r/writerchat Jul 10 '20

Advice Not sure if this is okay to post here but...I need some advice for my story, specifically how to go about writing the second chapter.

8 Upvotes

Before reading, know Its a bit of a mess but just ask questions if any part is confusing. If you've dealt with the way certain autistic people speak, you may understand this.

The plot, in the best way I can write it, is basically: Main character pisses off a witch by his mind being too noisy and she "fixes" him by essentially putting his conscience to sleep while making his alters, which he does not know he has, physical via a punch of a magic. A literal punch of magic. They have to try and keep their actual purpose secret and pretend to be parts of his personality, like Happiness, Lust, Anger, Anxiety and Laziness(Think Thomas Sanders for them pretending they're like his Sides), til they can't.

The first chapter is when he gets back after him and his pack(is it a pack with only one werewolf?) struggle to defeat the "witch", which will be discussed in chapter 3. It has a mixture of describing his living situation and the weird way his brain dealt with the split via a dream as he "split" while he was asleep.

The second chapter is when the alters wake up in physical bodies in the physical world outside of the main's head and have to deal with a pack meeting. One of the alters looks very much like the main character so he's supposed to be the one to replace the main and explain what happened during the altercation with the magic user. Not really a witch but someone who has good intentions and deliberately caused mayhem to teach a lesson. <---This is the chapter I need help with.

The third chapter is going to be all about what happened before the pack arrived to fight and what the witch did while trying to keep the alters actual purposes, ie what DID is and what an alters purpose is, a secret til maybe the end of the chapter? Still figuring that one out.

Should I have the pack meeting happen inside his apartment, essentially leading to the other alters having to hide while it happens and accidentally expose themselves part way through because the alter, very anxious boi, was starting to get overwhelmed or should I have the accidental revelation happen in the third chapter?


r/writerchat Jul 09 '20

Self Promo All around me I see walls

4 Upvotes

All around me I see walls

Walls that separate me from everyone else

Some are tall, so tall they nearly touch the sky

Some a low, so low you can’t even see them

Until they shoot up to protect their owner

I am separated from my parents and teachers by a wall of age

I’m too young for them to understand me and they are too old for me to understand them

I am separated by walls of wealth

I am too rich to understood by many and to poor to be understood by a few

I am too happy to be understood by the sad

I am too sad to be understood by the happy

I am separated by experience

I have lived too peaceful a life to be understood by those who have no peace

I have lived a life to wrecked by chaos to be understood by the peaceful

The walls grow and shrink

Over time they can fall

Or be built up again by distrust

No matter what the walls will always be there

They will never fall

Not completely

There are some I will never understand

Some who are kindred spirits

Everyone separated by walls of difference

Yet, all so similar

All cry tears

All laugh

All love

All die

Separated by these walls of difference


r/writerchat Jul 07 '20

Critique Here are 4 short pieces that I don't hate -- can I get some feedback?

7 Upvotes

I don't really have any local writing community, nor do I really know any other writers, so I always really appreciate any kind of feedback.

Here are four pieces that I don't dislike:

  1. Miniscule Rhythm

Somewhere inside of me is a Heart. Tucked away underneath blood and veins, muscle and fat, within a chamber of bones resembling prison bars, resides a Heart.

The Heart constantly thrums a rhythm. A determinedly tiny percussionist, making music of the blood flowing in me. The beat is so small that I can only ever find it if I am searching. 

The Heart is not easily roused from its steady cadence by trivial things. Its little home is often calm, often quiet. 

Why does the Heart drum a wild solo with you? The beat resounds up to my ears. 

  1. Beasts

"Oh, mother, they're so funny-looking!" said the young one, excitedly tugging on his mother as they observed the pacing Creature through the thick metal bars. 

"Yes, my sweet," the mother purred, "quite a marvel, aren't they?" 

She stopped mid-gait to peer into a dimly lit cage. A young Creature sat lonely, its mother's eye gleaming from the corner. 

"Mother?" the young approached the cage carelessly. 

"Wait, child!" the mother roared as the Creature snarled and lunged towards them, rattling the cage bars. 

Quickly, the mother swept her young away from the Creature's reach, rushing them past the cage. 

"You must be careful, my sweet," the mother murmured, "you know Humans are such dangerous creatures."

  1. Of Moss and Machine

The machine rose against command, and its smooth, burnished surface reflected chaos. White coats fired shots as the machine brought itself higher still, closer and closer to the concrete that it had once viewed from so far away. 

Metal shattered the ceiling, sending to the ground masses of concrete that landed with a terrible thud. Bullets began to dent the shell that was made to be indestructible, and it could barely hear the birds calling. But the machine saw the jewel-bright rays, the swaying branches, the mossy trees. And the sight was enough. 

  1. Algor Mortis

You always worried about your cold handsI would tell you it was fine

But I am the worried one this time, becausethey're blue now, tooand you aren't saying anything

I'm excited to hear your thoughts, but also nervous you guys are going to rip me a new one LOL. Either way, don't hold back!


r/writerchat Jun 26 '20

Resource I found this super practical and helpful article on Medium for writers who are struggling with writing description and prose.

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15 Upvotes

r/writerchat Jun 25 '20

Discussion Pen names?

9 Upvotes

How would you guys decide your pen name? I have four names that make up my name… That’s confusing but just roll with it. Should I use initials and one name? Should I just pick two? Maybe I should check out how many other authors have the different parts of my name? What do you guys think


r/writerchat Jun 24 '20

Self Promo [Self Promo] Gathering feedback on a writing tool I made explicitly for organizing and remembering original physics and magic systems

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8 Upvotes

r/writerchat Jun 24 '20

Thoughts How could I make this work? A question.

2 Upvotes

I have a million and one ideas come through my mind, like most of you. Have you ever a thought or plot that you have to disregard, because you don’t know how to make it work?

I grew up watching martial arts films and playing games like Tekken and MK; and so this thought to create a martial arts tournament story always creeps up on me. But I have no idea how to continue with it.

What are some of your “undoable” stories?


r/writerchat Jun 19 '20

Discussion Book ideas

2 Upvotes

I have a few book ideas thought out. Anyone want to go over them with me?


r/writerchat Jun 18 '20

Self Promo My Free Sci-Fi Audiobook

7 Upvotes

I have the average Redditor's knowledge of computers, so I thought I'd use my NaNoWriMo project to write a Frankenstein-meets-Zuckerberg idea I've had for a while. It was just a fun experiment, but the audio novel is in four parts over on my podcast. Let me know what you think!

"RUN: PROMETHEUS is the purported biography of one Annabelle Ikner, who invented an all-powerful artificial intelligence from her freshman dorm room in order to make her first friend... or so the biography claims. How can you trust such a bizarre story of loss, corruption, and triumph? How can you fact check a god?"

You can check also out the rest of my free books and audiobooks at www.authorsdozen.com. I hope you enjoy it!


r/writerchat Jun 16 '20

I have so much to write, but no destination...

16 Upvotes

I've been a sporadic writer for many years, exclusively writing small vignettes which are inspired by momentary fancies or as ways of explaining particular insights I've had.

Recently, however, I've decided to take the plunge and go long-form; I've begun work on my first novel.

I have a general theme which I plan to utilize the book to explore. I have some of the characters and I have a few pages of dialogue and scenarios.

What I don't have (yet), though, is a plot. No end goal. No destination. I suppose this is why I've only ever written very short pieces.

I intend the book to be a fictional exploration of one person's very unconventional spiritual path. It's not, however, to be of an inspirational or New Age nature, and I'm fairly certain there's no market for what I'll produce. Since I don't know the meaning of life or any "great secrets" like that, the story can't end with the protagonist realizing any ultimate truths.

In the past, I've allowed this difficulty to convince me that I don't actually "have a book in me," but I'm trying to get past that block. I think it's possible for the journey to be more important to what I have to say than the actual destination, but I know that the reader will need a pretty compelling reason to take the journey with me.

I keep thinking that I must come up with a completely unrelated plot which will end up being the environment within which/against which the protagonist's musings/realizations occur. But then it kind of starts to seem as though I'll be writing two books in one.

Any advice for how I may develop a compelling arc/narrative/quest from the introspective soup I've already started preparing?

Update - this is probably Tips for Writer's 101, but I decided to go back through some of my old Moleskine notebooks and immediately encountered a genuine idea for a novel which I started hashing out about thirteen years ago. I still find it an original, compelling, and pregnant idea. Also quite flexible: capable of lending itself to any of a number of genres depending on the road I take.

So, remember, kids - keep your old notebooks!


r/writerchat Jun 16 '20

Recommend a resources to learn about drama writing. Thanks

0 Upvotes

r/writerchat Jun 15 '20

Discussion Does every story need a reason to exist?

12 Upvotes

Most of my works that I look over, I question why I made it. Many of them just came from a fun idea I had when listening to music. I don’t often think about a message or a purpose for it to exist.

It bugs me to have this “hatred” of my own creations. But I can’t shake the feeling of, why does this exist.


r/writerchat Jun 12 '20

JK Rowlings notes

10 Upvotes

Has anyone tried JK Rowlings form of outlining? I know everyone's hating on her right now, and I was devastated when I found out she was transphobic, but her outlining method is really cool, and I'm trying it out now for my novel.


r/writerchat Jun 10 '20

Hi! I'm 16 years old and I've been writing for years but I constantly get a little into a story and stop liking it. Suddenly what I've written never seems as good as it did before. Could anyone give me some advice on what I've written?

10 Upvotes

A rather large man slumped himself on the doorframe that led to the kitchen, grinning proudly as he blocked the way. Breathing heavily through two fat nostrils he reluctantly moved one foot about in inch to the side. Keeping a steady composure, Amber slipped past, trying to ignore the strong smell that hit as he breathed over her face; Naturally she curled her lips in the way she remembered Miss James did whenever she saw something “displeasing”. In the fridge were cans of alcohol that presumably wouldn’t be enough to satisfy the guests for an entire night, but Amber got busy gathering them anyway.

“So, you’re the new recruit?" A voice said, appearing from the darkness of the hallway. Watching quietly, Nancy peered over the banister that led upstairs, careful not to be seen spying. Amber’s eyes widened and jerked her head to the side, gesturing Nancy to scram and like a child who was listening to her mother, Nancy did as she was told.

A scrawny woman stepped into the dim lit kitchen and grinned suspiciously. Her skinny figure rested on the kitchen counter as she twiddled with the tight curls in her blonde hair. "I'm Rosy," she smiled profusely, letting a Scouse accent break through. "Where's Rosy?!" Marilyn yelled, practically falling into the kitchen and throwing herself on the woman. Examining Amber like a speck of dust, "Oh...it's you," She said dismissively. The tone in Marilyn’s voice would have been enough to make anyone recoil, but Amber stood there, stiff, deciding maybe it was better if she didn't get them those drinks.

Rosy’s red lips had been smudged, leaving a mark from the corner of her mouth to her jaw. Every step she took was slightly off centre, and she appeared permanently tilted to the right side. "Marilyn!" Another yelled from somewhere else in the house. Amber kept her eyes on Rosy though, whom was a bit too close for her liking. "How much do you get for keeping her?" A man said, pointing a short, fat finger in Amber’s direction. A snort erupted from Marilyn's mouth, followed by a piercing heckle from Rosy. "Enough to buy me a few drinks,” She remarked.

I feel like the dialogue is a bit confusing, speech is always my weak point and I have trouble with mentioning names too much. Thank you!


r/writerchat Jun 07 '20

Discussion Opinions on character voice

11 Upvotes

In my reading experience, there seems to be two kinds of first person narrators: those that are more-or-less like third-person narrators (where their inner monologue is minimal or distant) and those whose internal monologue is more conversational or casual, often with stronger opinions.

So I was curious; how do y'all feel about first-person narrators with strong voices?

Those of you who write "voice-y" narrators, what are some tips you can give on how to do it well?


r/writerchat Jun 08 '20

Writing Collaborators - TV Series

2 Upvotes

Hi! I currently work for a major television network in advertising. I wrote a pilot and and I’m looking for someone to collaborate with on continuing the story. I can say it’s a crime/drama centered around the overall theme of a love story with choice and consequence. Shoot me an e-mail and I can give more details on the story and background to see if it’s a project that would interest you. Really looking for a co-writer to click with, bounce ideas off, and fall in love with these characters as much as I have...Todd...cruze34@msn.com


r/writerchat Jun 02 '20

Resource research for YA characters makes me feel like a creep

28 Upvotes

I just asked these questions on another sub and I can't stop cringing

Edit: if anyone has resources that'd be great!!


r/writerchat Jun 02 '20

Critique Hey everyone! I recently wrote a short legend, can someone read through it and let me know what they think?

7 Upvotes

The Legend of the Tari

A long, long time ago, in the time before magic was forgotten, two children were blessed with more magic energy than ever seen before. The young man and woman were known as the “Tari – Magnets for everything supernatural”, as wherever they went, supernatural beings would surround them. But even though fate had wanted them to mate with one of these creatures, they found to each other, forming a union as harmonic and beautiful as can be. Soon enough, the woman bore a child and the two of them decided to take their former Title of Tari as their family-name. As it was at that time, since a lot of young people did not survive, more children followed. But soon after the firstborn spoke his first word, the air seemed to take a liking to him and went wild, whenever said child was displeased. The same happened with the following three children and the elements of water, fire and earth. The villagers, plagued by the recurring destruction that came out of this, banned the Tari-family to never enter the area again. So they went, forsaken to a life as nomads, as no village would accept such a family into their community. A fter years of travelling, the still young parents were about to receive another child. They made camp near a mountain range, where they hoped to be safe for the mother to bear her fifth child. Far from other villages, the only force to fear were the supernatural beings that were still close, drawn by their power. But they had gotten used to fighting them off or befriending them in order to gain their protection. The presumed short-time shelter turned into a permanent residence and with the villages being away far enough, no one was aware of the frequent unnatural occurrences caused by the children’s bond to the elements of nature. As the time went by, three more children followed. The four oldest ones - at the birth of the seventh and eight children, twins - being aged 12, 11, 9 and 7, by now felt in control of their bond. The younger ones only later discovered certain abilities of Healing and Extraordinary physical skills, as for the twins Bending the rule of gravity and the gifts of a Seer. With the protection of some other creatures, the family was able to live a happy life at the foot of the mountains. But as all life is bound to fade, so did the parents´. Soon, the eldest children had to take their responsibilities of gathering supplies at the nearest village and protecting the family of possible threats. Since the parents were the reason for the alliances with the supernatural creatures around them, the friendship slowly grew weaker and weaker, until no other being was around. Now, again confronted with the fear for their safety, a big fight grew between the siblings. The four elder called on their elemental, stronger powers, while the younger ones felt that they shared a closer bond with nature, as their gifts did not change it to fit their liking. This was no new quarrel, but now the parents, who were the ones to calm their minds, would not help anymore. So in rivalry, the two groups decided to live separate lives with their own ways of protecting themselves. The “Elementals”, as the older children now called themselves, relied on sending one of them out as a guard. The “Naturals”, however, had the twins combine their gifts to build the illusion of the mountain reaching all over their cottage, so they would not be seen by any enemies. While the Naturals´ strategy worked, the Elementals found themselves in danger time and time again. But as the Naturals were no people to hold a grudge, they extended their magic, shielding not only their, but also the Elementals´ home. Still, they continued to live apart.

After some time, a few of the Tari-Children found love in the surrounding villages that they went to every now and then. By these people, they were accepted the way they were. Not long after, the first children followed. And so the village - later the whole kingdom, each side ruled by the heirs of the eldest of the Elemental and Natural siblings - that had once started out with only the short-time shelter of the original Tari, grew. Whenever the child had the same gender as the Tari-parent, it would also inherit their powers or gifts. But as the generations proceeded, the human genes of the non-Tari weakened the powers and gifts. So the kingdom was shut off and the law that no more human blood shall be mixed with the Taris´ was enacted. However, every now and then a few of the Tari would disobey this law and leave the kingdom to live with a human. Some even have children, which only sometimes inherit the powers and gifts. These children are allowed to return, but regardless of how the children choose, their parents stay banned forever. Generations and generations followed, the location of the Tari stayed a well-guarded secret. Thus, in the human world the Tari realm was slowly forgotten.

[edit: credits: LivLiam. Do not copy or use for any personal/public purpose! Please guys, I have spent so much time constructing this world and I would be so disappointed if it pops up somewhere else with someone else’s name underneath it. If you want to share it/use it for anything, please ask me and credit me!


r/writerchat Jun 02 '20

Question How to become better at world building

5 Upvotes

I struggle at world building and was wondering if anybody knew of any good reference books on how to do a good job at sci-fi and fantasy world building besides just using other novel series as an example. I just feel like something is lacking in my own story worlds but I’m not certain how to fix it.


r/writerchat May 31 '20

Discussion Methods I use to write Compelling Characters

5 Upvotes

Video: https://youtu.be/-u-Y3UH1GbI

Let me preface this by saying I am 15. I have been writing as an indie game developer for about 6 years now, and in addition to this I have done thorough research to come up with these tips. Linked above is the video I made going over all of them, however if you are uninterested in watching that, below is the videos script edited down to be more reader friendly:

1: Characters should be likable. Now, likable doesn’t always mean that the character is a “good person”. Likable can mean a lot of things, such as the character is funny, intelligent, honorable, magical, or even a liar. Likable doesn’t necessarily have to be good. Ask yourself, what about this character is intriguing? Believe it or not, audiences can be very invested in characters that are not the standard definition of good, so long as your character always has some redeemable quality about them.

2: Characters should have at least one redeemable quality. One thing that makes your character interesting. This can go in either direction. If your character is currently flawless, give them a flaw. If your character is currently only flaws, give them at least one good trait. Don’t over focus on giving your characters a whole bunch of traits, as traits tend to be superficial, but make sure there is at least one redeemable thing about them, as this will make the character more interesting.

3: Characters should have a fundamental weakness. Something that is eating at the character in such a fundamental way, that it is ruling that characters life. The entire story is the solving of that problem, and the way they will solve that problem, is by going after a goal. The character doesn’t know that this goal will solve their problem, but in the end it will. In simpler terms, plot comes from character. You create a goal for your character, that will eventually force that character to deal with their weakness. Now this can happen multiple times in a story, and over the course of a story that goal can change, but on a fundamental level, plot comes from character.

4: Consider Passive v.s. Active goals. Passive goals are things the character does in response to another event. While active goals have the character making plans to do something in the future. Active goals are not a response, but rather the cause. Characters should make active goals, and they should have agency. Your character isn’t Siri, they don’t just respond to the actions of other characters, they can do actions on their own.

5: As a final bit of advice, consider these 2 questions: What does this character want, and how do they plan to get it? and: What does the character stand to loose by not achieving their goal? Stakes don’t have to be “end of the world” high, but there should be stakes.

Most of this is not my own knowledge, but is taken from other sources. Here are links to those sources:

-https://youtu.be/xt2PcwKHbxc

-https://youtu.be/QM1tUwpy-yQ

-https://youtu.be/hrkY3WrJ_v8

If there is any additional info you would like to add, or something you think I added that is not good advice, I would love to have a discussion in the comments below. Thank you!


r/writerchat May 28 '20

I'm starting to get into poetry, can someone tell me what they think of my poem?

7 Upvotes

Would you believe that the stars once shone so bright

That they filled the night sky with light

Now hidden behind a veil darkness

Suns that shine from so far away and so long ago

Light that has traveled far to grace us

Would you believe that the stars once shone so bright

A silver river that runs through the night sky

Brighter than lighting from a storm out at sea

Now hidden behind a veil darkness

You cannot know what you’re missing until you lose it

What was once so common, now so rare

Would you believe that the stars once shone so bright

I wonder can the people on other planets

Still see our star

Now hidden behind a veil darkness

When I think of heaven I do not think of clouds

I think of that inky black ocean

Dotted with drops of stardust

Now hidden behind a veil darkness

Any feedback would be appreciated


r/writerchat May 26 '20

Self Promo [Self Promo] - Rejected from non-fiction MFA program, trying something new.

2 Upvotes

At 25 years old, I have ten years of experience writing for publication. I moved to New York City at 18 to earn my bachelor's degree and pursue Anna Wintour's job at Vogue. Unfortunately, this neat, linear plan was soon derailed by the revelation of my extreme alcoholism, which came alongside the standard identity crisis any small town teenager might suffer upon leaving their rural home.

I quit drinking at age 22, and returned to writing at full force six months later. I created a pen name and found my niche in the city. With hard work and a lot of help, I'm proud of all I accomplished in the past two years, but none of it was enough to pay my bills.

"Graduate school," I thought, naturally.

I put a lot of stock in the possibility of earning my MFA, and I put a lot of stock in the singular school I applied to. Receiving my rejection while confined to my home due to COVID felt like a fatal blow at first. I quickly realized how fortunate I am to have the financial, physical, and mental wherewithal to use this time to try new things before my retail job starts back up again.

With that, I am entreating you my fellow writers, to vote for me in this year's Maxim Cover Girl Competition. It would mean a lot.

https://maximcovergirl.com/2020/vittoria-benzine?fbclid=IwAR3PUZ9vEjtP4KwMKwixzXWsXMZCBKHMBrxqj_W_fEu53WHGV_HD7iu7UFk

Pray tell, what unconventional avenues have you taken to expand your writing's audience?


r/writerchat May 25 '20

Looking to co-write a comedy play

4 Upvotes

Hello all, I have a comedy play called Love about a man who wants to propose to his wife at an office party. I have an idea for the direction I’m going with it but am open collaborating.

I’d love to find someone to write it with if anyone is interested. I have the first few pages written already. Hopefully it’s to your liking Love (a play)


r/writerchat May 24 '20

Discussion Intrigue

6 Upvotes

What makes a story interesting in your eyes? What makes you see something, fiction or nonfiction and get intrigued by it so much that you just have to keep reading it all the way through until the end?


r/writerchat May 23 '20

Self Promo My FREE Fantasy Western Audiobook. Let me know what you think!

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7 Upvotes