What You Need to Know About Writing Fiction in Blogs

Many aspiring writers have had the thirst to write flowing in their veins from the moment a book has ignited the passion for writing and story building within them, down to when they start to search how to write a short story for the first time. However, not many get the chance to showcase their work for the world to read. Getting published is perhaps every writer’s dream, albeit a rather difficult one to achieve. And so where can one get the chance to post their work and gain readership? The internet, of course.

The Blogging World

We all know about blogs. There’s probably a blog out there for any topic you could think of, be it personal development blogs or blogs that explore the weird part of history. However, what’s common among most blogs (yes, even the obscure ones) is that they are usually works of nonfiction. 

Blogs are usually written in first-person point-of-view, and one of the things people love about blogs is the personal connection readers get when they read posts. Typically, in a blog, the writer addresses the reader as if in a casual conversation. Popular blogs include those that guide readers through a process or educate them about a specific topic. Another common type of blog is the personal blog, which acts as more of an online journal of the writer that people can read and follow. 

Although typically nonfiction, blogs don’t have to be constrained to that category. Sometimes, fiction writers use the blog platform to showcase their work. But what makes a fiction blog, and should you make one?

What to Consider When Using Blogs for Fiction

When asked whether it’s a good idea to make a particular blog or not, you have to identify the purpose of your blog. There is no one-size-fits-all answer. But here are a couple of things you should consider before deciding to start a fiction blog.

Purpose

As previously mentioned, it all depends on why you want to start a blog. If you intend to get each piece posted published, then it’s best not to put them up on a blog. Remember, the internet is free. Once you put your works on a blog, what reason would there be for fans to purchase said works if they can simply access them online? From a business point of view, it does not make sense.

If your intention behind the blog, however, is to merely express yourself then, by all means, go ahead. Some fiction blog writers just want to have an avenue to post their work because they only wish for their writing to be read and appreciated. Other content writers also use the blog platform for an archive of their work and to track their progress. We’ll discuss later on the different ways you can maximize your fiction blog.

What You Plan on Posting

If you plan to post a full-length novel in portions through a blog, perhaps it is not the best idea. Yes, it will gain you a loyal following, however, in terms of finances, the reward will probably not match the investment. Unlike normal blog posts that hold no continuity or storyline, creating a novel takes a lot more planning and world-building. If you prefer publishing your novel on digital platforms rather than traditional paper, then you can consider selling it as an e-book instead.

For fiction blogging, it is preferred to write and post short stories. This way, it will still allow you to tell a story, but with less commitment. And it gives you a chance to explore writing in different genres.

How to Maximize Your Fiction Blog

After considering the factors behind putting up a fiction blog, let’s look at the different ways you can utilize it. 

Writing Prompt Challenge

One way fiction bloggers can produce tons of content is through writing challenges. Writing challenges usually involve a set amount of days (e.g. 30-Day Writing Challenge) and a different theme or prompt each day. This type of challenge is perfect for fiction blogs and fiction writers. Through taking on the challenge, fiction writers can practice and hone their skills while also developing a writing habit. 

Book Promotion

As previously mentioned, a blog probably isn’t the best place to publish that novel you’ve been working hard on. But that doesn’t mean you can’t post anything about your book in your blog. If your blog has gained a good following and readership, then it is a perfect place to promote a novel that you have written. Your readers would most likely want to support you and purchase your merchandise. Not all would end up buying your book, but for sure, some would. And for those that need a bit more convincing, you can post spoiler-free excerpts from your book to your blog so that your blog readers can get a taste of your novel and would be intrigued and purchase the book to find out how it ends. 

World Building

In line with book promotion, you can also post unrelated shorts that are still set in the universe you’ve created for your book. This will allow your readers to get a picture of that world and fall in love with it. You don’t even need a novel to promote. You can simply practice your world building by creating different short stories that all take place in the same world.

Create a Fictional Version of Yourself

If you still want to stick to the traditional blog format but also incorporate some fiction into it, then you can try and roleplay a different character when writing your blog. This is a fun little thing to do because you get to work on characterization by thinking and writing as if you are the character. And you can also try on different hats and create various alter egos. For example, you can give a twist to the usual recipe blog by writing from the perspective of a retired military chef. The possibilities are endless. 

Let Your Creativity Run Free

With so many blogs out there, the competition can be quite scary. However, remember that you are writing to make yourself a better writer. If you want to showcase your work for the world to see, go ahead. But if you only want to write and are still a bit scared to let people read, then that’s also okay. What matters is that you get to exercise your creativity, whatever your chosen platform may be.

Author Bio
Jayson Antonio is an Outreach Specialist at www.wordcounttool.com, a site that offers useful tools such as Word Counter Tool, Character Counter Tool, Scrabble Word Finder, Pomodoro Timer and Mind Map Tool for your creative writing. In his free time, he enjoys traveling, writing and playing mobile games.

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