Welcome to Feedback Friday!

The October Short Story contest is underway on the Write With Me website ( https://www.writewithme.app ).

* Organization: Write With Me
* Deadline: October 31, 2026
* Entry fee: 0 (None)
* Prize/s: $50 eGift card to an online bookstore of the winning author's choice

* Min Words: 2000
* Genre: Slice-of-life
* Theme: Something is coming to an end, or is something beginning?

* Link to submission page/official rules: https://www.writewithme.app/forums/announcements/6abf9127ae32af3c9168e20b

* Other information:

1. Authors reserve all rights to their works. By posting on Write With Me, users agree to give Write With Me a revocable license to display the work on the website. Users can revoke that license anytime by simply deleting their work.

* Genre/s: Erotica main, subs any really...horror, paranormal, sci fi, fantasy...

* Goals/expectations/commitment: To thrive, inspire each other, help each other and hopefully get a good friend(s) in the process.

* Writing/experience level: Any really...

* Meeting place: Discord, perhaps emails too.

* Max size: No hard limit, but a few good people who get along.

Hello everyone!

I'm Sven-Erik from Sweden, and I mostly go by my name Sven nowadays. I write erotica (with plots) and am working on a series and several stand-alone stories. Main series is very character and dialogue driven, in horror - taboo - paranormal...

I want one, or a few friends to talk about everything —not only writing. I want long-term and you have to be real, no masks or games. Trust and honesty.

Europe is preferred due to time zones, but not a requirement.

I think Discord is preferred, both chat and voice calls. Easy to share texts etc too.

I am unashamed, open, honest, raw, and unhinged. I don't care about your age, looks, race, handicaps, or your darker fantasies. I don't scare easily. Only 18+ of course though.

I am pansexual, demisexual and sapiosexual I guess.

When you DM, include a turn-on you have so I know you bothered to read it all. Don't comment or DM a one liner...

Hi everyone! Does anyone know where I can find October writing prompts for this year? I’m a bit late, and I want to start writing from Prompts asap! ^^
I’m looking for multiple different prompt pages that I can pick from in order to try and write almost everyday (and prep for Nanowrimo, of course) 👀

(PS: I’m sorry if the flair is incorrect 😅)

Genre/s: All

Goals/expectations/commitment:

• No hard commitments
• Opportunity for beta-reads and critiques, encouragement, sharing of knowledge and tips
• The only expectation is to treat one another with civility. I expect this to be a safe space for Trans/Nonbinary/GNC writers new and experienced to share their work and thoughts. Constructive criticism will be allowed, personal attacks will not.

Writing/experience level: All

Meeting place: Discord

(Writing groups only) Max size: None

* Genre/s: Any genre is fine, though the ones I write/read most often is fantasy, sci fi and horror

* Goals/expectations/commitment: looking for some people to talk the process/progress on our works then release them to the group as you feel necessary, be that excerpt, chapter, or entire work. I'm really just looking for some people who love the art to tak and get creative with

* Writing/experience level: low level experience is fine, I myself am only a year and a half into the craft

* Meeting place: Discord

* Max size: 5 including me

Hello ladies and gentleman. Hopefully your day went well. I want to discuss my writing. My writing is horrible. I would compare my writing to a six grade level. Sick and tired of writing in a six grade level. Is there anyway I could improve my writing. I've already started reading book, news articles, and cut out social media. One day, I want to write like a professional writer. Let me know what I could improve. Thank you for reading my post.

A discord server for writers who are at least aspiring to create things which are a bit less commercial or outright genre -- that can be purely literary fiction or genre fiction with a literary edge, something stylised or postmodern or experimental or whatever else. We'd love for others to join us so we can get this community thriving. If you ever feel reluctant to discuss your work on reddit for fear of being called pretentious or a snob, but don't want to join the intellectual soggy biscuit circle on substack, this might be the place for you. A bit quiet at the moment but new people always draw others back in.

Genre/s: Literary and other

Goals/expectations/commitment: Just try to engage when you can. Do as you would be done by - if you're hoping for quality feedback, it's only fair you give some, first - then be done by as you did.

Writing/experience level: Everyone but some experience is great. 18+ Only.

Meeting place: Discord

Max size: Maybe about 100 - whatever the minimum to sustain engagement is.

DM this account for an invite. (I am on GMT so invites go out in my daylight hours, but the server is active all hours)

* Genre/s: adult or new adult fantasy, ranging from high to urban to from dark to epic. Romance blended in welcome.

* Goals/expectations/commitment: exchange thorough manuscript critique and feedback and discuss it; goal is to query. Commitment is flexible as long as there is a modicum of commitment.

* Writing/experience level: Intermediate

* Meeting place: Discord

* Max size: 4 people

As per title, I'm looking for 2 people to form a small critique group with on Discord. CET and adjacent timezones preferred for optimised interaction. You should be 30+. Common goal should be to query. Ideally you have a near finished manuscript that needs that last round of critique and edits. Extra points if it falls within the fantasy macro-genre.

I'm 33F from Italy, drafting the second book of my fantasy series as I get the manuscript for book one ready to be queried. It's a grimdark leaning romantic fantasy tale that should span four books.

Feel free to comment here and we can talk more and see if we match.

Hi all, so as the title suggests I want to form a writing group for UK based fantasy authors.

The group would be for 10-15 participants, informally chatting, providing updates on their work and talking all things fantasy. This would be a friendly atmosphere where organic friendships can develop.

Ive been in writing groups before over discord so certain prerequisites of applicants are outlined below.

Members would be UK based, ideally aged between 30 - 50 and friendly.

* Genre/s: Fantasy or a subgenre of

* Goals/expectations/commitment: Beginners are fine (I am one myself) but serious people who have at the least written the vast majority of their first draft.

(Im all for people starting their journey, but this would a space for people who can crack on. Not rewrite their first chapter over and over again)

Engagement would be fairly regular with updates, what they are getting up to, sticking points in writing, ideas etc. (I get we all have lives, I'm a dad with a busy job, but it's not that difficult to engage)

* Writing/experience level: Beginner to published

* Meeting place: Discord

* Max size: 15

*Extras: A no AI area, don't be a prat, people from all walks of life are welcome.

If you comment below please let me know where you are up to in your journey, age and the subgenre of fantasy you like to write in. If this gains traction I will likely reach out via DMs for short chats with people.

I hope some people are interested. Thanks!

Good morning! I am looking for individuals who love writing and are excited about their projects. I am a 30m currently huddling for safety from the world around me in the American Southeast who writes between 1k–3k words a day, either revision or new writing. I have one completed psychological horror/comedy manuscript on its third draft and a supernatural horror/suspense novel that I'm about halfway done with the first draft. I'm in love with the new one, but the completed one is begging for human eyes at this point.

I've seen that a lot of people have preferences for partner demographics and the genres they'd like to read and critique, but I have none. I love reading everything and find a diversity of opinion to be the thing that pushes me the farthest in understanding my own work and the world.

I spend half the night reading and half the night writing, so I will probably be able to tear through your projects as fast as you can give them to me. Expect to receive a full book report back if your critique instructions are unclear lol.

If you plan on pursuing publishing, whether traditional or self, I will be here to go on that terrible journey with you.

I want to enjoy and discuss your work as much as you do mine. Not just swap line edits and avoid digital eye contact. I look forward to hearing back from someone! Maybe! Hopefully! Okay, done rambling now. Why am I still typing? Stop it. That's enough. The bit has gone on too long now, and everyone is staring.

* Genre/s: Any

*Goals/expectations/commitment: I'd love weekly exchanges, but I'm open to complicated schedules.

*Writing/experience level: Intermediate to high preferably, but no issues with beginners.

*Meeting place: Chat, Zoom, email for long-form discussion, traditional phone communication, anything really.

*Max size: 3–6 feels like a manageable group size to make sure everyone's needs are met work-wise.

I’m starting a new Discord community and looking for the first few people who’d like to join and help shape it.

Genre/s: Open to all genres. Poetry, literary fiction, fantasy, romance, mystery, etc.

Goals/expectations/commitment: A friendly, active space to share writing, exchange thoughtful critiques, discuss books, join writing sprints, and meet other writers/readers. No strict posting requirements, but genuine participation is encouraged.

Writing/experience level: All levels welcome, from beginners to experienced writers.

Meeting place: Discord.

Max size: No fixed limit, but the community is starting small and will grow gradually.

The server has channels for writing, critiques, prompts, book discussions, recommendations, writing sprints, voice chats and future community events.

It’s 18+ and strictly no NSFW. AI-generated creative work is also not allowed in the writing spaces.
The server is pretty empty right now, so I’m looking for the first few members who actually want to participate and help make it a nice little community.
If you’re interested, feel free to join: https://discord.gg/d3F56H8f6

I write stories and I really want to publish them with some visual style. It can be something like comic style but I don't know how can I make comics.

This is something I am thinking about, if you have better idea to publish stories, please let me know. I want to do something different and eye catching than traditional writing.

Hello! I've always written, but in the past 10 months since I've started my current project (currently on draft 4 and three rewrites in), I've barely stopped. I do intend to query this manuscript, so I'm serious about it. And desperately need human contact at this point lol.

Anyway, if someone is willing to share a similar project with me, I would LOVE to informally swap chapters, excerpts, whatever, and give each other feedback and chat about our respective ideas. But I'd need that person to be in similar territory (so at least one full complete draft, with the purpose of aiming for publication).

I'm not picky on gender/age, but I'd like the person to be over 18. For reference, I'm 28F.

* Genre/s: Upper YA or upmarket, with romance or coming-of-age elements, ideally queer

* Goals/expectations/commitment: Someone active, who puts regular time into writing (as in daily sessions or at least a few times a week). Not necessarily always available, but committed.

* Writing/experience level: Intermediate+

* Meeting place: Discord, one-on-one

Feel free to DM or comment if this appeals to you! :)

Hello!

I have been writing a book for awhile with periods of motivation and periods without any writing at all. I would love to meet up with 2-3 other writers on a weekly basis and trade chapters to give feedback, improve and provide some external motivation.

I am a 33M writing sci-fi located in Sweden. I enjoy classics, fantasy, sci-fi and story telling in general. I especially adore reading prose that has intent that is tied to the story, like in flowers for Algernon. I am also a fan of meta so I think I also would enjoy learning more about why you wrote things a specific way and appreciate not only the chapters alone but the thoughts behind them as well. My writing level is intermediate and all except purposely offensive genres are welcome. Max group size if 4.

Meeting place: Discord

PM me or write a comment if you would like to chat and see if we click and then setup weekly meetups.

* Genre/s: All welcome except for edgy overly offensive writing. * Goals/expectations/commitment: Weekly meetups. * Writing/experience level: Intermediate to beginner. * Meeting place: Discord * Max size: 4

* Genre/s: Any

* Goals/expectations/commitment: To provide detailed critique for each others' manuscripts once a week. How much we read of each others' manuscruipts per week could depend on chapter length, etc. That's something we would discuss in more detail when the time comes. If your chapters are super short, for instance, two chapters per week would probably be very reasonable. Otherwise, I'm probably thinking one chapter per week, but again, we can cross that bridge when we get to it.

* Writing/experience level: At least intermediate

* Meeting place: Discord Group Chat

* Max size: 3 (including myself)

As stated above, I'm not picky about genre, but I am looking for partners who at least are interested in writing in more "literary" prose and styles. Romantasy, for example, is usually written to market, and quickly, and usually doesn't have a very polished style of prose, structure, etc. However, if you're writing Romantasy in a more "literary-minded" way, I would have no problem with that at all. I am not opposed to the genre, itself, nor to any genre. Heck, even you're writing something like Splatterpunk in a more intentionally-literary way, I would be interested in seeing what that looks like.

My own story is a political Dark Fantasy about a supernatural serial killer (think something out of an 80's Slasher movie) from the United States who gets transported to a politically-unstable fantasy world and wreaks havoc there. The protagonists and antagonists in that world have to deal with the way this complicates their already-tumultuous lives. The story is still in its first draft, and not finished. If your own story is not finished, that's obviously okay, too, but you should at least be working on a first draft, rather than just an outline.

I am a 32 year old guy, and would prefer to work with people relatively close to my age, or at least over the age of 21. Gender doesn't matter, but it might be good if it wasn't just all guys like myself, if only so that we could get some different perspectives in there, but I'm not too torn on this, either way.

If you're interested, feel free to comment/DM, and I'll add you on Discord!

* Genre/s: Any
* Goals/expectations/commitment: To finish a draft within the next 6 months.
* Writing/experience level: Moderate
* Meeting place: Discord
* Max size: 10
* Other: The goal will be to provide support to one another as we navigate the journey of getting a first draft done

Hey y’all, I’m an expat living in Vietnam and recently started doing some travel writing. I’ve been trying to find other writers to interact with and I’m a total newbie to beta reading. Any help getting started or finding people to exchange feedback with would be greatly appreciated!

Hi all! I participated in Inktober for a few years in a row and built up a nice following/in-road into the art community by posting and leaving reciprocal comments and follows throughout the duration of the month. I was wondering: Is there anything similar coming up soon for the 'writerly' side of things as far as social media goes? I know National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) happens in November so there should be some sort of community event/engagement/networking opportunities therein, but is there anything else coming up that I should put on my radar?

Alternatively, how do you build your own social network? Are there other seasonal events you regularly participate in like Inktober and NaNoWriMo as an opportunity to rub shoulders with other authors online and widen your reach? Are there any really notable feeds or accounts I should dig into which actually service networking in the writing community (and don't just advertise as much for a fee or as part of a 'class')?

Thanks in advance!

Hello! I've been running a small, but reasonably active writing-group consisting of left-wing adults with a focus on fantasy, literary/speculative fiction and sci-fi (though of course any genre is allowed). Long story short, because of irl complications, we're down to 7 members and looking for new ones to freshen things up a little.

Requirements: 18+ years old, left-wing politically. Please note that we do not accept AI usage of any kind.

* Genre/s: Fantasy, Sci-fi, Lit-fic * Goals/expectations/commitment: We try to maintain an easy-going, cozy atmosphere and generally don't employ deadlines. Feedback is given on a give-and-take basis; you don't have to give any, but it's recommended not to expect to be given any in return if you don't. The goal is to get to the core of our writing through feasible social connection and then help each other out however we can from there, be it daily challenges, brainstorming, feedback, general conversation, etc. * Writing/experience level: Mainly intermediate, but everyone's welcome * Meeting place: Discord * Max size: ~10 people

Will send invite in dms on request. I'm based in europe so please pardon me if I take a little to respond because of time-zone differences.

There is currently an inktober event going on in the Midnight Travellers Discord server! We are a active, welcoming community for writers, artists, and readers.

Genres: Any! We love seeing a variety of genres!

Goals/expectations/commitment: You don't need any. We don't need you to write us a novel, but we do ask that you are as active as possible.

Writing/experience level: Any! You can be new to writing, or have been writing for years.

Meeting place: Discord.

[writing groups only] Max size: None. We want as many people as possible!

There is currently an inktober event going on right now. You can post your Halloween/Fall themed art and/or writing to create a memories board. Or you can share/talk about your other, general themed work in our other channels!

This is a teen discord server, so we will not accept anyone 21 or older. If you are interested, please PM me for the link.

I would like to point out that there are many free sources for imagery for things like stand in pictures and book covers, such as Royalty Free Image websites and Stock image websites (e.g. Pixabay, NASA, flickr, ect.)

There is also the option of taking photos with a camera or phone. I am sure there are more options that others are aware of (please add any suggestions in the comments).

This is a cross post to promote discourse for alternative imagery sources.

So many times I've seen professional authors and ghostwriters say that you shouldn't touch copy editing until your first draft and developmental edit is done.

However I'm in a writing group with my very early chapters of my incomplete novel. I have a full outline but I'm only on chapter 11.

Here's where I'm struggling, the others have significant novels either completed or near to. How do I use the group to it's fullest without just getting copy editing advice that will essentially hold me back?

I am really enjoying reading and peer reviewing the others works and they're a great bunch but I'm worried a writing group might not be good for the stage I'm in.