Duke made me do it…

Last known photo of Duke Miller. Buy his book!

At the urging of one Mr. Duke Miller (check him out here – you won’t be sorry) I’ve begun posting chapters of FLIPKA on a web site called Wattpad. It’s free for both writers and readers – anyone can post a story, finished or not, and anyone can don a critic’s hat and let loose. Thus, tripping through Wattpad (as Duke warns) is better attempted while under the influence.

However, that does not mean all the crap on Wattpad is indeed crap. Consider the fact that this seven year old Canadian enterprise has managed to attract Margaret Atwood, best selling author of “The Handmaiden’s Tale.” Whoa. And why? Because writers don’t always start out as writers. Sometimes they start out as dreamers, as believers, as those in pain who know they have something to say but don’t know to say it. Putting it out there helps. Shared humanity. That’s what Wattpad is. Shared humanity.

I should point out that it isn’t easy to find your way around Wattpad. First you’ve got to find folks to follow to in your genre and hope they follow you, thus attracting readers. If you don’t write fantasy, romance, thrillers, erotica, spiritual tomes, or sci-fi, you’re supposed to categorize your work as “non-teen.” Pretty scary, huh?

Better ways to find writers to follow are the Smackdowns – flash writing contests in the following categories:

@frozenintime (historical fiction)
@forbiddenplanet (scifi),
@cupid’s corner (romance),
@magical_realms (fantasy)
@motherhorror (duh, horror)

I cheated. I found good old Duke and checked out the folks he was following. Worked out well for me. I’m now enjoying the works of Kristebelle, Sorrowfulface, PaulTristam, RSKovach, seeliot, OwianGlyn, JustlikeHeaven (to name just a few) – as well as fellow Booktrope authors, FebruaryGrace, Toddied, CullynRoyson and NicholeJPersun.

I’m not sure all of this will lead to book sales, fame and recognition, or more drinking. We’ll see.