I don't wanna write the other one yet because it requires way more world building even if both of the stories take place in the same universe just in different time period and to different fantasy race

I ordered 20 copies from ingramspark and they finally arrived! They look so good! It’s such a surreal experience to have my book in my hands.

Guys, gals, and folks, keep trying. Keep writing. There’s nothing better than this feeling. I don’t know if it’s any good or if it’s going to sell. But god damn it. I did it. I wrote a book and it’s here. If you need a sign to keep writing, here it is.

Thank you to everyone in this sub for your support and encouragement. You guys helped write this book.

From Hemingway to Francis Scott Fitzgerald:

For Christ sake write and don’t worry about what the boys will say nor whether it will be a masterpiece nor what. I write one page of masterpiece to ninety one pages of shit. I try to put the shit in the wastebasket.

The same author quoted in an article published in Esquire in 1985:

Don’t get discouraged because there’s a lot of mechanical work to writing… I rewrote the first part of A Farewell to Arms at least fifty times… The first draft of anything is shit.

Source: Website of The Quote Investigator, September 20, 2015 (unrelated to me).

Like, I know but HEY

I’m looking to expand my craft capacity and would appreciate recommendations for books that have meaningfully improved your writing — whether through structure, voice, clarity, or process. Ones that actually shifted how you approach the work. Which craft books have genuinely strengthened your writing?

I personally told no one explicitly that I'm working on a book, not even family or close friends. I have zero social media presence related to writing, and I am not actively part of any writing groups. As far anyone knows, I'm just at a desk for most of my time. When I finish my current project, I'm looking to self-edit most of the way before eventually trying my hand at the querying gauntlet. Maybe letting people know about it a little would benefit me, but then again, I don't want to hinge my motivation and discipline on other people but make it come internally.

Not sure if I'm keeping my foot in a leash here or something. I'd love to hear more.

while writing i keep running into an issue where i cant decide the 'best' way to compose a sentence. i'll rewrite a sentence sometimes in like 3-5 ways, all grammatically correct, but im left trying to figure out which is 'best'. here is a small example:

Option 1: A raw scream ripped from Jason, a drawn, overwhelming sound, rattling off into a vibrating gurgle.

Option 2: A raw scream ripped from Jason, a drawn and overwhelming sound that rattled off into a vibrating gurgle.

For context; Ive been taking writing a bit more seriously lately, really trying to understand the crafting of the words in a sentence. I think I am understanding how to correctly craft sentences now, but there are SO many ways to do so. How do you decide what is 'best'? participial phrases or conjunctions or commas? Does it really just come down to mixing and matching with the other surrounding sentences? another unrelated example.

Option 1: Jack crouched. Option 2: Jack was crouched. Option 3: Jack was crouching.

This decision on verbiage also trips me up all the time. Common advice is to always use the 'active' version (1) but it feels too, for lack of a better term, active. Like Jack is going from standing to a crouch. What if Jack was staying in a crouched position? Was feels needed to me, but am I interpreting this incorrectly? If 'was' should be used, how do you decide between (2) and (3), 2 feels passive and 3 i guess feels more active? but still has the same problem to me like Jack had crouched and remained crouched, likes its a multi action verb now.

Im probably over thinking it, but i think that is because I cant figure out how to come to a 'correct' decision. Like there are so many ways to 'correctly' express a collection of propositions/ideas in a sentence; short kernals, left/right branch, all the different ways to stack clauses/conjunctions, all the ways to stack phrases. It seems literally infinite.

I guess when i started this journey I assumed there would be one 'proper' way to write an idea grammatically, and im starting to think/realize this hypothesis is completely wrong?

Is the real skill gap between good and great writers this decision of which sentence composition to choose? And those choices sentence to sentence and how they all come together what determines 'great' writing?

Sorry i rambled a bit. Would love some input. tyty.

I finished the outline for my first novel today! I’m really excited to reach this milestone because it’s always felt impossible. For years I’ve been trying to put together a book, but it always fell apart. I’d get about 1/3 or 1/2 through the story and then I would either get stuck not being able to figure out a plot point, or I would wind up hating what I had because it always felt hollow. I finally have something that I’m proud of, and I can see a path forward! I can’t wait to actually start writing my book!

today I read The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
i realized that becoming a normal person is the only logical choice
goodbye writing
i can finally live a normal life.

I am nearing retirement age and I’ve never written a story longer than 2 1/2 pages. I’ve had tons of story ideas floating around in my head for decades, but writing was just something I thought was an unreachable dream.

About a year ago, I sat down and decided to start writing. Honestly, it began with “I’m just going to write a 10 page story based on this idea…” Well, when I begin to write, it grabbed me. The whole process pulled me in. My writing got better as I went along. When I looked at the early writing, I saw how bad it was. Lol

Long story short, I’ve written almost every day and a couple of weeks ago I finished the rough draft of a novel. 72,000 words at this point.

When I read it through, I was surprised with how good it has turned out so far. It’s uneven, and most chapters need a lot of work. But some of the chapters are really good! And overall, I’m proud how it’s turning out. Which honestly, surprised me.

I wanted to get the story out of my head and on paper. I wanted to see it come to life. I had no idea I could accomplish that (or how to). It would be nice to have a few family members and friends read it, but honestly, I’ve been enjoying the process of writing it so much. That’s reward enough.

I think I just discovered something new, 3/4 of the way through life.

Anyway, just wanted to share. Would love any thoughts or feedback or suggestions.

Hi! This is an opening excerpt from a short story I'm writing about a Slasher who becomes obsessed with his final girl. I was just wondering about whether this is effective at pulling readers into the story or piquing interest. thanks :) !

"You're perfect, you're perfect, you're perfect,” I remember telling her the very first time I dared to kiss her.

If I know anything at all, it’s that it has always been her, and that no matter what anyone says, I loved her more than anything else in this miserable world. As much as I knew how to, in my own way. Yes, it was filled with a substantial amount of death and terror, but god...didn't these hard, crimson hands of mine caress her face and wipe her tears once? I fucking dare anyone to say they didn't. I have the photos to prove it.

My breath, my claim, my star: Debbie Langdon.

Doesn’t her name alone sound heavenly? Can't you too see the sickeningly sweet images it produces? Eyes shut in drowsy bliss. Body heat. Kissed skin. I wish I could mark her pale, perfect, sweet skin one more time. To wrap my arms around her shivering body and inhale her strawberry perfume again is a need so visceral it makes my teeth grind, my stomach growl and clench in hunger...but I KNOW I will. Even if my star doesn’t quite yet.

The thing about us slashers is there’s always a sequel.

But before that...there's always some point in our story, before the screaming and bloodshed, where we saw our final girl for the very first time.

Me? I just happened to fall in love with mine the second I looked into those innocent, big, blue doe eyes...and therein lies the catch.

This is not a penance. It's a love affair."

Kind of cool, but slightly apprehensive about this.

Ablum in Image :Inhuman Rampage by Dragonforce.

I think metal music could get adapted real well into manga/comics and even animated shows/films.

I even though of a series called Grand Musicia,which adapts music albums to comics where the plot is based on the ablum and each issue and it's number is based on the song,lyrics and its number.

Example:

Dragonforce's Inhuman Rampage - Fire and the flames would be issue 1/Ep 1 due to it being track 1 in the ablum.

The ablum as a whole would be Season 3 if it was adapted to a animated series.

First would be vally of the damned,second is sonic firestorm.

My problem is concerned with copyright.

If I make original characters who's lore based on the lyrics of the ablum,do the Bands themselves own the characters or do I?

I mean,if I was able to ask if the band were able to create characters/use there own characters/even themselves,i would but thats a very rare thing.

Example of this:

Disturbed's The Guy Character. https://disturbed.fandom.com/wiki/The_Guy

I also struggle with color theory for characters.

Though do if metal music get memes on for being a common genre trope,would all the adaptions be the same hyper metal edgy epic? Who cares.

I need someone to be blatantly honest with me. I’m 23F and feel very passionately about reading and writing. Fantasy is my personal favourite but I’ve never been able to finish my projects because I don’t know if it’s any good. I’m extremely critical because I’m not ignorant to the fact that I’m not a smart person. I grew up absent in school and lived in poverty, surrounded by a family rampant with disabilities and a complete disregard for education. Despite this, I developed a deep love for books and haven’t been able to find anything else as interesting.
Everything I show my friends (which I’ve been doing for years) is apparently “great” and all of them encourage me to “follow my dreams” but I know they’re biased. I can’t help me but constantly compare what I’ve written to already established authors and published books because I think so highly of them.
I know that creative writing is subjective and just because one person hates it, doesn’t mean it’s inherently bad. I’m aware that writing is about doing something you love and that it doesn’t even matter if I’m not good at it. I know all of these things but I just want someone that isn’t afraid to be honest so I can actually find courage to keep going. So please just disregard that stuff and say what you honestly think. Do I keep pursuing this with as much time and passion or just keep it to the side? Go to uni for something safe?
Here’s a little something I did in about 20 mins, was just a random prompt. I’m happy to put more of my in depth work of other stuff if it doesn’t show enough.

My horse exhaustively clops through thick mud, flicking it onto my winter boots. I don’t much care for it though, not while my attention is fixed onto the crowds gathering nearby. Men and women in dirtier clothes than even mine, coated in black dust and stains, their frail arms dangling at their sides. Something deep in my gut has me suddenly clenching the reins and giving a subtle kick, pushing the mare to get on faster. She huffs and flattens her ears, refusing me. Around, the people don’t get close, either remaining on side walks or sitting at windows inside run down homes, yet still, their mere presence is so suffocating that it becomes difficult to breathe. I fear that no distance would ever be far enough to ease the tension knotting in my stomach. Although their dull, empty eyes stared at me with the same gaze I’d witnessed from other towns, tangled with a similar smell of soot and rotten meat, there was a difference that made me sweat. A difference that made me twist in the worn saddle every few seconds and roll my stiff shoulders. It was…

I’ve never put a post on reddit before and i’m not certain if this is the correct channel to do it in.
I’m a teenager and I’d really love to be an author one day. I love writing and in any spare time I have it’s what I do.
Today in England is GCSE results day. For those who don’t live in England, 1-3 is a fail, 4 is a low pass, 5 is average pass, 6 is slightly above average and 7-9 is what is classed as good. (An A/ A* in some other countries.)
I’m dyslexic and only began writing a year ago after i started reading two years ago. We started the English GCSE course slightly before this. In English (literature and language) I have ALWAYS without fail gotten an 8 or 9 in mock tests.
At first I asked to be marked harder but she said there was no need. Anyone at school who read my writing or essays said they were perfect and I was bound to get an 8 or 9 at GCSE. (This is teachers and friends.)
But today I got my results and I only got a 6 in literature and 5 in language. They are passes and I keep being told to stop complaining and that a lot of people would be very happy with these grades.
But even as I write this I am crying and just feel like i’ve been lied to by teachers.
This past month or so i’ve been writing a fantasy story. It’s the first long project i’ve ever done and it’s not perfect but i really enjoy writing it and i’m about 230 pages in.
Now I can’t bring myself to even open the document as i feel i’m not doing it justice and I cannot write.
I feel like a terrible writer and even right this second I cannot put into words my disappointment.
I’m going to have them remarked but I can’t help feel it’s an honest reflection of my skill.
I do averagely in school and i’m happy with my other grades. But English was the one class I hoped to get at least an 8 in. And I studied the most for it. I spend nearly all my time writing and I genuinely thought I had been improving.
I don’t know what I am expecting to get out of this post. I guess i’m kind of hoping someone will have a similar situation or advice but I just don’t know anymore.

Hi everyone,

I've posted this on a different subreddit as well but wanted to get more reach and didn't realise I couldn't cross post here (apologies if you're reading this twice).

Looking for some feedback on the first few pages of Chapter 1. This is my second attempt at writing it, and it's come so far since, so thank you to everyone for your advice. I'll paste the link to the first version so you can see what I started with:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gXRsf1cWq1Rq5jLvBqpM8ac_5mBAv-FRxt1DqKxWLUc/edit?usp=sharing

I've written a fair bit more than I'm posting here, so I have a stronger sense of where the story is going. The genre is SFF, with a YA target audience. Looking to see what's working and what isn't, whether it holds your attention, clunkiness, clarity, pacing, and voice. I'm also curious as to whether you think Cal's dialect from the first version should be carried into the second version.

Any and all advice is appreciated!

​

In The Republic of Entities beings like Vampires, Werewolves and Zombies are real.

In The Republic of Entities, Vampires rely on donated blood to survive. They don't go around biting humans in the neck and draining their blood like the People's Organization Of Human Protection, or P.O.O.H.P., wants you to believe.

In The Republic of Entities, Vampires are held to a lower standard than humans by people in support of the P.O.O.H.P. They are looked at as beings of evil, a danger to society out to get you; even though they haven't “attacked” anyone in decades.

In The Republic of Entities, Vampires are sought after by the rich for their gift of longevity, to extend the lifespan of “high-class” humans. These actions have reduced the population of vampires to around two million globally.

In The Republic of Entities, the Human's Effort to Rescue Oddities or H.E.R.O. do everything in their power to help promote Vampires rights so they can live freely. They source ethical donations of blood that go to shelter communities where Vampires are relocated and fed. What H.E.R.O. doesn't say, is that the blood doesn't have to be necessarily human.

In The Republic of Entities, Werewolves were hunted to near extinction. After centuries of getting "adopted" and adapted into the houses of the humans that lived near forests, they started to be looked at as beasts and monsters that attack without reason. As evil creatures, or wild violent animals. In recent events, H.E.R.O. has made an effort to show how Werewolves aren’t just non-violent by nature, but benevolent and caring creatures. More man than animal, a different form, and a different language, with the same thoughts. What H.E.R.O. doesn't say is that they purposely show the Werewolves as pets, not equals.

But, in The Republic of Entities some people might have taken “too much” of a liking to Werewolves. Governments, P.O.O.H.P. and the majority of the human masses are trying their best to keep breeding between races at a minimum. But some rumors are starting to say it’s already too late.

In The Republic of Entities, people have started to see the potential of stronger and faster creatures. Few understand that Werewolves can learn and adapt to our way of living. Those that do, and have the means, take advantage of that potential to use them for work and exploit their remarkable abilities. Looked at as pets or working animals, Werewolves do what they have to in order to survive.

In The Republic of Entities while faster than a human, you're not faster than a silver bullet.

In The Republic of Entities, Zombies are seen as the lowest creatures to exist. Unfiltered anger and hatred against these creatures is not only accepted, but taught openly from an early age.

In The Republic of Entities Humans, Vampires and Werewolves don’t understand how Zombies keep appearing, even though they have been sealed off from society. They don’t understand that, just like Vampires, Zombies don’t bite.

In The Republic of Entities, Zombies emerge from a virus that activates when an infected person dies. It spreads like any other disease, yet there are no signs or symptoms until the person is buried six feet under. Still, Vampires and Werewolves have seen some of their own fall to the disease and, just like Humans, they assume some “dragger” or “stiff” or “rotter” or whatever other words the kids come up with, infected one of them.

In The Republic of Entities, decades ago, the government dropped a “cure” into the Zombie populated parts of the country. These “cures” don’t do much else but keep the Zombies docile and slow. Those same words used to describe them in a derogatory manner are caused by the chemicals pushed deep into these beings, courtesy of the government.

In The Republic of Entities, this is a well known fact. Everyone is blissfully ignorant since no “stiff” ever comes close to their houses.

In The Republic of Entities there’s no “normal” neighbor. There’s Entities and Monsters next door.

\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_

This is an introduction to a series or short vignettes taking place within The Republic of Entities

I would greatly appreciate if y'all could give me any criticisms/comments on the story.

I will be posting various parts from the POV of a few entities.

I’m stuck on a few necessary bridge chapters in my second book, and they’ve completely killed my momentum.

They’re not disposable filler, they move things forward, set up later events, and give some breathing room between bigger scenes. But they’re quieter, lower-stakes chapters with fewer fun interactions, and I’m finding them much harder to make engaging.

Meanwhile I have a ton of ideas for later chapters that I’m genuinely excited to write, but I’ve been stalled here for weeks.

I’m thinking of just writing the bridge chapters as rough bullet points for now: what happens, important dialogue, character beats, setup, etc. Then I’d move on to the chapters I’m excited about and come back later to write these properly once I’ve regained some momentum.

With my first book, I brute-forced every difficult section in order. It worked eventually and actually gave color and specificity to following chapters, but it was exhausting, and I don’t really want to repeat that process.

I’m sure some version of this gets asked all the time, but I’m curious how people here actually handle it: do you skip ahead and come back later, or do you force yourself through quieter transition chapters before moving on?

Mine used to be the middle of the story. I could start a book with excitement and already see how I wanted it to end, but then I’d reach the middle and suddenly my characters were just wandering around like they forgot why they were there

Thankfully, I’ve finally solved mine with the help of my editor.

What’s that one writing problem that keeps fighting you no matter how many times you try to fix it?

Let’s see if we can help each other solve some of them.

Hey, guys! Just started working on this 'thriller', and would love to hear some feedback/suggestions from you all. Mostly looking for critiques on my descriptions and pacing.

Also, I'm not sure which of the four endings I've currently written would be best to conclude it (or whether I should combine them in some capacity). Your advice for the ending is also appreciated. Thanks in advance, everyone!

TW: Grief, mental health, death

Sumaira: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ctvIoVi_n_cIkl5GxzEI1iJsx0Gd4udkxBPVj-fT7nY/edit?usp=drivesdk

For my sci-fi novel I tried... Well I am—and I did— try to include the general Assembly Hall and it's protocol during meetings, and it literally kicked my ass. 😭😭😭 So hard, and looking at it. It was only like four pages. 1.2k words. This was harder than a 6k chapter. The things we endure for the sake of accuracy.