Ficly

YOUR Ficly

It’s time for your input! The future of Ficly is in your hands.

Really, you are the lifeblood here.

This community site needs people; people who love it, wander around, and participate among it’s pages. But we know that not everyone uses the site in the same way. So, now is the time to share.

How do YOU use Ficly?

Do you:

  • store ideas in drafts, like a notebook?
  • write small snippets of your longer work as a form of editing?
  • click on challenges to find inspiration?
  • stalk favorite authors and read everything they post?
  • use the notes to make new friends?

What do YOU get out of Ficly?
Why do you stick around?

What features are your favorite? What do you wish to see? How can Ficly improve?
If you have a great idea, share it, and not only here in the comments of this blog, but on the Get Satisfaction page so the developers can see it even after this blog post is buried. Here’s the link: https://getsatisfaction.com/ficly

Most importantly, the way to keep Ficly alive is to keep people interested, challenged, and welcomed. How do you bring people in?

Let’s share what we love! Tell the world!

Comments

  • THX 0477

    I get out of Ficly a creative outlet and exercise, whether it be a simple venting of creative or emotional energy or the challenge of adopting another writer’s style for a sequel. It’s all about working on my skills as a writer in small, manageable bursts and then hopefully getting some feedback about what worked and what didn’t before I go attempting anything in a longer work.

  • As Large as Alone

    I love Ficly. It’s great for my writing teaching, for one thing, and I hope other teachers will try it out. But for me it’s like a sort of challenge to myself that doesn’t feel too daunting. I have confidence that I can write a 1024 character thing and actually finish it, unlike most of my projects, which are fragmentary. Also I love the opportunity for the writers here to inspire and challenge one another. Sometimes a story here spurs an idea for a larger story, too. I’m always glad to get to know other writers better, by the way; I’m lonely out where I am living as an expatriate.
    I don’t use Ficly for a private notebook, though, my posts are all published unless I haven’t yet finished them.
    I like how the focus is mostly on the stories, too; it’s not just part of the social interaction; it’s the main thing. It’s very inspiring and I feel like I’m getting to read great stuff that most people might never discover, and talents that so far are known by only a few others. It’s so rewarding!

  • BiC

    Like many of us, I to have a story. And like most of my stuff, it can be a little difficult to follow. Years ago, I made an outline of what I hoped to be the first novel. I attempted to write it. I got as far as a couple of chapters but never finished. As I typed it out I realized that although the ideas flowed freely, the wondrous accounts whirling in my mind, my ability to convey my thoughts in writing needed more work. Much more work.

    About 5 years ago, I was in search of an outlet for my story, I needed people to read my work and offer me constructive criticism. I started a blog. A few people followed it, but most just wanted me to follow their blog in return. None offered advise or help.

    to be continued…

  • BiC

    In June of 2009 I found Ficly. I wrote just one 1024 character story. I entered it into a challenge with many other wonderful stories, hoping to get some feedback. Nothing. (Till this day no one has commented on it.) So, I went elsewhere, wrote elsewhere, posted on other sites, but I never found what I was looking for.

    I came back to Ficly in March 2011, This time, I set my story aside and set out just to learn to write. In my short time, as Sir Bic, I met many wonderful writers here and learned so much from their examples and advise. When I was writing a little every day or so, it helped me to express myself better. I felt I was developing better writing skills too. My last story as Sir Bic received great comments, from writers I truly respected. A-la George Costanza, I decided to go out on top and so I left Ficly again.

    But, I just couldn’t stay away. So in January of last year I came back, this time, for good, hopefully. And like many of our fellow Ficleteers, I’ve been here and not here ever since.

  • LaraLustre

    I loved ficly because it stretched me, and I could sense the community building, and I enjoyed reading the feedback I got. But I also used it to store my writing, and wrote a lot of poems. I came back tonight after years away, and I want to stay ..

  • Princess Binky Lemontwist (LoA)

    This is my way of expressing myself and knowing I won’t be ridiculed for how I’m feeling at the moment. I can scream at the world or yell at people without causing any added drama in my life by others hearing me. Except for the ones on here who are usually on here for the same reasons.

    I also use this as my creative outlet when I can’t figure out what to do with the ideas running through my head.

    And obviously, as a way to pass the time and procrastinate beyond belief. Muahahaha

  • Jim Stitzel

    I’ve always used Ficly as something of a creative scratch pad — I have a lot of story seeds sitting in my library. Ficly’s also taught me how better to use words to convey a lot of meaning in a small space. I think my writing has gotten stronger as a result.

    I have a number of small tweaks and feature additions I’d love to see Ficly incorporate — spam flagging, more robust sequeling and prequeling options, better sorting of archives, more social tools, etc. — but I get the sense that the development “team” is pretty much just one person who doesn’t have time to do anything with Ficly anymore other than just basic maintenance. I’m thinking about firing a note off to Kevin to see if he’s open to the idea of enlisting other developers, or others willing to learn Ruby (like me) in order to add some fresh code to the site.

  • BiC

    In an effort to be succinct (unlike my prior posts, sorry): I agree that Ficly could use some fresh code. However, I love its simplicity. It’s comfortable.

    One thing I would like to see is the ‘pencil’ rating become more of a Princeton Pen Ceremony of sorts – like in the movie “A Beautiful Mind.” See: http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_Princeton_pen_ceremony

    My idea is that each time a story is written or comment is given, that person receives a pencil. They can choose to collect them, (perhaps a ‘most pencils’ list could be made?) or they can choose to give them to other authors out of respect for their work. Receiving just one pencil from another author would be an honor. Receiving five pencils from another would be downright extraordinary! Plus it’d be tons of fun.

  • jarmstrong

    I have just discovered Ficly literally in the last few minutes, i am hoping that either continuing somebody else’s or adding my own stories to the site will get my creative juices flowing for my longer projects. I’d love to see a smartphoen app or mobile site version to do some musing on the go. I also thought that as well as the ficly’s themselves you could do a companion type of document in a similar vein but with characters or locations. So a write could propose a location or character that somebody else then basis a Ficly on. That kind of thing could increase collaboration in a different direction.

  • Abby (LoA)

    Ficly was somewhere I could go when I had nowhere and nobody else. I’ve been able to pour out my thoughts and feelings to a genuinely interested audience. I’ve learned so much, made so many friends and come across so many pieces of, well, nothing short of artwork that it’s impossible for me to imagine my life without the impact of this website.

    Although some years I only post now and then, I constantly stalk ‘recent’ and ‘popular’ works. The best thing about ficly is definitely the community structure of the site and the ease with which you can make friends here.

    I honestly can’t think of something big to improve ficly, although some new faces would be grand.

  • Kihd

    I’m going to try and get my entire AP lit class in on Ficly. I completely agree, we need fresh blood.

  • someday_93

    I came to Ficly – well, Ficlets! – for the first time 6 years ago as a very lost 14 year old high school freshman who just wanted somewhere that people would listen, and they did. I’ve changed a lot since then, and so has my writing, and Ficly definitely helped to stretch me and taught me a lot about the craft of writing. But it’s the community that kept me for so long, and that has me coming back now!

  • The Night Angel

    I’ve been using Ficly off and on for a little while now, probably a year and a half or so. I’ve only published a small handful of stories, but in reading other’s stories and challenges, I’ve gotten inspiration for my own writings in the physical world.

  • The Night Angel

    I would also probably use ficly more if there was an app for it

  • Steven Holden

    I enjoy using Ficly, because it allows me to share what I personally believe are the complexities of several facets of human nature. Also, the people are nice, and use constructive criticism, which allows me to draw suggestions to help my storytelling.

  • Vanessa

    I just came back to Ficly today, a few moments ago. First time was a year ago. Wrote a short piece from something I had laying around and got one comment, but it was insightful. A good critique from Jim Stitzel.

    Writing is not easy. I’ve dabbled in it for many years but I was an art Illustrator back then. Focusing on both and raising my youngest son was a little much.

    Now it’s just me and near retirement, a wonderful time in life. Retired my art business and took up photography a few years ago.

    Writing keeps coming back like a boomerang, spanning many years. A few undeveloped story ideas and characters have managed to stay with me for decades. Stories in my head, characters waiting for me to do something. Sometimes even nagging me.

    Drawing was easy. Writing is harder though both tell a story of some kind. I have more in common with writers than other artists. So though I haven’t been here in a year, I haven’t been able to forget Ficly either. Decided to come back and give it another try.

  • Jim Stitzel

    Glad you’re back, Vanessa! Once it gets in your blood, writing is there forever. Welcome back to Ficly, and hopefully we’ll see more of your work!