Returning to Goodreads

Well, I sumbitted another flash piece to a Figment contest. You can read it here: The Outfield

And please, pretty please, can you please "heart" it?  Isn't my plea so pathetic?  Well, I got to say Figment is turning into a popularity contest and not so great as I thought.

This is for the Junot Diaz contest...all about voice and some guy's dream girl, and baseball. Basically, the contest was give voice and personality to a character withouth giving descriptions, age, or name. Think I did pretty good...

What I like about Figment so far is the fact that it has helped me get back into writing a little better. I've been enjoying the contest writing prompts and they give me a sort of writing goal to fulfill.

Here's what I don't like. So, Junot Diaz is going to be reading the most "hearted" stories. The same is true for Nicholas Sparks and the love story writing contest. 

Basically, this means a popularity contest because Figment members with the most friends and followers will get the most hears.  Also, depending on when you submit your piece, your story may be hiding like on page 29 of the contest section where no one is going to read it. 

It's great that these significant authors are involved with Figment, but what's the point of entering contests if there is no way your work will be read by the significant authors unless you have like 35 hearts because you have about 150 followers on figment.  And not to be snobby and such, I've read some of the 35 heart stories, and really, there is nothing special about them.  And some of the other ones with only 3 hearts or 0 hearts are really the ones that should be finalists.  I'm not talking about my stories, but other stories I have read so far.

 

Another thing...where are the adults on Figment?  Every group I want to join on Figment is moderated by a teenager.  I love teens and all, but I want a writing social media site with a balanced number.

So, what is my overall assessment of Figment?  Really liked at first, but not so crazy about it now.  I like the contest writing prompts and will continue to use them for my own writing goals and development and the fact that Figment is bringing in all these spectacular published writers, but overall Figment dissapoints two weeks after signing up.  Think I'll just post my stories here now, and if you want to read them, then read them.

Goodreads is so much better.  I'm going use Fiment only for the writing pormpts and occasional featured published writers.  I'm going to focus on Goodreads instead and all the author blogs I follow from Goodreads.  Goodreads is one of the original book and writing social media sites and they deserve abou 365 hearts.

But I will still take some Figment hearts for Wrist Kiss and The Outfield over at Figment.