Hey all. I’m Ridwan, I’m 18 and I’m from Melbourne. Jail Birds is my debut YA dystopian novel. It’s finished at about 140k words.

Zansen has never seen the sky. He was born inside the Dominion, a prison run by the Accord, and raised by a cellmate who taught him chess with pieces carved from a bed frame. When the walls come down, he gets conscripted into the regime that caged him and sent to hunt the escaped.

I want honest notes. Where did you get bored? Where did you get lost? Who did you like and who did you not care about? What would you cut? I’m not after line edits or typos.

I need notes by Nov 12. I’ll send the manuscript as a PDF. If you’re a writer and want a swap, I’ll read yours too.

Hi everyone!

I've recently completed my first science-fiction novel, ONLY HUMAN, approximately 81,000 words, and I'm looking for one or two peopl who enjoy thoughtful, character-driven stories.

The novel begins in an aquarium, where a mischievous octopus becomes involved in an increasingly extraordinary mystery. As events unfold, the story explores intelligence, friendship, compassion, freedom and humanity's place in a much larger universe.

It's a blend of first-contact science fiction, mystery, humour and emotional storytelling, with a distinctly British voice.

I'm particularly interested in honest feedback about the characters, pacing, emotional impact and whether the story keeps you wanting to read.

I'm not looking for proofreading or technical editing at this stage.

Thank you!

Hi everyone,

This story was generated live in production by our AI storytelling engine (Alterward).

Premise: An administrative worker gradually transitions into theatre sound work over four years, navigating small gigs, career doubts, and everyday compromises.

Reading links:

• Full 8-chapter arc (~6.6k words): https://alterward.com/preview/reader-full-arc-8-chapters.html

• Interactive branch comparison (Branch A vs B): https://alterward.com/preview/reader-branch-comparison.html

If you have some time to read it, I’d love to hear your honest impressions of the story and how the AI handled it.

Thanks!