User:Butterbaby

State of Normal is an original social media thriller that began on Twitter on November 30 2009. It is believed to be the very first original fiction using only twitter characters. The story takes place in the town of Normal CA, which is special because of a few things most small towns don't have: a private university catering to tech and neuroscience;  a ton of start-ups moving in because everything is dirt cheap; and one other thing - an institute for the criminally insane.

The experimental twitter fiction tweeted its first tweet on November 30, 2009: (Hadley Reese: "I can't believe it. I got the JOB!")  and relied on the newly released Twitter Lists to coral a story involving 17 disparate twitter characters - the first such use of Twitter Lists. But 340 tweets later, it was determined that the "noise" level on twitter made the storyline hard to follow, and people did not fully utilize twitter lists. Starting in January 2010, the entire storyline of State of Normal was retooled and relaunched on a blog, with the 17 twitter characters serving as ancillary support - tweeting observations and interacting with twitter followers.

Historical Info:

Normal, CA was founded in 1886 by Horace Jepson, whose original observation, "This place is about as Normal as it gets" is still widely quoted.

Normal is located off Interstate 5 and is nestled in one of the most scenic areas of California, about five hours north of the Bay Area. It is most famous for Calgary Rock, the spectacular outcropping that shadows the town, and which is a mecca for climbers and hikers. The surrounding area has numerous bike and hiking trails, as well as an array of lakes and campgrounds. During the winder it is a destination for cross-country-skiing and snowboarding.

An anonymous venture capitalist just donated 25 million for the Normal Historical Museum (currently under construction).

Locals:

Colby Stone - billionaire tech genius and Mayor of Normal

Hadley Reese - curator, Normal Historical Museum

Donatello Stefani - CGI and hologram wizard, Normal Historical Museum

Brodin Rushmore - heartthrob wiz kid, relocated from London

Dylan Kittredge - Brodin's best friend and slacker

Jimmy Franklin - app developer and snowboarder

Travis Opal - leader of the survivalists

Darrrell Watts - Normal's police chief

Dr Adam Tessler - Director of the Waiklund Institute

Nicky Sanders - assistant to Dr Tessler

Daisy Oh - student and intern at Waiklund

Calvin Pepper - struggling novelist

Kira Benson - waitress at the Pick Me Up coffeehouse

Dr Sara Hobbs - oddball clinical psychiatrist

Honey Reins - reality show finalist and Normal's premier caterer

Dr Leon Coopers - professor of neuroscience

Prof Julie Robertson - EV enthusiast and lecturer at the University

Noteworthy:

The University of Normal Tech and Neuroscience is a small privately-run college situated on a bucolic slope a mile and a half from Normal's downtown district. Six hundred students study mostly technology and neuroscience in a highly competitive environment. The Department of Neuroscience is considered one of the top in the country,and the Department of Technology has a world-wide reputation for innovation.

The Waiklund Institute, located just outside the Normal city limits, has been a fixture in the area for 20 years. Known by the locals as "Wako", it houses 424 individuals deemed criminally insane. Patients include those who can no longer be controlled, or are an immediate threat to others. The Institute works in partnership with UNTN's neuroscience department in the hopes of salvaging these lost souls. The institute has approximately 95 staff and has several layers of state-of-the-art security.

There are 37 start-ups in Normal. They flock to the area due to the university, the low cost or living, and the outdoor activities. The annual HUMAN Project, a prestigious 4-day global event that draws the greatest minds in digital technology was started in Normal, and an anonymous venture capitalist donated $15 million dollars with the purpose of documenting Normal's contributions to the world. The result, the Normal Historical Museum is currently in development.

A compound of survivalists live in an abandoned Army barracks outside of Normal, near Calgary Rock. They are led by an impassioned evangelist named Travis Opal.

Events:

Fly Fish Feed & Music Fest - Fly fish during the day, followed by a celebrity iron chef, then top bands from around the world. Last year’s fest was notable for the unfortunate mercury poisoning of several hundred feasters.

The HUMAN Project - This prestigious 4-day HUMAN Project brings together top masters in the fields of technology and future innovation. Panelists are kept secret until the day before the event,with ticket-holders gambling on who might attend. It’s a once in a lifetime chance to hobnob and learn from the greatest minds in the world. Past attendees have included Stephen Hawking and Steve Jobs. One year the event was crashed by a disruptive who lobbed a noteworthy with a banana cream pie. Since then, it's become a yearly tradition with everyone wondering who will “get the PI."

Holiday Knock and Nog - Revelers go door to door, vote on best decor and partake in gourmet delicacies

Demographics:


 * 1) Population: 4,367.  Of that number 600 are students and 420 are insane.
 * 2) Median age: 30
 * 3) University students: 600
 * 4) Famous people who attended the university: 85
 * 5) Patients in institute: 420
 * 6) Guards at institute: 55
 * 7) Start-ups: 37
 * 8) Police force: 8

Newspaper sources:

[Y2K snafu leads to leniency for army base hold-outs] http://www.stateofnormal.com/images/Y2K_army.png

[Second bear attack near Calgary Rock] http://www.stateofnormal.com/images/bearArticle.png

Follow:

[State of Normal website] http://www.stateofnormal.com

[Follow story on blog] http://www.statenormal.wordpress.com

[Interact w/ twitter characters] http://twitter.com/Hewey_Pig/state-of-normal-peeps