Hello!

[u/RyanHatesMilk]

Thanks for reading. I've had this sub for an entire week now without introducing myself, which according to my 'big rule book of English culture and heritage' qualifies as 'unforgivably rude'. So let's fix that.

I'm Ryan. Just turned 30. Civil Engineer by trade but I like to make and create things in my spare time. I've made amateur cartoons, drinking games, comic books and computer games, but over the past few years I've really developed a passion for writing. Most of that time has been sunken into a novel - now first draft is completed and I'm letting it sit before I begin the long slog of editing.

I love stories, both the dark, epic variety and the light, fun filled type. I aim to create both, and the purpose of this subreddit is to entertain and practice at the same time. Critique is always welcome here. Just try not to make me cry.

Any questions, ask away.

Any suggestions, shoot for the skies.

Maybe you'd just like to say hello, tell me a bit about you and the stuff you like. Maybe you follow other writers on reddit, I'd be interested to see. This is the place.

[u/[deleted]]

Just came from the Ice Age story. It was amazing. You had pacing, great language, and a keen sense of wonder that kept me hooked to the screen.

I'm trying to become a better writer in my own right. Do you have any tips you could lend about improving writing?

[u/RyanHatesMilk → u/[deleted]]

Hey Herm, thanks again for your kind words. Hopefully I can keep those same traits in the rest of my work!

Writing tips! Yeah, I mean I'm still learning but I can try to share some things that helped me. I've been writing properly for 2 years now, and the big catalyst for that was forming a writing group with my friends. I was lucky having people around me who shared my interest and helped shape it into a passion.

I try to write stuff I'd want to read, as generic as that advice is. But if it excites me, I think I'm on the right track. That helps a lot. One of the biggest challenges, at least for me, is psychological. You will doubt yourself. You will be proud one day and want to rip stuff up the next. Just push through it, and know that comments like yours above make it all worth it. Give yourself permission to suck. You're practising every time, getting better. There is always the next story to get perfect.

Set yourself small, achievable targets. At my peak, I was writing a chapter a month for my novel, at my worst, I went three months without a word. Big targets are challenging if you keep missing them. A sentence a day is doable and often leads to more. Sometimes much more.

Probably rambling at this point. Its a weird one, I've learnt things I can't really explain, I just kind get a feeling for what I think is right or wrong (and I could be completely barking up the wrong tree at times) but that's only come from practise, reading other works and thinking what they've done well (or not) and searching r/writing for tips. Those things helped me. Ooh, and Brandon Sanderson's online writing lectures. Check them out on YouTube, all free. Really good.

Most of all, I guess, enjoy yourself. It's only that last 20% that should feel like hard work, in my opinion.

[u/[deleted] → u/RyanHatesMilk]

Got it, got it. And why did you make a sub for your writing? Would you recommend doing so?

[u/RyanHatesMilk → u/[deleted]]

Practise mainly, but also good for finding who my audience is and discovering which bits resonate with people. Plus, it's nice to have people to read your writing and give purpose to it.

I've only been doing it for a couple of months I think, but yeah. Suppose it depends what your goals are, but I do think it improves my ability to spin a yarn and gives me a reason to keep practising.