/lit/ - Literature

>>22076051
>Self Published Isn't Published Edition
Royal Road is self-published, idiot.

>>22076143
Royal Road isn't published.

>>22076143
just because you put your music on soundcloud, does not mean you've got a label. do not get it mixed up

>>22076152
>includes pastebin link with nothing but royalroad, wattpadd, and amazon
Braindead.

>>22076160
What is the value of the label? That the author makes money? Do you think money equals quality?

Here's your supporting character.
Unironically.

>>22076051
>Self Published Isn't Published Edition

Editorchad is free again in 7 days. If you have any writing questions or want to submit a book for editing, reply to this post with a cat

>>22076208
>Bro, pay me to edit your stuff for no reason when you could just edit it yourself for free
Get raped.

>>22076229

For my second year of my Englis Lit degree I'm doing a creative writing module. Anything I should I know? How should I prepare?

>>22076298
Go into the trades.

I got fired on a Wednesday. Though I wasn’t altogether surprised with the choice they made I always assumed it was customary to fire someone on a Friday. So when I was summoned to speak with the manager of my manager I didn’t think much of it. Before noon I had left my laptop with the IT guy and walked out with my leather bag slung over my shoulder considerably lighter than it had been in the morning. I didn’t usually bring much to the office and didn’t ever leave anything there.

I wasn’t worried about the financial impact. Like any good member of the Polish diaspora, I am ruthlessly cheap, and my rental payments and chosen neighbourhood reflected that. I lived well below my means and had a bit of money saved up. I would have been okay for a few months if I had to go that long without a paycheck.

It was the feeling of being a complete embarrassment that hurt the most. When I left the office, it was warm and sunny and had I not just got canned I would have probably though it was just about a perfect day. All I wanted was for it to rain. For everyone to go inside, so that I didn’t feel like such an utter failure amongst the downtown salarymen. I felt like a worm, and even more so after I called my girlfriend who didn’t respond. She had no reason to. She had gainful employment, and probably important meetings and calls, and PowerPoint presentations to work on. On the other hand, I had failed at keeping a semi-prestigious corporate job for the entire six-month probationary period. Not that she knew all that when she ignored my call at 12:18, and again at 12:47.

I took the train back in the direction of my apartment with no intention of going home. I was never a big drinker, and certainly not as a method to forget about my problems. I like a drink, but socially. Running away from your problems with booze always seemed like a proper alcoholic crutch, and likely a slippery slope into problem drinking. I wanted to be stoic. To get back on the horse and take over the world. Start a business, steal all their clients, take over the firm, and fire everyone who had any say in that Wednesday morning decision. I didn’t want to rot on a barstool in a dark bar in a crummy neighbourhood at three in the afternoon.

There was a big window at the front, so I grabbed a table there and ordered a rye and soda. It was cold and not strong and refreshing but still got its message across. When I ordered my third, I finally had enough courage to start making conversation with the regulars around me. Not that I wanted to make friends, but it felt good to get out of my own head and stop thinking about how I would tell my father that he paid for an education only for me to lose the first real job I got.

>>22076311

One of the regulars was there. He worked at the bar five days a week washing dishes, running drinks, and taking orders. Ricardo from Colombia. He was thirty-three years old. He had come to Canada to make some money and take advantage of an advantageous exchange rate. Despite a university education in accounting, his diploma was in Spanish, and that meant it was just about meaningless here.

“That’s life brother” he said after I confessed my troubles. “If it’s all shit, go take a plane ticket to Santa Marta and lie on the beach and take some cold beers.”
It sounded like a good idea, and Ricardo was a nice guy. He made it all seem so unimportant and for the next hour he told me about himself. He had a little girl in Colombia, and even though he lived poorly in Canada, he sent enough money to put her in a private school. He liked soccer and music and took life easy. I forgot about getting fired.

“At least you had a good job bro, I have been here eighteen months and I don’t get any interviews, how about you come back next week at the same time, you aren’t working anyways” he laughed.

He had a point. So I agreed. I went back every Wednesday and Ricardo was always there. I drank scotch and sodas and he drank rum and cokes. He was loud and boisterous and hilarious. I learned that his wife was with another man, but he didn’t care because his daughter was with his mom and he made sure they lived well. It’s not like he had any trouble finding female attention anyways. Every second week he showed me a new girl he was seeing.

Eight weeks after I had been fired, I had found a new job. I celebrated with Ricardo. It was his idea and we went out on a Friday after he got off his shift. I got so drunk I practised my Spanish, and the next time I saw Ricardo he swore it was good Spanish. .

>>22076311
>polish diaspora
Lmao, what horse shit.

>>22076314

Now that I was working, I only saw Ricardo for a drink when he was working behind the bar. Usually only on Fridays as my new job had me staying late at the office and getting up early to visit clients. I told him I broke up with my girlfriend (her idea), and he said no worries, and we went on a double date with one his girlfriends at the time and her friend. They both spoke French but Ricardo didn’t. His girlfriend didn’t care. In fact I think she liked him more because of it.

Every time I had a problem and felt like shit, I saved it for Friday and went to the bar. Ricardo was joyful and always laughing and made it feel like nothing could knock the world off its course and that whatever worry and problem I had were just sticks at the wayside to support my faltering steps. I went a few more times after he had hung himself, but it didn’t usually help. I tried to remember him as the happy, jovial guy that he was and sometimes it worked.

I didn’t go to his funeral because I had work and it was in Colombia. I couldn’t take the time off with the client projects I had. I got promoted a few months after he had died and it was a warm and sunny day when they announced it. I think most people would have thought it was just about a perfect day.

>>22076323
>>22076314
>>22076311


Short story I wrote this evening what do you guys think

>>22076330
Ricardo is a stupid name.

>>22076330
cheap "shock" ending. fine otherwise

>>22076315
what the problem with diaspora lol

>>22076359
why

>>22076402
just fine, damn I want it to be good

>>22076323
What's the point of this kind of "plot twist"? Does a short story even need a plot twist?

>>22076564
Flash/short fiction should really just be one scene.

my writing is so pretentious, I feel like I'm going to get called out for it hard. It sounds good in my head, but then reading it out loud makes it sound tryhard. It's because I'm trying to imitate my favorite Russian authors (translated into English ofc) but it doesn't sound as natural.

700 words today bros
on my way to the daily 1k

>>22076594
Just write how you speak.

>>22076051
>Self Published Isn't Published Edition
I have seen "self published" books get into state libraries and narrated for the blind and print disabled.

Granted they usually play up the local aspect and aren't deranged romance/sex novels or unhinged rants, but don't say it doesn't exist.

>>22076617
That would be boring

>>22076594
You're probably 17-19, because I had that exact same issue. You'll grow out of it.

>>22076629
If you tell me you're published and then say it's just on amazon, I will think you're a massive dickhead. If you stipulate you've self published that's fine but that's not "published" in the "traditional" "sense"

>>22076650
what if I'm much older than that
hypothetically of course haha.....

>>22076654
OK

More complete OP:

"Seething schizo samefagging pseud" edition

Previous thread: >>22063831

/wg/ AUTHORS & FLASH FICTION: https://pastebin.com/ruwQj7xQ
RESOURCES & RECOMMENDATIONS: https://pastebin.com/nFxdiQvC

Please limit excerpts to one post.
Give advice as much as you receive it to the best of your ability.
Follow prompts made below and discuss written works for practice; contribute and you shall receive.
If you have not performed a cursory proofread, do not expect to be treated kindly. Edit your work for spelling and grammar before posting.
Violent shills, relentless shill-spammers, and grounds keeping prose, should be ignored and reported.

Simple guides on writing:
>https://youtu.be/pHdzv1NfZRM
>https://youtu.be/whPnobbck9s
>https://youtu.be/YAKcbvioxFk

“You’ve beaten me. I am at your mercy. So let me ask you this. Everyone has a reason, everyone has a price. Money? I can make you rich. Ambition? I can help you climb to any position you may seek. Safety? I can see to it that you are more than untouchable - that you cease to exist. Revenge? I can help see to the death of anyone who might have wronged you - and I know it is not myself, as I am well aware of whom I have wronged. What is it? What will it take for me to see another sunrise?”

“I’m afraid that which drives me is the one thing you cannot give, Damrus. I’ve lived in a world where men like you-”

“Where men like me went unpunished? Come now. Even if I dissolve my Hashem Family, another will just take its place.”

She shot him in the stomach, taking only marginal care not to hit anything vital.

“Let me finish. I lived in a world where no matter how many Hashems I killed, more sprung up… And they always happened to serve the ends of the same few groups of people in the end,. I lived in a world where those people - those like your Benefactors - had entrenched themselves so deeply, built ivory towers so high that they may as well have been the Outer Gods, so untouchable were they. I saw it and lived it, Damrus. You know what I want, and I don’t think you can give it. They have something to stop you from selling them out, don’t they? Those Benefactors of yours. A curse, a hostage, a simple explosive in your true body, I don’t know. But They always have something to stop the puppet from cutting its own strings.”

As she spoke, Krahe gradually lowered herself down to better meet his gaze, until she squatted down in front of him, resting her left hand against the ground, letting it soak in the small pool of blood which had formed around Damrus’ body. His flesh suit was dying, but he, the Baneworm, would live.

“In my world, they started by installing puppet rulers of truly…revolting proclivities. Pedophiles. Rapists. Sadists. They provided for their puppets’ revolting desires, and kept them in control with simple blackmail. That scheme went out the window once they figured out how to control someone with a graft. I worked all my life trying to get at Them, to tear down the curtain and put a bullet in the showrunner’s head. At first, it was just revenge for turning my home into a desert of anathema-burned glass. Then, my simple revenge became punishment for what they had done to the whole world, a desire to curtail what they were still doing, to prevent what they would do in the future. But… As you said, nearly everyone has a price, and They bought one of the few people who could get to me. That’s how I ended up here. A Greater Pilgrim with a little seed of Chernobog rooted into my soul. It looks a bit like this, when I look at it in my head,” she said, holding up her hand...

Cont. in paste: https://pastes.io/xriq3gxhns

>>22076666
They get you shelf space in new bookstores, but more importantly, they get advanced copies to critics who will actually read them enough to write reviews.

>>22076702
one of the authors ITT who will make it. legendary prose, I'd love to read more.

>check pastebin
>16 authors are genrefic nonsense
>fantasy
>sci-fi
>litrpg
>horror
That's it? I guess 1 of them at least tried to be litfic

>>22076710
yes it's all very incestuous

>>22076726
Fuck off retard

>>22076663
Then it would be over. Maybe read some authors with beige prose, like PKD or Hemingway

>>22076737
yeah I think reading translated text may be contributing to my awkwardness
thank you, I'd never heard of beige prose before

>>22076680
>Seething schizo samefagging pseud
The AI spammer?

>>22052802
>>22052857
>>22052901
>>22052929
>>22052911
>>22054172
>>22054667
>>22066356
>>22072938
Just wanted to give OP a sample of the posts he was incapable of responding to.
>>22054344
Plus, your purple, twee, navel-gazing attempt at writing.
You're neither creative nor witty.
Why are you even here? You don't belong here.
All you do is humiliate yourself.

wewlad
seethe, cope, dilate, etc

This guy is so mentally ill. You know his writing is garbage too, that's why he's so ashamed of it

>gets ignored
>acts like that's a victory
SAD

how about each of you post an example of your writing? i will then decide who is banished.

>>22076208
I am not gonna reply with a cat because I've been getting zero writing done. So I have nothing that needs to be edited.
Cheers.

>>22076829
I have. Repeatedly. Here's an example.
>>22054738
>>22054742
Keep in mind that was written off the top of my head, based on a random writing prompt.
I also repeatedly asked him to submit something for that writing prompt, and he ran into the kitchen to hide behind his mommy's apron.
OP submitted his work here:
>>22054344
This is more of a purple, twee bit of navel-gazing, and who knows how long it took him to write it.

>>22076829
We are all too afraid to post our writing

>>22076839

>>22076829
Way ahead of your bud >>22076702

>>22076051
Enid anon here, I wanted to thank the femanon in the last thread for the response. My reply is in the old thread.

Also, we're making these new threads too fast, guys. Having one new one up is normal, but right now we have three /wg/ threads still live. Maybe wait until closer to 300 replies before crapping out a new thread, especially if the one before the last one is still up.

>>22076726
I offer to take one for the team and sodomise every single "litfic" twink that enters this general. That's right, every single one. And I won't complain about it either.

>>22076848
The anti-AI-seether (i.e. OP) is too insecure to wait around and let someone else create the thread.
After all, they might use an AI-generated image!
Obviously a reason to telegraph his anxiety.
inb4 seething: You've been seething since you created this thread.
You have something shitty to say about practically every anon posting here.
You literally make the world a worse place just by existing.

>>22076829
Wrote this 9 million years ago for this general, already know what's wrong with it but if you're bored, sure, take a look.

>>22076810
Wow, I've been looking for this pic for over a year.

>AI slop boomer still seething about not being OP
Dude, why don’t you go hang out with your wife and kids, dude?

>>22076870
Why don't you go dry-hump your Akari body-pillow?
Or, if you're gonna stay...why don't you submit some of your writing?
Or is >>22054344 the only thing you've written in ages?
Here's some more of my improv writing... >>22052891
What you got, little man?

>>22076870
I could care less about being OP.
Remember, I'm not the one that created another writing thread FIVE AND A HALF HOURS after one had already been created (not counting the one you screwed up & had to delete).
Once again, you're just projecting.

>>22076877
If that’s your writing, I don’t think I have anything to worry about. Feel free to assume everyone who calls it doodoo is me

>>22076888
Trips of truth. Ignoring this guy is the only method of making him go away.

>>22076843
these are fun. i'd like to see something you're more enthusiastic about though-- maybe something you've spent time on.
>>22076847
i was referring to hostile anon's challenge; or are you the contending anon? if that's the case.. your excerpt is better, but it is clearly something you're putting (more) effort in to.

no clear guidelines, but no mogging either. you've both avoided banishment for now

>>22076898
I'm not that anon, I just saw your post and took it at face value since it wasn't directly linking to any other post.

>>22076888
May I repeat that this is my IMPROV writing, done off the top of my head, in response to a random writing prompt.
It's long past time to post some of your writing.
Or admit you have no place here.
Your deflections are getting more desperate.

>>22076726
>muh genrefic bayd
you will never be a classic author
your "litfic" will never be read by anyone
you are a sad little man playing at a genius

>>22076898
Glad you enjoyed them.
And, ultimately, this is why the anti-AI-seether is going to lose.
Because I'm a happy warrior.
I take all of this drama in a spirit of play.
In stark contrast, he repeatedly makes it clear that he's dead serious, and that it affects him deeply.
Even worse...when he's confronted, he tries to deflect and make ad-hominem attacks. He knows he's got nothing.
He's too high strung for this place. He will burn out.

>>22076914
"lol ur mad i'm not mad" isn't the good look you think it is
I've been here long enough to have seen you trying to play smug despite your anger leaking out with every other post
you're fooling nobody

>>22076861
i can see the experimentation. you're looking to break FREE of social constraints, or something like that-- without ruining suspension of disbelief.
this dude is audacious and almost unhinged.
transfer this energy to a more interesting setting or something and avoid the cliches.

>>22076904
>puts down other writers
>"My writing is better than yours"
>shares writing
>it's shit
>"b-b-but it's improv guys, it's not supposed to be good!"

>>22076726
Most of the people here aren't on the doxfag list. there are at least 3 anons doing historical.

>>22076916
I'm not angry. I'm not even sure why you think I would be.
>>22076923
I merely called out the seether to post some of his writing, something that hopefully isn't purple, twee navel-gazing.
And he hasn't done that.
And the point of stating that it's improv is that it's an example of what I can do in a short time, with minimal effort.
I sure as hell don't take weeks and weeks to write a piece of flash fiction.
That's the difference between a writer and a LARPer.
And since you think it's shit...post some of your writing. Or do you just come here to be a seething, demotivational failed-crab?

>>22076920
>>22076861
also, if you choose to pursue this style. you'll want to find something to keep things grounding, and be careful about the pacing.
if you lean in too hard, you'll lose the reader. audacious mc needs to be tapping into something relatable. per scenario, and him as a human being.
fuck, i just realized i could be talking about 'the mask'

>>22076920
>>22076942
I am not sure I really understand everything you're saying, but I appreciate the advice. I am going to try my hand at a more serious story next with a more minimalist and to-the-point writing style. But I really like writing insane, bombastic shit. Smug bastard characters come really naturally to me. I wonder why? Ha-ha-ha...

>>22076939
>>22076923
>>22076916
>>22076914
>>22076904
>>22076895
>>22076888
>>22076885
>>22076877
>>22076870
>>22076824
>>22076814
>>22076804
>>22076762
you're all trans btw

>>22076961
More deflection and ad-hominem attacks.
A middle-school debate team would run rings around you.
And you still haven't posted any of your writing.

>Dude, why don’t you go hang out with your wife and kids, dude?

>>22076654
No one cares about your opinion, nigger.

>>22076952
sorry i was vague as hell. i am mainly suggesting that you may want to pace this type of character with relatable behavior, grounded moments, or entertaining commentary. something like that anyway.
a reader following a character who's turned up to 11 at all times will get worn out.
somewhat related.. have you ever watched duckman? might be worth checking out.

>>22076991
I haven't actually. What's that?
And I hear you on the turned up to 11 thing. I assume most times the reader would prefer a normal smug bastard and only occasionally the bombastic version. Balancing the writing style would probably be the real challenge, in both making it consistent along the story while also retaining the bombastic sections.

my bestfriends wife works at one of the big.. 3, or 4. or whatever it's at now. she has SWING.
i will now begin my career as a published author. i just need to write something (about gays, under a chinese penname. straight white male btw)

>>22077003
can you pitch my book for me?

>>22077001
>What's that?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wc6e_lF_xWE some, now ancient, kino. and somewhat relevant

>>22077017
Duckman is freaking awesome.
"Clip Job", a clip episode made at the end of season 1, is a great introduction, if you can handle the pace.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7vJYGf_52Q

>>22076829
oh I'd like an opinion on this, if you're offering. back to making progress on this story after months of distractions, fucking off and slacking. really trying to make sure ch 1 is polished

https://pastebin.com/nwcWpfBw

Let the record show that the anti-AI-seether OP, despite being challenged repeatedly, has failed to post any of his writing.
He has, not surprisingly, continued to seethe, samefag, deflect, make banal ad-hominem attacks, and telegraph his insecurity.
I'll check back some time tomorrow to see if he's finally taken up the challenge.
My prediction: he won't, because he can't. Because he's a poser and a phony.
All he's offered is his purple, twee navel-gazing, i.e. >>22054344, where he's the hero of his own overwrought story.
As if it wasn't obvious he's an anime weeb.
Have a good evening, all. Yes, even OP.

>>22077047
t. Jim

>>22077043
this seems well written, probably. i could nitpick the pacing and clarity. it's a bit fast, transitions are abrupt. something like that. maybe i'm just tired. some grammar and formatting. keep at it.
goodnight

>>22077047
We get it, you are seething that people said that AI isn't relevant to the general. Now, can you stop seething? Either talk about writing, or don't, we don't need 40 posts of thread drama.

Has anyone here ever landed on an idea for a story that you know deserves to be created? I'm working on an outline for a story right now that at first was little more than an interesting idea that was atypical for the genre, but now I've realized it can be so much more. It can be something real and meaningful. I really want to get this right, and I'm so excited to create it and see it mature into what it can be, but I'm also worried I don't have the skill to make it as beautiful as it deserves. It's a strange feeling.

>>22077047
Stay strong in your fight against mental illness my dude. Not letting the schizo re-write history is quite possibly the best form of therapy for him.

Two chapters of backlog. Finally, I'm hitting a stride again and the chapters are becoming easier to write. The issue I had before was that I hit these roadblock chapters, where I know where the story needs to end up, but the way they reach that place doesn't satisfy me.

>>22077221
wasted potential for an illustration.

>>22076859
>inb4 seething: You've been seething since you created this thread.
>You have something shitty to say about practically every anon posting here.
This is most schizophrenic thing I’ve ever seen. Literally no one was seething until you showed up with your tantrum.

I'm on Amazon too. Comedy shitpost poems

files.catbox.moe/4s8yl4.pdf
files.catbox.moe/f21v69.pdf
files.catbox.moe/82sced.pdf
files.catbox.moe/irz98h.pdf

i have an idea for a book
it's basically like fight club but the narrator is trans and tyler is a woman
what do you guys think?

>>22077196
every story that "deserves" to be created is something personal, something meaningful to you. believe in yourself and if it turns out to be shit then that just means you're an uninteresting person and you should kill yourself

>>22076726
litfic is one the least popular genres, what did you expect?

>>22077762
No it’s not um

>>22076051
Man's from Amritsar Square and it's hip hop we blare, not from Oxbridge senpai,
he ain't got no little black tie, he ain't no turban wearing little servant man
Ain't eating no gooseberry jam with glazed ham upon a silver platter
Blaow! Man's punch you in the face, leave you in a bloody splatter
Bitch he did the race without a trace, pulled up with the gat and all that
So let me be crass to all the thot masses with big phat asses
I'm passin by in my chevy with the bass up and we pourin out henny
You better be twerkin all laced up, baby, because Joshi comin
He smoke it down til he numb, got these bitches all dumb, work that dick til he cum
Yeah we havin fun, counting up that money to an absurd sum, following coke lines
Like Hansel and Gretel with some crumbs, chase it up with some shots of rum
Now let me bring the master of cosmic rap, man's the king like lovecraft (no cap)
Bars go interstellar and intergalactic, spitting so acidic, man's the nastiest critic
So you better get that fat dick outcha mouth before it goes south for y'all
because cthulhu and the unseen horrors bout to come down to ball
and the crawling chaos nyarlathotep bout to step if you keep talking
bitch where was you when the cultists started crip walking, cthulhu start waking
just saw the Lakers play off some cacodemons at dunwich but we're done bitch
don't speak that loud when you come to miskatonic where we slang that chronic
sippin on gin n tonic with funkalicious beats supersonic that keep these bitches asses jiggling hypnotic
coughing like bronchitis and dancing bacchic static so erratic (wagwan blood) bring that phat ass back
cuz we bringing a fatwa and attack ya, punch all blue haired crack heads uh, as we sell these bricks
so let me pick the mix that goes lit in the house and we got contraband stuffed in the walls with the rats uh

https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/69005/abnormality-reports/chapter/1225465/suspected-abnormality-0082-1st-incident-report

Sharing. It's an SCP-style series but for a superhuman setting.

>>22077196
son, your idea is shit and will never be fully realized.

>>22077166
>OP won't post his writing
>he deflects artlessly
>>22077555
Not true... >>22076159, >>22076229, and >>22076315 were mindless seething.

And, big surprise, OP still hasn't posted any of his writing. And he never will.
Why are you even here? You're clearly not a writer, and your demotivational failed-crab nonsense is not value-added.
I look forward to your next threadbare deflection. But not really.

What do you guys think of writing in the third person, but occasionally slipping in the protagonist's thoughts in the first person? I always mark these little slips into the first person with italics to set it apart from the rest. Always just little thoughts though - peppered in here and there - and never full blown narrations. Would you find this confusing?

>>22078186
Have you never read a book before? That's standard, you little twit.

>>22077922
Eh. The prose isnt robotic enough

>>22078186
a lot of writers do this, but I don't like it

>>22078221
Why not?

>>22078186
Sometimes I just make it clear that part was something the protagonist is thinking.

>>22078186
It's okay but I prefer to reflect the protagonist's thoughts in the content of the narration.

>>22078222
it reads like you couldn't find a compelling narrative way to express the internal conflict of the character so you just give them some pretend dialog. Maybe it's because I'm a writer too and I'm hard on things I read which seem like a crutch.

if you want to do something unique and creative, that's cool.
but before you ask about using some unusual writing technique, ask yourself whether or not you've seen it already, and why?
are you describing something that is commonly used? are you reinventing the wheel?
have the millions of writers that came before you not already explored this idea. or have they never had a need for it to begin with? why is that?

>>22078294
I don't care if my idea's been done before.
I'll do it better than them anyway.

>>22078294
>conform
no thanks

>>22078020

>>22078325
i believe in you.
>>22078334
my point is that you are not unique, sorry.

>>22078334
>brush my teeth? ok, sheep.

>>22078353
>>22078359
Your seething is really off this morning.
Perhaps you need to take a break from it.

>>22077621
Bumpppp

I've been sitting at Panera bread the past 3 hours trying to write my manuscript. I haven't even gotten a page done.

>>22078688
Close all tabs of your computer except word/google docs.
Unless its to open a thesaurus, a dictionary or google some shit you aren't sure about do not open any other tabs.
Tuck your phone away and turn it off if you must. Put all your direct acess video game icons on the desktop in a discrete folder so they don't tempt you either.

>>22078608
i read some of it. it was as you described

Would demonic red glowing eyes or more neanderthall humanesque looking eyes be more creepy? I want to go into slightly more detail describing the eyes and how they affect the narrator I want to keep ambiguity but don't want to imply it is something like a demonic entity

Do you guys get all your writing for the day done in one sitting or do you break it up into parts throughout the day?

>>22078746
On weekdays yes. On Weekends I have two or three sessions.

>>22078353
>i believe in you.
Thanks anon ily.

>>22078746
One go. Usually I am out of gas by the sixth hour. If I keep going beyond that, it feels like sucking off a turned on vacuum cleaner (don't try it, it'll give you lung collapse and kill you).

>>22078734
Humanlike but not quite human eyes would be creepier

How do I better my odds of getting published? Mainly short stories, but novels as well, at least eventually.

>>22078846
This. There's a reason the uncanny valley is so unsettling to most people. The idea of something being NEARLY human bothers most people.

>>22078746
I have bursts of inspiration thought the day which I write in a note app on my phone, and then I sit down to consolidate everything at my laptop in the evening.

>>22078914
>>22078846

Going to try and go for more neanderthal to drive home the missing link familiarty kind of like what Lovecraft did with Arthur Jermyn and his Family

>>22078907
Get a better resume. Look up a ranked list of things you can do besides being published that will attract people to work with you such as workshops, book readings and amateur groups or amateur publishing. Write more and keep writing. The more novel length works you have, the more clear it is you want to make partnership to help make more books for an agent and publisher. No one wants to hire a one-idea-guy, that's what vanity and self publishing is for. Traditional publishing is like a career for most clients, so they want you to approach them that way. Also have professional appearance and composure. And be patient because you want to find the right people to work with.

>>22078186
I write third person, generally speaking, but I change how I write third person depending on who the scene is focusing on. It's not directly their thoughts, but the character bleeds into the narration.

>>22078746
Some throughout the day, but most of it is done at night in long sessions that only have smaller five or so minute breaks where I do something on my phone while I think about how I want to phrase something.

>>22076810
>—That's right, he said.

>>22078724
Just glad to have readers

>the /lit/ renaissance is dead

>>22079062
>refuse to dox myself
>noooo /wg/ is dead no one here writes why won't you let me ruin your life?!?!?!?!

>>22079147
god I'm glad I use a pseudonym and live in a country where posting on 4chan can't get me in trouble

>>22079147
Fair enough

There doesnt seem to be a poetry general right now, so I thought I could ask here as well:
What is some good english pastoralist or naturalist poetry to get into? Any common stylistic themes I should look out for?

>>22079062
>>22079147
>implying the people here would read other people's writing anyway
I was here like a year and a half ago, people would post writing all the time and no one would even read it.

I don't really feel inspired to work on anything serious. but I need practice.
what are some good ways to practice writing a series or novel without writing a series or novel?
should I just freestyle in the meantime with the intention of throwing it out later anyway?

In my webnovel I have a storyline planned. I later found out there is a currently running TV show with a similar idea. Should I watch the show to learn how to make my thing different or just ignore it so as not to be influenced by it?

>>22079406
I'd ignore it.

>>22079406
>just ignore it
this

>>22079404
just write a practice series then
???

>>22079404
a lot of older writing instruction books have exercises in them

>>22079406
If you can prevent yourself from being overly influenced by it, sure. Otherwise, ignore it.

>>22079404
Write a web serial, e.g. RoyalRoad or ScribbleHub.
>>22079406
Watch it, so you can do something different.

>>22079406
Ignore it. Then once you have enough of your own plot written, you can look at the show and see if as an outsider you can find pitfalls that might apply to your own story.

How do you reconcile wanting to be a successful writer with the fact that only trash achieves mainstream success?

>>22079689
Console yourself with the fact that the stuff that stands the test of time is the original stuff. Be content with writing as your side hustle with the possibility of finding success later in life

>>22079689
I don't think it's so dire. A lot of commercially successful books are actually good. Even some of the books everybody's heard of.
But my deepest desire doesn't require a million people to read my work. (Though that would be nice.) If I can get half a dozen internet weirdos to write long analyses of my work I'll be able to die fulfilled. Quality really does do more for me than quantity.
I'm happily employed as a programmer so I have no need to try to make money off my writing, thank god.

>>22079689
Just write the fucking book.
What are you gonna do with success, you gonna eat it, fuck it? If you think people are retarded enough to always choose trash what does it matter to you if they choose you or not? Wouldn't it be better not to be chosen.
Write the fucking book. Let God be the judge of its quality and of how much success you need.

>>22079689
Most mainstream shit is alright for the most part. Just make writing your hobby and not your main job.

>>22079689
I have a career dude I'm not poor

>>22079960
writing books?

>>22076330
do you read lots of hemingway?

>>22076594
fake it until you make it. it's a lot like >>22076650
says. though i believe it's almost entirely experience based.

>>22079974
worthless fuck. why ruin literature with money?

>>22080220
did you reply to the wrong anon? that was exactly why i was asking.
first anon said 'successful writer'
and the next anon is like 'i'm not poor, i already have a career'
implying that money meant success

so, wrong anon. or you may be a fucking moron, sorry to break it to you.

>>22077714
Are you going to keep the castration complex? kek

Honestly, it would be very funny to see how well the concept still applies to the trans experience, but unless it's really something you want to make, I might recommend shooting for a shitpost instead. Maybe find a pdf of Fight Club and just read through and change sections as you go. If that's enough to get it out of your system, than that's all the idea needs to be.

>>22080230
are you fuckign retarded? i know you don't pay rent since you suck your mother's teats but the rest of us need an income. deriving that income from literature results in shit like twilight and isekai.

>>22080239
>>22080239
>castration complex
i didn't even think about that
i posted it as bait but the more i think about it the more i think it could be something amazing
instead of starting fight clubs he grooms kids and the ending is self explanatory

>>22078688
Panera is great for socializing

>>22080220
>>22080230
>>22080291
Never stop seething. OP likes it that way.

>>22080291
you are a seriously confused retard. good luck out there

>>22080502
you are obsessed

>>22080620
>>22080502
neither of you has written 2k words today but you have time to be angry on the internet

Just returned to my WIP after months. Last time I checked these threads, they were being spammed by that Disco Elysium fag. Seems like we got another problem now. Anyway, have some writing.
https://pastebin.com/ZqLWeeHK

If I'm writing something with a large ensemble cast and have each chapter follow a different perspective character, is this considered 3rd limited or omniscient?

>>22080666
limited you can only hear your current pov character's thoughts. omniscient you can hear everyone's thoughts.
but who cares what it's called

>>22080638
Not true. I came up with an idea for a new novel on Friday, and have been amassing much in the way of notes on it.
Gotta plan before you write, after all!

What sort of video games should I play to write litrpg? Seems like most of them are based on MMOs, so my instinct is to do something different for the sake of standing out.

>>22080624
Is that my final and most terse of all warnings?

>>22080710
How about "Hello Kitty Online"? That'll have the anime angle they'll like, too.

>>22080710
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqB6rY94DCw

>>22080710
none of them. you are just going to start playing RPGs for the sake of """""research""""" and never get any work done

>>22080743
How else would I do research for the genre? I'm not into video games anyway, it's much more likely that I would get sucked into spending weeks developing a fantasy economic system or a unified way of measurement without any human or earth-based point of reference.

>>22080765
So you don't play RPGs, want to write a LitRPG, but don't want to do any research?
Perhaps you should just write what you know.

>>22080765
take a read through some TTRPG rulebooks and just synthesize the systems from there. if you want to know more about the genre just read more litrpgs

>writing a book with two different perspectives
>both are in first person
>too unskilled to make both perspectives sound similar
>can't do a big reveal they were different people all along

Any books that do this well?

>>22080771
It's my understanding that LitRPGs are based on video-game RPGs, not tabletop RPGs.

>>22080774
>cheap gimmicks
just write a good story you retard

>>22080797
Why not use cheap gimmicks AND write a good story at the same time?

>>22080770
>So you don't play RPGs
Correct. Haven't done video games in a decade or so, and when I did it was platformers or old arcade games. Not really anything multiplayer or with a strong plot.
>want to write a LitRPG
It's what's popular. I figure if I can learn to understand games I can make any sci-fi or fantasy idea I have into one.
>don't want to do any research?
I'm literally asking where to go to do research.
>Perhaps you should just write what you know.
That is an eclectic array of very niche topics which I fully intend to touch upon, but there's plenty of value in adding elements that will broaden the appeal to people other than myself.

>>22080812
>I'm literally asking where to go to do research.
Video-game RPGs.
Be warned, though...they're very time-consuming.
And without a breadth of experience in the video-game RPG genre, your work risks coming across as thin.

>>22076208
I do not have a book but will give (you) a cat

>>22080828

>>22080812
>>22080826
Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest

That's all you need.

I am fucking seething right now. This fucking tranny sold 200+ books and I can't even fucking sell 5.

>>22080910
>smut
204 copies is a failure for the most sellable "genre"

>>22077017
>>22077031
Fuck, I can see why you'd mention though. Although this show seems boomercore as fuck. But I can definitely see the similarities. Me and the scriptwriters seem to have a bunch in common.

>>22080910
Now I know why people tell you to avoid sex scenes

>>22080765
As bad as this place is, most people here will never be soda-brained enough to read a litRPG, let alone write one. Just give up

>>22080993
many of the /wg/ authors in the pastebin index write litrpg
you are a seething coping retard

The AI pictures were a ruse so the mentally ill animefag can take over the threads AGAIN

>>22080993
It's the easiest way to make money writing so you can keep writing without the distraction of another job.

Do I really have to have read about 200 books minimum in order to become a decent writer? I feel like I'll never be able to become one then, as I don't really have time to spend consooming anymore, so I don't even bother trying writing... Why begin when I don't even meet the standard requirement to be at the starting line? I've read only a couple dozen books in my life; by the time I read 200, I'll be a pensioner...

>>22081369
Only deliberate reading is helpful. Mindless consumption won't make anyone a better writer.

Could use some opinions about detective fiction. Suppose the MC is investigating how a child (a 17 year old girl) was killed and after chasing down a bunch of red herrings, he finally figures out who did it and how, and the plot line wraps up not with the guy getting arrested and booked, but with the two of them getting locked in a room together.

Afterward, nobody brings it up again and it's left ambiguous whether the guy is dead or arrested.

Would such an ending undermine the expected justice of the genre?

>>22080910
>it's cuckporn
Why is the west like this

>>22081434
AFAIK that kind of thing is basically a subgenre.
You just have to make it harmonious with the rest of the story. Both so it functions correctly and so that you get the right kind of readers.
If you did this at the end of an orthodox Sherlock Holmes story it'd surely raise eyebrows. And if you did it at the end of a Punisher storyline then yeah, of course he shot the guy, that's what we're here for. There's a whole spectrum inbetween.
This might be a sign that you haven't been reading the right kind of detective fiction? But I'm not well-read enough to give you any recommendations.

>>22081607
I have majority read Holmes and Agatha Christie stuff. There is just so much out there that is interesting to read it's hard to deep dive every possible genre. I've probably consumed a bunch more that I just don't recall, like I passively consumed House, CSI, Bones, all those long running tv series have fed into the back of my mind but I struggle to actively draw on them when I write.

I've written a lot over the years, of code. How do I write a book like I write code? Why can't I write a small mockup, run it to get immediate gratification and then iterate? Since everyone uses the same tropes anyway why can't I include any standard libraries? This language sucks.
include heroesjourney
while adversity do overcome
print "you won"

>>22081675
Maybe try Raymond Chandler as a sort of counterpoint to all of those? He's supposed to be good and foundational to darker detective stories.
You can't do a deep dive of every genre, but it really does pay to read the genre you write in.

>>22081678
>Why can't I write a small mockup, run it to get immediate gratification and then iterate?
Have you tried doing this?
>include any standard libraries
Ongoing argument about that in the other thread, from >>22081382 on back.
The reader's head is full of concepts you can refer to and lean on free of charge. Some tropes are like this. Import dwarf or import detective and the reader immediately knows what you're on about so you can carry on with your own work.
You of course can't import the hero's journey any more than you can import the model-view-controller pattern. There are handholds but you have to bring your own structure.
Remember that good code is often boring but good writing never is.

>>22081711
I'll see if I can't find some good audio books of his.

Feels like most of my reading has been on more generalized science-fiction, which is why I'm trying to mesh the detective setup into a science-fiction world.

>>22081675
You've got a huge blank. You need some Mickey Spillane, James M. Cain, and Ed McBain. Ross Macdonald, John D. MacDonald, Robert B. Parker, and Richard Stark's Parker. Crack open an old paperback with a sexy woman holding a gun on the cover, and you'll be on the right track.

Now I know why people like writing fantasy. It's easy. Even contemporary is harder

>>22076702
Trim the fat. Too many unnecessary words

>>22081768
I hate this piece of advice in particular
be more specific so we know you're not just policing his style
there are specific flaws of wordiness, but there's also a wordiness that's just different from the gay mainstream hyper-streamlined style of modern pop lit

>>22081809
I. Didn't think anyone would reply by the time I stopped caring to respond. "I can help you climb to any position you may seek" drop the word "may". It's unnecessary. "More than untouchable" Just say untouchable it sounds better and those extra words don't convey the idea any better. I won't sit here and point out every single one though.

>>22080993
I'm writing one, anon. It's fun. You should try it.

>>22081890
I legitimately don't get it. The only litRPG I tried that I didn't find unreadable was Worth the Candle, and the game layer wasn't what hooked me
I'll read trash and I'll write trash but I don't have the stomach for that particular trash, unless there's a treasure trove of well-written litRPGs I've been missing

>>22080993
This place isn't the audience for LitRPGs...the readers on the sites where one posts LitRPGs (e.g. RoyalRoad) are.
Are you aware there's a world outside of this dumpster fire? Because it doesn't seem like it.

>>22081972
I need to find a non litrpg or reincarnation fantasy site.

>>22081678
That's called the "snowflake method".
https://www.advancedfictionwriting.com/articles/snowflake-method/

>>22081980
They're all litrpg infested

>>22081943
Do you like games? If not, you might never understand.

Worth the Candle is odd because it's based more on table top rpgs, like D&D, than crpgs.

>>22081989
>second-person pov
Opinion discarded

>>22082019
I love games but maybe not those games
Did have a moderate RuneScape addiction once upon a time but that was pretty dreary

>>22081989
Developing a story is easy. The hard part is making the expansion from an outline into something longer worth all the extra text. There's no point if it's just filler or autistic exposition. Whatever makes the story interesting has to be woven into the texture as a whole. If you can rhyme the meaning fractally so the same patterns are apparent in the outline as the specifics then the text is holy. Things that rhyme are more true which is why rhyming insults are so devastating. No man on Earth has no belly-button, it proves every believer on Earth a liar.

>>22081369
Did you put on your clown make up for this post? Reading and writing are different, though related skills.
Just write the fucking book. If you want to write, write.
>>22081524
Go seethe somewhere else thirdworldfren.
>>22081757
Disagree. Ideally I'd want to write contemporary because I can just focus on writing people and everything else is already done. But no one reads that shit.

>>22082165
>Reading and writing are different, though related skills.
You become good at writing by reading. And writing too, but the reading isn't optional.
Great chess players spend a lot of time reviewing old chess matches. Great programmers have read a lot of code. I know a film student and the curriculum has a lot of movies.
You can write without reading, you should do it if you really want to, but it won't be very good.

>>22081369
presumably you read a heap of book in primary and secondary school. and if you didn't because you read the cliff's notes versions why would you ever become a writer if you don't like reading in the first place?

>>22076051
>>>/vg/430821905
Artificial Academy 2 General /aa2g/ #1280
Sleeping Edition

Welcome, this general is for the discussion of ILLUSION's Artificial Academy 2.

COPY ERROR MESSAGES WITH CTRL+C, PASTE THEM WITH CTRL+V INTO GOOGLE TRANSLATE. JUST CLICK THE WINDOW AND PRESS CTRL + C, IT WORKS.

>Downloads:
/aa2g/ Pre-Installed Game, AA2Mini: https://tsukiyo.me/AAA/AA2MiniPPX.xml
AAUnlimited updates: https://github.com/aa2g/AA2Unlimited/releases
Anon's Modded Pre-Install: https://pastebin.com/42JS3q6E

>Information:
AA2Mini Install Guide:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vS8Ap6CrmSNXRsKG9jsIMqHYuHM3Cfs5qE5nX6iIgfzLlcWnmiwzmOrp27ytEMX03lFNRR7U5UXJalA/pub
General FAQ:
https://web.archive.org/web/20200216045726/https://pastebin.com/bhrA6iGx
AAU Guide and Resources (Modules, Tans, Props, Poses, and More):
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/17qb1X0oOdMKU4OIDp8AfFdLtl5y_4jeOOQfPQ2F-PKQ/edit#gid=0

>Character Cards [Database], now with a list of every NonOC in the megas:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1niC6g-Xd2a2yaY98NBFdAXnURi4ly2-lKty69rkQbJ0/edit#gid=2085826690
https://db.bepis.moe/aa2/

>Mods & More:
Mods for AAU/AA2Mini (ppx format, the mediafire has everything):
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/vwrmdohus4vhh/Mods
/aa2g/ Modding Reference Guide (Slot lists for Hair/Clothes/Faces, List Guides, and More):
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1gwmoVpKuSuF0PtEPLEB17eK_dexPaKU106ShZEpBLhg/edit#gid=1751233129
Booru: https://aau.booru.org

>HELP! I have a Nvidia card and my game crashes on startup!
Try the dgVoodoo option in the new win10fix settings.
Alternative: Update your AAU and see if it happens again. If so, disable win10fix, enable wined3d and software vertex processing.
>HELP! Required Windows 11 update broke things!
winkey+R -> ms-settings:developers -> Terminal=Windows Console Host

Previous Thread:
>>>/vg/429688447

What is the hardest part of writing? I had in mind "okay, it's about crime and it's set in _____" but have trouble introducing the three main characters. So far it's turning out to be closer to a novelization of "Final Fight" but with more detective work and less fighting, and replace Guy and Cody with a listless Anon-type dork and a woman who's biggest feature is her tight clothes.

It sounds a lot less retarded in my head than here.

>>22082239
please stop spamming your dead general everywhere

>>22082306
>>>/vg/430821905
Artificial Academy 2 General /aa2g/ #1280
Sleeping Edition

Welcome, this general is for the discussion of ILLUSION's Artificial Academy 2.

COPY ERROR MESSAGES WITH CTRL+C, PASTE THEM WITH CTRL+V INTO GOOGLE TRANSLATE. JUST CLICK THE WINDOW AND PRESS CTRL + C, IT WORKS.

>Downloads:
/aa2g/ Pre-Installed Game, AA2Mini: https://tsukiyo.me/AAA/AA2MiniPPX.xml
AAUnlimited updates: https://github.com/aa2g/AA2Unlimited/releases
Anon's Modded Pre-Install: https://pastebin.com/42JS3q6E

>Information:
AA2Mini Install Guide:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vS8Ap6CrmSNXRsKG9jsIMqHYuHM3Cfs5qE5nX6iIgfzLlcWnmiwzmOrp27ytEMX03lFNRR7U5UXJalA/pub
General FAQ:
https://web.archive.org/web/20200216045726/https://pastebin.com/bhrA6iGx
AAU Guide and Resources (Modules, Tans, Props, Poses, and More):
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/17qb1X0oOdMKU4OIDp8AfFdLtl5y_4jeOOQfPQ2F-PKQ/edit#gid=0

>Character Cards [Database], now with a list of every NonOC in the megas:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1niC6g-Xd2a2yaY98NBFdAXnURi4ly2-lKty69rkQbJ0/edit#gid=2085826690
https://db.bepis.moe/aa2/

>Mods & More:
Mods for AAU/AA2Mini (ppx format, the mediafire has everything):
https://www.mediafire.com/folder/vwrmdohus4vhh/Mods
/aa2g/ Modding Reference Guide (Slot lists for Hair/Clothes/Faces, List Guides, and More):
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1gwmoVpKuSuF0PtEPLEB17eK_dexPaKU106ShZEpBLhg/edit#gid=1751233129
Booru: https://aau.booru.org

>HELP! I have a Nvidia card and my game crashes on startup!
Try the dgVoodoo option in the new win10fix settings.
Alternative: Update your AAU and see if it happens again. If so, disable win10fix, enable wined3d and software vertex processing.
>HELP! Required Windows 11 update broke things!
winkey+R -> ms-settings:developers -> Terminal=Windows Console Host

Previous Thread:
>>>/vg/429688447

>>22082313
>>22082313
Report and ignore.
Although one has to wonder why the off-topic spammer feels at home in the anime-seether's thread...

>>22082340
he's literally posting it in various places all over the site

Does anyone have one of those /lit/ charts about writing? I know they're mostly inane but I'm curious.

Does this work? Not sure how I feel using both vortex and maelstrom in the same paragraph but I don't think it is it too bad

>>22082467
I've read your bigfoot thing now once or twice. When is something going to happen in your story? You really need to get past the overly long staring contest, and probably cut it down some.

>>22082236
>if you don't like reading in the first place
nice assumption there, buddy

>>22082522
>jesus louis-sus whaddya mean I gotta read a bunch of books!?
>n-no of course I like reading

>aifag
>bigfootfag
>coomfags
>schlockfags

i'm done with /wg/

"I am a Dark Lord, not a wizard. A common mistake." I realized she did not have the patience to correct herself. "She was carrying a basket of bread to deliver to you."
"Bread? Is this a joke? The only loaf I want is one baked between my legs. And wizard, you're lacking the ingredients to make such miracles."
"My mistake. I shall take my leave."
"Wait! Beggars can't be choosers. Ever since Rory defeated the Dark Lord, I find it difficult to manage the peaceful days. And since you’re here you can help me out. I just need you to do one little thing."
Rory. The sound of those two syllables caused an increase in palpitations inside my heart, but the paladin forced a bigger insult upon my pride. To feign any suspicion, I was forced to smile to his victory. "But of course, completing mundane tasks of all types would only bring benefit toward my cause. What is it that you would have me do?"
"I would need you to make some broth. A special one."
"Broth? That would not be any trouble for a Dark Lord such as myself. Provide me a pail so that I can gather water and other items of substance. It will be done before nightfall."
"Great! I need you to make broth using a special ingredient, a corneous mushroom; I need ten of them."
She handed me a metal pail then slammed the door in my face. I heard some screaming inside but couldn’t make out the words. If I were to compare it to something tangible, it would be similar to the sound a man makes when his flesh becomes flayed and stripped from the magic of succubi. The cries continued and trailed behind me, continuing even as I entered the forest to gather the materials needed.
Broth. A soup consisting of root vegetables, meat, leaves, and any other edibles found. I scanned the forest deciding where to start. As a Dark Lord I could not simply settle for a meal that would only satisfy hunger, it is imperative that I find items suitable for one of my reputation and class. There could be no other.
As luck would have it, I came upon a patch of tulips clearly grown by the locals. I plucked out two tulips and placed them into my pail.
"What are you thinking of doing, thief?"
I turned to my accuser. He was a stout man with a large belly and an unshaven beard. His clothes dirtied from the toils he undertook. Equipped with a straw hat on his head and a hoe in his hand, he stared at me with suspicion and a disapproval similar to that of a jilted witch that lost her heart to one that promised her a ring. I took a moment to decipher the peasant’s accent. Strange the sounds he made weren't typical amongst the commoners. It is as if this man was unique in this regard. Quite bizarre how would come upon to produce such a butchered sound.

>>22082550
"Good day sir. My name is Abyzon Goreheed the Eighteenth and I thank you for your tulips. The roots would satisfy the hunger of the woman living in the giant shoe. Your patronage and generosity is much appreciated in her time of hunger and strife."
"The woman in the shoe? Ignore her. She deserves every shellacking the rest of us inflicted upon her. She is not to be trusted."
"What did she do?"
"She's a thief! Every night I catch her taking corneous mushrooms from my stack in the woods! She takes them faster than they can grow! I've chased her off a few times myself."
"Why not imprison her?"
"Imprison her? Impossible! There isn’t a jury in the world that’ll place her between the stocks!”
“That is certainly a conundrum, but I assure you good servant, when I become the Dark Lord once again. I will return and place her inside the stocks myself.”
“The Dark Lord? Under the Blessings of Rory? Wizard, perhaps you should have less wide eyed ambitions.”
“Perhaps. Nonetheless it is a goal I must achieve.” I did not smile nor scowl. His answer was expected from one of such a lowly birth. “Servant. What fortunes do the mushrooms bring?”
“Ay…of course a wizard would not know.” The man snickered a jeer toward my expense. “Why, taking a single cap into the body would provide the stamina of a horse in the night. It is sought by kings and queens of all the lands. Rumored that even the savior of the world Rory needs it to gain the archpriestess’ trust.”
“Is that so?” I tapped my chin pondering the riddle the man presented to me. Despite my intelligence, I could not find an answer: a mushroom that allows for any man to obtain the stamina of a horse for an entire night. There were no instances in which I could find this item to be of use. Armies have no such use for providing an entire battalion to march to such extremities. The aftereffects would be far too detrimental to their safety and fighting prowess. No such use for a merchant to travel at night as well. Bandits were far too common. Yet, curiosity would best me once again.
“Peasant, the mushroom you speak of is of great interest to me. I too wish to know the power it holds. May I have a few samples?”
“Wizard, I warn you. Do not take it with the woman you seek to help.” The man took a heavy sigh. “But as a fellow man, it pains me to see another that never found himself a warmed bed,” the man said. “Take the tulips as well as tenth mushrooms. Eat only one; no more, until the sun resets.”
“I thank you servant. When I retake my throne, your servitude and loyalty will be aptly compensated.”

>>22082533
find me one fucking general, on any board, that isn't cursed like this

>>22082555
He nodded in approval and I took my leave toward the house where the little girl fled. It did not take long to find a small cottage with empty flower beds, overgrown flora, and moss grown stones stacked high enough to hold a faded colored roof. Luckily the chimney expunged a column of smoke.
I knocked on the door and a queer sound of falsehoods blurted out from behind the door.
“Come in.” The voice stretched the words to feign a seduction that caused fear more so than temptation.
There I saw the would-be siren huddled inside his bed. A large snout made a majority of his face. This man’s hideousness became far more unpleasant especially when equipped with facial hair resembling matted fur more than the wisp-like face I was accustomed to. Fangs glistened from his saliva and his eyes were equipped with an aura that indicated malice and misfortune to those wishing for its company.
“Good day. I am here to seek out a little girl with a red hood. Have you seen her?”
“A wizard?” The voice deepened to a masculine tone. “The girl failed again. When I said I wanted someone pure, I meant a pure woman, not a man.”
“Purity in the soul takes many forms and all a mark of virtue, but do not mistake my purity to be one of benevolence.”
“The girl is in the back.” He revealed a long pointed claw and gestured toward the hallway.
I followed grandfather’s directions and entered the kitchen. A pleasant smell filled the room and it came from the little girl who was stirring a pot filled with all sorts of ingredients. She did not notice my presence and was far too preoccupied to worry about such trivial matters. Her focus was her meal. Slices of bread were placed on a nearby plate and two empty bowls sat on a tray. I tapped the floor with my foot and she finally turned around to acknowledge me.
“Smelly wizard man! You finally came!” The little girl said.
“I have indeed arrived in this town and have kept my promise to deliver you to your grandfather. A quest well completed,” I said.
“Would you like to join us for dinner?” she asked.
“It would be the most deserving of rewards.”
I sat next to grandpa but it was quite uncomfortable on account his arms were far too large. His elbow found itself wedged between my ribs, but as a Dark Lord, I maintained my composure and grace. I may not be in control of my castle, but a commitment toward regality must be expected. A large snout dipped into his bowl and with manners were typical of those of a lower caste. He slid his large tongue into the broth and slurped up the contents without any consideration to the sound or mess. I watched him lift his bowl high above his head and poured the remaining contents into his stomach. The little girl finished her dinner and fell asleep in her room.

>>22082562
“Wizard,” grandpa said, “how did you like my granddaughter’s cooking?”
“Her skills with a ladle and pot are second to none.”
He let out a hearty chuckle. “It’s a shame really. Her parents perished long ago and now I am left to tend to her.”
“How about her grandmother? She trekked from Stoneberg. Surely the two of you could amend your troubles for the sake of your granddaughter.”
“Truth be told wizard, I am not her real grandfather. She calls me such due to a reason I do not know. Nonetheless, she has her uses.”
“I have little reason to continue prying about your personal life, but I do wish to know, you mentioned you wished to have her bring a pure woman. Is that your goal?”
“So you heard me wizard.” He stares intensely into my eyes, to judge whether or not I could be trusted with a secret he clearly harbored far too long. “If you know of such a dame, I would be most indebted to you.”
“I may know of one. She lives in the giant shoe back in Ding Dong Village.”
“Is that so? Then tomorrow morning, I would like you to introduce me to this woman.”
“That can be arranged, but in return, I wish for assistance in finding a path toward Castle Doomsday.”
“The fisherman living in the delta may be of help.”
“Much appreciated.”
The morning arrived and I escorted the hairy man to the woman living inside the shoe. The little girl bid farewell to her grandfather and I and rushed back toward Stoneberg. Three knocks.
“Who’s there?” the woman inside asked.
“It is I, Abyzon Goreheed the Eighteenth. I have returned with the mushrooms you seeked.”
“The wizard?” The door opened and in front of us was a woman with frazzled hair, sweating rosy skin, eyes filled with unrest, and a pout of frustration. “I needed the mushrooms yesterday!”
“Much apologies madam. I will take my leave now.”
“Wait!” the woman pulled the bag in my hand. “Give me the mushrooms and eat one!”
“Madam, I must confess that I have a strong distaste for mushrooms. Although I will consume such morsels, it is not in my nature to have the fungus for breakfast.”
“I have no such issues,” my companion said. He dug his claws into my bag and pulled out three large caps. He popped one into his snout and licked his lips.
I watched as the woman’s lips suddenly stretched wider than the river back in Stoneberg. She immediately grabbed grandfather’s arm and shoved me to the side. The door slammed in my face.
“Woman! Where is my reward?” I asked.
“You missed it last night!” a voice yelled back.
Shame. Punctuality and haste were highly sought after traits cherished by even those of the lower castes. Being a Dark Lord for so long dwindled my ability to recognize the laborious sacrifices my underlings committed to. From the Imperial Guards to my lowly skeleton maid, it was their workmanship that allowed Castle Doomsday to function. Although I failed this quest, I obtained a far more valuable treasure

>>22082567
>>22082562
>>22082555
>>22082550
Now I'm stuck. I don't know what misadventures the Dark Lord Abyzon should undertake next.

Any ideas?

>>22082191
You don't need to read "200" books, and you certainly don't need to read 200 *good* books in order to be a good writer. Excluding certain philosophical novels that I was interested in, I haven't finished a novel in probably over 10 years. Maybe 15 years. I picked up writing about 8 years ago. You know what I've been reading? Fan fics and web novel writing, good and bad. And if you have a good and curious eye, you will learn a lot from both. You can easily get the skills of a commercial grade writer like this. As for narrative skills, you can pick these up from any medium - it doesn't have to be books. The real tricky skills to learn are all about the overarching structure of the novel - you learn these, overwhelmingly, by writing.
The other stuff, as I said, you can get from any writing, and also from just having good taste and having a good head on your shoulders.
If I needed to read a lot of books, I never would've even taken a crack at writing.

>>22082557
Shit, the schizo who shows up sometimes to complain about being genetically incapable of writing, or drawing, or doing anything right, because they lack talent, has also done the exact same thing on the fortnite general on /vg/.
It was a little bit mind blowing for me to look at the posting style and see that the boogieman of the thread who was gone for months was someone I already knew from here.
Generals are consistent places to show up and shit up. Then these people think that because they show up, they are owed attention, not realizing they are infamous, not famous.

>>22082467
Pro-tip: if you want something to be scary, use short, decisive sentences that describe fast action.

>>22082569
your incompetent dark lord needs a highly competent underling who joins for his/her own reasons

>>22082612
i've had that as well. anons from /wg/ on /vg/ and /g/, doing their obvious equivalent of avatarposting so they were easy to identify. and it really only takes 1-2 anon to derail any thread.

>>22082612
Psychos and schizos who get ejected from all other parts of the internet settle into 4chan generals and use all their energy to prevent any form of discussion. You can only have a good conversation on this site if it's off topic in some random thread on an unrelated board.

I am tilted. I keep getting new ideas for stories.
I had finally resolved to write one single, specific story. I prepared enormous docs full of notes about it. Then just today, randomly, I got another story idea - something shifted emotionally, and now I want to write this too. I want to write both. I know I can only do one, but I want to do both. And if I were to do both, I am sure I would want to write a third one simultaneously, too.
This sucks.

>>22082607
The 200 figure seems pulled out of thin air and maybe that post was too strong. I bet you can get to commercial grade that way.
But while you can learn from bad and mediocre writing, I find I get a lot more insight from great writing. Nabokov alone made my writing quite a bit better. If you really can't push yourself to read that kind of thing then sure, do keep writing anyway, but you're missing out.
Taste and curiosity is enough to make your writing less bad, to notice when something isn't working and change it until it does. This is an important skill, maybe the most important skill. But it's a very inefficient way to make your writing more good, to find non-obvious techniques to elevate your writing, because you'd have to come up with them yourself.
A lot of books have given me powerful moments of insight when I saw them do things I'd never even considered. I get those much more rarely from fanfics and other amateur writing (though it has happened on occasion).

>>22082502

I went from rewriting to it being about a random guy who encounters Big Foot in the woods to it being about a guy who learns he inheritied some sort of estate from his family but needs to sacrifice his daughter as a forest bride to Big Foot if he wants him and his family to keep being prosperous but he winds up sedating his family in their sleep and kills himself via immolsion in the forest out of shame for what his ancestors did by making deals with these creatures

>>22082702

I also forgot to mention to anons who constantly rewrite how much does your original piece wind up looking from what you set it out to be? I think mine still has what I want going from it but with rewrites I was happier with the end product quite a lot it just wound up looking slightly different from what I set out to do even though it wasn't intentional

>>22082670
Conversely, I think the things you learn from bad and mediocre writing are things you will be hard pressed to learn by reading good writing. Seeing flaws in mediocre writers can also allow you to see them in yourself, while a good writer will simply not have those flaws.
I don't discourage reading. But I don't think being a bookworm is a necessary precondition for being a good writer.

>>22081768
>>22081829

I understand where you're coming from, but the "fat" is very much intentional in this specific case. There are plenty of other scenes where I use much leaner dialogue.

>>22082667
Flip a coin, let luck decide. You are never going to get anything done if you just spend your time thinking about stories instead of writing them.
Maybe once you really start, you will feel that pull to write it more.

>>22082532
>being a functioning adult and having a job and several other responsibilites in life = not liking reading
kek

>>22082724
I've never felt that so strongly, but then I also have relatively little trouble reading back my own work with fresh eyes and noticing my own fuckups. I go about editing my own work in much the same way as editing other people's.
You don't strictly need to read great text to be a good writer but you might need it to be a great writer, and it'll help you regardless.

>>22082562
>>22082567
Wait a minute... Is the grandfather the big bad wolf? And he's fucking the woman in the shoe?

>>22082745
if you're an adult you already should have read near 200+ books

>>22082745
what are you saying, you don't have time to read?

>>22082533
See you tomorrow!

>>22082865
yes, i work 11 hours a day + 6 hrs every 2nd saturday, have piano lessons 2 times a week, and i try to go to the gym as much as much as possible. i have virtually no time for reading.

>2023
>still using shit like Thesaurus.com and Dictionary.com
>not just alt tabbing to this

https://houdiniwords.com/

If Ogden Nesmer is in this thread, please reply to this post as I have some questions about your book.

>>22082951
cool resource anon, thank you

>>22082951
This is actually pretty fucking sick, did you make this?

>>22082746
>and it'll help you regardless.
We're certainly in agreement there.
>>22082937
Good for you, I think? If you're living the life you want, what do you care for writing?
>>22082879
Funny pic.

>>22082951
woag

>>22082937
brutal, hope it all works out. unfortunately if you have aspirations as a writer, you do need to read.

is "deadly serious" a coherent descriptor? does it sound silly if used as in "John always carries himself with a deadly serious demeanor"

>>22083035
It should either be "dead serious" or "deadly, serious demeanor" in that it's either extremely serious or deadly and serious

>>22083035
>>22083043
>"John always carries himself with a deadly serious demeanor"
also this is something you might want to show (not tell)

>>22076810
>being this autistic about dialogue tags
This image is tempting me to deliberately format them wrong from now on.

>>22082951
>>22082973
Results:

Synonyms: gourmand, epicure, gluttonous, greedy, insatiable, rapacious.

Antonyms: abstemious, moderate, ascetic, frugal, austere.

Rhymes: button, mutton, sudden, madden, trodden.

Lovecraftian alternative: The Devourer of Worlds.

Metaphors and Similes: As greedy as a glutton. A bottomless pit of hunger, like a glutton. The gluttonous feast of indulgence. Like a moth to a flame, the glutton was drawn to the feast.

Idioms and Phrases: To eat like a glutton. Glutton for punishment. Gluttonous appetite. Glutton of excess.

Definition: A person who eats and drinks excessively or voraciously.

Etymology: From the Old French glouton, meaning "voracious person."

Short blurb: The glutton sat at the table, eyes fixed on the feast before him. He ate and drank with reckless abandon, oblivious to the stares and whispers of those around him.

Usage tip: Glutton is a strong word that can be used to describe excessive behavior in a variety of situations, not just eating and drinking. Use with caution and consider the tone and context of your writing.

>pretty based

>He's.

I'm going to do it bros
I'm going to get an agent, published, and make substantial money from that debut; gonna be a full time writer y'know. Yea!

>>22083205
Based, go for it

>>22083205
if you need a cheap editor with a large penis, let me know

What should I do with my progression fantasy's system? It isn't set in China and I don't like stat screens. Am I SOL?

>>22083252
The laziest thing is probably just to have some kind of global ranking with the strongest people in the world and have your characters steadily rise in rank as the story progresses.

Breaking

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PQTQ4O3iiBY

>>22082951
>>still using shit like Thesaurus.com and Dictionary.com
They are fine and don't take two minutes to load. Stop shilling your AI shit.

>>22083259
>one thousand views in 24 hours

I gotta hand it to the guy. He has a big following now. Probably the biggest following on /wg./

>>22083281
>/wg./
Is this the correct way to write board names, just like how you're supposed to put the punctuation before the closing quote no matter what?

>>22083291
No; the slashes aren't opening and closing markers, they are part of the name. You should treat it like a proper noun.

>>22083265
I prefer wordhippo for synonyms, much more comprehensive than thesaurus.com

>>22083291
>makes a typo
>makes another post to pretend it wasn't a typo
>correction post has another typo
Frankie, my dear boy, shut the fuck up.
Stop pretending that you aren't shilling yourself, just take part in the discussion as another user.

>>22082250
Translating my elaborate and thoroughly crafted ideas into well-written text.

>>22082250
>What is the hardest part of writing?
finding people willing to read your writing

What do you guys use for grammar checks? I use grammarly but it never tells me about tense mistakes

https://pasteio.com/xOWFKmxcjyPQ

Should I change their names?

>>22083548

I use quilbot it's free and fairly decent if I'm not so sure on something I wrote and I want a quick review

>>22080993
>most people here will never be soda-brained enough to read a litRPG, let alone write one.
I have never read one, but I'm working on a setting that is dangerously close to a litrpg. It's a very "gamey" world with demigod like charters, evil monsters that drop money on death etc. Magic also works a lot like computer code.
I would like to think of it as a fantasy take on The Matrix but if not, the joystick I use to play Guilty Gear should have a cord long enough to hang myself with.

>>22083259
>>22083281
Just report for "advertising/begging" and ignore.
Left unanswered is why he would bother to shill here if he was legitimately getting 1000 views in the first 24 hours.
He knows damn well his daddy's money is buying third-world viewers on Fiverr.

>>22082019
Nice to see there's at least one other LitRPG based on TTRPGs, and not video-games.
I just went through my LitRPG and added stat-blocks for the characters, enemies, traps, haunts, etc.
Hopefully that'll be more to the liking of RoyalRoad's readers...?

>>22083548
>>22083612
I’ve never used a grammar checker. Do they actually work? My English is pretty good so I’ve never really needed it; is it capable of more advanced checks?

>>22083634
don't overdo it
most readers don't want crunchy true-to-real-games litrpg

>>22083645
I added the stat-blocks in the "author's notes" at the end of the chapter. Hopefully that's not too intrusive, and gives the crunch-fans something to crunch on.

>>22083234
>with a large penis
post pic

>>22076848
>femanon
nobody tell him

>1000 words for my main, which is like pulling teeth
>1500 for my more enjoyable less presigious side project
>too drunk to continue

>>22083979
I can only bear to write at all when somewhat intoxicated because my sober self feels that anything I write is gay as I write it, and I end up deleting it all. But the result of this is that when I look back at anything I've written once I am sober again, it's full of incredibly stupid errors that I never would have made.
The key is to convince yourself to go through and fix things once sober while ignoring the fact that the content itself is cringe. This is because you are conditioned to believe that your own authenticity is cringe--other people do not read it that way. Nobody actually enjoys reading dripping ironic work unless it's actual masterclass stuff.

>>22083657
That's a good play desu. I'd read it. LitRPG is one of those weird genres that I want to like because conceptually it feels like a really interesting venue for critique of the modern world through a gameified lens, but which I cannot stand most of the time because I'm a bit too old to have ever cared for the MMO genre.

please give me a writing prompt. i am practicing.
i will post whatever trash i manage in a reply

>>22084037
The Monkey King WuKong meets King Kong

The two battle it out to see WHO is the true MASTER OF THE APES!!!

>>22084037
I would also like a writing prompt. Something that isn't movie related

>>22084002
I never played MMO video games either.
One reason is I think I'd find them too addicting. Having to find other people to play D&D with keeps my obsessive hobby in check.
But D&D was first released in 1974, and although you could be too old to have encountered that, I think that's unlikely.

>>22084059
The Masque of the Red Death joins a party of maskers and people keeping 6 feet apart. It is unable to kill anyone but the people die anyways because of other circumstances.

This is just a draft of a section of my story, it'd about 2260 pages in. This one involves a man locating children in the Russian wilderness who have supernatural powers and may be able to save his life.

I understand if no one reads what I wrote because it's in pen (but I'm going to post it anyway because i still would like some feedback of anyone is willing to read it), but please answer this question for me: what is your opinion on the BOOX e-ink tablets, or even just e-ink tablets in general? I've been considering purchasing one because I will be able to type things up and draw (and hopefully compile them all into one convenient location) out images that will help me with my story. I have an iPad, but I have yet to look into any apps that may fulfill a similar role to the tablet i asked about.

>>22076330
It was not bad, but it was not fantastic. It was interesting enough for me not to have to force myself to read all three portions, but it was just relatively predictable/safe. Maybe that's what you were aiming for, though. I did like the callback to the perfect day thing, though.

>>22084047
ugh, alright

>>22084047
>>22084103
i take it back, i surrender.
'ate monkeys
'ate action
'ate chinese (mythology)
simple as

it helped my come up with other ideas though, thanks

>>22084092
Your handwriting's fine but man I've gotten so used to never having to read hand writing. I wonder if I should do some writing in pen.

>>22084153
How about an idea I've had in my head, but not written yet.
During the death of the old west, one of the last real frontier towns has a sheriff named Copperhead who is a golem.
He has to deal with both more mundane issues like rustlers and the supernatural like curses, local gods of the tribes that have been broken and weakened, things like that.
My story, when I finally write it, would actually follow a journalist who is sent from Ohio to Texas to chronicle the death of the west as a deputy to Copperhead.
I don't think I should describe the sheriff or the journo because if you write it, I wouldn't want to plant any ideas about how they should act.