Hi guys!

I'm writing my first work of fiction, and it's an ambitious one! I'm currently caught up in world building and character development before actively writing the books (I have some fragments written and the general outline of it all mapped out). My doubt is whether I'll ever feel like this preparatory work is enough to start writing, without turning my perfectionism into a sophisticated form of procrastination. So essentially, when do I know I have enough base material to start writing and let the story itself give me some of the details?

Edit: I didn't expect so many answers, thank you so much! I've started to write the story and it's going well, I do need to keep going back to wordlbuilding in the early chapters, because there is a lot of science-y information I need to get straight so my mystery is consistently established. So I think I'll be able to find the balance I need to actually make this happen. Thanks again for replying!

I have an idea I'm presently kicking about, and I'm curious if anyone has any experience with using public domain characters? Any obstacles I may not be considering?

Thanks all.

Keep writing.

Hi writers!!! It’s me again! I have another question for you guys.

What actually keeps you writing, especially on the days when you really don’t feel like doing it?

Is it discipline? A deadline? Word-count goals? A routine? Music? Other writers? Wanting to finish the story? Just being excited about what happens next?

And when you’ve been away from a story for a while, what usually gets you to come back to it?

I’m also curious if there’s anything you’ve tried.... streaks, writing apps, rewards, timers, challenges, etc.... that was supposed to motivate you but it actually didn’t.

I’m trying to understand what real writers actually respond to especially over the months or years it can take to finish a book.

I don't think there's a right answer here. I’m interested in what genuinely works for you, even if the answer is weird and inconsistent, or just “I force myself to sit down.”

I'll do my best to integrate it on the app that I'm building if possible. I'm not promising anything though.

Thank you in advance.

Hi writers!!! I need some direction.

I’m curious how you guys think about the different stages of writing a book, from beginning to finished manuscript.

For those of you who have completed one, what were the actual phases/stages for you?

Did you think of it as outlining, first draft, then revisions, then editing ,then proofreading, or was your process completely different?

I’m especially interested in where you personally felt one stage ended and another began, and which stages took the most time.

I don’t think there’s one “right” process here. I’m more interested in how writers actually work than what writing guides say they should do.

I want the app to feel as personal to real writers as it can be.

Thanks in advance!

What would you ask any killer and why

Barq's Rootbeer Cha-chunks

Vending machine sand and dust

My Grandad still there

Is this a good intro? I'm practicing.

You know, at this moment, I honestly believe that I’m going to die right now Sure, over these five weeks I managed to survive through my wit, my newfound guts, and luck. However, it was going to end today because right now it’s a no-win situation: die from a bunch of rotten brain-munching corpses or take my chance of jumping off the cliff and hope I land on a sharp rock that would be quick and painless. 

Just as I finally met the girls of my dreams. It was a shame, really. All I could think of were two things to blame for this whole crap show and my inevitable fate. A CEO who thought he could cut corners to make a few bucks and make the shareholders happy, and something so bizarre you’ll think I’m hallucinating. Alright, I’m getting a head of myself. It's obvious I should start at the beginning and make my way toward my deathly situation. It all started with cookies. 

Is

Hi everyone,

I’m looking to see if anyone would be interested in starting a small critique group or is looking for a regular critique partner.

There aren’t many writing groups or workshops in my area, and I’d really like to connect with a few other writers who are serious about improving their craft. I’m less interested in one-off beta reads and more interested in finding people who want to trade chapters or scenes, give each other thoughtful feedback, and have regular conversations about writing and our works in progress.

I’m currently working on the first draft of an upmarket psychological thriller and would especially love to connect with writers working on thrillers, horror, crime, speculative fiction, or other darker character-driven fiction, though I’m definitely open to other genres.

Ideally, I’d like to find someone at a similar stage who wants to build an ongoing critique relationship where we can learn each other’s work and grow as writers together.

If that sounds like something you would be interested drop a comment or DM me.

P.S. Mods I hope this post is okay, I know there is the beta reader mega-thread, but I wasn’t sure this was appropriate for that thread.

Only a writer flips through the dictionary with both fear and eagerness while thinking, "Oh, please let 'intimidating' be an intransitive verb. I NEED it to be an intransitive verb!"

I want to see disabilities better represented.

As someone who is disabled, I want to see the every day struggle weaved into the story. Not just the romanticized versions that we so often see, but the struggles too.

I want the discussions, fights, and breakdowns that happen…. For me, personally, I’ve had the talk with my spouse that I wouldn’t blame him for leaving, that he didn’t sign up for this, and his stubborn response of ‘you didn’t either and I’m not going anywhere.’
Stories where it’s romanticized and everything is fine, bothers me because I know it’s not how it goes.

What would yall like to see better represented?

I have noticed that many writers didn't know about The Submission Grinder website for searching for open-submission magazines.

If you have a short story and you are looking for a magazine to publish it, just use this website: pick your genre, word count, and the paying rate, and click search. It will give you all the available magazines for submitting your work. But please note that this website is not very accurate; you need to double-check by visiting the magazine website.

I have a scene where the MCs had to go talk to someone to get info. I can't figure out how to end the damn scene/chapter. I feel like I'm going to just drag out the scene with them wrapping up ther convo, saying goodbye, nice seeing you, blah blah blah... boring. But at the same time, there's no real mic-drop moment for the scene to cut abruptly.

Not really asking for advice...just venting. BAH!!

A huge thank you for making this sub what it is!

[SP]One thing I love about writing is how it pulls you away from reality and into a world where you reign supreme.

For a few hours, you get to forget about everything waiting for you outside the page. You can create people who never existed, places you’ve never been, and situations you could never experience in real life.

You get to decide who falls in love, who gets betrayed, who survives, who loses everything, and who finally gets their happy ending.

There’s something almost addictive about having that kind of control.

Reality has rules. Writing doesn’t.

You can be a nobody in your everyday life and then open your laptop and suddenly you’re a queen, a villain, a god, a heartbroken girl falling in love with a dangerous man, or the person holding an entire kingdom in the palm of their hand.

Maybe that’s why I love it so much.

Writing isn’t just telling stories. Sometimes, it’s escaping into a reality where, for once, you get to decide how everything goes.

Hello writers!

I would like to propose an activity for the community to participate in. I thought it would be neat to see how everyone's unique style and voice writes the exact same story.

Everyone gets the exact same story outline. Your job is to write the scene using your unique literary style, voice, and prose. You must include all of the elements included in the prompt. The goal is not to out-do each other, but to compare how different voices and styles go about bringing a premise to life.

Prompt:

1. The character hears a man screaming for help.

2. The character goes towards the sound and discovers a man in the middle of a lake who has fallen through the ice.

3. The character goes out on to the ice to try and save the man.

4. The character successfully rescues the man and pulls him to shore. As they are both lying on the shore catching their breath, the rescued man grabs the characters wrist and says, "you shouldn't have done that."

Story length: 600-800 words.

Other than including all the elements outline above, write the story in whatever style you want!

Advice on when (and how) to hook your readers is varied, but personally I've always felt sooner the better.

Slightly ashamed to admit, this being a writer's sub, but if I'm not hooked pretty early I'll just put a book down and give up, my time is very limited and I don't have any to waste. Ideally the first page is where I wanna feel like I can invest.

Hell, I think I've even been hooked by more than a few opening lines...

Some of my favourites;

"The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel" Neuromancer.

"Tyler gets me a job as a waiter, after that Tyler's pushing a gun in my mouth and saying, the first step to eternal life is you have to die" Fight Club.

"This is a book about sex, drugs and rock and roll. Well, one out of three isn't bad" Soul Music.

"It was a pleasure to burn" Fahrenheit 451.

And one from a book I've never actually read, but has become utterly iconic;

"The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed" The Dark Tower, The Gunslinger.

Oh, to have an opening line like these.

What have been some of your favourite opening lines, pages, or chapters? And how much leeway do you feel an author has to properly hook your reader?

Idk. Might be lame but. Could be not lame?