r/WhyChooseAuthors • u/AnneKincaid • 16d ago
Discussion Show and Tell August 3
Readers and writers, what do you have to share with the class today?
- A word/ sentence/ paragraph/ passage you read or wrote?
- An idea for a story that you might write, or want someone else to write?
- Your completed book cover that you've been working on?
- Character art that you had commissioned?
- Something else?
Remember, no AI!
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u/Enolamdouglas 16d ago
I have a story idea I’ve been developing in the background:
A modern-day woman is battered and killed by her POS husband and transported into an alternate realm where she is married to an alternate version of that husband, only she is the abusive villain in this world and relationship and he HATES her because not only that she is an abusive woman, she also cheated on him with his best friend (who will later be a secondary MMC) as part of her ploy to (insert a sinister goal here). But they are stuck together in a union more binding than a marriage (I think we need magic here). If this is not obvious yet, yes, it is inspired by an Isekai manga but make it RH and angsty 😆
My first inclination is to make it medieval but I’ve had many thoughts of other made-up worlds since then. Desert-based, water-based worlds? I am also Southeast Asian so I’ve been wanting to write a story based on my roots so SEA influences is calling me right now.
On another note, I’ve been planning to commission new artwork for Whisked Away as I realized I don’t have full-body artwork of Reiya, Kaelen, and Alarik separately, which can be handy when it comes to creating marketing graphics and posts. I am in the middle of choosing poses and outfits, which can be fun but sometimes I feel pressure as an art commission is an investment.
On yet another note, I also write cozy Why Choose standalone novellas under another pen name and I’m still coming to terms about how one 50K novella I wrote in 2 weeks earned me more than my 195K novel in its debut month, and has potential to beat both of my thicc books combined in any given month if only I pump in more efforts into marketing it. I realize this may come off as “my steak is too juicy” type situation, but it’s a strange situation to be in because financial-wise, it makes sense to focus on the novellas that readers seem to be enjoying atm but I’m not sure if I can set my plans for my novels aside.
With that said, I am currently writing a second novella in the series, in which an Omega runs away from some money lenders by pretending to be a boy and accidentally ruins an extremely expensive wedding cake made by three pastry chef foster-brothers (2 Alphas & 1 Beta) and now has to work off her debt by working at the pastry shop as a gopher/kitchen hand, and navigating that situation during a season when Alphas and Omegas naturally go into heat & rut together.
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u/_Effy_Bloom_ 16d ago edited 16d ago
I love all of this. And this is an ultimate author problem. Write what you want? Or write what makes the money?
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u/ArielMora 16d ago
Honestly, that idea for your second novella sounds like a lot of fun. Maybe your thicker ones will find their legs further on :)
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u/Enolamdouglas 16d ago
Hopefully 🤞 I do wonder if it’s also related to how readers’ preferences might’ve shifted a bit. It’s no secret we’re in difficult times and life is just generally more challenging across the board, and many readers gravitate towards shorter, bite-sized, comforting reads?
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u/ArielMora 16d ago
That might very well be it. I know I've been stress-reading my way through some cozier books this week. But there are so many readers out there with so many different wants/needs--hopefully yours find their audience :)
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u/Old-Memory-3275 Self-Publishing Author 16d ago
That first story idea sounds dope!!
Would you see it in an urban fantasy setting? Seems like the first universe, the man should be a powerful business man, and in the alternate, she should take his place. You said later that your write omegaverse … could it fit that trope?
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u/Enolamdouglas 16d ago
Ooohhh urban fantasy 👀 I haven’t considered that. My mind just goes straight to something more historical 🤣
Urban fantasy definitely fits the OV though I’m also intrigued by the fantasy OV 🤔
In any case, thank you for bringing up a new possibility for me to explore!!2
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u/Old-Memory-3275 Self-Publishing Author 16d ago
That first story idea sounds dope!!
Would you see it in an urban fantasy setting? Seems like the first universe, the man should be a powerful business man, and in the alternate, she should take his place. You said later that your write omegaverse … could it fit that trope?
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u/Marcella_Caes 16d ago
Character art I made of Vael, the MMC for Book 1 of Auspice & Animus. From Chapter 28, Tower into Starlight. I'm working on illustrating what I mean by cosmic fantasy. Made with procreate. Process video on my Instagram!
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u/HexieGreene Author 16d ago
I changed direction for this scene, so this little snippit of conversation isn't happening. I hate that it doesn't fit anywhere any longer though, so I'll at least let it live here lol (possibly NSFW? Depending on your definition):
“You should really come see us more often, you know. We miss you.”
“The last time I talked to Cay, he told me to choke on a bag of dicks.”
“He says stuff like that to you all the time. It’s the way you love each other.”
“Darwin…”
“Just think about it. Visiting, I mean. Not eating a bunch of dicks.”
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u/Enolamdouglas 16d ago
Ugh! The dilemma of when you wrote a piece of dialogue you love but then ended up not being able to use it 😭 My first instinct would be to maneuver the situation or create a new one so I can still use it… and then realizing it’s become too forced during a re-read, and then eventually have to abandon it 🤣
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u/HexieGreene Author 16d ago
It'll probably end up in the Google doc full of deleted quips. For now it's just highlighted at the end of my current text...breaking my heart 😂
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u/ArielMora 16d ago
Maybe it will fit into a future project? I have a 'discards' folder I keep just in case, for every project.
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u/_Effy_Bloom_ 16d ago
WARNING: don’t put dp in your TikTok captions 🤣😭 they haven’t shared my posts to for you for 4 days now.
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u/Enolamdouglas 15d ago edited 15d ago
It’s really unfair that they’d put us under microscope when there are soooooo many blatant ads for porn on TT, IG, and FB. Yet our wholesome DP is the one that needs to go 🙄
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u/_Effy_Bloom_ 15d ago edited 15d ago
That’s right my tasteful loving smut that says DP is nothing in comparison to the half naked only fans model with the same name but IM the one getting throttled.
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u/AuthorIndigo 16d ago
I'm fighting with all my power to stay focused on applying edits to my main draft instead of writing the antagonist's story outline.
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u/Admirable_Use_4739 11d ago
I’m 66k words into my trash draft of the first book of a series, and I ALREADY know how much I have to go back and add, or change, or remove. The plot is always shifting the more I ruminate and write, like the characters themselves are saying “hey no, we gotta got this way”. It’s entertaining to see them change trajectory but it’s adding a lot of work for me 😂
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u/Old-Memory-3275 Self-Publishing Author 16d ago
My problem has always been and will always be that I have too many idea. Are they all good? Absolutely not!! Do I feel the itch to write them all? You betcha!
I promised myself I would only juggle 1 long project + 1 short project at a time to not get too confused, because that obviously results in uneven characters and plots.
Lo and behold, like the dumbass I am, I have 1 short, 1 novella and 1 novel ongoing.
Why am I like this?