by Elizabeth Rule, Intern Summer 2014
Throughout middle school and high school, I was an avid
contributor to and reader of numerous social writing websites. My ambition then
was mostly to write about my favorite TV show, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and some original short stories—emphasis
on short.
Whatever I wrote, though, I aimed to write well and make enjoyable
for anyone who happened to stumble across it online. That’s the thing with
online writing communities: Anyone around the world is a potential reader, and
that creates a broad and diverse readership.
This is what drew me to publish my work online. Before I
discovered these sites, I would bombard my friends with stories and poems I had
written, only to receive the same old song and dance: “This is great, but I really
have no feedback. Good job, Elizabeth!” While these comments were encouraging,
they lacked the critique I longed for as a growing writer.
Thankfully, my family had the internet available, and I soon
discovered the vast world of online social reading and writing communities. On sites
like Wattpad, FictionPress, FanFiction.net and Figment I could read other writer’s
work, post my own work, and receive comments and critiques on my writing from
other aspiring authors or passionate readers around the world. These
communities gave me new inspiration to write and connected me with people who
shared my same passions.
To narrow it down, there are two common types of online
writing communities one can participate in: fanfiction and original fiction.
The former is made of stories written by fans of a TV show, movie, book or any
form of story; those fans write continuations of said story. The latter is just
the opposite; as the name implies, it consists of original stories with
original characters and plotlines. Both forms are accepted and celebrated
online, allowing writers either the structure of working with pre-established
ideas or the opportunity to publish entirely new worlds and adventures of their
own creation.
Besides connecting readers and writers around the world, the
aforementioned communities also allow budding writers a place to publish their
works when they have nowhere else to turn. Though such sites cater to any and
all writers, they especially help younger, aspiring writers come out of their
shells and acquire confidence and experience with their writing. The concept
has become so popular in recent years that Candice Faktor, general manager of Wattpad,
has speculated that generations Y and Z may become “the
most literate generation.” The claim is not without support: Wattpad’s
users spent 41 billion minutes on the site in 2013.
These online communities also boast various contests and
challenges to encourage writers and give them jumping-off points for new story
ideas. Wattpad, for example, is currently hosting the Young
Writers Prize, the winner of which is
promised a publishing contract with Hot
Key Books in addition to £10,000. Also via Wattpad,
authors of young adult (YA) fiction are hosting the Common
Room Teen Mentoring Contest, pairing 15 YA writers with 15 teenage authors
to mentor and encourage them and their literary goals.
Though some contests center around young writers, there are
sites for anyone of any age to contribute to and enjoy. It’s all about
collaboration and promotion, and in the grand scheme of things, getting more
people to read and write!
Did You Know?
Amazon has a publishing platform called Kindle Worlds that allows fanfiction
writers to publish their works and earn profits. The catch? The program only
applies to certain “Worlds,” meaning the fanfiction can only apply to movies,
books, TV shows, and other media whose rightsholders have agreed to participate.
The list includes former CW show Gossip
Girl, the ABC Family original TV series Pretty
Little Liars and Neal Stephenson’s Foreworld Saga. Writers receive a
royalty based on their sales numbers; however, they also give Amazon and the
rightsholder (called the World Licensor in the licensing
agreement) the right to incorporate any new ideas into their own works.
Kindle Worlds currently has about 650 different ebooks available
for purchase, ranging in price from $0.99 to $3.99.
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