Some of you who are still paying attention to my tumblr will be aware that I have a few stories up for offer at their contest, Reinvent Reality
Really sharp-eyed readers will know I'm currently at number 14 in the top 20.
Which is pretty firkin amazing for a story I put up only a few days ago.
Heck, it's damned amazing considering that I wrote this story, longhand, whilst I was waiting for the postie to turn up with my copy of Steam Powered Giraffe's amazing album The Vice Quadrant: A Space Opera. [cough cough, plug plug. Seriously, this group is made out of awesome]
Ahem.
I'm not going to go back to writing longhand, before you ask. It's a literal pain in my anatomy. My hands cramp, my wrists ache, and I have severe trouble transposing my scribble into legible typing. I have this bad habit of just reading what I've written and not typing it in.
It's a hell of a lot easier to type, but when one is perched on the verandah, waiting for signs of incoming mail, ready to literally drop everything and run to the gate... well... having a paper notebook just makes sense.
Inkitt is the best site I know of to get your work out there. First, you can submit old stories for new contests. That means you can have a stable of tales for any occasion. Or just the one that you really love.
Second: There are no entry or membership fees. Putting stuff up and entering it is absolutely, one hundred percent free of charges. This is ideal for anyone like me, whose budget is the limits of what people are willing to pay for their work (Hint: it's astonishingly low. Of the people who 'purchased' any of my Years of Instants, about four have actually elected to pay any money for it).
Third: You can enter fanfic. Yes. That's right. You can put your fanfic up on Inkitt and it will be judged along with all the "professional" fiction already up there. You may even have your fanfic vying for attention with stories from actual authors.
Fourth: You can win by popular vote. Stories that are read more often turn up in the popular tag. Even if you're not voted for, you can be popular. This gives writers like me an idea of what the audience likes.
It's all about learning.
I'm honing my skills and trying to get something out of it besides -well- a sharper edge.
If I make a story that people want to read... Then I'm ahead of the game, as it were. If I'm read, I have a greater chance of getting votes. If I'm getting votes, I might actually get some money. And money is important. I need it to get by.
So please go and hang out on Inkitt. You might find some cool stuff. Oh, and be sure to read, review, and rave about your favourite story. Sharing is caring.