User blog comment:Banned In CP/Ramble: What the hell is a Creepypasta anyways?/@comment-25052433-20190120064530

I doubt there will ever be any undisputed definition of the term. Short internet-ficiton would have probably worked at one point in time, but there are quite a few very length stories here (some of which you can blame me for lol) that really disqualify the "short fiction" end of that tag.

The truth is, Creepypasta isn't anything more than a roadsign to let readers know that horror stories are up ahead. What we have here is everything from flash-fiction to novels.

Looking back now, it's easy for many of us to say, "Wow, Creepypasta is such a ridiculous term and it doesn't really define the style," and I'd have to partially agree. If we could go back perhaps we would have chosen a better name, something like Online Horror or E-Horror or maybe something catchy like "Click-Lit," you know, cuz you click the mouse and get the lit!

But for better or for worse, Creepypasta is the branded name. And it worked. People get what it means even without being able to define it, and it's allowed an entire generation of horror enthusiast to find their passion in literature. It showed us that the value of a story doesn't come from word count or book deals. A 3000 word novella can become a viral sensation. It provided a place for illustrators to showcase their talents as well, which allowed for even greater growth and development of emerging artists.

So yeah. The name might be silly and the structure might wobble from time to time, but it also provided a creative outlet and a platform for artists to grow. And that's pretty damned cool to me!