So you wanna start a City Stories site? Awesome! Here's what you should know.

What is a City Stories site?

There are a few basic ingredients in the recipe. Each City Stories site must include a section for featured stories by one or more authors, a posting area where anyone can contribute in real time, a set of city-related links, and an about page that explains who the main authors are. Optional features include postcards, photo galleries, and anything else you can think of that fits into the city-based storytelling theme. Take a look at the sites for examples.

What is a City Stories site not?

A City Stories site is not a homepage – it should be invite audience participation. A City Stories site is not a "blog" – you should put time and work into thought-out stories, not off-the-cuff little posts (though, certainly, a city blog could be part of the site, but the stories should always be number one). A City Stories site is not some tourist-board city advertisement – there should be real stories from real people, not the same old tourist information.

Is fiction okay?

No. Fiction is just personal storytelling with training wheels. This project is about telling your own personal true stories of life in your city. Now, if you wanted to include fiction in a separate (clearly labeled) section in addition to the true city stories, that would be okay. But, really, if you're looking for an outlet for your fiction, this isn't it.

Does it have to be in English?

Of course not. Your site should represent your city. If the locals don't speak English, the site doesn't have to, either.

Do I have to register a domain?

It's strongly encouraged. A City Stories site should not just be a section of an existing site – it should stand on its own.

What do I have to do to join?

The basic rules: the City Stories site you create must be about the city where you currently live. It would be unfair to the people who live in your city to have the site claimed by someone from outside. And the site must be about a city, not a region or a state or a country. Size really doesn't matter here – sometimes the smallest cities have the best stories!

Want to start a City Stories site? First, check if your city is already listed. If someone's volunteered to do your city already, get in touch with them! Every site has contact information on it. And don't worry, your email is welcome. Collaboration is always good.

If you don't see your city on the list already, just get in touch with us and let us know what city you're interested in. New recruits should email tom@citystories.com.

What does a City Stories site need?

There are a few key ingredients in the recipe. Some are optional, some are not.

1. "My stories / our stories (for sites with multiple authors)" – This is the meat of the site. Personal stories by local author(s). The stories don't have to be about the city, but they do have to take place in the city. Always ground the story in the city. (It's easier than it sounds: if you say you went down the street, say which street! It has a whole different feel that way.) Stories should paint a picture of what it's like to live in your city through your eyes.

2. "Your stories" – All City Stories sites should have a place where readers can post their own stories of living in that city. This is integral to the idea – it makes the sites inclusive. Note that this does not necessarily mean allowing users to respond to the stories (I don't do this on SF Stories, but you can if you want). It means having an entire other section for a visitor to post a story of their own on their own. At SF Stories, this section is divided up by neighborhoods and I suggest you do that too. It creates a local feel and a slight barrier to entry.

3. "City links" – This is the exit from your site to other sites about your city. Don't just link to the obvious travel sites, either. Look for local homepages and personal projects. and say what you think of them! This gives the visitor more voices to learn about your city.

4. "About" – Introduce yourself (and any other authors). Pretty easy.

5. "Postcards" – Optional! – Make virtual postcards with your own photos of your city! I have a shareware script that powers this, but it's not very easy to set up. Alternatively, you could just do photos of your city, maybe even photo essays. Have fun with it!

How do I power all that?

Good question! We don't yet have a City Stories backed to give you, so you'll have to improvise. There are plenty of free guestbook scripts out there for the "your stories" section, and you can look into software products like Grey matter or Movable Type for organizing the content. I recommend Jason's Postcard Script for postcards, if you choose to add them.

If you're a programmer and you're interested in helping us create a backend to power all this, please get in touch!

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