This is an ongoing series looking at websites that can be of help to fiction writers with their craft and career.
Triond
In an effort to tell it like it is, Triond is a content farm, one of many such sites that keeps spewing forth sub-par content online while promoting itself as a place for writers to make money. The money is very little, as in way way way below minimum wage. And much of the writing produced by such sites is useless and simply atrocious, though every once in a while there is a golden nugget.
However, that being said, Triond is one of the few such sites that allows for writers to publish their fiction and even poetry online. Once published, it is up to the writer to find an audience for their writing, with social networking and linking sites usually being used for promotions along with some little help from Web browsers.
Normally I would not recommend a writer, especially a fiction writer, to utilize such a site. The sites have a bad reputation, the pay is almost nothing and it is not so easy to build an audience of any numbers (though not impossible). However, for someone who is just beginning to write fiction, a site like Triond could have much to offer them.
If nothing else, such a site can give a budding writer a sense of accomplishment. They've written a short story or poem or novel chapter, and now they can place it online where it could potentially be seen by readers. For those just starting out, this can be a big step, making their work public, opening themselves to criticism and praise.
Triond can also help build a fiction writer's confidence. Praise from viewers definitely can help, but just having one's work out there and realizing the sky won't fall because of negative reviews is enough for many writers to continue trying at their craft. This helps to build a thick skin, which is something writers will need because if they are going to try to eventually become a professional writer they will need that thick skin when dealing with editors, publishers and even readers.
There are also educational values to be learned from a site like Triond. Just writing and putting one's work out there can teach a writer what works and what doesn't in their fiction. Feedback from readers will help with this, but just the practice of writing regularly is also a big help in teaching. Triond is a site that offers a certain amount of near-instant gratification because it publishes almost anything, and this gratification can be enough to not only help a writer to keep up their writing but can also be the drive to get him or her to write regularly, perhaps even every day.
Then there is audience. Though it is no easy task, it is possible to build an audience on Triond. Even if a short story or novel chapter or poem only gets a dozen or so readers, at least that's something, and often it is enough of a boost to keep a beginner writing. And with some luck and experience at online promotions, a writer could potentially reach thousands, possibly millions, of readers through Triond. That potential can also be a big boost.
Okay, for experienced and professional writers, admittedly Triond doesn't have much to offer. But for true beginners this site can be a boon. One can possibly even make a little money from their writing, but don't expect much, likely not even a few dollars (at least not without a lot of work).
Truly, if one were to want to self publish their material directly online instead of going the e-book route, I would suggest starting a blog for their fiction. But sites like Triond can still help the beginner get started and could possibly lead to better things.
About the site itself, you're not likely to find much helpful on Triond. Every once in a while you might run across another writer who is helpful, if you're lucky. And just stay away from the Forums as much as possible because they are beyond useless for those serious about writing (though you might have fun hanging out there).
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