Thoughts on writing Web fiction
69I recently wrote a 20 or so chapter piece of fiction called "Reilly and me".
That's a bit out of character for me. For one thing, as I explained at the beginning of that story, I stopped reading fiction many years ago because there is so much real science and history I have yet to read.
For another, I really don't like doing something like that on the Web, because it is all too easy for people to accidentally stumble into a chapter from the middle or end and ruin any plot you may be building. I put warnings at the top of every chapter with links back to the first, but Google Analytics shows me that people didn't necessarily follow the suggested path.
There's yet another reason: I get bored writing fiction. In this story, I had many opportunities to expand chapters or add additional chapters. I've seen people do that in web fiction; it's possible to go on almost forever, but I just don't have the stomach for it.
I don't think I'll ever do that again. I did leave myself an opening at the end so that a sequel is possible if I ever changed my mind, but I doubt that I will.
This might sound like I'm a bit sour on the idea of web fiction.
That's not entirely true: I used to enjoy fiction, and if I had more leisure time I might enjoy it again. It's just that at this point and time in my life, I do not feel I have time for it. I'm not anti-fiction.
I might be a little bit "anti web fiction". I talked about the difficulties of monetizing web fiction in another hub, but I have other reasons not to like it. One of the most obvious problems is our expectations and habits when reading web pages vs. reading books. For most of us, the web has become a "scanning" medium, much like a newspaper and perhaps even worse. We are in the habit of not giving full attention and focus as we would when reading a book.
Because of our habits, we tend to treat web fiction as we would any other page we find on the web - our tendency is to scan rather than read. Of course we can force ourselves to read; my point is that our habits lead us into the other behavior.
There is also the not so small matter of distractions - the web pages are full of ads and links. If you are presenting this on your own site, you could strip out all that, but then you have no chance of making money at all - you might as well go to a vanity publisher and hand out bound copies for free!
If you are writing at HubPages or something like it, you can't strip the distractions at all, and they DO interfere with focused reading.
I think a couple of polls might be interesting here:
Do you read fiction on the web?
See results without votingDo you get distracted by the ads, links and so on?
See results without votingWhat is your preference for fiction?
See results without votingWould you ever WRITE fiction?
See results without votingI am of course interested in your comments also, whether about reading, writing or monetizing.
I'm particularly interested in the comments of people who have written fiction either on the web or in other media, but everyone is welcome.
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Yes, short stories are probably best.
Having never written any fiction on the web, I'm not your preferred commenter, but I wanted to just say I agree with you about web fiction. I'm a voracious reader, rarely without a book in my hand or purse, but I do find that I tend to skim fiction on the web more than read it carefully. And I tend to find it harder to go back and read a continuing story, even if I find it very interesting, than to sit down and read a book...although I do have a Sony ereader, which I find very handy to have, I find it hard to read in depth on the computer. For what it's worth...that's my opinion. LOL
Ayup. I agree 100%. I suspect that the way we usually use computers trains us to scan and of course the distractions affect us too.
When I sit down with a book, my focus is right there, solidly.
I'll jump in write fiction, what would be called general fiction, but I mostly write it offline, for me it is simply because I enjoy it and gives my brain a time to work at something a bit different.
Still I tend to skim fiction and read, I mean really read, non-fiction, in particular history. of course it is all my view on it.
as for preference, I prefer boks to e-readers, but I do have an e-reader.
The poll results are interesting. I hope we get more responses.
I love to read, but for me, half the enjoyment of reading is holding the physical book and turning actual pages.
I would never buy an electronic reader of any brand. The only "online" book reading I've ever done was in proofreading the e-mailed manuscripts of an author friend of mine.
Yes, many people feel that way. I have started to appreciate e-books on my iPad, though.
I used to write fiction but not on the web. These days I prefer article writing. I seem to love the research. But before sleep a good bit of fiction in book form makes me happy.
Your last poll question was too limiting- I answered "Yes but not for the web" as opposed to "no I do not write fiction." In truth I write fiction to be enjoyed in any medium possible!
Great hub, though! I too groan at the thought of 500+ page novels, yet I do read and enjoy John Irving and am currently reading Jonathon Franzen's 'Freedom'- a long one. But I am no John Irving. I prefer to write short stories and have been toying with the genre of short "flash fiction." That is the true measure of what I like to do- say as much as possible, evoke as much feeling and emotion as possible- in the fewest words possible.
A timely query for me as I have received a Kindle as a present today. I believe it is or has downloaded several free classics as I type this, and I look forward to re reading or reading them for the first time.
I think (hope), having played with the Kindle for an hour or so that it wll be pretty good to read just as one might read a book.
As for web page reading - screen hurts eyes after a while, don't know what an iPad is like.
The iPad is like any screen, but the controls are nice and the color is wonderful if the book needs it.
Judy - "Flash fiction" - I like the name!
Scanning may be what is used to search for information but if there is a particularly well written Hub, article or even a fiction piece I, for one, will stop and focus on what has been written.
Would I ever write fiction? Yes, for the web or for hard copy. Though the older I get the more inclined I am to write non-fiction. Same as you, I prefer it.
I didn't answer the last two polls, as I felt they were a little limited in terms of answers.
I DO write fiction, both for the web and for other mediums.
And furthermore I read from books, ebooks and the web -- each has their upsides and downsides, so I would find it difficult to pick one as a favourite.
Seconding A.M Harte - I write fiction for the web and for other mediums. I read online, in print, and in e-books, with various preferences depending on the situation.
I scan wherever I'm reading, and go back and read in more depth if I'm intrigued.
I write poetry for the web, which is a bit tangential to this topic, but I thought I'd throw in my two cents.
I've read fiction on the web, including full length novels. I'll admit I prefer reading a traditional dead-tree book. I have noticed that the experience of reading on the web varies widely based on the web design choices of the author (or their web designer).
Details like font type, colors, white space, font size, line spacing, paragraph width and length, and chapter length can all affect the experience of reading on the web.
Ads are only distracting if there's too many of them / too flashy / badly placed. Generally, ads don't do well for creative writing, though, so I think web-publishing writers would do better to do without them.
Another seconding for A.M.Harte's response. I read fiction in all three formats without favour and I already write fiction for the web.
I don't think I'd ever do that again..
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WillStarr Level 8 Commenter 16 months ago
Curses on never-ending stories. That's why I prefer the short story and an economy of words.
Having said that, you have a gift for drawing your reader ever deeper into the story, and a genius for deviousness.
I'm sure there are more from whence Reilly came. In fact, I'll wager we'll see another.