FictionPress.Com Can Be an Amateur Writer's Best Friend

FictionPress.com's tag phrase is "let the words flow," and, boy, do they mean it. At last estimate, FictionPress.com had over half a million members, and the site currently hosts over a million original works of poetry and fiction. With free membership and easy-to-use genre categories, the site it still booming.

Nevertheless, FictionPress, isn't without its problems. Posting new stories is as easy as uploading a document and obeying the simple rules of format for the site, so anyone with or without writing experience can post. In turn, quality is an issue. The majority of works are written by young teens who may or may not have a good grasp on grammar and punctuation. However, this is also the beauty of the site. With such a variety of writers, all with a passion for their work, the site guarantees that, with a little work, lessons will be learned by active writers.

Learn from Peers

If you're a still learning about the art of writing or you want to help less experienced writers master fiction and poetry, then you have a reason to join FictionPress. The best advice I've ever heard one writer give another was to read everything. Now, it stands that aspiring writers would want to read the best books available, but there is still something to be learned from reading the works of peers and younger writers. A few hours of reading at FictionPress will give you good examples of what works in fiction and, more often, what doesn't work. You can use these observations when you're working on your own prose.

Network with Other Authors

Sure, the majority of the authors at FictionPress are unpublished, but all of them have a passion for writing as a hobby or career. FictionPress, because of its many genre sections, helps writers get to know other writers with similar fictional interests.

There are two great ways to meet people at FictionPress: forums and reviewing. If you find a writer you want to know better, reviewing their works can land you plenty of return reviews. Through this relationship, you can begin conversations and find yourself a writing buddy to discuss fiction or poetry techniques with, but the best way to develop a network of readers and reviewers is through the forums.

While most forums are devoted to Role Playing Games (RPG), there are several great forums where writers can go for technical aid and review exchanges.

Here are a few examples of active forums:
http://www.fictionpress.com/forum/The_Review_Game/1867/
http://www.fictionpress.com/forum/The_Roadhouse/2560/
http://www.fictionpress.com/forum/Dialogue_Play/3305/

Get Constructive Criticism

In the forums, you'll also find different levels of review exchanges. Receiving general review comments, such as "Good work!" or "Keep writing," are nice, but they do very little to help the aspiring writer. However, through forums (such as the ones above), you'll be able to find plenty of writers, most of them college students, who are more than willing to leave constructive criticism.

I've taken several college level creative writing courses, and I can honestly say that some of the critiques left by the more experienced writers of FictionPress are more helpful than those given in classes. By surfing the forums and establishing a network of readers and reviewers, you'll be able to improve your writing skills, learn from your mistakes, and find new friends.

What if your work needs more help than one review can give? Try the Beta Readers network at FictionPress. For both rising editors and new writers, the Beta Readers network can be a blessing. Those who want to help authors edit and revise works before or after the work is posted can post a quick profile in the Beta Readers network. Authors then request the Beta's aid and send them chapters either through e-mail or the site's own, much safer, document exchange system.

Enjoy Yourself!

As a long time member of FictionPress.com and its more popular sister site, FanFiction.net, I've learned several fiction writing lessons throughout the years from fellow members. FictionPress has also served to inspire several of my friends to begin writing again, widening my already present network. While site users might not want to put up works they're very serious about publishing, FictionPress can serve as a great host for practice works or simply experimental/self-expression pieces.

Visit FictionPress, have fun with people who enjoy writing as much as you do, and learn something!