How To Learn Writing Online (For Free)
S.R. Beaston
Crafty with words, wit, and wisdom, just add caffeine to make it more interesting.
Be it a lifelong passion or a new hobby, writing is always more than just putting words to paper. With a wealth of knowledge at our fingertips, you’d think this process would be easier. In some cases it can be, but it’s hard to know where to even start. Here’s a breakdown of how you can learn and practice your writing skills online.
Fanfiction
Fanfiction is a work of established fiction written by someone who admires said fiction; a fan, if you will. When writing fanfiction, you are borrowing aspects of the world, the characters, and/or the plot to create your own spin of the story. This is a great entry point for world-building, character development, and story beat progression.
Several well-known authors have used this avenue to debut their work and later alter it for publication to great success.
There are a few websites that are a hotspot for fanfiction and, depending on the fandom you are writing in, one may be better than the other.
Things to note if you’ve never read or posted fanfiction: Tags are important, fandoms can get messy, and comments are not always critiques.
Archive of Our Own
Archive of Our Own (Ao3) is the resounding answer for where you should publish your fanfiction, according to reddit.
Ao3's posting format is the most intuitive of the fanfic sites, as well as allowing for spicier, adult scenes. You can also have discussions with reviewers in the comment section.
This site is often neck-to-neck with another popular site, but it is common for a writer on one site to post on another, as there are no rules against cross-platform sharing. This is fan work, after all.
Fanfiction.net
Fanfiction.net is the other popular site you'll see mentioned alongside Ao3 in discussion forums. As the name suggests, it’s a site simply for fanfiction. In most instances, it has the bigger reader base as far as I can tell, but again, it depends on the fandom you are writing about.
If you are looking for a better statistics system, this site might be the one for you. Both have similar ones, but Fanfiction.net allows each chapter to have its own scoring or "hit".
Fanfiction.net does have private messaging, but they don’t allow erotic writing.
Tumblr
Tumblr is a surprising third option, but makes sense for the user base. Tumblr is a half-blogging platform, half social media hub that feels like the wild west of the internet. Its easy UI and tag system makes for a smooth upload to get your fanfiction to the masses, but the platform isn't designed for fanfiction, so it may be drowned in other posts.
Wattpad
Wattpad is another social media platform. Unlike Tumblr, it is specifically tailored to readers and writers.
Each profile displays ‘liked’ stories, as well as their own if provided, and information about themselves. Like other fanfiction sites, you can comment on others' works or share your own, as well as message authors.
Fanfiction writing certainly has its audience—you just have to find where they are. If all else fails, google your fandom + fanfiction websites and snoop around! There are a lot of niche and condensed sites that may meet your creative desires.
Roleplay
I don’t mean dressing like a nurse at 11 pm when you don’t work at a hospital (though live your best life)—I am talking about writing a role to play with another writer.
I’ve been writing nearly all of my life, and one of my favorite hobbies is roleplaying. I have met some of the best people, expressed creativity, and strengthened my writing skills.
Writing RP can be a little like Fanfiction. Oftentimes, amateur roleplayers (or amateur writers in general) will pick their favorite media with their favorite character and start writing as that character in that world. The difference is, you are writing your character's actions, feelings, and thoughts to someone who is playing another character, often in that same media. You take turns adding sections and pushing the narrative forward.
Want to know who my first RP character was? Kari from Digiman. A little cringe, but we all start somewhere, so don’t feel embarrassed about your desired character to write with.
Much like writing fanfiction, this practice can help you practice writing within the structure of an established world. And you’re not writing alone!
Many roleplayers make original characters (OCs). You can create your own character and collaborate with another writer, either within an established world or one you've made up.
A couple of things to consider when delving into the world of Roleplay: Always read forum rules (some have age requirements, no spicy writing, etc), don't share personal information, and don't write beyond the boundaries of the RP. That being said, here are some sites that can get you started.
You can also use a Disboard search for RP in discord (specify if it’s within a fandom or something generic, like fantasy RP).
I have made lifelong friends in this hobby, but I’ve also made lifelong enemies. Not every roleplayer is there for the love of writing, so make sure your desires and boundaries are set from the beginning, and don’t be afraid to say no to anyone you don’t want to write with.
Writing Workshops
Roleplay has kept me writing consistently for years, but the workshop I’m in has made me such a better writer in less than a year. Nothing teaches you about your own writing quite like someone brutally critiquing it. Anything that can help me improve my writing is something I cherish.
If you want to be a better writer, you have to face the fact that you can always improve. You have to know what critique is applicable, and which ones you can ignore. That takes time and objective consideration, which is a practice all on its own.
Surround yourself with people smarter than you and with different outlooks on the subject you are writing in. For more information on workshops, how to find onem and the pros and cons of joining one, I recommend reading about it $ here$ .
Writing Events
Writing events are a great way to find community and challenge yourself. These events are usually time sensitive, creating goals in completion or word count in the time allotted.
Some events are more frequent and popular than others, but it’s always a nice way to practice writing and branch out. Here are a few events across the year.
NaNoWriMo
Event Schedule: November 1-30
NaNoWriMo, or $ National Novel Writing Month$ , happens every November. Participants race to reach 50,000 words before the end of the month.
NaNoWriMo grows every year, and writers come back to the challenge again and again, whether they seek companions for their writing journey, a local group, or just the excitement from writing with peers on a timeline.
Camp NaNoWriMo
Event Schedule: April 1-30, July 1-31
$ Camp NaNo$ has the same structure and support as the traditional NaNoWriMo, but the goals set are completely up to you. A lot of writers take these months to revise their draft. Some write smaller projects.
Escapril
Event Schedule: April 1-30
$ Escapril$ is an annual poetry event, challenging participants to write one poem per day based on a provided prompt.
You can find these prompts on the official Instagram page $ @letsescapril$ and have your own poetry challenge anytime of the year!
Allpoetry
Event Schedule: Random
This is obviously another poetry recommendation. I remember loving this site. I wrote a lot of as a teen, and this is where all the angst went. Luckily it was nothing too cringy, and the feedback was often heartwarming and helpful.
Users can participate in challenges and events, plus win cute rewards to display on their profile.
Shut Up and Write
Event Schedule: Random
Shut Up and Write (SU&W) was organized by writers who wanted to connect, shut up, and write. These events can be held in person in your area, or online in a group call. Often, the meetups are recurring.
You can find local events, as well as writing challenges $ through their site$ , or just suggest the concept to some writing friends and select a time to shut up and write!
Despite when you start writing and what paths you take to do so, the one rule you should never forget is to just keep writing. That’s the ultimate way to practice.
However, should you need a little push from the community, your friends, or even yourself, these are just a few ways to practice your writing online.
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