Comedy
Sir Reginald’s Absolutely Normal Tuesday
A short story · one sentence per verse
BRINFESANO
Your verse — 2 days left
5 sentences
Social storytelling for iPhone
Stories written together, one verse at a time.
Gather a few friends. Pick a genre. Take turns writing what happens next.
Ballad is a place to write stories with other people. Each bard adds the next sentence, paragraph, page, or chapter when it’s their turn, and the story grows into something none of you could have written alone.
Free to read and write. Built for iPhone and iPad.
How it works
Every ballad begins with a sentence about the story you want to tell.
You don’t fill in a settings screen. You finish a sentence, then write the opening verse. Try it: tap any underlined word.
I want to compose a
with up to
.
Each verse is one
with
to write it. It’s rated
and visible to
.
This is the composer from the app, word for word.
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Set the stage
Name your ballad and write the opening verse. That first line sets the tone for everyone who follows.
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Gather your bards
Send invites over Messages. Friends who join take their place in the turn queue.
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Take turns
When it’s your turn, you have the clock the creator set, from a day to a week. Read what came before, then write what happens next.
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Weave it in
The creator approves each verse before it joins the ballad, or hands it back for another pass. Then the turn moves on.
Written together
Nobody knows where the story is going. That’s the fun.
Ballad works like the old parlor game, where you pass a story around the room and see what comes back. Your shelf shows every ballad you’re part of and whose turn it is, so nobody has to ask.
Mystery
The Lighthouse at Argo Bay
A short story · one paragraph per verse
INWAMAQU
Review @waverly’s verse
6 paragraphs
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@bramble
Sir Reginald Puffington III awoke on Tuesday determined to have an absolutely normal day, which is precisely why the dragon in his garden was such an inconvenience.
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@inkwell
He decided, as any reasonable knight would, to ignore it entirely and make toast.
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@fernhollow
The dragon, whose name was Susan, smelled the toast and pressed one enormous golden eye against the kitchen window.
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@saltbox
“We’re out of marmalade,” Sir Reginald announced to no one, which was a lie, and Susan knew it.
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@novadrift
It is a little-known fact that dragons can forgive nearly anything except dishonesty about preserves.
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@inkwell Your turn · 2 days left
What does Sir Reginald do next?
Built for writing together
Everything a writing circle needs, and nothing it doesn’t.
A fair turn queue
Everyone gets a turn, in order. The creator can reorder the queue or make room for a new bard at any time.
Creator approval
Nothing joins a ballad without the creator’s yes. Weave a verse in, or hand it back with a fresh clock for another pass.
Ghost protection
Every turn has a time limit, from a day to a week. If a bard goes quiet, the turn passes to the next person so the story keeps moving.
Four forms, four sizes
Write a short story, novel, play, or poem, one sentence, paragraph, page, or chapter per verse. A quick game or a years-long saga both work.
A proper reader
Read the finished ballad like a book, with page curl, slide, or fade turns. Tap a bard’s name to see their profile.
Invite readers
Keep a ballad between its bards, or open it to invited readers who can follow along while the story is still being written.
Eight genres to start from
Pick one when you begin. The first verse can take it anywhere.
Adventure
Comedy
Fantasy
Horror
Mystery
Romance
Sci-Fi
Thriller
Semi-anonymous by design
Other bards know you by your handle, and that’s all.
You sign in with Apple and choose a handle. Other bards see your handle and bio, never your name or email, and only activity from ballads they can already read.
- Honest ratings. Every ballad is rated All Ages, Teen 13+, or Mature 17+. Your birthday keeps Mature ballads hidden until you’re 17, and nobody else ever sees it.
- A human gate on every verse. Creators approve each contribution before it becomes part of the ballad.
- Block and report. Block a bard from their profile and their ballads disappear from your shelf. Press and hold any verse to report it to our moderators.
- No ads, no tracking. Ballad doesn’t sell your data or follow you around the web.
@waverly
Coastal gothic enthusiast. I write best after midnight.
Namenever shown
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Plans
Reading is always free.
Join as many ballads as you’re invited to. Ballad+ is for people who want to create more ballads of their own.
Free
$0
- Join any ballad you’re invited to
- Create up to 2 active ballads at a time
- Unlimited reading
- Block, report, and all safety tools
Ballad+
$2.99 / month
- Create unlimited ballads at once
- Premium page turns
- Everything in Free
- Billed through the App Store, cancel anytime
Be one of the first bards.
Ballad is in beta on TestFlight. Ask for an invite, and bring a friend or two to write with.