While surfing Reddit, you might come across a self-post reading ‘Most inspiring story ever’ or ‘Best advice I ever got’. Chances are you’re looking at creative writing.
What are the telltale signs that can help you filter out well-written content from the amateur stuff? Let’s have a look.
The Best Posts Are Vivid And Action-Packed
When it comes to writing, action-packed scenes and vivid detail both have their perks. In a nutshell, the more you can do with your words, the more interesting the story will be. Let the dialogue move, the action erupt, and the plot twist twist—your readers will be on the edge of their seats, mesmerized by your storytelling skills.
Let’s look at an example. Below you’ll see a Reddit self-post with the highly visible title ‘My Experience With Self-Care’.
The post is well-written and has a strong opening line. The author also provides a clear backdrop of their personal life by detailing some of their challenges and how they overcame them. As a result, the post is engaging and has a good plot twist that keeps the reader interested.
In another example, you’ll see a post titled ‘How To Avoid A Midlife Crisis’. This one is written by a user with the handle ‘tulima’, and, as the title suggests, the content is light-hearted but still has some useful tips for older adults. The post begins with a short and sweet anecdote about a recent family trip to Italy followed by some great tips on how to travel the country and better appreciate the culture and cuisine. To make the content even more interesting, the user provides some additional insights about family life, relationships, and self-care.
Even if you aren’t interested in any of these topics specifically, you’ll likely still enjoy reading about someone’s personal experiences as it makes the content more relatable. This type of writing often appears on Reddit as a way for users to express their creativity, be it through a fun anecdote or a helpful tip on how to deal with anxiety or depression. You’ll also notice that many of the best posts on Reddit are mixed media, using both text and images to enhance the storytelling process.
The Prolific Writers Are Often Found On Reddit’s Sub-Reddits
If you’ve ever been involved in any sort of creative writing, you’ll know that it’s sometimes difficult to find the time to sit down and churn out a full-length book. This is why many writers turn to the internet, exploiting its sprawling ecosystem of social media platforms, to share their work and connect with potential readers.
On Reddit, you’ll usually find a sub-Reddit dedicated to every author’s favourite topic: bookselling. Posts on these sub-Reddits highlight the latest releases, provide helpful advice on how to navigate the world of publishing, and help authors discover their market—all while offering a good laugh and plenty of lively discussion.
Other sub-Reddits, such as r/booksgasm, are dedicated to book reviews and provide a useful service by shining a light on lesser-known titles. Similarly, r/giftguide is a place for users to share their favourite books and highlight those that are worth buying as gifts for friends and family. It’s a great place to discover an author you might not have heard of before, and to see what others think about their work. You might also come across a sub-Reddit devoted to your favourite film or TV show, where you can openly discuss and debate the latest episode.
Many Reddit users, both published and unpublished, congregate on r/writingcalls, where they can get help from established authors and industry experts with query letters, book proposals, and literary criticism. If you’ve got a good story to tell, but you lack the technical know-how to pull it off, this is the place to come for help.
Use Your Instincts
Whether you’re an aspiring writer or just looking to spice things up in your already-established blog, you can take advantage of Reddit’s open and collaborative environment to explore new ideas and try out new techniques. It’s a goldmine for anyone who’s looking to expand their creative horizons, and it’s a great place to come up with new concepts for stories that you might want to write one day.
While some people on Reddit might seem like they’re just talking about the weather or the latest viral joke, take the time to peruse the site’s interesting communities and get to know some of its users. This is where you’ll find the most engaging and helpful content—more often than not, it’s mixed media, spanning text, photos, and videos—and it’s a great place to get inspired for your own stories.