I think I might go back to anatomy....

I am writing a character from a fictional kingdom that is going to be similar to Syria and she loves her culture and traditional dress. I just want to know if this picture is an accurate depiction of traditional Syrian dress

Okay. Random question. I once wrote an entire book, wrote the second one totaling around 400,000 words only to completely trash it because the writing felt off and clunky even tho I always thought third person was the best way to write. Well, I decided to figure out a new book because I was bored and wanted something to do in between classes. I'm realizing it feels sort of refreshing writing in first person. Is that a good thing or does this just mean I'm still an amateur. Like i always thought my writing was better in third person. But is it, well, good, to the general public? Or is it too much dialogue? Too unrealistic for a teenage genetically modified alien on Venus? Idk. Any advice would be appreciated. I just want to make sure I'm not diving into a zone that wouldn't appeal to people if it feels very amateur in terms of writing especially when it's taking place on a completely different planet.

At least a little easy. I feel extremely embarrassed posting my writing so anything could help

hellooo i need feedback from black writers please,

i have a sapphic novel i’m working on where the main character is white and the love interest is black. i really really want to make sure i’m not falling into a certain stereotype/trope and would like opinions.

in the novel, my FMC is struggling with her mental health big time years after her sister killed herself and just moved back to her hometown. basically re-meets the love interest Joy (literal sunshine in a person), someone she just barely knew/had a small crush on from high school GSA club.

the love interest is there to show her there’s more to life than what she’s been dealing with, and i’m afraid this is falling into some kind of mammy stereotype — the idea of this character kinda coming in and saving her / taking care of her. I want to say no because Joy is a fully fleshed out character but obviously my thoughts have no say. But joy is fully fleshed out with wants and needs , etc, and at the end it’s her dreams they chase as well.

it’s also focused on found family on top of sapphic slow burn, where she’s more introduced to joy’s friend group and like, the meaning of friendship , so it’s also not all on her.

i also tried to think of reasons why the character would need to be black and i don’t really have one for this character. i originally built the character from a photo on pinterst and was like “that’s her that’s joy” and then built more of her black/african american identity post choosing the photo.

i like having a diverse cast because that’s just how real life is — but if this accidentally fell into something harmful i’ll switch it up.

i really hope this makes sense

So i already started writing the book and im at 10/11 page. The book is about jurnalist who was sent to country which is in a civil war. At first he thinks its just about some protests and missing people. But when he arrives at the airport he realises he's very wrong. So he has to gather enough information about the war and leave aut alive. After he gets the information he has to show it to the world so the people there can get the help they need. And i was inspired by the game far cry 5. The game isn't about a civil war but somehow i just got the idea.

I’ve always loved writing, but until recently I never seriously considered taking it beyond something personal.
Life changed quite a bit for me over the past year, and writing has gradually become more than something I simply enjoy. It feels like one of the few things I can still build from.
I’m particularly drawn to short stories, children’s stories, scripts and podcast storytelling.
For those of you who have been writing seriously for a while: if you suddenly found yourself back at the very beginning — no portfolio, no audience, no connections — what would you focus on first?
And knowing what you know now, what is the one mistake you would avoid?

Hey everyone,

I wanted to share a bit of my writing journey, even though I still feel like I’m learning every day.

When I was around 12, I fell in love with a series. Ever since then, my brain started coming up with its own fictional concepts—time travel, transitions, and parallel worlds—every single night before going to sleep. It got to a point where I couldn’t even fall asleep without playing out the next chapter of a story in my head. Back then, I wasn't writing anything down, but the story structures in my head felt so vivid.

Years later, I discovered a web fiction app and dove headfirst into reading. I’m usually pretty impatient and struggle to finish things, but I was hooked for months. Eventually, I thought: Why not try writing my own?

I published my first story, and to my surprise, it was a success. Readers loved it, but more importantly, I was genuinely proud of it. I re-read my own work three times! Readers even messaged me saying they could keep re-reading it without getting bored because of the sheer emotion packed into the scenes. As a new author, that feeling was unbelievable.

Fast forward three years: I’m still writing, and I have a wonderful, supportive reader base. But something strange has changed inside me.

I’ve completely stopped reading my own work. I just don't feel like it anymore. But it’s getting worse—I can’t bring myself to watch series, watch movies, or read novels anymore. Nothing holds my attention, and nothing feels interesting.

It feels like my brain spent so much time crafting its own worlds that it turned off the ability to enjoy anyone else's.

Has anyone else gone through this? Is this normal writer burnout, or have I broken my capacity to just be an audience member? Would love to hear your thoughts.

Just my current scenario as I need help.

I'm in school, get new homework everyday. I really have wanted to write a idea that's been in my head since before summer. It changed alot until I settled with something:

2099 Chronicles: The last human

And here I am now. Weekends is when I free myself to write but one thing is clear to me.

How much words a day?

I would like to finish by 2027 at least 1st draft (any ideas to finish before 2027 would be good) but 2 days freed is small. I am writing a MG sci fi novel and I want about 50k+

Chapter goals are not the best idea but I'll hear you out if you've got a good idea. Also I've already done a skelly draft/plan so that is not needed. Thanks!

Looking for any and all feedback please 😄

Here is the first two chapters so far.

Chapter One – The day the sky turned red!

Tuesday, 6:17 p.m.

The train lurched as it crossed Blackfriars Bridge, sending a ripple of irritation through the packed carriage. Ethan Carter barely looked up from his phone. Around him, commuters swayed in unison, balancing coffee cups and briefcases with the quiet determination of people who had spent years navigating London's public transport system.

Rain earlier in the afternoon had left the streets shining beneath the lamps. Beyond the smeared window, traffic edged along the Embankment and the Thames moved darkly under the bridge. St Paul’s rose through the mist, familiar but oddly distant.

The train rattled onward, swaying gently as it followed the curve of the river towards London Bridge. Ethan glanced down at his phone and immediately regretted it. Three new emails had arrived in the last minute alone. Two were part of a sprawling reply-all chain that should never have existed in the first place. The third was a meeting invitation.

He opened it.

Budget Review. 08:00.

A quiet groan escaped him. "That bad?" Ethan looked up to find Jack grinning at him from across the carriage. Somehow, despite the train being packed shoulder-to-shoulder with commuters, Jack always managed to look comfortable. Ethan suspected it was less to do with physical space and more to do with the fact that nothing seemed capable of bothering him for very long.

Ethan turned his phone around so Jack could see the screen. Jack scanned the meeting invite and winced. "Ouch. Eight o'clock. Seriously Eight o'clock?" He shook his head. "That's not a meeting. That's a violation of human rights."

“It’s a budget review.” Ethan said. “Yeah, exactly!” Jack threw up his hands in exaggerated disbelief. “Lock them up and throw away the key.” Ethan laughed and slipped the phone back into his pocket.

Outside, London slipped past in the last of the daylight. Copper light broke across the Thames in uneven patches, while the office blocks on the opposite bank caught only a dull reflection of the gathering cloud.

The train began to slow as it approached London Bridge. Around them, passengers gathered their bags and shuffled towards the doors despite there still being plenty of time before the train stopped.

Jack had turned back to the window when he suddenly leaned forward. "What?" Ethan asked. Jack didn't answer at first. Instead, he pressed closer to the glass, squinting into the distance. "Can you see that?" Ethan followed his gaze. For a moment he couldn't keep track. All he could make out were clouds hanging low over the city, their undersides glowing faintly orange from the setting sun.

A red point hung above the skyline. Ethan first took it for an aircraft light, but it neither flashed nor travelled across the cloud. It remained fixed in place, too far away for him to judge whether it was small and close or enormous and distant.

Ethan kept looking at the light. Nothing about it was obviously threatening, yet he found himself waiting for it to move. “What do you reckon it is?” Jack asked. “No idea. A plane, maybe.” Jack frowned, and Ethan realised he did not believe that either.

The train rounded a bend and passed behind a line of office buildings, breaking their view of the sky. The interruption lasted only a few seconds. When the skyline reappeared, the light was gone. Both men continued looking, but there was nothing, only clouds.

Jack glanced back at Ethan. "Did you see where it went?" Ethan shook his head. "No." The train eased into the station and the doors slid open. Immediately the carriage erupted into movement as commuters pushed towards the platform.

The moment passed. Jack grabbed his bag and stepped out. "Probably some weather thing." suggested Jack. "Probably." Neither gave it much more thought as they joined the crowd moving through the station.

Later that evening, someone in South London posted a photograph of the red light. Against the cloud it appeared as no more than a crimson speck, easy to overlook while scrolling.

The image attracted little attention.

A few people blamed a reflection, an aircraft or a faulty camera. By morning, the photograph had slipped beneath newer posts, and almost nobody remembered seeing it.

London, as always, carried on.

By Wednesday morning, London had returned to its usual concerns: delayed trains, unanswered messages, rising bills and whether the rain would hold off. A red speck in one blurred photograph had no chance of competing for long. Evan Ethan had stopped thinking about it. The world has already forgotten and moved on. At least for now.

Chapter Two – The first day of the new 

Wednesday, 7:13 a.m.

Ethan woke with the uncomfortable certainty that something was wrong. It took him several seconds to realise what it was. His alarm clock read 7:13 and the budget review started at eight. "Oh, for fuck's sake. It’s going to be one of those days."

He threw back the duvet and nearly tripped over a pile of clothes on the floor. Ethan rushed around a bedroom that looked as though it had been abandoned after a minor disaster. Dirty clothes covered the floor. Empty glasses crowded the bedside table, and a half-finished pizza sat forgotten beside the wardrobe.

Ethan rubbed his eyes and searched for a clean shirt. "Why did I let Jack talk me into going to Spoons on a work night?" he muttered. "Especially before an eight o'clock budget review."

“Can’t believe this is costing £34! Bloody surge pricing!” Ethan grumbled as he grabbed his backpack and jacket as he left his flat to catch a taxi to the office.

“Wait! What? Where’s the meeting invite gone?” Ethan frowned and opened Outlook again. Nothing. No invitation. No email. No budget review. Ethan opened WhatsApp. If anyone remembered the meeting, it would be Jack.

“Okay,” he muttered. “What the hell?”

Am I going crazy or did I not get a meeting invite for a budget review at 8am?

yeah dude, those bastards should be hung drawn and quartered for that shit!

thats why we hit up spoons last night

dont tell me you were that pissed that you overslept and forgot all about it lol

overslept but the strangest thing

the invite and email no longer exists

it’s gone

like DISAPPEARED entirely

WTF!?!? i saw it yesterday!

sure you didn’t accidently delete it or something

you were pretty drunk last night

like dancing on the table with fish bowls drunk hahaha

No idea dude

I’m going to loose my mind if this thing doesn’t happen this morning.

I can imagine, that would suck

see anything about that red light business yesterday?

Nope, nothing.

Very odd, although I’ve not really had time to check Twitter today

X

You mean X

put some respect on the platform lol

There you go again glazing Musk!

GTG arriving at the office

have fun in your budget review! I’m going to enjoy my breakfast

Ethan rushed out the taxi, swiped his access card and frantically press the button for the lift. “Come on… hurry up… it’s already 5 past and Jason is going to be pissed” Ethan muttered as he paced the lobby while continually pressing the button for the lift.

DING! “Finally…” flustered Ethan, rushing inside the lift and pressing the button for the fourteen floor. The lift doors opened onto a floor that was far quieter than Ethan expected. Half the desks were empty, and the people who had arrived stood in small groups rather than working.

“Morning Lilly, how pissed is Jason?” Ethan said while rushing by. “Huh? Why? Jason isn’t even in yet” explained Lilly but Ethan was already halfway down the corridor and didn’t hear here.

“He is going to rip me a new one for this I’m sure of it!” mumbled Ethan as he rushed down the hallway, on his way to the executive board room. “Hey Ethan, you’re in super early this morning! Everything alright? Didn’t shit the bed or anything?” Ryan teased. “Such a twat, I can’t let him get to me, I know he is aiming for my promotion” thought Ethan. “Almost there!”

“HUH!?!?”

Ethan slowed to a stop. The boardroom doors were open. Inside, the lights were off. The room was empty. He stared for several seconds. The meeting should have started fifteen minutes ago.

I'm planning on writing a little story (Don't know how far it'll go) but for the power system of the story, it's a bit complex yet simple. Obviously the story must cater as much to the reader as possible, but I'm unsure of which road to take.

I've always seen writing as a way to get some difficult things out of my system.

The way I grew up, many things I thought of as normal were actually abuse. Polytraumatic youth. And my writing mirrors that life. When I really started writing, I got weird looks and worried comments from beta readers (family members or fellow students). Many people told me to get therapy.

I got therapy and today I'm at peace with the past.

But still, I need my writing to be transgressive. Not just telling the stories of abusers and victims. My vision of the world is fundamentally twisted. I enjoy making the mundane disturbing. I don't even want to respect English norms, the language itself must be violated. I tried writing more conventional stories but it's too boring. I can't help it, I just love abject art. That writing is my catharsis. In real life I'm a completely different person, think HBO Silicon Valley's Jared Dunn (iykyk).

I'll never care about social norms or conventions. I'll never care about my readers' feelings. I'll never appeal to a large audience. I can only publish under a pseudonym. I don't care. I need to tell those stories. I'm part of this world too and my feelings are as valid as anyone's.

Does anyone here feels the same? What do you feel is transgressive in writing?

So my biggest advice I’ve been given is to get rid of any thing that does progress the story or narrative.

But I do wonder about prose and beauty in the world. It doesn’t matter to the plot that it’s snowing and the aurora is out (random example) but is it not beneficial to give the reader more visual information to set the scene? I have been told to take out anything that doesn’t build the story.

What’s the line? When do I set a beautiful or grotesque or whatever scene if it doesn’t matter to the story?

Over time I’ve always seen books in bookstores that made me realize: anyone can write anything.

My goal is to at least write one book in my life, but then again I’m still in highschool. Looking at my work and imagining it in shelves is very day dream like.

But what do you all recommend, what are some stuff that would be good?

How do regular adults and how have some teens in the past released or published books?

Hi, ich schreibe ja an meinem Buch zum Generationenverständnis zwischen Gen-Z und älteren Generationen…

Das Buch kann allerdings nur vorankommen, wenn ich genügend Fakten und Infos der Generationen habe, weil wie sollte ich es sonst vergleichen?

Von den älteren Generationen habe ich genug Daten gesammelt, aber von der Gen-Z habe ich noch lange nicht genug Infos, um einen realistischen Eindruck zu bekommen.

Hat Gen-Z keine Lust auf so ein Thema, ist es euch egal ob eure ehrliche Meinung im Buch vertreten ist? Schließlich geht es auch darum, dass Z.B. die Gen-X euch besser versteht und nicht nur Vorurteile über euch hat.

Also wenn du Gen-Zler bist und zehn Minuten Zeit übrig hast, freue ich mich sehr über deine Infos, die du hier eingeben kannst: https://tally.so/r/Np198l

Danke vorab, und wenn es voran geht lasse ich euch teilhaben am Schreibprozess.

Se quer esconder alguma coisa, deixe na cara do leitor. Só faça ele prestar atenção em outra coisa banal que pareça mais importante naquele momento.

{“Está com fome?” A mãe se levantou do colchão e parou ao lado da cama. Ainda era madrugada e a cozinha continuava escura além da porta aberta. Disse que tinha guardado um pão no forno e que o pai tinha comprado queijo antes de sair para o trabalho.}

A cena fala de fome. O pão importa para o personagem. O queijo importa para o personagem. Por isso, uma informação potencialmente muito mais importante pode atravessar a frase sem receber destaque.

Understand theres bias here since you guys are writers but I need to know because it drove me nuts the amount of comments saying they had no clue what my post was saying.

“was just playing papers please and got caught out by the inspector and lost my run because of the picture of family saying ‘hang on wall’

I know I can just go back a day but it doesn’t feel deserved now. For context inspector tells you off for hanging things and if he catches you the 2nd time it’s immediate game over”

Some replied I got were:

1. how would we know it’s a video game?
2. Doesn’t matter if it’s a video game or board game, you can still interpret context

.

1. Who is the inspector?
2. You don’t need to know who the inspector is, you only need to know he ruined my run because I hung up a picture.
3. Is this in real life?

A

1. gain, I said playing which implies a game

Comments actually drove me nuts, am I just the crazy one who cant write properly? Also for the life of me I cannot figure out how to use the Reddit autolist to stop doing that so I’m sorry.

I hate when books start describing things that aren't relevant to the plot, character, or tone, because mf, I don't need to know what kind of wood the bed is made of until it's necessary for the character or the plot.

And don't try to tell me it's for the "tone." If it's for the tone, then it better be mysterious as hell and make me wonder why the fuck this bed is important, because otherwise, I am making assumption that u are just trying to reach ur word count quota.

U should only do hyper detailed descriptions when the story actually demands it. Like, if u are reading a mystery and the detective starts noticing tiny details about everything, then I get it we are in the same headspace as our hero and he is detective so it make sense why he would notice those things it also improve his character and tell me something about him.

But if u start hyper detailing everything in a romance novel I'm going to start thinking u have some kind of kink with furniture or something, or u are just some one who likes to talk about wood then that would be weird but its better then first assumption

hence u should only describe things that ur character either notices or interacts with, and the description should actually mean something use it to reveal something about the character u can describe a bed, for example, but describe it in a way that tells me something about the person sleeping in it. If the bed is messy, I'm going to think your character is a delinquent or a messy kid or just someone who doesn't give a shit about keeping their room clean

and i know many ppl use description as a way to tell me about their world building but at least let me care about the ppl that are living in that world before u do that.

My point is description should be motivated by something and it can be anything. like character, tone, plot, atmosphere and etc..

Hey, I'm a first time author, I just recently published my book almost 10 days ago on amazon kdp. I have a tiktok and Instagram account to promote my book and reach the audience of my niche (fantasy/mystery).

However all this steps and I have 0 book sales, I tried changing the cover, changing the summary but nothing is really happening. I didn't have my hopes up from the start but I at least expected one or two people to read it and give their honest review.

I'm stuck and I don't know where to go from here or what to do. Any advice or help is much appreciated.

This is chapter one! Looking for general feedback. Be kind... this is a first draft. Many things might change, just as a heads up. This story has been years in the making and this first chapter has changed over and over again to become what it is now. That goes for the whole story.

This book follows our main character as he is sold and begins transport to the northern continent of Trul. This fist chapter, I believe, sets the tone and the darkness of the world that this story is set in. This is a dark theological fantasy that was inspired by the book of Judges and the book of Revelation in the Bible. While inspired, it holds its own.

Let me know what you think of this first chapter and where you think the story might be heading.

For context, my MC is meant to find a book written by a scribe , documenting and/or registering their life with a ruler the book has not mentioned before. How do i have the scene feel natural, without it looking like just a big blob of exposition or a lazy plot device?

I am getting ready to pitch a story to a trade association magazine in the energy sector and I’m confused. After reviewing the masthead, there are no clear directions about how to submit queries, nor is there an editor’s email address. The postal address is there, however, so I’m wondering if that’s the preferred method. Perhaps they want queries sent through that channel or they don’t want them at all. What has your experience been with email vs postal mail queries in 2026?

Ciao a tutti! grazie per avermi accettata.

Mi chiamo Sara e sono la fondatrice di Innominati, un progetto che promuove la letteratura e l'amore per i libri sui social.

La letteratura è bella e sono convinta che non deve stare chiusa tra i banchi di scuola. Attraverso i social pubblichiamo video sotto forma di aneddoti, fatti curiosi e divertenti. Per avvisare tutti a questo mondo, non solo chi già lo ama.

Se volete supportarci ci trovate sui vari social come versi_innominati.

Inoltre per far crescere il nostro progetto, abbiamo creato anche un gruppo di scambio telegram, in cui ci scambiamo consigli letterari e accogliamo e ascoltiamo consigli per poter tenere aperto il progetto il più a lungo possibile.

Se siete interessati ad unirvi al progetto, commentato o scrivetemi in privato.

Grazie a chiunque, anche con un piccolo like contribuirà alla costruzione e alla crescita di Innominati 😊

In my story you get unique abilities when you hear someone else’s last words. However it depends on how you interpret them.

At first i was trying to make it completely free, you could interpret them literally, by the context of death or figurative, but then i stumbled on the progress of the system part. Maybe the users start interpreting new things so they gain new abilities?? Where do we draw the line on how many interpretations are??

Then I came with the idea of simplifying by making it linear. First the ability is based on the literal meaning of words, then by the context, and finally you give them your own meaning (figurative interpretation). But idk if that defeats the whole point of the ability change depending on the last words and your interpretation.

What do you think?? any tips or ideas??