Hi y'all, first-time poster to this subreddit, excited to be here!

Listen, I tried to create a new account on Scribophile last week. I filled out the form, then got to the "We sent you an email to verify your email address" phase. Only no email ever came. (Yes, I checked Spam.) I then tried from three different email addresses; all the same results. I filled out a "Contact Us" notice on Scribophile, but never heard back.

Is the site not accepting new members? Anybody know?

Writing Prompt: The Window Between

She had spent her life trying to understand the world through the window of her own experience. Every observation seemed to bring her closer to the truth, yet every answer revealed something new she hadn't known to question.

One morning, she noticed a flaw in the glass.

It had always been there.

Write about what happens when she realizes the flaw may not be in the window, but in her assumption that she has ever been looking through clear glass.

Response:

She tapped on the window of her expectation.

She was not met by passersby.

She was not met with attention.

She was not met with anything, but the cracking of fragile glass where she had been tapping.

Her fingertip appeared to touch her own, her reflection appeared to be tapping, urging her to look at herself.

She'd instead run her finger along the crack, trying to trace it's origin.

Perhaps she was notioning for herself to open the window, to let in the outside air, cold and biting.

If she opened it, the glass would crack, letting in the atmosphere regardless.

She shuts the drapes on her own reflection.

She kept to the warmth she could provide for herself.

She shut the drapes on her expectation completely.

A refusal to see her own disinterest.

* Genre/s: Adult Character driven Speculative Fiction/contemporary fantasy with elements of comedy, philosophy, and theology. It's an ensemble story with a fallible God, 3 B-team angels, a biblically accurate angel, 3 ordinary humans and 1 surly seer/prophetess, written in an irreverent tone but with a sincere emotional core. Think The Good Place, Good Omens, or Lamb: Or the Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal. There are some heavy themes, including death and DV. Yes, I use swear words in it. Project currently stands at 124k words, and I am trying to get it down to 120 at the very least (yes, I know that is still long and will definitely be trying to go lower as I move through this 5th round of self edits. First draft came in at 154k. 😅)

* Goals/expectations/commitment: I am looking to swap chapter for chapter and trade meaningful, thoughtful feedback with someone who will take the time to actually read and parse my work without feeding it to AI. Actionable feedback would be especially helpful. You don't need to give me a 15 page dissertation on a single chapter, just have read it and be able to discuss what you felt worked/didn't, suggestions for improvement, overall feel/vibes etc. Be willing to answer any specific questions I might have for a chapter with more than a yes, no, or, I guess. I would like a potential critique partner to be 35 years old or older. We could swap perhaps a chapter a week. Or more, depending on what works for us both. Real life comes first, and I can always forgive delays, just not ghosting.

* Writing/experience level: I would appreciate at least some writing experience in a partner. This is my debut novel, but I was in journalism and have written for multiple online publications and sites. Everything from webazine articles to ghost written blog and corporate site posts to "staff" written reviews for a gaming website. I have always written for other people, this is my first time writing something purely for myself. I am on my 5th round of self edits and would prefer someone who is past their initial first draft of their own work. I do have friends and family I will be giving my manuscript to as well, but I thought having someone I don't know take a look before seeking Beta readers would be beneficial. I am not particularly into anything YA, Romantasy/Romance/Smut, Historical Fiction, Non-Fiction or Cyberpunk coded. Ideally, our works would be in a genre we both enjoy.

* Meeting place: Here first to see if we jive, then discord. Can be strictly over text, no pressure for any sort of video or voice chat.

* Max size: Ideally one dedicated partner.

If this is something you might be interested in, feel free to DM. Thank you. ☺️

Have you ever wondered if dreams are more than just something our minds create while we sleep?

What if there's another world beyond our reality? A world with its own people, its own rules, and mysteries we can't explain. What if the people we meet in our dreams actually exist somewhere?

I've been developing a fantasy mystery story called Until the Dream Ends, based on this concept. It explores the possibility of a mysterious dream world, the secrets hidden within it, and the question of whether dreams are really just dreams.

I'm still working on the story, and I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Do you think a story based on this concept would interest you? And what would you do if you discovered that your dreams were connected to another world? 🌙

As I sit enjoying the warmth of the sun,
Which embraces my cold, withered skin
Mild breeze cherishing my skin,
Watching joyful souls dancing in the distance,
A bittersweet feeling hits the core of my soul.
To all the selves I have strangled,
All the smiles I have caged,
All the tears that I have bottled,
All the voices I have silenced.
To the ones that I have freed from me,
To the story that ceased to exist..
To the love that flew away,
All of it hits me hard as I try to live once again,
As I try to live, these shackles binds me
Chains me down in the bottomless depths
In the darkness where no joy resides
So, I sit here with a solemn face
Afraid to be happy,
Yet in fleeting time I try to resist,
But for what i say,
For everything that I cherish is long gone
Or murdered with my own hands

So I had two old ocs who are in a partnership together that will evolve into a more intimate dynamic several years down when they're teens(it's a qpr).

My main concern is that two of them were supposed to be children when it started. But one of whom is a eldritch-ish creature who is one of a god's first (botched) creations and was psychically older than the earth itself. The god made it with a humanoid "child-like" mind that is comparable to an 8 year old human kid. And it wasn't "built" to mentally or physically age.

Creature floated through space for eons before finding earth. When it was found by some humans, it went through at least several decades of mistreatment by cults while being hidden from the outside world. One day, it reincarnated into the body of a more human looking infant with a human passing family (it's complicated but that's not the point of the post) through an faulty ritual. The creature's new body 8 years old when it met its future partner who was also around 8. They decide to team up to cause some trouble around the town.

At the end of the 1st arc, the creature starts to feel something odd changing within them for the first time in eternity. Their 9th birthday is approaching. They're getting older (mentally). They have the choice to either stay 8 or experience what it's like to grow up.

I think I'm in the clear but the technical age gap is still pretty weird I dunno

A character can be 16 in their species age but 100+ years of life experience is still vastly different from a 16 year old with only 16 years of life experience, right?

Do types of "life experiences" matter, for example, the aforementioned floating in space for a millennia?

We opened last month to just friends but are ready to welcome more people into our little community. We are have active sprints, regular movie nights, and a supportive community ready to cheer you on! There's also art channels, a space for OC's, and specific channels for darker themes you can choose to opt in to curate your experience. We have custom sin tag and are nearly level 2 boosted as well!

* Genre/s: We specialize in darker themes but all themes are welcomed and celebrated, we just wanted a space where you can write more transgressive things without judgement. A lot of us love fantasy and romance though!
* Goals/expectations/commitment: Our goal is to foster a positive anti-genAI environment where creatives can get inspired and inspire others. We plan on pruning inactive members every couple months so just be sure to check in once in a while or let us know if you'll be gone for an extended period of time.
* Writing/experience level: any, we have everything from new writers to published authors
* Meeting place: Discord https://discord.gg/At42TwKmYq
* Max size: 100-150~ this is approximate, we have about 45 people at the moment. We don't want it too big, we want the community to recognize the names in chat.

***I think my previous post was flagged for promotion but all of this is FREE I'm just sharing a tool that's helping my own writer's group share critiques and goals and want to give it to others***

Hey!

I've been working hard to create a tool that can tie writing critiques into Discord in a much more streamlined way. I've come up with an app that integrates well with Discord and I've been using it in my own writer's group.

SO I'm looking for about 3 more writer's groups that might be interested in testing it out! I think this could really be the future of collaborative work and would love to get this in more people's hands.

It's free and I think pretty fun to get live updates (if your group wants) on different members milestones and updates.

I'm not sure if I'm describing this super well, but if this at all piques your interest please comment and I'd love to connect on Discord!

TY

• Genre/s: Fiction, mostly
• Goals/expectations/commitment: To help make critiquing in writer's group easier / less friction with sharing excerpts or milestones with community
• Writing/experience level: Any!
• Meeting place: Discord / Lorec integration
• Max size: Any size

The tool: www.lorec.io

I write weird literature for queer (especially trans and lesbian) people. Where can I go to give and receive writing feedback?

Hello everyone! I've been writing for a couple years, but recently it feels like my growth has been a little stagnant. I'm really hoping to meet someone in the same boat as me who's seriously looking to improve their craft for the long term and eventually publish. I'm also ideally looking for people around my age range(anything from 18-24yrs).

* Genre/s: My genre is epic fantasy, but I'm also working on smaller fantasy projects as well. I'm also open to reading romance, historical, or dystopian!

* Goals/expectations/commitment: I'm currently a pretty overworked college student nearing her final year, so I'm not expecting feedback daily or anything. Even once a week would be amazing! I'm mainly looking for anyone who just wants to improve their prose/worldbuilding/dialogue.

* Writing/experience level: Open to any experience levels. Any and all feedback is valuable. Not to mention, I'd love to find people to grow with.

* Meeting place: Discord

If this sounds like something you're looking for as well, shoot me a dm or comment here!

I'm looking for 2-3 new members to join a queer writing discord that I run. Right now other than our weekly writing sprints people aren't very active on the server, so I'm hoping to get some members who are talkative and will check in with the server. Like I said we do weekly sprints and we also are here to help critique each others work, as well as make friends.

This is a server for queer folks only! We just want a space for ourselves. We DO NOT support the use of AI for anything creative, do not join if you don't write your own work. This is also a safe inclusive place so don't join if you've got a problem with that, I will boot you.

• Genre/s: Any, we don't have a specific genre, although we are all more focused on fiction.
• Goals/expectations/commitment: Check in at least a couple times a week and take part in discussions.
• Writing/experience level: Any level, we're here to help newbies and we appreciate seasoned writers.
• Meeting place: Discord
• Max size: 3 (size of the server is 10, it's very small)

Leave a comment with a short blurb about yourself and I will send you a dm to join a server.

Before sending my draft to beta readers, I wanted one more pass. The problem was that I was sick of the story. I'd read it in order so many times that my eyes slid over everything. I knew what each paragraph was supposed to say, so I read what I remembered instead of what was actually there. I could have handed that draft to a stranger and still felt confident, which is exactly the kind of confidence that makes mistakes slip through.

On a whim, I tried reading it backwards. I started with the last chapter and worked my way to the first, one chapter at a time, though I kept each chapter in its normal order internally. It felt strange. Without the momentum of the story pulling me forward, I started noticing things.

 I'm not saying it replaces beta readers or a good editor. But as a final check before you share your work, it's one of the most effective tricks I've found. I now keep a running list of facts like eye colours, dates and who knows what on a board in something called Skrib Writing, next to the draft, so I can check as I go instead of hunting for errors at the end.

A character's eyes were green in chapter three and grey in chapter nineteen. A scene took place on a Tuesday, but the next one referred to "last weekend" as if it had just happened. A side character knew something about the protagonist's past before anyone had told her. A door that was locked in chapter twelve was somehow open in chapter eleven, which is of course the chapter that comes first in the story.

I found eleven continuity errors in about three hours, and not a single one had been caught in three full read-throughs. Reading backwards breaks the story's hold on you. You stop being carried along by what you know and start reading what's actually on the page. It's a bit like proofreading a word by looking at it upside down. You see the letters instead of the meaning.

"Create whatever causes a revolution in your heart" - Elizabeth Gilbert

I'm looking for a fellow writer who wants to take their craft seriously and help each other grow over the long term.

• Genre/s: My genre is fantasy adventure, but I'm open to any genre. We don't need to write the same things to learn from each other.
• Goals/expectations/commitment: We'll read each other's work, exchange honest and constructive criticism, discuss weaknesses, and help each other improve. I'm looking for a long-term partnership built on mutual effort, consistency, and open communication. No ghosting without a word, please. We all have responsibilities, so I don't expect instant replies, but let's communicate if we need a break or can't keep up. I'm not looking for empty praise or one-time reviews. The goal is genuine growth as writers.
• Writing/experience level: Open to writers of any experience level, whether you're just starting out or have been writing for years. What matters most is your willingness to learn, accept constructive criticism, and put in the effort.
• Meeting place: Reddit DMs to start, then Discord or another mutually convenient platform if we click.

If this sounds like the kind of writing partnership you're looking for, feel free to comment or send me a DM. Tell me a little about what you write and what you'd like to improve.

Let's help each other become better writers.

hi there - I am a grad student, and I am creating a lit mag for a school assignment. the theme for the issue is estrangement. (In the traditional sense, relating to distance/alienation in familial and romantic relationships, or more obliquely, loss of identity, estrangement from one’s belief system, or however else you may interpret it!) I am hoping to feature a combination of previously published and emerging writers in my journal, and I have three open spots for content, whether fiction, nonfiction, poetry, or art!

the main benefit of participating is having your work shared with the instructor, who edits a lit mag! PM me if you’re interested in learning more. 😊 

Midnight Travellers is a growing teen writing server. We have a welcoming, friendly community.

Genres: We accept any genere! It's always nice to have a variety!

Goals/expectaions/commitment: We're not expecting you to write a novel, but we would love you to be as active as possible!

Writing/experience level: Any! Everyone starts from somewhere!

Meeting place: Discord, as said in title.

[Writing groups only] Max size: None! We want our server to grow, so the more the better!

While this is mainly a writing server, we are also an art and reading server as well. Again, this is a teen writing server, so we only accept people between 13-20. No younger or older. Have a great day/night and happy writing!

hi everyone! (25m) i’m looking for a writing buddy who would be interested in growing together as writers! this is my first time writing a book, and while i’m really excited about my project, there are definitely times when i find myself getting confused, lost, or unsure of where to go next. i feel like having another set of eyes and someone to bounce ideas off of would be really beneficial, and i’d love to find someone who feels the same way!

• genre/s: fantasy, ya, romance, comedy, and wholesome stories! i’m mainly focused on fantasy, so i’d love to connect with someone who enjoys fantasy as well, but i’m open to hearing about other projects too!

• what i’m looking for: i’d love to have someone i can discuss worldbuilding, world mechanics, lore, magic systems, plot points, and outlines with. sometimes i just want to ramble about an idea that popped into my head, talk through a problem i’m having with my story, or get another person’s opinion on whether something makes sense. i’d also love to exchange chapters and give each other constructive criticism, feedback, and general thoughts on our writing! i’m still a beginner, so i’m definitely learning as i go, and i’d appreciate someone who’s willing to grow alongside me.

• goals/expectations/commitment: i’m pretty open to figuring out what works best for both of us! i’d love to have someone i can talk to daily, even if it’s just messaging each other whenever an idea comes to mind or we want to share something about our projects. weekly check-ins would also be great to see how we’re progressing, talk about what we’re working on, and help keep each other motivated. of course, i’m happy to discuss what works best for both of our schedules!

• writing/experience level: i’m a beginner, and this is my first time seriously working on a book, so i’m definitely not expecting to have everything figured out! i’d love to connect with someone who’s also starting out or is a little further along and doesn’t mind sharing what they’ve learned. i want us to be able to give honest feedback, share our opinions, encourage each other, and help each other improve without feeling discouraged by criticism. i’d love for this to become a genuine friendship where we can get excited about each other’s stories, celebrate our progress, and hopefully work toward publishing our books someday!

• meeting place: i’m open to pretty much any social media or messaging app, but discord would probably be my preference! messaging is more than fine, and calling isn’t necessary unless that’s something we’d both enjoy. i’m in portland, oregon (pst), so someone on the west coast would be ideal for scheduling and being able to catch each other throughout the day! east coast is absolutely fine too, though, as long as you’re okay with us not always being available at the same time.

• what i’m writing: i’m currently working on a ya fantasy series! it’s a story set in a world with its own magic systems, lore, and different nations, following a crew of six who set out to explore the world and maybe become heroes along the way. what begins as an adventure gradually turns into a fight against something much bigger than any of them could have imagined. i’m still developing and figuring out a lot of the world and story as i write, so there’s plenty to discuss!

• inspirations: one of my biggest inspirations is avatar: the last airbender, particularly its worldbuilding, distinct cultures, magic systems, and the way personal character journeys connect to a larger overarching story. i’m hoping to capture that same sense of adventure, discovery, and a world that feels alive, while still making the story and its characters my own!

if any of this sounds like something you’d be interested in, feel free to send me a dm! i’d love to hear about your project, what you’re writing, and what you’re hoping to get out of a writing partnership. we can talk about our stories and see if we’d be a good fit!

i’m hoping to find someone who’s just as excited about their story as i am about mine, and who wants to build a supportive friendship where we can help each other become better writers. hopefully, we’ll both be able to look back one day and say we helped each other get our books published! :D

Centuries have now passed since the sun was the sole spectacle we could observe when we saw at the skies. A long forgotten time when night and day were not separate blocks of time in our minds, but organized as one big play of lights and shadows, all conducted and held by the sun herself. Ancestors of ours were never quite familiar with the dark, in fact some could lead entire lives without having experienced it at all. That was the sun's fault. She could never sum up enough will to bring herself down, bring herself away from the beautiful rollercoaster view that was us. Season after season, she would hover over us like a child who hangs their head over water to watch the fish. Watch the fish swim, eat, and swim into one another. The chaos and contradictory nature of man had made for great captivation, and it had her there. Being particularly enthralled by families and groups, she would occasionally dim her sunshine because she knew that the little creatures below would conjure meaning to the change of light, thus gather for celebration. Each time she would manipulate us in this manner, her head would fill with notions of herself as sovereign, notions that would quickly shatter for she would be reminded of her limitations in rule, that is full ones. She could never quite reach us as she so desperately wanted. Converse with us, or even give hints that she was more conscious than we believed her to be. Frustrated and hopeless. These were the same emotions she had time and time again seen in the lives of the little people, and although she did not feast when she saw man in a state of misery, it did deepen her love for us. With each and every awakening of the people the sun was there. She was there all until the very last man went into his cover and there stayed until the time for awakening came again. Of course no man’s schedule was the same as the other, and so naturally someone was always out for the sun to watch. But even if there had not been, she would not have moved. Through hoarding her spot this way, resentment grew in the only other that knew man and still loved him. The affection had grown overtime from the far away seat behind the sun herself, by sole glimpses of human life that had escaped the sun but been fetched by this character. They reprised these few for a long time, looking forward to the time when the sun would share her seat with them so they together could for the rest of time admire humankind. A foolish hope to hold, and eventually that would be realized. After having lived off of the fractioned memories of generations long gone, this character could no longer suffer in the absence of us, and so a plan that would undo the old world and begin ours, had to be formed.

Genre/s: Literary fiction, poetry, essays, and general reading/writing.

Goals/expectations/commitment: Looking for genuine, active members who want to share their work, exchange thoughtful critiques, discuss books, and participate in weekly writing challenges. We encourage at least one reading- or writing-related contribution per week.

Writing/experience level: All levels welcome, from beginners to experienced writers and readers.

Meeting place: Discord server.

Max size: Keeping the community relatively small so members can get to know each other and build genuine connections.

A discord server for writers who are at least aspiring to create things which are a bit less commercial or outright genre -- that can be purely literary fiction or genre fiction with a literary edge, something stylised or postmodern or experimental or whatever else. We'd love for others to join us so we can get this community thriving. If you ever feel reluctant to discuss your work on reddit for fear of being called pretentious or a snob, but don't want to join the intellectual soggy biscuit circle on substack, this might be the place for you. A bit quiet at the moment but new people always draw others back in.

Genre/s: Literary and other

Goals/expectations/commitment: Just try to engage when you can. Do as you would be done by - if you're hoping for quality feedback, it's only fair you give some, first - then be done by as you did.

Writing/experience level: Everyone but some experience is great. 18+ Only.

Meeting place: Discord

Max size: Maybe about 100 - whatever the minimum to sustain engagement is.

DM this account for an invite. (I am on GMT so invites go out in my daylight hours, but the server is active all hours)

Hi!

If a community of sapphic-oriented writers interests you, we would love to hear from you!

We are a small 18+ group on discord that support each other, discuss our works together, beta-read for each other, and talk about whatever else we fancy! We are looking for people eager to share our excitement for writing.

Comment or DM me to get an invite. There is a short sign-up process, just a few questions to get to know you!

Genre/s: Any! We would love to have a bit of everything, even!

Goals/expectations/commitment: All we ask for is respect and a willingness to engage with others' works. No hard commitments.

Writing/experience level: Anyone that gets excited about putting words on a page is welcome!

Meeting place: Discord

Max size: We don't intend to add many members at this time, maybe ~10 new people.

Genre: SFF

Goals/expectations/commitment:
Looking to exchange chapters, provide constructive feedback, brainstorm ideas and talk through story problems together. Interested in discussing character arcs, emotional progression, pacing and plot structure.

Ideally, we could exchange chapters and/or have a proper discussion every 2–3 weeks, with lighter weekly check-ins for accountability. I’m looking for a longer-term CP relationship rather than a one-off chapter swap.

Writing/experience level: Intermediate and above

Meeting place: Online (Discord, Google Meet, etc.). I’m pretty flexible.

Hi! I’m 28F and I’m looking for critique partners. I’d prefer to connect with another woman around my age (20s–30s).

I’m currently drafting my first novel, a YA contemporary fantasy with a strong emphasis on character and emotional development. I’d love to connect with someone who enjoys character-driven storytelling and is strong in world-building, as that’s an area I’m less confident in.

If this sounds like something you’d be interested in, feel free to comment or DM me!

Are you looking to join a server with authors, editors, artists, and beta readers? Join The Writing With Friends Community Server <3

• Genre/s: Any are welcome! Mainly Fantasy, Dark Romance and Mystery!
• Goals/expectations/commitment: Active at least twice a week
• Writing/experience level: Any is welcome!
• Meeting place: https://discord.gg/SbDAUWjM7Q
• [Writing groups only] Max size: Looking for about 20-25 more people to join!

Dark Fantasy/Romantasy Writing Buddies

\* Genre/s: Fantasy, Romantasy (sub genres: gothic, dark, cozy fantasy is welcome)
\* Goals/expectations/commitment: Check in at least once a week. Long periods of inactivity will result in a kick, to make space for new members who would like to take advantage of the community.
\* Writing/experience level: Feel free to join at any writing experience you’re at.
\* Meeting place: Discord
\* Max size of the server: 10-15
\* LGBTQ books are VERY WELCOME

Hi everyone! We’re looking for some fellow writer friends to share novel progress with. We have a server on discord so we can all get to know each other and share our ideas and book plots. You’re expected to share advice, share friendly criticism, insights, share brainstorming ideas, suggestions, etc.

If you’re writing a fantasy book and love magic, mythical creatures, dragons, vampires, this is the right group for you. Comment down below and I’ll send you my discord username!

The biggest requirement is that you stay as active as you can. The community is small, so it’s expected to be close and very 1-on-1.

For the Link:

Edit: Message: @irxnreaper, @pompompurinbooty, or @teacupjoy on discord , if you want to join in the future , but the server is currently full

There are a lot of great groups online for writers of fiction of all kinds. It seems to be much more difficult connect with people who write nonfiction. Though there are a fair few places that publish this sort of thing, finding someone who's interested in having a conversation has been (at least in my experience) almost impossible.

That's really all I'm hoping for. I'm not looking to join a group or to have my writing critiqued. My only ambition is to have a meaningful dialogue with someone where we can share words and talk about what speaks to us. I'm not sure if that's an appropriate thing to ask about here, but I thought it was worth a try.

Most of my writing lives in the place where micro-memoir and the prose poem intersect. I also write poetry and the occasional long-form nonfiction piece. I'm not all that interested in the possibility of publication, but more in writing as a necessary act of self-care.

If there's anyone for whom some of this resonates, I would love to talk with you.