Original writing seems like a scary concept when you look at it. I mean, these are your ideas, your thoughts, your characters, and you really put a lot of yourself into your work. Having it out in the open for other people to read and critique is like giving a stranger a hammer and asking them to hit you. Because they can really hit hard when they want to.
That said, having your writing out in the open is a good way to improve your style, flow and general storytelling skills. How can you ever get better if your writing is stuffed in a shoebox, under your bed? But, it's all about finding the confidence to post, and this is where we'll start at.
There are a good many sites out on the internet that are open to amateur writers who want to post. Some writers worry that by doing this, their original ideas are open to be plagiarism. However, there are sites with strict guidelines that are there purely for growth and improvement of completed manuscripts or stories-in-progress.
One such site is WeBook and it has two options for budding writers. You can either start a project where you invite people to join, invite people to write, or just invite people to read and enjoy. You can make the project open to everyone, or you can hide it from people who aren't members. The latter option should put those worrisome minds to rest, as you'll know each person you invite it well, and trust them with your work. The project option on WeBook is free, and works well as a starting place for authors needing criticism.
The second option available is Page-2-Fame. You need to pay in order to do this, and I recommend only doing it if your manuscript is complete. Page-2-Fame is where you submit the first page of your novel or novella to the site. They post it, and then other readers or writers rate it. If you get a high enough rating, your story moves to the next round where you post five pages, and so on until you've posted a chapter, fifty pages. Not only do writers rate, but publishers and experts do too, so you'll know where you're writing stands.
Eventually, the Page-2-Fame can lead to getting an agent, who will then represent you when you go to a publisher. Of course, not everyone gets through, so if you fall at the first page round, then you can go away and work hard at improvements. The only fault of this method I can think of is that you'll never get as good, in-depth feedback as the projects do. However, by only submitting a page and synopsis, you are protecting the main part of your story from those people who look for ideas to steal.
WeBook is a good site for those serious about their work and getting in-depth feedback. It has ways to protect your writing. However, not everyone wants to get published. If you don't, and your writing is purposely aimed at online reading, you might want to try a more relaxed site. FictionPress is one such site. Don't expect to get much feedback or reviews from the users here, but do check out your traffic numbers if you're concerned no one is reading. You might just be surprised.
If you are a serious writer, but have a less than serious idea, FictionPress is a good place to post. You can get ideas out of your system, and turn to it for fresh looks when writer's block hits. It is a popular site with younger writers, and you might just collect a group of dedicated fans if your work is good enough.
Submitting your work online is scary, not only because of the fear of plagiarism, but because of the fear of negative feedback. WeBook users try their hardest not to flame work, or be overly negative, and you'll find the feedback to be insightful and useful. However, the same assurances cannot be said of FictionPress.
All that can be said now is pick your poison, hold your breath, and knock it back. You might be pleasantly surprised to find that the poison is sweet, not deadly.
Posted by linkkinparkk
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