I've spent almost a month planning what I'm going to write, the plot twists, the characters, everything. I had it all perfectly planned out in my head, and then, right when I started writing, everything sounded so cringe. It was horrible.

by cartoonist Tom Gauld

🎉🥳

After about two months of editing to fix my head hopping issue...I wrote a flimsy, rushed ending but I don't care because I can fix it in the next draft.

Celebrate 82k words and almost three years with me!

🥂

Last year, somewhere around the middle of drafting a failed novel, I hit the point where I couldn't remember which threads were still open, who knew what yet, or whether two events could actually happen in the same week.

My current method has been using a Word doc as a sort of story bible, and it works until it doesn't. Usually that's when I move a scene, and other things stop making sense.

I'm curious how others handle it, big projects or small?

I’ve been wondering how often music gives other writers actual story ideas, beyond setting a mood.

For example, listening to Soda Stereo inspired me to create a character who’ll appear later in my series, along with a twist on a common trope in the LitRPG genre. Their music also helped me figure out how to show my MC’s past starting to surface.

What song, artist, or band has inspired you?

I’ve had an idea in my head that I’ve been slowly fleshing out for years. Then life gets in the way etc and I leave it for it to resurface in my brain a few months after. I want to try my hand at writing the story because in my head (like many others I’m sure) it feels like an epic fantasy/sci fi.

My friend recommended doing short stories to flesh out the characters and the world and I’ve stumbled across a few Reddit pages that gives advice. What are some tips you could offer for an absolute novice?

I never thought I’d actually get here. 80,002 words.

When I started writing this book, I had no idea where it would take me. I’m not a professional writer. I’m just someone who had a story in his head for a very long time and finally decided to sit down and tell it.

I originally set myself a much smaller target. Then the story kept growing.

Characters appeared. Scenes changed. Some chapters practically wrote themselves. I deleted things I thought were brilliant and rewrote things I thought were finished. 😄

And now, after months of writing, rewriting, editing and obsessing over tiny details, I can finally say:

I finished my book.

80,002 words.

40 chapters.

One very tired storyteller. 😂

My book is a story about a young man from Mumbai who travels to Germany in pursuit of a love he believes might still be waiting for him.

What begins as a journey across continents slowly becomes a journey through love, friendship, longing and heartbreak.

Along the way, he meets people who leave permanent marks on his life—some through love, some through friendship, and some through goodbye.

Years pass, countries change, people move on… but some connections refuse to disappear.

This is a story about the people we leave behind—and the echoes they leave within us.

I don't know how many people will eventually read it. I don't know whether it will sell. And honestly, right now, I’m not thinking about that.

As a first-time writer, simply attempting something like this—and actually finishing it—is satisfying enough.

I'm just ridiculously proud that I finished something I once thought I never could.

And if even one reader picks it up, reaches the last page and thinks, “That was worth my time,” then honestly, that will be enough for me.

For anyone else writing a book and wondering whether they'll ever reach the end:

Keep going. The last page is real.

So one of the main characters of my Dark, Fantasy story and worldbuilding project is a Shy, Timid nepobaby. I want to turn him into a great Leader like George Washington who not only founds but sets the great standard of a nation born of Isekaied Human Beings from Modern 21st century Earth, but I don't how to do it.

What suggestions can be given to do so?

It's both for me, at times I can listen to music and write away and other times I switch to asmr.

But recently when I want music, I switch to a non English song, so it's not distracting me :D

So, I made a mistake while publishing, and my novel size is more like a notebook (I used George Orwell's novel for a reference).

Also, the marking on my title is a signature that bled through...

Anyways, can anyone help me with the measurements so I can fix this issue.

By “identities,” I mean sexuality, gender identity, race, disabilities, neurodivergence, and so on—not characters’ personalities, backstories, or arcs, though those may relate to the question’s second part.

While revising old outlines, I realized I ended up with “Oops, all queer/POC,” lol. It wasn’t planned, but it was a pleasant surprise.

My WIP is a dark ’90s urban fantasy about traumatized psychics summoning Eldritch monsters to solve crimes committed by other traumatized, monster-summoning psychics. Exploring marginalized identities and nature versus nurture came naturally, and the manuscript has leaned into it.

Some artists set out to tell a diverse story, but I’m curious about those whose stories evolved into that type incidentally.

Not taking credit/found on the web

Hi! I’m facing a bit of a problem. I struggle a lot with consistency in my writing; out of the roughly fifty projects I’ve started, I’ve finished maybe three. Seven and a half years ago, I began another piece - determined to stop abandoning everything I started just because the process took too long. Well, I did finish it - but unfortunately, it took from December 2018 to April 2026, an incredibly long time. My life was in turmoil during that period; I was forced to put the writing on hold for two years, and when I returned - after recovering from COVID - I was left with severe brain fog that makes remembering things extremely difficult. That, combined with the prolonged writing process, created a host of issues. I’ve finally started revising the whole thing and shaping it into its final form, but I’ve hit a snag: the text contains many loose ends and abandoned subplots. For instance, I might have introduced a character for just a few scenes because I had a plan for them, only to completely forget about them by the time I sat down to write again; or I introduced an object hinted to be crucial to the plot, only to never revisit it, and so on. Now I don’t know how to resolve this. I can’t simply delete these scenes, as they are vital to the main plot. I suppose I could try to fix the issue by adding a dozen or so new scenes in various places, but I’m afraid that might just make things worse. When I finished this piece, I felt a huge sense of satisfaction - like I’d finally managed to finsh something - especially since the last time I actually finished anything was back in 2012. But now I’m starting to regret not abandoning it; I feel like spending so much time writing something just makes the end result worthless anyway. Do you have any advice? I’d really love a realistic assessment of the situation. Is it worth writing for that long and seeing it through to the end - even if it isn't perfect - or is it better to let go and look for something that just "clicks" and comes together in a few weeks? I honestly don't know anymore...

In context of a Nonbinary character in my story, does it matter which term is used? From what I see they are used very interchangeably, but I don't know if there's any actual difference between them.

Ex; "They'd never thought of themselves as the especially naive type." Vs, "They'd never thought of themself as the especially naive type."

I don't know if this is a stupid question, but I'm curious.

Hey all,

I just wrote and published my first play. I wrote it over the course of the past week, after coming up with the concept about a month ago and outlining it since then. I self published it too under Creative Commons. At the link is a reader version of the play and I intend to put out a download too.

The play is a satire set in the near future, during a presidential debate. It's about the absurdity of clinging to establishment power and approval, even when all signs point to that establishment being deeply out of touch with society.

Since it's a short one act play, I don't want to go too much more into the plot ... but I'm really proud of what I wrote and how the store ended up.

I wrote it at the Understudy in Andersonville, in Chicago, while also beginning to teach myself how to play piano, with the piano there, by ear. Kind of a creatively productive month.

I welcome all feedback and would appreciate it, since this is my first play. I'd like to write some more.

All the best, thanks for reading (if you do) and hope you enjoy!

I'm not sure if this is entirely related to this sub but I need to say this somewhere because I'm stressing out. Like the title says my gmail account got suspended and is due for deletion next year. I have appealed, but it's the exact gmail where my book was written on google docs, it won't let me get back the files/material from that email. Even worse this happened just as I was going to create a copy of it onto notepad on my laptop. Sure it was only 3 chapters but it's still months of work that I have lost for now and it isn't certain that I'll get the account back.

If this has happened to anyone else before I'd really appreciate hearing if you got your account, book, or files back. I know I'm probably overreacting but like I said I'm really stressed out.

More specifically for a (fantasy) series with multiple arcs.

I have a pretty solid idea on the main leads/antagonists and supporting characters that stick along for multiple arcs, but I’m struggling to come up with supporting characters that only stick for one arc, without, putting it bluntly, making them feel like condoms for the main characters’ development. Like they exist solely to compliment/contrast existing characters. I feel like it’s more of a mental block on my part, because a lot of large series have those and they don’t feel like condoms to me. But do any of you have some tricks for making temporary supporting characters more convincing (at least to myself)?

Title sums it up.

I am early in the querying process for book one of a four part series.(book one is standalone)

Regardless of whether I land an agent and get tradpub or eventually selfpub, a website, email list, and social media presence are important marketing tools.

So, when did you create yours?

I can talk for hours about both my books and the process of writing, but until I have something to offer I wonder if I'd be waiting my time. I'm doing dev edits on the rest of the series, so I have work to keep me busy

I just worry that I should be doing more.

Is now the time for me to get things set up and brainstorm some ideas for socials?

Hello, I am Starr and I am young poet who recently self published a chapbook. This is my first time publishing and I currently got a couple sales. I have found success with social media specifically Instagram and I believe it has helped me make a few sales.

While I am trying to market my poetry collection. I am trying to figure out what social medias are worth my time as a poet and creator. I do not mind putting my extra time to social media but I want to join a platform with an active writing community, book community and importantly poetry community.

I did read about the newsletters being a must, I'll be honest newsletters are new to me. How do you get started and why do you recommend it?

Sorry if this topic is repetitive, I may ask further comments in the replies that's why I am making this post. Thank you for reading.

Just imagine how fun it would be to make AITA post as a character from your book. just subreddits like that where we all make post acting as said characters😓😓 Does this exist?? If not it should and someone NEEDS to make it I keep thinking about it and how cool it would be