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yvsbdc | writing_train | 0.8 | Fear of sharing the manuscript with others that it might get stolen? I fear to share my manuscript with critique partners and beta readers, that they will copy the entire book and pitch/selfpublish it under their name. Once when in high school, I printed my book into A4 pages booklet and shared it with one of my friends to read, but he lost it. 😐 Then, the fear that someone will publish it under his name took over me. Fortunately, I found my manuscript. Big relief. Any way to overcome this fear? People can always self publish now after a proofreading round, gone are the days when we need to wait for publishers. This scares me, someone with steal and self publish the book. Any help? | iwj8qs4 | iwhbmr8 | 1,668,560,719 | 1,668,532,797 | 1 | 0 | File it at the copyright office or wga. | Copyright your shit. And if you self pub, you WILL be pirated. You can protect yourself only so much. So the best thing to do is just get over it and realize this is part of every writer's fears. | 1 | 27,922 | 1,000 | ||
yvsbdc | writing_train | 0.8 | Fear of sharing the manuscript with others that it might get stolen? I fear to share my manuscript with critique partners and beta readers, that they will copy the entire book and pitch/selfpublish it under their name. Once when in high school, I printed my book into A4 pages booklet and shared it with one of my friends to read, but he lost it. 😐 Then, the fear that someone will publish it under his name took over me. Fortunately, I found my manuscript. Big relief. Any way to overcome this fear? People can always self publish now after a proofreading round, gone are the days when we need to wait for publishers. This scares me, someone with steal and self publish the book. Any help? | iwhbmr8 | iwj9723 | 1,668,532,797 | 1,668,560,932 | 0 | 1 | Copyright your shit. And if you self pub, you WILL be pirated. You can protect yourself only so much. So the best thing to do is just get over it and realize this is part of every writer's fears. | Think of the lawsuit earnings and news coverage you'd get! Hey, somebody steal mine and publish it! | 0 | 28,135 | 1,000 | ||
yvsbdc | writing_train | 0.8 | Fear of sharing the manuscript with others that it might get stolen? I fear to share my manuscript with critique partners and beta readers, that they will copy the entire book and pitch/selfpublish it under their name. Once when in high school, I printed my book into A4 pages booklet and shared it with one of my friends to read, but he lost it. 😐 Then, the fear that someone will publish it under his name took over me. Fortunately, I found my manuscript. Big relief. Any way to overcome this fear? People can always self publish now after a proofreading round, gone are the days when we need to wait for publishers. This scares me, someone with steal and self publish the book. Any help? | iwhbmr8 | iwjbywe | 1,668,532,797 | 1,668,562,246 | 0 | 1 | Copyright your shit. And if you self pub, you WILL be pirated. You can protect yourself only so much. So the best thing to do is just get over it and realize this is part of every writer's fears. | Let's put it this way, very shortly, you know how many down votes you for just posting that? And me for responding? There's reasons. The easiest property to steal is intellectual property. Also, the hardest to prove. When you have people telling you that no one wants to steal your writing, it's almost the same way of saying, "Leave the keys in your car because no one wants to steal it." Share like I do. Small groups of other writers and know who they are. Don't listen to the other people saying otherwise. | 0 | 29,449 | 1,000 | ||
yvsbdc | writing_train | 0.8 | Fear of sharing the manuscript with others that it might get stolen? I fear to share my manuscript with critique partners and beta readers, that they will copy the entire book and pitch/selfpublish it under their name. Once when in high school, I printed my book into A4 pages booklet and shared it with one of my friends to read, but he lost it. 😐 Then, the fear that someone will publish it under his name took over me. Fortunately, I found my manuscript. Big relief. Any way to overcome this fear? People can always self publish now after a proofreading round, gone are the days when we need to wait for publishers. This scares me, someone with steal and self publish the book. Any help? | iwhbmr8 | iwjq8jp | 1,668,532,797 | 1,668,568,955 | 0 | 1 | Copyright your shit. And if you self pub, you WILL be pirated. You can protect yourself only so much. So the best thing to do is just get over it and realize this is part of every writer's fears. | Even if, and that's a big IF, ask yourself this question *Of all the millions of books in the world, why would someone steal yours specifically?* | 0 | 36,158 | 1,000 | ||
yvsbdc | writing_train | 0.8 | Fear of sharing the manuscript with others that it might get stolen? I fear to share my manuscript with critique partners and beta readers, that they will copy the entire book and pitch/selfpublish it under their name. Once when in high school, I printed my book into A4 pages booklet and shared it with one of my friends to read, but he lost it. 😐 Then, the fear that someone will publish it under his name took over me. Fortunately, I found my manuscript. Big relief. Any way to overcome this fear? People can always self publish now after a proofreading round, gone are the days when we need to wait for publishers. This scares me, someone with steal and self publish the book. Any help? | iwjt6u6 | iwhbmr8 | 1,668,570,434 | 1,668,532,797 | 1 | 0 | Nobody cares about other people’s ideas… so have no fear. | Copyright your shit. And if you self pub, you WILL be pirated. You can protect yourself only so much. So the best thing to do is just get over it and realize this is part of every writer's fears. | 1 | 37,637 | 1,000 | ||
yvsbdc | writing_train | 0.8 | Fear of sharing the manuscript with others that it might get stolen? I fear to share my manuscript with critique partners and beta readers, that they will copy the entire book and pitch/selfpublish it under their name. Once when in high school, I printed my book into A4 pages booklet and shared it with one of my friends to read, but he lost it. 😐 Then, the fear that someone will publish it under his name took over me. Fortunately, I found my manuscript. Big relief. Any way to overcome this fear? People can always self publish now after a proofreading round, gone are the days when we need to wait for publishers. This scares me, someone with steal and self publish the book. Any help? | iwiiunh | iwig9rc | 1,668,549,355 | 1,668,548,349 | 1 | 0 | In middle school our italian teacher (I'm from Italy) gave us to write a fantasy story for homework. I've always ADORED writing fantasy, so I wrote an amazing story and the day after the teacher said to me to read that in front of the class, so I did it. We hadn't much time, so not everyone managed to read the story that day. When the time of reading the stories came again, a friend of mine read a story, which was basically the same as mine (but worse lol) she has changed hers (I had read her old story before) I couldn't believe that. So, from that moment on, I can't trust anyone and I never read my stories :') | If you can prove you wrote the book, you own the copyright. If someone publishes your book, you can then move for an injunction to prevent further damages; sue them for damages; sue for attribution of the work to you; and generally restore your control of the work. People can steal your ideas. They can’t steal your book. | 1 | 1,006 | 1,000 | ||
yvsbdc | writing_train | 0.8 | Fear of sharing the manuscript with others that it might get stolen? I fear to share my manuscript with critique partners and beta readers, that they will copy the entire book and pitch/selfpublish it under their name. Once when in high school, I printed my book into A4 pages booklet and shared it with one of my friends to read, but he lost it. 😐 Then, the fear that someone will publish it under his name took over me. Fortunately, I found my manuscript. Big relief. Any way to overcome this fear? People can always self publish now after a proofreading round, gone are the days when we need to wait for publishers. This scares me, someone with steal and self publish the book. Any help? | iwig9rc | iwiw9y3 | 1,668,548,349 | 1,668,554,971 | 0 | 1 | If you can prove you wrote the book, you own the copyright. If someone publishes your book, you can then move for an injunction to prevent further damages; sue them for damages; sue for attribution of the work to you; and generally restore your control of the work. People can steal your ideas. They can’t steal your book. | I thought this once & then realized what would make them able to write, publish AND SELL my book better than me? Naw… it’s so not likely. 🤷♀️ | 0 | 6,622 | 1,000 | ||
yvsbdc | writing_train | 0.8 | Fear of sharing the manuscript with others that it might get stolen? I fear to share my manuscript with critique partners and beta readers, that they will copy the entire book and pitch/selfpublish it under their name. Once when in high school, I printed my book into A4 pages booklet and shared it with one of my friends to read, but he lost it. 😐 Then, the fear that someone will publish it under his name took over me. Fortunately, I found my manuscript. Big relief. Any way to overcome this fear? People can always self publish now after a proofreading round, gone are the days when we need to wait for publishers. This scares me, someone with steal and self publish the book. Any help? | iwiyhxa | iwig9rc | 1,668,555,946 | 1,668,548,349 | 1 | 0 | I once read a self published story where the idea was ok but it obviously hadn’t been edited by anyone or beta read. It was told from two points of view and sometimes those views retold the exact same event and sometimes they told different times in the story. I finished the book because I wanted to see where the plot was going but the way it was written was bad. Sometimes the switch of character did nothing to progress any part of the story (no real plot or character development- it seemed to be just filler). There were grammatical mistakes as well. I almost didn’t finish it. It’s not something I would put my name on nor is it something I could develop well enough to improve it even though I read the whole thing. | If you can prove you wrote the book, you own the copyright. If someone publishes your book, you can then move for an injunction to prevent further damages; sue them for damages; sue for attribution of the work to you; and generally restore your control of the work. People can steal your ideas. They can’t steal your book. | 1 | 7,597 | 1,000 | ||
yvsbdc | writing_train | 0.8 | Fear of sharing the manuscript with others that it might get stolen? I fear to share my manuscript with critique partners and beta readers, that they will copy the entire book and pitch/selfpublish it under their name. Once when in high school, I printed my book into A4 pages booklet and shared it with one of my friends to read, but he lost it. 😐 Then, the fear that someone will publish it under his name took over me. Fortunately, I found my manuscript. Big relief. Any way to overcome this fear? People can always self publish now after a proofreading round, gone are the days when we need to wait for publishers. This scares me, someone with steal and self publish the book. Any help? | iwj8qs4 | iwig9rc | 1,668,560,719 | 1,668,548,349 | 1 | 0 | File it at the copyright office or wga. | If you can prove you wrote the book, you own the copyright. If someone publishes your book, you can then move for an injunction to prevent further damages; sue them for damages; sue for attribution of the work to you; and generally restore your control of the work. People can steal your ideas. They can’t steal your book. | 1 | 12,370 | 1,000 | ||
yvsbdc | writing_train | 0.8 | Fear of sharing the manuscript with others that it might get stolen? I fear to share my manuscript with critique partners and beta readers, that they will copy the entire book and pitch/selfpublish it under their name. Once when in high school, I printed my book into A4 pages booklet and shared it with one of my friends to read, but he lost it. 😐 Then, the fear that someone will publish it under his name took over me. Fortunately, I found my manuscript. Big relief. Any way to overcome this fear? People can always self publish now after a proofreading round, gone are the days when we need to wait for publishers. This scares me, someone with steal and self publish the book. Any help? | iwig9rc | iwj9723 | 1,668,548,349 | 1,668,560,932 | 0 | 1 | If you can prove you wrote the book, you own the copyright. If someone publishes your book, you can then move for an injunction to prevent further damages; sue them for damages; sue for attribution of the work to you; and generally restore your control of the work. People can steal your ideas. They can’t steal your book. | Think of the lawsuit earnings and news coverage you'd get! Hey, somebody steal mine and publish it! | 0 | 12,583 | 1,000 | ||
yvsbdc | writing_train | 0.8 | Fear of sharing the manuscript with others that it might get stolen? I fear to share my manuscript with critique partners and beta readers, that they will copy the entire book and pitch/selfpublish it under their name. Once when in high school, I printed my book into A4 pages booklet and shared it with one of my friends to read, but he lost it. 😐 Then, the fear that someone will publish it under his name took over me. Fortunately, I found my manuscript. Big relief. Any way to overcome this fear? People can always self publish now after a proofreading round, gone are the days when we need to wait for publishers. This scares me, someone with steal and self publish the book. Any help? | iwjbywe | iwig9rc | 1,668,562,246 | 1,668,548,349 | 1 | 0 | Let's put it this way, very shortly, you know how many down votes you for just posting that? And me for responding? There's reasons. The easiest property to steal is intellectual property. Also, the hardest to prove. When you have people telling you that no one wants to steal your writing, it's almost the same way of saying, "Leave the keys in your car because no one wants to steal it." Share like I do. Small groups of other writers and know who they are. Don't listen to the other people saying otherwise. | If you can prove you wrote the book, you own the copyright. If someone publishes your book, you can then move for an injunction to prevent further damages; sue them for damages; sue for attribution of the work to you; and generally restore your control of the work. People can steal your ideas. They can’t steal your book. | 1 | 13,897 | 1,000 | ||
yvsbdc | writing_train | 0.8 | Fear of sharing the manuscript with others that it might get stolen? I fear to share my manuscript with critique partners and beta readers, that they will copy the entire book and pitch/selfpublish it under their name. Once when in high school, I printed my book into A4 pages booklet and shared it with one of my friends to read, but he lost it. 😐 Then, the fear that someone will publish it under his name took over me. Fortunately, I found my manuscript. Big relief. Any way to overcome this fear? People can always self publish now after a proofreading round, gone are the days when we need to wait for publishers. This scares me, someone with steal and self publish the book. Any help? | iwig9rc | iwjq8jp | 1,668,548,349 | 1,668,568,955 | 0 | 1 | If you can prove you wrote the book, you own the copyright. If someone publishes your book, you can then move for an injunction to prevent further damages; sue them for damages; sue for attribution of the work to you; and generally restore your control of the work. People can steal your ideas. They can’t steal your book. | Even if, and that's a big IF, ask yourself this question *Of all the millions of books in the world, why would someone steal yours specifically?* | 0 | 20,606 | 1,000 | ||
yvsbdc | writing_train | 0.8 | Fear of sharing the manuscript with others that it might get stolen? I fear to share my manuscript with critique partners and beta readers, that they will copy the entire book and pitch/selfpublish it under their name. Once when in high school, I printed my book into A4 pages booklet and shared it with one of my friends to read, but he lost it. 😐 Then, the fear that someone will publish it under his name took over me. Fortunately, I found my manuscript. Big relief. Any way to overcome this fear? People can always self publish now after a proofreading round, gone are the days when we need to wait for publishers. This scares me, someone with steal and self publish the book. Any help? | iwig9rc | iwjt6u6 | 1,668,548,349 | 1,668,570,434 | 0 | 1 | If you can prove you wrote the book, you own the copyright. If someone publishes your book, you can then move for an injunction to prevent further damages; sue them for damages; sue for attribution of the work to you; and generally restore your control of the work. People can steal your ideas. They can’t steal your book. | Nobody cares about other people’s ideas… so have no fear. | 0 | 22,085 | 1,000 | ||
svo9yl | writing_train | 0.93 | How to talk about your writing without feeling embarrassed Despite how much time I've spent planning out my novel, part of me dreads telling anyone about it and trying to explain what it's about. I could send out a PDF and take in any edits or feedback on the document pretty impartially, but actually speaking my vision into words with someone face-to-face feels much more intimidating. I know eventually I'm just going to have to get over it if I want anyone to actually read the damn thing. What're your best strategies for getting over that initial fear of judgement? | hxh5nb5 | hxh5edu | 1,645,208,287 | 1,645,208,191 | 8 | -8 | If you figure it out, let me know. | Here is some literature for teenagers about managing your emotions. https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/emotional-reactions.html | 1 | 96 | -1 | ||
svo9yl | writing_train | 0.93 | How to talk about your writing without feeling embarrassed Despite how much time I've spent planning out my novel, part of me dreads telling anyone about it and trying to explain what it's about. I could send out a PDF and take in any edits or feedback on the document pretty impartially, but actually speaking my vision into words with someone face-to-face feels much more intimidating. I know eventually I'm just going to have to get over it if I want anyone to actually read the damn thing. What're your best strategies for getting over that initial fear of judgement? | hxh9ovq | hxh808m | 1,645,209,833 | 1,645,209,186 | 6 | 2 | Really thinking about the concept of Equality may be of service here. If you would honestly listen to another and see it as worthwhile for helping another "you" and maybe learning something in the process, then you should be able to allow yourself to share unsheepishly. If you believe in Equality, your efforts in contribution are as valid as any other equal. If you can realize this truth, then you will have quit the inferiority complex by understanding we're all, always, works-in-progress. Our efficacy in the qualitative product of our passions and skills are are only mirrors of that work-in-progress. | Stop caring | 1 | 647 | 3 | ||
svo9yl | writing_train | 0.93 | How to talk about your writing without feeling embarrassed Despite how much time I've spent planning out my novel, part of me dreads telling anyone about it and trying to explain what it's about. I could send out a PDF and take in any edits or feedback on the document pretty impartially, but actually speaking my vision into words with someone face-to-face feels much more intimidating. I know eventually I'm just going to have to get over it if I want anyone to actually read the damn thing. What're your best strategies for getting over that initial fear of judgement? | hxh9ovq | hxh5edu | 1,645,209,833 | 1,645,208,191 | 6 | -8 | Really thinking about the concept of Equality may be of service here. If you would honestly listen to another and see it as worthwhile for helping another "you" and maybe learning something in the process, then you should be able to allow yourself to share unsheepishly. If you believe in Equality, your efforts in contribution are as valid as any other equal. If you can realize this truth, then you will have quit the inferiority complex by understanding we're all, always, works-in-progress. Our efficacy in the qualitative product of our passions and skills are are only mirrors of that work-in-progress. | Here is some literature for teenagers about managing your emotions. https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/emotional-reactions.html | 1 | 1,642 | -0.75 | ||
svo9yl | writing_train | 0.93 | How to talk about your writing without feeling embarrassed Despite how much time I've spent planning out my novel, part of me dreads telling anyone about it and trying to explain what it's about. I could send out a PDF and take in any edits or feedback on the document pretty impartially, but actually speaking my vision into words with someone face-to-face feels much more intimidating. I know eventually I'm just going to have to get over it if I want anyone to actually read the damn thing. What're your best strategies for getting over that initial fear of judgement? | hxhaglz | hxh808m | 1,645,210,136 | 1,645,209,186 | 3 | 2 | Let me know | Stop caring | 1 | 950 | 1.5 | ||
svo9yl | writing_train | 0.93 | How to talk about your writing without feeling embarrassed Despite how much time I've spent planning out my novel, part of me dreads telling anyone about it and trying to explain what it's about. I could send out a PDF and take in any edits or feedback on the document pretty impartially, but actually speaking my vision into words with someone face-to-face feels much more intimidating. I know eventually I'm just going to have to get over it if I want anyone to actually read the damn thing. What're your best strategies for getting over that initial fear of judgement? | hxhaglz | hxh5edu | 1,645,210,136 | 1,645,208,191 | 3 | -8 | Let me know | Here is some literature for teenagers about managing your emotions. https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/emotional-reactions.html | 1 | 1,945 | -0.375 | ||
svo9yl | writing_train | 0.93 | How to talk about your writing without feeling embarrassed Despite how much time I've spent planning out my novel, part of me dreads telling anyone about it and trying to explain what it's about. I could send out a PDF and take in any edits or feedback on the document pretty impartially, but actually speaking my vision into words with someone face-to-face feels much more intimidating. I know eventually I'm just going to have to get over it if I want anyone to actually read the damn thing. What're your best strategies for getting over that initial fear of judgement? | hxhuwzn | hxh808m | 1,645,218,262 | 1,645,209,186 | 3 | 2 | It's hard. You have to learn to separate the ego from the work. Having your writing criticized feels personal, because we invest so much of ourselves in the work. I usually sit with critiques for a while until I'm ready to learn from them. Ultimately, you do want to improve. And if you're referring to pitching at a writing conference, well, you'll have that prepared ahead of time. You won't be winging it. And if you're referring to explaining your WIP to family and friends, well, my advice is to not do that unless they're writers too. They will constantly pester you with the question, "so when is your novel coming out?" as if writing one is the only criteria for publishing one. It's best to avoid completely. | Stop caring | 1 | 9,076 | 1.5 | ||
svo9yl | writing_train | 0.93 | How to talk about your writing without feeling embarrassed Despite how much time I've spent planning out my novel, part of me dreads telling anyone about it and trying to explain what it's about. I could send out a PDF and take in any edits or feedback on the document pretty impartially, but actually speaking my vision into words with someone face-to-face feels much more intimidating. I know eventually I'm just going to have to get over it if I want anyone to actually read the damn thing. What're your best strategies for getting over that initial fear of judgement? | hxhuwzn | hxho8qz | 1,645,218,262 | 1,645,215,601 | 3 | 2 | It's hard. You have to learn to separate the ego from the work. Having your writing criticized feels personal, because we invest so much of ourselves in the work. I usually sit with critiques for a while until I'm ready to learn from them. Ultimately, you do want to improve. And if you're referring to pitching at a writing conference, well, you'll have that prepared ahead of time. You won't be winging it. And if you're referring to explaining your WIP to family and friends, well, my advice is to not do that unless they're writers too. They will constantly pester you with the question, "so when is your novel coming out?" as if writing one is the only criteria for publishing one. It's best to avoid completely. | I would suggest finding a like-minded person to start talking to. Personally, I knew I had to get feedback on my work, so I knew I had to be able to talk to someone. I found out that my university's creative writing department had set up a writing center where they gave tutors available to help you work through problems/give feedback, that sort of thing. I went a couple of different times and figured out which tutor I worked best with and made a series of appointments for successive weeks so that, after a few sessions, he could get a better understanding of the voice/themes/style I was working with, and I've met with him every week ever since. I think someone else said it well in an earlier post. You just have to find someone who can get excited about your story/work with you and ask good questions. That's why I picked the CWC tutoring center. There may be other places. I've really been craving a little bit bigger group, so I'm thinking about starting a writing club so that people can come together and share in a way that helps them be comfortable sharing. The other big part of it is getting out of your own head. Even now I still feel goofy sometimes explaining more experimental or niche parts of how I'm developing my story, but I've had to just power through that feeling and go for it because those elements are important to the story. I promise that, unless you're just really writing something outlandish that makes no sense - which I'm sure you aren't since you've put a good deal of thought into your work - nobody will think it's just silly. Nobody serious will anyway. | 1 | 2,661 | 1.5 | ||
svo9yl | writing_train | 0.93 | How to talk about your writing without feeling embarrassed Despite how much time I've spent planning out my novel, part of me dreads telling anyone about it and trying to explain what it's about. I could send out a PDF and take in any edits or feedback on the document pretty impartially, but actually speaking my vision into words with someone face-to-face feels much more intimidating. I know eventually I'm just going to have to get over it if I want anyone to actually read the damn thing. What're your best strategies for getting over that initial fear of judgement? | hxhrhzu | hxhuwzn | 1,645,216,913 | 1,645,218,262 | 0 | 3 | Don't. There's more than enough evidence out there that talking about your ideas and early drafts is a bad idea. | It's hard. You have to learn to separate the ego from the work. Having your writing criticized feels personal, because we invest so much of ourselves in the work. I usually sit with critiques for a while until I'm ready to learn from them. Ultimately, you do want to improve. And if you're referring to pitching at a writing conference, well, you'll have that prepared ahead of time. You won't be winging it. And if you're referring to explaining your WIP to family and friends, well, my advice is to not do that unless they're writers too. They will constantly pester you with the question, "so when is your novel coming out?" as if writing one is the only criteria for publishing one. It's best to avoid completely. | 0 | 1,349 | 3,000 | ||
svo9yl | writing_train | 0.93 | How to talk about your writing without feeling embarrassed Despite how much time I've spent planning out my novel, part of me dreads telling anyone about it and trying to explain what it's about. I could send out a PDF and take in any edits or feedback on the document pretty impartially, but actually speaking my vision into words with someone face-to-face feels much more intimidating. I know eventually I'm just going to have to get over it if I want anyone to actually read the damn thing. What're your best strategies for getting over that initial fear of judgement? | hxhbvqw | hxhuwzn | 1,645,210,690 | 1,645,218,262 | 1 | 3 | You need to engage more on social media, and work through negative nancy feedback. This is why I suggest a blog to most beginners, especially ones who could benefit from real-time responses, in order to develop the thicker skin on a daily basis. If you're scared what people think now -- when you haven't written anything yet -- anxiety will only get monumentally worse when you have some novel that's out there on the line. Something that people WILL judge, and quite possibly will hate and let you know all about it. Getting ready for that starts now. | It's hard. You have to learn to separate the ego from the work. Having your writing criticized feels personal, because we invest so much of ourselves in the work. I usually sit with critiques for a while until I'm ready to learn from them. Ultimately, you do want to improve. And if you're referring to pitching at a writing conference, well, you'll have that prepared ahead of time. You won't be winging it. And if you're referring to explaining your WIP to family and friends, well, my advice is to not do that unless they're writers too. They will constantly pester you with the question, "so when is your novel coming out?" as if writing one is the only criteria for publishing one. It's best to avoid completely. | 0 | 7,572 | 3 | ||
svo9yl | writing_train | 0.93 | How to talk about your writing without feeling embarrassed Despite how much time I've spent planning out my novel, part of me dreads telling anyone about it and trying to explain what it's about. I could send out a PDF and take in any edits or feedback on the document pretty impartially, but actually speaking my vision into words with someone face-to-face feels much more intimidating. I know eventually I'm just going to have to get over it if I want anyone to actually read the damn thing. What're your best strategies for getting over that initial fear of judgement? | hxhcnyi | hxhuwzn | 1,645,210,997 | 1,645,218,262 | 1 | 3 | Come to peace with the fact that judgement is inevitable. Your work will be judged -- positively and negatively -- without your control. What you can control is how much value/weight you give those judgements. Give thought to good kinds of judgement, like editorial critique, which help make your work even better. And if any judgement is unreasonably harsh (i.e. no reasons given/examples cited that back up their view... nothing constructive), then don't indulge that negativity. That's simply a hater. And honestly, if someone goes out of their way to make someone else feel bad, then I pity the aggressor -- what a sad existence to derive pleasure from the pain of others! | It's hard. You have to learn to separate the ego from the work. Having your writing criticized feels personal, because we invest so much of ourselves in the work. I usually sit with critiques for a while until I'm ready to learn from them. Ultimately, you do want to improve. And if you're referring to pitching at a writing conference, well, you'll have that prepared ahead of time. You won't be winging it. And if you're referring to explaining your WIP to family and friends, well, my advice is to not do that unless they're writers too. They will constantly pester you with the question, "so when is your novel coming out?" as if writing one is the only criteria for publishing one. It's best to avoid completely. | 0 | 7,265 | 3 | ||
svo9yl | writing_train | 0.93 | How to talk about your writing without feeling embarrassed Despite how much time I've spent planning out my novel, part of me dreads telling anyone about it and trying to explain what it's about. I could send out a PDF and take in any edits or feedback on the document pretty impartially, but actually speaking my vision into words with someone face-to-face feels much more intimidating. I know eventually I'm just going to have to get over it if I want anyone to actually read the damn thing. What're your best strategies for getting over that initial fear of judgement? | hxhuwzn | hxhdiaa | 1,645,218,262 | 1,645,211,330 | 3 | 1 | It's hard. You have to learn to separate the ego from the work. Having your writing criticized feels personal, because we invest so much of ourselves in the work. I usually sit with critiques for a while until I'm ready to learn from them. Ultimately, you do want to improve. And if you're referring to pitching at a writing conference, well, you'll have that prepared ahead of time. You won't be winging it. And if you're referring to explaining your WIP to family and friends, well, my advice is to not do that unless they're writers too. They will constantly pester you with the question, "so when is your novel coming out?" as if writing one is the only criteria for publishing one. It's best to avoid completely. | I always ask myself “what has this person done that justifies any judgement from them”. In the rare case I’m speaking to anyone important - they are never a dick. Actually finishing a project pretty much makes you less of a dick about criticism. | 1 | 6,932 | 3 | ||
svo9yl | writing_train | 0.93 | How to talk about your writing without feeling embarrassed Despite how much time I've spent planning out my novel, part of me dreads telling anyone about it and trying to explain what it's about. I could send out a PDF and take in any edits or feedback on the document pretty impartially, but actually speaking my vision into words with someone face-to-face feels much more intimidating. I know eventually I'm just going to have to get over it if I want anyone to actually read the damn thing. What're your best strategies for getting over that initial fear of judgement? | hxhuwzn | hxhdrjx | 1,645,218,262 | 1,645,211,432 | 3 | 1 | It's hard. You have to learn to separate the ego from the work. Having your writing criticized feels personal, because we invest so much of ourselves in the work. I usually sit with critiques for a while until I'm ready to learn from them. Ultimately, you do want to improve. And if you're referring to pitching at a writing conference, well, you'll have that prepared ahead of time. You won't be winging it. And if you're referring to explaining your WIP to family and friends, well, my advice is to not do that unless they're writers too. They will constantly pester you with the question, "so when is your novel coming out?" as if writing one is the only criteria for publishing one. It's best to avoid completely. | You've made something. And that's awesome. OWN IT! | 1 | 6,830 | 3 | ||
svo9yl | writing_train | 0.93 | How to talk about your writing without feeling embarrassed Despite how much time I've spent planning out my novel, part of me dreads telling anyone about it and trying to explain what it's about. I could send out a PDF and take in any edits or feedback on the document pretty impartially, but actually speaking my vision into words with someone face-to-face feels much more intimidating. I know eventually I'm just going to have to get over it if I want anyone to actually read the damn thing. What're your best strategies for getting over that initial fear of judgement? | hxhf2od | hxhuwzn | 1,645,211,946 | 1,645,218,262 | 1 | 3 | It’s the same as any other skill, you need to practice. Spend some time writing out the summary of your story that gets it across as succinctly and clearly as possible, and then practice reciting it out loud to yourself until you get the hang of it. Then spend some time saying it more spontaneously, using different words on the spot. Then find someone you trust who can help you practice, and ask them if it all made sense, then adjust accordingly. The only way to get over the anxiety is to practice. What you are doing is basically a pitch, whether you want to call it that or not. The secret to pitching is to practice it so well that you seem natural and at ease even when you don’t feel that way. This is a valuable skill to hone in almost any line of work. | It's hard. You have to learn to separate the ego from the work. Having your writing criticized feels personal, because we invest so much of ourselves in the work. I usually sit with critiques for a while until I'm ready to learn from them. Ultimately, you do want to improve. And if you're referring to pitching at a writing conference, well, you'll have that prepared ahead of time. You won't be winging it. And if you're referring to explaining your WIP to family and friends, well, my advice is to not do that unless they're writers too. They will constantly pester you with the question, "so when is your novel coming out?" as if writing one is the only criteria for publishing one. It's best to avoid completely. | 0 | 6,316 | 3 | ||
svo9yl | writing_train | 0.93 | How to talk about your writing without feeling embarrassed Despite how much time I've spent planning out my novel, part of me dreads telling anyone about it and trying to explain what it's about. I could send out a PDF and take in any edits or feedback on the document pretty impartially, but actually speaking my vision into words with someone face-to-face feels much more intimidating. I know eventually I'm just going to have to get over it if I want anyone to actually read the damn thing. What're your best strategies for getting over that initial fear of judgement? | hxhryni | hxhuwzn | 1,645,217,100 | 1,645,218,262 | 1 | 3 | Rejection hurts, but it will happen. It’s okay for someone not to like your writing! I can think of quite a few popular authors works and characters I despise. Everyone has unique tastes and preferences. I write gory, horror inspired, dark fantasy. When a close friend’s mother wanted to read it she couldn’t get through because that’s just not her thing and that’s okay. You will find those who like your genre and style. With the popularity of similar themes pervasive in entertainment I know there are many more people with the potential to love it. We can always work toward improving our writing, but the fundamental components are geared toward a certain type of eyes. Let your works find the right pair of eyes and don’t be afraid to share. | It's hard. You have to learn to separate the ego from the work. Having your writing criticized feels personal, because we invest so much of ourselves in the work. I usually sit with critiques for a while until I'm ready to learn from them. Ultimately, you do want to improve. And if you're referring to pitching at a writing conference, well, you'll have that prepared ahead of time. You won't be winging it. And if you're referring to explaining your WIP to family and friends, well, my advice is to not do that unless they're writers too. They will constantly pester you with the question, "so when is your novel coming out?" as if writing one is the only criteria for publishing one. It's best to avoid completely. | 0 | 1,162 | 3 | ||
svo9yl | writing_train | 0.93 | How to talk about your writing without feeling embarrassed Despite how much time I've spent planning out my novel, part of me dreads telling anyone about it and trying to explain what it's about. I could send out a PDF and take in any edits or feedback on the document pretty impartially, but actually speaking my vision into words with someone face-to-face feels much more intimidating. I know eventually I'm just going to have to get over it if I want anyone to actually read the damn thing. What're your best strategies for getting over that initial fear of judgement? | hxhuwzn | hxh5edu | 1,645,218,262 | 1,645,208,191 | 3 | -8 | It's hard. You have to learn to separate the ego from the work. Having your writing criticized feels personal, because we invest so much of ourselves in the work. I usually sit with critiques for a while until I'm ready to learn from them. Ultimately, you do want to improve. And if you're referring to pitching at a writing conference, well, you'll have that prepared ahead of time. You won't be winging it. And if you're referring to explaining your WIP to family and friends, well, my advice is to not do that unless they're writers too. They will constantly pester you with the question, "so when is your novel coming out?" as if writing one is the only criteria for publishing one. It's best to avoid completely. | Here is some literature for teenagers about managing your emotions. https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/emotional-reactions.html | 1 | 10,071 | -0.375 | ||
svo9yl | writing_train | 0.93 | How to talk about your writing without feeling embarrassed Despite how much time I've spent planning out my novel, part of me dreads telling anyone about it and trying to explain what it's about. I could send out a PDF and take in any edits or feedback on the document pretty impartially, but actually speaking my vision into words with someone face-to-face feels much more intimidating. I know eventually I'm just going to have to get over it if I want anyone to actually read the damn thing. What're your best strategies for getting over that initial fear of judgement? | hxh808m | hxh5edu | 1,645,209,186 | 1,645,208,191 | 2 | -8 | Stop caring | Here is some literature for teenagers about managing your emotions. https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/emotional-reactions.html | 1 | 995 | -0.25 | ||
svo9yl | writing_train | 0.93 | How to talk about your writing without feeling embarrassed Despite how much time I've spent planning out my novel, part of me dreads telling anyone about it and trying to explain what it's about. I could send out a PDF and take in any edits or feedback on the document pretty impartially, but actually speaking my vision into words with someone face-to-face feels much more intimidating. I know eventually I'm just going to have to get over it if I want anyone to actually read the damn thing. What're your best strategies for getting over that initial fear of judgement? | hxho8qz | hxhbvqw | 1,645,215,601 | 1,645,210,690 | 2 | 1 | I would suggest finding a like-minded person to start talking to. Personally, I knew I had to get feedback on my work, so I knew I had to be able to talk to someone. I found out that my university's creative writing department had set up a writing center where they gave tutors available to help you work through problems/give feedback, that sort of thing. I went a couple of different times and figured out which tutor I worked best with and made a series of appointments for successive weeks so that, after a few sessions, he could get a better understanding of the voice/themes/style I was working with, and I've met with him every week ever since. I think someone else said it well in an earlier post. You just have to find someone who can get excited about your story/work with you and ask good questions. That's why I picked the CWC tutoring center. There may be other places. I've really been craving a little bit bigger group, so I'm thinking about starting a writing club so that people can come together and share in a way that helps them be comfortable sharing. The other big part of it is getting out of your own head. Even now I still feel goofy sometimes explaining more experimental or niche parts of how I'm developing my story, but I've had to just power through that feeling and go for it because those elements are important to the story. I promise that, unless you're just really writing something outlandish that makes no sense - which I'm sure you aren't since you've put a good deal of thought into your work - nobody will think it's just silly. Nobody serious will anyway. | You need to engage more on social media, and work through negative nancy feedback. This is why I suggest a blog to most beginners, especially ones who could benefit from real-time responses, in order to develop the thicker skin on a daily basis. If you're scared what people think now -- when you haven't written anything yet -- anxiety will only get monumentally worse when you have some novel that's out there on the line. Something that people WILL judge, and quite possibly will hate and let you know all about it. Getting ready for that starts now. | 1 | 4,911 | 2 | ||
svo9yl | writing_train | 0.93 | How to talk about your writing without feeling embarrassed Despite how much time I've spent planning out my novel, part of me dreads telling anyone about it and trying to explain what it's about. I could send out a PDF and take in any edits or feedback on the document pretty impartially, but actually speaking my vision into words with someone face-to-face feels much more intimidating. I know eventually I'm just going to have to get over it if I want anyone to actually read the damn thing. What're your best strategies for getting over that initial fear of judgement? | hxhcnyi | hxho8qz | 1,645,210,997 | 1,645,215,601 | 1 | 2 | Come to peace with the fact that judgement is inevitable. Your work will be judged -- positively and negatively -- without your control. What you can control is how much value/weight you give those judgements. Give thought to good kinds of judgement, like editorial critique, which help make your work even better. And if any judgement is unreasonably harsh (i.e. no reasons given/examples cited that back up their view... nothing constructive), then don't indulge that negativity. That's simply a hater. And honestly, if someone goes out of their way to make someone else feel bad, then I pity the aggressor -- what a sad existence to derive pleasure from the pain of others! | I would suggest finding a like-minded person to start talking to. Personally, I knew I had to get feedback on my work, so I knew I had to be able to talk to someone. I found out that my university's creative writing department had set up a writing center where they gave tutors available to help you work through problems/give feedback, that sort of thing. I went a couple of different times and figured out which tutor I worked best with and made a series of appointments for successive weeks so that, after a few sessions, he could get a better understanding of the voice/themes/style I was working with, and I've met with him every week ever since. I think someone else said it well in an earlier post. You just have to find someone who can get excited about your story/work with you and ask good questions. That's why I picked the CWC tutoring center. There may be other places. I've really been craving a little bit bigger group, so I'm thinking about starting a writing club so that people can come together and share in a way that helps them be comfortable sharing. The other big part of it is getting out of your own head. Even now I still feel goofy sometimes explaining more experimental or niche parts of how I'm developing my story, but I've had to just power through that feeling and go for it because those elements are important to the story. I promise that, unless you're just really writing something outlandish that makes no sense - which I'm sure you aren't since you've put a good deal of thought into your work - nobody will think it's just silly. Nobody serious will anyway. | 0 | 4,604 | 2 | ||
svo9yl | writing_train | 0.93 | How to talk about your writing without feeling embarrassed Despite how much time I've spent planning out my novel, part of me dreads telling anyone about it and trying to explain what it's about. I could send out a PDF and take in any edits or feedback on the document pretty impartially, but actually speaking my vision into words with someone face-to-face feels much more intimidating. I know eventually I'm just going to have to get over it if I want anyone to actually read the damn thing. What're your best strategies for getting over that initial fear of judgement? | hxho8qz | hxhdiaa | 1,645,215,601 | 1,645,211,330 | 2 | 1 | I would suggest finding a like-minded person to start talking to. Personally, I knew I had to get feedback on my work, so I knew I had to be able to talk to someone. I found out that my university's creative writing department had set up a writing center where they gave tutors available to help you work through problems/give feedback, that sort of thing. I went a couple of different times and figured out which tutor I worked best with and made a series of appointments for successive weeks so that, after a few sessions, he could get a better understanding of the voice/themes/style I was working with, and I've met with him every week ever since. I think someone else said it well in an earlier post. You just have to find someone who can get excited about your story/work with you and ask good questions. That's why I picked the CWC tutoring center. There may be other places. I've really been craving a little bit bigger group, so I'm thinking about starting a writing club so that people can come together and share in a way that helps them be comfortable sharing. The other big part of it is getting out of your own head. Even now I still feel goofy sometimes explaining more experimental or niche parts of how I'm developing my story, but I've had to just power through that feeling and go for it because those elements are important to the story. I promise that, unless you're just really writing something outlandish that makes no sense - which I'm sure you aren't since you've put a good deal of thought into your work - nobody will think it's just silly. Nobody serious will anyway. | I always ask myself “what has this person done that justifies any judgement from them”. In the rare case I’m speaking to anyone important - they are never a dick. Actually finishing a project pretty much makes you less of a dick about criticism. | 1 | 4,271 | 2 | ||
svo9yl | writing_train | 0.93 | How to talk about your writing without feeling embarrassed Despite how much time I've spent planning out my novel, part of me dreads telling anyone about it and trying to explain what it's about. I could send out a PDF and take in any edits or feedback on the document pretty impartially, but actually speaking my vision into words with someone face-to-face feels much more intimidating. I know eventually I'm just going to have to get over it if I want anyone to actually read the damn thing. What're your best strategies for getting over that initial fear of judgement? | hxhdrjx | hxho8qz | 1,645,211,432 | 1,645,215,601 | 1 | 2 | You've made something. And that's awesome. OWN IT! | I would suggest finding a like-minded person to start talking to. Personally, I knew I had to get feedback on my work, so I knew I had to be able to talk to someone. I found out that my university's creative writing department had set up a writing center where they gave tutors available to help you work through problems/give feedback, that sort of thing. I went a couple of different times and figured out which tutor I worked best with and made a series of appointments for successive weeks so that, after a few sessions, he could get a better understanding of the voice/themes/style I was working with, and I've met with him every week ever since. I think someone else said it well in an earlier post. You just have to find someone who can get excited about your story/work with you and ask good questions. That's why I picked the CWC tutoring center. There may be other places. I've really been craving a little bit bigger group, so I'm thinking about starting a writing club so that people can come together and share in a way that helps them be comfortable sharing. The other big part of it is getting out of your own head. Even now I still feel goofy sometimes explaining more experimental or niche parts of how I'm developing my story, but I've had to just power through that feeling and go for it because those elements are important to the story. I promise that, unless you're just really writing something outlandish that makes no sense - which I'm sure you aren't since you've put a good deal of thought into your work - nobody will think it's just silly. Nobody serious will anyway. | 0 | 4,169 | 2 | ||
svo9yl | writing_train | 0.93 | How to talk about your writing without feeling embarrassed Despite how much time I've spent planning out my novel, part of me dreads telling anyone about it and trying to explain what it's about. I could send out a PDF and take in any edits or feedback on the document pretty impartially, but actually speaking my vision into words with someone face-to-face feels much more intimidating. I know eventually I'm just going to have to get over it if I want anyone to actually read the damn thing. What're your best strategies for getting over that initial fear of judgement? | hxhf2od | hxho8qz | 1,645,211,946 | 1,645,215,601 | 1 | 2 | It’s the same as any other skill, you need to practice. Spend some time writing out the summary of your story that gets it across as succinctly and clearly as possible, and then practice reciting it out loud to yourself until you get the hang of it. Then spend some time saying it more spontaneously, using different words on the spot. Then find someone you trust who can help you practice, and ask them if it all made sense, then adjust accordingly. The only way to get over the anxiety is to practice. What you are doing is basically a pitch, whether you want to call it that or not. The secret to pitching is to practice it so well that you seem natural and at ease even when you don’t feel that way. This is a valuable skill to hone in almost any line of work. | I would suggest finding a like-minded person to start talking to. Personally, I knew I had to get feedback on my work, so I knew I had to be able to talk to someone. I found out that my university's creative writing department had set up a writing center where they gave tutors available to help you work through problems/give feedback, that sort of thing. I went a couple of different times and figured out which tutor I worked best with and made a series of appointments for successive weeks so that, after a few sessions, he could get a better understanding of the voice/themes/style I was working with, and I've met with him every week ever since. I think someone else said it well in an earlier post. You just have to find someone who can get excited about your story/work with you and ask good questions. That's why I picked the CWC tutoring center. There may be other places. I've really been craving a little bit bigger group, so I'm thinking about starting a writing club so that people can come together and share in a way that helps them be comfortable sharing. The other big part of it is getting out of your own head. Even now I still feel goofy sometimes explaining more experimental or niche parts of how I'm developing my story, but I've had to just power through that feeling and go for it because those elements are important to the story. I promise that, unless you're just really writing something outlandish that makes no sense - which I'm sure you aren't since you've put a good deal of thought into your work - nobody will think it's just silly. Nobody serious will anyway. | 0 | 3,655 | 2 | ||
svo9yl | writing_train | 0.93 | How to talk about your writing without feeling embarrassed Despite how much time I've spent planning out my novel, part of me dreads telling anyone about it and trying to explain what it's about. I could send out a PDF and take in any edits or feedback on the document pretty impartially, but actually speaking my vision into words with someone face-to-face feels much more intimidating. I know eventually I'm just going to have to get over it if I want anyone to actually read the damn thing. What're your best strategies for getting over that initial fear of judgement? | hxh5edu | hxho8qz | 1,645,208,191 | 1,645,215,601 | -8 | 2 | Here is some literature for teenagers about managing your emotions. https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/emotional-reactions.html | I would suggest finding a like-minded person to start talking to. Personally, I knew I had to get feedback on my work, so I knew I had to be able to talk to someone. I found out that my university's creative writing department had set up a writing center where they gave tutors available to help you work through problems/give feedback, that sort of thing. I went a couple of different times and figured out which tutor I worked best with and made a series of appointments for successive weeks so that, after a few sessions, he could get a better understanding of the voice/themes/style I was working with, and I've met with him every week ever since. I think someone else said it well in an earlier post. You just have to find someone who can get excited about your story/work with you and ask good questions. That's why I picked the CWC tutoring center. There may be other places. I've really been craving a little bit bigger group, so I'm thinking about starting a writing club so that people can come together and share in a way that helps them be comfortable sharing. The other big part of it is getting out of your own head. Even now I still feel goofy sometimes explaining more experimental or niche parts of how I'm developing my story, but I've had to just power through that feeling and go for it because those elements are important to the story. I promise that, unless you're just really writing something outlandish that makes no sense - which I'm sure you aren't since you've put a good deal of thought into your work - nobody will think it's just silly. Nobody serious will anyway. | 0 | 7,410 | -0.25 | ||
svo9yl | writing_train | 0.93 | How to talk about your writing without feeling embarrassed Despite how much time I've spent planning out my novel, part of me dreads telling anyone about it and trying to explain what it's about. I could send out a PDF and take in any edits or feedback on the document pretty impartially, but actually speaking my vision into words with someone face-to-face feels much more intimidating. I know eventually I'm just going to have to get over it if I want anyone to actually read the damn thing. What're your best strategies for getting over that initial fear of judgement? | hxhryni | hxhrhzu | 1,645,217,100 | 1,645,216,913 | 1 | 0 | Rejection hurts, but it will happen. It’s okay for someone not to like your writing! I can think of quite a few popular authors works and characters I despise. Everyone has unique tastes and preferences. I write gory, horror inspired, dark fantasy. When a close friend’s mother wanted to read it she couldn’t get through because that’s just not her thing and that’s okay. You will find those who like your genre and style. With the popularity of similar themes pervasive in entertainment I know there are many more people with the potential to love it. We can always work toward improving our writing, but the fundamental components are geared toward a certain type of eyes. Let your works find the right pair of eyes and don’t be afraid to share. | Don't. There's more than enough evidence out there that talking about your ideas and early drafts is a bad idea. | 1 | 187 | 1,000 | ||
svo9yl | writing_train | 0.93 | How to talk about your writing without feeling embarrassed Despite how much time I've spent planning out my novel, part of me dreads telling anyone about it and trying to explain what it's about. I could send out a PDF and take in any edits or feedback on the document pretty impartially, but actually speaking my vision into words with someone face-to-face feels much more intimidating. I know eventually I'm just going to have to get over it if I want anyone to actually read the damn thing. What're your best strategies for getting over that initial fear of judgement? | hxik0w2 | hxhrhzu | 1,645,228,676 | 1,645,216,913 | 1 | 0 | I'm more worried about becoming the "He always talks about his book" guy, tbh. I've known writers who are like that and it drives me crazy, and the last thing I want to do is be that guy to other people. Like, if you're in a group of writers and trading notes, it's fine but I'm talking about the people who bring it up anytime they talk to anybody, like "Damn it, Dan, I know you wrote a book and I truly am happy for you but let me eat my damn salsa!" So, to compensate, I avoid talking about it completely, which of course, is just as bad because now no one knows. | Don't. There's more than enough evidence out there that talking about your ideas and early drafts is a bad idea. | 1 | 11,763 | 1,000 | ||
svo9yl | writing_train | 0.93 | How to talk about your writing without feeling embarrassed Despite how much time I've spent planning out my novel, part of me dreads telling anyone about it and trying to explain what it's about. I could send out a PDF and take in any edits or feedback on the document pretty impartially, but actually speaking my vision into words with someone face-to-face feels much more intimidating. I know eventually I'm just going to have to get over it if I want anyone to actually read the damn thing. What're your best strategies for getting over that initial fear of judgement? | hxiy54y | hxhrhzu | 1,645,235,325 | 1,645,216,913 | 1 | 0 | No one says you have to talk about it. When I wrote my first few books, I told my sister and that's it. I connected with other writers online, which was easier because I didn't actually know them or see them in person. It wasn't until I started actually making money and had physical proof that people liked my books enough to buy them and leave positive reviews that I shared my writing with others. It's still hard for me, by the way, but I choose who I want to share with. You may want to talk about it way before that point, and that's perfectly fine. | Don't. There's more than enough evidence out there that talking about your ideas and early drafts is a bad idea. | 1 | 18,412 | 1,000 | ||
svo9yl | writing_train | 0.93 | How to talk about your writing without feeling embarrassed Despite how much time I've spent planning out my novel, part of me dreads telling anyone about it and trying to explain what it's about. I could send out a PDF and take in any edits or feedback on the document pretty impartially, but actually speaking my vision into words with someone face-to-face feels much more intimidating. I know eventually I'm just going to have to get over it if I want anyone to actually read the damn thing. What're your best strategies for getting over that initial fear of judgement? | hxhrhzu | hxiyzo9 | 1,645,216,913 | 1,645,235,739 | 0 | 1 | Don't. There's more than enough evidence out there that talking about your ideas and early drafts is a bad idea. | Practice. Speak it out to yourself, record yourself. A novel premise is basically like a sales pitch. Although don’t treat it fully like a sales pitch, but just allow yourself to be passionate | 0 | 18,826 | 1,000 | ||
svo9yl | writing_train | 0.93 | How to talk about your writing without feeling embarrassed Despite how much time I've spent planning out my novel, part of me dreads telling anyone about it and trying to explain what it's about. I could send out a PDF and take in any edits or feedback on the document pretty impartially, but actually speaking my vision into words with someone face-to-face feels much more intimidating. I know eventually I'm just going to have to get over it if I want anyone to actually read the damn thing. What're your best strategies for getting over that initial fear of judgement? | hxjrzhg | hxhrhzu | 1,645,251,753 | 1,645,216,913 | 1 | 0 | Consider the alternative. Are you willing to let your fear stop you from being successful at sharing this story? I decided not. It is still scary, but I do it without hesitation now and it gets easier every time. | Don't. There's more than enough evidence out there that talking about your ideas and early drafts is a bad idea. | 1 | 34,840 | 1,000 | ||
svo9yl | writing_train | 0.93 | How to talk about your writing without feeling embarrassed Despite how much time I've spent planning out my novel, part of me dreads telling anyone about it and trying to explain what it's about. I could send out a PDF and take in any edits or feedback on the document pretty impartially, but actually speaking my vision into words with someone face-to-face feels much more intimidating. I know eventually I'm just going to have to get over it if I want anyone to actually read the damn thing. What're your best strategies for getting over that initial fear of judgement? | hxhrhzu | hxk3vvz | 1,645,216,913 | 1,645,260,884 | 0 | 1 | Don't. There's more than enough evidence out there that talking about your ideas and early drafts is a bad idea. | Try by "Hey! I found a really good novel online, do you want to read it too?" then after they have read it tell them "I was actually the one who wrote it. So, how was it?" | 0 | 43,971 | 1,000 | ||
svo9yl | writing_train | 0.93 | How to talk about your writing without feeling embarrassed Despite how much time I've spent planning out my novel, part of me dreads telling anyone about it and trying to explain what it's about. I could send out a PDF and take in any edits or feedback on the document pretty impartially, but actually speaking my vision into words with someone face-to-face feels much more intimidating. I know eventually I'm just going to have to get over it if I want anyone to actually read the damn thing. What're your best strategies for getting over that initial fear of judgement? | hxhrhzu | hxkn3n0 | 1,645,216,913 | 1,645,275,953 | 0 | 1 | Don't. There's more than enough evidence out there that talking about your ideas and early drafts is a bad idea. | Just talk about it the way you’ve imagined it all along. If you struggle to find the words - either because of over excitement or stress, the person you’re talking to will notice. !!!THAT IS NOT A BAD THING!!! If someone noticed how passionate you are about your work, then they will automatically be more interested! If they judge your idea; there will always be people who won’t. Remember that you’re writing for yourself, not for them. Especially if they’re a non-writer, then it’s not like they can come up with something better. Good luck - hope this helped! | 0 | 59,040 | 1,000 | ||
svo9yl | writing_train | 0.93 | How to talk about your writing without feeling embarrassed Despite how much time I've spent planning out my novel, part of me dreads telling anyone about it and trying to explain what it's about. I could send out a PDF and take in any edits or feedback on the document pretty impartially, but actually speaking my vision into words with someone face-to-face feels much more intimidating. I know eventually I'm just going to have to get over it if I want anyone to actually read the damn thing. What're your best strategies for getting over that initial fear of judgement? | hxh5edu | hxhrhzu | 1,645,208,191 | 1,645,216,913 | -8 | 0 | Here is some literature for teenagers about managing your emotions. https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/emotional-reactions.html | Don't. There's more than enough evidence out there that talking about your ideas and early drafts is a bad idea. | 0 | 8,722 | 0 | ||
svo9yl | writing_train | 0.93 | How to talk about your writing without feeling embarrassed Despite how much time I've spent planning out my novel, part of me dreads telling anyone about it and trying to explain what it's about. I could send out a PDF and take in any edits or feedback on the document pretty impartially, but actually speaking my vision into words with someone face-to-face feels much more intimidating. I know eventually I'm just going to have to get over it if I want anyone to actually read the damn thing. What're your best strategies for getting over that initial fear of judgement? | hxh5edu | hxhbvqw | 1,645,208,191 | 1,645,210,690 | -8 | 1 | Here is some literature for teenagers about managing your emotions. https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/emotional-reactions.html | You need to engage more on social media, and work through negative nancy feedback. This is why I suggest a blog to most beginners, especially ones who could benefit from real-time responses, in order to develop the thicker skin on a daily basis. If you're scared what people think now -- when you haven't written anything yet -- anxiety will only get monumentally worse when you have some novel that's out there on the line. Something that people WILL judge, and quite possibly will hate and let you know all about it. Getting ready for that starts now. | 0 | 2,499 | -0.125 | ||
svo9yl | writing_train | 0.93 | How to talk about your writing without feeling embarrassed Despite how much time I've spent planning out my novel, part of me dreads telling anyone about it and trying to explain what it's about. I could send out a PDF and take in any edits or feedback on the document pretty impartially, but actually speaking my vision into words with someone face-to-face feels much more intimidating. I know eventually I'm just going to have to get over it if I want anyone to actually read the damn thing. What're your best strategies for getting over that initial fear of judgement? | hxhcnyi | hxh5edu | 1,645,210,997 | 1,645,208,191 | 1 | -8 | Come to peace with the fact that judgement is inevitable. Your work will be judged -- positively and negatively -- without your control. What you can control is how much value/weight you give those judgements. Give thought to good kinds of judgement, like editorial critique, which help make your work even better. And if any judgement is unreasonably harsh (i.e. no reasons given/examples cited that back up their view... nothing constructive), then don't indulge that negativity. That's simply a hater. And honestly, if someone goes out of their way to make someone else feel bad, then I pity the aggressor -- what a sad existence to derive pleasure from the pain of others! | Here is some literature for teenagers about managing your emotions. https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/emotional-reactions.html | 1 | 2,806 | -0.125 | ||
svo9yl | writing_train | 0.93 | How to talk about your writing without feeling embarrassed Despite how much time I've spent planning out my novel, part of me dreads telling anyone about it and trying to explain what it's about. I could send out a PDF and take in any edits or feedback on the document pretty impartially, but actually speaking my vision into words with someone face-to-face feels much more intimidating. I know eventually I'm just going to have to get over it if I want anyone to actually read the damn thing. What're your best strategies for getting over that initial fear of judgement? | hxh5edu | hxhdiaa | 1,645,208,191 | 1,645,211,330 | -8 | 1 | Here is some literature for teenagers about managing your emotions. https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/emotional-reactions.html | I always ask myself “what has this person done that justifies any judgement from them”. In the rare case I’m speaking to anyone important - they are never a dick. Actually finishing a project pretty much makes you less of a dick about criticism. | 0 | 3,139 | -0.125 | ||
svo9yl | writing_train | 0.93 | How to talk about your writing without feeling embarrassed Despite how much time I've spent planning out my novel, part of me dreads telling anyone about it and trying to explain what it's about. I could send out a PDF and take in any edits or feedback on the document pretty impartially, but actually speaking my vision into words with someone face-to-face feels much more intimidating. I know eventually I'm just going to have to get over it if I want anyone to actually read the damn thing. What're your best strategies for getting over that initial fear of judgement? | hxh5edu | hxhdrjx | 1,645,208,191 | 1,645,211,432 | -8 | 1 | Here is some literature for teenagers about managing your emotions. https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/emotional-reactions.html | You've made something. And that's awesome. OWN IT! | 0 | 3,241 | -0.125 | ||
svo9yl | writing_train | 0.93 | How to talk about your writing without feeling embarrassed Despite how much time I've spent planning out my novel, part of me dreads telling anyone about it and trying to explain what it's about. I could send out a PDF and take in any edits or feedback on the document pretty impartially, but actually speaking my vision into words with someone face-to-face feels much more intimidating. I know eventually I'm just going to have to get over it if I want anyone to actually read the damn thing. What're your best strategies for getting over that initial fear of judgement? | hxh5edu | hxhf2od | 1,645,208,191 | 1,645,211,946 | -8 | 1 | Here is some literature for teenagers about managing your emotions. https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/emotional-reactions.html | It’s the same as any other skill, you need to practice. Spend some time writing out the summary of your story that gets it across as succinctly and clearly as possible, and then practice reciting it out loud to yourself until you get the hang of it. Then spend some time saying it more spontaneously, using different words on the spot. Then find someone you trust who can help you practice, and ask them if it all made sense, then adjust accordingly. The only way to get over the anxiety is to practice. What you are doing is basically a pitch, whether you want to call it that or not. The secret to pitching is to practice it so well that you seem natural and at ease even when you don’t feel that way. This is a valuable skill to hone in almost any line of work. | 0 | 3,755 | -0.125 | ||
svo9yl | writing_train | 0.93 | How to talk about your writing without feeling embarrassed Despite how much time I've spent planning out my novel, part of me dreads telling anyone about it and trying to explain what it's about. I could send out a PDF and take in any edits or feedback on the document pretty impartially, but actually speaking my vision into words with someone face-to-face feels much more intimidating. I know eventually I'm just going to have to get over it if I want anyone to actually read the damn thing. What're your best strategies for getting over that initial fear of judgement? | hxhryni | hxh5edu | 1,645,217,100 | 1,645,208,191 | 1 | -8 | Rejection hurts, but it will happen. It’s okay for someone not to like your writing! I can think of quite a few popular authors works and characters I despise. Everyone has unique tastes and preferences. I write gory, horror inspired, dark fantasy. When a close friend’s mother wanted to read it she couldn’t get through because that’s just not her thing and that’s okay. You will find those who like your genre and style. With the popularity of similar themes pervasive in entertainment I know there are many more people with the potential to love it. We can always work toward improving our writing, but the fundamental components are geared toward a certain type of eyes. Let your works find the right pair of eyes and don’t be afraid to share. | Here is some literature for teenagers about managing your emotions. https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/emotional-reactions.html | 1 | 8,909 | -0.125 | ||
svo9yl | writing_train | 0.93 | How to talk about your writing without feeling embarrassed Despite how much time I've spent planning out my novel, part of me dreads telling anyone about it and trying to explain what it's about. I could send out a PDF and take in any edits or feedback on the document pretty impartially, but actually speaking my vision into words with someone face-to-face feels much more intimidating. I know eventually I'm just going to have to get over it if I want anyone to actually read the damn thing. What're your best strategies for getting over that initial fear of judgement? | hxik0w2 | hxh5edu | 1,645,228,676 | 1,645,208,191 | 1 | -8 | I'm more worried about becoming the "He always talks about his book" guy, tbh. I've known writers who are like that and it drives me crazy, and the last thing I want to do is be that guy to other people. Like, if you're in a group of writers and trading notes, it's fine but I'm talking about the people who bring it up anytime they talk to anybody, like "Damn it, Dan, I know you wrote a book and I truly am happy for you but let me eat my damn salsa!" So, to compensate, I avoid talking about it completely, which of course, is just as bad because now no one knows. | Here is some literature for teenagers about managing your emotions. https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/emotional-reactions.html | 1 | 20,485 | -0.125 | ||
svo9yl | writing_train | 0.93 | How to talk about your writing without feeling embarrassed Despite how much time I've spent planning out my novel, part of me dreads telling anyone about it and trying to explain what it's about. I could send out a PDF and take in any edits or feedback on the document pretty impartially, but actually speaking my vision into words with someone face-to-face feels much more intimidating. I know eventually I'm just going to have to get over it if I want anyone to actually read the damn thing. What're your best strategies for getting over that initial fear of judgement? | hxh5edu | hxiy54y | 1,645,208,191 | 1,645,235,325 | -8 | 1 | Here is some literature for teenagers about managing your emotions. https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/emotional-reactions.html | No one says you have to talk about it. When I wrote my first few books, I told my sister and that's it. I connected with other writers online, which was easier because I didn't actually know them or see them in person. It wasn't until I started actually making money and had physical proof that people liked my books enough to buy them and leave positive reviews that I shared my writing with others. It's still hard for me, by the way, but I choose who I want to share with. You may want to talk about it way before that point, and that's perfectly fine. | 0 | 27,134 | -0.125 | ||
svo9yl | writing_train | 0.93 | How to talk about your writing without feeling embarrassed Despite how much time I've spent planning out my novel, part of me dreads telling anyone about it and trying to explain what it's about. I could send out a PDF and take in any edits or feedback on the document pretty impartially, but actually speaking my vision into words with someone face-to-face feels much more intimidating. I know eventually I'm just going to have to get over it if I want anyone to actually read the damn thing. What're your best strategies for getting over that initial fear of judgement? | hxh5edu | hxiyzo9 | 1,645,208,191 | 1,645,235,739 | -8 | 1 | Here is some literature for teenagers about managing your emotions. https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/emotional-reactions.html | Practice. Speak it out to yourself, record yourself. A novel premise is basically like a sales pitch. Although don’t treat it fully like a sales pitch, but just allow yourself to be passionate | 0 | 27,548 | -0.125 | ||
svo9yl | writing_train | 0.93 | How to talk about your writing without feeling embarrassed Despite how much time I've spent planning out my novel, part of me dreads telling anyone about it and trying to explain what it's about. I could send out a PDF and take in any edits or feedback on the document pretty impartially, but actually speaking my vision into words with someone face-to-face feels much more intimidating. I know eventually I'm just going to have to get over it if I want anyone to actually read the damn thing. What're your best strategies for getting over that initial fear of judgement? | hxjrzhg | hxh5edu | 1,645,251,753 | 1,645,208,191 | 1 | -8 | Consider the alternative. Are you willing to let your fear stop you from being successful at sharing this story? I decided not. It is still scary, but I do it without hesitation now and it gets easier every time. | Here is some literature for teenagers about managing your emotions. https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/emotional-reactions.html | 1 | 43,562 | -0.125 | ||
svo9yl | writing_train | 0.93 | How to talk about your writing without feeling embarrassed Despite how much time I've spent planning out my novel, part of me dreads telling anyone about it and trying to explain what it's about. I could send out a PDF and take in any edits or feedback on the document pretty impartially, but actually speaking my vision into words with someone face-to-face feels much more intimidating. I know eventually I'm just going to have to get over it if I want anyone to actually read the damn thing. What're your best strategies for getting over that initial fear of judgement? | hxk3vvz | hxh5edu | 1,645,260,884 | 1,645,208,191 | 1 | -8 | Try by "Hey! I found a really good novel online, do you want to read it too?" then after they have read it tell them "I was actually the one who wrote it. So, how was it?" | Here is some literature for teenagers about managing your emotions. https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/emotional-reactions.html | 1 | 52,693 | -0.125 | ||
svo9yl | writing_train | 0.93 | How to talk about your writing without feeling embarrassed Despite how much time I've spent planning out my novel, part of me dreads telling anyone about it and trying to explain what it's about. I could send out a PDF and take in any edits or feedback on the document pretty impartially, but actually speaking my vision into words with someone face-to-face feels much more intimidating. I know eventually I'm just going to have to get over it if I want anyone to actually read the damn thing. What're your best strategies for getting over that initial fear of judgement? | hxh5edu | hxkn3n0 | 1,645,208,191 | 1,645,275,953 | -8 | 1 | Here is some literature for teenagers about managing your emotions. https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/emotional-reactions.html | Just talk about it the way you’ve imagined it all along. If you struggle to find the words - either because of over excitement or stress, the person you’re talking to will notice. !!!THAT IS NOT A BAD THING!!! If someone noticed how passionate you are about your work, then they will automatically be more interested! If they judge your idea; there will always be people who won’t. Remember that you’re writing for yourself, not for them. Especially if they’re a non-writer, then it’s not like they can come up with something better. Good luck - hope this helped! | 0 | 67,762 | -0.125 | ||
tmuqip | writing_train | 0.83 | I haven't touched my plot in months due to lack of motivation Please drop some motivational sentences for me. I also have a question I've heard that there is this desire+ fear thing that creates the internal conflict of a character but this method doesn't work for my MC. Please help | i1yqvv3 | i1yzf9a | 1,648,147,531 | 1,648,150,895 | 3 | 11 | It's normal. Better to take a pause than to force yourself into writing. | I’m going to disagree. Getting shit done comes down to working when you don’t feel like it. I’d say go write anyway. If you don’t know what to write, sit down and do it anyway. At a certain point, the only way to finish things is to grind. That’s my advice, hopefully you find that motivating! Good luck! | 0 | 3,364 | 3.666667 | ||
tmuqip | writing_train | 0.83 | I haven't touched my plot in months due to lack of motivation Please drop some motivational sentences for me. I also have a question I've heard that there is this desire+ fear thing that creates the internal conflict of a character but this method doesn't work for my MC. Please help | i1yuv8e | i1yzf9a | 1,648,149,088 | 1,648,150,895 | 3 | 11 | Why do you think your characters don't have desires or fears? This doesn't quite make sense to me. | I’m going to disagree. Getting shit done comes down to working when you don’t feel like it. I’d say go write anyway. If you don’t know what to write, sit down and do it anyway. At a certain point, the only way to finish things is to grind. That’s my advice, hopefully you find that motivating! Good luck! | 0 | 1,807 | 3.666667 | ||
tmuqip | writing_train | 0.83 | I haven't touched my plot in months due to lack of motivation Please drop some motivational sentences for me. I also have a question I've heard that there is this desire+ fear thing that creates the internal conflict of a character but this method doesn't work for my MC. Please help | i1yzf9a | i1yu9ih | 1,648,150,895 | 1,648,148,849 | 11 | 0 | I’m going to disagree. Getting shit done comes down to working when you don’t feel like it. I’d say go write anyway. If you don’t know what to write, sit down and do it anyway. At a certain point, the only way to finish things is to grind. That’s my advice, hopefully you find that motivating! Good luck! | Plot is only one part of a story. Try working on characters or setting. I find that going to a character and working through a backstory or traits, or going through the setting and thinking about governments and cultures will give me ideas for the plot. | 1 | 2,046 | 11,000 | ||
tmuqip | writing_train | 0.83 | I haven't touched my plot in months due to lack of motivation Please drop some motivational sentences for me. I also have a question I've heard that there is this desire+ fear thing that creates the internal conflict of a character but this method doesn't work for my MC. Please help | i1yu9ih | i1yuv8e | 1,648,148,849 | 1,648,149,088 | 0 | 3 | Plot is only one part of a story. Try working on characters or setting. I find that going to a character and working through a backstory or traits, or going through the setting and thinking about governments and cultures will give me ideas for the plot. | Why do you think your characters don't have desires or fears? This doesn't quite make sense to me. | 0 | 239 | 3,000 | ||
tmuqip | writing_train | 0.83 | I haven't touched my plot in months due to lack of motivation Please drop some motivational sentences for me. I also have a question I've heard that there is this desire+ fear thing that creates the internal conflict of a character but this method doesn't work for my MC. Please help | i1zhja2 | i1yu9ih | 1,648,158,049 | 1,648,148,849 | 2 | 0 | If you don't write it no one else will. The story won't exist. | Plot is only one part of a story. Try working on characters or setting. I find that going to a character and working through a backstory or traits, or going through the setting and thinking about governments and cultures will give me ideas for the plot. | 1 | 9,200 | 2,000 | ||
tmuqip | writing_train | 0.83 | I haven't touched my plot in months due to lack of motivation Please drop some motivational sentences for me. I also have a question I've heard that there is this desire+ fear thing that creates the internal conflict of a character but this method doesn't work for my MC. Please help | i1ziqvb | i1yu9ih | 1,648,158,534 | 1,648,148,849 | 2 | 0 | https://youtu.be/ZXsQAXx_ao0 Just do it. I'm sorry that sounds like a sassy response, but really , it's the only thing that works . | Plot is only one part of a story. Try working on characters or setting. I find that going to a character and working through a backstory or traits, or going through the setting and thinking about governments and cultures will give me ideas for the plot. | 1 | 9,685 | 2,000 | ||
tmuqip | writing_train | 0.83 | I haven't touched my plot in months due to lack of motivation Please drop some motivational sentences for me. I also have a question I've heard that there is this desire+ fear thing that creates the internal conflict of a character but this method doesn't work for my MC. Please help | i1yu9ih | i20bkb0 | 1,648,148,849 | 1,648,171,043 | 0 | 2 | Plot is only one part of a story. Try working on characters or setting. I find that going to a character and working through a backstory or traits, or going through the setting and thinking about governments and cultures will give me ideas for the plot. | That’s because you’re relying on motivation, and not self-discipline. Check out some of the subs that are about motivation/self discipline and read the top posts, should help somewhat. | 0 | 22,194 | 2,000 | ||
tmuqip | writing_train | 0.83 | I haven't touched my plot in months due to lack of motivation Please drop some motivational sentences for me. I also have a question I've heard that there is this desire+ fear thing that creates the internal conflict of a character but this method doesn't work for my MC. Please help | i20bkb0 | i1zulor | 1,648,171,043 | 1,648,163,489 | 2 | 1 | That’s because you’re relying on motivation, and not self-discipline. Check out some of the subs that are about motivation/self discipline and read the top posts, should help somewhat. | https://www.reddit.com/r/writing/comments/t45epu/10\_simple\_tips\_for\_getting\_over\_oh\_no\_i\_want\_to/ | 1 | 7,554 | 2 | ||
tmuqip | writing_train | 0.83 | I haven't touched my plot in months due to lack of motivation Please drop some motivational sentences for me. I also have a question I've heard that there is this desire+ fear thing that creates the internal conflict of a character but this method doesn't work for my MC. Please help | i1yu9ih | i1zulor | 1,648,148,849 | 1,648,163,489 | 0 | 1 | Plot is only one part of a story. Try working on characters or setting. I find that going to a character and working through a backstory or traits, or going through the setting and thinking about governments and cultures will give me ideas for the plot. | https://www.reddit.com/r/writing/comments/t45epu/10\_simple\_tips\_for\_getting\_over\_oh\_no\_i\_want\_to/ | 0 | 14,640 | 1,000 | ||
zi59f1 | writing_train | 0.75 | How to deal with and balance research costs? So as I've started earnestly writing, I've begun purchasing many more books in order to get a better handle of aspects of my story. A book about Prohibition, one about mixing drinks, child abuse, history of the IRA, memoirs of police officers, running a startup company, the renaissance period, being a CEO. How do you balance your funds for your research or decide which things are worth the time investment for your particular story? | izpwmrj | izqj1f1 | 1,670,714,804 | 1,670,725,818 | 2 | 3 | Your library is your best bet. And you could check out second-hand bookshops too. | I primarily use the library and free sites on the internet. Unless you're writing nonfiction and really need sources, you shouldn't need to buy a ton of books. | 0 | 11,014 | 1.5 | ||
zi59f1 | writing_train | 0.75 | How to deal with and balance research costs? So as I've started earnestly writing, I've begun purchasing many more books in order to get a better handle of aspects of my story. A book about Prohibition, one about mixing drinks, child abuse, history of the IRA, memoirs of police officers, running a startup company, the renaissance period, being a CEO. How do you balance your funds for your research or decide which things are worth the time investment for your particular story? | izrumuc | izqmmae | 1,670,757,128 | 1,670,727,662 | 2 | 1 | I live in a country that's not English-speaking. For me, it's hard to read current releases in my genres through libraries or other free sources. BUT what I *can* do is read reviews, synopses, etc, and then carefully select from bookstores when I'm back in English-speaking lands. It's more expensive, but I've also found new favorites, and most of the books are ones I plan on keeping and re-reading again and again. They're just part of my personal library now. I guess it all depends on how your budget is and whether you *like* any of the books you're getting. Otoh, it sounds like you're not buying books in-genre, which means google and wikipedia and cited research online is the way to go (and it's free). | I buy on amazon and when I'm finished with the book, I sell it on amazon. I eat the shipping costs. | 1 | 29,466 | 2 | ||
t8ea3z | writing_train | 0.98 | I hate having so many ideas but not being able to stick to them It’s sucks Right? I’m sure so many people experience this but I have tons of prompt ideas, but not the attention span to stick to them. I’m into big projects, I would to love to one day create a multi-chaptered piece with a high word count. I have so many fics I have created that are just sitting unfinished because I get the idea and then loss the motivation to continue. That’s why I tell myself to stick to one shots but my ideas are too elaborate to be contained within 2k-3k words. The longest I’ve been able to stick to was close to 9k and I was so proud. I don’t know how to keep that, how do i not automatically give up after writing a couple scenes In? | hznw2k2 | hznqo3x | 1,646,625,657 | 1,646,622,957 | 7 | 3 | Try writing the ending first and work backwards. If the beginning is easiest do it last. | I have been considering doing shorts. I have the same problem. Good luck to you on figuring it out. I have a "Chapter 4" problem where that's just about the point where I get distracted. | 1 | 2,700 | 2.333333 | ||
t8ea3z | writing_train | 0.98 | I hate having so many ideas but not being able to stick to them It’s sucks Right? I’m sure so many people experience this but I have tons of prompt ideas, but not the attention span to stick to them. I’m into big projects, I would to love to one day create a multi-chaptered piece with a high word count. I have so many fics I have created that are just sitting unfinished because I get the idea and then loss the motivation to continue. That’s why I tell myself to stick to one shots but my ideas are too elaborate to be contained within 2k-3k words. The longest I’ve been able to stick to was close to 9k and I was so proud. I don’t know how to keep that, how do i not automatically give up after writing a couple scenes In? | hzo74r5 | hznqo3x | 1,646,631,972 | 1,646,622,957 | 4 | 3 | A bunch of ideas? Pick one and make it your theme. Then use the other ideas to write other fictions around that initial theme. Book 1 is about a badger. Book 2 is about a fox. Book 3 is about a squirrel. Book 4 is about all 3 of them going on epic adventures. Not the best example, but it accurately portrays the idea. Another strategy is to combine all your ideas into one. Ghoulash can be amazing. But its the writing that will make or break something that complex. A final strategy (just a couple of many, many ways of doing things) could be you divide your ideas into segments. You put each segment into genera and define it by writing ONLY the start and end of your fictions. Then fill in the middle. Now you have multiple concepts, a start and finish, and several different stories you can write about going forward. | I have been considering doing shorts. I have the same problem. Good luck to you on figuring it out. I have a "Chapter 4" problem where that's just about the point where I get distracted. | 1 | 9,015 | 1.333333 | ||
syxy3d | writing_train | 0.84 | Almost finished with my first draft and..... I feel like its terrible. Plotholes, inconsistencies (which i know can be fixed), but even more so, the story feels like a ten year old wrote it, even though ive done everything i can to avoid that. I feel like its full of bad exposition, but i cant help it since there are times when its needed for context. I also feel like i have to explain my world too much. Would anyone be willing to read a few random chapters as a quick critique and give me some notes? For context, its a story about two teens who have to save the world. | hy0gbow | hy0h26a | 1,645,563,179 | 1,645,563,451 | 7 | 20 | You’re really close. Finish it! Yea it’s going to look like bad macaroni art, that’s okay, revision and editing changes so much, you will learn a ton, and your next first draft won’t be quite so much macaroni art because you wrote this one and revised it | I'd recommend finishing it, then completing a second draft, and then look for critique partners or beta readers if you feel you're ready for feedback at that point. Get your manuscript to a point you're more satisfied with before looking for outside opinions, but that's just my thoughts. And don't worry too much about your first draft being a mess! That's normal for a lot of people. A novel is a big project. | 0 | 272 | 2.857143 | ||
syxy3d | writing_train | 0.84 | Almost finished with my first draft and..... I feel like its terrible. Plotholes, inconsistencies (which i know can be fixed), but even more so, the story feels like a ten year old wrote it, even though ive done everything i can to avoid that. I feel like its full of bad exposition, but i cant help it since there are times when its needed for context. I also feel like i have to explain my world too much. Would anyone be willing to read a few random chapters as a quick critique and give me some notes? For context, its a story about two teens who have to save the world. | hy2b69l | hy0u3qr | 1,645,592,335 | 1,645,568,363 | 4 | 3 | Well, that's why we write second drafts. Take a week away from the project, come back with a chainsaw and a hockey mask, and go slasher movie on your work. Be without mercy. The key to exposition is *show, don't tell.* Star Trek never explained how its tech worked, it just showed it working and what limitations it had in the context of the story. Introduce it piece by piece in context. | I totally know what you mean. I also almost finished a first draft for the first time and there is just so much to fix it gets overwhelming. It feels more like a zero draft if I am honest. But hey man, be proud you almost finished a draft! That in itself is amazing! Well done! | 1 | 23,972 | 1.333333 | ||
syxy3d | writing_train | 0.84 | Almost finished with my first draft and..... I feel like its terrible. Plotholes, inconsistencies (which i know can be fixed), but even more so, the story feels like a ten year old wrote it, even though ive done everything i can to avoid that. I feel like its full of bad exposition, but i cant help it since there are times when its needed for context. I also feel like i have to explain my world too much. Would anyone be willing to read a few random chapters as a quick critique and give me some notes? For context, its a story about two teens who have to save the world. | hy1tcgc | hy2b69l | 1,645,583,755 | 1,645,592,335 | 3 | 4 | Every first draft is perfect, because all a first draft has to do, is exist. -Jane Smiley | Well, that's why we write second drafts. Take a week away from the project, come back with a chainsaw and a hockey mask, and go slasher movie on your work. Be without mercy. The key to exposition is *show, don't tell.* Star Trek never explained how its tech worked, it just showed it working and what limitations it had in the context of the story. Introduce it piece by piece in context. | 0 | 8,580 | 1.333333 | ||
syxy3d | writing_train | 0.84 | Almost finished with my first draft and..... I feel like its terrible. Plotholes, inconsistencies (which i know can be fixed), but even more so, the story feels like a ten year old wrote it, even though ive done everything i can to avoid that. I feel like its full of bad exposition, but i cant help it since there are times when its needed for context. I also feel like i have to explain my world too much. Would anyone be willing to read a few random chapters as a quick critique and give me some notes? For context, its a story about two teens who have to save the world. | hy0sywa | hy2b69l | 1,645,567,921 | 1,645,592,335 | 2 | 4 | So you hate your first draft. Welcome to the club, mate. Keep revising, editing, going through rounds of harsh criticisms with critique partners. When you get to that final draft, read that first draft again because it’ll be something very precious to you by then. Dm me if you want and I can send you a first and final draft of a chapter of mine for you to see the difference :). | Well, that's why we write second drafts. Take a week away from the project, come back with a chainsaw and a hockey mask, and go slasher movie on your work. Be without mercy. The key to exposition is *show, don't tell.* Star Trek never explained how its tech worked, it just showed it working and what limitations it had in the context of the story. Introduce it piece by piece in context. | 0 | 24,414 | 2 | ||
syxy3d | writing_train | 0.84 | Almost finished with my first draft and..... I feel like its terrible. Plotholes, inconsistencies (which i know can be fixed), but even more so, the story feels like a ten year old wrote it, even though ive done everything i can to avoid that. I feel like its full of bad exposition, but i cant help it since there are times when its needed for context. I also feel like i have to explain my world too much. Would anyone be willing to read a few random chapters as a quick critique and give me some notes? For context, its a story about two teens who have to save the world. | hy0wapl | hy2b69l | 1,645,569,223 | 1,645,592,335 | 2 | 4 | Use a program like grammarly. | Well, that's why we write second drafts. Take a week away from the project, come back with a chainsaw and a hockey mask, and go slasher movie on your work. Be without mercy. The key to exposition is *show, don't tell.* Star Trek never explained how its tech worked, it just showed it working and what limitations it had in the context of the story. Introduce it piece by piece in context. | 0 | 23,112 | 2 | ||
syxy3d | writing_train | 0.84 | Almost finished with my first draft and..... I feel like its terrible. Plotholes, inconsistencies (which i know can be fixed), but even more so, the story feels like a ten year old wrote it, even though ive done everything i can to avoid that. I feel like its full of bad exposition, but i cant help it since there are times when its needed for context. I also feel like i have to explain my world too much. Would anyone be willing to read a few random chapters as a quick critique and give me some notes? For context, its a story about two teens who have to save the world. | hy0h5ex | hy2b69l | 1,645,563,483 | 1,645,592,335 | 1 | 4 | Dm me man I gotcha yah | Well, that's why we write second drafts. Take a week away from the project, come back with a chainsaw and a hockey mask, and go slasher movie on your work. Be without mercy. The key to exposition is *show, don't tell.* Star Trek never explained how its tech worked, it just showed it working and what limitations it had in the context of the story. Introduce it piece by piece in context. | 0 | 28,852 | 4 | ||
syxy3d | writing_train | 0.84 | Almost finished with my first draft and..... I feel like its terrible. Plotholes, inconsistencies (which i know can be fixed), but even more so, the story feels like a ten year old wrote it, even though ive done everything i can to avoid that. I feel like its full of bad exposition, but i cant help it since there are times when its needed for context. I also feel like i have to explain my world too much. Would anyone be willing to read a few random chapters as a quick critique and give me some notes? For context, its a story about two teens who have to save the world. | hy15c4e | hy2b69l | 1,645,572,927 | 1,645,592,335 | 1 | 4 | Your first draft will always be pure, unadulterated anus. If it’s not, you might be the best writer ever. Its job is merely to exist. Nothing more | Well, that's why we write second drafts. Take a week away from the project, come back with a chainsaw and a hockey mask, and go slasher movie on your work. Be without mercy. The key to exposition is *show, don't tell.* Star Trek never explained how its tech worked, it just showed it working and what limitations it had in the context of the story. Introduce it piece by piece in context. | 0 | 19,408 | 4 | ||
syxy3d | writing_train | 0.84 | Almost finished with my first draft and..... I feel like its terrible. Plotholes, inconsistencies (which i know can be fixed), but even more so, the story feels like a ten year old wrote it, even though ive done everything i can to avoid that. I feel like its full of bad exposition, but i cant help it since there are times when its needed for context. I also feel like i have to explain my world too much. Would anyone be willing to read a few random chapters as a quick critique and give me some notes? For context, its a story about two teens who have to save the world. | hy16wkv | hy2b69l | 1,645,573,599 | 1,645,592,335 | 1 | 4 | Finish writing it and then either hire an editor to find the flaws and give examples on how to fix it or take a chance with a beta reader who will read your story for free and give you their opinion on it. You can find editors on either Fiverr.com or https://reedsy.com/write-a-book. Don't pay beta readers, they are supposed to do this for free. If they want money you might as sell hire a professional editor. If you want to try your luck with a beta reader I guess you can try looking here, https://www.fictionpress.com/betareaders/fiction/ | Well, that's why we write second drafts. Take a week away from the project, come back with a chainsaw and a hockey mask, and go slasher movie on your work. Be without mercy. The key to exposition is *show, don't tell.* Star Trek never explained how its tech worked, it just showed it working and what limitations it had in the context of the story. Introduce it piece by piece in context. | 0 | 18,736 | 4 | ||
syxy3d | writing_train | 0.84 | Almost finished with my first draft and..... I feel like its terrible. Plotholes, inconsistencies (which i know can be fixed), but even more so, the story feels like a ten year old wrote it, even though ive done everything i can to avoid that. I feel like its full of bad exposition, but i cant help it since there are times when its needed for context. I also feel like i have to explain my world too much. Would anyone be willing to read a few random chapters as a quick critique and give me some notes? For context, its a story about two teens who have to save the world. | hy1rxfg | hy2b69l | 1,645,583,121 | 1,645,592,335 | 1 | 4 | I'm on my third version of my novel. It keeps getting better the more you practice. | Well, that's why we write second drafts. Take a week away from the project, come back with a chainsaw and a hockey mask, and go slasher movie on your work. Be without mercy. The key to exposition is *show, don't tell.* Star Trek never explained how its tech worked, it just showed it working and what limitations it had in the context of the story. Introduce it piece by piece in context. | 0 | 9,214 | 4 | ||
syxy3d | writing_train | 0.84 | Almost finished with my first draft and..... I feel like its terrible. Plotholes, inconsistencies (which i know can be fixed), but even more so, the story feels like a ten year old wrote it, even though ive done everything i can to avoid that. I feel like its full of bad exposition, but i cant help it since there are times when its needed for context. I also feel like i have to explain my world too much. Would anyone be willing to read a few random chapters as a quick critique and give me some notes? For context, its a story about two teens who have to save the world. | hy0sywa | hy0u3qr | 1,645,567,921 | 1,645,568,363 | 2 | 3 | So you hate your first draft. Welcome to the club, mate. Keep revising, editing, going through rounds of harsh criticisms with critique partners. When you get to that final draft, read that first draft again because it’ll be something very precious to you by then. Dm me if you want and I can send you a first and final draft of a chapter of mine for you to see the difference :). | I totally know what you mean. I also almost finished a first draft for the first time and there is just so much to fix it gets overwhelming. It feels more like a zero draft if I am honest. But hey man, be proud you almost finished a draft! That in itself is amazing! Well done! | 0 | 442 | 1.5 | ||
syxy3d | writing_train | 0.84 | Almost finished with my first draft and..... I feel like its terrible. Plotholes, inconsistencies (which i know can be fixed), but even more so, the story feels like a ten year old wrote it, even though ive done everything i can to avoid that. I feel like its full of bad exposition, but i cant help it since there are times when its needed for context. I also feel like i have to explain my world too much. Would anyone be willing to read a few random chapters as a quick critique and give me some notes? For context, its a story about two teens who have to save the world. | hy0h5ex | hy0u3qr | 1,645,563,483 | 1,645,568,363 | 1 | 3 | Dm me man I gotcha yah | I totally know what you mean. I also almost finished a first draft for the first time and there is just so much to fix it gets overwhelming. It feels more like a zero draft if I am honest. But hey man, be proud you almost finished a draft! That in itself is amazing! Well done! | 0 | 4,880 | 3 | ||
syxy3d | writing_train | 0.84 | Almost finished with my first draft and..... I feel like its terrible. Plotholes, inconsistencies (which i know can be fixed), but even more so, the story feels like a ten year old wrote it, even though ive done everything i can to avoid that. I feel like its full of bad exposition, but i cant help it since there are times when its needed for context. I also feel like i have to explain my world too much. Would anyone be willing to read a few random chapters as a quick critique and give me some notes? For context, its a story about two teens who have to save the world. | hy0sywa | hy1tcgc | 1,645,567,921 | 1,645,583,755 | 2 | 3 | So you hate your first draft. Welcome to the club, mate. Keep revising, editing, going through rounds of harsh criticisms with critique partners. When you get to that final draft, read that first draft again because it’ll be something very precious to you by then. Dm me if you want and I can send you a first and final draft of a chapter of mine for you to see the difference :). | Every first draft is perfect, because all a first draft has to do, is exist. -Jane Smiley | 0 | 15,834 | 1.5 | ||
syxy3d | writing_train | 0.84 | Almost finished with my first draft and..... I feel like its terrible. Plotholes, inconsistencies (which i know can be fixed), but even more so, the story feels like a ten year old wrote it, even though ive done everything i can to avoid that. I feel like its full of bad exposition, but i cant help it since there are times when its needed for context. I also feel like i have to explain my world too much. Would anyone be willing to read a few random chapters as a quick critique and give me some notes? For context, its a story about two teens who have to save the world. | hy1tcgc | hy0wapl | 1,645,583,755 | 1,645,569,223 | 3 | 2 | Every first draft is perfect, because all a first draft has to do, is exist. -Jane Smiley | Use a program like grammarly. | 1 | 14,532 | 1.5 | ||
syxy3d | writing_train | 0.84 | Almost finished with my first draft and..... I feel like its terrible. Plotholes, inconsistencies (which i know can be fixed), but even more so, the story feels like a ten year old wrote it, even though ive done everything i can to avoid that. I feel like its full of bad exposition, but i cant help it since there are times when its needed for context. I also feel like i have to explain my world too much. Would anyone be willing to read a few random chapters as a quick critique and give me some notes? For context, its a story about two teens who have to save the world. | hy0h5ex | hy1tcgc | 1,645,563,483 | 1,645,583,755 | 1 | 3 | Dm me man I gotcha yah | Every first draft is perfect, because all a first draft has to do, is exist. -Jane Smiley | 0 | 20,272 | 3 | ||
syxy3d | writing_train | 0.84 | Almost finished with my first draft and..... I feel like its terrible. Plotholes, inconsistencies (which i know can be fixed), but even more so, the story feels like a ten year old wrote it, even though ive done everything i can to avoid that. I feel like its full of bad exposition, but i cant help it since there are times when its needed for context. I also feel like i have to explain my world too much. Would anyone be willing to read a few random chapters as a quick critique and give me some notes? For context, its a story about two teens who have to save the world. | hy15c4e | hy1tcgc | 1,645,572,927 | 1,645,583,755 | 1 | 3 | Your first draft will always be pure, unadulterated anus. If it’s not, you might be the best writer ever. Its job is merely to exist. Nothing more | Every first draft is perfect, because all a first draft has to do, is exist. -Jane Smiley | 0 | 10,828 | 3 | ||
syxy3d | writing_train | 0.84 | Almost finished with my first draft and..... I feel like its terrible. Plotholes, inconsistencies (which i know can be fixed), but even more so, the story feels like a ten year old wrote it, even though ive done everything i can to avoid that. I feel like its full of bad exposition, but i cant help it since there are times when its needed for context. I also feel like i have to explain my world too much. Would anyone be willing to read a few random chapters as a quick critique and give me some notes? For context, its a story about two teens who have to save the world. | hy1tcgc | hy16wkv | 1,645,583,755 | 1,645,573,599 | 3 | 1 | Every first draft is perfect, because all a first draft has to do, is exist. -Jane Smiley | Finish writing it and then either hire an editor to find the flaws and give examples on how to fix it or take a chance with a beta reader who will read your story for free and give you their opinion on it. You can find editors on either Fiverr.com or https://reedsy.com/write-a-book. Don't pay beta readers, they are supposed to do this for free. If they want money you might as sell hire a professional editor. If you want to try your luck with a beta reader I guess you can try looking here, https://www.fictionpress.com/betareaders/fiction/ | 1 | 10,156 | 3 | ||
syxy3d | writing_train | 0.84 | Almost finished with my first draft and..... I feel like its terrible. Plotholes, inconsistencies (which i know can be fixed), but even more so, the story feels like a ten year old wrote it, even though ive done everything i can to avoid that. I feel like its full of bad exposition, but i cant help it since there are times when its needed for context. I also feel like i have to explain my world too much. Would anyone be willing to read a few random chapters as a quick critique and give me some notes? For context, its a story about two teens who have to save the world. | hy1rxfg | hy1tcgc | 1,645,583,121 | 1,645,583,755 | 1 | 3 | I'm on my third version of my novel. It keeps getting better the more you practice. | Every first draft is perfect, because all a first draft has to do, is exist. -Jane Smiley | 0 | 634 | 3 | ||
syxy3d | writing_train | 0.84 | Almost finished with my first draft and..... I feel like its terrible. Plotholes, inconsistencies (which i know can be fixed), but even more so, the story feels like a ten year old wrote it, even though ive done everything i can to avoid that. I feel like its full of bad exposition, but i cant help it since there are times when its needed for context. I also feel like i have to explain my world too much. Would anyone be willing to read a few random chapters as a quick critique and give me some notes? For context, its a story about two teens who have to save the world. | hy0sywa | hy0h5ex | 1,645,567,921 | 1,645,563,483 | 2 | 1 | So you hate your first draft. Welcome to the club, mate. Keep revising, editing, going through rounds of harsh criticisms with critique partners. When you get to that final draft, read that first draft again because it’ll be something very precious to you by then. Dm me if you want and I can send you a first and final draft of a chapter of mine for you to see the difference :). | Dm me man I gotcha yah | 1 | 4,438 | 2 | ||
syxy3d | writing_train | 0.84 | Almost finished with my first draft and..... I feel like its terrible. Plotholes, inconsistencies (which i know can be fixed), but even more so, the story feels like a ten year old wrote it, even though ive done everything i can to avoid that. I feel like its full of bad exposition, but i cant help it since there are times when its needed for context. I also feel like i have to explain my world too much. Would anyone be willing to read a few random chapters as a quick critique and give me some notes? For context, its a story about two teens who have to save the world. | hy0wapl | hy0h5ex | 1,645,569,223 | 1,645,563,483 | 2 | 1 | Use a program like grammarly. | Dm me man I gotcha yah | 1 | 5,740 | 2 | ||
syxy3d | writing_train | 0.84 | Almost finished with my first draft and..... I feel like its terrible. Plotholes, inconsistencies (which i know can be fixed), but even more so, the story feels like a ten year old wrote it, even though ive done everything i can to avoid that. I feel like its full of bad exposition, but i cant help it since there are times when its needed for context. I also feel like i have to explain my world too much. Would anyone be willing to read a few random chapters as a quick critique and give me some notes? For context, its a story about two teens who have to save the world. | hy31huf | hy0h5ex | 1,645,611,513 | 1,645,563,483 | 2 | 1 | In general, r/BetaReaders is the sub for this sort of request. A lot of people here are telling you to edit and polish, but it seems to me that your problem is that you want to improve your work, but you have no idea where to start or what to do. Send me a link to your first two chapters, and I'll take a look. | Dm me man I gotcha yah | 1 | 48,030 | 2 | ||
syxy3d | writing_train | 0.84 | Almost finished with my first draft and..... I feel like its terrible. Plotholes, inconsistencies (which i know can be fixed), but even more so, the story feels like a ten year old wrote it, even though ive done everything i can to avoid that. I feel like its full of bad exposition, but i cant help it since there are times when its needed for context. I also feel like i have to explain my world too much. Would anyone be willing to read a few random chapters as a quick critique and give me some notes? For context, its a story about two teens who have to save the world. | hy15c4e | hy31huf | 1,645,572,927 | 1,645,611,513 | 1 | 2 | Your first draft will always be pure, unadulterated anus. If it’s not, you might be the best writer ever. Its job is merely to exist. Nothing more | In general, r/BetaReaders is the sub for this sort of request. A lot of people here are telling you to edit and polish, but it seems to me that your problem is that you want to improve your work, but you have no idea where to start or what to do. Send me a link to your first two chapters, and I'll take a look. | 0 | 38,586 | 2 | ||
syxy3d | writing_train | 0.84 | Almost finished with my first draft and..... I feel like its terrible. Plotholes, inconsistencies (which i know can be fixed), but even more so, the story feels like a ten year old wrote it, even though ive done everything i can to avoid that. I feel like its full of bad exposition, but i cant help it since there are times when its needed for context. I also feel like i have to explain my world too much. Would anyone be willing to read a few random chapters as a quick critique and give me some notes? For context, its a story about two teens who have to save the world. | hy31huf | hy16wkv | 1,645,611,513 | 1,645,573,599 | 2 | 1 | In general, r/BetaReaders is the sub for this sort of request. A lot of people here are telling you to edit and polish, but it seems to me that your problem is that you want to improve your work, but you have no idea where to start or what to do. Send me a link to your first two chapters, and I'll take a look. | Finish writing it and then either hire an editor to find the flaws and give examples on how to fix it or take a chance with a beta reader who will read your story for free and give you their opinion on it. You can find editors on either Fiverr.com or https://reedsy.com/write-a-book. Don't pay beta readers, they are supposed to do this for free. If they want money you might as sell hire a professional editor. If you want to try your luck with a beta reader I guess you can try looking here, https://www.fictionpress.com/betareaders/fiction/ | 1 | 37,914 | 2 | ||
syxy3d | writing_train | 0.84 | Almost finished with my first draft and..... I feel like its terrible. Plotholes, inconsistencies (which i know can be fixed), but even more so, the story feels like a ten year old wrote it, even though ive done everything i can to avoid that. I feel like its full of bad exposition, but i cant help it since there are times when its needed for context. I also feel like i have to explain my world too much. Would anyone be willing to read a few random chapters as a quick critique and give me some notes? For context, its a story about two teens who have to save the world. | hy1rxfg | hy31huf | 1,645,583,121 | 1,645,611,513 | 1 | 2 | I'm on my third version of my novel. It keeps getting better the more you practice. | In general, r/BetaReaders is the sub for this sort of request. A lot of people here are telling you to edit and polish, but it seems to me that your problem is that you want to improve your work, but you have no idea where to start or what to do. Send me a link to your first two chapters, and I'll take a look. | 0 | 28,392 | 2 | ||
syxy3d | writing_train | 0.84 | Almost finished with my first draft and..... I feel like its terrible. Plotholes, inconsistencies (which i know can be fixed), but even more so, the story feels like a ten year old wrote it, even though ive done everything i can to avoid that. I feel like its full of bad exposition, but i cant help it since there are times when its needed for context. I also feel like i have to explain my world too much. Would anyone be willing to read a few random chapters as a quick critique and give me some notes? For context, its a story about two teens who have to save the world. | hy2gh0v | hy31huf | 1,645,595,343 | 1,645,611,513 | 1 | 2 | Honestly, books don't start getting good until your 3rd or 4th. Sometimes not til your 5th. Edit the shit out of that book to really master your craft and then move onto your 2nd as quickly as possible. Don't expect your first effort to ever be good, it won't. | In general, r/BetaReaders is the sub for this sort of request. A lot of people here are telling you to edit and polish, but it seems to me that your problem is that you want to improve your work, but you have no idea where to start or what to do. Send me a link to your first two chapters, and I'll take a look. | 0 | 16,170 | 2 | ||
gq1sev | writing_train | 0.79 | How does one actually come up with a compelling, original plot? I've struggled for almost a decade and haven't finished a single, full-length story. I have no problem churning out poetry that I really think is pretty good, I write songs, and I can do a decent short story here and there. I have always desperately wanted to write an actual story. Even 50 pages would be more than enough to encourage me. I've been writing seriously since just before high school, and it has always been a passion. I just can't figure out how some writers create a plot. I know it sounds ridiculous. I have good ideas for universe building, character development, etc. I just... don't know what I want to write. Or what people want to read, I guess. My husband and I have a baby now, and I so badly want to write her some good books to grow up cherishing. I draw comics, and I can't finish the comic book story I started for my husband two Christmases ago because I have an exposition, I have a universe, I have characters - all the elements are there. It should work, but it doesn't. I have no clue how to turn it into a cohesive story. Can decade-long writer's block exist? 🙃 I would really appreciate some advice from anyone who has overcome this. I can sit for hours in front of a paper, but I'm not sure I've ever gotten past page ten or so of a story before I utterly lose it and set it aside to "come back to one day". This is truly starting to be demoralizing. Do I just make one up as I go even if it's stupid, terrible, and doesn't make any sense just so I can get it out of my system and write something more refined later? | frq8yn6 | frq5wgd | 1,590,372,715 | 1,590,370,774 | 6 | 4 | What's helped me is looking at the expected building blocks. Look at this site for the things people look for in your preferred genres: https://storygrid.com/genres-of-writing/ Then at this page for an idea of the structure to hang those things on: https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/how-to-outline-your-novel/ | FWIW, I would try to start with the ending you want to read. What’s the satisfying moment of victory, the reveal, the moment of overcoming, etc., and work back from there. | 1 | 1,941 | 1.5 | ||
gq1sev | writing_train | 0.79 | How does one actually come up with a compelling, original plot? I've struggled for almost a decade and haven't finished a single, full-length story. I have no problem churning out poetry that I really think is pretty good, I write songs, and I can do a decent short story here and there. I have always desperately wanted to write an actual story. Even 50 pages would be more than enough to encourage me. I've been writing seriously since just before high school, and it has always been a passion. I just can't figure out how some writers create a plot. I know it sounds ridiculous. I have good ideas for universe building, character development, etc. I just... don't know what I want to write. Or what people want to read, I guess. My husband and I have a baby now, and I so badly want to write her some good books to grow up cherishing. I draw comics, and I can't finish the comic book story I started for my husband two Christmases ago because I have an exposition, I have a universe, I have characters - all the elements are there. It should work, but it doesn't. I have no clue how to turn it into a cohesive story. Can decade-long writer's block exist? 🙃 I would really appreciate some advice from anyone who has overcome this. I can sit for hours in front of a paper, but I'm not sure I've ever gotten past page ten or so of a story before I utterly lose it and set it aside to "come back to one day". This is truly starting to be demoralizing. Do I just make one up as I go even if it's stupid, terrible, and doesn't make any sense just so I can get it out of my system and write something more refined later? | frq6amd | frq8yn6 | 1,590,371,026 | 1,590,372,715 | 4 | 6 | This is implying short stories aren't "actual stories" or have plot... Plot is just characters pursuing a goal and encountering opposition. Don't strive for "original" plot, strive for interesting plot via interesting characters. | What's helped me is looking at the expected building blocks. Look at this site for the things people look for in your preferred genres: https://storygrid.com/genres-of-writing/ Then at this page for an idea of the structure to hang those things on: https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/how-to-outline-your-novel/ | 0 | 1,689 | 1.5 | ||
gq1sev | writing_train | 0.79 | How does one actually come up with a compelling, original plot? I've struggled for almost a decade and haven't finished a single, full-length story. I have no problem churning out poetry that I really think is pretty good, I write songs, and I can do a decent short story here and there. I have always desperately wanted to write an actual story. Even 50 pages would be more than enough to encourage me. I've been writing seriously since just before high school, and it has always been a passion. I just can't figure out how some writers create a plot. I know it sounds ridiculous. I have good ideas for universe building, character development, etc. I just... don't know what I want to write. Or what people want to read, I guess. My husband and I have a baby now, and I so badly want to write her some good books to grow up cherishing. I draw comics, and I can't finish the comic book story I started for my husband two Christmases ago because I have an exposition, I have a universe, I have characters - all the elements are there. It should work, but it doesn't. I have no clue how to turn it into a cohesive story. Can decade-long writer's block exist? 🙃 I would really appreciate some advice from anyone who has overcome this. I can sit for hours in front of a paper, but I'm not sure I've ever gotten past page ten or so of a story before I utterly lose it and set it aside to "come back to one day". This is truly starting to be demoralizing. Do I just make one up as I go even if it's stupid, terrible, and doesn't make any sense just so I can get it out of my system and write something more refined later? | frqbl3w | frq5wgd | 1,590,374,395 | 1,590,370,774 | 5 | 4 | 1) Pick up a book on plot structure. There are a million of them. I think, given what you have described, you probably want to start out with something that is simple, but specific. I think *Save the Cat Writes of Novel* by Jessica Brody is probably a good choice for you. *The Anatomy of Story* by John Truby is also good, but it's a lot more work (and a lot drier to read), so I recommend starting with Brody's book and then if you feel like you need more substance, pick up Truby's book. 2) When you come up with a story idea, you have a main character, a thing they want, a reason why they can't get what they want, and a consequence if they fail to get what they want. That's your problem, obstacle, and stakes. The way your character tries to solve the problem, overcome the obstacles, and save what is at stake, is your plot. 3) Everything that happens in your plot should be connect with the phrase "therefore" or "but." Character does A; therefore, B happens. Therefore, Character does C, but D happens. This ensures that everything that happens in your story is a direct result, or directly connected to, the previous situation, which will give you a cohesive plot instead of a random series of events. This also ensures that your character plays an active, dynamic role in your story, rather than just being carried along by events. | FWIW, I would try to start with the ending you want to read. What’s the satisfying moment of victory, the reveal, the moment of overcoming, etc., and work back from there. | 1 | 3,621 | 1.25 | ||
gq1sev | writing_train | 0.79 | How does one actually come up with a compelling, original plot? I've struggled for almost a decade and haven't finished a single, full-length story. I have no problem churning out poetry that I really think is pretty good, I write songs, and I can do a decent short story here and there. I have always desperately wanted to write an actual story. Even 50 pages would be more than enough to encourage me. I've been writing seriously since just before high school, and it has always been a passion. I just can't figure out how some writers create a plot. I know it sounds ridiculous. I have good ideas for universe building, character development, etc. I just... don't know what I want to write. Or what people want to read, I guess. My husband and I have a baby now, and I so badly want to write her some good books to grow up cherishing. I draw comics, and I can't finish the comic book story I started for my husband two Christmases ago because I have an exposition, I have a universe, I have characters - all the elements are there. It should work, but it doesn't. I have no clue how to turn it into a cohesive story. Can decade-long writer's block exist? 🙃 I would really appreciate some advice from anyone who has overcome this. I can sit for hours in front of a paper, but I'm not sure I've ever gotten past page ten or so of a story before I utterly lose it and set it aside to "come back to one day". This is truly starting to be demoralizing. Do I just make one up as I go even if it's stupid, terrible, and doesn't make any sense just so I can get it out of my system and write something more refined later? | frq6amd | frqbl3w | 1,590,371,026 | 1,590,374,395 | 4 | 5 | This is implying short stories aren't "actual stories" or have plot... Plot is just characters pursuing a goal and encountering opposition. Don't strive for "original" plot, strive for interesting plot via interesting characters. | 1) Pick up a book on plot structure. There are a million of them. I think, given what you have described, you probably want to start out with something that is simple, but specific. I think *Save the Cat Writes of Novel* by Jessica Brody is probably a good choice for you. *The Anatomy of Story* by John Truby is also good, but it's a lot more work (and a lot drier to read), so I recommend starting with Brody's book and then if you feel like you need more substance, pick up Truby's book. 2) When you come up with a story idea, you have a main character, a thing they want, a reason why they can't get what they want, and a consequence if they fail to get what they want. That's your problem, obstacle, and stakes. The way your character tries to solve the problem, overcome the obstacles, and save what is at stake, is your plot. 3) Everything that happens in your plot should be connect with the phrase "therefore" or "but." Character does A; therefore, B happens. Therefore, Character does C, but D happens. This ensures that everything that happens in your story is a direct result, or directly connected to, the previous situation, which will give you a cohesive plot instead of a random series of events. This also ensures that your character plays an active, dynamic role in your story, rather than just being carried along by events. | 0 | 3,369 | 1.25 | ||
gq1sev | writing_train | 0.79 | How does one actually come up with a compelling, original plot? I've struggled for almost a decade and haven't finished a single, full-length story. I have no problem churning out poetry that I really think is pretty good, I write songs, and I can do a decent short story here and there. I have always desperately wanted to write an actual story. Even 50 pages would be more than enough to encourage me. I've been writing seriously since just before high school, and it has always been a passion. I just can't figure out how some writers create a plot. I know it sounds ridiculous. I have good ideas for universe building, character development, etc. I just... don't know what I want to write. Or what people want to read, I guess. My husband and I have a baby now, and I so badly want to write her some good books to grow up cherishing. I draw comics, and I can't finish the comic book story I started for my husband two Christmases ago because I have an exposition, I have a universe, I have characters - all the elements are there. It should work, but it doesn't. I have no clue how to turn it into a cohesive story. Can decade-long writer's block exist? 🙃 I would really appreciate some advice from anyone who has overcome this. I can sit for hours in front of a paper, but I'm not sure I've ever gotten past page ten or so of a story before I utterly lose it and set it aside to "come back to one day". This is truly starting to be demoralizing. Do I just make one up as I go even if it's stupid, terrible, and doesn't make any sense just so I can get it out of my system and write something more refined later? | frr40o6 | frqnrwr | 1,590,397,289 | 1,590,382,823 | 4 | 3 | Uh, I hate to come off as rude, but the first thing that comes to my mind is the question: Do you read often...or at all? Because I haven't met a single person who reads and can't come up with ANY. Not even little kids. It matters because even the most random of things can be written well. Thus, ANY plot is better than none. In case you don't read often or somehow cannot glean insight off other works... Advice: . . . Plots don't just spontaneously spawn in a writer's mind, but are the results of conflicts that appear as natural consequences to the characters and their situations. Writers CAN form the entirety of a story around a random plot idea, but it's difficult for noobies. I've found that one easy method of writing a story as a complete noob involves creating the characters you want, plopping them into whatever setting you want with whatever history you want... And just allow things to happen according to their personalities. If you have no idea how to introduce external conflict, make it start internally. One of the characters is arrogant? His hubris got the best of him and he entered a contest he couldn't win. He talked smack, lost pathetically, and is now devastated while everyone hates his personality. One of characters is too nice? He gets scammed. Now he has to deal with the consequences of losing his identity, money, phone, etc. One of the characters is too cold/jaded/cynical? She wants to make friends, but her comments push people away because nobody knows how to interact with her. One of the characters has anger issues? She lets some steam out at work when she shouldn't have. She wasn't fired, but now the atmosphere is awkward. Maybe she works alongside her neighbors, which complicates things when she needs to ask them for assistance with something. | I think the problem you are having is your self criticism to be honest. That's hard to get around, but get around it you must. Your brain is crap at knowing whether something is good or not, especially at this early stage. There are many stories i have tossed off as meh to crap that have gotten really good feedback and many stories i thought were good that have gotten nothing. So when your brain shouts at you to say "this is crap and your a failure" just say to it "that is one possibility but there is another possibility that this will become good and I'll only know which one it is when i finish" Also maybe you might look into outline. Start brainstorming the story and asking questions and getting down what it will be like. It might help you know where it is going. | 1 | 14,466 | 1.333333 | ||
gq1sev | writing_train | 0.79 | How does one actually come up with a compelling, original plot? I've struggled for almost a decade and haven't finished a single, full-length story. I have no problem churning out poetry that I really think is pretty good, I write songs, and I can do a decent short story here and there. I have always desperately wanted to write an actual story. Even 50 pages would be more than enough to encourage me. I've been writing seriously since just before high school, and it has always been a passion. I just can't figure out how some writers create a plot. I know it sounds ridiculous. I have good ideas for universe building, character development, etc. I just... don't know what I want to write. Or what people want to read, I guess. My husband and I have a baby now, and I so badly want to write her some good books to grow up cherishing. I draw comics, and I can't finish the comic book story I started for my husband two Christmases ago because I have an exposition, I have a universe, I have characters - all the elements are there. It should work, but it doesn't. I have no clue how to turn it into a cohesive story. Can decade-long writer's block exist? 🙃 I would really appreciate some advice from anyone who has overcome this. I can sit for hours in front of a paper, but I'm not sure I've ever gotten past page ten or so of a story before I utterly lose it and set it aside to "come back to one day". This is truly starting to be demoralizing. Do I just make one up as I go even if it's stupid, terrible, and doesn't make any sense just so I can get it out of my system and write something more refined later? | frqzoat | frr40o6 | 1,590,392,978 | 1,590,397,289 | 3 | 4 | Maybe you have more of a talent for poetry and short stories? Writing short stories is a specific skill and different from writing novels but not inferior. I would like to write crime stories, whodunnit novels, but somehow I keep writing urban fantasy short stories because that's what my brain comes up with. Embrace your talent and write what your subconscious bubbles up to the conscious part of your brain. | Uh, I hate to come off as rude, but the first thing that comes to my mind is the question: Do you read often...or at all? Because I haven't met a single person who reads and can't come up with ANY. Not even little kids. It matters because even the most random of things can be written well. Thus, ANY plot is better than none. In case you don't read often or somehow cannot glean insight off other works... Advice: . . . Plots don't just spontaneously spawn in a writer's mind, but are the results of conflicts that appear as natural consequences to the characters and their situations. Writers CAN form the entirety of a story around a random plot idea, but it's difficult for noobies. I've found that one easy method of writing a story as a complete noob involves creating the characters you want, plopping them into whatever setting you want with whatever history you want... And just allow things to happen according to their personalities. If you have no idea how to introduce external conflict, make it start internally. One of the characters is arrogant? His hubris got the best of him and he entered a contest he couldn't win. He talked smack, lost pathetically, and is now devastated while everyone hates his personality. One of characters is too nice? He gets scammed. Now he has to deal with the consequences of losing his identity, money, phone, etc. One of the characters is too cold/jaded/cynical? She wants to make friends, but her comments push people away because nobody knows how to interact with her. One of the characters has anger issues? She lets some steam out at work when she shouldn't have. She wasn't fired, but now the atmosphere is awkward. Maybe she works alongside her neighbors, which complicates things when she needs to ask them for assistance with something. | 0 | 4,311 | 1.333333 | ||
gq1sev | writing_train | 0.79 | How does one actually come up with a compelling, original plot? I've struggled for almost a decade and haven't finished a single, full-length story. I have no problem churning out poetry that I really think is pretty good, I write songs, and I can do a decent short story here and there. I have always desperately wanted to write an actual story. Even 50 pages would be more than enough to encourage me. I've been writing seriously since just before high school, and it has always been a passion. I just can't figure out how some writers create a plot. I know it sounds ridiculous. I have good ideas for universe building, character development, etc. I just... don't know what I want to write. Or what people want to read, I guess. My husband and I have a baby now, and I so badly want to write her some good books to grow up cherishing. I draw comics, and I can't finish the comic book story I started for my husband two Christmases ago because I have an exposition, I have a universe, I have characters - all the elements are there. It should work, but it doesn't. I have no clue how to turn it into a cohesive story. Can decade-long writer's block exist? 🙃 I would really appreciate some advice from anyone who has overcome this. I can sit for hours in front of a paper, but I'm not sure I've ever gotten past page ten or so of a story before I utterly lose it and set it aside to "come back to one day". This is truly starting to be demoralizing. Do I just make one up as I go even if it's stupid, terrible, and doesn't make any sense just so I can get it out of my system and write something more refined later? | frriyvh | frs6txm | 1,590,411,464 | 1,590,425,481 | 2 | 3 | Well first understand that nothing you will ever write will be completely original. Read. I can not give any better advice than to read. Have a stack of books and read them, each time you find something you like or admire or think could be useful take a note of it. Make a list of all the things you like or love. Write a story and incorporate all those things. Go about life and take notes when you come across something you like. Doesn’t matter how trivial or stupid it might seem; take a note of it. | Lester Dent's pulp fiction formula is always worth a read: http://www.paper-dragon.com/1939/dent.html The way it's laid out, it's for a 6,000 word short story, but the concepts are valid for anything. The basic idea is that you come up with an interesting character in an interesting setting and then repeatedly heap trouble on him faster than he can get out of it, so he's in worse and worse trouble until the end. The thing about frameworks like this is that the actual story usually isn't visible, just as few people can look at a skeleton and see the beautiful woman it once belonged to. It's not like preliminary sketches for an oil painting, where often the sketches are more alive than the finished painting. Quite the opposite. At the same time, I'd warn against grandiose, universe-shattering danger as a starting point, since it's a zillion times harder to threaten the whole world than ... um ... to retrieve the old lady's lost cat around whose neck her dangerously erratic and violent nephew put her diamond bracelet by way of stealing it. Just because it's done before doesn't mean yours won't be the go-to version. Characterize the main characters unobviously, pick a setting that's not too terribly overused, and make Our Hero a little different from the first half-dozen who come to mind, and you're home free. It helps if you're utterly shameless, too. In one my stories, the two young lovers are about to have their first kiss in the young man's living room, but this is interrupted by a zombie attempting to break down the door. This is okay because surprising the readers is good: twists *should* seem inexplicable at first—totally unrelated to the action so far—until the curtain is pulled back a little and the context is revealed. I think this is where people have trouble with outlining, too: the twists are usually unguessable from what the characters, the reader, and even the author know at this point in the story. First they happen, then, later, we discover why. This is why intuitive writers ("pantsers") will just slap in any old thing and keep writing. They hope their unconscious mind has come up with something they can work with later on, and if not, they'll have to go back and replace the twist with something more manageable. Either way, though, they don't try to *prove* to themselves that it's the right development. They just run with it. Successful plotters do the same thing, I suspect (I don't do outlines anymore, so I can't really say). | 0 | 14,017 | 1.5 | ||
gq1sev | writing_train | 0.79 | How does one actually come up with a compelling, original plot? I've struggled for almost a decade and haven't finished a single, full-length story. I have no problem churning out poetry that I really think is pretty good, I write songs, and I can do a decent short story here and there. I have always desperately wanted to write an actual story. Even 50 pages would be more than enough to encourage me. I've been writing seriously since just before high school, and it has always been a passion. I just can't figure out how some writers create a plot. I know it sounds ridiculous. I have good ideas for universe building, character development, etc. I just... don't know what I want to write. Or what people want to read, I guess. My husband and I have a baby now, and I so badly want to write her some good books to grow up cherishing. I draw comics, and I can't finish the comic book story I started for my husband two Christmases ago because I have an exposition, I have a universe, I have characters - all the elements are there. It should work, but it doesn't. I have no clue how to turn it into a cohesive story. Can decade-long writer's block exist? 🙃 I would really appreciate some advice from anyone who has overcome this. I can sit for hours in front of a paper, but I'm not sure I've ever gotten past page ten or so of a story before I utterly lose it and set it aside to "come back to one day". This is truly starting to be demoralizing. Do I just make one up as I go even if it's stupid, terrible, and doesn't make any sense just so I can get it out of my system and write something more refined later? | frrp7dm | frs6txm | 1,590,415,735 | 1,590,425,481 | 2 | 3 | https://youtu.be/YU682Z1OnlY What makes a story unique is 2 things: 1. the types of characters you create, and how unique they are in their personality (which is shown in how they react to the situation they’re put in - which is the plot) 2. The style of which you tell this story. The plot itself - every plot that ever exists has been done a million times. | Lester Dent's pulp fiction formula is always worth a read: http://www.paper-dragon.com/1939/dent.html The way it's laid out, it's for a 6,000 word short story, but the concepts are valid for anything. The basic idea is that you come up with an interesting character in an interesting setting and then repeatedly heap trouble on him faster than he can get out of it, so he's in worse and worse trouble until the end. The thing about frameworks like this is that the actual story usually isn't visible, just as few people can look at a skeleton and see the beautiful woman it once belonged to. It's not like preliminary sketches for an oil painting, where often the sketches are more alive than the finished painting. Quite the opposite. At the same time, I'd warn against grandiose, universe-shattering danger as a starting point, since it's a zillion times harder to threaten the whole world than ... um ... to retrieve the old lady's lost cat around whose neck her dangerously erratic and violent nephew put her diamond bracelet by way of stealing it. Just because it's done before doesn't mean yours won't be the go-to version. Characterize the main characters unobviously, pick a setting that's not too terribly overused, and make Our Hero a little different from the first half-dozen who come to mind, and you're home free. It helps if you're utterly shameless, too. In one my stories, the two young lovers are about to have their first kiss in the young man's living room, but this is interrupted by a zombie attempting to break down the door. This is okay because surprising the readers is good: twists *should* seem inexplicable at first—totally unrelated to the action so far—until the curtain is pulled back a little and the context is revealed. I think this is where people have trouble with outlining, too: the twists are usually unguessable from what the characters, the reader, and even the author know at this point in the story. First they happen, then, later, we discover why. This is why intuitive writers ("pantsers") will just slap in any old thing and keep writing. They hope their unconscious mind has come up with something they can work with later on, and if not, they'll have to go back and replace the twist with something more manageable. Either way, though, they don't try to *prove* to themselves that it's the right development. They just run with it. Successful plotters do the same thing, I suspect (I don't do outlines anymore, so I can't really say). | 0 | 9,746 | 1.5 |
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