/lit/ - Literature

>>20718046
>There was too much useless shit in the OP so I truncated it edition
Nice OP. Now if only people could stop shitposting about F Gardner in these threads it would be even better.

>start off writing a story that's supposed to be about religion and faith and both finding and losing God
>it ends up being more about interpersonal relationships between people
>not only that but the relationships keep going in wild new trajectories because the characters, especially the women, seem to have minds of their own
Help

>>20718059
Editorchad has returned once more to offer his services to mortals. Reply to this post or your mother will die in her sleep tonight

>>20718062
Find a way to connect the relationships between people as an allegory to being one with God and Jesus Christ

>>20718064
Do you do it for free?

>>20718079
What if giving up the bad pussy is the path to God?

>>20718062
Interpersonal relations are god

>>20718046
>no one has fixed the broken BrandoSando link yet
>removed the header title for trad publishin
At least it's a new thread.

>>20718082
I can give advice for free, but I've done rewrites for a nominal fee. I've published many articles, worked on books that were sold on Amazon, etc. We can talk at maat042@yahoo.com

>>20718098
I’ll fix it the next thread I make. Still got lots of stuff to remove.

In order to revive /ffa/, we’re joining /wg/ for those who want to practice writing and discussing flash fiction!

How it works:
1. Choose a prompt (full list of unused prompts in following post)
2. Write a story 1,000 words or less based on the prompt
3. Post it in /wg/ with the words "for FFA" somewhere
4. Add a new prompt for the list

Anyone posting for the /ffa/ accepts that their work may be made available online (Creative Commons) or in print (available for purchase at lowest possible cost).

There’s only the lightest editing (typos, etc) so garbage-in garbage-out. While there are not quality/content requirements (aside from porn, extreme abuse or gore) that doesn’t guarantee all submissions get added.

Prior three volumes available for free (pdf, epub):
https://archive.org/details/@_lit_anthology

And print (low cost) here:
https://www.lulu.com/en/us/shop/anonymous-/gifts-evil-and-good/paperback/product-mgwkgv.html
https://www.lulu.com/en/ca/shop/anonymous-/rags-and-bones/paperback/product-9d7gp2.html
https://www.lulu.com/en/us/shop/anonymous-/simian-deluxe/paperback/product-y6z687.html

>>20718139
>prompt list (carried over from old /ffa/)
A closet full of skin suits
A dating app with extraordinary risks and rewards
The academy of Paranormal Life Coaching
This will be India in 5 minutes
A grizzled detective goes undercover on 4chan
You reap what you sow
"Please don't forget what I told you"
The location the GPS took them to seems to be a little off
A tapestry constantly being added to
Murder in the Cathedral's sanctuary
The cellar houses wine and... bodies?
Finding a one-of-a-kind book in the library stacks
A co-worker has a hidden talent
A shut-in decides to go trick-or-treating
The best way to die on a dessert island
Horrible timing for a pregnancy announcement
A game of twister at a nursing home
There is a ship museum in Utah
A librarian goes blind every Thursday
Someone crashes a child’s birthday party
POV of an alley cat in Istanbul
An unusual item at the bottom of the sea
Pina coladas and long walks in the rain
A gateway opens between hell and earth
a slasher villain's first date
An elevator that doesn't work
>A flooded castle, sinking into the mud
Why robot teachers were discontinued
>A very lost succubus (in progress)
Gender Selection Day
>The whales save themselves (in progress)
Elevators have been portals this entire time
Plants are proven to be sentient life forms
A lie is taken seriously, with far worse consequences than the truth
Japanese ghost fish
What lives beneath the moss
An embarrassing phobia

>Progress Report
2 pieces completed, 3 in progress
4 prompts selected and 1 prompt finished last thread
Expecting a piece to be finished today (Lost succubus) (no hard deadline, btw)

Have you guys been building an audience? You’ve had months to get a few thousand tiktok followers now. Your book release would be magnificent if you listened to me.

>>20718160
>build audience
>before book release
How and why? How can someone be interested in your work when they’ve never read it?

BEST ADVICE IN THREAD:

Avoid the guy offering to do editing in these threads. If he was that decent of an editor he would either be a successful writer in his own right, or he would not need to resort to advertising here.

Avoid at all costs, more likely than not he will poison your writing with contentless stylistic changes invented only to justify stealing your time.

>>20718200
>why are they interested in non existent work
Wrong question.
They become interest in you because it’s social media.

>>20718203
I instinctually do the exact opposite of what tripfags say.
Messaging editor bro now.

>>20718160
>Follow, tweet retweet post excerpts on my Twitter and tik tok
>Tease a cover
>Offer discounts
>0 sales
>Only 134 followers
>Most are bots or other people shilling
>Look at my followers
>Only people getting traction are cute girls bitching about insane shit
>They get 3000 likes and retweets and follows
>One tweet saying she is starting a book
>8000 likes
>Claims she got a deal with a publisher already
>Only 19
What is she doing right?

>>20718203

>be a successful writer in his own right

I've published like fifty articles and edited two books, you retarded hylic. Go be rhesus-positive somewhere else

>>20718224
She has a pussy on the internet.

>Why do you think becoming un-single is this important?

It is the first step up the mountain.

>>20718224
What genre is her book? Does she have proof she actually has an MS?

>>20718241
How do I masquerade as a cute girl?

>>20718059
>F Gardner has been waiting around for hours to make the first post about himself
Incredibly sad Frank. Get help.

>>20718238
>articles

>>20718120
Chinaman anon here.

I'll send you an email soon. I really want to see if I can get this book right.

>>20718276
You got it, thanks. I'm moving soon but I'm free this week to work on manuscripts.

>>20718275
Appended is a quick punch-up I did in two minutes for free as a sample. If you think the original version is better, you should take your Haloperidol.

>>20718261
Either post your writing or fuck off

>>20718307
I'll fuck off when you do Gardner.

>>20718261
Pretty crazy how Frank sr will dump thousands into his retarded sons shill campaign instead of getting him therapy or even writing lessons

>>20718359
No great writer ever came out of therapy or writing lessons!

>>20718091
Been there, done that, and it is.

>>20718203
>>20718238
I believe in editor-chan.
(Still refuse to call him editor-chad)

>>20718405
>>20718418
Thread is ruined. Shitpost about Gardner all you want I don't care.

>>20718418
I... I love you, too

>believe that tiktok is a Chinese scheme to strengthen their facial AI recognition with non-asian people
>too schizo to show my face on there
>feel like it's dehumanizing to dance or do whore things even if it's easy attention
>feel like I'm wasting myself because I'm an attractive female
>my one book got four and five star reviews without even showing my face, granted it's just a handful but it's nice
Can anyone talk me out of having pride and dignity
I'm thinking of doing some skits cosplaying my main character

>>20718447
$$$$$$$$
That's all the motivation you need.

Can you advertise my book too if you do a tik tok dance flaunting your ass and tits?

>>20718431
Can you edit the beginning of my emotionally gripping sports drama?

For free?

It's called "Balls Above the World"

https://pastebin.com/R2bhZ53w

>>20718447
>I'm an attractive female
You will never be a woman.

>>20718153
>The whales save themselves (in progress)
Shit my bad. I wasn't trying to say I'm gonna write about it, but just that if I were it would be hella funny.

Basically I imagined whales landing on the shores of Japan like a modern day Normandy. Whale forces nicknamed Tricera-Whales (in homage to Triceratops) storm the beach first ,and adorned with three pronged gold-plated crest helmets tank incoming fire for the Atlantic Whales. Atlantic Whales are warriors of the sword and sport an aqua spartan-like armor.

>>20718463
E-mail it to me and I'll take a look. Make it a Word document and I can enable track changes and send it back.

I have posted a few stories around here consisting of just a few lines. 3/4 got critical acclaim and 10/10 stars from readers. The pressure of success is getting to me. Being the highest rated author in the world is a harder life than I thought.

>>20718447
>pride and dignity
The real argument is about not conditioning dependence on something fleeting.

>>20718300
This is... uh. This completely changes the tone, etc. You are editing as if you were ghostwriting from a rough draft. If you tried to pass shit like this offf as editing you'd be quietly moved from the project.

>>20718495
is it better or not, mohammed?

>>20718046
How do writers get ideas for entire plots and settings and characters? Very generic but even a good premise will leave confused about what the setting should be or what character should be included

>>20718506
As an edit, no. As a rewrite, yes. A good editor is like reapplying the hydrophobic coating on a rain jacket. You are doing the editing equivalent of throwing out the jacket and buying another.
>>20718513
Knack.
>>20718447
Post your tits or get the fuck out.

>>20718513
I drive around plotting a story. It just comes. My Chinaman story came from a cute girl I wanted to woo. She spoke about immigration, and the story more or less formed in my head.

>>20718513
Inspiration, my plot and setting are both dark and hopeless because that's the thing I consume the most in fiction and what I find beautiful.

>>20718470
Oh, woops. OK then, "whales save themselves" is back on the prompt list.

>>20718528
>A good editor is like reapplying the hydrophobic coating on a rain jacket. You are doing the editing equivalent of throwing out the jacket and buying another.

Who turns down a new jacket?

>>20718224
You'd have better luck getting your book published by becoming a minor internet celebrity than by becoming a great writer.

>>20718589
Yes. Readership is down. Readers are primarily women. The romance genre may as well be THE industry, as Atlas holds up the world, so to the romance genre holds up the industry.

>>20718224
I'm very seriously considering making a fake girl Twitter account that reposts pictures from someone's Instagram while spamming crypto stuff for a month, and then abruptly change my name/Pic and delete all tweets history so basically have a new account with 1k followers to grant me legitimacy when I actually start using it.

>>20718628
Your followers will be bots.

>>20718046
The terror is unquenchable. I fear the feeling of being, not the type of sunset reflectures tapping out pastel and shadless watercolor thoughts, but the being of being where my soul is extruded, purified, and reduced to the selfsame substance oc infinity and everything that was foreign, strange, and alien is called my new name: One. I don't get how Christians can be Christians and not fear infinite and eternal goodness. If it is real then so too is awe and trembling and if it is fake the ability to think it and yet not have it is Hell itself.
Blue, sky gaping in nameless mouths,
Falcons recognize their ancestors
in sad and fallen wheepings where
man was once man and divinity's
spark had not crashed the land
and set a fire in the hearts of hope.

>>20718635
Free bots though, might give you that start of a snowball as people immediately see you as a "figure" rather than some random asshole.

>>20718662
What is this?

>>20718062
I remember your story anon and we're doing similar things. Let the personalities take over honestly. Eventually people confront their own beliefs and change if they will but even I went through the motions when I was changing my beliefs. You want to depict that inner struggle through relationships and at key parts it begins to manifest in terms of actions and statements regarding beliefs.

>>20718160
>Have you guys been building an audience? You’ve had months to get a few thousand tiktok followers now. Your book release would be magnificent if you listened to me.

how do i build an audience??

How the fuck do I give out free copies of my amazon published ebook?

>>20718431

>>20718735
Degrade yourself on tiktok

>>20718680
random thing i wrote cus im bored

>>20718862
any examples of a successful way to degrade oneself?

>>20718862
Did you guys see this?

>>20719015
I did.

>>20719015
Yep that's why I'm trying to get on it too

>>20719015
Gardner is getting larger. I'm so jealous. He made it

>>20719015
>Call of the Crocodile
Where were you when Gardner became the next Kafka?

>>20719015
What a terrible shoop.

>>20719015
>[Noun] and [Noun]
>[Noun] of (the) [Adjective]
>[Noun] in the [Noun]
>Of [Noun] and [Noun]

>>20719015
Okay I lol'd.

Editor-chan is editing my sports drama.
I'm impressed so far.
Give him a chance, he's legit.

Need help with futuristic swear word or swear phrase.

What would be the equivalent of "oh my god," 200 years in the future?

>>20719224
also he's so dreamy

>>20719264
Son of orion's belt!
Galactic...

>>20719137
>nouns doing things
Jesus anon.

>>20718463
>It's called "Balls Above the World
I would go with balls above my head

>>20719264
You seriously think religion is going to disappear in 200 years?

>>20719264
Oh my G-d.

>>20717700
You're the guy with the email right?
I'll keep you posted there.

>>20719529
yup, you got it

>>20719330
>>20719485

i wonder if people would run around shouting "O.M.G! O.M.G!" 200 years from now.
has an acronym ever made it into popular speech?

What happened to that one guy? The guy who said we were all gonna make it. What ever happened to him?

>>20718064
Have sold your services to anyone here?

>>20719605
Years of seeing that none of us made it killed his spirit and he used the gun on his own head.

I wrote a short story, it's 5 pages. I'll post the first page; would appreciate comments. Thank you frends :)

pastebin.com/SWJ7HZ19

>>20719628
yes, we can talk privately if you email me

>>20719264
Gigasnorlax obviously.
Most slang in the future is pokemon based.

>>20719015
disgusting

>>20719015
Oh wow, it jumped up from like 80 pages to 400. This must be a new edition

>>20719015
Based

wrote my first draft quite quickly, with my internal editor mostly shut as I was merely writing the story through. Now that, after some weeks of keeping my distance to the work, I came back to do a read through making notes, I can see there is so much cringeworthy stuff here, and noticing it I tell myself, good job. Not because I have written cringe, but because I notice cringe for what it is. There are so many people who self-publish (I will never self-publish, even if I am never accepted for trad-pub) and they could never tell if their works were cring

>>20719137
I was thinking about calling my next book Slaves to the Dead. But, like, you're right. That formula is in every book title.

>>20719643
>>20719605
I still live and breathe. There's not a lot of doomposting going on right now. Just a lot of shitflinging. It's still the year of hope. What I wanted the meme to do has been successful, so as long as the bros still have hope, I'll still be waiting for when I need to spam the meme more often.

>>20719767
Call of the Crocodile? That books is like a few hundred pages.

>>20719643
F Gardner’s gotten pretty close to “making it.” Everyone on here knows what CotC is.

>>20719856
226, which is too long. That book in the picture is much longer. It's a clear shoop

>>20719863
What?

>>20719880
call of the cthulhu

>>20719880
This.

>>20719264
hopefully nothing

>>20719677
purple and nothing is happening fast enough. you should write in simple declarative sentences and your story should be about something.

>>20719889
I enjoyed the out of body DMT chapters.

>>20718513
Read. Talk to people. Live life.
>>20718535
Just as long as she wasn't 11 years old.
(Lewis Carroll, you old sleaze!)

>>20719863
True. Call of the Crocodile posting has gotten more and more frequent. He clearly has a pretty big following now.

why is agented writing so female dominated? Only like 10% of agents are men. Most of the agents only select women's manuscripts.
>Only looking for books by LGSQTIA+ and minorities!!
I unironically feel like I don't have a chance and that the quality of my writing is insignificant

>>20720228
all the guys play vidya games these days
women still read
i read somewhere that twice as many women read as men
it varies by genre. men mostly read non-fiction, women mostly read romance and mysteries, etc
but yeah, it's smart to include some stuff for women if you can. maybe throw in a romance as a subplot

I'm listing off names and want to say "most of all" before the last one. Would it be appropriate to forego commas? Or will I look like a dunce?

no commas:
>Homer, Chuck, and most of all Sneed

commas:
>Gene, Saul, and, most of all, Jimmy

>>20720330
Ditch the comma after and in the second one
>Chuck, Suck, and most of all, Fuck

>>20720318
I think i unironically have a strong but vulnerable female co-lead, but I don't think any agent will unironically give me feedback since my book doesn't focus on women's rights or abortion or whatever.

I don't think my prose is anything other than mediocre, but I have a solid saga planned out that all the beta readers really appreciated. But I'm afraid that no one will ever give me enough of a chance to even reject me based on mediocre prose.

>>20720350
wow I feel retarded for not thinking of that. thanks, bub.

>>20720350
Eh. F Gardner has kinda proven commas don’t matter to most people.

>>20720360
Zillenials who don't give a shit about convention because they weren't even taught it matters need not apply.

>>20718160
I have 2 followers (one that I think might be my friends but he hasn't brought up my story at all yet so I think he asked for the link just to be nice.) and well over 250 views, at this rate I could have over 104 followers in only one year!
P.S I am totally stealing this quote for my story, just need to wait for the right time in the story.

>>20718528
the bottom middle chad is quite literally the king from the CDI zelda games.

>>20718447
>women
>attractive
>concerned with datamining and degrading behavior
cool if true

>>20718513
“A writer needs three things, experience, observation, and imagination, any two of which, at times any one of which, can supply the lack of the others.” -William Faulkner

>>20719015
He can’t keep getting away with it!!!

OP forgot the link to the previous edition: >>20714307
Also, your YouTube links are broken.

>>20718046
i've been seeing a lot of authors that recommend a daily word goal of ~2k, like Brandon Sanderson and Stephen King

but Brandon Sanderson says he writes like 10 hours a day, Stephen King recommends reading and writing for 4-6 hours a day.

I've been trying to stick to this 2k word goal, but some days I can do it in like an hour and a half, some days maybe closer to 2 hours if i get distracted. But it can't be more than an hour's worth of actual typing.

Am i just going too fast? Why do the pros spend so much time on their prose? Are they editing as they go? I feel like I keep hearing advice of getting through the first draft and editing it later.

>>20720597
drafting and revising will produce works of infinitely greater quality

everyone's ability to judge a piece of work is more robust than initially assumed. otherwise everyone would watch terrible tv...

>>20720608
>otherwise everyone would watch terrible tv
uh oh...

>>20720148
Based Carroll appreciator.

>>20718535
can you summarize your chinaman story? never read the whole thing

>>20718977
Show lots of bare skin.

>>20718153
>A very lost succubus
https://pst.klgrth.io/paste/yvvrv
Since this was destined to be explicit, I used the new ghostbin site called Spectre. I hope that's acceptable since pastebin would absolutely remove this. I'm sorry there's no word wrap feature, but if you copy-paste it into Word, it formats nicely.

I'd appreciate feedback, too. I wrote this in one sitting, so don't expect Joycean prose (especially from this topic lmao).

>>20718046
he's right doe
>>20719015
>walks into bookstore
>puts self published novel down on the table
>doesn't explain
>leaves

>>20720228
Pretty much. 90% females and 70% jews.
I give up. I'll write what they want (a katniss everdeen clone protagonist). just publish me already i'm tired of wageslaving.

TES fag here.

What places and or races in tamriel are just not worth writing about? (Black marsh, high rock, ect)

And what are some cool facts about nirn/tamriel You wish people explored more? even if its not well known.

When writing a script on the computer how do i separate it into pages?

>>20721028
Insert -> Manual Break -> Page Break

>>20721098
That's for Microsoft Word right?
I haven't been using that. I have just been editing it with the program i get when i click on the file.
Is it possible to put an ODT file onto Microsoft Word?

>>20721179
Zoomers are this technologically illiterate. Stop spoonfeeding him

>>20721226
This is a thread about helping others with their work and skills.

>>20721226
They grew up with the tech what the hell are you talking about? Some people just don't know.

>>20721241
100%

For FFA: The best way to die on a dessert island
New prompt: Marrying for revenge

A golden ray of sunshine streamed through the air. Little Tommy yawned and stretched, blinking his eyes and smacking his lips.
He gratefully breathed in the wonderful aroma; he never grew tired of it. Looking out over the scrumptious vista made him happy to be alive. He rested on a large bed of chocolate pudding, the thick skin gently supporting his weight. Nearby he could see some fruit trees, their branches swollen with colored gelatin balls, some with a sour coating. A river of custard wound lazily through them, stirring up eddies of Cool Whip. A waterfall off in the distance shone bright red. He had drunk of it many times; it reminded him of Kool Aid. A nearby field of corn swayed in the wind; inside each cob were rows and rows of candy corn kernels. A moderate wind blew, whipping up clouds of spices, mostly cinnamon. In the far distance, he could see the beach sand made from Pop Rocks, the ocean of blue Hawaiian Punch laying beyond.
He smiled as he beheld his paradise. His parents had never let him eat as much dessert as he wanted, but one day, after wishing and wishing he could have more, he found himself here. Although growing fatter, he tried to eat some healthy food, too – almond cookies, apricot crumbles, the bananas from banana splits, and graham crackers plucked fresh from the trees.
Fancying himself some breakfast, he stood up, and immediately hit his head on the ceiling. He chuckled to himself; as usual, the gingerbread people had imprisoned him the day before, attempting to punish him for his crimes. But how could he resist eating them, when they were so delicious and crispy? Besides, ginger root was the closest he could find to potatoes on this island. He looked at the bars of his cage; they were nothing more than pirouline cookies. He sidled up to them and prepared to take a bite.
A tiny, high-pitched horn blew. "The monster is awake!" screamed a gingerbread guard. Tommy snickered as he bit through the bars; they had tried to reinforce the insides with peanut brittle, but it wasn't strong enough to stop him. A cacophony of agitated cries arose from the populace, but he paid it no mind. He stepped through the gap he had made and stared down at his guard, who looked up at him, shivering.
"So?" Tommy asked. "What's it gonna be today, little guy?"
The ginger guard trembled. "Uh...well...you're on trial."
"Again?" Tommy giggled. "Doesn't the ginger king ever get tired of this?"
The guard looked around nervously. "Um...if you'll just follow me, sir." He turned around with military flair and marched away; Tommy smiled and followed.
He carefully stepped down the dirt hill, most of it made from chocolate cake, covered with a dusting of Oreo cookie crumbles. He wove around the boulders made from rock candy, slowing himself to keep pace with his adorable jailer.

>>20721274
Before him he could see the village, mostly gingerbread houses held together with frosting. The murmuring crowd parted to make way for him; a few brave cookies held candy canes, pointing the sharpened tips in his direction. One of the little brutes tried to charge him; Tommy simply picked him up and bit off his head, gobbling him down in mere seconds, using the pointed candy cane to pick his teeth. The crowd gasped; their muttering became more angry and surly. He paid it no mind as he ambled toward the ginger king's castle.
He found the sovereign sitting on his woven pie-crust throne, padded regally with marshmallows. Waving his lollipop scepter menacingly, he tried his best to roar angrily with his squeaky voice. Tommy tried to take him seriously, but let a few snickers escape.
"You have massacred our people without mercy or restraint!" the king accused. "For your crimes against us, the penalty is *death*!" A spirited cheer arose from the assembled throng; Tommy scanned the crowd with a bemused expression.
"Oh?" he jeered. "And how do you expect to do *that*?"
The king stood up, glaring fiercely. "We've got you *this* time, you miserable psychopath!" He paused uncomfortably. "Um...if you'd be so kind as to lay under that tree...?"
Tommy followed the king's gesture and saw a nearby pecan-pie tree. Amiably, he trotted over to it, turned around, and lay down as commanded. He saw a handful of soldier squads in the tree's branches, all of them smiling viciously. Behind them, in the shadows, was something dark and indistinct. All of them appeared to be wearing suits made from sticky white pastry dough. What could that mean, he thought to himself.
"*Now*!" the king screamed. The soldiers moved in unison, dumping the contents of a large bowl. Tommy watched the indistinct, dark-colored mass plummet toward him, splattering over his face.
He took a few bites. He recognizes the combination of crumbled brownie, creamy chocolate pudding, whipped topping and toffee bits. His suspicions were confirmed by the king's next words. "Death by chocolate!" he screamed. Tommy smiled as he continued to devour the offering.
Finally, he had his fill; he sat up and scooped the rest into his hands. "That hit the spot!" he gushed, flinging the rest into the crowd. The ginger people screamed and collapsed to the ground as it made contact with their flesh; the rest of them fled in terror. Tommy turned to leer at the king, who stared back incredulously.
"Really?" he guffawed. "That was our most deadly weapon!"
"I think you mean delicious," Tommy mocked. The king stewed angrily, not responding.
Tommy stood up and brushed himself off. "If you need me for anything, I'll be at the oak tree, hanging out with the elves." He strode away, turning to speak before disappearing over a low hill. "Maybe next time, you can make the jail out of brownie bricks. That might slow me down."

>>20721241
spoonfeeding is against 4chan rules
use google you stupid little shit

>>20721287
>spoonfeeding is against 4chan rules
Except it's not.
Do you even have any proof to this claim?

Shut up Boswell.

>>20721297
>unoriginal retort
seethe

>>20721292
my proof is that you are an asspained lazy zoomer faggot. save your effort, if you're too lazy to google something in 3 seconds you're too lazy to be a writer.

>>20721330
Look at Mr. Bigshot. I suppose you think your the next F Gardner, huh?

>>20721329
Called it. Only a Redditor would defend spoonfeeding how to open a fucking word document.

>>20721336
i think you're a stupid lazy begging retarded little faggot

>>20721330
All i did was ask a question. People ask questions in these threads all the time.
Why are you so butthurt over this?

>>20721346
you're too lazy and retarded to ever be successful. fuck back off to /v/

>>20721343
>Asking a question
>Begging
kek.

>>20721355
Oh, so it's /v/ you have a problem with.
Tell me, what did they do to hurt you?

>>20721362
>negging
you will never be fully published

>>20721342
I didn't write >>20721292 .
You have reached peak schizo.

>>20721378
Just like you didn’t review yourself.

Can anon point me to resources on the subject of Isekai? The only weeb-shit I watched was power rangers circa 96. But I'm a natural sucker for a fish out of water tale and I demand enlightenment on this subject. Where does an intelligent person being with Isekai?

>>20721372
So do you have any actual evidence to your claims, any actual reasons for your anger, or are you just gonna keep acting like a lunatic all night?

>>20721382
What is that even supposed to mean in this context?

>>20721028
Write in markdown.

>>20721387
in the time it took you to write 17 asspained posts that you were denied spoonfeeding, you could have conducted your own google search, you lazy zoomoid homosexual floor-pisser

>>20721382
OMG...touch grass already. >>20717330

>>20721407
No, at this point i'm just determined to get my answer here just to blow your mind.
You know, i might have actually used Google if you weren't so pissy about all this.

>>20718463
Can you fuck off Sponge?

>>20720878
Solid prose, worst I could say is that the profanity in the first part seems tacked-on rather than natural.

Do you have a new prompt?

>>20721274
>>20721285
Also got you, thanks for contributing.

>>20720183
Or you're just getting desperate.

>>20721510
Thanks for the reply. I think I was feeling out the casual/serious factor still and never edited it all to one voice properly. New prompt, how about
>A straight-laced man's usual new hobby

Fuck you, janny.

>>20720749
Chinaman finds the American Dream.

https://www.theverge.com/c/23194235/ai-fiction-writing-amazon-kindle-sudowrite-jasper

2 chapters done today, 1800~ and 1500~ words respectively.
I am tempted to write another one since I feel like I have the energy for it.
But it just passed midnight, and now I'm 23, I will sleep.
Remember Anons, even if you don't write well, write, you can edit it or just scrap it, but its practice.
>>20720597
I try for 1500, nice short daily chapters.
normally takes me a little over 2 hours, but add another 300 words and I might take another hour as I go through it trying to make sure its not 300 words of bloat.

>>20720999
>What places and or races in tamriel are just not worth writing about? (Black marsh, high rock, ect)
black marsh is a giant swamp full of poison and somewhat ruled by magic trees who engineered a race of lizard people, so it has something going for it.
high rock I feel has almost nothing, its a more standard knights and lords place but its the homeland of half elf rape babies.

>>20719015

A great sorcerer appeared to the militia midway through their journey across the region. His robe was black with white trim on the cuffs, and he spawned fireballs which fiercely flew as he casted; and trailing them were embers which fell and ignited the grass with inferno as red as the pyromamcer's irises. And these powerful spheres bent the air as they moved, culminating in their size and temperature right as they struck the men–men both capable and valourous–and incinerated them like meat cooked for days, instantly. When these hot missiles hit, they all flashed in majesty, spraying more fire to the earth and vanishing as quickly as their targets. And the men were dehydrated and boiling in the searing heat; some fell, baking in their armour without yet being slain, dying tortured and immobile. The air around the mad and mighty wizard was glowing with crimson heat, and he became invisible inside an orb of yellow, shooting fire out all-directionally and stunning the men still standing. More of the foliage engulfed in fire. The horizon had mountains which blew at the top. Volcanic clouds rose fast and magma spouted strongly, and the blasts were loud and mighty. The fire mage, quick and dazzling, appeared to teleport between his adversaries, stabbing them swiftly in succession, striking between their armour pieces and making personnel dead.

>>20721179
>odt
that was for openoffice. the program you're using

>>20719677
pretty good prose, idk enough about crows to fault your depiction

I would maybe swap out 'dark figure' for the more general 'dark shape', if only because 'figure' is always associated with humanoid shapes.

shit and crit
https://pastebin.com/2QXhCAti

>>20720878
>>20721510
yeah, even as a catchphrase it is used a little too much imo. Also why would a succubus be confused as to why god is punishing her?

still a very enjoyable story. props to you anon

How do I "booktok" I've never used Tiktok
Haven't posted my face publicly in years now either
Are the micro book reviews or some unrelated text with a dance?
Wow I actually feel like a boomer but Tiktok looks so braindead

>>20721902
You drink a can of bleach and jump off the nearest bridge

I went and wrote a third chapter today, just shy of 1800 words, its 3AM now.

Day 41 editing.
Chapter 48 sleeked.
Fuck tenses and fuck nouns!
You are all gonna make it.

Is there an example of Isekai done right in recent times?

>>20722092
Konosuba.

I'm working on some Burroway prompts and was wondering if anyone could help me out. I'm honestly not too sure how to format the descriptions between bits of dialogue. For instance, when one character is speaking and it is interrupted by the actions of another. I know if the dialogue is interrupted by the same character then you keep it all in one line/paragraph. But normally, for dialogue you take a new paragraph when the speaker changes, so I'm a little confused what to do. Posted the prompt and my attempt, would appreciate any critique (even not to do with the dialogue specifically).

>>20718064
Reedsy or email?

>>20718238

>>20722096
How can you say that with such confidence

how do I describe smell of a lake without word fresh

>>20722243
Fan service is the only thing that can redeem isekai.

>>20722245
It smelt of algae and staleness, more akin to cat piss than the clean nothingness it smells of in your imagination. No one ever remembers the smell.

>realize what I'm writing is something of a deconstruction of the genre
>characters getting identity crisises over time and questioning their free will
>characters mourning the lives they've left behind to go on these adventures
>main character isn't hailed as a hero for exposing the fraud in the starter location and instead she's faced with knowing her friend is forever traumatized as a result
Cool

I'm trying to understand how somebody fights wielding two swords. I heard Musashi did this, so should I read Book of the Five Rings? I read Vagabond and I don't think he's even seen dual-wielding. Book of the Five Rings probably has other advice for fighting too, no?

I rotate between my day job and lit. While it's been tough I think I'm enjoying myself. Let's make this grind all worth it.

>>20722393
It's a decent read, but no, you won't get any particularly helpful information about fighting with two swords

>>20722393
>I'm trying to understand how somebody fights wielding two swords.
This is the technique you're looking for in that:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niten_Ichi-ry%C5%AB

Niggaz finna chimp out
Y’all on twitch like a bitch
Tryna get that simp clout
But I ain’t gon rate your kitsch
I’m rhesus positive
Come straight from the Indus Valley
I smoke that reefer from Mexicali
In jail I got the shiv

>>20718046
losers of /lit/, what do you think would help guide you out of the difficulties you are facing?

winners of /lit/, what kind of techniques do you have to offer for people who want to accelerate development in terms of learning or finance or business or any field of skill

genuinely asking, considering determinism is the most realistic reality, help me to help the world. you dont even have a choice, right?

>>20722543
I learned that doubt slowed me down from achieving things. Even if you have evidence in your life that you're ngmi, you have to act in spite of it. You have to stop worrying so hard. Learn what you can. As you gain confidence you will be quick to act, slow to give up rather than the slow to act quick to give up. The latter strategy doesn't work in science, finance or really anything. How are you going to be sure of yourself without testing something enough to see the results? The more competence you get, the better you can do this.

See your goal far off, then make a plan to get there with actionable tasks you can do on a daily basis to get there. Don't go for the magic bullet because high risk high reward lifestyles never last. That only gives you despair and feeds your envy. Maturity must be earned by managing risk.

>>20722496
>>20722518
Any ideas what resource can show me the usage and ideas behind wielding two swords in combat then?

>>20722592
a perfect feedback cycle of success. you really do know how to make it

more if you got it, anything helps.

what would have been the best things for your childhood, statistically speaking, for your fulfilment today and onward?
better parenting? money? more focus? freedom?
im after all of your insight /wg/

>>20722605
Unless there is a dojo near you, either watch video lessons or fly to Japan. There are various schools with online curriculum for it now.

>>20722543
>losers of /lit/, what do you think would help guide you out of the difficulties
1000000 money

>>20722592
>maturity must be earned
I needed to hear this. Thank you cat posting anon
I've been writing my entire life but only now close to 30 am I attempting to get my shit together in terms of making this a career and also getting it together overall and attempting to build a life for myself and one day my children
I want to have things and to feel proud of myself
Working a dead end but easy job and masturbating all the time isn't gonna cut it anymore
I've been slacking on my daily goal of 2k words but I'm gonna hold myself accountable for catching up starting with today

>>20722666
adios mio

>>20722612
One of the best things you can get as a child is chastisement and example. If you are not punished, if you do not read stories and learn examples about what is good and not good, you go into life with an immature view of the world. You get the idea that life is all about one thing or the other, become a misanthrope and make an example of yourself. You will think it's the world against you when you are just flailing around. A wide variety of literature and talks with parents can show this full range of experience and help a young adult understand what can ruin him.
When I was learning about markets our teacher admitted to us that the markets were definitely rigged. It's naive to think otherwise. But he showed us how if you make that a premise of your plans, they tend to fail. That's because your plans fall apart when you are given the opportunity to place blame at a whim, you begin to miss the point of trading itself. In that way we can be cynical but not let it steer us away from life in a desperate attempt to feel authentic. The same is true in writing I think. There is some truth to the seething about publishing houses, nepotism and the shallowness of modern culture on this board but the perspective is all wrong. None of that should hold you back from writing.

What's your guys and (((gals)))' opinon on alliteration? I recently started editing some older chapters and found that I've accidentally constructed sentences that, at the time, seemed melodic and flowy but are really heavy with alliteration. And I do mean in every sentence, or every other sentence. Stuff like:

>The three men reared back and slammed their woods together, spilling one cup into the other before popping their meaty morsels into their mouths and washing them down with bittersweet braggot. Notes of honey and barley mingled in Davin’s mouth, piss warm and watery but good enough to give him a proper wash on his way. Bottoms to the sky, the men emptied their drinks in a single draft, beet red as they laughed for breath right after.

And this is a pretty tame example.

>>20722685
Personally I love alliteration as long as it flows well and yours seems to

>>20722685
>>20722690
yes agreed. that was some decent writing. very hearty

>>20722685
Pretty nice, I like how it reads smoothly and that should be your concern.

>>20721264
They grew up surrounded by things that they don't understand that millenials and Gen X take for granted. File systems, ad blockers, pirating, physical media storage. It's a lot worse than you realize.

>>20722685
Is the reader supposed to imagine the author masturbating? Or is the narration supposed to be insufferable for a purpose?

>>20722690
>>20722700
>>20722711
Much appreciated, thank you for that. Needed a bit of a pick me up today.

>>20722776
Not sure what you mean specifically, but the narration is from the perspective of a drunk man. I try to write more tersely and plainly when he's sober and more bouncy and fluid when he's not, if that's what you meant. If you've an issue with the syntax or prose any feedback is greatly appreciated.

>>20722776
filtered

>>20722522
Bitch-ass anon's always try'na to be,
but they'll never see,
they'll never be me.
I'm one in a million,
like a lottery.
sorry you hurt, you too blind to see.
This aint nothing but a game to me,
just trollin' out here on the W.G.

I said this aint nothin but a game bitch,
are you even speaking my language?
I don't think you understand this,
I'll never slow down so tell the mods to "ban him"
Then maybe you can breathe easy,
It's painful I know getting punked out
by some crazy trip-fag who lucked out
on top of the world,
while you're shut out.

So call me a loser,
call me a poser
call me a wanna be
I'll never be an author
Don't understand why your bothered,
you're on the internet's trashcan,
treating it like the Oscars.

Like Will Smith I'll smack you down easy
I'm more like rock, I standup
while you cry from your seat
So quit wasting time grab a book and read,
I told you I'm sick of this story
haters keep hating but it's plain to see
I'm a genius clowning 'round on the W.G
Bitch-ass anons only wish they could be
half as skilled as me,
I know, it's plain to see.

>>20721768
Oh, sorry about that.
So is there any way to put it in Microsoft Word?

>>20722158
maat042@yahoo.com, LinkedIn, Fiverr

I hope the guy writing the basketball novel comes back. After my editing, I think his excerpt is quite good. I'd share it myself, but he's still making corrections

>>20722147
It looks fine formatted as is. Usually dialogue that is cut short is written with the em dash followed by a paragraph break and the action or dialogue that interrupted it. Let's say in this moment, Robert's dialogue is interrupted by Phoebe tossing her hands in the air. The correct way to write it would be like this:
>"It's just the--I mean it's how--Look, it's just not very us, and I--"
>Phoebe tossed her hands in the air. "It's not about *us*! I'm not thinking about *us*!"

>>20722825
copy and paste this em dash instead of using two hyphens. he's lonely.

—

>>20722814
Yeah, I'll repost it when I'm done going through all the edits.
You managed to make around 200 edit/comments so it may take some time to work through it all.

and I'm bad with procrastination and stuff.

But editor-chan is legit, anons.

>>20722685
Joyce liked alliteration so if it's good enough for him it's good enough for me. He was very clever with how he used it in his stories. The best example I can remember is from Dubliners. In one sentence you get light alliteration for S, F, T, and C, especially in the second clause.
>A light fringe of snow lay like a cape on the shoulders of his overcoat and like toecaps on the toes of his goloshes; and, as the buttons of his overcoat slipped with a squeaking noise through the snow-stiffened frieze, a cold, fragrant air from out-of-doors escaped from crevices and folds.

>>20722845
Together we will take over the world!

>>20722543
More if you got it

>>20722685
Personally I'd prefer "They drank and laughed" but that's just me. I like everything short, quick and to the point.

>>20722911
I don't think that would work here, the words used are distinct and bring three rowdy friends to mind.

>>20722953
>the three friends drank and were rowdy

>>20722992
he's starting to make sense

>>20722911
it depends on a lot of things
for me, I like to gradually pull back descriptive texture, so if the previous paragraph was a vivid description of how his knee ached and he knew it meant a storm was coming, then it would feel jarring to just immediately cut into an extremely cursory summary. You should think of descriptive density as a waveform throughout your text, and pay attention to how it expands and contracts because you can produce some very effective prose by manipulating it.

>>20721523
Did you mean "unusual"?

>>20721510
>thanks for contributing
My pleasure.
Is there a limit on the number of contributions?

>>20718046
In a story where it's established that the protagonist will die in 1 year, is it cheap if at the end of the story, his life is extended by 5 more years, but with the catch that his day he will eventually die has been disclosed?

>>20722685
i don't want readers to notice my prose at all, so i avoid alliteration.
i want readers to become immersed in my story.
patrick ruthfuss uses a lot of poetry in his prose in "name of the wind." gene wolfe does too.
i really liked "name of the wind."
so, i guess how a person feels about alliteration depends on their goal

>>20723112
Technically not, but I would advise you limit yourself to ~5 stories (not much point in an anthology if 90% of it is written by one person).

>>20722605
I remember seeing some dual-sword scenes in the movie "Cave Dwellers", as seen on MST3K.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKO6M8heGU0

>>20723036
Yes. Unusual

>>20723137
The "misinterpreted prophecy" is a staple of mythic literature, so it's possible to do well—Tolkien, for example, uses it—but the way you describe it doesn't sound very good.

>>20722626
1 million Iranian reals is only $23.61.

>>20723149
OK. 2 down, 3 to go.
Hopefully other anons will pick up the slack.

>>20723172
There's one flash fic I did from the prompt but I wanted to get credit somehow to mention on a query letter that I'm in an amateur publication. Don't know how they'd take it if they look and see "anon" authoring what I claim to be mine and then it occurred to me that it's inappropriate to have a name amongst anons. So I was planning to throw it at magazines since everyone in the &amp thread said associating myself with this board is a death sentence. I don't know if I want to believe that, considering Tao Lin did well for himself and no one seems to mind.

why did k-anon give up bros

>>20723276
>death sentence
Only if you want to get tradpubbed.
But unless you're a gay trans black female, writing about furry isekai, you won't get tradpubbed anyway.

>>20723341
>But unless you're a gay trans black female, writing about furry isekai, you won't get tradpubbed anyway.
I'm trying to find data specifically on white men published but I at least found that Penguin's recent audit on their contributors are more white than average but men are at 34% and women are at 61%, the rest don't know (one of the other charts). Problem is without more data I have no context on whether the men they publish are proportionally white unless I look at the authors on each of the publishing houses myself. It's definitely skewed, but I don't think it is impossible.

>>20723438
i've been reading books published over the last ten years
i'd say at least 75% are written by women
it's anecdotal evidence, but i wouldn't be surprised if it's accurate

>>20723474
Right, PRH is just one publisher so it's likely some of the other publishers might lean even more into women. When I was looking around mid-range and smaller publishers I found a decent chunk of them were more exclusive in identity politics and ironically you see more of the big 5 trying to appeal to everyone. Since faggots have money they made an LGBT genre. I'd be interested to see the gender spread by genre.

I'm going to steal the plot of Higurashi.

Are author blogs/websites to grow an audience a thing? I can understand if the author already has an audience and like to have a website to engage with fans. But not sure if its a good means to build traffic. I started a marketing job recently so I'm learning all about how to drive search engine traffic to websites.

Thoughts on top down vs bottom up writing? Is there one style thats generally the standard among good writers or is it just a matter of preference? I get the impression that most good works are done starting with an overarching idea that the writer wishes to express, but is it possible for me to take all the random prose i’ve written and turn it into something decent, figuring out the main idea(s) along the way? I’m thinking there probably is some common thread in my writings that simply isn’t clear to me yet

>>20723989
I write a couple chapters until the arc or mini-arc reaches a decent 'end', then I redraft/edit until it's decent (though not publishable quality since it needs a professional edit on top of things). So there is an ebb and flow process to my writing as I build the narrative. Dunno if this helps. Either way you're building context no matter how you craft a story, so maybe think more about your process for building good context.

>>20723987
It's the landing page people will go to when they Google you, aside from your social media which you also ought to have in some form. The advantage of the website is you can tailor the About Me, make blog posts, post short stories or flash fictions for engagement, link all your work, and more. It's meant to be a hub. Is it good at fan engagement? No, I'd argue social media is better. But what it does do is give the interested searcher a sense that you're for real and not just some Twitter or FB account. More importantly, when publishers start sniffing about, they'll also look at your website.

>>20723989
more than one author has written that they come up with the ending first and work backwards to the beginning

A bit random, but there’s no better generals up, and I can’t post new threads in this IP range. Looking for suggestions on completing a “trifecta” of philosophers to explain “everything” from the highest possible perspective with as little overlap as possible.
>Plato (pbuh)
>CS Peirce (better than Aristotle, completed the system of German idealism)
Who’s the third to complete the trifecta? Preferably a systematic philosopher who deals with chaos, multiplicity, progression, flow, “least resistance”, freedom, nature, etc., because that’s what I think I’m missing now. Then I’ll be able to have my own answer to the problem of the one and the many (my own personal little LARP dream).

I have a hunch that Deleuze is my guy, but I don’t really know much about him. I’m generally extremely inexperienced with French philosophy. Any thoughts?

>>20724032
>I'd argue social media is better.
It's not.

>>20718046
I'm just writing my first I'm-actually-going-to-finish-something novel write now. I'm sure I can't create a cohesive narrative, but there's one thing I'm unclear on: Do people who read a lot want the words themselves to be fun to read? Is proper English and understandable language not enough? What is 'good prose'

On a scale from
>Instruction Manual
to
>House of Leaves had baby with Finnegans Wake,
What should my sentences look like?

>>20724126
nobody can instruct you on how to develop a style, anon. I'd suggest just trying to emulate whatever author inspired you to write what you want to write now, but keep in mind that emulation is no excuse for being unable to distinguish between a well-written sentence and a poorly-written one.

>>20723989
Both have their place. There are no rules.
Just write in the order that it comes to you.
Don't get in the way of your muse.

>>20721028
use Youmescript it's like a google chrome add on. just remember to save a lot of backups. it does all the formatting for you and it's free

>>20724137
Thank you.

I'll just try my best. Right now, if the meaning of a sentence or a paragraph isn't clear, I rewrite it.

Notably, I'm going this thing in my action scenes where, in order to convey speed and panic, I break down from long descriptive proper English, to short action oriented sentence fragments. Once I get it in a presentable state, I really hope those parts work.

>>20723987
It's good for authors to have them to build a platform. It gets people to come back to you periodically so they will be repeat readers. As long as you have something to say once a month and especially if you do events such as giveaways, discounts or other, people feel rewarded to stick around.
>>20724117
This. Having social media presence is just okay, but it's not the best place to talk about yourself and your writing. It's a better place to share your feelings about others or give them a boost. Social media is tit for tat. If you engage a community people will remember you, but if you only shill they will see you as an outsider and ignore you. On your own website that is where you're expected to talk about yourself.

>>20722489
i work from home so i can (in theory) read and write during the workday. problem is my writing brain isn't awake until evening anyway.

>>20724224
Unfortunately I do not but I sometimes can sneak in reading because I work both blue and white collar activities. Thinking it's time to use a sick day next week.
>word count this draft going over 80k
Thinking this is a good sign that I had so much more to say about my scenes on second look. Next draft I will tighten this up to keep it less wordy.

>>20724117
>>20724188
>but it's not the best place to talk about yourself and your writing. It's a better place to share your feelings about others or give them a boost.
That's more or less what I said, though I only mentioned fans. But to clarify what I mean, yes, a website isn't as good as social media at engagement. That's why you should have a social media.

>>20724224
If I had a more concrete schedule I'd probably fair better. At the minute my job is a mental drain.

random excerpt from my forthcoming novel based on a cross-country bicycle ride I did with my friends a few years ago. It's about masculinity and mental health, mostly:

At every roadside piss break, Emile jumps on the opportunity to ask me about school, and I pull out everything I can to avert the subject: this heat, this wind, these drivers, these damn birds, the dust in the air, how often we’ve got to spit just to clear our mouths, the neverending freight trains, the Calgary stampede and what it costs and whether it’s overrated, the forest fires we’ve been having lately, the conservative bumper stickers, the cows grazing, the Toronto Raptors, the Montréal Canadiens, the little bodies of water here and there and how one day they will be gone. Anything to take the analytical weight of my mistakes off myself and onto something innocent.


The latter half of the day is spent chasing Ben and Emile, who pull far enough ahead that I'm left to stew in my own anxiety. Passing a billboard of a waterpark resort, with children pictured splashing in the pool, reminds me of how differently I felt only hours ago, feeling joy and freedom upon hearing children playing in the park, and that the tension and unease felt in the present are the consequences of a single line of questioning that exploits a subject about which I feel inexplicably ashamed. The next moments are spent acknowledging this shame as shame without shaming the acknowledgement itself, but I’m unsure whether it's of any use.


I gain on them, eventually crawling up close enough to catch sight of the eagle feather dangling above Ben's rear tire. I had forgotten it was there. It’s wedged in good by the looks of it, tucked inside his rack and pinned between his fender and tent bag. It seems so precariously placed that it should’ve flown away by now.


Already the topography is drying out; the lush prairie fields are thinning into a rocky yellow grassland topped by grain farms and gutted hamlets.


I make the conscious decision to think the best of tonight. “Think positively,” I think, negatively, to myself. I had read about the psychological benefits of deliberate positive thinking before; Kid Cudi said it had changed his life. But I’ve always been skeptical of anything so seemingly simple; such a complex world deserved only complex solutions, so I thought. Without a reason for doing so, I repeat the mantra, “Think positively,” with less self-reproach each time, reminding myself that maintaining optimism and withholding self-judgment, no matter how contrived, is the only answer for helplessness, and that helplessness is only a learned despair. Rather than where I’ve been, I think about who I’m with, where I am, and where I’m going, and it feels like the only real good thing within my scope of action. I commit to this action and take my pledge like a pill, then pedal on; letting the time pass, anxiously, skeptically, as if waiting for drugs to kick in.

>>20724285
>But to clarify what I mean, yes, a website isn't as good as social media at engagement.
Then your website sucks big ol' donkey dick because social media is trash for engagement.

>>20722685
I like alliteration, but it's best used it small doses. Your example is an example of perfect execution.

>>20724285
Oh okay. I'm hoping I can get some nice traffic from my website and blog because I have things I like to say that I don't necessarily want to put in fiction. Plus the news letter is a nice call to action. Having calls to action like Follow or go to the website for the mailing list is great for getting readers. I don't know if I could do any social media besides Instagram because the frequency you need to keep an audience is far lower than Twitter or anywhere else. Insta lasts for days before people move on to the next topic, any other social media I think would be time better spent reading or writing unless you literally have no option or someone manages Twitter for you (how could that go wrong?)
>>20724305
rude

>>20721760
It's very vivid man. Good job.

>>20722685
I think the word choice and flow is appropriate for what it is. I'm too morose and urbane to allude to piss and joy that way. Kind reminds me of the party or bar scenes in Moby-Dick.

>>20724155
Thank you.

Share tips for building a subscriber list?
I've only gotten a few people who followed the link from my book to my website to subscribe so I'm thinking I need a reader magnet
>>20724336
Holy nostalgia

>>20724086
Heraclitus perhaps? He's not really systematic, and all we have left of his works are but scattered fragments.

>>20719264
>oh my science!

Are timeloops still in fashion? Or has the trend moved onto some other science fiction concept?

>>20724562
Anything is in fashion if you make it entertaining and unique

>>20724336
>>20724398
>I'm hoping I can get some nice traffic from my website and blog because I have things I like to say that I don't necessarily want to put in fiction.
You won't. Nobody cares about your personal opinions. Nobody. Nobody cares about newsletters either. You're never going to trend on highly controlled social (engineering) media because you're not a retarded, maliable melinoid propping up a corporate and government sponsored agenda. All you're doing is wasting an incredible amount of time and energy thinking inside the same tiny little fucking box that everyone else is. That box is a trap, it is designed specifically to keep you from going anywhere. You're better off reading and writing than doing literally any of this. The Internet is so highly controlled and centralized and just pozzed that is effectively dead to you as an independent marketer unless you're selling the most inane shit imaginable AND you can figure out how to disrupt it in combination with getting extremely lucky. Basically it's not going to happen. The Internet is a distribution system for your product, that is it. It's not for marketing or engagement or building a following. The sooner you realize this and get off of your ass to disrupt the real world, the sooner you'll see real returns.

>>20724598
I'm the second anon and I agree with you
I have social media but I wouldn't ever try to "blog" on it because not only does no one care about my personal opinions but I'm a big believer in death of the author
I'm not playing politics and looking to alienate anyone
I sell stories I've written for entertainment I'm not here to virtue signal or tell you how to think
I'm just asking for tips on building a subscriber list

>>20724420
It’s a good guess anon, but I think Plato largely covers him.

>>20724398
some authors will write a short story or novella and give that away to readers who share their emails

>>20724615
>not only does no one care about my personal opinions
It's amazing to me how anyone could still think otherwise. Every retarded asshole on the Internet has an opinion and isn't shy about sharing it. Even if your opinions were any good (they're not) you're still going to drown in that ocean of shit and piss. Everybody has an opinion now and a place to share it, and so now nobody's opinion matters. All of these paradigms around Internet marketing are for an Internet that existed 20 years ago and doesn't exist anymore.

>I'm just asking for tips on building a subscriber list
And I'm telling you how. Get off the Internet, get off your ass and use some of your creativity for IRL guerilla marketing. I'm not going to be any more specific because the moment all of the retarded assholes start doing what I'm doing it won't matter anymore.

>>20724689
Gimmicks like this only work if you have people who are interested to begin with. You don't.

Self expression is the new entertainment.

>>20724822
Checked. A keen observation anon. Who is supposed to give a shit about your self-expressing when they're wrapped up in their own?

>>20724831
No that's why society as boring as shit.

>>20724719
>IRL guerilla marketing
Even if you told me your secrets anon it wouldn't do anymore good because I'm in the boonies
I'm planning to go to a writers con in the big city in November I think I'll order some stickers and goodies to maybe pass out

>>20724822
That's the trend now? Makes sense with all the
>I'm black transgender queer catboy books

>>20724598
I already know the other ways to build audience outside of the internet, like with Fiverr and other things. Cons don't make much a splash unless you have multiple books, not worth the trip or cost of a booth. "Disrupt" or "Guerilla marketing" are strong words. Should I be getting in people's faces or something? Pull an Oklahoma City?
>no one cares about your personal opinions
Firstly I don't really care to share my personal opinions. It's mostly information about writing, book reviews and the like. Secondly if I had any significant amount of readers, if my writing is decent at all (if it wasn't then why would I keep writing?) wouldn't I also have readers caring about what else I have to say? People tend to ask writers for advice, readers and aspiring writers are always looking for another perspective. Writing a short essay once a month isn't a big deal when you are starting out.
Sure if I don't see much effect I can change strategy but I've got enough evidence that it keeps people engaged that I want to try it.

>>20724847
>I'm in the boonies
That's not the setback you think it is, just a different set of challenges. In some ways it's much more favorable. You're planning on going to the city anyway and you're going to do nothing worth while?

>>20724863
>I already know the other ways to build audience outside of the internet, like with Fiverr
That's the Internet.
>Should I be getting in people's faces or something?
Maybe so. That depends on your skill set.
>Pull an Oklahoma City?
That's maybe a little extreme. I won't advocate that you should break the law but a good deal of guerilla marketing is transgressive in that way or utilizes gray areas.
>It's mostly information about writing, book reviews and the like
Nobody. Cares.
>if my writing is decent at all (if it wasn't then why would I keep writing?)
If only that were any indicator.
>wouldn't I also have readers caring about what else I have to say?
A reader is not a returning reader.
>People tend to ask writers for advice
No, they ask writers they like.
>I want to try it.
Knock yourself out, literally and figuratively.

>>20724948
I'm not moving to the city any time soon I'm just going there for a conference
Ultimately I plan on moving out west once I'm making enough at this
>in some ways more favorable
Like less competition?

>>20722685
It’s only a problem if you leave in that last sentence which pushes it over the edge, feels redundant and makes it feel purple.

>>20724956
If you're going to a con you have an opportunity to do something that people will remember. Half of the people there are going to be handing out free crap. That isn't memorable.

>Like less competition?
You're not competing with other writers or anyone really, not in even in the city. You're competing FOR people's attention. The less distractions there are, the less distracted they are, the easier that is. There's really nothing as contagious as small town gossip.

>>20724948
With Fiver, authors get people to put fliers and ads out irl, not the internet.
>Nobody. Cares.
Seethe. How does a fatalistic crab like you even manage to write if you think no one will read or care? No wonder you think traditionally publishing is impossible.

>>20725005
>With Fiver, authors get people to put fliers and ads out irl, not the internet.
That's not even a tiny fraction of what's going on on Fiverr.
>Seethe.
I'm not, you are.
>How does a fatalistic crab like you even manage to write if you think no one will read or care?
I don't think that at all.
>No wonder you think traditionally publishing is impossible.
I don't think that either. That doesn't mean it's worth the time or effort. Can you maybe argue against something I've said instead of positions you've ascribed to me? Otherwise I'm just going to have to ignore you.

>>20725005
>fatalistic crab like you even manage to write

He's just a narcissist who failed at writing and who now has to take everyone else down.

>>20725086
You're projecting.

>>20724302
will do a crit for crit on this

>I took psychology 101, your argument is invalid
cope

>>20725133
You don't have an argument.

>>20724996
>memorable
I'm gonna brainstorm how to really think outside the box here
I might put together a cosplay of my main character or do some sort of arg-like tactic in the mean time before the conference

>>20723276
FFA anon here, I'm not hostile to putting your name in the collection, although tradpubbers wouldn't exactly like association with this place.
>Captcha: STDS0S

>>20725173
Those are interesting ideas anon. Certainly better than just handing out stickers. Best of luck to you.

>>20719485
>>20719698
>>20724425

does this sound overly creepy? I'm not sure how off putting this reads
"He kicked her hard in the chest, she felt her ribs crack, at least one broken, her ill maintained leather chest piece came loose revealing her budding womanly chest. He stood over her with a lustful gaze."
And no its not smut.

>>20723149
I see from earlier editions that the titles are the writing prompts.
May I suggest "Lord Of The Swarm" for the minor-god story, and "Desserted Island" for the best way to die on a dessert island?
Also, not that I really care...but what is done with any profits from the printed versions? Hopefully it goes to a "good" cause.

>>20725491
>at least one broken
T. never been kicked in the chest
You have no idea if they're really broken or not unless you puncture a lung, especially in the moment.

How do I learn to tell apart good shit I want to keep because it's good and shit shit I'm only clinging onto because I think it's original

>>20725512
1) get a second opinion
2) put it down for a month and be your own second opinion

>>20725511
alright, I think I'll change it to a more vague "pain burst from her chest."
and now that you mention it, I've only broken a finger before but I didn't realize it was a really bad break until after they did an x-ray.

>>20725491
creepy is par for the course with rape scenes

but if this is supposed to be romantic...

>>20725529
its an attempted rape scene, I want it to invoke the right level of disgust and fear from people.
Or if a woman reads it weird powerlessness fetish feelings.

I'm hoping to get the next chapter out soon. Probably tomorrow.
https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/44832/the-fall-years-roswell

>>20725588
bookmarked. I'll see about reading it later, I'm in a writing fever these last few days, so I'm using that feeling while I have it.

I've been thinking about this for a little bit.
Does it seem cheap to make a character a rapist just so people have the reaction of
>OH YAY
when I have them killed?
I've heard (not here) that the simplest and to some laziest way to make someone hated by a viewer is to either have them kill some kind of cute animal or make them a rapist.
I am wondering if my attempted rape scene doesn't come off as almost comical because of this.

For FFA: A gateway opens between hell and earth
Suggested title: Tourists From Hell
New prompt: New shoes really make you run faster and jump higher

Tall buildings loomed over the derelict lot on three sides; the fourth led to the street. Trash lay strewn between piles of junk and homeless encampments.
The air began to shimmer; without warning, a yawning portal opened up. A hot blast of sulfurous air ripped forth with an explosion, the sound quickly replaced with a horrible din of pained howls. Nearby homeless cowered; people on the street screamed in terror as four figures emerged from the gaping maw, all with bright red skin and black horns. The first was ten feet tall and morbidly rotund, sporting a terrifying grin. He wore a Hawaiian-print shirt and cargo shorts, an old-style camera hanging from a strap around his neck. Joining him was an elegantly-dressed lady, eight feet tall and smirking fiendishly. Following behind were two sullen children, a boy and a girl, both five feet high.
"Wow! It's great to be here!" the man exulted, turning to a nearby beggar and grabbing him in a bear hug. "Harold Fitzpatrick?" he blurted, putting down the shaken derelict. "Oh, you've been a naughty boy, haven't you? See you in nine months or so!" He walked away, his family in tow. "Now, let's paint this town *red*!" he roared. The vagrant fell to his knees and began praying fervently.
The daughter whined. "Why did we have to come to New York? I want to see Norilsk."
"Patience, Jezebel!" he cooed. "Tourism between Hell and Earth has only started! Soon there will be portals everywhere! Besides, we thought the cynical New Yorkers could handle us."
"Whatever," she mumbled.
The lady pointed into the distance. "Oh, Aleister, that place looks simply *profane*! Can we try it?"
Aleister smiled broadly. "Anything your heart desires, Thelema."
The Italian restaurant hummed with subdued elegance. A violinist flitted between tables, playing a somber tune. The door burst open as the tourists stomped in, hooting and cheering. The patrons froze as they eyed the newcomers nervously. Aleister snapped pictures ferociously as they stood before the host's podium.
The maître'd appeared, trembling slightly. "May I help you?"
"What do you think?" Aleister boomed. "Show us to our table! We're ready to tie one on!"
Without another word, the maître'd led them away.
"It was a long trip from Hell!" Aleister guffawed. "And boy, are my arms tired!" Thelema cackled loudly; the kids rolled their eyes and sighed.

>>20725595
Thanks. Hope you enjoy it.

>>20725512
there's that old saying, "kill your darlings."
so if you have something that you can take out without hurting the story, you should take it out even if you think it's amazing

>>20725632
>New shoes really make you run faster and jump higher
Try again.

>>20725633
Also good luck with your writing too.

>>20725632
Aleister passed by an elegantly dressed elderly gentleman, seated at a table. "Holy Hell, sir!" Aleister gasped. "You look like you could be straight from old Italy!" He put his arm around the surprised codger and took a selfie, grinning diabolically. "Thanks, old geezer!" he blared, slapping the old man's back, almost sending him into his food. "Hey, see you in six years or so! Four, if you don't check your car for bombs!"
The old man stared wildly as Aleister leaned in. "You know, it doesn't matter if they were all bad," he whispered. "It still counts as murder!" He laughed uproariously, patted the elder on the head, and walked off. The patriarch, shaking uncontrollably, crossed himself and prayed reverently.
They sat at their table. "If we don't get served soon," Aleister proclaimed, "I'm gonna start eating the table! Maybe the other patrons!"
A waiter showed up seconds later. "May I take your drink orders?"
"A round of beer pitchers for everyone!" Aleister cheered.
The waiter's brow furrowed. "What about the children?"
"I'm two hundred and six!" Jezebel pouted. "And Damien here is ten years older!"
"Yeah!" Damien growled. "We're well past your human age limits!"
The waiter sighed. "I'll be right back."
"Where are you going?" Aleister roared. "We're ready to order!"
The waiter meekly returned. "Yes, sir. What would you like?"
"Ten lasagnas."
"Do you mean ten orders of lasagna?"
"No! Ten *pans* of lasagna!" Aleister formed a rectangle with his fingers. "What are they, thirteen inches by nine inches or so?" The waiter nodded. "Yeah. Ten of those."
The waiter scribbled furiously. "Yes, sir. And for the lady?"
Thelema smiled viciously. "Sei bistecche fiorentina."
"Yes, ma'am, six Florentine T-bone steaks. How would you like those cooked?"
"Extra rare."

>>20725640
He made a note. "And what would you like, young man?"
"Five gallons of spaghetti carbonara!" Damien demanded. "With meatballs!"
The waiter shuddered. "Yes, sir. And for the young lady?"
Jezebel's eyes burned with cold malice. "Dieci capozzelli di agnello."
The waiter looked uncomfortable. "We don't have that."
Jezebel snorted derisively. "Then just roast a whole lamb."
"I'll see what I can do." He beheld them nervously. "For this much food...there may be a little delay."
"Fine with us!" Aleister declared. "We don't have anywhere else we need to be! We could stay here for *hours*!" The family laughed boisterously.
Busboys arrived with the beer pitchers. Aleister downed his in one gulp. "Keep them coming!"
The waiter looked miffed. "And how will sir be *paying* for all this?"
Aleister smiled and pulled out a gold coin. "This should more than cover our meal."
The waiter took it uncertainly. "And what is this?"
"It's a one-ounce gold coin! Absolutely pure! Forged in the fires of Hell itself!"
The waiter frowned. "I'm not sure if we can take this."
"Why not?" Aleister thundered. "It's worth about eighteen hundred of your dollars!"
The waiter flipped the coin over, looked at the other side, then suddenly shut his eyes and screamed.
"Yeah," Aleister soothed. "You might not want to look directly into his graven image. It's been known to drive mortals mad."
The waiter palmed the coin and cleared his throat. "I'll go place your order."
"This is real gold, all right," the jeweler concluded, removing the loupe from his eye and handing the coin back to the manager. "Purer than we can forge in our world. It's worth two thousand dollars, minimum."
"I guess we can serve them, then," the manager sighed. "But..."
A loud cry erupted from the dining area. "Forget the beer!" Aleister roared. "I want a pitcher of whiskey!"
The manager cringed. "Damned tourists."

>>20725636
I look forward to seeing your contribution to the FFA, seether.

>>20725645
>I look forward to seeing your contribution to the FFA
Can't wait to see yours either!

New thread >>20725660
as this one grinds to a close...

>>20725491
Yes, it's creepy. Put your dick away and go touch grass.

>>20725668
I have no intentions of making it anything but disgusting.
I did not have an erection while writing that.

>>20725653
I've got 3 so far.
I'll stop at 5 (as requested), and only submit more if the other anons don't pick up the pace & the organizer opens it back up for chatty types like me.

>>20725677
What exactly is your intended market for this?
Certainly not tradpubbing, or anything where a sane person would be willing to give their name.

>>20725623
It's not bad advice but it's incredibly, awfully generic. What is better is to make them despicable in the frame of the story's theme and then have them get their just desserts.

>>20723317
Who was k-anon?

>>20725680
Nonono, I meant the connotation of something of value added, of which you have 0 so far. I guess that's why you're writing for FFA.

>>20725698
Seethe, demotivational failed-crab.
Only the opinion of FFA-anon matters, not yours.

>>20725686
its just a short passage from a sidestory I wrote, the man in question is almost immediately killed afterwards.
in the story the MC makes a shield that can deflect or block attacks on its own, its given to a guy for field testing, he helps him at first but when he tries to rape the girl the shield pulls on his arm forcing him onto a blade she stabs at him because of emotional bleed through during crafting.
my story is on royal road now.

>>20725701
>Only the opinion of FFA-anon matters, not yours.
And this is why you write for free. Good luck with that!

>>20725716
There's no commercial market for short stories.
Also, I'm somewhat prolific; I don't need to hold onto every word I wrote like it's MY PRECIOUSSSSSS.
Giving some of my writing away for free doesn't bother me at all.

>>20725766
This. t. Puts up a Flash Fiction on his website every weekend

>>20725772
Excellent! I approve!
I was writing a novel earlier today, when I needed a break and decided to crank out "Tourists From Hell" for the FFA.
Writing short stories is a great way to unwind.

>>20725788
I have found that it keeps me diligent with my writing even if I have a week where I write absolutely nothing on my major projects. I've just found my next major project so after I get this current novel off my plate, it's all in on that one.

>>20725766
>Giving some of my writing away for free
It's not some. You're not fooling anyone mate.

>>20725766
>>20725788
>>20725796
I completely suck at short story's.
Whenever I have an idea for a short story it quickly evolves to a 3-7 book epic before I start to get any words down.

>>20725971
>I completely suck at short story's.
You suck at a lot of things friend. Short stories are the least of your problems.

>>20725716
>>20725953
>>20726067
So much projection today.
Aren't you worried this much seething and bitterness is going to shorten your lifespan?

>>20726080
Not at all, I don't let your seething or bitterness get me down.

>>20726092
How could it, when it's like a candle next to your searchlight?

>>20726140
You're right anon, I am the light in this dingy shithole. Thanks.

>>20726151
I agree, you're certainly easy to make light of.

>>20726169
Oh gosh you're seething again. Whatever shall I do?

>>20726172
You could sit down, preparing to relax by surfing the net. By going to surf the World Wide Web. The internet.

>>20726180
no u

>>20726151
That was actually halfway witty.
I hereby declare you the half-wit of this thread.