Why You Should Read Webfiction
Webfiction is a great pastime due to two important aspects: it’s convenient, and it’s a very social way of reading. I’ll explain each aspect thoroughly below.
Webfiction is Convenient…
… because it’s everywhere.
The biggest caveat of webfiction is that it’s published online. Which, in this era, means you can access it from almost everywhere. Now that smartphones have arrived and laptops are becoming more affordable everyday, the internet is truly within everybody’s reach, no matter whether you are at work, in a bar or in a doctor’s waiting room.
But there’s more. The most common format of webfiction is the serialized novel, which means you can get your short shot of fiction on a daily, weekly or monthly basis! Some stories have lenghty updates, others short, so everyone can find a story one that fulfills his or her personal fiction needs.
If you’re not good at waiting for updates, and prefer to read a lot in one go, there are a lot of completed online novels available for free, too, and most serialized novels will have a lenghty backlog to keep you occupied.
If you’re a short story fan, the internet is really the place for you. Short stories are everywhere, ranging from the incredibly short ones hosted at six word stories and one-word, to the medium short stories called flash-fiction (which has it’s own independent movement called #FridayFlash), to the regular short stories offered online by countless authors, organizations, and hosts.
… because it’s free.
The best part of all this, however, is that I have been talking about free online fiction the whole time. You probably think that if it’s free it must be ridiculously bad, but that isn’t necessarily the case. We live in the era of free content, and more and more entertainment providers, including authors, are choosing a different kind of support method, called patronage. The old About Section on the Web Fiction Guide said it better than I could:
“Web comics are free, but some of them are better than what you’d get in a newspaper. Opinion blogs are free, but some are better than what you’d get in a magazine.
Quality and price seldom have much to do with each other, when it comes to creativity.”
Webfiction is Social…
… because the author is only a mouseclick away.
With the arrival of web 2.0 the internet is more about connecting than ever before. Reading webfiction is very social in a number of ways.
Have you ever wanted to contact your favorite author to share how the story made you feel? Have you ever wanted to know why your favorite character did something, but the author’s contact information wasn’t available? Webfiction is mostly designed for easy author-reader interaction. Fans can comment on chapters, email the author with questions that are driving them crazy, and give immediate feedback on the plot and their favorite characters.
Often it feels like the author is in your room, telling you a story, and answering any questions you might have. It’s a great experience!
… because you’re already part of the bookclub!
The best part is, you’re never alone in that room. Other people are following the same story as you, and if you feel the need for it you can instantly connect with other fans. With Webfiction you don’t have to search for fan-clubs or discussion boards. You can comment right on the published chapter or story, and get quick response from fellow readers. It’s like an instant book-club! And once you’ve connected with like-minded fans the true fun begins.