What's It All About? - An Interview With WRTN Founder Jason Elhilow
DescriptionAn article that interviews WRTN founder Jason Elhilow and his vision for the content, their business model, and the future of the site as a whole.
MessageConnie Burgess is Jason Elhilow’s great-aunt. She enjoyed a career in the Communications field. In retirement, she is a member of The Scribe Tribe, a Metrowest-based writers’ group.
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WRTNQ: As the 15-year-old founder of WRTN, can you explain what led you to create this site?A: There are many factors that led to the remarkable creation of WRTN. For starters, the biggest contributor to its creation was my personal need for a place to collect and present all my work. In eighth grade, I took a journalism class where I produced a podcast episode and wrote multiple articles. Through that class, I developed my knack for essay writing, which has been my specialty for many years now. However, the biggest motivator for creating WRTN was my want for not just me, but others, to share their voice, which can now be done via contributed work. And I hope that WRTN continues to be a forum for writers searching for their voice. WRTN can be a vehicle for writers to share with the world. Everyone has the power to stand for what they believe in, for what they fight for, and WRTN wants to help with that in any way possible. Though do note, WRTN does not endorse any form of extremist hate, violence, politicization, discrimination, etc., although we do want people to share their voices. We NEVER accept/endorse anything that harms others.
Q: Would you say WRTN management combines several of your interests, and what would those interests be?A: Yes, WRTN is still very much my website, and it reflects many of my interests. The focus has always been on three things: accurate articles, exemplary essays, and stunning storytelling. I want the content to be the best we have now, and as WRTN’s library grows, the site will improve. I currently manage the entirety of the catalog, and that likely won’t change any time soon. But yes, the site is very much dictated by my interests, and those interests include making the best content possible for as many people as possible.
Q: I’m wondering how you improve your skills. Do you have a mentor or a great resource that helps keep you updated on wrtiting and technological changes?A: There are many great sources that I get help from. For starters, I am always writing, always picking up new tricks article by article. I learn what I did poorly before and fix it. But also, Google is a great help in varying my word choices, along with the fact that I have so many family members who can assist me along the way. My grandmother, Joanne C. Parsons, is a great example, as she herself is an established and published author and has given me many tips over the past few years. I have learned from many sources, some internal, some external, but regardless it has helped shape me and WRTN into the site it is today.
Q: Can you determine the ages of your readers and is there a specific age group you appeal to?A: When it comes to target audiences, we realize that constantly gaining new and young viewers is crucial to our survival. Though anyone of any age, race, nationality, sexuality, and so on can read and enjoy our content, we are mainly focusing on people in the 15-to-25 age range, Overall, we want our site to be for everyone, but our focus is definitely on reinvigorating younger audiences toward reading and writing.
Q: You tackle a lot of subjects on your site, and this is clearly not a school project. How much time a week are you devoting to this site, and how do you fit it all in when you have your high school studies as well?A: First things first, the best part about WRTN is the high school studies. Much of the work I make in school is directly ported over to the site, disregarding the few changes I may make later. Though you are right, the site itself is NOT a school project, and is a personal hobby that I hope can grow to much more. This is quite clear from the many original works and stories that have been done, like The Asteroid Parts or The End, two 100% original and solo creations that had no input from a rubric or grade book. Now yes, things do take a lot of time, like designing the site and maintaining its usability along with making original content. But it is a small price to pay for what is given in return, which is a site that dozens enjoy and use daily. I have no exact number, but all I can say is that my weekends are when I really work on content, while I mostly focus on updating, maintaining, and advertising the site during the week.
Q: What is the most exciting part of this project for you personally?A: The absolute most exciting part of this project is the potential of it all. It can go so much further than it has, than me myself. Though now it is a simple website, I think it could easily be built out into a media empire where many people, including myself, can launch real and genuine writing careers. This is just the start, and everyone should know that it has my full attention, my full support. It can never fail; it may have its lows, and it may end someday, but I could never consider it a failure. It has already done much more than I first intended, and I hope that continues into the future. Now, when it comes to what I personally am excited for people to see from WRTN is the books, the storytelling. Currently, it is not perfect; it is not the best of the best. But trust me, as it grows, as more is added to our Stories page, as I personally get better, that page will become the cream of the crop on WRTN. The Asteroid Parts and The End were just the beginning, but when the rest of The Asteroid Saga and more come around, along with future unannounced and unplanned projects, the page will absolutely be the best you can get.
Q: Describe your vision for yourself as you continue pursuing your obvious passion for media and technology. A: My vision for the future of WRTN is one without me. I don’t want it to be limited by my weaknesses, and I don’t want to limit its possibilities. I think it needs more than just my pure vision. It needs the ideas of others who are passionate about the project and its message. Though when it comes to me and my passion for media and tech, I hope to continue bringing joy to people from the content I create, while also satisfying myself and my idea of perfection. It will be an ongoing love, and I pray that it never stops, though who knows what the future holds for me and WRTN. But that's the fun of the unknown; it’s terrifying and fascinating, worrying and exciting. No one can tell what's going to happen, and I like it that way. It keeps me on my toes, always wondering about what’s next.
Q: Would you say WRTN management combines several of your interests, and what would those interests be?A: Yes, WRTN is still very much my website, and it reflects many of my interests. The focus has always been on three things: accurate articles, exemplary essays, and stunning storytelling. I want the content to be the best we have now, and as WRTN’s library grows, the site will improve. I currently manage the entirety of the catalog, and that likely won’t change any time soon. But yes, the site is very much dictated by my interests, and those interests include making the best content possible for as many people as possible.
Q: I’m wondering how you improve your skills. Do you have a mentor or a great resource that helps keep you updated on wrtiting and technological changes?A: There are many great sources that I get help from. For starters, I am always writing, always picking up new tricks article by article. I learn what I did poorly before and fix it. But also, Google is a great help in varying my word choices, along with the fact that I have so many family members who can assist me along the way. My grandmother, Joanne C. Parsons, is a great example, as she herself is an established and published author and has given me many tips over the past few years. I have learned from many sources, some internal, some external, but regardless it has helped shape me and WRTN into the site it is today.
Q: Can you determine the ages of your readers and is there a specific age group you appeal to?A: When it comes to target audiences, we realize that constantly gaining new and young viewers is crucial to our survival. Though anyone of any age, race, nationality, sexuality, and so on can read and enjoy our content, we are mainly focusing on people in the 15-to-25 age range, Overall, we want our site to be for everyone, but our focus is definitely on reinvigorating younger audiences toward reading and writing.
Q: You tackle a lot of subjects on your site, and this is clearly not a school project. How much time a week are you devoting to this site, and how do you fit it all in when you have your high school studies as well?A: First things first, the best part about WRTN is the high school studies. Much of the work I make in school is directly ported over to the site, disregarding the few changes I may make later. Though you are right, the site itself is NOT a school project, and is a personal hobby that I hope can grow to much more. This is quite clear from the many original works and stories that have been done, like The Asteroid Parts or The End, two 100% original and solo creations that had no input from a rubric or grade book. Now yes, things do take a lot of time, like designing the site and maintaining its usability along with making original content. But it is a small price to pay for what is given in return, which is a site that dozens enjoy and use daily. I have no exact number, but all I can say is that my weekends are when I really work on content, while I mostly focus on updating, maintaining, and advertising the site during the week.
Q: What is the most exciting part of this project for you personally?A: The absolute most exciting part of this project is the potential of it all. It can go so much further than it has, than me myself. Though now it is a simple website, I think it could easily be built out into a media empire where many people, including myself, can launch real and genuine writing careers. This is just the start, and everyone should know that it has my full attention, my full support. It can never fail; it may have its lows, and it may end someday, but I could never consider it a failure. It has already done much more than I first intended, and I hope that continues into the future. Now, when it comes to what I personally am excited for people to see from WRTN is the books, the storytelling. Currently, it is not perfect; it is not the best of the best. But trust me, as it grows, as more is added to our Stories page, as I personally get better, that page will become the cream of the crop on WRTN. The Asteroid Parts and The End were just the beginning, but when the rest of The Asteroid Saga and more come around, along with future unannounced and unplanned projects, the page will absolutely be the best you can get.
Q: Describe your vision for yourself as you continue pursuing your obvious passion for media and technology. A: My vision for the future of WRTN is one without me. I don’t want it to be limited by my weaknesses, and I don’t want to limit its possibilities. I think it needs more than just my pure vision. It needs the ideas of others who are passionate about the project and its message. Though when it comes to me and my passion for media and tech, I hope to continue bringing joy to people from the content I create, while also satisfying myself and my idea of perfection. It will be an ongoing love, and I pray that it never stops, though who knows what the future holds for me and WRTN. But that's the fun of the unknown; it’s terrifying and fascinating, worrying and exciting. No one can tell what's going to happen, and I like it that way. It keeps me on my toes, always wondering about what’s next.
