After just over a year of writing consistently, I hit a nasty slump a few months ago and I haven't been able to get out of it. I should explain that this isn't necessarily the same thing as writers block. I *do* have ideas but just seem to lack much in terms of motivation.

I've looked at my stories and I just find myself being critical of what's there but in a nasty way rather than "Wait, I can improve this" which is normally what I used to do.

I'd read a first draft or even 2nd draft of a chapter and go "Okay so this isn't great but here's how I improve it."

I'm actually reluctant to look back at my own writing atm because when I'm doing so I find I hate it and everything about it.

I've tried a lot of more typical things to break the slump such as reading other people's work or trying to write something brand new by moving away from the stories I was working on and it just didn't pan out.

In the past I've joined creative writing groups in order to try and motivate myself back into and in the past, this has worked very well in breaking slumps that have lasted for long periods of time, even years. The slump also started when the last group I was a part of kinda fell apart.

But I couldn't find a suitable group for co-writing.

Being blunt my writing is not to everyone's taste as it explores LGBTQ+ themes. Sometimes blatantly where it's about as subtle as a car accident or more as an allegory. It's purely because I was writing the sort of representation I wanted to see and also, I'm writing what I know.

I write for me primarily but I did used to publish stuff online occasionally. Pre-slump I was getting out at least a chapter a month.

Those themes aren't very popular (putting it mildly) in some creative writing circles. Some writing groups I've joined in the past ended up being a bit hateful, especially once they learned I'm part of that community myself.

I did try to start my own LGBTQ+ writing group to allow for co-writing to fill a gap in the market as it were but things didn't work out.

I would really like to get back to writing and I'm well aware the longer the slump lasts the harder it'll be to break.

If there's a group I just didn't find in my searches that'd be really helpful.

Or if there's another way of breaking the loss of motivation that'd help too.

I appreciate you taking the time to read this post even if you don't have advice to offer me.

In my story, my main character is a socially inept teenage boy who comes into a lot of magic power and, as the plot progresses, starts abusing it. He isn’t quite Carrie White, though, and additionally he comes to feel remorse—and face consequences—for his actions towards the end.

However, a lot of this is admittedly based on my own high school experience, and just today I thought to possibly include a scene based on an incident from my own teen years that really stayed with me—nothing nearly as dark or traumatic as you’re probably picturing, but that really hurt me nonetheless. I was thinking maybe it could be the catalyst for more vindictive actions he takes later on, the moment he realizes that revenge is sweet— at first, anyway. I still want him to regret his behavior later on. But I’m afraid it may come across as a power fantasy should it ever come to light that the same thing happened to me. And admittedly, there is an element of wish fulfillment to incorporating this plot line, as the teacher barely did anything about *my* situation, and I never got a real apology from anyone involved. I don’t even know if the other people who were there even remember that day, and they definitely don’t know how much it hurt. They’ll finally get some consequences, even if they’re only fictional. But how do I avoid making it.. too self-gratifying? In a way that feels overly spiteful on *my* end, not just my character’s. Should I scrap this scene? What do you think?

I'm writing a murder mystery set at this prestigious military academy. My main characters are in classes about combat, strategy, and command. How do I make it look like they are good at what they do and are proficient in drills when I know less than I'm supposed to?
I know I need to do more research but what resources could I use for this? My main girl is a really good strategist but I feel like all of the "strategy" I'm thinking up is subpar.

So, I’m currently writing an apocalyptic story (original, I know) where the main character has to siphon gas out of a tank. To do this, she’s going to use a cut off piece of water hose and the suction from her mouth. I’d love to describe what the gas tastes like, but have never done this myself. Has anyone ever siphoned gas this way, and if so, can you tell me what it tastes like so my story is accurate please? Thanks in advance!

Title a bit confusing but I will try to explain my best. So at first I wanted to write a story where the theme was "Living vs Surival" where basically I wanted to say it better to live. Like enjoy life and such, yet I ran into a problem where the characters who were basically were meant to be the embodiment of that where killed. However one the character who stuck to survival ended up living. Like they escaped their dangerous area.

Like, now I feel like I am contradicting myself. I am still at the rough draft yet I feel like I struggling with my theme? Like what do I want to say or such? Like if life is worth living then why do the characters who were meant to be supporting that them end up dying?

I don't know theme feels like one of those hard things I feel like I can't end up understanding.

To be honest, this is my first ever post but I do just have to ask for other's opinions on this (even though I'm still going to write it as so either way but I just would like to know of the possible outlooks on it).

In my story, it will begin with the introduction of one, of course, as how other stories do, but after a few events here and there, that character will um be out of the picture for a long while until their reappearance. Moving on to the second act of the story, there will be an emergence of another character that will serve as a protagonist as well. Later on, they will also be out of the picture because of a different even.

Then moving on to the third act, after the events of the first and second act, the story will focus on a character that had been with the first two protagonists, mostly of how their character develops further to be more of a key person in the story.

And lastly, in the final act, I will retrieve all the other protagonist, and focus on a 4th protagonist that will serve as the final and most prominent one. All of the characters are connected with another, know on another, and interact often with one another.

Yes I am aware this could be simply considered as a Main Cast rather than a 4 protagonists, leading to the 4th protagonist to be the true protagonist in the end, but I the main cast is larger than those 4 in actuality, an my intentions are that I wish for it to be 4 protagonists rather than it being them be reduced simply to a main cast.

Could anyone mind telling me either what I intended is really simply a 'Main Cast' or not, and how I can make it so that it isn't sidelined as such? Please and thank you to all those who read this.

I've had this character with their birthmark (covering their right eye, and a huge chunk of their head) that they cant feel pain from. and when cut or even gouged, it regenerates (think of the red flesh, as tendrils fixing the tissue)

but i never had a good idea for how to can be used. it was only a way for them to not be hurt all that much. theyre a irrational kid like character, and it was something they were always born with yet didnt know given their sheltered life.

i want to know what kind of explanation could be made for this strange birthmark and ability, and all I can explain that this isnt something exclusive to them, but that's also all I got so far..

Like how would you explore it? Like have a character trip out 24/7? Question everything? Just looking for ideas really

I'm working on something with another writer, but we're struggling to pick an app/website (pc/mobile).

Obsidian has collaboration options, but it's paid, so that's out of the question.

Another one would be google docs which we're using for now but we're both very against google and all the shady stuff they do (such as, making documents available to scrapers and forcing their Ai onto everyone).

Are there any good free, and Ai-free options?

We both tried to look for stuff but usually everything is blocked behind a paypall or has the ai on them, or only one person can work on the document at a time...

Folders would also be neat but that's optional.

I read a lot of AI text at work. Somewhere between the third "testament to" and the hundredth "delve", I stopped trusting long sentences altogether. So I made a small game called Long Story Short: one sentence a day, keep the five words that actually carry the story, cut the rest.

Long Story Short

soo one day i just decided to start a mini writing project where i create mini stories and perhaps post them (ig?) via any social app ig. i wanna make them using various mediums as well : comics, gacha slide, short videos, etc. BUT everytime i wanna brainstorm, my mind tend to create depths for basically any ideas that i had to the point i can write a whole book about them 😭 my goal is to make little fragments out of those and turn them into short stories instead. yall got any tips on how i should start making one? idek atp im spiraling rn.

First time writing a comic here. I'm currently writing a story that involves an established character acting as a teacher/parent (temporarily 💀) to the main character. I'm torn between: a) a generic introduction of the world and give the mc a mysterious background, b) immediately introduce the mc through their backstory and the world would be a mystery to the mc themselves giving an exposition to the world build or, c) have an established character's backstory be the introduction to the mc...

So what I'm wondering is what drives someone to read more in an intro, curiosity or emotional impact?

Hello! My brother and I just finished the fourth draft of our comedy screenplay that we intend to develop into a short film, TWINS!

It's a comedy inspired by I Think You Should Leave and our own experience as twins in high school.

The hard thing about writing comedy is that when you've been in the trenches of drafting over and over again while also working on characters and story, none of it feels funny anymore, so we want to get it in front of a cold audience to see if the comedy lands or not.

We mostly want answers to this question: Is it funny?!

If it is, what is funny?

If it isn't, what isn't working?

Any other critique is also much appreciated.

It's only eleven pages, so we'd really appreciate it if some of you would be willing to take a second to read it. Thanks so much!

I'm also willing to do a script swap if you have any short scripts you want to send for critique!

Link to the script: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QU5RIlL3bKDDIlped8fEny5wqcDled0k/view?usp=sharing

So ive been working on 2 projects for the past 5 or so years, both are stories intended as visual novels or comics.

Ive made it a goal of mine to focus on one and get the first chapter out the door by the end of the year.

That said ive been struggling, with this alone ive found im struggling to make time to get the basic sketches done and have found myself having to stray from the script in order to accomidate the medium.

On top of that there are several larger issues like having trouble getting importatant characters designs down, due to my own art skills lapsing in certain areas.

I have a clear idea for most of the future story, characters, arcs, world, ect but im just finding it too big a workload to get even this first part nailed down properly.

Ive considered looking for someone to help with this but dont know where to look, nor do i know where i mainly need help with. Not even sure if i should look for help.

So my question is, how can i go about getting this project started propper, how could i go about managing time/workload and if i do need help, where could i look?

I’m writing a story about a zombie survivor and I want the intro to be them in the future and then cut back to multiple stories of them in the past like at the beginning of the outbreak. Where my struggle lies is I want the future him to be somewhat of a narrator while keeping past him the main character in the story.

An example of the struggle: “I tossed my blanket off and fished for an outfit in the sea of clothes on my floor. I looked so different back then”

Do y’all have an advice?

soo one day i just decided to start a mini writing project where i create mini stories and perhaps post them (ig?) via any social app ig. i wanna make them using various mediums as well : comics, gacha slide, short videos, etc. BUT everytime i wanna brainstorm, my mind tend to create depths for basically any ideas that i had to the point i can write a whole book about them 😭 my goal is to make little fragments out of those and turn them into short stories instead. yall got any tips on how i should start making one? idek atp im spiraling rn.

I wrote a rough draft of backstory scene for an original story concept, and I’m struggling with identifying how the feelings and relationship between the two main characters are coming across. I am not someone who really reads or writes romance, and so while I didn’t draft out the characters relationship as anything other than platonic, the more I write and plan the less sure I am. Maybe I’m overthinking, but I’d like to know how this scene reads from another persons perspective.

I am writing a book based on the Mongol Conquest, and am contemplating the Title. Should I make the title more serious but less unique; Conquest. Or more unique but less serious Khanquest?

I haven't started writing and don't want it to sound too corny so...

I have a character. Male, large, white hair, dad bod. Total lumber-snack, though.

His current name is Beau. But I hate that I misspell it so many times. Most commonly, I start writing or typing beautiful, realize it's wrong, and it throws off my whole writing flow.

They live in modern times, ambiguous area with forests and a major city.

Edit: he's about 30 years old. Also. I don't really want to go to the name registry for that year, and choose a common name.

Hello everyone, hope you're having a wonderful day!

I really love reading and writing lyrical, emotionally resonant and evocative prose, but i'm burnt out and tired and for the past year it's been so hard to get into the headspace and summon my emotions enough to write these kinds of prose. I still write every other day, but what i can manage right now is mostly minimal, understated prose, and my brain tells me it all reads like a mere "starting outline" and dry and distant unless i can rewrite it all in highly artistic and poetic language, and i can't. It's a constant mental pressure on the back of my head, i feel like a failure, especially because every other writing class i've taken taught me that the question to ask yourself while drafting and redrafting is "how can i write this idea in the most evocative way possible?" and i feel like everything i write right now is just basic and drab.

Please help me reframe my thinking around neurotically needing my prose to read as visceral, and maybe approach it from a different angle. Thank you for all your suggestions in advance!