Notes from the Incubator: Writing a Short Story Anthology for the Incubator Sundanese Wikibooks Project

When it comes to Wikimedia projects, the first thing that usually comes to mind is writing encyclopedic Wikipedia articles with a rigid, neutral, and heavily referenced tone. However, the Wikimedia ecosystem actually offers a much broader space than that. One of the most fascinating experiences I’ve had recently was contributing to the Sundanese Wikibooks project.

Unlike Wikipedia, which strictly focuses on facts, Wikibooks provides a platform for creating textbooks, learning modules, and even anthologies. It was here that I decided to embark on a slightly different initiative: compiling an anthology of short stories, affectionately known in Sundanese as Carita Pondok (Carpon).

The Challenges of Creating in the Wikimedia Incubator

One aspect that makes this project so special and challenging is the current status of the Sundanese Wikibooks, which is still housed within the Wikimedia Incubator. For those unfamiliar, the Incubator is a nursery for new Wikimedia projects before they “hatch” and earn their own dedicated domain (such as su.wikibooks.org).

Pijri Paijar, Menyunting di Incubator Wikibooks bahasa Sunda, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Writing in the Incubator feels like building a house from the foundation up. We are not only required to produce high-quality content but also must prove to the Wikimedia Language Committee (LangCom) that this project is backed by an active, consistent community with a strong drive to grow. Writing this short story anthology became one of my strategies to keep the editing activity alive, while simultaneously offering a more relaxed and emotional outlet for contributors to express themselves.

The Dynamics of Crafting Short Stories on an Open Platform

The process of writing a fiction anthology on a community-based wiki platform offers a vastly different experience compared to typing away in a standard word processor. Short stories, which are traditionally closely guarded works prior to publication, are now drafted completely out in the open.

The overarching theme I chose for the anthology is everyday life. I contributed a short story titled “Haneut Kasorénakeun jeung Carita Séjén”, which highlights simple with Ulukutek oncom as username, everyday moments that are rarely captured in written stories, using plain and warm language.

Of course, the process is not without its technical challenges. Setting up the book’s layout, creating a table of contents with interlinked chapters (or in this case, stories), and ensuring the wiki markup is neatly formatted within the Incubator system requires meticulous attention to detail. Additionally, discussing the nuances of Sundanese diction deciding between the loma (informal/familiar) or lemes (formal/polite) registers to perfectly capture the story’s mood has been an invaluable learning experience.

Nearing the Finish Line: Hopes for “Hatching”

Watching the collection of short stories slowly come together into a complete anthology on Wikibooks brings immense satisfaction. Through this fiction-writing project, I’ve realized that preserving the Sundanese language in the digital age doesn’t have to rely solely on scientific or historical texts; literature and imagination possess a powerful charm to draw in new contributors.

The journey for the Sundanese Wikibooks may still be a long one before it finally hatches from the Incubator. However, every word written, every story crafted, and every click of the “Publish” button is a tangible step toward strengthening the presence of our mother tongue in the digital realm. It is my hope that this short story anthology will eventually be read by a wider audience, serving as a spark for other Sundanese speakers to join in and breathe life into this Wikibooks project.

Hayu urang nulis, urang rojong Wikibooks Sunda sangkan téréh kaluar tina inkubator! (Let’s write, let’s support the Sundanese Wikibooks so it can quickly hatch from the incubator!)