I've been writing on Odyssey for a while (since summer), but even when I first started that wasn't the first time I published online content. I first became interested in sharing my writing with a wider audience when I discovered Writing.Com, which is a website for writers of all ages to build a portfolio. I don't remember how or why I found this website, but I do know that it helped me to become more confident in what I write. (Come to think of it, I'm pretty sure I found it just by randomly typing writing.com in the search bar.) With a free account, you can share up to ten pieces of writing of any kind (purchasing an upgrade allows you to expand your portfolio). Writing.Com isn't just a place to keep your writing, however; you can also read, rate and review other users' work, participate in various competitions and, my personal favorite, add to other users' choose-your-own-adventure-type stories.
Anyway, back to the point. Although Writing.Com doesn't operate on a schedule like Odyssey does, it's still a great experience and you can learn a lot from what other people say about your work. Anyone can join Writing.com, but that doesn't mean that there aren't people who won't give meaningful reviews. Whether you're writing for fun or looking for feedback on an essay before you turn it in, Writing.Com is the perfect solution for people who no longer want to hide their writing in a journal that no one else will see.
My favorite part about Writing.Com is that there's no risk involved and you can update or delete items in your portfolio as much as you want. Most of the time, nobody even knows who you are, even if you use your real name like I do. And as far as websites go, the community is pretty intimate; there are only about 100,000 total users on the site, so chances that your work will be seen by someone else on the site is relatively high. I currently have six pieces in my portfolio, and all of them have been rated and reviewed by at least one person. On bigger and better-known websites like WattPad, I'm not sure anyone has seen my work at all. Don't get me wrong, I'm really into those websites as well, but they're not the best if you want your work to actually be read.
That being said, the only thing I don't like about Writing.Com is that more people don't know about it. It really is a hidden gem, and I truly value what I've been able to get out of it. Although it's been a while since I posted anything, it gave me the confidence I needed to share my writing with people other than my family. It's scary to put your work out there for the first time but I find value even in the negative reviews (by negative I mean constructive criticism because people actually care on this website and they know what they're talking about). If you have the time, I highly recommend giving Writing.Com a whirl!
