What Is Webfiction?

The quest for a sound definition

Posted by JanOda on Friday, December 4th, 2009

Webfiction isn’t very complicated, yet it is almost impossible to fully capture its definition in a few words. I could define it as online novels, but then I wouldn’t cover the thousands of short-stories that are floating around. I could define it as online fiction, but then I’d be omitting online poetry, and it could also include online tv-shows, movies and comics. So maybe I could define webfiction as “written stuff that isn’t non-fiction that is available online”. That doesn’t sound very classy nor catchy, and isn’t inviting at all.

To make it even harder, not everyone uses the same term. There has been quite a lot of discussion on the subject, and I don’t want to get into that here. Nevertheless I put on my research hat and carefully explored all major webfiction organizations. Unfortunately Muse’s Success and the E-Fiction Book Club don’t have clear definitions posted as of yet. All other definitions and terms used are carefully listed below though. If you don’t know the organizations I am referring to, do not despair! You can either click the links and explore on your own, or wait until the 7th for a more full-fledged explanation.

Web Fiction Guide

The good people at the WFG obviously prefer webfiction, and use the following guideline:

We list anything that is original and story-oriented (we don’t list fanfic or erotica), and that is available to read for free online.  As with other online media (blogs, web-comics, etc.), some of it’s good, and some of it’s not.

They also used to have the following definition on their site:

Webfiction is fiction originally written to be published on the web.

I really like the old definition, it’s clear and short, and I love how they prefer work which has been conceived with online publishing in mind. This is the definition that is closest to my personal preferences, though I’d broaden the spectrum a little.

The Web Fiction Directory

Tonya Moore of the WFD does broaden the spectrum in her definition, though maybe a little to wide for me.

For the purposes of this directory, Web Fiction is defined as short stories, flash fiction, comics, graphic novels, fiction podcasts or serialized novels published on a web site or blog. This means published online and freely accessible to readers/listeners.

Personally I’d leave the comics out, because they often don’t have real storylines (or never ending ones, depending on the comic), otherwise I quite like this definition.

Weblit.us

Some authors felt that the short version of webfiction, webfic, resembles fanfic too much, and wanted to distance themselves from that. Thus the term weblit was used, and as soon as it was slowly establishing itself at twitter, the weblit.us organisation was born. Their definition goes as follows:

WebLit is quality original writing by authors who are serious about their work and present it on the Internet, whether they’re writing novels, serials, non-fiction works, short fiction, flash-fiction or experimental literary forms.

I am not a big fan of the word, but I have never spent much time in fanfic middens, so I never made the fanfic association that caused the drift. The term itself clearly moves away from webfiction as it not only covers fiction anymore. Since my personal interest doesn’t lie in the non-fiction world this definition doesn’t quite work for me.

Conclusion

As all great people on the internet do, it’s time to steal and combine, which can be a quite the hassle. However I have come up with the following personal definition:

Webfiction are stories written to be published on the internet. Any form will do, as long as it tells a tale.

It doesn’t end here though. Because I haven’t defined good web-fiction yet, and it’s the good stuff that makes my inner fangirl roar with glee. Good web-fiction makes optimal use of the medium it’s published on. It connects with its readers, makes them want to interact. If you’re reading good web-fiction, you feel part of the story, part of the writing process even. With good web-fiction you journey with the author instead of after.

Good webfiction makes you want to share.

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This entry was posted on Friday, December 4th, 2009 at 1:33 am and is filed under Articles. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.

  • Dear writing people. We were discussing definitions more than the reasons behind the terms. To quote myself:
    "To make it even harder, not everyone uses the same term. There has been quite a lot of discussion on the subject, and I don’t want to get into that here."
    Everybody can use what they want, as long as it's clear what they meant by it. I also figure, that the more definitions are in public, the less the connection with fan-fiction will be made
  • It seems to me that an important facet of the web-fiction, from a writer perspective is the way that online community and delivery facilitate the processes of both creation and distribution. I was never really involved in fanfic, and I understand "weblit" as an attempt to differentiate from assorted fic communities, however I will say this: fanfic leverages community, delivery and the DIY approach amazingly well. I mean, it's unfortunate that a lot of fanfic is puerile or terrible, but this really just emphasizes that along with revolutionization of distribution channels, some system of recommendation is advantageous in any online setting.

    I really like MeiLin's statement about WebLit.Us existing solely for exchange of ideas amongst writers, though readers are welcome. I have a feeling that any readers who stray there will rapidly become zombified into writers themselves, and this absolutely supports the DIY approach of which I am speaking. Online publishing carries a stigma in part because traditional publishers have taken on the burden of marketing, promotion and distribution, so that writers doing this for themselves appear to be either trying too hard or working for free; fanfic definitely gets too gushy for my liking, because it constantly operates in a promotive mode.

    This will change.

    Jan, are you planning an article addressing ErgoFiction's intended audience as part of your manifest?
  • I hadn't planned on one, because I thought I'd made it clear in the about section :(http://www.ergofiction.com/about/) and in the introduction post of December First

    I quote: "You are looking at it!! Ergofiction.com aims to be a magazine (or more accurately, a cross between a blog and a magazine) for readers of web-fiction. What we love about it, what we hate about it, what we read when we have a bad day, what we secretely read late at night, everything has it’s place on the magazine. How we like to support our favorite authors, what marketing ticks us off, and who we would sell a kidney for if they didn’t have enough money to keep on writing. A magazine where readers can discuss their favorite villains, their most hated couples and their most wanted violent endings."

    I'll probably elaborate more on this in the manifest, but I didn't think it needed its own post.

    We haven't really started luring the readers in, we'll start that once we're comfortably out of Beta Mode.
  • Will we actually be required to sell kidneys?
  • We can start with something easy for training. Like toenails or something.
  • Okay, I'm only going to say this one time, and then I will stop: "toenail" is just a different spelling of "elation".
  • MeiLin
    +2 for the last line. :)

    I run WebLit.Us. It exists *solely* for exchanging promotion and marketing ideas among writers; it's not for readers, though they're welcome. We expanded the definition because we wanted to get ideas from as wide a group as possible.

    I don't consider it to be weblit vs webfic. It's an either/and proposition. I prefer the former term for myself because of the fanfic confusion, especially since I was refused a program credit at a convention for just that reason; online publishing still carries a stigma, and that's in no small part because of the early blossoming of fanfic on the net. (I was a fanfic writer myself before I started working on my own stuff. *I* don't disrespect it, but a lot of other people do.) Long form, web fiction works fine for me. Short form, webfic does not. But that's me. it doesn't have to be anyone else.
  • I said this elsewhere on this site, but during "manifestation", I think it is a good idea to be repetitive - this is my definition, which I will defend, but with which you needn't agree:

    Web Fiction is fiction on the web. period. If I write a short story and no one ever reads it, that is web fiction.

    When a group of people form a community around a work of fiction online, this is Web Literature. Two things are packed into this definition - it is uncanonical, so it is not "literature" in the Harold Bloom sense; and the community is formed online - the fiction need not be, at least by my definition, so that I would classify #InfSum as Web Literature. If for no other reason than that I believe if someone is prepared to spend their summer reading 50 pages of endnotes, they deserve to be part of the weblit community.

    Please agree or disagree.

    p.s. I love the name ErgoFiction! I have also heard the term "interstitial" fiction used to good effect.
  • chrispoirier
    We'll probably put that definition back on the new site, somewhere. I liked it, too.

    What I don't like about the "WebLit" definition is the same thing I don't like about the term itself -- it smacks of an inferiority complex ("we're not just doing this online because we can't get published! really!") Blah. It's about the same thing as referring to yourself as a "professional", or your own work as "genius". "Show, don't tell" applies in real life, too.
  • Chris, that's unfair. If I've ever presented myself as some kind of genius writing works for the ages, please point me to said presentations, and I'll make sure they change. I prefer weblit for reasons I've enumerated in a few places. Tarring me and others who prefer the term with the elitist brush is as bad as those who tar all of us with the "all online writing is sh*t" brush.
  • chrispoirier
    MeiLin -- That wasn't a jab at you. I've routinely found you to be professional, both in your dealings with me and the community in general. And, my opinion isn't even necessary -- you are a professional, as you make your living from your writing.
  • It's true, I do--mainly from nonfiction, though the fiction is delivering more and more. I'm sorry I took offense. My name's on WebLit.Us, and I suppose that makes me tetchy. :)
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