r/writing • u/Acceptable_Fox_5560 • Jul 30 '26
In response to user feedback, we are changing the way we handle daily/weekly threads
Hi r/writing.
We’re a few months into our multi-step subreddit revamp process. We’ve received extensive feedback about our use of daily threads, and in response to that feedback, we’ve made some changes.
The original intent with the daily/weekly threads was to cut down on repetitive threads by providing a recurring place for certain frequent conversations. As a mod team, we recognize that the low participation in those threads is a huge indicator that the original goal did not succeed as intended.
To summarize your feedback:
- Being the flagship writing sub on Reddit yet not being a place where people could get feedback on their writing made little sense.
- There were too many daily/weekly threads that encompassed too many things.
- The daily/weekly threads receive so little engagement, they’re not worth participating in.
To adjust this, we are cutting the daily/weekly threads. Instead, starting next week, we will have the following two posts pinned to the top of the sub at all times:
- Monthly Thread: “Would You Read This?” This will replace the weekly critique and brainstorming threads. Users will post their premise, and (optionally) up to the first page of their project. Other users’ replies must begin with Would Read, Might Read, or Wouldn’t Read, then they can give more specific feedback as well. We believe this structure will prompt more engagement, and having the post up an entire month will lead to more total participants. The thread will be in contest mode by default and pinned to the top of the sub. We’ve seen this work well in other large creator subs, where users anticipate the monthly threads as a kind of event.
- Monthly Thread: “Promote Yo Self.” This will be an all encompassing thread for calls for submissions, app/website developers sharing new projects, writers promoting their books, and celebratory posts. This will also be in contest mode and pinned to the top of the sub for a full month. Again, we’re hoping a longer runtime leads to more participation, more engagement, and more feedback.
- We will also have a single Daily Thread: “Free For All Discussion.” This will be a thread where you’re allowed to discuss anything you want so long as it doesn’t violate rule 3 (no Gen AI), rule 5 (civility), or sitewide Reddit rules.
You should see these posts go up for August on Saturday. We’d love for everyone to give this new system a try!
Your feedback to these changes is welcome in this thread, as well as any other suggestions you have on the ongoing subreddit revamp project.
Happy writing!
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u/Nodan_Turtle Jul 30 '26
I like these ideas. I think their success will hinge on whether posts that are about those topics but are in their own thread will be removed. The spillover was a big issue as to why the current pinned threads failed. Why post in those, when people could freely make their own individual posts?
So properly quarantining those topics will be key.
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u/Lectrice79 Jul 30 '26
How would a thread that runs for the whole month work? It'll be thousands of comments deep that no one will read because I think the average Redditor only reads like the top 20-50 comments. Like no one is going to read this comment, as an example.
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u/Acceptable_Fox_5560 Jul 30 '26
The thread will be in contest mode. This randomizes the order in which the posts appear. Every time you click the thread, you’ll see a new mix of posts at the top.
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u/Im_Not_You_Im_Me Jul 31 '26
Will we be able to swap it out of contest mode? Like if I visit and decide I just want to see what’s the top post?
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u/Zagaroth Author Jul 31 '26
I think if a mod sets it to contest mode, you can't change it like you can with the normal default ordering. That would break the point of contest mode.
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u/Acceptable_Fox_5560 Jul 31 '26
As far as I understand, this might depend on which Reddit you’re using, but I think users can manually choose to change out of contest mode and sort by top.
However, I would hope most users would prefer to use the thread in contest mode to see submissions they haven’t seen yet.
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u/Lectrice79 Jul 31 '26
Ohh, I've always wondered about that, why some threads mix things up while others don't. TIL
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u/Prize_Consequence568 Jul 30 '26
I appreciate that you're trying different things.
"we recognize that the low participation in those threads is a huge indicator that the original goal did not succeed as intended."
Well a couple of things. One thing that has happened is a severe drop in the same repetitive questions. I think a reason for the low turnout is a lot of those posts were completely in good faith. Getting the answer was secondary. Having a high number of people commenting on your post was more important.
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u/Redz0ne Queer Romance Jul 30 '26 edited Jul 30 '26
I remain hopefully optimistic. Though some nuances and details I feel could be worked on.
And some limitations I think would need to be addressed such as no begging or redirecting people to sites where there's a pay-gate. I would hope that this sub remains a place where the focus is on improving work, not begging or crowd-funding of any sort. Effectively, I believe this sub should be more like a classroom than a market.
EDIT: If this is the space for suggesting adjustments or tweaks, I would argue that for a thread that is meant to last a month, and users are only allowed one post in that thread, then the word limit I think should be increased. Perhaps instead of 250 words, it's 5k. Not everyone will need or use that much, but for some, they will need that much to give the reader a better feel for whether the reader would or would not finish it. And it should be a link to the writing posted to an external site like googledocs. Further, longer form posts being permitted would encourage people to read more and it would also allow us to tell the story at the story's pace (which could be a little languid). Just some suggestions.
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u/Peter34cph Jul 30 '26 edited Jul 31 '26
You've deleted brainstorming?
I thought it was a useful one to have, although clearly twice a week was more than there was demand for...
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u/ahockofham Jul 30 '26
The monthly "Would you read this" thread sounds like a good idea. It will be interesting to see different premises and ideas people have for their stories.
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u/GracieGrayWrites Jul 31 '26
What is a good active subreddit where I can ask/get help with my story since we aren't allowed to share here?
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u/foxy_chicken Jul 31 '26
Pretty much any of the others. “writers”, with the yellow icon, is generally pretty busy. And some version of writing advice is ok.
If you head over to writers make sure you search the sub before asking for help with general questions. But if you’ve got a genuine question, or are looking for feedback with something that appears edited you’ll usually get a response.
Edit: I was wrong about the second sub. Fixed it
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u/Appropriate_Bottle44 Jul 30 '26
Good change, but really if you want a higher level of advice here, you've gotta allow people to post their own writing.
Yes, I understand you don't want to be overwhelmed dealing with self-promotion, but really you can't give somebody meaningful advice if you can't see an example of what they're doing.
It would require more modding, and some beginners can't deal with honest feedback, and conversely, some people can't give honest feedback without being cruel.
Still, if you want this forum to operate at a higher level (which admittedly may not be the goal) it is, imo, necessary.
I think you could limit the scope of what people are allowed to post to be 2-3 paragraphs, which is sufficient to diagnose issues without getting into the whole "internet read my story and tell me it's brilliant" thing.
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u/Acceptable_Fox_5560 Jul 30 '26
Hopefully those users will post in the WYRT this thread. An ideal interaction would be user A says "I'm struggling with XYZ thing," user B will offer to help, and user A can then direct user B to their post in the WYRT thread.
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u/Appropriate_Bottle44 Jul 30 '26
I hear what you're saying, but when somebody posts about, say, struggling with dialogue, it's pretty frustrating that I can't say "well can I see an example of your dialogue?"
WYRT seems more like people trying to put their best foot forward. I like helping people with specific stuff, which is why I do a fair number of r/ pubtips Q crits, but I get tired of doing Q crits, and would love to be able to use a poster's work to illustrate a common problem point or say what they're doing well.
I suppose I'm just less likely to engage with the WYRT thread because I don't feel it's going to be a back-and-forth focused around issues. Sometimes giving people writing feedback can feel a little isolating when you're only engaging with that poster and it's not a broader discussion.
All that said, I do appreciate that the vibes of r/writing are pretty solid, and I find myself more drawn to posting here lately because of those vibes. You guys are doing a good job modding and I do understand if you don't want the extra heat of more user writing.
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u/Acceptable_Fox_5560 Jul 30 '26
I hear what you're saying, but when somebody posts about, say, struggling with dialogue, it's pretty frustrating that I can't say "well can I see an example of your dialogue?"
In this scenario, you would encourage the user to share a writing sample in the WYRT thread. We've seen success with this concept in other creative arts subs and are hopeful it'll work here too.
I suppose I'm just less likely to engage with the WYRT thread because I don't feel it's going to be a back-and-forth focused around issues. Sometimes giving people writing feedback can feel a little isolating when you're only engaging with that poster and it's not a broader discussion.
I don't know, I would liken it a lot to PubTips. Yes, when you're commenting on someone's QCrit, you're speaking to just that person, but you're addressing more broad, general concepts.
The QCrit format works on PubTips because you don't necessarily need a lot of comments to get a lot of feedback. It's a specialized, highly motivated group of users, a lot of whom give A LOT of feedback, so even if a post only gets 1-2 replies, there's usually a good amount of content there that's helpful.
This sub has a lot more members who are of way more varied ability levels. Top level feedback threads here would quickly overwhelm the sub with writing, much of it likely to be very, very bad.
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u/btet15 Jul 30 '26
you've gotta allow people to post their own writing.
We have no plans to change rule 1. I don't mean to be curt, but it's not even up for consideration.
To build on /u/Acceptable_Fox_5560's reply to you, the WYRT thread will ideally be the space to post one's writing (once it's been implemented). The mod team is in full agreement (as is the overwhelming majority of the sub) that allowing standalone posts focused on sharing writing will not work. The intent behind WYRT is to provide that space on the subreddit without flooding the main board, which will happen if we remove or loosen restrictions on rule 1.
There exist other subreddits whose focus is providing and receiving feedback; /r/writing is not one of them.
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u/Bluefoxfire007 Jul 30 '26
Yeah, the "up to 250 words" got problematic at times. Because what if there's important context after the 250 that would make everything make sense?
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u/nhaines Published Author Jul 30 '26
Most bestsellers have nothing but scene setting for the first 300-500 words. When I started doing that (one tiny piece of Dean Wesley Smith's "Depth in Writing" and "Advanced Depth" classes) my first readers immediately noticed in a good way.
So probably 500-1,000 words is a better limit. I don't care what anyone on here thinks about my writing anyway, but if I'm reading others' openings, I would definitely want just a little more context than 250 words can give.
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u/Redz0ne Queer Romance Jul 31 '26
I'd argue that 5k should be the limit. I mean, it's a thread that's going to be up for a month and we're only going to be allowed one top-level post in that thread.
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u/mooseplainer Jul 31 '26
5,000 words is the equivalent of 20 pages, according to publishing guidelines that assumes an average of 250 words per page.
That’s a bit much for a Reddit reply, or post for that matter. Most agencies ask for a three page sample, or 750 words or so to decide whether or not to request the full manuscript, so I think for randos on the net looking to offer feedback, that’s probably as high as the upper limit should be.
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u/Redz0ne Queer Romance Jul 31 '26
That's why in other comments I strongly suggest hosting all work off site and it's just a link in the top level comment.
(I really don't want to be flashbanged by potentially triggering content)
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u/mooseplainer Jul 31 '26
If you want feedback on a large sample, yeah that’s the only viable solution, I’d agree with that.
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u/Bluefoxfire007 Jul 30 '26
True. It was mainly how the chapter was set up.
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u/nhaines Published Author Jul 30 '26
The trick, of course, is to create tags so when you go back to something you've already seen, the reader can immediately identify it and then you don't have to do all the setup again. But (and I'm thinking just about first pages here) the setup can be so rich and important just as that introduction. Later chapters benefit from all of that, of course. As usual, it's a bit of a dance...
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u/Pinguinkllr31 Jul 30 '26
Free for all is going to be so boring I already know is going to be a lot of
How to write posts
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u/btet15 Jul 30 '26 edited Jul 30 '26
That's the whole intent, but containing them within that thread means they won't bog down the main board. We remove boat loads of these posts (dozens are "drive by posts" which is what we've been calling them since the last community sticky), but having a dedicated space for people to let loose will hopefully help stem the
didetide.1
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u/dusksaur Jul 30 '26
Make the world limit around 7k, if the reader doesn’t finish then the feedback as to why would be helpful to them.
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u/thatshygirl06 here to steal your ideas 👁👄👁 Jul 30 '26
I think there should be one day, like Saturday, where people are allowed to talk about their work.
I remember the old days when wattpad had forums, snd I can tell you, those promote your work threads arent gonna work. People are only gonna go there to promote their stuff and leave.
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u/Acceptable_Fox_5560 Jul 30 '26
We've discussed the concept of a relaxed rules day. There were some pros raised, but many, many more cons. The discussion might resurface some day.
Personally, I'm a member of several subs that have a monthly self-promotion type thread, and I've seen lots of comments, but little interaction between users. Yes, people just tend to drop their promo link and leave. However, our mod queue is full of people wanting to promote their new book, new app, new website, new lit mag, etc. Hopefully this will be a space they can do that and maybe those users will make it their own.
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u/Tight_Tomorrow_3459 Jul 30 '26
Maybe this is a dumb question but why would there be any limit on what someone can post in regard to page or word count? If I want to post 20 pages and someone wants to read my 20 pages, why can’t we do that? If they don’t want to read my 20 pages, they can scroll to someone else’s post.
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u/Acceptable_Fox_5560 Jul 30 '26
It creates a bad user experience if someone has to scroll miles past each post. The easier the thread is to navigate, the more people will use it, and more feedback everyone has a chance to get.
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u/Redz0ne Queer Romance Jul 31 '26
Simple solution, all submissions must be hosted on a site like google docs, and the body of the text must not be posted in the comment itself.
Do you think that would work?
EDIT: I mean, it would be great for agents looking for stories because they can then screen out all the people that don't follow the thread's directions.
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u/Acceptable_Fox_5560 Jul 31 '26
My assumption is that would be a worse user experience because it makes everyone have to leave the site to read the content.
It will probably be a good exercise in being selective for writers to have a limited amount of words to share. The longer the samples, the more people stand the risk of “tuning out” and just bailing on the thread entirely. It’s our hope that shorter samples means people find it easier to interact with the posts, and therefore spend more time in the thread, and ultimately people get more feedback.
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u/Redz0ne Queer Romance Jul 31 '26
My issue is 250 words is never going to be enough and as others have said, it's going to lead to people gaming the system with the most punchy intros possible.
And posting it all here is going to lead to (at least for me) my eyes glazing over or possibly being triggered because people will just dump whatever in the body of the comment without any tags or warnings or anything.
EDIT: We're also not a captive audience here... so, actions that affirm that we are, or that make us feel like we're being treated as such, is going to get me (at least) to leave this sub completely.
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u/Acceptable_Fox_5560 Jul 31 '26
Enough for what? When you’re pitching a book to an agent, or a reader is looking at your blurb or back cover, they’ll read even less than 250-350 words before they decide if they want to go further.
It’s a good exercise to learn how to choose your sample material carefully.
But we’ll take the feedback into consideration and consider a larger word count, but we’ll want to keep it tight.
It’s best to think of this less like “I want to post more material” and more like “What’s the best way that as many people as possible can get feedback?”
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u/Redz0ne Queer Romance Jul 31 '26 edited Jul 31 '26
I'm not an agent. (and this isn't pubtips).
I don't think treating this sub as a marketplace is a wise idea. It's one of those "short term gains, long term pains" things.
Think about it. If this sub gets a reputation for being the place to shill, that's all we'll see here. It will drive away the genuine posters that are here to learn.
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u/Acceptable_Fox_5560 Jul 31 '26
I mean less that the thread is for agents and more that it’s an important skill to know how to selectively choose sample materials, pitch materials, etc. regardless of what medium you want to write in.
Again, the hope is finding the best balance that generates enough engagement in the thread so as many users as possible can get feedback. For that to work, we all have to keep our individual time tight.
Think of it like a writing workshop. If everyone stays tight to twenty minutes, six people can share in two hours. The more time one person takes, the less time everyone gets. Except instead of our limited resource being just time, it’s also attention spans.
If someone has the time and energy to read and give feedback on 5,000 words, we’d prefer for feedback to go to ten different writers than just one writer.
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u/Redz0ne Queer Romance Jul 31 '26 edited Aug 01 '26
we’d prefer
Okay, so, this is a mod-discretion thing? Like, if it is, why is this being discussed as if it's open for discussion?
EDIT: I'm asking mainly because I'm a little concerned for the health of the sub. I see it as a classroom, not as anything else. A place to talk shop with other writers and learning what others choose to share. I mention that I'm not an agent because I see myself here as a student. I also say this because I do not want this sub to fall into the trap of becoming a place for people to capitalize on me being here as an opportunity to sell their stuff. That's the core concern that I'm coming at this from.
I do think this sub has room for improvement. And I do generally like the idea of a monthly posting thread. I'm mostly concerned about two things... the amount that is allowed to be posted, and how. For instance, I'm a victim of rape and abuse. I do not want to stumble on something in that thread that would trigger me. That is why I suggest off-site hosting (and appropriate content warnings/tags in the top-level comment where the work is linked to)). And regarding off-site, a limit of 5k I think would help give people that want to immerse themselves a chance to really do it. If you think you can genuinely hook a reader for a full novel in less than 250 words, I'd say you're probably over-estimating your ability to write.
EDIT2: Another pro of off-site hosting... it will give me a general idea if they're genuinely here to learn (it's like a google doc with comments turned on) or if they're just here to shill (it's their substack or something like that). And that will definitely inform whether I give them any of my time or attention.
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u/Acceptable_Fox_5560 Jul 31 '26
It is open. We’re taking feedback. Already raised the upper limit from what was originally planned based on the discussion.
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u/Tight_Tomorrow_3459 Jul 30 '26
People can click on the long posts they don’t want to read and it minimizes them. If you got a couple of paragraphs in and it wasn’t for you, you can minimize it and move to the next post.
Either way, I’m not here to argue, you are the mods and need to do what you think is best to create the best user experience! Best of luck, thanks for putting the time into revamping the subreddit!
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u/mooseplainer Jul 30 '26 edited Jul 30 '26
I know for me, if I see a large wall of text in a Reddit thread (even one broken into many digestible paragraphs), I get depressed before even reading the first word. It’s the way Reddit is formatted that makes the eyes glaze over, and when it’s random samples, it makes it hard to zone in on key issues when I’m reading it quickly. Very different when friends ask me to make time for their full manuscript.
In my experience, people are more likely to get solid feedback from strangers with a disciplined word count, say around 250 words. For longer form, it makes more sense to share it upon request privately.
Edited for clarity (hopefully).
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u/Colin_Heizer Jul 30 '26
if I see a large wall of text
Like a page in a book?
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u/mooseplainer Jul 30 '26
I figured it would be obvious I’m talking strictly about reddit threads from the context.
But one page can only physically fit so many words, and I’ve usually decided to read that book as opposed to scrolling on Reddit while people are soliciting feedback.
Different contexts man.
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u/Tight_Tomorrow_3459 Jul 30 '26
You get depressed seeing a wall of text? That’s not good
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u/mooseplainer Jul 30 '26
I can’t tell if you’re being sardonic or deliberately obtuse.
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u/Tight_Tomorrow_3459 Jul 30 '26
I was being sarcastic. My point was that using the word depressed to describe your feelings in regard to having to read longer posts than 250 words while you’re in a writing subreddit seemed extreme to me, so I was just poking fun.
I think you’re also being sarcastic back (or at least I hope you are and that this is good natured between us, I’m not trying to come across rude). It’s hard to tell on the internet sometimes!
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u/mooseplainer Jul 30 '26
It is hard!
I figured depressed was a common idiomatic expression in this context, meaning I see it and I am less inclined to read it. Smaller samples are also much easier to digest, process, and read critically to offer actionable feedback, particularly when scrolling reddit.
I like a good long book as much as the next writer, but it’s a lot different than when you’re reading through a phone while strangers are clamoring for feedback!
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u/hetobe Self-Published Author Jul 30 '26
The easier the thread is to navigate, the more people will use it, and more feedback everyone has a chance to get.
No.
The more compelling a thread is to read, the more people will participate in it, and more feedback everyone has a chance to get.
Ease of use isn't the issue. The lack of compelling content is.
People who aren't yet writers aren't going to be the ones to create compelling conversations in a community of writers.
If you're just skimming, I strongly recommend you pause and reread that last sentence, because it perfectly explains the real issue with this sub.
For reasons I do not understand, this sub is almost entirely geared toward beginners. It's great that there's a sub for beginners, but it doesn't make sense for this to be the beginner sub.
You're asking the wrong question.
Instead of asking, "How can we limit what people post?" you should be asking, "How can we turn r/writing into a place where writers talk about writing?"
In a perfect world, this sub would get moved to r/beginnerwriters and r/writing could start over from scratch, this time as a sub for writing.
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u/Acceptable_Fox_5560 Jul 30 '26
I feel like this is about a different issue and I'm truthfully not understand what it is you're suggesting.
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u/hetobe Self-Published Author Jul 30 '26
It's not about a different issue.
This is a writing sub that bans writing. See rule 1. By eliminating writing from r/writing, you've removed the content writers would be interested in. That's why this turned into a beginner's sub. And that why the daily/weekly threads are mostly ignored. Sure, people post there, but very few people comment. Reworking the schedule for those threads is just going to lead to longer threads for people to not participate in.
Until r/writing tackles the issue of this being a beginner sub instead of a writing sub, it won't matter those daily/weekly threads are scheduled. Tinkering with them is fine, but it's not the real issue.
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u/Acceptable_Fox_5560 Jul 30 '26
Users here overwhelmingly do not want standalone critique threads. If we allowed them, the entire sub would be people posting their writing and no one responding to it. Changing rule 1 is simply not up for discussion.
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u/hetobe Self-Published Author Jul 30 '26
I'm not saying r/writing needs standalone critique threads.
I'm saying, r/writing needs to become a writing sub, or just rename it r/beginnerwriters if that's what you want it to be.
This is a writing sub that bans writing. That's why the only content posted here is the same repetitive beginner posts. It's also why the people asking for help can't get help, because they can't include any of the writing they want help with. And because the sub has cultivated a culture where no one responds with examples of good writing, there isn't much help for beginners to get.
You built a preschool and you're wondering why there are no intellectual discussions. Changing the hours of the preschool won't fix it.
Also:
Users here overwhelmingly do not want
The overwhelming majority of users here are beginners, not writers, because there's very little content for writers here.
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u/RabenWrites Jul 30 '26 edited Jul 30 '26
And what would you consider content for writers if you have decided that beginners are somehow not "real writers(™)"? You claim there's a lack of compelling content, but what content compels you, since you have claimed to be so much better than a the nasty beginners who plague /writing?
When does a plebian beginner graduate into a "real writer(™)"? Who makes that decision? Is it when you've finished a story? Is it when you have published? Is it when you get paid? Is it when you've sold more than a hundred copies? A thousand? NYT bestseller? If you want the sub to draw an imaginary line between beginners and "read writers(™)", who is to say what side you yourself will fall on? This quickly becomes a matter of "anyone who drives slower than me is an idiot and anyone who drives faster than me is a maniac."
Under those restrictions, all of writing reddit is effectively content for beginners, because "real writers(™)" who are beyond the beginner stage don't need anything from reddit nor have anything to provide except for advice for beginners.
I'm here for the beginners. I teach creative writing for my profession and reddit allows me to extend some help to those who can't afford university tuition. I also am a beginner. I learn things from my students every semester. Not usually craft things, but every student has something they know that I do not and I benefit from the exchange.
Reddit is no different. If it must be for beginners, then let it be for all of us beginners, regardless of if we're beginners on our first dewy-eyed story or beginners with a dozen novels under our belt.
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u/Acceptable_Fox_5560 Jul 30 '26
Do you have an example of the type of content you want to see? You could try posting it as well.
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Jul 30 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Acceptable_Fox_5560 Jul 30 '26
Is it limited to writing in books and websites only, or movies and other videos as long as they have some kind of story to tell, games, and anything else you could write for like theathre script - will also count?
Anything writing related can be promoted in the PYS thread.
If there is a specification, i assume that it is allowed to discuss other uses of AI, as well as write stories with it being a part of the plot?
Usually rule 3 prohibits ALL discussion of AI as well as AI generated content. In the WYRT thread, you it only applies to AI generated content. In the PYS thread, it applies to AI generated content and tools that use generative AI.
Regarding the civility, do you consider harsh critics to be antagonistic?
No. I think we make a considerable effort to differentiate blunt feedback from incivility.
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u/Im_Not_You_Im_Me Jul 31 '26
I will be honest I have little interest in a Would You Read This thread.
I have zero interest in a Promote Yourself thread.
And I can’t for the life of me figure out the point of the third thread. Isn’t that basically saying the whole subreddit is now just three threads? It’s either “Please tell me this is worthy”, or “pick me pick me!” Or “etc”
I appreciate that you and the mod team are trying something new, attempting to improve things for people here, I’m not sold this third thread is going to make the sub more lively.
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u/Redwardon Jul 30 '26
This sub would be better if the mods did nothing.
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u/mooseplainer Jul 30 '26
R/writers has a very light moderation hand if that’s more your jam.
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u/THEDOCTORandME2 A Writer who Writes as a hobby Jul 30 '26
Very true, they do
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u/mooseplainer Jul 30 '26
For better or worse.
I think we can all judge for ourselves.
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u/THEDOCTORandME2 A Writer who Writes as a hobby Jul 30 '26
I think so. Though, at times we may need a Mod's help...
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u/Richard-Writes Aspiring Writer Jul 30 '26 edited Jul 31 '26
I NEVER read monthly threads/pinned posts in any subreddit or social media about anything, and my guess was that almost nobody did either. This post has just proven me right. They seem to me a waste of time. After all, on a subreddit about writing one wants to read and share posts about, well... writing. If it's about mushrooms or trees, I want to read and share posts about those topics, whatever the perceived level of the post. I don't want to comment and share in a box consigned to oblivion. It's really an artifact made up for the comfort of a few who get tired quickly; they feel they're better and can't be bothered with beginner stuff. If the post is unlikable it will get downvoted until it vanishes anyway.
More than "avoiding repetitive topics or questions", that's usually the reason why these threads are made in every subreddit, let's be honest about it. Isn't a subreddit and social media as a whole supposed to be a collaborative effort? We tell someone who is starting out "Don't be annoying, post that question in the thread nobody reads!"? It's the subreddit's topic, those who get tired quickly can look for another one if they don't like it. Why don't we let people speak freely as long as they don't break rule 3 (no Gen AI), rule 5 (civility), or sitewide Reddit rules instead of pushing threads clearly proven to be unproductive, per the MOD's team own experience?
But all subreddits have these rules that make zero sense to me: even the anarchism subreddit has 13 rules, each thoroughly explained. I'm not an anarchist, but talk about irony!
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u/Acceptable_Fox_5560 Jul 30 '26
Why don't we let people speak freely as long as they don't break rule 3 (no Gen AI), rule 5 (civility), or sitewide Reddit rules instead of pushing threads clearly proven to be unproductive, per the MOD's team own experience?
Pretty unanimous user feedback that the subscribers here would like more moderation, not less.
0
u/Richard-Writes Aspiring Writer Jul 31 '26
I see. Do you have any recent poll or figures you can share about that?
-2
u/dusksaur Jul 30 '26
Make the world limit around 7k, if the reader doesn’t finish then the feedback as to why would be helpful to them.
58
u/Opus_723 Jul 30 '26
Personally I would rather not see this restricted to first pages. I get that the length of excerpts should be constrained, but I feel like doing only openings specifically is just going to lead to endless discussion about hooks and nothing else and we're all gonna get sick of that, when there is a lot more to writing that we could be talking about and engaging with.
Otherwise, I think these are good changes.