New Media Author Jeff Offringa – OOC

From time to time we will be highlighting some of the innovators in the world of new media. The purpose of this will be to explore the work of ground breaking individuals in hopes that we all can expand or creative horizons.

Jeff Offringa is a pioneer online author who has used a variety of intriguing new media methods to create and promote a book that is extremely engaging and innovative in its execution.

A Dance With Demons is the tale of a land struggling for survival. Aromathus is beset by enemies on every side, with orc hordes threatening to overrun their borders, and a terrifying demon slaying the innocent, while a mysterious power pulls the strings. In this time of darkness the heroes Tarn, Nyla, and Logan step up to battle against evil and bring victory and peace to their lands once more.

This novel was originally published in serialized form, with a new chapter going live each week. By serving it up a piece at a time, Jeff was able to engage users in the development of the tale, getting them hooked and then drawing them back on a regular basis.

In addition to publishing the book online, Jeff Offringa also published a podiobook version of the novel, with the entire thing read aloud by the author, and then posted and made available from his site as well as itunes.

The novel was further supplemented by a series of weekly video recaps which were read by his associate and business partner PJ of Screaming Lemur productions. Wearing full green body paint, and talking as the character of an Orc from the story, PJ recapped the previous week’s tale using a mixture of humor and storytelling, which really serves to bring the tale alive.

There are also a variety of add-on materials which he created to give greater depth to the story. There are historical documents that describe the world of Aromathus, including maps and histories of many different races and cultures, as well as a wonderful fan-created story song. He also developed tabletop roleplaying materials, so that gamers can take on the roles of their favorite characters and engage in living reproductions of their favorite parts of the tale.

On top of all of this he maintained a living character blog throughout the process, recording the private thoughts of Tarn, one of the heroes in the book, as he moved from victory to disaster and back again.

The result is a rich and detailed world, with characters that come alive across a variety of different mediums. This serves to draw his audience in, capturing them from social sites around the web, and then engaging them and giving them a number of different ways to explore the characters, locations, and events that happen within the novel itself.

Jeff Offringa is one of the innovators that are changing the way we tell stories. He stands on the cutting edge of fiction, using tools which have only recently become available to express the magic that rests within his mind.

A Dance With Demons is available in ebook form from Aromathus.com and is available in formats for the Kindle, Nook, and Smashwords.