Writing Wednesday (2) - How to move on from aspiring?

I've been thinking a lot what to topic is to start this feature with. There's so much I'd like to share with you. There's so much to tell about it, however, eventually I came up with the answer of the best would be to start this at the beginning. Then it led to another period of heavy thinking as I wasn't sure if it has a beginning at all and even if there is, what is it?

The ultimate end of the contemplation was that there isn't one beginning, there are several. It can be started from the aspect of chronology, or the aspect of basics and many more, however, I have chosen to start out in chronology. So the first topic is How to move on from aspiring?

So let's say, you have tendencies to become an author. That's really nice, welcome to the team. But either if you want to be published or just writing for joy, you need to move on from daydreaming and pen your first piece of writing. It's not an easy task, you need to learn quite a few things to be able to compile a story that even editors would grasp for, but today it's not what today's post is about. Today, the very first steps are on the agenda therefore our goal is only to put down anything at all.


#1 Skill up

Obviously you won't start out with a whole novel. Writing requires a lot of experience, for instance to develop a strong writing voice, improve your descriptions, character as well as place, and so on. However, beginning your journey with fan-fictions is something that I consider a good idea and recommend you to do. When you write a fan-fiction you can concentrate on your writing style's improvement, since you don't need less research, or at least not the same kind, and world building, which is hard enough as it is already.



#2 Join up

Once you have some kind of picture what it's like to write and you still want to do it, it'd be a good idea to join one or more writing sites. They're really useful and fun. You can socialize with other aspiring people like you, get some advice on basically anything, share your work, get feedback (this is probably the most important point of all), enter competitions, etc., etc., etc. There are several sites, three of them that I'm on (You can add me as a friend, or if you just want to check out I'll link my profiles at the end of the post.), but all of them are a tiny bit different, at least in my point of view. I'll present you the three most famous, the three that I'm signed up to.


   1. Movellas

This is a really nice site for anybody who loves to write and/or design covers with a lot of creative features.


Pros:

• It really is for everybody, from the very beginners to the professionals.
• You are not limited only to writing, potential cover designers are also welcomed.
• There are always great competitions running for both of above mentioned groups.
• Detailed story editor.
• Forum and blog available.
• Big stress on socializing with many tools for it.
• Authors. There're numerous authors who can be found on the website along with excerpts from some of whom's writings. 
• Mobile app.

Cons:

• Remember the first point in favor of the site? It's also a con. There're pretty many of people who don't take it seriously. There's nothing wrong with that, however, often the same group of people like their writings because of the same fandom, or they're friends, and so the people who are trying really hard have much less attention to their (brilliant) work.
• Mobile app is only for reading. You can't manage your profile or edit your story. (I don't know about it as I don't own an Apple device, but allegedly in the iPhone app there is story editing availability.)

Recommended to: Anybody who writes and want to socialize, and enjoys competitions.

   2. Wattpad

Wattpad is a website, mainly for people who are a bit more experienced in writing, or even have a completed novel. You can find several stories that later was published, even though of mostly not with the same title and a lot rewritten/revised.

Pros:

• More professional with more, professional stories. 
• Library/possibility of saving where you were at a story. In short, more reading-centered.
• Mobile app with on-the-go story editor.
• Tutorial books.

Cons:

• Less good story editor, however, it's just enough for the purpose.
• Less help and features (no forum).

Recommended to: Writers on the verge of publishing.

   3. Figment

Figment is a website for any writer out there. It also offers a wide variety of socializing tools as well.

Pros:

• Not intently for professionals, yet almost everybody up there has a great potential of writing.
• Fan-fictions don't eat up everything.
• Groups.
• Some contests.
• Detailed story editor. (Somewhere between Movellas' and Wattpad's.)
• Featured stories/members.
• Polls&quizzes.
• Not only likes/favs, but also laugh, cry, shiver, blush, wow buttons.
• Any stories can easily be shared.

Cons:

• No mobile app.

Recommended to: Everybody.

#3 Thrive up

...On words, of course. If you'd like to write well, you need to obtain a wide vocabulary. Nobody likes repetitions, and a neatly put expressions or witty comment can boost your writing a lot. (Check out this: www.vocabulary.com)

#4 Keep up

This is an indispensable point. Practice, practice, practice.