Original Fiction Online

So, tonight the topic on my brainstorming list that caught my eye was 'Original Fiction Online', so that's the topic I'll be tackling.

Like I've said in previous posts, my novel 'Dragon's Moon' was original fiction to begin with and I tried to release it on fictionpress.com as original fiction. I got one review for the first two chapters. In a fit of irritation I took it down and gave up on my project to revamp it. I couldn't believe that only one person wrote in.

So, I was poking around the Escaflowne section on fanfiction.net one day and was looking at the stories that got a lot of reviews. I had been thinking of writing an Escaflowne piece, but nothing was coming to mind. Once in a while I used to stroll into the Escaflowne section and read some alternate universe fics. Those appealed to me a lot more than the continuation stories. I don't know why. I think it has something to do with the fact that I really feel like Escaflowne ended. Yeah, Hitomi and Van didn't kiss, and everyone was majorly unsatisfied, but did they really need to kiss? That's what I asked myself when I watched it the second time. And 'no', I don't think they really needed to, so I don't care to read continuation fics ... I really don't care. *deep breath* Anyway, I'm getting off topic. So, I was reading the stories that got loads of reviews. I had never had a LOT of reviews with my Slayers stuff, but I did manage to draw in a more mature audience, which is complimentary for me, I guess. But I was noticing that a lot of the stories that did well in the Escaflowne section were extremely vapid, and as I read them I was reminded very keenly of my first attempts at writing. The story of mine that they reminded me the most strongly of was 'The Darkened Wave' which is now called 'Dragon's Moon' and so I decided to give it a try - combining my original concepts from 'The Darkened Wave' with Escaflowne characters and turning it into something fun - 'Dragon's Moon'.

I felt like I was compromising my priniciples to do something dirty like that - adding someone else's ideas to make my story marketable - however, since I started writing eleven years ago, I have had the most impossible time getting people to read my stories. So, I felt like I was being too ridged and that I'd never get anywhere if I didn't pitch my story to an audience that would give it a try.

If you want to write original fiction online then you have two options - fictionpress.com and fanstory.com. Let's talk about them and their pros and cons.

Fictionpress.com
Pros

• It's free web space.
• The layout of the site is great and it's easy to find things if you happen to be looking for something.
• The review function.

Cons

• It's nearly impossible to get an audience over there - which is a HUGE setback.
• If someone actually does review, the likelihood that they'll give you some useful advice is like nil.
  

Fanstory.com
Pros

• They guarentee at least three reviews per entry, be it a chapter or a poem or a short story.
• The people who review are hardcore writers and they want to help you improve.
• People who have and do post on their site have actually published books and made money.
  

Cons

• It costs like $6 a month to keep your writing style account.
• The way the site is organized is like looking at a lake of fire and brimstone and being told that you have to traverse it without shoes. Seriously, it would take a million years to find something good to read there.

I get emails from the fanstory people all the time asking me to join them on a more perminant basis. I only have a review style account there - which is free. And I've tried to find something to read there to see if I like the site, the process reminds me of doing something like this: You walk into your local library and head to the fantasy section. You can't see the books, and so you can't see the binding, or the covers. Instead you simply grab a stack of books and sit down reading the backs of them until you find something interesting, except that it's poorly written, uninteresting and as if to add insult to injury - it's also unfinished. The author's there are no better than anywhere else and they update when they feel like it - it could be months before you get the next chapter. And because everything isn't written at the same time, it's inconsistant. The author grows up as a person inbetween chapters because they wait so long between things. How agrivating - no wonder no one wants to read original fiction online. It takes forever to get into, because they are brand new characters in a brand new situation. Drive me up the wall! I seriously want everyone who writes online to be as dedicated as me.

You know what would fix everyone good? If they had to FINISH their story before they could start posting the first chapters. There would be about a tenth as many stories online because the lazy writer's muse would die before they finished - and they'd never get to post any chapters.

Anyway, I have a story I'm going to try to release on fictionpress.com after I release 'Mark of a Goddess' on fanfiction.net. I'm going to advertise it hardcore and see if I can get a following. I really doubt it, but nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?