast Asia and now have their sights set on the Philippine market.
Ramina Alexis Alfonso shares, “Everyst’s way of delivering their stories is very convenient for people on-the-go because they release their stories part-by-part all throughout the day. So the characters themselves deliver the story to you through tweets in a real time format.”
“I assumed the pieces would be one-shots or six-word stories I often see online,” Lerie Ly adds. “I did not think the format was ideal until I read how Everyst adapted classic literary works like Dracula and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The “Social Fiction” format made those classics more accessible and less intimidating. It convinced me that the ‘bite-sized storytelling’ format works!”
Readers across all corners of the world have enthusiastically shared their thoughts on Twitter for Everyst’s brand of “Social Fiction”:
“This is probably the most immersive story I’ve read… The fact that you feel or interact with them is an amazing idea,” shares Cesar Armando (@multijuegos1315).
“Never read a Twitter story before. This is genuinely cool! I love the character interaction,” says Living in 2007 (@LivingIn07).
Who are Everyst’s Filipino Storytellers?
Ramina Alexis Alfonso is a twenty-nine year old writer from Cebu, and a graduate of the University of San Carlos. Primarily a freelance graphic artist by trade, her fiction centers on comedy, romance, and slice of life. The fusion of genres is perfectly captured in her debut story, Paper Cranes. The story follows Mayu Arata, a young girl intrigued by the sudden appearance of paper cranes on her desk.
“The story imparts an important lesson about selfless giving and how simple acts of kindness can leave an impact on someone’s life,” shares Alfonso. “Paper Cranes teaches us that while life doesn’t always go the way you’d expect it to be, it is full of surprises!”
Lerie Ly, a graphic designer and dedicated cosplayer, is no stranger to the print industry. She has worked on a number of Tagalog-language comic manuscripts for local imprints such as Black INK. Her story, Unforgettable Taste, was among the finalists for the Silent Manga Audition. Ly’s work touches upon elements of comedy and slice of life.
Ly’s debut piece, Out of Focus, tells the story of Aki, a freelance photographer in the midst of an existential crisis. In an attempt to put his life back together, Aki decides to document the wedding of his ex-girlfriend and her fiancé.
“It’s an on-going piece,” adds Ly. “Nothing’s certain except self-deprecating humor and regular mentions of Splatoon and coffee.”
A New Way of Telling Stories
For Alfonso and Ly, getting the chance to develop stories for a platform as unique and immediate as Everyst enables them to advance the craft of storytelling.
“If you can read on-the-go, you can also write on-the-go,” says Ly. “Just like the things I post online and tweet, ideas for stories tend to occur to me anytime and anywhere. I find the spur-of-the-moment lines more fitting to the story I’m writing and it also puts my knowledge of slangs and memes to good use too.”
“Everyst brings characters to life,” says Alfonso. “It’s not every day you get the characters delivering their thoughts or dialogues directly to the audience themselves. In Everyst we can do that!”
Everyst: A New Platform for Filipino Creators
Together, Alfonso and Ly represent the future of Filipino storytellers. Through Everyst, both women now have the chance to tell their stories and ply their craft to a global audience of young and excited readers. And given how connected Filipinos are to social media, both Alfonso and Ly expect readers to catch on to the accessibility and vast library available on Everyst.
“Everyst has a good chance of making it big in the Philippines given our fascination, if not obsession, with social media,” says Ly.
“I think Filipinos, especially the younger generation, will embrace Everyst and its ideas on delivering stories as ‘Social Fiction’,” adds Alfonso. “And because there’s a growing population of manga, comic, and anime lovers, I’m sure that Everyst will be a hit locally. If other writers are interested, they can create and share unique stories with us. Our team is very open to new ideas.”
Experience a new world of storytelling through Everyst! Enjoy a library that features hundreds of fully illustrated stories across multiple genres by downloading the app today on
iOS
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/longshorts-stories-open-rehearsal/id1163103353?ls=1&mt=8 and Android
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.longshorts&pcampaignid=MKT-Other-global-all-co-prtnr-py-PartBadge-Mar2515-1
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