/lit/ - Literature

Da fug guys. My keywords are all popular writers and books on amazon in the science fiction and fantasy genres

>>19618352
What's the over of your book like? Or the title? People are seeing it but not clicking, it must not seem too interesting.

>>19618389
I guess it's pretty cringe. I thought it was ambiguous and interesting. My friend drew it for free.

>>19618352
>these are the guys telling me i'm an idiot to try for traditional publishment

>>19618345
>it's [Current Year]
retarded fucking OP pic

Is writing a good villain romance possible? Can you convince readers that the hero can fall for the villain trying to destroy?

>>19618385
For the guy who was asking for a critique about his action writing, I wrote this last thread but I neglected to see that the thread was on bump limit. So, here you go. I hope it helps.

>>19618468
I self-publish because I don't want to alter my story. A publisher would probably think my story is too sexist and depressing Also my prose could be better.

>>19618415
cover looks amateur dude. are you 17?
its nice to take your friends offer but thats why you have to keep friendship and business apart
>>19618504
t. cant take criticism, will never improve

What are good writing exercises?
Right now I'm trying to write without using adjectives

>>19618548
I'll take criticism regarding the themes and writing, not whether or not I have enough strong females or a retarded comic relief character. If that's what it takes to sell then fuck it.

Same guy - regarding cover
At this point, getting a new cover couldn't hurt. I didn't think it was that bad but the results speak for themselves. It was more of a cost decision as well because $300 seems steep for a cover.

I must not write fantasy, for it is schlock. I will write literary fiction and poetry, for this is the correct way.

>>19618415
If people see an amateurish drawing on your cover they will assume your writing is the same.

>>19618548
>>19618415
Ughhhh. OK. I'm an illustrator studying Animation if you'd like I'll make something else for you for free. Just give me some pointers.
>I recently made this
>Here's my portfolio: https://nickadams222e.myportfolio.com/illustration-1

how much should i be an autist that all the chapters are the same length? some chapters are only 2 sections of text and feel short. some are 4 sections and feel long. but some have to end at a certain scene or are organized thematically

is that overthinking?
>>19618593
see, that is decent
>>19618590
this

>>19618615
Depends on how the whole thing flows to be honest. Chapter lengths are part of a greater contextual fabric.

>>19618571
Shit, describe the book and I could MS Paint you something better…

Reading a book is an investment, more of time than of money. You have to show someone that your book is worth their time more than anything else they could be reading. Based on the cover art, you (the author) don’t even think it’s worth the effort.

I hate to say thin, but even the cover to call of the crocodile (which looks like it took all of 5 minutes to make) is unique and memorable. The problem with you friend’s art is that it’s both bad and trying so hard not to be.

>>19618593
If you're interested sure. here's the first chapter and at the bottom is the character description I gave my friend and the work he churned out.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1n8DCSeOpje8Cs5Z1Eyk6ZrlJEVayWViRNn2GDSWdFKA/edit?usp=sharing

If you want an idea, I'll give you one but I was thinking that I'd let you come up with something considering you have more of an eye for art.

>>19618662
Does someone know how to stay in contact without getting doxed? I'd like to try something out for you sometime, but not tonight. I'm kinda busy atm. (Packing presents the whole night for tomorrow.)

>>19618691
I can make the document editable and you could post it there

>>19618644
>Reading a book is an investment, more of time than of money. You have to show someone that your book is worth their time more than anything else they could be reading
this. normalfags might read like, maybe 10 books a year. do you deserve to be one of those 10?

>>19618739
Sure. Let's do it like that. Seems like the easiest way to go. I'll be sure to make something for you by the 10th of Jan. I actually drew something similar once, but without reference. I'll try to draw you something like this maybe, but then with proper human proportions in mind. This one is completely skewed.

>>19618780
Salute friend. I look forward to it and thanks. Interesting concept btw.

Reposting my story from last thread.

>list of /wg/ authors pastebin
https://pastebin.com/ruwQj7xQ
If you want to be on this list then reply to this post with the site you posted your novel on and your pen name.

>>19618474
No that would be impossible to do, it's too ridiculous you could never ever convince someone of that like how that even work? I think you need to rethink.

I cant stop comma splicing. Does anyone else have this problem? I tend to write very stream of consciousness-y. My sentences flow well but they tend to go on a while, and it's one of the biggest things I get "critiqued" on when posting. But I can't help it, that's just how I think, and thus, how I write.

>>19619146
How I write while thinking about what to write always needs to be cleaned up, either from word order or, more usually, comma splices. That's probably natural. There's a reason everyone needs to edit.

>>19619146
What do you mean you can't help it? Do you mean you don't know what a rhythmic sentence sounds like? Perhaps read more.

>But I can't help it, that's just how I think, and thus, how I write.

But I can't help it as it's just how I think, therefore how I write.

It's not that hard anon. Just write as it comes naturally and then rework the sentence to create a smoother flow.

>>19619146
>>19619163
Just keep it up, m8. That's how I write, too. Just a revolving door of commas, semi-colons, and em-dashes. Oh, and always, always an Oxford comma.

>>19619175
i fucking love semicolons.

Anyone here written a murder mystery/whodunit before? I want to do one, but I'm not sure how to avoid the cliches while also making it a compelling story that the readers can follow along with. Any advice?

>>19619366
what are you bringing to the table that is new? we cant write it for you

>>19619366
Unironically, watch true crime videos about cases that took a very long time to solve, by murderers who covered their tracks well, and adopt and synthesize the techniques.

How to return from a digression? I can never find a smooth transition back to the action of a character after having gone on a tangent.

anyone know this feel?

>>19618345
I've saved pic rel. That's awesome.

Since this is the official faglit thread here's a relevant scene from my novel

https://pastebin.com/7tNXXDHB

Line edits appreciated, general feedback is also welcome.

>>19618845
christ, anon, this is really fucking good. maybe read it again and tweak a couple minor comma/word choice stuff, but I loved it, beginning to end.

>>19618345
Awesome, /wg/ is back

Can anyone help me with grammar? I'm confused about whether the second clause in the sentence below is an independent or dependent clause.
>My motivation for pursuing a PhD is a career in research, a career in which I will always be learning and asking questions.
Is a comma correct here? Or should it be a semicolon?

Why do my sentences read so disjointed? How do you craft a smooth reading experience?

>>19618345
Do yall have any key books on character growth? I feel that i'd like to invest more time into thinking critically about it.
thanks

>>19620010
Post a sample and I'll give you some advice. The best you can do imo is read and develop an ear for rhythm.

>>19620012
Story Genius does a good job of explaining what you're meant to be doing when you write a character arc.

>>19619981
Cut what elements are redundant.
>My motivation for persuing a PhD is a career in research, where I will always be able to learn and ask questions.

>>19619981
Comma is right. Also an em dash works and is my personal favorite.
>>19619967
/wg/ has been really good these last few weeks, miles better than it used to be.

>>19619981
Dash imo

>>19620038
Not him but this reads much worse

>>19619981
The comma is correct for being a noun appositive phrase.
For instance if I said.
>My brother eats cabbage.
vs
>My brother, Johnny, eats cabbage.
'Johnny' acts in nominal apposition to the subject 'brother'

>>19620038
>passive voice

First time seriously sitting down to write. How's this?
English is not my native language so please correct me anywhere you can.

>>19619981
>>19620058
just another note--if you're ever confused about whether a clause is dep/ind just read the sentence by itself. Eventually it will get easier to spot and understand. It's got to be dependent here because there is no subject. Where is 'where'? If you replaced it with 'At school' it would be independent.

>>19620038
Beautiful! Thanks anon.
>>19620047
>>19620049
>Comma is right. Also an em dash works
Doesn't the em dash before the sentence conclusion perform the same function as a semicolon? The semicolon is used to link two independent clauses so is it the same for the em dash?
English isn't my first language and I don't know shit about grammar, so I'd really like to understand this.

>>19620089
Ah i got confused between the 2 sentences. 'in which' makes it dependent despite there being a clear subject jst because of how conjunctions behave

>>19620095
I only ever use the semicolon to link two directly related independent clauses, or more rarely, long lists where items have multiple commas in them for delineation. The second clause in your sentence isn't (or doesn't read to be) an independent clause, so a dash or comma would be my choice. I use em dashes almost exclusively with dependent clauses, and only sometimes with independent clauses. Like two hasty examples
>he would get the bastard--no matter what.
>he would get the bastard--his .45 would make sure of that
A comma and a period both work for these but an em dash does fit

>>19620058
>>19620089
>>19620115
>noun appositive phrase
So that's what this is.
https://www.grammarly.com/blog/appositive/
>Depending on the tone you want to achieve and the context, you may also choose either parentheses or brackets to frame a nonrestrictive appositive phrase.

One more question.
>'in which' makes it dependent
It's not clear to me that 'in which' makes the clause dependent. Is it because it's referring to information given in a previous clause/sentence? But sentences can use information from previous sentences can't they? That's what paragraphs are, a series of related ideas that flow one after another.

>>19620180
>It's not clear to me that 'in which' makes the clause dependent. Is it because it's referring to information given in a previous clause/sentence? But sentences can use information from previous sentences can't they? That's what paragraphs are, a series of related ideas that flow one after another.
Yes, but each sentence requires a clear subject and predicate to be complete. Think of it this way: "a career in which" answers a question. "A career in which. What career?" The answer to this question needs to be a part of the same sentence to be a complete thought. Sorry, I'm not too keen on grammar either, so i don't have the precise terms to offer up.

I think I'm finally ready to try to put together an idea that has come across as extremely ambitious in my head. It won't be high art, I just want to write an engaging and interesting tale, but the difficulty will be the length. I intend for this story to go on for a long time and shift genres as it does. I might be out of my depth here, but I'd like to try.
Perhaps viewing it as a purely personal project without any hopes for publication will keep me motivated?

>>19620047
>/wg/ has been really good these last few weeks
I guess you missed the anon sperging about pronouns a few nights back…

>>19620366
What you're saying makes sense. Thanks based anon.

>>19620057
Agreed

Decided on writing my own capeshit. Even if I have changed it a bit from the old idea I used to work with.

>>19618845
It's not bad. I would remove their names entirely as it doesn't matter and there are only two characters. Just use he and she.

I don't get the ending though

I’m in Italy petting a feral cat.
I have a hand on each of his hind hips and I’m jiggling him from side to side.
He looks back at me with a smug look on his face, a sign that he is enjoying it.
I increase the jiggling and he starts purring.
The purrs are so loud they echo through the entire length of the quaint street I’m in.
A 6 ft 2 blonde woman steps off a speedboat and walks up to me.
“Do you make all pussies purr like that?” she asks.
Within seconds I’ve busted a nut on her face.
“Meow,” she says.
Before my cock has a chance to recoil, I bust another load straight on her face.
“Stop, I’ll drown! Don’t you know cats can’t swim?” she says.
Before my cock has a chance to recoil, I bust another load straight on her face.
She now looks like a clumsily glazed cake. She can’t talk.
A doctor taps me on the back and says “Sir, one more ejaculation and you risk severe dehydration.”
I bust a load straight on his face.
Now I feel dirty. Not to mention, dehydrated.
I steal the speedboat and sail away.
Just before I reach the horizon, the cat from before jumps onto my shoulder and whispers in my ear “faggot” and jumps into the water and swims away with perfect breaststroke form.

>>19618845
I really enjoyed reading that. Your writing is relatively spare, yet very smooth and evocative. Both Dale and Susan's personalities jumped off the page and both come across as genuine people.

Do you write a lot? Have you got any more stories? Is this the start of a novel? I hope you can post some more.

>>19620435
You kidding? That was comedy entertainment. These threads used to be "bro I'm giving up" for 300 posts

In the dream, he stood on a beach of glass. He wore shorts and sneakers, and the sun shone brightly on him. Around him lay broken shards of mirror. They reflected the sky and the sea and the sand beneath his bare feet. In the distance, beyond the breaking surf, were tall buildings, gleaming white against the darkening gray clouds. But the closer he came to the shoreline, the more the surface became transparent. Now he could see himself clearly in the mirrors.

Is it wrong for me to feel I deserve to succeed?
It's not fair how hard it all is. My writing is good, my ideas are good, at least better than 99% of the shit published today. That terrible Eragon book got a movie for god's sake. How do I take this shit any way but personally?

>>19620984
iktf. just work harder bro, bitterness will poison only yourself. write because you love it. i agree but it cant be helped

crashing and burning into the research hole, someone stop me before i halt progress to read literally 1,000 pages of academic research

>>19619830
>>19620493
>>19620618
Appreciate the encouragement anons, thank you. I'm really happy you enjoyed it.

I've been writing for a while (at least ten years) but only recently started taking it seriously. This an edited version of a short story I wrote years back, one of three. Currently editing the second one. Will post once I'm finished.

>>19621025
The "Oh God I'm REEEEAAAADDDDDING" rabbit hole always leaves me satisfied when I climb out of it desu

They came out of nowhere. A single car pulling onto Main Street, lights flashing, siren wailing. An ambulance followed, with two policemen riding shotgun. The first police cruiser pulled up behind the hearse and four men piled out of it. They wore dark suits and carried themselves with military precision.

Monday, April 9th, 1963, dawned gray and damp, with a chill wind from the north that made the windows rattle. Overhead, the clouds were low and dark, and there were flickers of lightning. Thunder rolled distantly toward town, and the rain fell in fitful sheets that turned the roads into muddy streams. By midmorning, the sun had broken through, and the day became hot and muggy, although the temperature never rose above seventy degrees Fahrenheit.

Are you guys working on your marketing strategy for the release of your masterpiece?
You’re not going to slave for 2 years just to sell 5 ebooks, are you?

>>19621204
trad pub. they WILL publish me.

>>19621204
>2 years
5 years for my first series. Netted me 100 Facebook followers after I spammed invites to my personal friend list

>>19621227
100 followers is a good start. At what number will you publish?

>>19621224
What makes you so confident.

>>19621204
I don't want to make money off my work and don't want to think of it as a product. If people want to read it they'll read it. There'll be people that won't even read things for free, why waste effort getting people to read something that costs money.

>>19621264
What a defeatist. What is your book even about?

>>19621281
Sorry if that came off as being pessimistic or something, I literally don't care about commercialism or making money off it. I'm the space opera webnovel guy.

>>19621264
>There'll be people that won't even read things for free, why waste effort getting people to read something that costs money.
because people ascribe more value to things that cost money than things that are free. also people who go out of their way to get free things, pirate and whatever else are a different demographic than normalfags willing to shell out a couple bucks. basically what I'm saying is, there's no reason for you not to take your existing work, split it up into 3 "books" commission cover art and sell it for like 5 bucks. you'll connect with readers you never would have connected with otherwise.

>>19621255
i have worked my ass off and improved the writing tremensely.

>>19621246
I already published. 3 books. That's all I got so far.

>>19621335
There’s no way your sales are healthy with so small of a following. I have detailed questions, no titles needed if you don’t wish to share.
1. How far apart did you publish the books from one another?
2. Why aren’t you farming for followers to have healthier book sales?
3. How much have you spent on editing and cover art?

>>19621364
>There’s no way your sales are healthy with so small of a following
They aren't at all. I haven't been good about promoting it; it wasn't until after the third book got published that I really started thinking about my writing seriously. My Smashwords view count and library count is alright, somewhere in the low thousands, but very few reviews. Most people probably just stopped after book one which I finished in high school. I have since revised it, but as a series, revising the entire stock would be multi year project alone.
>1. How far apart did you publish the books from one another?
Book 1 was 2015, book 2 was 2018, and book 3 was 2020. All a series. I want to get my fourth book, unrelated, published next year if I can.
>2. Why aren’t you farming for followers to have healthier book sales?
I have a full time job and the books aren't excessively good quality. They aren't bad, I should say, and they follow strong storylines without falling into cliches, but they're not crowning literary achievements either. Only the third one is really worth any merit, after I learned just a little too late about strong character development.
>3. How much have you spent on editing and cover art?
Editing I did all myself. I revised the third book twice before settling on a throughline and ending. Cover art I had two artists do work for me, both professionals. Cost total for all three was about $500. I will be picking a new artist for my next book since my current one seems to buy artwork from stock photo places and photoshop more or less what I want.

>>19621204
haha yea....>>19618352
lowkey tho no cap fr has anyone tried getting into book marketing for the digital age

>>19621398
You need to scrap your previous author identity and publish under a pseudonym to attempt to gather a new audience. 100 followers is obtainable in a week if you’re diligent enough.
Your previous books will weigh down your credibility. Do not publish another book without atleast 5,000 social media followers.

Not sure if this is the place to ask but does anyone have good resources on how to make you writing sound different, I remember seeing a couple threads about it on /g/ a while back but for example if you were a zoomer and had pretty decent writing skills(me) and you wanted to write an article that sounded more like a boomer who was less proficient at writing had written it?

>>19621463
Not having a Twitter is detrimental. It sounds daunting. And to start all over without having any books to my name? What 5000 people would even follow someone claiming to publish a book soon when they haven't published anything yet? I'm asking rhetorically, really.

>>19621463
>You need to scrap your previous author identity and publish under a pseudonym to attempt to gather a new audience.
Why?

>>19620521
Do you post this in every wg thread

>>19618492
Action anon here
This is great, thank you for taking the time to read and edit! I especially appreciate that part about that crossguards because I wasn’t sure how to convey it in words.

>>19618415
I don't know if ur still around but I liked the shape of the helmet so u can have this for free
u should use a big blocky font for the title so it looks imposing

>>19619540
The question is meaningless. You need to identify it in actually good writing. There are a million ways to do this artfully and more ways than that to do it lacking so much.
You would need to have an understanding of phenomenon or time but idk its too broad a question senpai

>>19621807
Damn you didn't have to that's tight as fuck and fits the despondent ttitle

>>19621569
Because previous failed books do not bring you credibility, but act as a lead weight around your ankles.

>>19621566
You wouldn’t claim to publish a book soon. You need to garner an audience by being entertaining on social media, THEN you need to announce a book.

>>19618345
Is that pic true? I could absolutely write gay, blacked, femdom erotica for money, is the market really that lucrative?

5200 words today, plus more research, notes for a new chapter to include, and some review and organization for volume 2 (of 2). I almost crapped out for the day at 1500 but pushed myself to continue and broke through the difficulty I was hung up on.

Additionally, my notes file is now at 20k words. such suffering.

I'm very lonely. What do?

>>19622628
Write some fetish material for me and I'll be your friend.

>>19620633
Christmas miracle, or mass an hero? That's up to the reader to decide.

>>19622628
I'll try help anon. What is day to day life like for you? Work, university, neither?

>>19622677
University but it is Christmas break, so nothing. I wake up, practice my guitar that I suck at, play a game, read a book. Even when there's University, I don't usually go because I hate my face - it is smeared with acne - and I'm very insecure. There's also that I am a virgin at 21... my entire day is spent trying to pass the time and failing to do even that adequately.

>>19622794
Sir, this is a writing general. The support group is down the hall.

>>19622806
You must be a tourist or a newfag. Wg is primarily for this kind of thing.

>>19622808
Kill yourself faggot

>>19622808
If you are going to do this could it at least be tangentially related to writing?

>>19622810
Tourist then. Go back to your board.

>>19622816
I've been on this board longer than you. Now fuck off to /r9k/ or /adv/

I wrote 50k words and realized my story doesn't have a central conflict. This book goes nowhere. Do I just add a cheap rape scene just to get somewhere?

>>19622934
Yes, become OP, become a rape writer.

>>19618345
What do you think characters with rhyming names? I think almost all my characters have names that rhyme. Or at least names that flow off the tongue. Names like
>Wendy Williams
>Jaclyn Joe Johnson
>Minnie May Hopkins
>Yang Yun Zhao

>>19623078
These aren't rhymes, that's alliteration.

Should I kill off the villain love interest in my story?

>>19623295
As long as the MC gets a chance to see the villain's loving side at least once and it serves a purpose in the plot

>>19623303
Is it too cheesy to have him sacrifice himself for the MC? I feel like no true leader/overlord would sacrifice themselves for a girl… but men are simps so IDK

I’m just plotting stuff out rn

>>19623314
Tbh anything is justifiable if it advances the narrative. Having him sacrifice himself to further the MC's goal is a usual go-to; maybe there's a bigger threat than their antagonist-protagonist relationship, something the villain knows he'll be most useful helping by sacrifice. Men who are in love will do absolute batshit stuff for women. It only gets to be simping when he consistently showers affection, debases himself, and goes out of his way to do things for the woman who doesn't care or appreciate what he's really doing. Think Lancelot and Guinevere versus Bella Daphne and all her paypigs.

My mom asked to see my writing soon. The current piece I'm writing has sex in it. Dare I do it?

>>19623337
I see, thanks! I just know most people like happy endings while I prefer bittersweet… I like to cry, so I think a death would be better

>>19623494

yeah, itll be funny

>>19623494
give her an edited version with no sex

>>19623538
Never compromise. Not even in the face of Armageddon.

>>19622934
How the fuck did you get through 50k words and realize there’s no central conflict? Neck yourself, and stop discovery writing. Actually make a plot outline.
I’d scrap all 50k words and start over.

>>19623666
Well the plot is just a guy that's trying to make friends. But he's failing constantly

This morning I woke from a wet dream, the most realistic and vivid I've ever experienced, filled with a sense of contentment and satisfaction. After basking in the pleasure for a half hour I was struck by the urge to write and grabbed my notebook from the nightstand. Turned to a story I abandoned weeks ago I made breakthroughs in plot and bypassed problems with character development I once thought insurmountable, spured on by the visit from the muse.
It was only after two hours that I realized the woman in my dream was the protagonist of the abandoned story. I’ve never had writing flow from my pen as easily as this, but I'm conflicted and not sure if I should continue. You see, at the beginning of the dream she stood before me naked holding a gun, and said she was going to kill me.

just a reminder that no one here writes
just procrastinates
get to it<span class="fortune" style="color:#fc532d">

Your fortune: Merry Christmas![/spoiler]

>>19618345
If I write gay erotica will I make money or should I write the characters as such that they are 'gay coded' so the people who read might 'ship' one character with another?

>>19623821

yes

>>19623808
>just a reminder that no one here writes
I have literally just finished writing 25k words before Christmas so I can have my current work done before the New Year! Gonna make it, bros!

>>19623845
I lost focus on my story and now it's about nothing. Just a guy helping his robot learn things.

>>19623808
My current piece is at 7.2k words. I will finish it before the year ends.

So, there is no point in writing anything you want to be read by more than 8 people, unless you can act like a clown-shill on social media, right?

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1n8DCSeOpje8Cs5Z1Eyk6ZrlJEVayWViRNn2GDSWdFKA/edit

Can anyone review this? Sci-fi fantasy.

>>19623808
>crab-anon says this every thread
>people here regularly post 2k, 3k, 5k daily wordcounts
>anons who are querying, anons who have completed books

>>19623895
Grow up. Publishing is a business. They want a mature adult who is ready to treat marketing as a part of their job. They are not looking for a diva.

>>19623761
With a little revision this wouldn't be too bad for starting a short story.

>>19623903
there are plenty of eccentric hikki-hermit writers who get published. they might actually be more popular than the social marketing addict writers who sperg out on twitter daily.

a lot of the writing on here stinks of woman worship

>>19623956
have sex

>>19623936
Thomas Pynchon made it in the 1960's. You are not Thomas Pynchon and this is the 2020's.

>>19623971

go beg for a crumb of pussy

>>19623988
have sex

>>19623988
Crumb?

https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/49395/the-undying-emperor

Well that makes chapter 6 up, going to scale down to two chapters a week now. Did a bit of tweaking to chapter 1 too. A 50% retention rate from chapter 1 to 2 is above average, isnt it?

>>19624022
50% might be above average, yes.

>>19622115
Probably not that profitable but niche erotica is pretty popular. I've seen lots of alien erotica on Amazon.

These rankings are from Amazon's Best Sellers in Science Fiction & Fantasy

>>19624100
>backyard dungeon
Oh me oh my. If only it wasn't glaringly obvious it's a book for analfags.

>>19624100
>people spend five dollars to read low quality coom rags about grey-skinned space opera waifus in french maid costumes
humanity really doesn't deserve god's salvation

Hey i'm making a slave race who practice eugenics And breed the slaves like animals for different "breeds" and different things
Like Pet breeds and Work breeds


However what I'm looking for here is, What is it called when you force two people to have sex?
Their must be a term because they do eugenics and have to "breed" them

thanks if you can answer

>>19624660
>coomer writing
find God and repent.

>>19624688
if you use words like "Coomer" Its time to get off 4chan and get a life, I'm sorry no body says this in real life

>>19624721
do you tell people IRL that you write in extensive detail about breeding lairs for the mating geneology of slaves?

>>19624721
Dead meme faggot.

>>19624737
Good come back that made me laugh gotta love 4chan

But still my question needs to be answered this is not intended to be written into the story it is just there for lore

i'm not gonna lie, that guy who posted that thread recently 'i'm getting published', really fucked me up. his style is good. like, his style, it's really good. he is accomplished, stylistically. that is without even mentioning that he has been published already. and he's like 26. and i'm like 33. and i think ... i've wasted my fucking life. i had talent at one point, you know ... i was promising ... i was interesting ... i made pretty sentences ... now i'm old, and i can't even stay thin any more, and i work a blue collar fucking job where my greatest literary achievement is my boss asking me the difference between accept and axis. christmas eve and i'm stuck in a fucking rat hole (oh lord if you knew how literal i was being), 33 years old and counting, and my life has been a total waste.

>>19624805
this is some good pasta lmao

>>19624660
Breed is probably a good work for it. I think of mares and stallions in the Godfather.

Are the recommend reads for poetry good for total beginners or would one be better off simply reading a lot of poetry?

Expanding my descriptions from being bare bones while also trying to convey a fast paced action scene is difficult.

>>19618345
I wrote a work dealing with what I believe to be the occult significance of epithets, as a tool to peer into the hidden attributes, both in regards to time and space, of a object or person. For purposes of style and meaning, it is written as a work of fiction set in another time with fictional characters, places, and events, however the gist of it is based on my own experiences, and the story aside the general ideas espouse could be applied to real life, even outside romantic ventures. My occult knowledge is still very little, however I can say from experience alone dealing with synchrocities, dreams, and a basic understanding of systems such as Gematria, that I have some thoughts to give on the subject. Story alone, it is about a girl who falls for a boy who reminds her of a Confederate Soldier. Please tell me what you think, and if you have any experiences similar to Karen's.

https://pastebin.com/CVHBWbPP

>>19624660
it's called husbandry

>>19618345
I am writing a magic/fantasy book and I keep copying things from Harry Potter.

How do you get over the phase of copying from your favourite books?

>>19624961
you don't, you just read better and more obscure books until nobody can recognize what you're stealing from anymore

>>19622794
Anon,

I am familiar with this type of depression. The way out of it for me was discipline.

First for the acne. I got rid of mine (very tediously - recurring, reappearing) by doing this twice a day: warm water on face - burst zits - vigorously soap - plenty of cold water possible on face - dry. Also make an effort to keep from touching your face. Also get a haircut. This will work, I promise - you just need to be patient and determined. Next: exercise. This was a hard pill for me to swallow, perhaps it is for you too. Start off easy - a five minute walk every morning (or when you have time. though morning tends to be best). Walk slowly and do your best to enjoy it. Have a goal e.g. in one years time I will run 5km. I know it sounds lame and juvenile to set such a goal, but it is necessary to have a point on the horizon to aim at. I personally like lifting. One year ago I was 70kgs, weak, depressed. I drifted through my days as it sounds as though you do: in a cloud of self-hatred. I have put on almost 20kgs of muscle in one year, which might be hard to believe but it is possible. I am content day to day, I am strong and fit, and most importantly I have had a clear mind which allows me to write. If you think this sounds like Peter Jordanson faggotry, well, it is! But it works for our purposes.

You are not above exercise: a disciplined body is a disciplined mind and vice versa. Neither comes first. Your mind betrays your body by disparaging it, your body betrays your mind with it's lethargy and inertia.

But what I am cautious to mention, anon, is that true contentment only comes through God; a life in service of Him. What I have described above can only achieve so much, which is not to say it isn't worth it - it is, but you are a human with a body and a spirit and a soul. You are suffering, it sounds, on every level of your constitution. Attend to each (it sounds like you want to, considering you have posted here asking for help). I would encourage you to read the Gospels with an open mind. That is all I can say. What happens from then is not my work.

I grieve your loneliness and sorrow, anon. All the best.

I'm gonna self publish a collection of essays. What service should I use?

>>19623896
> In thou middle of thou Sonoran desert

I do ‘t think you know what ‘thou’ means. Dod you just do a find/replace on ‘the’?

>>19623896
Look how you massacred my boy

>>19623956
My beta reader said my story lacked strong female characters

Sometimes i wanna wear my rose colored glasses but I'm legally blind so i can't wear them without my glasses

I hope some new writer never gets a hold of this shitty metaphor that I deal with in real life

It was a summer evening, warm and humid. A soft breeze stirred the leaves on the trees lining Main Street. People were walking along the sidewalks and cars cruised slowly past the darkened windows of the stores. In the distance the tall smokestacks of the aluminum plant stood like sentries against the horizon.

>>19625266
what is your story about

Dear Donna:
It has come to our attention that certain people are attempting to discredit my character. I want you to tell them what really happened during April 20th. I hope you will also explain how Mr. Langstrom and I were able to go missing from the same room after having been together for almost two hours. Also, please let them know that I have always maintained my innocence.
Yours truly,
Chris

>>19623735
Nevermind the plot, why didn’t you make an outline?

Dear Donnie,
They've got me on Thorazine again. This is the third time. They won't let me see Mom until after I'm done. Which means I'll probably end up having to go back to the hospital before Christmas.
It's really awful, I know. I feel like I'm dying myself. I mean, I can't imagine how you must be feeling. All these years, and then one day you wake up and everything's changed. Everything's different. I'm not sure I want to live anymore. I don't know what I am. I don't know what I am supposed to be. I don't know what's real. Sometimes I don't even know what I am thinking. I don't know what I am. I don't know what I am. I don't know what I am. I don't know what I am.

>>19625176
BEFORE YOU PUBLISH, WHAT IS YOUR MARKETING PLAN?

She sat down on her bed and drew the covers up to her chin. She closed her eyes and tried to imagine that she was somewhere else. Somewhere safe. Where everything was nice and warm and quiet and friendly. A world without monsters.

She opened her mouth and let the breath come slowly out. She wondered how many breaths it would take before she forgot what they looked like.

>>19625356

The breath caught at the bottom of her lungs and then floated upward like a bubble of air in a glass of champagne.

>>19625328
It's this story >>19623896 (although its been edited by trolls) Essentially the guy has this "perfect family" (bimbo wife, nice kid) but finds out they are just programed hallucinations used to control him. Kinda like brave new world with technology instead of drugs.

The whole "no strong women" thing is dumb because that's the point.

>>19625364

Her mouth was moving, mouthing words that weren't quite audible, not even to her ears. Words that sounded more like animal grunts.

>>19625271
I'm gonna add this just to spite you.

Is there a term for the pithy style employed by people like H.L. Mencken and Christopher Hitchens in their writing?

Tell me older Anons, is 20 too young to start writing, or should I try and take the experience?

I feel like I’m far too scatterbrained to write consistently, and would benefit from a few more years of maturity under my belt.

>>19625427

pithy

>>19625433
>>19624805
what is with you people?

Being in your 20s and 30s is not old good god. what has youth culture done to you?

Anytime is a good time to start writing be you 100 or just learning how to write.

please stop falling in the trap of youth culture

>>19625434
Yeah but is there anything beyond that? Like a genre it belongs to?

"You must be crazy."

The man was wearing a suit, although he hadn't buttoned his shirt properly. He'd combed his hair with pomade, but it wasn't quite straight. His tie was too narrow. There were lines around his mouth that shouldn't have been there.

He took another sip from his glass of Scotch and soda. "What makes you say that? You've read the file, Mr. Hallorann. What else could I possibly be?"

"That's just it," said Hal, looking him over with distaste. "I don't think you're sane enough to handle this case. Why, you look—"

>>19625342
I don't have one anon. Idc if it gets read by a ton of people

>>19625451
Very true anon

https://www.amazon.com/Bird-Some-Instructions-Writing-Life/dp/0385480016

dis good?

>>19625466
Lies.
Cope.
Market or fail.

did u guys know that im 2 cool 4 skool?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjpzJpxFxeg

"No problem," he said easily. "Come on in. Have a seat. What can I do for you?"

She hesitated. Then she came in. He was sitting in a red leather chair near the fireplace. There was a picture of Abraham Lincoln over it. He looked at her closely. She was wearing jeans and a sweatshirt. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail. She wore glasses, which made her look older.

>>19625501
>Cope

The real cope is caring whether the average midwit reads your book.

>>19625535
The real cope is thinking a master wouldn’t want his art viewed, as if he crafts it for it to exist in darkness.

>>19625541
Who says I don't want it to be viewed? I don't care for it to be viewed by people who won't understand or appreciate it.

Help me anons. I enjoy writing almost exclusively fairy tales/myths. Stuff with really sparkly prose and straightfoward plots. Not because I'm developmentally disabled or anything, just because I find them to be the most beautiful types of stories.
How do I market this? Am I doomed economically for not writing genre fiction? Am I doomed intellectually for not writing brain-busting prose that challenges all modern storytelling assumptions?

>>19625548

Actually, many of the agent i've been querying have asked specifically for fairytale retellings with some sort of gimmick.

Any experienced with Zero Books?

>>19625592
Recent drama.

>>19625566
>retellings with a gimmick
See the things is I don't have a gimmick and they aren't retellings. They're new stories told in ye olde ways. I don't want to retell The Little Mermaid I want to tell another story written like stories like The Little Mermaid.

2k words today, going to spend the rest of the day reading stuff tangently related to my subject.

>You will never be a famous auteur and make a living off of passion projects

>>19625647
yeah i will

Somone bought my paperback

Redpill me on writing from multiple perspectives, one character per chapter. Whats the right way to do it?

>In offering this book to the public the writer uses no sophistry as a excuse for its existence. The hypocritical cant of reformed gamblers, or whining, mealymouthed pretensions of piety, are not foisted as a justification for imparting the knowledge it contains. To all lovers or card games it should prove interesting, and as a basis of card entertainment it is practically inexhaustible. It may caution the unwary who are innocent of guile, and it may inspire the crafty by enlightenment on artifice. It may demonstrate to the tyro that he cannot beat a man at his own game, and it may enable the skilled in deception to take a post-graduate course in the highest and most artistic branches of his vocation. But it will not make the innocent vicious, or transform the pastime player into a professional; or make the fool wise, or curtail the annual crop of suckers; but whatever the result may be, if it sells it will accomplish the primary motive of the author, as he needs the money.
How the fuck do I learn to write like this?

>>19625843
this is a nice aesthetic but I think its too dense, it would be burdensome to read and write on a large scale

>>19625652
No you won’t, because you refuse to market your book.

>>19623905
Yeah, I'm planning to do that now. Maybe I'll be safe if I kill her first.

>>19625919
no im pretty sure i will

>>19620073
I liked it. do you like mccarthy by any chance?

She felt as if the floor had fallen away beneath her feet, leaving her suspended in space, unable even to cry out in shock or fear. There seemed to be a great distance between her mind and body; they moved slowly toward each other but without touching. There was a ringing sound inside her ears but none outside them; a sense of unreality hung over everything but an awareness of impending disaster which filled every corner of her mind with a kind of terror so vast that the mind refused to accept it; it was like a shadow cast over a landscape with a light behind, so faint that it would not illuminate anything, yet so large that all the shadows became part of it and lost their shape and meaning, becoming simply darkness.

>>19625548
You're worried that you can't be successful be writing the same stuff Gaiman does?

Sitting here alone on Christmas Eve, sick with covid. Nothing good is on Youtube, I don't have the mental power to write. I'm just digging for a manga to binge I guess, and refreshing my RR story to see if someone will post a comment or a review that wasn't literally my beta reader

Merry Christmas /wg/

>>19625783
>multiple perspectives
If its 1st person I'd do 2 or 3 but no more. If its 3rd person limited you can do more. 1st person you need distinct styles for each person. 3rd person limited its just sort of like your camera angle changes. I still wouldn't have too, too many because it may make it difficult for the reader to get attached to any one characters or it may end up a jumbled mess because the story is too large.<span class="fortune" style="color:#aa01d0">

Your fortune: Happy Festivus![/spoiler]

>>19625950
Just like how you’ll make sales in literally anything else without marketing.
How is it there in stupidville?

>>19626064
no im going to do the market

>>19626000
Trips checked but also does he?
I'm talking about stuff like Hans Christian Andersen and Howard Pyle.

>>19625652
>>19625950
>>19626080
Don’t listen to the low lifes here that get you down because they are weak and materialistic and project their weakness into everyone else. You will become a great writer.

>>19625466
Ignore the materialistic Jews anon. Good writing should simply be created for its own sake, not to harvest sheckles.

>>19625433
Just write bro. Don’t listen to the boomers telling you you need to be older or have a degree or whatever.

>>19625342
Your a low life aren’t you?

>>19625783
I do about one to three chapters per perspective, continuous, and then I switch to another. And then once the characters get back together I wait to split perspectives until a new subplot is necessary. The "correct" way is to close each window around a good end point that leads into something exciting. Not a cliffhanger, but an ender with a taste. It ensures the readers don't get bored.

>>19626144
thanks bro that means a lot to me good luck to you too dude

>>19618691
Yeah it's called going back to redit

>>19625548
If you like something you should double down on it. If you liked it that means there's something good about it.

>>19625970
I feel the prose is too passive. i.e.
>there was a ringing sound inside her ears
Why not
>a chime tinged inside her ears...

>>19626287

3rd person past-tense is inherently passive, unfortunately

Can someone help me? How does a robot make a decision when presented 4 choices that all could be true?


“Welcome to Beach Dogs, home of the corny dog. May I take your order?”
“I would like to order two corn dogs and a drink,” Emily said.
“What drink would you like?” asked the boy.
“I do not know. I am not the one who will be drinking it”.
“What would your friend like then?”
“I did not ask him”.
“Well we have a selection of soda, lemonade, peach, iced tea, and a milkshake”.
“I do not know which one to order”.
“Well make a decision. There’s a long line behind you”.
The robot stood inquisitively processing the riddle presented. Caleb had always told her what chores to complete, what items to buy online, where to go to pick up the items he ordered, and even bought the outfits for her. Emily stood blankly without an answer.

>>19626299
Make your decision first as author/god then justify it however you wish. This has less to do with writing and more to do with philosophy<span class="fortune" style="color:#aad001">

Your fortune: You're on the naughty list![/spoiler]

>>19626291
This is why I actually loved 3rd present so much when I wrote it. It forced me to be active and made action scenes a joy to read and write.

>>19626302
I made her choose soda. But now i'm stuck with her choosing which soda. Maybe I should just be straight forward, have her choose the drink and be done with it. No thoughts on how a robot would order.

“Okay, what does your friend usually drink?” asked the cashier.
“He usually drinks soda water,” replied Emily.
“Do you know what soda he usually drinks? We have O.F.L. Root Beer, Clear Airness, Kola, Orange Fizz, Cherry Blast, and Blueberry Sparkle”.
Emily gazed blankly. Her lens refocused on the machine with the various flavors, ignoring the cashier still waiting on an answer. Caleb never drank any of the items presented.

>>19626335
No keep this interaction it's a cute piece of characterization for a robot.

>>19626335
I'd have her go through each of them and be presented with dilemmas that stop her from making that choice. Like you just showed with the options for soda, have her unable to decide between chocolate and vanilla milkshakes as well as sweet or unsweetened tea, and go with lemonade simply because it doesn't have any other factors to deal with.

>>19626408
what if there's REGULAR lemonade and STRAWBERRY lemonade?

>>19626414
Order an Arnold Palmer.

>>19626408
I did the best I could. What do you guys think?

Emily’s head froze in place. A few seconds later, her lens focused on the machine with the various flavors, her eyes shifted back to the cashier waiting on an answer. She stared blankly at the cashier. Caleb never drank any of the items presented. Emily’s quick search in Caleb’s browsing history resulted in zero results nor display a preference for any of the flavors. The pimply teen hunched over and waited for Emily’s decision. Seconds of silence passed between the two as Emily’s processors whirred.

Caleb never drank O.F.L. Root Beer, and only bought R.G.E Root Beer. It was not his preference. Reviews for Clear Airiness online from various users were not positive. It scored a 2.4 out of 5. Kola had 38 milligrams of caffeine in a 12oz can. That is too much caffeine for Caleb’s health. A news story on Orange Fizz was the first result. The Food and Drug Administration found rat feces in the drink. Cherry Blast comes from the same company as Orange Fizz, and possibly contaminated as well. The search results for Blueberry Sparkle showed it did not contain any real blueberries. The robot could could not choose any of those options.

“What other drinks do you have?” Emily asked.
“We have chocolate or vanilla milkshakes.” the cashier said.
Emily’s processors once again whirled as the boy waited for her order. Online search results showed a milkshake at Beach Dogs provides 1340 calories. Caleb’s calories is currently at 940 calories for the day, he can not drink this milkshake.

>>19626495
Keep going.

is it better to spell out numbers like "Twenty-Five" or just use "25"? Or does it depend on the usage?

How do I write light novels on Royal Road or whatever?

>>19626820
Don't use complex kanji, that's the way light novels are written.

>>19626866
Alright, thanks. Are the sentences shorter too? I know Japanese use words in haiku which are essentially pauses or dashes.

>>19626890
No clue!

Merry Xmas, fellow writers. Remember to give each other more shit next year and never give up, you stubborn breed.

>>19627033
I recently discovered I'm pretentious and don't make any sense.

>>19627046
Why’s that? Big $10 words?

>>19627077
Didn't ask because I don't care.

>>19627085
Ummm… that’s based, if I do say so myself.

Keep going, anons! ARRRGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

>>19626495
>Caleb’s calories is currently at 940 calories for the day, he can not drink this milkshake.
What a sweetie. Someone hug this robot lass

Post the last sentence you wrote and I will give my honest thoughts

>>19627624
Laura ojensi hänelle oman lasin.

That one anon got published. How are you guys doing? Very inspiring and motivating desu.

>>19627632
I appreciate the generosity your characters show to each other, sounds like a comfy feelgood story

>>19627655
It is, sir. It is. Merry Christmas.

>>19627147
This feel hurts

>>19626495
Really like this scene

Consider changing:
>Caleb never drank any of the items presented
To
>She had no memory of Caleb drinking any of the items presented.

This isn’t about the drinks not fitting Caleb’s preferences…he’d have easily chosen one. It’s about Emily’s inability to decide.

Suggest the scene ends with her bringing the meal to Caleb, wracked with guilt for not knowing something so simple about him. He reassures her, and says he likes [whatever she chose] (even if it was far from his first choice)…and from then on, she always selects that for him.

>>19627624
Hands still holding mine, she gives a slight tug to pull me up as well. “I guess we had better go, then.”

How to write more compelling posts? I am just not getting the (You)’s that i need today

>>19627640
I recently submitted my first short story to a (very minor) literary journal. I've posted it here and opinions were pretty polarized. I take that to mean it's actually got a shot, especially in a magazine targeted at the surreal and the absurd. We'll see, I should be hearing back within a couple weeks now. I wouldn't say I'm optimistic, but I am hopeful.

Do any of you dabble in mind altering substances to write or read? I heard Dumas and Balzac did Hashish together; the former even praises Hashish as a perfect substance in The Count of Monte Cristo.

Yesterday in church I stared at a lightbulb. Actually, you might say that I was actually staring at the wall illuminated by the lightbulb. The many small shadows cast by the irregularities of the white surface reminded me of the barn built by my grandparents from my father's side. It must've been the wall; the lightbulb itself was not similar in the slightest - if anything, it was the circular outlet into which it was screwed that was similar, but the lightbulb in the barn was enclosed by a dome of opaque glass. If this lightbulb was enclosed by one, too, then I would not be able to tell that it was a different one.
Then I looked at the entrance doors. They were sturdy, wooden doors - pretty, too. They had were ornament with the design of a square imposed over a bigger circle, which had four smaller circles painted on it in the four cardinal directions, giving it a floral look. The square was composed of planks painted a mellow yellow color, which gave the impression that there were several smaller doors embedded into the big door. I remember that at one worksite I and my father used a wooden door painted a similar color as a plank to carry toilets and urinals removed from the building. They were cleaned, of course, but some urine must've remained inside because they leaked as we carried them, and this porcelain aged urine mixed with dust under our boots into a disgusting muddy substance.
What a bugger, I thought to myself. How can divinity reside in this building any more than in a pigsty, if the only thing making it sacred is the human unwillingness to defile it? Then again, why are people unwilling to do it? Why do people still come here and genuinely experience - or, at the very least, claim to, and that is already very much - a communion with something larger than themselves, something that they cannot understand if these lightbulbs could just as well be illuminating a barn, if these doors could be taken from their hinges and stepped on, if the bricks could be repurposed to build brothels and pave pathways in the muddy rural countryside? My thoughts stirred and I could feel something rising deep from beneath my mind, but then it was time to exchange the sign of peace and a girl I have a nodding acquaintance with smiled at me warmly. Although I think of myself as more socially apt than the average adherent of my type of lifestyle (A basement dweller), she intimidated me. Despite being older than me by 7 years or so, she was always full of a certain youthful elegance, playful, as if on the edge of bursting into song or laughter. Her eyes are slightly cross - an oddly fitting feature that doesn't take away from her beauty but rather takes it into a higher, nonconventional realm.
Well jeez, there go my deep thoughts. Lust, am I right?
Perhaps, that is the key? After all, the dicks pissing inside the urinals were also capable of making tender love.

>>19627737
this one's on the house

>>19627729
Love the mystery. I’m on the edge of my seat wondering where they’ll go next

>>19627737
Wrote this piece myself and got at least 80 yous, here you go free of charge

Item #: SCP-8406

Object Class: Safe

Special Containment Procedures: SCP-8406, inside SCP-8406-2, is to be contained within a Safe Item Storage Locker kept in Site 02. Due to the danger this SCP possesses, a unanimous vote from all O5 members is required before any tests may be performed.

Description: SCP-8406 is a gif contained on an iPhone 8 (SCP-8406-2) that from the thumbnail appears to be a cat dancing, but upon opening reveals the text “REPLY TO THIS POST OR YOUR MOTHER WILL DIE IN HER SLEEP TONIGHT NO IMMUNITIES”. The text is accurate, as the reader’s mother will indeed die as soon as she reaches the REM stage of sleep, the method seemingly being natural causes. Should the reader have no mother alive, SCP-8406 will choose whomever the reader cares about the most. As the text claimed, this can be averted by leaving a reply on whatever form of social media the gif appears on. There is currently no way to avoid the effects of the gif when it is displayed on a system without a means of replying, such as a television screen. Treatments for the mother/loved one in question are under testing.

Additional Notes: There are currently [REDACTED] individuals being administered powerful stimulants to prevent them from falling asleep.

>>19627808
Lord No. not on Xmas.

Sheesh! Kinda hard to capture my feels in words.
Big. Beautiful. Nice.

>>19625451
Yeah this. I started writing again in my early 30s, but I have years of life experience now. I still have to learn how to write a story like everyone else.
I had a teacher tell me once, he had a PhD in Chemistry and he one day started a business. He didnt do Chemistry in that job, but all his organizational skill and discipline went into it and helped him succeed. He told me to never consider you are forsaking your past experience by going to something new in life. Those experiences come with you and make you unique. When it comes to writing, it affects your "voice".
It's a good thing too write early but not regrettable to start a bit later.

>>19628134
Having done three books before graduating college, I agree with the sentiment that it's never too early to start and not regrettable to write later. I've got a little life experience now and it helps mold my voice better, plus I have the writing experience from writing a lot previously.

If there was one thing that stroke me about Florida, it would be the consistency. First off, the weather is always the same-- no matter the month, no matter the season, no matter the time of day, it's always nice and warm, with a storm working it's self up for a day or two of rain. Most change we've gotten down here is a chill during winter, but it's never really notable; even the hurricanes and shit are predictable, they come around the same time, hit the same places, and barely do enough damage to actually change our lifestyle for a few weeks.
Now the people, let me tell you about the people: some might say the guys down here are all nuts, but that's not really true, they're just adaptable is all. You gotta gator in you yard? Are you just gonna let him walk all over ya? Course not, it's just a fucking animal, just tie the bitch up and throw him in the swamp. Maybe they like to get high some times, maybe they get a bit reckless some times, maybe the misses pissed them off and they did something they shouldn't have, but you tell me, what place isn't like that? No, really, point me to one place in the world that doesn't have guys going ape shit 24/7, it doesn't fucking exist. And you know what, I can count on these guys to have my back if I ever get into some shit, because they're consistent.
I'm telling you man, it never changes down here: every fucking day I go down to the bar witht the same guys, see the same stray dogs eating garbage down the street, see the same assholes in the same cars driving like shit, see the same spics peddling the same drugs, eat the same food, drink the same booze, and get some action in with the same girls, it's like a whole state that never got out of college. I'm really serious about you coming down here, I'd know you love it. Listen to your brother for once in your life, okay?

>>19627753
Nope. If I can't write sober I have no way of writing high

>>19627725
It's his robot not his waifu. The entire story is about him rejecting her because she's not human.

>>19628282
In that case make him take no notice of what she got him to drink in contrast to the amount of thought she put into it.

>>19628268
Seems like Florida summers have rain every day at 1pm. I remember subletting down there a few months, and it was so hot when it wasn't raining.
I talked to hobo at the bus stop one morning. He was kind enough to gather the corpse of a sunstroked armadillo and toss it over a fence. The stench rivaled the man himself. I thought of that heat and that man when the lab's fumehoods shorted out. Horror filled the room as the students exchanged bewildered glances. We evacuated before clouds of methylene chloride (you smell this in some paint strippers) rolled onto the floor, killing the roaches.
I'm sure my roommate dealt in drugs. When I first got there the kitchen had all kinds of stale or rotten food. He gave me a hollow apology for it. People knocked on his door all day, but I'd never answer. Just studying and minding my own business, that's all. Sorry kid would never say to my face how he hated me for not following his tacit agreement to do dirty work. He should have thanked me for doing nothing. The news always had stories about criminals like him, and it made me think only Florida bred them that way. If you ask me, the rest of the states have the same men. Most are too ashamed to publicize it.

>>19627624
Atoms, quantum mechanics and special relativity brought some truth to Plato’s cave.

>>19628356
Are you saying that the existence of atoms is comparable to the philosopher leaving the false reality of the shadows in the allegory and seeing what the world is really like?

>>19628499
No I'm saying their existence implies reality is an illusion

>>19628516
How so?

>>19628524
Maybe illusion is the wrong word but I'm not sure what's confusing. They exist but we can't see them, implying theres an uderlying reality beyond our perception.

>>19623978
Pynchon wasn't a hermit. He was known in literary and social circles.

>>19624805
I was happy to see somebody succeed on here, but honestly, his writing was very mediocre.

Don't get discouraged anon. Every writer in history has faced greater challenges than you. Direct your vanity towards improving your writing - when you read someone's stuff and it's better than your stuff (all of the time, if you read properly) take it as a challenge to improve your own writing.

Also shut the fuck up

>>19628268
>If there was one thing that stroke me about Florida, it would be the consistency.
Past tense of strike<>stroke

>>19628919
Every time I think I'm ngmi I remember Dostoevsky's portrait and how he lost a decade of his life merely from suspicion that he was a seditionist. Him continuining to write after that, even to his death, is such an inspiration.

>>19626287
you know fuck this hateboner pseud shit against "passive voice". it simply sounds better. the active voice obsession is the cancer killing literature, where they want you to pander to adhd toddlers who need everything to read like a hollywood cars-and-explosions blockbuster.

>>19627640
going to continue to query my one finished ms. working on another one that will be finished and edited by june and i can query that one too, if the first still hasnt gotten bites. basically i'm just gonna keep writing until i make it. if i have to write 5 novels then i will. if i have to write 20 novels then i will. the only thing that can stop me is the potential fall of western civilization, and in that case i'll get them translated into japanese and publish them there. wagmi.

>>19618593

Nooooooo this is an Anonymous site what are you doing at least have the decency to do this stuff on /biz/

>>19625647
Phillip K Dick was broke.
Harlan Ellison was broke

Without the backing of fame, good writers eke by.

>>19628268
>>19628966
These are the ESL retards criticizing your writing.

Struck. The word is struck. It's a cliche turn of phrase in English.

>X struck me as odd.

>>19629011
If you're going to write flowery prose I agree, why not? As long as the passive voice isn't used when it shouldn't be used

>>19629011
Write to the market or die. Commie zoomers are the market right now. Unless you win a booker or something, you wont make money with jaw-dropping prose. And even then, you will compete with zoomer leftists for prizes handed out by commie jews.

>>19627640
Good for him and everyone else. Haven't been in the writing spirit this month but I haven't given up at all. I want to try and hope for a New Years miracle getting the next chapter out at the least.

>>19618548
Literary agents don't give criticism. If they had talent they would be authors not agents.

>>19618615
>how much should i be an autist that all the chapters are the same length?

You shouldn't. Read Vonnegut.

>>19629215
>>19629209
blue haired agents

>>19629215
Fatal flaw in your argument being the not-insignificant number of Agent/Authors.

>>19629223
I disagree. Agents don't write well. They don't write good books. They write schlock. They are not talented. It's like teachers. Those that don't do... teach.

>>19629257
actually true. if you've ever seen the kinds of books agents-turned-author write, it's all regurgitative YA schlock. these are the people denying you from reaching your dreams

>>19629257

Can somebody help me understand how to write outlines? I get all blocked up...

>>19629308
Well, if you know how characters will develop, you write down the ideas for main scenes.

>>19629308
Outlining is a glorified extension of cause-effect maps, both prolonged and immediate

>>19629429
>having an idea of where to leap before you leap is just procrastination

>>19629447
Fresh Bread is baked

>>19629452
too early fag

>>19629493
>305

>>19618474
Ask the kylo/rey shippers.

>>19629452

premature and with a lolicon image

I'd rather stay in the faglit thread

>>19629557
stay in the faglit thread, then, you reddit spacing fag.

>>19629756

stfu im gonna beat u up

>>19629431
Did I say it was procrastination, nigger?

>>19625955
Thanks, never read mccarthy but I love Faulkner who supposedly influenced him a lot.

Gotta say that the revitalization of /wg/ is loovelli. Another trial intro, give it yer worst.