In a society where teen writing is often overlooked or swept under the rug, The New Yorker writers Jacob Lewis and Dana Goodyear strove to create a website where they’re the center of attention—and out of this idea Figment was born. A website where age doesn’t matter and you can “write yourself in”.

In 2012 Figment merged with its rival site Inkpop, which was sponsored by HarperCollins. Combined, the website has 300,000 accounts and over 700,000 works of literature posted.

Figment allows members to create accounts and publish stories, novels, and poems for others to read and review. Users also have the option, similar to Facebook, to “heart” a story or share it on social media. The website enforces a safe learning environment for comments and critiques, where only helpful words of advice are allowed.

Contests are frequently posted with short prompts based on recently published YA novels. Figgie’s can then write a new work and tag it to be judged as an entry. There are many ways to win, from the number of hearts to random selection. Some are even crowned winners by well-known authors like Nicholas Sparks and Lauren Oliver.

Chats are also a Figgie favorite. Hosted on the website at certain times, aspiring writers can post questions to a forum where they might be answered by experienced authors like James Dashner, who wrote “The Maze Runner” and “The Eye of Minds” series.

Users can be recognized in many ways, from earning badges like “wordsmith” or “bibliophile”, to being featured on Figment’s homepage. Features are also included in the website’s newsletter emailed to subscribers every Sunday.

For those interested in writing, whether for a career or for fun, Figment can be a platform to receive helpful advice and future success.