Check out some helpful insights, writing peeves, book recommendations and more! Take everything I say with a grain of salt for most of the stuff here are based on personal preferences. I'd be glad if this somehow helped other authors as well. Also...
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My very first exposure to a web series was when I first discovered the Marble Hornets on YouTube. What I love about the series is the people behind them were able to build an exciting horror story about a Slenderman figure despite having limited resources. Get this: it was filmed with a hand camera and a GoPro. Since I am a regular on YouTube, a lot of the things we're gonna talk about will mostly apply to that platform. The web series I'll be covering are made by indie studios and does not include the ones made by bigger studios like Studio Trigger's "Inferno Cop."
Anyway, on to the topic ...
A web series is a form of media based on the Internet. With a popular platform like YouTube, everybody is surely gonna stumble upon them. The creators, on the other hand, receive direct financial support and hold a lot of creative freedom without any corporate interference.
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My top fave genre so far is animation. You have works like "Helluva Boss" by Vivziepop (for 18+ audiences only!), "RWBY" by Monty Oum and the newest "Murder Drones" series by Liam Vickers.
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As for the live-action ones, the Crypt TV channel is always my go-to for original horror series like The Look-See and The Birch. They are able to play with the genre pretty well compared to its predecessors. I don't have to worry about paying for Netflix or any streaming services just to watch anything I wanted. There is no need to scour the entire web for pirated episodes or DVDs either. In fact, I remember binge-watching on Netflix during the height of the apocalypse (I mean, pandemic) since there were a lot of good stuff back then. Maybe it's because of my age or personality, but overtime I stopped being hooked on it and realize that I may not always use Netflix unless they start pumping good content again. We live in an era where the Internet has overshadowed TV cable. They've becoming popular as not many of us get to go outside especially when the pandemic is still happening, even though it's not as worst compared to the first two years. Despite the limited resources for indie studios, at least the crew are able to take much time for productions and run their creations anytime they want. These mainstream companies have the authority to pull the plug anytime on your show and meddle with your own ideas just so you can air it on TV. While poor ratings and marketing can affect a TV show, at least it can accumulate a huge following once many people start talking about them across the Internet. It's kind of similar to webcomics where you have to keep on uploading to stay afloat the algorithm. However, I do respect those who strive to work for big media companies as they tend to have more resources compared to indie studios. This is just my personal take so take it with a grain of salt.
So what does this have to do with Wattpad, Haru?
Well, anyone can make good stories regardless of one's experience or background. You don't have to be Hayao Miyazaki to become a great author. All you just need is to believe in yourselves and keep on improving your craft. You may never know just how many people are gonna appreciate the stuff you do!
