/lit/ - Literature

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/wg/ - Writing General Anonymous Tue Nov 15 17:24:17 2022 No.21260544 [Reply] [Original]

Mask off edition

/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 should be ignored and reported.

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

Thread theme:
https://youtu.be/Gw4gIC343uc

Previous thread:
>>21250373

>>	Anonymous Tue Nov 15 17:28:20 2022 No.21260557 what does everyone's writing schedules look like? Do you have pages per day targets or do you set time aside and write as much as you can in that time? I was very productive for most of last year and now my mojo is gone

>>	Anonymous Tue Nov 15 17:32:31 2022 No.21260567 I recently learned a tip of writing long summaries of the story from each character's 1st person perspective and it makes things so much easier to visualize about how each individual will react to different circumstances.

>>	Anonymous Tue Nov 15 17:32:57 2022 No.21260568 Got a really solid review on RR for my ongoing fantasy novel. Feels very rewarding. Just wanted to share that.

>>	Anonymous Tue Nov 15 17:33:22 2022 No.21260569 File: 50 KB, 550x400, 1668519505264294.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google] Thread theme?

>>	Anonymous Tue Nov 15 17:34:17 2022 No.21260571 Fuck it. My book will never be good enough.

>>	Anonymous Tue Nov 15 17:36:09 2022 No.21260576 >>21260571 that's what editing is for anon >>21260568 good job anon!

>>	Anonymous Tue Nov 15 17:36:37 2022 No.21260578 >>21260557 >get an idea at 2am >write 600 words on my phone >repeat at random intervals at 2am.

>>	Anonymous Tue Nov 15 18:05:35 2022 No.21260700 >>21260569 Gives the thread a little S O V L

>>	Anonymous Tue Nov 15 18:11:10 2022 No.21260716 how do I stop using weed to write?

>>	Anonymous Tue Nov 15 18:19:24 2022 No.21260736 How do I know what scenes to include in my novel? Also what prices should you charge for your ebooks? Is $12 too much for fiction?

Anonymous Tue Nov 15 18:20:01 2022 No.21260741

>>21260716
Anon mentioned "active imagination" last thread. Its a Jungian technique to meditate on certain things. It can be helpful in imaging scenes. I tried it yesterday and was pretty fun. Youtube has some primers.
Funny thing is I'm just about to go and smoke a j for the first time in a while, been feeling a very distinct lack of creativity lately.

Anonymous Tue Nov 15 18:21:24 2022 No.21260743
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>>21258679
Keep on penning Anon, it's gonna get better. Editing/pruning your text is the bread and butter of writing. Also, read this: https://wrd.as.uky.edu/sites/default/files/1-Shitty%20First%20Drafts.pdf

>>	Anonymous Tue Nov 15 18:23:10 2022 No.21260747 What would "the voice of the millennial generation" sound like? What would you want to hear about in that story?

>>	Anonymous Tue Nov 15 18:23:49 2022 No.21260750 File: 19 KB, 339x500, cover shot 2.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google] >>21260544 I made it and so can you anon

Anonymous Tue Nov 15 18:25:34 2022 No.21260755

>>21260741
thanks I'll look into that.
>Funny thing is I'm just about to go and smoke a j for the first time in a while, been feeling a very distinct lack of creativity lately.
the problem is that it does work, but I can only do a small amount of writing each day because I can't focus

>>	Anonymous Tue Nov 15 18:32:39 2022 No.21260779 >>21260576 Even after editing it will never be good. And I can't afford a $2000 editor

>>	Anonymous Tue Nov 15 18:34:25 2022 No.21260787 >>21260779 it's probably better than you think, maybe post an excerpt? >>21260750 >real name on 4chan brave man

Anonymous Tue Nov 15 18:37:36 2022 No.21260798

>>21260755
>that it does work
Yeah I have the same sorts of problems I think. Its good for getting an entire sense of a story "all at once" and I usually write down most of it that I can, but my truble is the grinding that's required. What I'm left with is a notebook full of ideas and nothing completed.

The active imagination work I think is going to be a helpful practice for the grinding part as well. I had some good results last night and I just might share them ITT if I can manage to edit them into a shareable state for you anons.

>>	Anonymous Tue Nov 15 18:38:07 2022 No.21260801 >>21260787 And be associated with 4chan? Lol no

>>	Anonymous Tue Nov 15 18:40:33 2022 No.21260810 Who honestly cares about being "associated with 4chan" just let go our your fucking ego already. Frank is going to dominate on YouTube. Learn something from him.

>>	Anonymous Tue Nov 15 18:40:48 2022 No.21260811 i will be a trab pubbed YA author in two years...

Anonymous Tue Nov 15 18:41:12 2022 No.21260816

>>21260801
that means you intend to release it one day
which means that some part of you knows it is good

>>21260798
I've managed to get through that grind before by setting a timer, but that's got a bit stale for me now

enjoy your j I'm sure it'll help you get some words out tonight

>>	Anonymous Tue Nov 15 18:41:31 2022 No.21260818 >>21260810 Could someone critique my cuckold story? Tell me what I can improve on in my future stories. https://wordpress.com/post/dickhicks.wordpress.com/196 >>21260811 Have you been signed? Have you written something?

>>	Anonymous Tue Nov 15 18:42:33 2022 No.21260824 >>21260818 wrong link https://dickhicks.wordpress.com/2022/11/13/mother-fucks-daughter-ffcuckold/?preview=true

Anonymous Tue Nov 15 18:55:46 2022 No.21260893

>>21260538
Yeah, it's comfy as hell. I live in the Sierras. My utilities are like 1/4-1/8 the price of cityfags (California) and my property tax is almost nonexistent due to a loophole with a giveaway for boomers. Groceries also aren't a million dollars out here. My cost of living is so much lower that I'm probably only making like 1/2 what I used to and I only work 40 hours a week if even now.

This post might seem like bragging (and it is!!!), but many anons refuse to take the comfy plunge and stick to their deluded "grindset". Your cabin in the woods is waiting for you anons.

>>	Anonymous Tue Nov 15 18:57:36 2022 No.21260905 >>21260893 how do i get a cabin in the woods? Will i suicide if im a neet antisocial mentally ill loser?

Anonymous Tue Nov 15 19:08:39 2022 No.21260959

>>21260905
Look for federally-owned lands in weird places and apply for jobs at all of them then just move close to work in the woods. That's what I did. If you have basically any undergraduate degree and aren't scared of the outdoors and firearms, they want you.

The small towns around these places have more homes than people and you can pick one up for nothing and your utilities will be cheap too. The downside for me personally is we only have bad satellite internet. You may be able to swing a place that has fiber/good cable and that should be taken into account.

As far as suicide, your mileage may vary, but I am far mentally healthier now and no longer suicidal. Making big dollars in one of the most expensive neighborhoods in the country made me consider roping all the time by contrast. If you'd given me a gun then I'd probably have done it. Now I am happy all the time.

If you are a khv, the people you will meet out here are also just way more enjoyable to be around. I'm not looking for a relationship personally, but if there is anywhere some poltard will find his tradwife, a bumfuck small town out here is probably a good place to start.

>>	Anonymous Tue Nov 15 19:30:03 2022 No.21261056 >>21260568 post the review, anon

>>	Anonymous Tue Nov 15 19:36:32 2022 No.21261084 File: 179 KB, 1712x599, reviews.png [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google] >>21261056 i'm always down to hype my own meat friend

>>	Anonymous Tue Nov 15 19:52:49 2022 No.21261151 >>21260295 >The endorsement from Butcher. I used to like his work but now that i've started writing it just makes me angry how bad it is.

Anonymous Tue Nov 15 20:45:48 2022 No.21261288

>>21260557
I just write after work on the rare afternoons that I can be bothered.

>>21260567
Sounds like a pretty useful idea. Going to file that away and use it sometime.

>>21260747
Read Sally Rooney. People might not want to hear it, but that is the author of the millennials.

>>	Anonymous Tue Nov 15 20:48:42 2022 No.21261300 >>21261151 Yeah but it sells. 99.9% of authors would kill to write like him.

Anonymous Tue Nov 15 20:56:11 2022 No.21261320
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>try starting a royal road isekai fantasy thing
>it's mediocre and I lose interest
>switch to a different royal road litrpg idea
>it's good and I'm writing it almost twice as fast and now I don't want to waste it on royal road

>>	Anonymous Tue Nov 15 20:59:37 2022 No.21261329 >>21261320 i know that feel. Have you had any other ideas on where to publish it as a serial? I've been eyeballing the idea of Amazon, but unsure how to build a following.

>>	Anonymous Tue Nov 15 21:01:09 2022 No.21261331 >>21261084 shit is that kill bill anon? i haven't seen you in months here

>>	Anonymous Tue Nov 15 21:10:58 2022 No.21261368 >>21261329 >Have you had any other ideas on where to publish it as a serial nope, and it's going on Royal Road anyway because it's designed for the website. It's just that the main character turned out to be colorful than I intended him to be

>>	Anonymous Tue Nov 15 21:21:28 2022 No.21261412 >>21260959 What state are you talking about brother?

Anonymous Tue Nov 15 21:21:52 2022 No.21261414
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Let's swap critiques, if any anon critiques my writing (~800 words) I'll give them a critique in return. I posted in the old thread a few hours ago too but I'm bandwagoning on the fresh thread.
>https://litter.catbox.moe/5cf6ri.pdf
This kind of fiction probably isn't this board's cup of tea. But it's for a writing contest, so I still have time to take feedback and resubmit it, and this site is really fast paced. (One of the sentences near the top is from The Great Gatsby, that's not plagiarism, it's just one of the requirements for the challenge.)
This is pretty representative of the level I'm currently writing at, so I'm looking for hard advice on my voice and style that could help me break through to an agent or genre publisher. I know I'm improving since I've started getting follow-ups and personalized rejection letters on my queries, but still alas no offers. Some advice on what I'm lacking could make my career.

>>	Anonymous Tue Nov 15 21:24:41 2022 No.21261426 how do you come up with scenes? I'm trying to write the first act of my novel >>21261320

>>	Anonymous Tue Nov 15 21:29:45 2022 No.21261449 >>21260544 that movie any good?

>>	Anonymous Tue Nov 15 21:30:01 2022 No.21261451 >>21261426 do you mean the content or are you asking about structure?

>>	Anonymous Tue Nov 15 21:39:46 2022 No.21261493 >>21261288 >Sally Rooney Any particular reason why? I'm going to struggle mustering the interest to read about an Irish Becky unless there is a payoff somewhere. So far she litterally isnt me.

>>	Anonymous Tue Nov 15 21:44:12 2022 No.21261512 >>21260578 Are you...me? I hate that 2am is the only time I'm confident enough to tackle my ideas :(

>>	Anonymous Tue Nov 15 21:45:43 2022 No.21261517 >>21261426 I think of them

Anonymous Tue Nov 15 21:51:02 2022 No.21261534

>>21261426
Do you have any of what people call life experience? Have you done anything interesting? That's a decent place to jump off from.
My ideas are a mox of the interesting places I've been and the interesting things I've done, but also I appreciate the mundane aspects of life. Slice of life kinds of tales.
A good portion come from the interactions I have with people IRL after I have taken a puff or two off the ol cannabis cigarette. My mind wanders and I imagine a full short story based off a simple interaction.

Unlike many here, I don't do much of any fantasy scenarios. Closest thing I get to that is "weird realism" but usually it always starts with a good old fashioned mundane setting.

>>	Anonymous Tue Nov 15 21:54:39 2022 No.21261549 >>21261534 >>21261451 I mean about how to create a unity of scenes. How do I know what scenes to put into my story?

Anonymous Tue Nov 15 21:55:01 2022 No.21261553

>>21261414
Overall I enjoyed it.
All I really have are nitpicks.
>Few knew his face, but
his threat spanned far and wide
I would replace threat with something like influence.
>which gave me the license I needed to move
conspicuously
I would replace license with something more like opportunity. Rather than being given permission, he's more seizing and opportunity.
>I knew how to put on a farce
Farce should probably be something like facade. Like: "I knew how to maintain a facade"
>I flinched a little
Depending on how well-trained an assassin he is he probably shouldn't flinch. Maybe internally, but his exterior should remain cold.

Really, grasping at straws here. I enjoyed it.

>>	Anonymous Tue Nov 15 21:56:51 2022 No.21261562 >>21261412 I'm in California now. I used to live in NYC and D.C.

>>	Anonymous Tue Nov 15 21:58:59 2022 No.21261567 >>21260544 https://pastebin.com/490KF3fx I updated the thing I posted a weeks ago and added somethibgs to it. Thanks in advance if anyone reads it. I also changed it so its more of a scene leading up to something rather than tje zenith itself.

Anonymous Tue Nov 15 22:00:45 2022 No.21261572

Fellas, is it a bad sign if you're struggling to find comps released in the last 3-5 years for your novel like agents want you to? I wrote a demon invasion story, but the majority of demon fiction I see when combing through recent search results are supernatural romance.

>>21260811
Good luck, though I hope your protagonist is female or LGBT, otherwise you're going to have a hell of a time.

Anonymous Tue Nov 15 22:01:15 2022 No.21261573

>>21261549
Depends on what type of story it is. If it's a "fast paced" page turner then you should only include scenes that are necessary to tell the story and nothing extra.
But basically sounds like you need to make an outline. The index card method works well at this stage for me. Every scene is its own card, get them all out, maybe put them on the floor or wall, arrange and cut like an artist.
Editors can also help you, but you probably have to rely on a friend or "beta" reader to get feedback.

Anonymous Tue Nov 15 22:02:14 2022 No.21261578
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>>21261534
>Do you have any of what people call life experience?
>My ideas are a mox of the interesting places I've been and the interesting things I've done, but also I appreciate the mundane aspects of life
Don't listen to this anon. This is not how you write scenes. This is how non-writers think you write scenes, "write what you know" is common vernacular advice, like "just write" but worse because it's incorrect as a core principle and will trick you into writing aimless garbage while simultaneously tricking you out of writing what you want to write.
Read Dwight V. Swain for scene principles and pacing, and K. M. Weiland for plotting a story outline.

>>	Anonymous Tue Nov 15 22:04:26 2022 No.21261582 >>21261549 A scene is necessary if it introduces or develops some piece of story relevant information. Think of what the reader is learning in the scene or how it alters characters or moves the plot forward.

>>	Anonymous Tue Nov 15 22:04:47 2022 No.21261584 >>21261578 Let me guess you write fantasy?

Anonymous Tue Nov 15 22:05:24 2022 No.21261587

>>21261549
Fist act is:
1. Opening Image: introducing the conflict, the world and the protagonists psychological weakness or the problem
2. a scene dedicated to the theme (try to show the reader without telling him)
3. Setups: Show all the important information and pieces of your story, you can do that by showing the protag at "work", in his "free time", and "at home"; also in these scenes the external goal/motivation of the protag gets explored
4. inciting event/call to adventure: forced upon the protagonist through external antagonistic forces
5. doubt: show the protag bargaining and refusing the change at work/play/home
6. into the new world: Protagonist makes conscious decision to pursue his goal

these scenes should take about 25% of your story

>>	Anonymous Tue Nov 15 22:06:59 2022 No.21261592 >>21261578 I bet you watched all the Marvel Movies.

>>	Anonymous Tue Nov 15 22:07:19 2022 No.21261593 >>21261578 >he doesn't know what "write what you know" means even tolkien and lovecraft wrote what they knew

Anonymous Tue Nov 15 22:08:37 2022 No.21261598

>>21261553
Thanks anon, you say you're grasping at straws but your vocabulary ideas are fantastic and very helpful, I have already changed a couple of them. Do you have any story you would like me to critique in return? I can critique ~800 words in return.
Also, maybe I should have made this more clear, but the POV character in my sample is a woman.

>>	Anonymous Tue Nov 15 22:08:52 2022 No.21261599 >>21261587 forgot to add, all your scenes should have the protagonistic force compete with the antagonistic force for the goal, speaking in the metaphorical sense

Anonymous Tue Nov 15 22:09:37 2022 No.21261601
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>>21261414
>My target was a powerful man. He ruled the empire through whispers. Few knew his face, but his threat spanned far and wide. And tonight, by my employer's will, he was going to die.
Very redundant/not info dense. Essentially says he's powerful 3 times, just use the 2nd iteration which is most flavorful (he ruled through whispers) and give the guys name eight away if can.

>chandeliers accented marble floors
Nitpick, but pretty sure accented doesn't work here as the chandeliers are separate and across from the floor. Maybe "complimented"?

>There were a lot of misconceptions about assassination.
Depending if you use a framing device this (he's writing this book in the future) this whole paragraph might belong in present tense but isn't wrong as is.

>the ballroom was full
>I followed
Consider looking for stronger verbs in next revision pass

Overall though it's quite good. Doing a lot more right than wrong. Look up how to properly format em dashes which you are using with two regular dashes. Also read/watch some stuff about writing with more specificity (Shealinwrites on YouTube has a nice summary vid on it). I think an edit pass with that, verbs, and brevity in mind could really make it shine.

>>	Anonymous Tue Nov 15 22:10:02 2022 No.21261602 >>21261592 I guarantee marvel movies sell more than your thinly-velied stream-of-consciousness autobiography about that time you took a trip to Alaska with your mom.

>>	Anonymous Tue Nov 15 22:10:46 2022 No.21261606 >>21261578 >>21261534 The best advice I've heard on this subject was: >don't give form to experience, give experience to form

Anonymous Tue Nov 15 22:19:31 2022 No.21261633

>>21261602
How many dragons are in your stories and does it complete the Campbellian story circle? We can both project bullshit on eachother how about a truce.
And besides I said I am into "weird realism" which starts off with normal life and goes beyond. Pure fantasy is not my taste. And yes I'm aware of the box office numbers.

>>	Anonymous Tue Nov 15 22:19:37 2022 No.21261634 >>21261601 Thanks for the powerful advice anon-kun, I have taken some choice notes from your post for my last editing pass. If you have anything of a similar length you would like me to critique in return I will do it.

>>	Anonymous Tue Nov 15 22:23:14 2022 No.21261643 >>21261602 >gets defensive over marvel movies the moment they're brought up go back to /co/ please

Anonymous Tue Nov 15 22:26:21 2022 No.21261654

>>21261598
Ah, makes sense. I was wondering that when the man offered to dance, but I wasn't entirely sure.
>Do you have any story you would like me to critique in return?
That's okay. I don't want to share what I'm working on now just yet. It's in the early stages and I want to keep it 'pure' for the moment.
Good luck with the contest, anon.

>>	Anonymous Tue Nov 15 22:37:56 2022 No.21261698 >>21261084 >pulp fantasy bullshit gets reviews like this when my Kafkaesque urban modern fiction gets nothing i hate my fucking life.

>>	Anonymous Tue Nov 15 22:39:40 2022 No.21261707 >>21261698 Post it. I'll give it a read.

>>	Anonymous Tue Nov 15 22:45:50 2022 No.21261736 >>21261698 Go with the times anon. Write pulp fantasy but inject your Kafkaesque artsy bullshit into it until you gain traction. That's what Lovecraft did.

Tinder date I went on Tue Nov 15 22:47:16 2022 No.21261742
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"I was thinking of going to the Berghoff and trying to communicate with Hitler's ghost" no haha she grimaced at the big H didn't like that one. Fuck shit.
"Is that in Germany? I was in Berlin last year it's nice"
"Yeah I was gonna hike there and bring some candles and shit."
"Candles?"
"Yeah have a mad Hitler séance."
"You like Hitler?"
Side stare grimace. Strain can be plucked and emit a deep bass discomfort. Imagine running away but you run toward.
"Nah but I have like a fascination though especially when I was younger but like you have to appreciate him as a historical personality and orator I think. What about you?"
For fuck sake.
"I think Hitler was um bad."
Jovial? She laughed. Can I push this? Better not oh right she was letting me go with the Berlin shit can't make it all about me and Hitler. Jesus? Gnosticism? Bring up the monad, pleroma?
"Yeah me too I've been reading too much about Stalingrad again haha!"
Do women know about Stalingrad? I wonder if she knows 10,000 men didn't surrender with Paulus' Sixth Army, fought and starved on. Mad Hitlerjugend days I should never tell her about, or the difference between and ethnic civic nationalist, the Brazilification of the world. Can't sit comfortably look her in the eye but not with the passerby both looking but first to look away stop doing that altogether honestly I've nearly been in too many fights.
"Is Berlin any good?"
Touch base let's build from this Christ another woman caught in my Hitlerian snare of unfuckability every fucking time without fail I'm doing it consciously as well it's a reasoned act I've souped it up like a pit stop mechanic and let it whizz purring along the oily black convedational tarmac only it veers off in to the crowd now and the racecar goes tumbling tragedy because in my head we drive with three tires not four. She's been talking. All along.
"... but I'd love to go again because it's like I was hardly there ya'know"
"And what did you say you were studying sorry?"
"I'm in pilot school"
"Nice, impressive."
Patrick Bateman.
My minds eye roves over the Dinaric Alps of former Yugoslavia. I really wish I was in a tent right now and these birds in these trees were elsewhere and real and she was real and still next to me and we could talk without language so I wouldn't be so agitated by her voice and her words with meaning like footsteps above the dead in a graveyard. Not buried yet.
"Night porter work makes you a bit of a zombie, I should get a new job"
"My friend Beliza works as a kitchen porter but it's a day shift,"
"oh"
"nights sound horrible"
"nah yeah nah"
And wouldn't I be more comfortable talking about Hitler and letting my spirit dance like a sylph on a dewy meadow with the NSDAP satyrs clapping their hooves rhythmically in the Thulean wood? And Slyphean spirit completes me and Wagner's not playing and Hitler wanders off in to the hell panel of Hieronymous Bosch triptych because I don't believe in that stuff anymore.

>>	Anonymous Tue Nov 15 22:47:36 2022 No.21261744 >>21261736 by that logic you should be writing romance novels or thrillers

>>	Anonymous Tue Nov 15 22:49:55 2022 No.21261748 >>21261744 I am literally writing a 17th century romantic fantasy thriller in another tab right now. (I'm this anon: >>21261414)

>>	Anonymous Tue Nov 15 22:50:36 2022 No.21261753 >>21261512 The muse comes when she pleases, such is a pantsers life.

Anonymous Tue Nov 15 22:58:00 2022 No.21261788

can i get some encouragement? 85k words into my crime thriller i took a break to focus on getting a job. i have a job now but it's been at least a month or more since i last wrote. how the fuck do i start writing again? the last time i took a look at my manuscript i wanted to vomit because the dialog made me cringe so badly. my current job is copywriting

>>	Anonymous Tue Nov 15 22:59:29 2022 No.21261792 >>21261788 Revise your outline to breathe life into your novel. At 85k words you should be done, not writing still. You can do it anon, figure out what's not working, revise character motivations, and wrap up the story.

>>	Anonymous Tue Nov 15 23:00:22 2022 No.21261794 >Open up word >click page to write/edit >freeze up and do nothing all day why?

>>	Anonymous Tue Nov 15 23:08:18 2022 No.21261815 >>21261794 Try using ink on paper next time.

>>	Anonymous Tue Nov 15 23:16:36 2022 No.21261842 >>21260736 Sounds about right average buy for is around $10 if it's decent enough

Anonymous Tue Nov 15 23:20:39 2022 No.21261856

I'm trying to work on or edit this chapter I've written but I'm pulling a this anon >>21261794
Can some one give me an actual goal I can report back on in a couple of hours at least so I feel some driving obligation to actually work? Tell me to add this many words, or edit this many lines, or anything. God help me.

>>	Anonymous Tue Nov 15 23:22:09 2022 No.21261863 I've started despising stories where every character is some larger than life caricature rather than a believable person

>>	Anonymous Tue Nov 15 23:27:18 2022 No.21261890 >>21260716 Also this. I just don't know why weed makes me forget all judgement and lets me dwell into my most purged and repressed memories with such ease

>>	Anonymous Tue Nov 15 23:34:13 2022 No.21261913 >>21261815 This helps. The presentation of handwriting also encourages editing and development from my experience.

>>	Anonymous Tue Nov 15 23:47:55 2022 No.21261959 >>21261792 thanks anon. i still haven't gotten to the ending and with my pacing i feel like i need roughly another 15k words to get to the climax and wrap everything up

Anonymous Tue Nov 15 23:48:29 2022 No.21261963

>>21261788
>the last time i took a look at my manuscript i wanted to vomit because the dialog made me cringe so badly
learn to laugh at your first drafts
I'd suvgest figuring out where the novel was heading and then planning out a the next couple of scenes

Anonymous Wed Nov 16 00:39:32 2022 No.21262169
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>>21261634
No problem and I wouldn't mind any suggestions on this flash fiction (960 words) from you or others. It's something I spun off from a scene I really liked in book I'm working on, closest thing to horror I'll probably ever manage: https://pastebin.com/UFEm0EPe

>>21261794
Something I try to do is "scout out" the scene before hand. Basically play it out in your imagination, replaying it over and over, all while jotting down rough outline notes (key descriptions and dialogue lines). Then I go back and draft it out properly.

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 00:53:56 2022 No.21262219 >>21261320 How can you 'waste' it? If you want to publish on Amazon later, just remove it from the site.

Anonymous Wed Nov 16 00:56:42 2022 No.21262232
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Currently trying to write a story set in the elder scrolls universe.

How do I keep up with lore things while editing / during the drafting process or just while writing?

(This aplys to all fanasty set in a premade universe and historical settings also)

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 00:58:12 2022 No.21262238 >>21262169 >https://pastebin.com/UFEm0EPe Not the anon you're responding to. Just wanted to say I loved it.

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 01:07:00 2022 No.21262268 Can't stop farting... can't write. So many beans.

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 01:10:37 2022 No.21262286 >>21262268 >sit on toilet with laptop problem solved.

Anonymous Wed Nov 16 01:30:09 2022 No.21262357

>>21262169
I really liked it. I only have a few complaints, and they are nitpicks from the perspective of me if I were a publisher trying to sell your book or a reader who found it in a magazine, I actually think the story is just fine.
But if I am forced to scrutinize, the only two things that might inhibit it are:
1. It reads archaic, like something that was written a century ago. This may be on purpose. I think it works well and the voice is done well, it's just an old-feeling voice that, for me, evoked the tropes I expect from old-timey horror fiction. Which accentuates problem 2:
2. It's a purely psychological story. I didn't read it too closely, but from what I gather, the man read a disturbing book, but there's no climax. It's just him musing on how much the book disturbed him, and the symbolism of it being unfinished. If there are deeper implications being made then the story could benefit from a single scene or paragraph showing just how deranged he has become after reading it, or maybe some chilling comment about how it's affected his interpersonal relationships or his career or something.
But other than that the story is fantastic, especially for flash fiction, and again these are nitpicks for the sake of finding things that might be construed as flaws.
Also,
>I over, again and again, in a slow dawning realization.
This might be a typo.
Godspeed anon.

Anonymous Wed Nov 16 01:39:49 2022 No.21262391

>>21262357 (Me)
This might be too tropey for you but an idea I just had is that it would be a cool is if the narrator so obsessed with the book that he started writing the rest of the book himself, mimicking its degeneracy and filling in the empty pages with his own experiences under the same name, as though the character of the book was so captivating that it possessed the reader's body and lived on through him. Then have an implication that multiple people did the same thing with the book before him, and imply that the book still exists somewhere, still unfinished, ready for another unsuspecting victim to find.

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 01:41:58 2022 No.21262397 >>21260568 Based

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 01:42:59 2022 No.21262401 >>21260736 1 dollar

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 01:47:57 2022 No.21262416 >>21262391 Very r/nosleep

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 01:58:11 2022 No.21262447 >>21262416 I browse /r/nosleep a lot. Imo it's the writing sub with the most potential for greatness, especially with stuff that's been posted there in the past.

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 02:12:52 2022 No.21262494 >>21262447 Have you ever tried posting there? They have too many goddamn rules. https://reddit.com/r/nosleep/wiki/posting_guidelines I've posted 7 stories there, and all were removed for hair-splitting nitpicky reasons. I unsubscribed.

Anonymous Wed Nov 16 02:17:01 2022 No.21262507

>>21261549
What's the very last scene of your story that you can imagine? Write it down. Now what is the immediate cause of that scene? Not what came before it, but what caused it.

e.g if the last scene is "character gets into an argument with his father and storms out of the house" the scene which is the immediate cause of this might be "character finds out (from his mom) that his father committed adultery", the cause of that in turn could be "character drives his mom to the hospital on her request" etc.

You don't have to start at the scene level. You can start with whole acts, then sequences, and then scenes, and then individual beats. Things should arise spontaneously to fill in the gaps and you can always change things if you feel it's not good enough, but your events will always be tightly casual.

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 02:19:54 2022 No.21262518 >>21262391 kek This is a good idea. Reminds me of a thread on /lit/ where a bunch of us collaborated on a story. Of course it was the most vile and disgusting thing you've ever seen, but holy shit was it fun.

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 02:29:21 2022 No.21262551 >>21262518 Here's a collection of such things: https://4chanlit.fandom.com/wiki/Original_Content "The Legacy Of Totalitarianism In A Tundra" was surprisingly readable for being so random.

Anonymous Wed Nov 16 02:57:36 2022 No.21262632
File: 395 KB, 512x512, download.png [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]

>>21262238
Thank you for the encouragement anon, I actually was shopping it around and got all rejections so was in middle of re-editing when other guy was nice enough to ask for a read back. I'll definitely polish it a bit more and try again.

>>21262357
Thank you so much for the feedback and regarding #1 the voice is very intentional and on #2 you hit on probably the core issue - as this is a spin off from a scene early in a book it puts out ideas that aren't resolved until much later. But a bit showing consequences could carry a lot of weight. Appreciate the typo catch!
>>21262391
Funny enough the book plays on similar ideas. The main character is unknowingly reenacting the contents of the book (which are different) and meets the obsessed character who he tricks into lending him the book. MC grows more obsessed with it, and Obsessed guy loses sanity and stalks MC until they team up to reenact the conclusion/learn the true ending. No idea how I could fit that into flash fic without bloating word count like crazy tho.

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 04:58:54 2022 No.21262977 File: 104 KB, 750x698, 0270D517-8FEB-4994-BCAB-AFC950569B6B.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google] Holy shit you guys https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=D5c53bYaBik

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 05:00:28 2022 No.21262983 >>21262977 Holy

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 05:48:41 2022 No.21263101 >>21261300 thats the crux though isn't it. >Write simile stacked YA trash, each book of which is 40% rehashing. >Write what you enjoy in spite of what others want to read. There is only one logical choice

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 05:52:32 2022 No.21263112 >>21263101 Not him, but doing the first one every oncr in a while will help your bottom line. You can also turn out YA trash quickly and get back to what you like.

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 05:55:40 2022 No.21263121 >>21262977 f gardner is prolific youtuber now. f gardner, thanks for your generosity in sharing your thoughts. these videos are compelling and i enjoy them so much

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 06:06:30 2022 No.21263140 File: 335 KB, 1540x1540, 1499579423143-2.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google] I am losing my mind to the gods of Egypt but at least I'm writing

Anonymous Wed Nov 16 06:29:19 2022 No.21263178
File: 2.35 MB, 200x200, 1622908785258.gif [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]

>Man this fantasy story filled with magic about a robot man from the future who's been isekai'd by probably a literal god isn't realistic enough for me.
>Why does this literal machine who thought he was solar powered and didn't know he had to eat food understand wilderness survival perfectly?
It's really hard sometimes to not just tell people that they should probably stop reading because they aren't going to like what's gonna happen. I need a strategy for this that doesn't sound like I'm being an asshole, but also gets people like this to understand that they should probably drop (but ideally not leave a bad rating).

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 06:31:10 2022 No.21263181 >>21263178 >understand *not understand Somehow I managed to delete a word there. Fuck's sake.

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 07:26:03 2022 No.21263281 >>21262977 I have so many questions. Why is F Gardner wearing a kimono in all of these videos? Where the fuck is he? The room he’s in is uncanny as fuck. Is this self parody? Is he actually retarded?

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 07:28:53 2022 No.21263287 >>21263281 F Gardner’s becoming even more like Tommy Wiseau.

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 08:33:48 2022 No.21263400 >>21263281 He's from greater Chicago, afluent upper middle class, bourgeois, that is his parents house. Thirteen more novels and he might be able to live where he grew up, on his own.

Anonymous Wed Nov 16 08:57:24 2022 No.21263456

>be me
>combination of NNN horniness and wife reading shit books like Fifty Shades of Grey convinces me I should write erotic stories for her to enjoy and for me to get laid
>start tonight after she goes to bed
>spent last four hours developing characters in story of love and passion
>have not written one line of erotica
Fuck I'm really bad at this

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 09:14:23 2022 No.21263495 >>21263400 Gardner sounds based.

Anonymous Wed Nov 16 12:20:13 2022 No.21263796

>>21263400
Not at the rate his "books" aren't selling.
He can post videos, he can samefag on here, but he can't fake sales.
And here's the actual record of Amazon rankings for his latest brain-dropping:
Day 1: #250723
Day 2: #191277 (hot damn! a sale!)
Day 3: #316013
Day 4: #434243
Day 5: #538055
Day 6: #637984
Plummeting like a rock.

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 12:23:37 2022 No.21263799 >>21263796 He actually got a sale? Maybe it's not so hopeless after all. I'm going to write 50 more words this week.

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 12:25:46 2022 No.21263806 >>21263456 You always write what you want the most. I think you need to lay pipe with your lady and tell her you love her.

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 12:49:08 2022 No.21263858 >>21263806 >he loves his wife That's pretty gay anon

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 13:12:38 2022 No.21263892 >>21263799 For being the self-proclaimed king of /lit/, his track record is shit.

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 13:17:03 2022 No.21263904 >>21263112 Imagine actually believing this.

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 13:18:49 2022 No.21263905 Don't lie /wg/ you fags love YA fantasy. Even when people post excerpts that aren't YA, you complain there's not enough YA shit in it

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 13:46:16 2022 No.21263950 >>21262219 It's more like it feels like something I could try to get trad published

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 14:00:14 2022 No.21263980 >>21263905 I don't like YA and I don't like fantasy. I can't even think of a single YA fantasy that's been relevant since Harry Potter

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 14:01:28 2022 No.21263982 >>21263456 Most erotica has a lot of build up. Women enjoy different porn than men

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 14:27:14 2022 No.21264029 any tips for writing romance? I got million dollar idea but I'm a virgin who has kissed less than a handful of girls

Anonymous Wed Nov 16 14:28:12 2022 No.21264032

I'm writing several chapters of my characters building a brick shelter from scratch. Barely any tools, starting with sticks and mud and gradually making everything they need. Been watching youtube videos of people who make shelters in a primitive way. The ones where they don't speak and its kind of like asmr.

This is my B plot (though its in the present) and the A plot for the between chapters involves more dramatic stuff happening in the past that the characters have been through.

I wonder if I'm boring my readers with a slow build of a shelter over the course of several chapters. I think its particularly unique in the sense that I'm not going to allow some easy tragedy to roll in and fuck up the build in the story. I feel like 99% of modern fiction would have the shelter be destroyed after its built for easy drama.

I'm not going to do that. The shelter is going to stay as an example of the character's hard work.

They're building the shelter because they want to keep goats for milk.

Anyway just sharing because I'm bored. I guess I'm also thinking about how most writers are so fixated on plot and act structures that they wouldn't spend the time to have a character build a shelter over the course of several chapters because it would slow down the story. For me its about building character and grounding the story in something real. Whereas in other story when they're 50k words in they're more likely to want to rush to the next big battle or dramatic moment.

I just keep in mind how fucking slow The Fellowship of the Ring is. Love that book.

/blog.

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 14:42:17 2022 No.21264068 >>21263980 Game of thrones

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 14:44:10 2022 No.21264070 >>21263980 Hunger Games was kinda relevant for a year or so

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 14:50:15 2022 No.21264080 >>21263980 Witcher?

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 15:08:34 2022 No.21264132 >>21264032 You already bored me in one paragraph, never mind seven chapters

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 15:49:32 2022 No.21264233 >>21264132 wu-hay

Anonymous Wed Nov 16 15:57:08 2022 No.21264262

>>21264032
>I wonder if I'm boring my readers with a slow build of a shelter
What is the story about though? It could be very interesting if it is showing aspects of character/interesting themes - there's that old idea that every line should show/move at least one, ideally two of the main story components: plot, character, setting, theme.

So here you have plot at a relative standstill in this section, but are any of these other things developing? If not you effectively are just showing the characters open and close the fridge door to no purpose for 10k words or whatever - empty movement. It reminds me of the "salad ingredients" example from this essay one of you shared earlier: https://blgtylr.substack.com/p/against-character-vapor

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 16:02:29 2022 No.21264273 KK Wgon you still browse here? Unreal Press wants to interview you.

Anonymous Wed Nov 16 16:19:15 2022 No.21264323

>>21264262
At this point in the story the characters can't leave where they are located. It's a major plot point. So they make do with what they have. The whole arc is about learning who these characters are whilst they are doing something mundane.

They also learn about each other, form stronger friendships, romances, family-like ties.

All of this is in the present and then, in the between chapters, lots of dramatic, character-informing stuff from the past is explored.

Basically the whole time whether its the A chapters or the B chapters I'm constantly informing who these characters are. It's all leading up to a dramatic conclusion, but that conclusion will only arrive when I'm confident the reader will actually be upset if anything were to happen to the characters. After the big thing happens then the story continues on but with much higher stakes than before.

Another book that comes to mind is The Count of Monte Cristo. The first half of the book is slow but constantly intriguing at the same time.

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 17:06:24 2022 No.21264481 >>21264273 He put his new book out and we all called it complete shit, worse than Gardner's. I think we scared him off

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 17:09:30 2022 No.21264491 >>21264481 Well, 'worse than Gardner' doesn't mean much. There isn't much better than the visionary of a new genre.

Anonymous Wed Nov 16 17:29:31 2022 No.21264535

>>21264323
Not him, but you aren't Dumas - you don't uave his reputation - and reader expectations then were different. You probably won't be able to get away with this if you hope to grow your audience. It might be hard, but the actions themselves that they are performing should mean something and have some relationship to at least a subplot (even if the actions are a slow-paced break from the drama).

If it being mundane is that important to you, then fine, but don't expect readers not to pick up on what Anon pointed out.

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 17:48:12 2022 No.21264584 I feel like I woke up from a coma but I can still finish this novel this year.

Anonymous Wed Nov 16 18:19:35 2022 No.21264697

>>21264323
You might be good, seems like you have a purpose to it. Impossible to say more without seeing it, just make sure you are using your ability to "Tell " to skip the boring parts. Meaning don't describe building a cabin roof just because logistically it had to be built - give yourself permission to summarize tasks/days/months with a sentence if it best serves you. I'd read a sample too if you'd like at some point.

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 18:37:29 2022 No.21264751 >>21264491 If you look at Amazon sales figs, there are literally hundreds of thousands better today lol

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 18:56:49 2022 No.21264817 >>21264751 Most all-time greats labored in obscurity. Gardner's genius might not be recognized for decades--even centuries--to come. A modern tragedy ... but such is the life of an author.

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 19:00:21 2022 No.21264836 >>21264068 >>21264080 not YA >>21264070 not fantasy

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 19:07:52 2022 No.21264867 File: 485 KB, 776x975, Romance-Beat-Sheet-Sample.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google] >>21264029 read a lot of popular romance novels and look into the autistic graphs that romance fans have come up with. also make sure it has a happy ending

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 19:09:43 2022 No.21264880 >>21264029 Dont.

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 19:16:33 2022 No.21264905 >>21264817 Not the case now, Frank. All we know for certain is literally every author above him will have their genius "more recognized."

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 19:21:38 2022 No.21264928 >>21264836 Throne of glass. Or whatever Sarah mass shits out

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 19:25:29 2022 No.21264943 >>21264928 Not relevant

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 19:32:59 2022 No.21264973 >>21264943 >Millions of copies sold >Not relevant What?

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 19:34:47 2022 No.21264979 >>21264817 Going to guess the greats knew how to punctuate and use tenses and verb forms

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 19:38:33 2022 No.21264992 >>21264979 It's called avant-garde. But it makes sense a Gardner hater would miss the point.

Anonymous Wed Nov 16 19:47:33 2022 No.21265028

>>21264992
Not him, but I read and reviewed LR extensively, and it's not avant garde.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4736003886
I don't hate Gardner and would love to do a reading of his awful books. To me, it's he's like Neil Breen, but hilariously petty. Frank, if you want me and my sister to buy your book and read it on stream, let me know.

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 19:52:46 2022 No.21265046 File: 114 KB, 750x797, 233B1B36-8955-44F4-9D4A-D93FA12E9A47.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google] https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uSLSKjpDILw&t=991s F Gardner has gone full retard

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 20:05:27 2022 No.21265086 >>21265028 Not extensively enough, apparently.

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 20:12:00 2022 No.21265117 >>21265086 Oh? What avant garde literary techniques are in play in the text? What other avant garde writers are being channelled in LR? I read it twice and know the work quite well, so feel free to divulge with excerpts.

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 20:21:56 2022 No.21265171 >>21260544 Who has the picture of the most requested genres from mswishlist?

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 20:25:49 2022 No.21265187 I want to write smut. Not good smut, but smut. However, some of the things I want to write about wouldn't fit on Literotica, which leaves just AO3, right? Are there any other places that are functionally unmoderated for stuff like this?

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 20:27:09 2022 No.21265198 >>21265187 Smashwords allows everything except underage. Otherwise I don't know >>21265171 It's YA, Middle Grade, Romance and then fantasy and then everything else.

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 20:43:12 2022 No.21265262 >>21265187 It depends on what, exactly. Few places are truly unmoderated--Ao3 might be the only big one. Smashwords has plenty of limits. They're just more open than Amazon.

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 20:44:34 2022 No.21265265 >>21265117 I would explain it to you, but my time is too valuable.

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 20:44:41 2022 No.21265266 >>21265046 Stop shilling your channel, please. Your face is starting to stink up this thread.

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 20:57:02 2022 No.21265310 >>21265046 F Gardner is cute! C U T E

Anonymous Wed Nov 16 21:18:57 2022 No.21265377

>>21265265
I'll explain it for you, actually:
It's not avant garde. Avant garde would imply exciting in its experimentation. Frank's works are banal, usually lifting from fairly generic sources, and being amateur in execution. Avante garde doesn't mean poorly written on purpose in continuum

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 21:28:22 2022 No.21265417 >>21265377 I would be annoyed, but instead I choose to pity you. What is life like with such a low intellect?

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 21:35:32 2022 No.21265441 >>21265417 I gave my opinion on the matter and asked in good faith for an explanation and none is provided. You're getting testy, but I don't mind

Anonymous Wed Nov 16 21:48:05 2022 No.21265479

>>21265441
The truth of the matter is that I haven't read F Gardner's works, and so I can provide no explanations to support my argument.

I am, however, convinced nonetheless. My question stands: how do you live life with such a low intellect? What is it like?

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 21:56:03 2022 No.21265500 File: 48 KB, 1080x607, 1641040416571.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google] >>21265479 >The truth of the matter is that I haven't read F Gardner's works, and so I can provide no explanations to support my argument.

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 21:58:03 2022 No.21265506 File: 298 KB, 720x1496, Screenshot_20221116_175650_com.android.chrome.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google] >>21265479 Someone seems angry.

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 22:01:32 2022 No.21265521 Plan on publishing something on royal road. Modern sci-fi and fantasy meant to be a meta-commentary on modern life.

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 22:05:24 2022 No.21265548 >>21265521 Recipe for failure

Anonymous Wed Nov 16 22:08:58 2022 No.21265575

>>21265521
Since it's fantasy it can work. The key to RR is give it a tropey title and use a battle-tested formula for audience retention (e.g. Save the Cat beat sheet) along with cheap hooks to get readers into it quickly. Then you are free to inject whatever thematic metacommentary you want once you already have people hooked. This is also how commercial genre bestsellers work. It's the oldest trick in the book.

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 22:12:25 2022 No.21265603 >>21265521 Prepare for incredibly sub-par growth and an audience of retards bitching about how you aren't writing LitRPG

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 22:24:18 2022 No.21265646 >>21265603 Wait is litRPG a real thing? I thought it was a 4chan meme making fun of Sword Art Online or some shit.

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 22:24:25 2022 No.21265647 >>21265603 lol no one bitches, they literally don't click on it.

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 22:25:26 2022 No.21265652 >>21265646 Go to graphtreon and sort by writing - patrons. Some are making >1mil a year writing mediocre litrpg. Dozens to hundreds are making livable wages.

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 22:25:54 2022 No.21265656 >>21265646 Search kindle right now and sort by popularity.

Anonymous Wed Nov 16 22:35:51 2022 No.21265700

>>21265647
I assure you, if you get the clicks, they do bitch. God forbid you don't conform exactly to their tastes or use stupid LitRPG tropes or have a total psychopath protagonist or whatever, they will not only complain but tell you that you are a bad writer for not writing what they want to read.

Anonymous Wed Nov 16 22:39:53 2022 No.21265712

>>21265700
Well, yes, but they don't click on a fantasy story and say 'this should've been LitRPG', which is what you implied.

Retard reviewers are everywhere. That's not even a LitRPG/RR thing. You can go on any work of literature on goodreads and see people posting the most inane reviews of all time.

Basically, retards exist in any community. In RR the ratio is probably slightly higher. But being an author who posts publicly, you have to learn to accept that people will write the dumbest possible opinions of all time. Hardly a LitRPG thing.

Anonymous Wed Nov 16 22:44:18 2022 No.21265728

>>21265712
>but they don't click on a fantasy story and say 'this should've been LitRPG', which is what you implied
I have had someone post that exact comment on my story. Literally those words, verbatim. Even the same contraction. You are fucking delusional if you think this doesn't happen.
RR is for LitRPG, it simply allows other genres. If you are writing non-LitRPG fantasy, you will encounter hordes of retards who will deliberately negatively rate and comment your story (but hardly ever review, that's too much effort) because it isn't what they wanted. Even if you tell them up front it's not that they want, they'll still show up and get pissed off.
It's like that image of the guy saying "I deliberately entered a thread full of things I don't like, and now I'm pissed off, how did this happen?" but it's not a joke.

Anonymous Wed Nov 16 22:49:51 2022 No.21265750

>>21265728
I guess I can't say for certain what's happening, but then how are there so many non-LitRPG stories with high ratings on trending, rising stars, and top rated? Sure, it's crowded with LitRPG, but there are plenty of exceptions. Not just a few. Plenty.

Anonymous Wed Nov 16 22:58:28 2022 No.21265776

>>21265750
>how are there so many non-LitRPG stories with high ratings on trending, rising stars, and top rated?
Well, let me pop open the most relevant list (Popular this week) and enumerate them from top to bottom.
>Journey of the Immortal Grandmaster
Xianxia, which I admit I forgot to mention as the second genre people on RR love.
>Salvos
LitRPG
>Beneath the Dragoneye Moons
Literally over a million words, incredibly old, and lesbait as far as I can tell.
>Jackal Among Snakes
Existing author of popular work who brought over an audience
>The Systemic Lands (Dark Progressive LITRPG)
LitRPG
>Stray Cat Strut
Ridiculously prolific author with huge existing fanbase and who also writes LitRPG
>The Runesmith
LitRPG
>Forge of Destiny
Xianxia
>All The Skills - A Deckbuilding LitRPG
LitRPG
>The Heart is a Void: Ashes to Ashes
Literally 3.82 rating, a billion review swaps, and it's a LitRPG as far as I can tell
>A Summoner Awakens [A Card-Based GameLit Progression Fantasy]
LitRPG, essentially
>Industrial Strength Magic
LitRPG
>Delve
LitRPG
>Chaotic Craftsman Worships The Cube
LitRPG
>Paranoid Mage
Existing author who cut his teeth on erotica LitRPG
>First Contact
Absurdly popular HFY story with a gigantic reddit fanbase
>Mother of Learning
Only brought over once it was done as far as I know, also huge existing fanbase
>My Dungeon Life: Rise of the Slave Harem
I cannot stomach this long enough to check if it's LitRPG
>Dungeon Life
Basically LitRPG (Dungeon core subgenre)

So essentially, either be popular already, or write LitRPG.

Anonymous Wed Nov 16 23:04:33 2022 No.21265792

>>21265776
Why are you mad that a website originally founded for Legendary Moonlight Sculptor fanfiction (one of the progenitor LitRPGs) is a site filled with LitRPGs? The site was built for it.

Also, how can one man have so much cope? You listed yourself several exceptions. So ... if you're a good enough writer, go be one of them. Go 'become popular' the same way all the exceptions did. Through whatever method you want.

Or if you're not a good writer ... why are you seething? Go write.

Anonymous Wed Nov 16 23:06:19 2022 No.21265803

>>21265792
>Why are you mad that a website originally founded for Legendary Moonlight Sculptor fanfiction (one of the progenitor LitRPGs) is a site filled with LitRPGs? The site was built for it.
That is, in fact, the exact point I'm trying to demonstrate you stupid fucking idiot. RR is for LitRPG. If you write non-LitRPG, you should expect poor results and retard commenters complaining that you aren't writing LitRPG.
Are you just arguing for the sake of arguing or do you actually read people's posts?

Anonymous Wed Nov 16 23:08:55 2022 No.21265808

>>21265792
>You listed yourself several exceptions
Actually you know what, I will double post to address this. You dumb faggot. You stupid fuck. You absolute melanoid shit-for-brains monkey. Did you notice how EVERY EXCEPTION was either Xianxia or someone with an existing fanbase? No, of course not, because your stupid faggot chimpanzee brain isn't powerful enough to recognize patterns.
Yes, you can succeed without LitRPG IF YOU ALREADY HAVE AN EXISTING FOLLOWING THAT YOU CAN RTANSFER TO ROYAL ROAD. However, even then, you will suffer retards. You'll just suffer proportionally less of them because of all the people sucking your dick.

Anonymous Wed Nov 16 23:09:00 2022 No.21265810

>>21265803
It seems to me the spirit of your comment was that non-LitRPGs can't find success, when that is not true. There are plenty of exceptions. You just seethed about each one, when you could easily be the next.

Then again, you're a 4chan retard who can't even make it on RR, one of the least discretionary websites in existence. Maybe speaking with you is lowering my IQ.

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 23:09:52 2022 No.21265813 I'm a journalist writing non fiction ama

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 23:10:09 2022 No.21265815 >>21265808 Honestly I'm just feeling bad for you. Read your posts. Are you okay?

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 23:10:12 2022 No.21265816 >>21265810 See >>21265808 and shut your fucking mouth about things you don't have any understanding of. >Hurrdurr you can't make it But I did, I just don't advertise who I am here because /wg/ is filled with subhumans like you.

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 23:11:16 2022 No.21265820 >>21265816 And what is 'making it' to you?

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 23:12:38 2022 No.21265825 >>21265820 Whatever I say, you're going to say it isn't, because you're just here to be contentious. You don't even have a point. So, for you, I make $100k/yr, approximately. Am I lying? Maybe. Try to figure out who I am, you won't.

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 23:12:57 2022 No.21265827 >>21265700 >retard Has anyone written down their demands? I'm interested in seeing their appetite for "content" What is enjoyable about the genre? Analytically speaking.

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 23:13:33 2022 No.21265829 >>21265808 >>21265810 >>21265816 What sites would you guys recommend if I din't care about making miney in any way but want quality comments. Should I put it on kindle unlimited but keep the nominal price prohibitively high to gatekeep third worlders?

Anonymous Wed Nov 16 23:14:02 2022 No.21265832

>>21265825
Writing what? And sure, I'll take you at face value. I don't see why I wouldn't. A random 4channer making 100k doesn't bother me. And if you're lying to try to win the argument, you aren't winning anything at all. You'll know that, and I won't, but I promise I'm not that invested.

Anonymous Wed Nov 16 23:17:41 2022 No.21265844

>>21265827
Generally speaking, in a short list, they want
>An MC they can easily self-insert into (Male, relatively stoic, attractive) that is OP, or at least never ever loses a fight
>Incredibly obvious and easy to digest morality
>No deception or mystery whatsoever
>One or more obvious love interests
>An animal companion (this one isn't usually a demand but I've never seen someone hate it)
>constantly increasing sense of scale until they get bored and leave
>>21265829
Honestly, if you don't care about ratings either: crosspost to RR, SH, and reddit. Delete any comments from retards and mute them. Report any review under 4* just to keep rating high enough to get clicks.
Assuming you're not writing total trash you'll eventually get a few good commenters, but you'll never hit enough to make any money.
Alternatively, write a LitRPG, then write what you want to write and bring the audience over, but that's also a bit of a crapshoot.

Anonymous Wed Nov 16 23:21:37 2022 No.21265860

>>21265844
Thank you. I've only ever written short story compilations and I am trying to learn to string together a longer plot effectively. I don't want my name attached to garbage for the moment (though I've always used a handle previously desu so maybe it doesnt matter) so getting as many helpful comments as possible relative to shit is the point.

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 23:22:17 2022 No.21265865 >>21265844 >No deception or mystery whatsoever >constantly increasing sense of scale until they get bored and leave compelling

Anonymous Wed Nov 16 23:25:52 2022 No.21265881

>>21265865
It's what they want, man. I don't get it. Basically, they see you deceiving them for dramatic purposes as "lying to (them)". The most important thing is to heavily limit foreshadowing or keep it quite obvious, and never EVER have anyone actively voice or come to an incorrect conclusion. As for the scale, that's just LitRPG, sadly.
>>21265860
Yeah okay if you're just testbedding shit then make a few dummy accounts and do exactly what I said there. I would actually advise not explicitly announcing it here, since people in these threads are often fucking retarded, but perhaps subtly shill it or link it (just don't go F Gardner). There are also a number of explicit critique communities you could look for, but bear in mind that those communities are designed to flay everything you submit to them alive and the critique may not actually resemble the experience of an average reader.

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 23:26:49 2022 No.21265885 >>21265813 Yeah, I wanted to ask you how little you sold out for, and what it feels like to have no soul and a black heart.

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 23:29:11 2022 No.21265889 >>21265813 >>21265885 Oh, oh, and when will the founder of Prostasia be interviewed by your very gay paper?

Anonymous Wed Nov 16 23:33:12 2022 No.21265899

>>21265881
I'm new to longform. Which communities are those. I'm willing to have my writing trashed and nitpicked. I've already had crazy success (by views) in the past so I won't be deflated and quit - I have the proof that I can do it, at least in theory.

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 23:36:00 2022 No.21265908 >>21265899 I'm sure some people here have other links, but https://www.reddit.com/r/writing/wiki/critique/ has a bunch. Someone also recommended https://www.critiquecircle.com/landing recently. You can find more just by googling.

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 23:38:30 2022 No.21265914 >>21265908 Thanks

Anonymous Wed Nov 16 23:46:09 2022 No.21265947
File: 533 KB, 1400x779, box.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]

>Why do you want to work here?"

"I remember when I was little we got a TV. It was a pretty big deal. I got home, took of my backpack, kicked off my shoes and ran into the living room, and there it was... in a box.

My parents wanted to wait for me to get home from school before taking it out of that big brown cardboard box and setting it up. They showed me around the towering cardboard, telling me all about this new piece of magnificent technology that it, the cardboard box, contained. We circled the living room, and when we came to a stop, it was time: it was time to rip open the cardboard, undress the big cube of glass and electronics from its brown shell, filled to the brim with packing peanuts; it was time to lift this precious baby out of the crib, all eighty-three pounds of it, not much a baby, but a miraculous, wondrous, highly engineered, machine, a TV...

But I wasn't interested in this machine. I didn't care what it did or what it was. I didn't care that my father had spent all the money he got from his raise on it. I didn't care that my mother had saved up for it. I didn't care about the hours and hours of entertainment this machine could provide. I didn't care. Maybe I already knew and could feel somewhere deep inside me the horrors this machine and its kind would inflict upon the human race.

But this wasn't about machines. It wasn't about humanity or the future. The cardboard box. I was awestruck by the shape and dimensions of the box, by its simplicity and its enormity. That box and I, we had something in common. We were both confining and contained. We were both stuck inside. Both contained. And, in my mind, the cardboard box was superior to the television. There was something about this box that intimidated me. It was a large, lifeless, non-moving object, and it was incredibly fragile. I wanted to destroy it, rip it to shreds, and at the same time, I wanted to crawl inside it, see its dark, ugly, gaping, almost empty -- aside from a few foam peanuts -- interior.

It is this dichotomy, which I understood early on, that underpins the metaphysical nature of the box as something simultaneously radically including and excluding.

I believe the consideration I have given to the box in my works as something far more significant than what it appears to us in our everyday profane existence makes me a great candidate for the position. I have attached, alongside my resume, a brief summary of the elementary metaphysics of the box."

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 23:51:36 2022 No.21265957 >>21265776 >okay there's a bunch of serials that aren't litrpg but the writer had a cousin who knew a guy who thought of a litrpg once so it doesn't count

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 23:55:45 2022 No.21265975 >>>/pol/404769443 /pol/ thread about F Gardner again.

>>	Anonymous Wed Nov 16 23:58:40 2022 No.21265983 >>21265957 >retard who can't read >7/19 not LitRPG >Out of those, 2/8 are Xianxia >not even one had natural growth without genre peddling or bringing over an audience I was wrong btw, Dragoneye Moons is also LitRPG.

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 00:00:50 2022 No.21265991 >>21265983 >not even one had natural growth without genre peddling anon, no one said there couldn't be "genre peddling"

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 00:01:44 2022 No.21265994 >>21265991 I'm not going to reply to idiots like you anymore who can't even follow the conversation. Read the fucking initial posts or fuck off.

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 00:05:12 2022 No.21266009 >>21265994 don't get mad that you listed exceptions when trying to say there weren't any

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 00:12:19 2022 No.21266028 >>21265975 Frank, please go away.

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 00:13:11 2022 No.21266031 to the guy seething about reviews on RR, I'm looking through a bunch of reviews for non-litrpg horror serials and not one of them has whined about it not being a litrpg

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 00:14:48 2022 No.21266037 File: 275 KB, 1114x1326, Hunting Gandhi 1.png [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google] Hey lads. I'm working on my second book of short stories. Mind giving this one a quick look over?

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 00:16:01 2022 No.21266043 File: 255 KB, 1040x1286, Hunting Gandhi 2.png [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google] >>21266037 2/4

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 00:17:06 2022 No.21266045 File: 309 KB, 1088x1314, Hunting Gandhi 3.png [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google] >>21266043 3/4

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 00:18:14 2022 No.21266051 >>21266045 4/4 Thank you!

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 00:19:15 2022 No.21266055 File: 56 KB, 1056x1076, Hunting Gandhi 4.png [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google] >>21266051 f image 4/4 thank you!>>21266051

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 00:26:56 2022 No.21266078 Pretty sweet that almost all Lovecraft's terms are in the public domain.

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 01:03:36 2022 No.21266204 >>21264992 Avant-garde my ass. If you put a tenth of the effort you put into making excuses, and applied it to improving your writing, you might actually write something worth a crap one day.

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 01:05:43 2022 No.21266208 >>21265265 Frank, you're a jobless NEET that lives with his mommy and daddy despite being in his mid 30s. Your time could not possibly be any less valuable.

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 01:06:54 2022 No.21266213 >>21265310 It would make sense that Gardner thought he was cute. After all, everything he posts, and his epic samefagging, is autophilic masturbation.

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 01:09:28 2022 No.21266221 >>21266213 >>21266208 >>21266204 just stop replying to him

Anonymous Thu Nov 17 01:14:27 2022 No.21266236

>>21266221
I understand where you're coming from, but I don't want any newbies to make the mistake of taking his self-stroking self-shilling at face value.
Seeing as how the jannies have apparently completely given up on the "advertising/begging" rule...I mean, why even make it possible to report posts if they don't do diddly squat?
Captcha: 202GAY

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 01:33:11 2022 No.21266282 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=t9-eio7tevk Looks like another F Gardner vid just dropped, lads

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 01:33:40 2022 No.21266285 >>21266031 >reviews >comments Jesus christ you would think /lit/ wouldn't be actually illiterate but I guess that's too high of a bar.

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 01:36:26 2022 No.21266289 >>21266282 Infathomably based. How does F Gardner do it?

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 01:41:49 2022 No.21266312 >>21266289 >How does F Gardner do it? Coffe and cigarettes. Didn't you watch that video?

Anonymous Thu Nov 17 01:56:59 2022 No.21266366

>>21265844
>>An MC they can easily self-insert into (Male, relatively stoic, attractive) that is OP, or at least never ever loses a fight
Is there a site like RR but with a female majority audience (or alternatively a non-retarded male majority audience with substantial female readership)? I want to write female POV wish fulfillment fantasy romance on a site that isn't wattpad for once. And erotica-heavy sites or fanfic-heavy sites don't count either.

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 01:58:28 2022 No.21266373 >>21265844 Also what is SH?

Anonymous Thu Nov 17 02:03:24 2022 No.21266394

>>21266366
Are you a girl? If not, why the fuck would you want to write that sort of thing? I've written romantic plotlines with a female pov, but you and I both know that those wish fulfillment audiences are out for some really peculiar shit.

To answer the question though, basically any site that isn't royal road has a substantial female audience. If in doubt, just avoid websites with a large anime presence that don't immediately strike you as having a lot of women.

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 02:04:15 2022 No.21266398 >>21266373 ScribbleHub Don't you read the howto pastebin in the OP?

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 02:05:39 2022 No.21266401 >>21266394 It literally does not matter, I just want to output shit I am comfortable writing and have people read it. My tastes don't exceed that. It's a simple exchange. >>21266398 No.

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 02:09:04 2022 No.21266407 File: 26 KB, 495x152, google result.png [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google] >>21266394 Damn... this is not an encouraging sight.

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 02:11:57 2022 No.21266415 >>21265975 The funniest thing is, Frank is too dumb to realize /pol/ has ID tags, so his samefagging is in plain view: >>>/pol/404792435

Anonymous Thu Nov 17 02:15:08 2022 No.21266425

Okay, let's say I want to write litRPG to cash in on the automatic RR popularity, but I also have an agenda to write the kind of story I want. I know nothing about litRPG, I've never read a single litRPG story and don't plan to. Is there any way I can bullshit it? What is the minimum amount of tropes I need to write a litRPG story?

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 02:25:43 2022 No.21266454 >>21266078 >Lovecraft's terms Indescribable, hideous, unknowable... oh my god! I'm going in sane!!!! I hope nobody finds my journal! There, I wrote a lovecraft story.

Anonymous Thu Nov 17 02:26:41 2022 No.21266456 [DELETED]

>>21266401
Look tranny, you are setting yourself up for heartbreak if you try that. They will rip you apart and it will fucking suck. Unless you go 'full-send' with the depravity I doubt you want to write (you don't understand the hole psyche like you think you do).

I'm on your side - I want you to stick with this hobby - so I'll let you down now. This endeavor will not turn out how you want it to. Get your ass back to the self-respect plantation. I'm sure you have some quality ideas floating around in that head of yours.

>>21266407
I'm not saying it's great, but there are some girls on Smashwords and Scribblehub. They are a little less skewed than RR. Just google sites like/competing with Wattpad if you won't post there. Maybe one of them won't be entirely comprised of teenagers. I know that prior to Wattpad a lot of those girls used fictionpress, which was the non-fan fic sister site to fanfiction.net. I think it's dead now though, so maybe only some boomers are still clinging on to it. You won't get many reviews, but maybe that is your audience.

Anonymous Thu Nov 17 02:28:49 2022 No.21266465

>>21266401
Look tranny, you are setting yourself up for heartbreak if you try that. They will rip you apart and it will fucking suck. Unless you go 'full-send' with the depravity I doubt you want to write (you don't understand the hole psyche like you think you do).

I'm on your side - I want you to stick with this hobby - so I'll let you down now. This endeavor will not turn out how you want it to. Get your ass back to the self-respect plantation. I'm sure you have some quality ideas floating around in that head of yours.

>>21266407
I'm not saying it's great, but there are some girls on Scribblehub. They are a little less skewed than RR. Just google sites like/competing with Wattpad if you won't post there. Maybe one of them won't be entirely comprised of teenagers. I know that prior to Wattpad a lot of those girls used fictionpress, which was the non-fan fic sister site to fanfiction.net. I think it's dead now though, so maybe only some boomers are still clinging on to it. You won't get many reviews, but maybe that is your audience.

Anonymous Thu Nov 17 02:48:14 2022 No.21266534

>>21266465
LMAO you have absolutely no idea what you are talking about but thanks for the recommendations. I know my audience, I am extremely familiar with wattpad and used to have a following there as far back as 9 years ago. There's money in writing on these sites like RR so I am seeking something that has breakout potential in 2022 (and isn't fanfiction or smut, or read by people who want fanfiction or smut, since they are also a hideously retarded audience).

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 02:52:20 2022 No.21266553 >>21266534 (Me) This is also me if there's any sage advice to go around: >>21266425

Anonymous Thu Nov 17 03:09:06 2022 No.21266615

>>21266534
If you want their money and are experienced with Wattpad, then you should know as well as I do that the flip-side of harem and litrpg is depraved angsty shit. I'm still shell-shocked from formerly sharing an Amazon account with my sister.

How you've gone 9 years on Wattpad without hearing of scribblehub is beyond me desu, but if you truly know nothing, google is your friend. The only other suggestion I can give you is to just publish run-of-the-mill romance aimed at boomer women on kindle. That is the market segment that spends the highest portion of their disposable income on books. I'm sure there are standard formulas out there and you should use them. That is a very dead space creatively.

Anonymous Thu Nov 17 03:11:46 2022 No.21266625

>>21266553
Have you ever dmed a DnD game? If not, read up on that, perhaps see if you can't get a game together with friends. The more autistic the ruleset, the better (Pathfinder 2e, etc.) Next step would be to read some of the less shitty short litrpgs out there.

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 03:19:50 2022 No.21266652 >>21266454 >! >!!!! >! Those are English words. Do I need to tell you the stuff he made up? Or should you just stay on rebbit?

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 03:41:00 2022 No.21266713 >>21266652 Damn, you sure epically owned him, non-redditor chad.

Anonymous Thu Nov 17 04:03:55 2022 No.21266783

>>21266615
It's easy to scoff at but "run-of-the-mill romance" (the kind peddled on kindle for boomer moms) actually has a pretty high barrier to entry. Like other super-genres like mystery it has so many conventions and it really cannot be in anything other than a contemporary or historical setting or it won't sell. The first exception that comes to my mind is Outlander which is actually really excellent and has a time-travel element, but it's really just a marriage between the contemporary romance and historical romance genres, with a cross-historical love triangle, which is actually really clever.

It would be interesting to have something like RR or SH but for something that's a basic classic stable, like high fantasy for normal people. The closest I can think of is webtoons but that's for comic-style artists and generally are very high quality.

>How you've gone 9 years on Wattpad without hearing of scribblehub is beyond
Oh yeah I was on wattpad 9 years ago, but haven't been since I was a mere teenager. This is my first time hearing of it.

I've already created an account on SH. I will start drafting on the weekend and post in this general in the future if I am successful at all. I am relying on your advice so it better be good.

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 04:14:34 2022 No.21266818 >>21266713 Double-line-spacing and the unwise use of the exclaimation point are the dead giveaways. But the lame arguments can come from anybody.

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 04:25:24 2022 No.21266844 >>21266783 Wasn't me that suggested the pastebin first. I'd recommend you cast your net wide to maximize reviews if anything, but SH is better for your purposes than RR imo.

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 04:30:41 2022 No.21266858 >>21266037 This is terrible. It makes no sense in the sense that the sentences don't flow well and it sounds like complete jargon

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 04:47:23 2022 No.21266877 >>21266858 Ur gay I liked it I think it’s funny

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 04:48:15 2022 No.21266878 >>21266858 Yeah same. I read it but I didn't reply since I couldn't think of how to give feedback without just saying "it's shit" since there's basically nothing to critique. But you said what most of us are probably thinking.

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 05:11:28 2022 No.21266921 >>21266031 None of my horror stories on RR have any reviews. Feels bad.

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 05:26:13 2022 No.21266952 >>21266921 whats your story? ill read it

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 05:44:52 2022 No.21266982 >>21266952 Wait, nevermind. It had one review. I forgot.

Anonymous Thu Nov 17 05:45:41 2022 No.21266985

>>21266037
>>21266043
>>21266045
>>21266055
It's pretty bad, like the others said, but editing can definitely fix it. Look to establish a consistent tone. First, get rid of convoluted or unneeded syntax and change up your dialogue markers. It appears as though you tried to remove 'said' in favor of stronger words when it would really help your dialogue to ensure you are getting that information across as dialogue, dropping the speech tags.

Anonymous Thu Nov 17 05:50:19 2022 No.21266997

I'm not sure if this is a symptom of being a shut-in, but I find it infinitely easier to write Fantasy(medieval or ancient) than anything modern or sci-fi. Whenever I try to write a contemporary horror story, I end up failing to detail anything about whatever environment I wish to write. The same goes for Sci-Fi. To me, whenever a setting's technology is beyond that of the early 1900's, my mind turns blank. How can I resolve this?

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 05:52:00 2022 No.21267000 >>21266997 You suffer from a lack of confidence. So just fix that, simple.

Anonymous Thu Nov 17 06:25:23 2022 No.21267048

>>21266997
>write about what you know
I'm not saying write a book about a shut in, but weave into a story about the modern world what it is to be a shut in. Remember that art is about expression. What is it that you want to express? Do you write fantasy as a means of escape? Express your desire to escape.

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 07:08:14 2022 No.21267125 >1.2k words today >Writing goals already achieved for the year I hope you all make your goals too!

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 07:13:10 2022 No.21267135 >>21267125 Fuck you anon

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 07:16:18 2022 No.21267141 >>21267125 >0k words today >already outdid year's writing goals by nearly 300k words Feelsgoodman

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 07:32:56 2022 No.21267169 File: 230 KB, 811x962, new poem.png [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google] thoughts?

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 08:28:49 2022 No.21267259 >>21267169 9/10 makes me feel better about my own writing.

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 08:55:15 2022 No.21267308 >>21267135 Are you nerdy hawt fit writing female above age of consent? >>21267141 Good jobber my dude!

Anonymous Thu Nov 17 09:14:18 2022 No.21267349

>>21260557
I draw for 5 hours in the morning, take a nap then spend the next three hours alternating between reading and writing, since reading good prose gives me the drive to write compared to staring at the blank page.

I find that giving myself the exact hours in which I have to write instead of a minimum word count helps with the quality of my writing. With minimum word count, I just end up writing bloated nonsense then quit and go reading or playing games.

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 09:22:43 2022 No.21267378 How well would a traditional high fantasy story fare on websites like Royal Road or ScribbleHub? I'm basically oblivious to the markets out there but I want to try my hand at publishing the story I'm writing chapter by chapter online.

Anonymous Thu Nov 17 09:23:03 2022 No.21267379

>>21267349
>I find that giving myself the exact hours in which I have to write instead of a minimum word count helps with the quality of my writing. With minimum word count, I just end up writing bloated nonsense then quit and go reading or playing games.

That's been the same in my experience. If I'm in the zone then sometimes I end up writing for longer than the time I set too.

I'm still trying to do this without weed though

Anonymous Thu Nov 17 09:53:25 2022 No.21267465

>>21262232
When I write video game fan fiction I like to put all of the text in the whole game in a text document or on a webpage and extract all assets for good measure. Then I Ctrl+F for keywords and look at sprites and maybe occasionally check the wiki.
This is probably easier for indie pixelshit than for something as big as elder scrolls though.

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 11:10:04 2022 No.21267692 Haven't written a story since school. Any advice on where to start? Seems like jumping straight into a novel would be a recipe for disaster. Perhaps flex my writing muscles on short stories for awhile and go from there?

Anonymous Thu Nov 17 11:23:23 2022 No.21267713

>>21267692
For the basics of writing structure pick up something like Creating Character Arcs by K. M. Weiland. For nitty gritty details read Techniques of the Selling Author by Dwight V. Swain (avoid "On Writing" by Stephen King, that's the Reddit suggestion and its advice dated far worse than Swain's who is still considered by lots of top authors to be the grandfather of modern advice for good fiction.)
If you want to go the hack route and write something marketable for as little effort as possible, read Save the Cat (it's for screenwriting but can easily be transposed to written fiction).

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 11:41:25 2022 No.21267754 >>21267692 Read Michael Kardos's book. It was literally designed with people like you in mind.

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 11:54:16 2022 No.21267776 >>21267379 how the fuck do people write on weed? poems, sure, but prose? I can hardly remember the beginning of my sentence by the time I'm nearing its end when I'm high. I can't imagine being able to write anything coherent

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 12:12:27 2022 No.21267799 >>21267776 I have a high tolerance now so I can be creative while high. Focus is an issue though, I can't write for longer than 30 mins before I get distracted. But what I do end up writing is coherent

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 12:22:30 2022 No.21267817 >>21267776 if you smoke all day everyday it feels normal

Anonymous Thu Nov 17 12:42:28 2022 No.21267858

>>21267692
Read books and short stories from writers and genres that interest you. Figure out why you like the stories you like. What did the author do, specifically, that made his work enjoyable?
Meanwhile write every day. Set a time to write and a minimum word count to reach each day. Try to work making complete short stories before you go for novels.
The only book you might want to look at for writing advice is Elements of Style by William Strunk. The rest aren't important. Reading fiction helps you write fiction. Guidebooks don't.

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 13:58:57 2022 No.21268038 >>21267776 They don't. I've never seen a pothead string a coherent sentence together

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 14:12:46 2022 No.21268073 Been lurking a couple months. No friends to share with so letting /wg/ know I got accepted to Purdue for English. Thanks fellas, only positive thing I've gotten from 4chan.

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 14:25:04 2022 No.21268109 >>21268073 Congrats anon!

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 15:36:47 2022 No.21268316 >Hurrr show not tell >Hurrr now it's purple >Hurr purple now flow is wrong Gardner has the best writing here.

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 15:40:32 2022 No.21268332 >>21268038 you seriously underestimate the tolerance us potheads build up to weed

Anonymous Thu Nov 17 15:42:15 2022 No.21268341
File: 365 KB, 1280x712, 1668675926487045.webm [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]

It's funny how new ideas present themselves. I want to write a short story based on this poor Russian soldiers who, after being taken as a POW, discovers that his wife is with another man.

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 15:44:17 2022 No.21268349 >>21268316 Show don't tell is screenwriter advice

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 15:46:04 2022 No.21268358 >>21268349 What's more, it's screenwriter advice for the silent era

Anonymous Thu Nov 17 15:46:45 2022 No.21268362

>>21260544
so, I have had multiple experiences where certain relationships (platonic and romantic) can suddenly change within a couple of days/weeks where both parties acknowledge the distance internally but never communicate with each other about it. would love to hear your thoughts on why this occurs. is it internal pride and ego? is it some kinda coping mechanism? if there are any resources or your own experiences you anons can share with me?

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 15:47:24 2022 No.21268367 >>21268349 NTA but not quite, it means don't use exposition to describe something that can be shown with action or a character moment

Anonymous Thu Nov 17 15:57:08 2022 No.21268408

>>21268367
It's better to read
>He turned the doorknob.
Instead of
>His fingers wrapped around the brass. He twitched with a slight hesitation as the turnkey rotated clockwise around.

Holy shit man get to the point already especially when turning a doorknob doesn't add to much.

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 16:03:34 2022 No.21268425 >>21268408 Might as well not mention doorknob turning, to be honest.

Anonymous Thu Nov 17 16:05:27 2022 No.21268431

>>21268362
well i was close with this girl once and she had a bf. one of her close friends came and told me to back off because the bf was getting annoyed and me being a bitchass backed off and started avoiding her and it has been something around 5-6 years now

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 16:06:25 2022 No.21268433 >>21268408 This. You go purple when you need to break out the big guns. You don't waste it on superfluous crap like doorknobs.

Anonymous Thu Nov 17 16:09:07 2022 No.21268441

>>21268408
That's not really what the rule is about. You are talking more about minimalist vs purple prose.

The rule is more like
Tell:
>This doorknob was an old doorknob from the 1800s, when doorknobs were less reliable and prone to breaking. There is a rumour that the ghost of a murdered 20-year old woman lives in this house and haunts those that touches the doorknobs.
Show:
>Mr Main Character turns the dusty doorknob, snapping it off the rotting wood. As he does so, the strained moan of a young woman echoes through the house.

Not saying my writing is good, but you get the point. It's exposition vs letting the audience figure out the information themselves.

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 16:12:43 2022 No.21268449 >>21268441 the second example isn't really better than the first, especially since it depends on the first to make sense

Anonymous Thu Nov 17 16:15:51 2022 No.21268456

>>21268449
Like I said, I wrote it on the fly and I'm not saying it's good. But it leaves the air of mystery for the reader. If you tell the reader everything exactly when they need to know it, they won't feel like there is an enigma in the story to follow because they are being spoonfed at every turn. That's what the rule is about.

It also means when you finally do give some direct exposition, the reader will pay extra attention because they know this time it's important enough for you, the writer, to be clear about it.

Remember that 'rules' in writing are more like guidelines, so if you feel it's better to break the rules for your story then go with that, but understand the rule so you know when to break it.

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 16:17:19 2022 No.21268460 File: 1.26 MB, 2048x2389, tumblr_03b62178c636e9b0502f159c287d2e9e_5f087bd5_2048.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google] Would you guys write characters who are albino?

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 16:18:25 2022 No.21268462 >>21268460 Only if they ARE DANCING, DANCING! Dancing and fiddling at once!

Anonymous Thu Nov 17 16:20:03 2022 No.21268467

>>21268449
>especially since it depends on the first to make sense
and just to respond to this directly: the idea would be to build the environment of the house to be old, decrepit, with slight nods to the time frame and maybe a spooky atmosphere that gets worse when the doorknob is touched

rather than straight up saying 'This house from the 1800s has a ghost in it that hates when you touch doorknobs'.

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 16:24:02 2022 No.21268473 >>21268467 >This house from the 1800s has a ghost in it that hates when you touch doorknobs this is a perfectly fine way to open a story.

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 16:25:48 2022 No.21268479 >>21268473 lol, desu you completely threw me off with doorknobs. I'm with this anon >>21268425

Anonymous Thu Nov 17 16:27:15 2022 No.21268481

>>21268473
>>21268467
I forgot to say, the show don't tell alternative to "This house from the 1800s has a ghost in it that hates when you touch doorknobs" is to elaborate on how the protag found out about the house, essentially delaying the point. I personally don't understand what's appealing about this version.

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 16:28:22 2022 No.21268484 >>21268479 I am both of those posts

Anonymous Thu Nov 17 16:35:26 2022 No.21268504

>>21268481
Lol I'm not saying it's a better version, I'm illustrating the rule. The point is that if you give up all the info in one go you lose the opportunity to give that information in more interesting ways.

In this example yes you are delaying the point, but you also allow yourself to reveal the ghost in a more impactful way or at the very least, build some tension to the reveal, make the audience second guess themselves as to what is happening, get their brain going. This builds intrigue, immersion - all sorts of stuff that makes the reader turn the page.

but in reality this example is shit because it's about doorknobs and I took a very tropey horror situation, so make sure you're not just judging it because of that. In hindsight I should have used 'this house was built in the 1800s' vs an immersive description of the house or something like that.

And again, 'rules' aren't really rules in writing, just useful tools.

>>21268484
oops

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 16:37:30 2022 No.21268510 >>21268460 Only if the story involves African cannibals hunting them for a cure for aids

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 16:38:58 2022 No.21268513 >>21268349 >Show don't tell is screenwriter advice Not this retard again. Show don't tell is literally older than screenplays.

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 16:41:29 2022 No.21268518 >>21268513 >no dude show don't tell originated with playwriting so it magically applies to prose moron

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 16:42:57 2022 No.21268520 >>21268518 it applies to narrative in general If you want to tell instead of show then go ahead my dude, nobody is stopping you

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 16:46:16 2022 No.21268527 >>21268520 >It was DUDE STOP TELLING >The rain was STOP. TELLING. >Reginald said TELLING AGAIN.

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 16:46:17 2022 No.21268528 >>21268520 >If you want to tell instead of show well duh, I'm writing prose

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 16:48:24 2022 No.21268535 >>21268527 either my examples were really that bad or you're a bit retarded. I don't think you understand what telling actually means in this context. >>21268528 Do you actually write though, anon? Please be honest.

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 16:50:10 2022 No.21268538 >>21268535 >Do you actually write though, anon? yep

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 16:50:55 2022 No.21268541 >>21268538 good, then you should understand the difference between telling and showing :)

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 16:53:32 2022 No.21268546 Did you guys know there's apparently a "way" and "style" to write fantasy stories? As if readers expect a certain norm and will not accept any deviation from some "idea" of what fantasy is.

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 16:53:41 2022 No.21268547 >>21268541 yes, I understand that I have to work around the inability to show anything because prose is a non-visual medium

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 16:55:06 2022 No.21268553 >>21268547 >he thinks show means pictures >he thinks tell means words dear lord I really am in a pit with the retards

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 16:55:18 2022 No.21268554 >>21268546 There's a difference between genre fiction fantasy and regular fantasy. Genre fiction is by definition written for market and so has to follow specific standards set by that market

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 16:56:38 2022 No.21268557 Should I delete slice of life scenes in my fantasy story? I have my character trying to open a candy bar wrapper and failing. I plan for it to transition to an actual scene, and using it as a "breather from all the action.

Anonymous Thu Nov 17 16:56:47 2022 No.21268559

>>21268546
So elves, dwarves and orcs are a must. The MC must be a farmboy who beats master swordsmen because he practiced with a wooden sword with his friend. He's also the heir to the throne and the reincarnation of a great hero who fought The Evil One and can speak to dragons.

Anonymous Thu Nov 17 16:57:08 2022 No.21268561
File: 797 KB, 2048x2048, C8EMdj4Er1nvHDZrP2WY--2--dpukf_4x.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]

Chapter 7 of The Kill List is out. I'm hoping to return to a more regular weekly release schedule, thanks to the Nanowrimo push. Any feedback is appreciated-- constantly trying to improve here.

https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/54622/the-kill-list

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 16:57:37 2022 No.21268565 >>21268557 why would you want to delete it?

Anonymous Thu Nov 17 16:59:31 2022 No.21268573

>>21268518
Writers didn't start to throw around "show don't tell" because they suddenly decided they wanted to be playwrights. It's a simple way to sum up half a century of developments in fiction writing, from Henry James to Hemingway's Iceberg theory.
Look, you can argue about show don't tell and its applications as much as you want, but if you think it's about books wanting to be movies, you're just betraying your own ignorance.

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 17:01:00 2022 No.21268578 >>21268546 it's called the conventions of the genre. All popular genres have them. Doesn't mean you have to follow them. this thread has reminded me how retarded writing discourse online really is jfc

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 17:02:31 2022 No.21268584 >>21268565 YouTubers and advice columns tell me to delete pointless scenes. But GRRM does it with wine drinking and food scenes.

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 17:03:40 2022 No.21268589 >>21268584 If it's enjoyable to read then no one will care

Anonymous Thu Nov 17 17:03:56 2022 No.21268591

>>21268584
If it works as the release valve when there's too much tension or if it's just entertaining in isolation then keep it, especially if you like it. If it's just there because you felt like it then it may feel out of place. Basically does it help or interrupt the flow of the story?

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 17:04:19 2022 No.21268595 >>21268561 good on keeping this up. this is one of the pieces itt that i've enjoyed seeing. your prose is actually decent!

Anonymous Thu Nov 17 17:08:11 2022 No.21268608

>>21268557
>>21268584
It depends. You usually want to have some passages that create a mood and add depth to the setting even if they don't really further the plot. But a lot of readers don't like it when there's so much of that kind of scenes that the story gets bloated.

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 17:23:29 2022 No.21268655 How do I keep the audience entertained in a story just about 2 characters dealing with their internal problems?

Anonymous Thu Nov 17 17:25:16 2022 No.21268662

>>21268655
it would help to know the internal problems

but try finding a way to externalise those problems and allow the character to interact with them

unless you're going full stream of consciousness, but I'm not going to pretend I know how to do that well

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 17:41:32 2022 No.21268708 >>21268662 its about suicidal depression and finding a reason to live

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 18:01:44 2022 No.21268768 >>21268708 have your characters fail at their attempt to write an interesting book

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 18:07:31 2022 No.21268776 >>21268768 Kek I hate meta

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 18:09:50 2022 No.21268783 >>21268708 >>21268776 oh boy decide on what their reason to live is and build the interest around that? Suicide is a bit overdone so just look at what other people have done on that subject

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 18:24:48 2022 No.21268826 My fantasy heroine is weak, dumb, and can't seem to win a fight on her own. Is this WWE scripting any good?

Anonymous Thu Nov 17 18:30:43 2022 No.21268845

>>21268584
Sometimes, instead of moving the plot, I include longass scenes about something completely mundane just to annoy the reader, like making coffee or cleaning up the backyard, also without paragraph breaks or commas to maximize the effect.

Instead of raging, people often tell me they were the most interesting chapters. I have no clue how normalfags think

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 18:57:17 2022 No.21268929 >>21268826 does she have a clear and strong motivation/goal? If so you are good

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 18:58:02 2022 No.21268938 >>21268584 I would rather write with more subtlety and a scene at first be taken as pointless than to always erupt with overt drama. Some of the best drama in my opinion is the restraint.

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 19:02:12 2022 No.21268971 >>21268460 I read a book once where the female lead was an albino white girl. I couldn't stop thinking about how weird they look and it definitely proved a distraction.

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 19:15:59 2022 No.21269012 >>21268826 >can't win a fight on her own because she's >weak doable >and dumb huh. hopefully she's pretty because that's probably the only way she'll succeed. probably needs to carry around kneepads

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 19:35:50 2022 No.21269087 File: 546 KB, 1024x1024, 1643267210049.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google] What name would you give to a person with this face? Would he be American, or British?

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 19:43:16 2022 No.21269122 >>21269087 That's a clear Owen face. British.

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 19:45:53 2022 No.21269135 HI friends, it's been a while.

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 19:51:06 2022 No.21269158 New thread: >>21269156 >>21269156

>>	Anonymous Thu Nov 17 21:53:49 2022 No.21269690 >>21261534 That's what I always loved about King, he put horror into mundane working class settings. His characters are real and not all different variations of academics. Do you have some of your work online? I'd be interested to read some

Anonymous Thu Nov 17 22:19:49 2022 No.21269784

>>21265947
I love it, where can I get more?

Slaps me right back into childhood, just like a good backhand from uncle Archy. Putting all this social commentary onto a cardboard box moloch. And all of it spun into the absurdity of ridiculous corporate bullshit

Please give me more

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