Open Question: Fiction?

[bobquasit]

Last night I realized something: I get more pleasure out of an hour spent writing fiction than I do out of an hour spent playing Diablo.

That said...it seems pretty clear that my journal is not the place to get much feedback on my writing (or, indeed, on anything at all ).

I am not discouraged.

I am not discouraged.

I am not discouraged.

Actually, I'm really NOT that discouraged. Perhaps I've lost my mind, I don't know.

But anyway, the thought struck me recently that I should, perhaps, be posting my writing in some more appropriate place (as well as in my journal; you won't escape that easily ). Someplace online that's designed for writers to get feedback.

Of course, I should probably watch out what I ask for; I'll probably get the most hurtful feedback imaginable. But still, I just might give it a try.

So here's my question: can anyone recommend a good place to post my fiction? I noticed that there are a BUNCH of writing communities on LJ, but I don't know which ones are good and which ones are crap. Nor do I necessarily want to be limited to LJ. So if anyone out there knows of some good sites for writers, please let me know!

Comments

[polocrunch.livejournal.com]

I tried fictionpress, but only used it for political writing. People were generally strange on FP, so I don't really recommend it. However, it has a snazzy lay-out (but a slightly clunky interface) and I never checked out the fiction stuff. I think it's pretty busy too, so you'll get a fair few readers if your stuff is compelling and not too run-of-the-mill.

[bobquasit.livejournal.com]

...you'll get a fair few readers if your stuff is compelling and not too run-of-the-mill...

So in other words, I'm screwed.

Really, you MUST have noticed by now that I can never resist a straight line like that...

Seriously, thanks. I'll take a look. Political writing too, eh? Hmm...nah, that would just make me crazy. Fiction is far less painful, although I personally find it harder to write.

[polocrunch.livejournal.com]

Ah, don't worry. There're plenty of undiscerning readers on FictionPress.

[bobquasit.livejournal.com]

I've been checking it out...jeeze. So far, all of the stories I've read made me cringe. Very adolescent.

[unquietsoul5.livejournal.com]

Very few of the professional writers I know use the public communities for their stuff, though many of them do have fiction only journals where they get feedback from other writers and fans that they create just for their own work.

Problem here is, to get readers you need to be a known writer this way, which fails for relatively unknown writers.

I belong to a few of the communities, but feedback has generally been minimal in the constructive way on them.

[bobquasit.livejournal.com]

I guess that was the advantage of Interregnum; we could guilt people into commenting.

Speaking of IR, did you know that Chris Aylott has a journal here? That's, what, five former IR people on LJ? Maybe more.

[unquietsoul5.livejournal.com]

No I didn't know he had one. What's it under?

[bobquasit.livejournal.com]

spacecrime.

I friended him a few days ago, and wrote to him; he hasn't responded or friended me back yet, but hope springs eternal. His last entry wasn't all that long ago, as I recall.

Heck, Collie still hasn't friended me back, either. I haven't asked her why; I probably don't want to know.

It's humiliating when people forget that you exist...