On Online Writing, Merit and "The Point"
There are all kinds of distinctions about "good" art and the "right" way of going about things. I'd go as far as to argue it's about a 50/50 split as to whether these rules are bullshit or not.
In the 21st century, writers are given a platform to share their work with the masses with just one click. It's easy and instantaneous, which is liable to be a deadly combination more often than not.
That's why a great deal of the writing on the internet is (for lack of a better way of putting it) crap. It's cliched and derivative and weird (sometimes not in the good way). But, then again, all writing is like that in its earliest stages. To make anything of value, you've got to suck first. Once you suck a whole lot, you can maybe put together something that doesn't make a reader's eyeballs bleed (maybe).
So, these online communities get a lot of flack from those with higher brows and it's sort of turned these groups of fledgling writers into the "dirty little secret" of the internet, banished to the #darkest of corners. And I think that's absolutely idiotic.
These are writers. Granted, they're inexperienced and ill-trained, often using horrible euphemisms and bizarro storytelling decisions ("orbs" for eyes, anyone?), but at least they're writing, creating, collaborating[1] and ultimately learning. There's merit in that[1].
I feel like there are problems in these communities that are maybe caused by this ridicule and lack of support from other literary circles. Now, that's not to say that these things should be published straight off the web (like in these instances here, here and here) but the writers should be nurtured.
We dismiss the stories people tell for numerous reasons (whether it's a lack of interest in fandom culture, beginner's style, whathaveyou), but through doing that we're promoting the idea that the stories they're telling and what they are saying does not matter. Thus, we're creating a greater problem.
Because, what a storyteller/writer/human has to say does, in fact, matter. What a person puts out into the ether affects everyone.
Now, the primary goal of this blog will be to discuss certain problematic themes that crop up time and again in these writing circles. The goal is not to judge them, necessarily, but to parse through and determine what messages are conveyed through the writing (after all, this is storytelling.)
I feel these writers do not get nearly enough credit as young thinkers and creators and that maybe, by exploring the communities and individual author's methods of storytelling, things can be learned about 21st century writing process.
[1] These are huge communities of young thinkers sharing feedback, enthusiasm and criticism with one another in a safe environment. They make mistakes and learn from them, they build friendships and work as partners/editors/mentors. I can't stress enough how awesome the nature of a writing "community" is --- It's just so damn cool.
[2] I'm big on discussing the "merit" of just about all academic/artistic/passion-fueled endeavors. It's part of my hokey charm.
