Visual NFT projects often include repetitive model characters with little changes here and there. They are primarily used as profile pictures or kept to be resold later. But they lack context. An NFT story author creates a brief backstory, plotlines, and even interactions between NFT characters to give context and make them more memorable when minted as digital assets.

NFT story writing unexplored

NFT story writing clients will have a vague backstory and want someone to expand it to improve its appeal to the public. Most of these stories are complete with NDAs to ensure the clients retain the rights to keep their privacy.

NFT characters need a backstory

People like stories. We use stories to understand the world around us and exchange information. Most NFT Discord groups don't have a backstory behind them. However, the hyped NFT projects have some context behind their characters, such as CloneX by RTFKT, MummyMania and CoolPets.

Why NFT projects want NFT authors

There seems to be growth potential for the NFT story writing niche to make the characters of an NFT project even more appealing. Most NFT lore writing clients pay between $0.05 to $0.15 per word. But NFT projects are varied and many will pay better. For freelancers, this niche could be a good place for creative fiction writers.

The potential of NFT story writing as a freelance niche

<h2 data-selectable-paragraph="">NFT story writing will bring out the inner novelist in all of us.</h2><figure><img alt="" src="https://miro.medium.com/max/500/1*xpyMThnAerM_r2RYc1DCKA" width="692" height="389"><figcaption dir="auto">Image courtesy of @cavernestudio</figcaption></figure>The best way of knowing if a niche in any field is new is if you can find no one claiming to be an expert on it online.Since I’ve yet to see the first NFT story writer expert selling online courses on becoming a non-fungible token story writer just like them, we can comfortably assume that this is an unexplored freelance writing niche.The first time I even heard about NFT story writing was on UpWork of all places. Out of curiosity, I reached out to the client, and they were interested in hiring me to come up with a brief backstory on each of his NFT illustrated characters.I found the gig interesting as, besides freelance scriptwriting and podcast writing, I love fantasy fiction creative writing.Sadly, I was overwhelmed with work and instead referred a fellow creative writer friend who landed the gig. He wrote a hundred 2–3 line backstories and got paid $500.Nonetheless, I was intrigued by the possibility of this niche. I contacted and interviewed NFT short story writer Elizabeth L through Reddit and interviewed her on her experiences how to create non-fungible stories to learn more about it.<h1 data-selectable-paragraph="">What is NFT story writing?</h1>Similar to my case, Elizabeth found a unicorn job posting on UpWork requesting NFT crypto writing authors for characters.The NFT story author creates a brief backstory to context a given NFT. It adds a memorable vibe for humans to think about when they buy these fantastic characters minted as digital assets.Visual NFT projects tend to include many repetitive model characters with a couple of changes here and there. CryptoPunks, Bored Ape Yacht Club, and all the other ape clubs that have come along with it are good examples of this.Let’s take one of the CryptoPunks as an example for beginners.<figure><img alt="" src="https://miro.medium.com/max/500/1*ih6fB6NBR91FfwBB3-7tS" width="262" height="192"><figcaption dir="auto">Image screenshotted by the author.</figcaption></figure>Punk #9998 is one of 3840 Female Punks and comes with three attributes: wild white hair, black lipstick, and clown eyes green.These are trait groups that distinguish each NFT character from the rest, though besides those, the characters have no context and are primarily used as profile pictures or kept to be resold later due to their ludicrous value. Few projects add stories to bring these characters to life.That’s where freelance NFT story writers come in. They create fictional backstories, plotlines, and even interactions between NFT characters that help create a more immersive project than cash grabs masquerading as illustrations.<h1 data-selectable-paragraph="">What is an NFT story?</h1>Here’s a brief sample by Elizabeth L of what an NFT lore short story would look like:<BLOCKQUOTE>“Tell her that I hate her,” the blonde whispered in my ear. “I can’t wait for her to join me.”An auburn-haired girl, sat at my dining room table, waiting wide-eyed for a response.She couldn’t hear the hissed, “I know she got together with Ben.”I took Rachel’s hands, trying to keep my expression neutral. The ghost continued the negative comments behind me, complete with cursing and name calling.“She can’t wait to see you,” I told her, amending the statement without outright lying.Paying customers want to hear happy things — even if that’s not reality.</BLOCKQUOTE>Most of her clients have been in the fantasy or magical realism genre. The story genre depends on the vibe the NFT project wants to portray, as a more science-based project will want science fiction lore instead.The purpose of this is more subconscious than anything. What makes an NFT interesting is scarcity and intrigue, not too different from art found in a museum.Adding a short story to the NFT is no different from the enchanting effect copywriting causes on landing pages and advertising.In other words, this is the new ‘thing’. Once the first few online course pretenders crop up, we can stop calling it that.<h1 data-selectable-paragraph="">What does an NFT lore writing project involve?</h1>When asked about the NFT lore writing workflow, Elizabeth said that the clients usually have an idea or requirements for the project. They might even have a vague backstory written already and want someone else to expand it.Most cases already have the NFT minted and want the authors to write with a backstory for the character illustrated in the NFT.Essentially, NFT story writing clients provide you with a seed idea and creative freedom. NFT story writing is an excellent niche for freelance creative writers with a developed sense of visuals.Afterward, the process is no different from submitting any written work for revision. Edits are done, and the NFT illustration now has an intriguing backstory to improve its appeal to the public. The NFTs with their new lore are now added to the NFT website.These gigs tend to be mostly ghostwritten, though not all have to be. Most of them are completed with NDAs to ensure that the clients retain all rights to keep their privacy. Considering how iffy NFTs can be in the intellectual property department, this is expected.<h1 data-selectable-paragraph="">Where do you find NFT story writing clients?</h1>I’ll start by saying that this is not the kind of gig you’ll find on the most significant job boards, for that matter. At least not until it’s more well-known for both clients and professionals.Elizabeth mentioned how many of her stories require the creation of plot lines and character backgrounds, a writing niche that we can all admit you’ll rarely see being requested at Problogger.You can find most clients for these projects on UpWork or Fiverr, where it’s more common for freelancers to ease around their pricing. Elizabeth mentioned that many of her clients also come from Reddit.<h1 data-selectable-paragraph="">Why do NFT projects want NFT authors?</h1>While there are no current statistics regarding the benefits of an NFT project with lore than another without it, we can make some rough estimates until they are.Humans are storytellers, both consciously and unconsciously. As brilliantly illustrated in Yuval Noah Harari’s ‘What explains the rise of humans’ Ted Talk, we use stories to understand the world around us and confer information to other humans. It’s the reason why we’ve gotten as far as we’ve done on Earth, unlike other animal species.After joining some NFT Discord groups out of sheer curiosity, I’ve concluded that many of them don’t have a backstory behind them. The illustrations are excellent, but what sets them apart from the thousands of NFTs also using awesome images and marketing?However, if we look at the most hyped NFT projects and analyze their success, we can see that they all have some mild context behind their characters. They have traits that set their characters apart or a short story that explains the project’s context.CloneX by RTFKT is one such example, including an intriguing backstory available on their website as soon as you reach it. Other projects with a solid NFT story behind them are MummyMania and CoolPets.Others can get away from sheer fame, scarcity, and the NFT hype train surrounding them.Until more NFT projects with intriguing lore come up, most will likely remain without it.<h1 data-selectable-paragraph="">Does NFT story writing have potential as a freelance niche?</h1>As per her own experience, Elizabeth sees a lot of growth potential for the NFT story writing niche. People are interested in the context behind the characters on the images minted as NFTs.It might very well be the moment when creative fiction writers can show off their writing chops by coming up with captivating stories for NFT characters, making an NFT project even more appealing, and potentially increasing sales, bids, and investors.<h1 data-selectable-paragraph="">What are the rates for NFT story writing?</h1>Now, let’s talk about what matters the most: money.Specifically, what are the rates for the freelance NFT lore writing niche? Or, what should they be?As per Elizabeth’s admission, Most NFT lore writing clients are willing to pay between $0.05 to $0.15 per word. It’s definitely better than practically anything you’ll find in many low-budget marketplaces, but I still found it to be relatively low-paying for ghostwritten creative writing content.Similar to<a href="https://writingcooperative.com/the-insider-break-into-freelance-scriptwriting-240faadc5fd3?source=your_stories_page----------------------------------------&amp;gi=de5b9cff60b3" rel="noopener" dir="ltr"> YouTube video scripts</a>, which are projects that tend to begin with a low budget and scale with time, some of the NFT lore writing projects don’t seem to be high-paying. Or perhaps, the few projects I’ve seen looking for NFT lore writers aren’t.Contrasting my own experience, Elizabeth mentioned that this was one of her highest-paying gigs and many clients were eager to pay higher rates.The good news is that since NFT projects are so varied, they have a higher chance of paying better.Without any reliable statistics on industry standards, if it can even be called an industry yet, we’ll have to base ourselves on traditional creative writing rates translated into NFT lore writing rates for now.<h1 data-selectable-paragraph="">What does NFT story writing mean for creative freelancers?</h1>Novelists big and small rejoice with the potential arrival of NFT story writing as a niche.The niche could be considered one of the best shots for fiction writers to join the world of freelancing. Most freelance writers tend to be mainly non-fiction writers with a particular niche of expertise and perhaps a couple of old creative writing high school course stories stored in their computer.Others are active non-fiction writers with a community that enjoys their fiction books. However, creative fiction writers generally have to adapt to writing non-fiction to stand out.There’s the usual video-game story writing gig and a whole dimension of short story and novel competitions. Still, it’s as if a red line firmly separates fiction from non-fiction freelancers.NFT lore writing can be the bridge between both, a game-changer for those who enjoy writing creative lore and still want to earn money freelancing.One day, Sturgeon’s Law will come in full force regarding NFTs. For those unacquainted, Sturgeon’s Law establishes the following:<BLOCKQUOTE>“Ninety Percent of Everything Is Crap”</BLOCKQUOTE>Ninety percent of NFT projects will remain relatively unknown due to the sheer amount of simultaneously available projects, no matter how many marketplaces they are listed on, unless they add something that helps them stand out.This trait could be an exciting concept, a clever promotion, or an engaging NFT story.Sure, there’s no denying that even the most random NFTs can, one day, fetch a ridiculous price for no apparent reason. A local illustrator in my country posted that a well-done NFT of one of his manga-style drawings reached $123,500 on OpenSea after two weeks of hyping.<h1 data-selectable-paragraph="">The bottom line</h1>After the dust settles and standards are set, more NFT projects that want to stand out from the crowd will need more than a trillion images with generative traits.Complex lore interactions, plotlines, and intrigue surrounding the project could eventually be the foundations for the hype behind an NFT project.

The best way of knowing if a niche in any field is new is if you can find no one claiming to be an expert on it online. Since I’ve yet to see the first NFT story writer expert selling online courses…

Stashed ideas

NFT story writing will bring out the inner novelist in all of us.

The best way of knowing if a niche in any field is new is if you can find no one claiming to be an expert on it online.

Since I’ve yet to see the first NFT story writer expert selling online courses on becoming a non-fungible token story writer just like them, we can comfortably assume that this is an unexplored freelance writing niche.

The first time I even heard about NFT story writing was on UpWork of all places. Out of curiosity, I reached out to the client, and they were interested in hiring me to come up with a brief backstory on each of his NFT illustrated characters.

I found the gig interesting as, besides freelance scriptwriting and podcast writing, I love fantasy fiction creative writing.

Sadly, I was overwhelmed with work and instead referred a fellow creative writer friend who landed the gig. He wrote a hundred 2–3 line backstories and got paid $500.

Nonetheless, I was intrigued by the possibility of this niche. I contacted and interviewed NFT short story writer Elizabeth L through Reddit and interviewed her on her experiences how to create non-fungible stories to learn more about it.

Similar to my case, Elizabeth found a unicorn job posting on UpWork requesting NFT crypto writing authors for characters.

The NFT story author creates a brief backstory to context a given NFT. It adds a memorable vibe for humans to think about when they buy these fantastic characters minted as digital assets.

Visual NFT projects tend to include many repetitive model characters with a couple of changes here and there. CryptoPunks, Bored Ape Yacht Club, and all the other ape clubs that have come along with it are good examples of this.

Let’s take one of the CryptoPunks as an example for beginners.

Punk #9998 is one of 3840 Female Punks and comes with three attributes: wild white hair, black lipstick, and clown eyes green.

These are trait groups that distinguish each NFT character from the rest, though besides those, the characters have no context and are primarily used as profile pictures or kept to be resold later due to their ludicrous value. Few projects add stories to bring these characters to life.

That’s where freelance NFT story writers come in. They create fictional backstories, plotlines, and even interactions between NFT characters that help create a more immersive project than cash grabs masquerading as illustrations.

Here’s a brief sample by Elizabeth L of what an NFT lore short story would look like:

“Tell her that I hate her,” the blonde whispered in my ear. “I can’t wait for her to join me.”

An auburn-haired girl, sat at my dining room table, waiting wide-eyed for a response.

She couldn’t hear the hissed, “I know she got together with Ben.”

I took Rachel’s hands, trying to keep my expression neutral. The ghost continued the negative comments behind me, complete with cursing and name calling.

“She can’t wait to see you,” I told her, amending the statement without outright lying.

Paying customers want to hear happy things — even if that’s not reality.

Most of her clients have been in the fantasy or magical realism genre. The story genre depends on the vibe the NFT project wants to portray, as a more science-based project will want science fiction lore instead.

The purpose of this is more subconscious than anything. What makes an NFT interesting is scarcity and intrigue, not too different from art found in a museum.

Adding a short story to the NFT is no different from the enchanting effect copywriting causes on landing pages and advertising.

In other words, this is the new ‘thing’. Once the first few online course pretenders crop up, we can stop calling it that.

What does an NFT lore writing project involve?

When asked about the NFT lore writing workflow, Elizabeth said that the clients usually have an idea or requirements for the project. They might even have a vague backstory written already and want someone else to expand it.

Most cases already have the NFT minted and want the authors to write with a backstory for the character illustrated in the NFT.

Essentially, NFT story writing clients provide you with a seed idea and creative freedom. NFT story writing is an excellent niche for freelance creative writers with a developed sense of visuals.

Afterward, the process is no different from submitting any written work for revision. Edits are done, and the NFT illustration now has an intriguing backstory to improve its appeal to the public. The NFTs with their new lore are now added to the NFT website.

These gigs tend to be mostly ghostwritten, though not all have to be. Most of them are completed with NDAs to ensure that the clients retain all rights to keep their privacy. Considering how iffy NFTs can be in the intellectual property department, this is expected.

Where do you find NFT story writing clients?

I’ll start by saying that this is not the kind of gig you’ll find on the most significant job boards, for that matter. At least not until it’s more well-known for both clients and professionals.

Elizabeth mentioned how many of her stories require the creation of plot lines and character backgrounds, a writing niche that we can all admit you’ll rarely see being requested at Problogger.

You can find most clients for these projects on UpWork or Fiverr, where it’s more common for freelancers to ease around their pricing. Elizabeth mentioned that many of her clients also come from Reddit.

While there are no current statistics regarding the benefits of an NFT project with lore than another without it, we can make some rough estimates until they are.

Humans are storytellers, both consciously and unconsciously. As brilliantly illustrated in Yuval Noah Harari’s ‘What explains the rise of humans’ Ted Talk, we use stories to understand the world around us and confer information to other humans. It’s the reason why we’ve gotten as far as we’ve done on Earth, unlike other animal species.

After joining some NFT Discord groups out of sheer curiosity, I’ve concluded that many of them don’t have a backstory behind them. The illustrations are excellent, but what sets them apart from the thousands of NFTs also using awesome images and marketing?

However, if we look at the most hyped NFT projects and analyze their success, we can see that they all have some mild context behind their characters. They have traits that set their characters apart or a short story that explains the project’s context.

CloneX by RTFKT is one such example, including an intriguing backstory available on their website as soon as you reach it. Other projects with a solid NFT story behind them are MummyMania and CoolPets.

Others can get away from sheer fame, scarcity, and the NFT hype train surrounding them.

Until more NFT projects with intriguing lore come up, most will likely remain without it.

Does NFT story writing have potential as a freelance niche?

As per her own experience, Elizabeth sees a lot of growth potential for the NFT story writing niche. People are interested in the context behind the characters on the images minted as NFTs.

It might very well be the moment when creative fiction writers can show off their writing chops by coming up with captivating stories for NFT characters, making an NFT project even more appealing, and potentially increasing sales, bids, and investors.

What are the rates for NFT story writing?

Now, let’s talk about what matters the most: money.

Specifically, what are the rates for the freelance NFT lore writing niche? Or, what should they be?

As per Elizabeth’s admission, Most NFT lore writing clients are willing to pay between $0.05 to $0.15 per word. It’s definitely better than practically anything you’ll find in many low-budget marketplaces, but I still found it to be relatively low-paying for ghostwritten creative writing content.

Similar to<a href="https://writingcooperative.com/the-insider-break-into-freelance-scriptwriting-240faadc5fd3?source=your_stories_page----------------------------------------&gi=de5b9cff60b3">YouTube video scripts </a>, which are projects that tend to begin with a low budget and scale with time, some of the NFT lore writing projects don’t seem to be high-paying. Or perhaps, the few projects I’ve seen looking for NFT lore writers aren’t.

Contrasting my own experience, Elizabeth mentioned that this was one of her highest-paying gigs and many clients were eager to pay higher rates.

The good news is that since NFT projects are so varied, they have a higher chance of paying better.

Without any reliable statistics on industry standards, if it can even be called an industry yet, we’ll have to base ourselves on traditional creative writing rates translated into NFT lore writing rates for now.

What does NFT story writing mean for creative freelancers?

Novelists big and small rejoice with the potential arrival of NFT story writing as a niche.

The niche could be considered one of the best shots for fiction writers to join the world of freelancing. Most freelance writers tend to be mainly non-fiction writers with a particular niche of expertise and perhaps a couple of old creative writing high school course stories stored in their computer.

Others are active non-fiction writers with a community that enjoys their fiction books. However, creative fiction writers generally have to adapt to writing non-fiction to stand out.

There’s the usual video-game story writing gig and a whole dimension of short story and novel competitions. Still, it’s as if a red line firmly separates fiction from non-fiction freelancers.

NFT lore writing can be the bridge between both, a game-changer for those who enjoy writing creative lore and still want to earn money freelancing.

One day, Sturgeon’s Law will come in full force regarding NFTs. For those unacquainted, Sturgeon’s Law establishes the following:

“Ninety Percent of Everything Is Crap”

Ninety percent of NFT projects will remain relatively unknown due to the sheer amount of simultaneously available projects, no matter how many marketplaces they are listed on, unless they add something that helps them stand out.

This trait could be an exciting concept, a clever promotion, or an engaging NFT story.

Sure, there’s no denying that even the most random NFTs can, one day, fetch a ridiculous price for no apparent reason. A local illustrator in my country posted that a well-done NFT of one of his manga-style drawings reached $123,500 on OpenSea after two weeks of hyping.

After the dust settles and standards are set, more NFT projects that want to stand out from the crowd will need more than a trillion images with generative traits.

Complex lore interactions, plotlines, and intrigue surrounding the project could eventually be the foundations for the hype behind an NFT project.

Bite-sized knowledge
to upgrade
your career

Is NFT Story Writing the New Freelance Niche?

NFT story writing unexplored

NFT characters need a backstory

Why NFT projects want NFT authors

The potential of NFT story writing as a freelance niche

IDEAS ABOUT

MORE LIKE THIS

Writing Niches You Could Focus On As A Freelance Writer

What Is NFT Architecture and How Is It Different from Regular 3D Models?

How to Write a Strong Story Concept (Reverse Book Blurb Exercise)

It's time to

READ

LIKE

A PRO!

Bite-sized knowledgeto upgradeyour career

Is NFT Story Writing the New Freelance Niche?

NFT story writing unexplored

NFT characters need a backstory

Why NFT projects want NFT authors

The potential of NFT story writing as a freelance niche

IDEAS ABOUT

MORE LIKE THIS

Writing Niches You Could Focus On As A Freelance Writer

What Is NFT Architecture and How Is It Different from Regular 3D Models?

How to Write a Strong Story Concept (Reverse Book Blurb Exercise)

It's time to

READ

LIKE

A PRO!

Bite-sized knowledge
to upgrade
your career