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Personally, I write first drafts by hand. At the computer, it's so easy to go back immediately and tweak what I've just written that I'll end up stuck obsessing over one sentence. I make much more forward progress by hand.

But Stephen King talks about this in On Writing, and I agree with his conclusion: if something works for you, keep doing it and don't worry about what's working for someone else.

Sorry to hijack the post in some way.

In the FAQ we have a section on IAMA and people in the business coming to talk to us here on [/r/write](/r/write)

This is a great asset for the board and the users, and we'd really like to hear from people who can start a thread and answer some questions.

Thanks

He doesn't just shoot for 2,000 a day, he doesn't leave the office until he gets them done, and you should assume 14,000 words a week, as he works on weekends, birthdays and Christmas.

He spends about three months per novel, saying that anything longer than that and he begins to grow stale. He says if he doesn't work every day then he loses touch with the story and the characters.

If you haven't already done so, give King's On Writing a read. Great stuff.

Wow, seriously guys? The Elements of Style is okay for an uninformed high schooler, but it really can't hack it.Top linguists generally agree that Strunk and White's advice is bunk (and generally you won't find too many prescriptivists in literary circles).

I grew up with many of E.B. White's stories, and he's a fantastic writer. But he's not qualified as a grammarian. For example:

>E. B. White presumably believed what he (and Strunk) said in Elements of Style (New York, 1979) about faulty parallelism and which vs. that: >>Express coordinate ideas in similar form. This principle, that of parallel construction, requires that expressions similar in content and function be outwardly similar. (p. 26) That, which. That is the defining or restrictive pronoun, which the non-defining or non-restrictive . . . The careful writer . . . removes the defining whiches, and by so doing improves his work. (p 59)

>Yet in the last paragraph of "Death of a Pig," White has two faulty parallelisms, and according to his rules, an incorrect which: >>. . . the premature expiration of a pig is, I soon discovered, a departure which the community marks solemnly on its calendar . . . I have written this account in penitence and in grief, as a man who failed to raise his pig, and to explain my deviation from the classic course of so many raised pigs. The grave in the woods is unmarked, but Fred can direct the mourner to it unerringly and with immense good will, and I know he and I shall often revisit it, singly and together, . . .

Cambridge Grammar of English is good, as is Grammar for English Language teachers, but they're both lacking Strunk and White's simplicity. Why? It's easy to say how things should be, but much more difficult to say how they are.

TL;DR - Go for Cambridge, not Strunk and White.

I think that this is possibly the most damaging piece of writing advice ever given.

Not because it's necessarily wrong, as I'm sure it works great for "discovery writers", but because it's so widely disseminated. Discovery writers, in my experience, are a rare breed. Most writers find outlines and planning a far more effective way to end up with a coherent book. Discovery writing for a non-discovery writer is a path to frustration and a muddled disaster of a draft that probably stops half way through because the writer has no idea where to go.

It's pretty routine for "On Writing" to be recommended to aspiring writers and I can only speculate how many people read King's "don't plan it" advice then took their great story idea and wrote it into a pile of slop that got stuck in a drawer and forgotten after five years of rewrites.

It's a seductive approach as it requires no up front work. Just write! Your idea is so great and your talent so natural, you're bound to end up with something amazing!

This almost never happens. If you manage to end up with a usable draft then congrats! You might be a natural discovery writer!

But if that's not working for you, try an outline. You'll end up with a better book and Stephen King will likely not read it or be disappointed in you.

As someone that has worked in the medical field as a technician, I have to ask, can you not just have your old psychiatrist send their patient notes to the new psychiatrist?

While it might be helpful/therapeutic for yourself to write it all out, the psychiatrist is most likely not going to read something you hand to them like that (especially if it's very long) since it is colored by your own perspective.

Their process is part of them getting to know you. It's frustrating for you that you're having to move around so much. It would obviously be better if you had more stability when it comes to your personal shrink.

That's the nature of writing, that you write from your own perspective. It's why so many people in an author's inner circle get nervous every time anyone writes an autobiography.

And it's also why so many autobiographies are considered to be semi-credible (or worse, unreliable) pieces of non-fiction.

And if you become so inclined as to read some autobiographies, here are a few I recommend reading that you may not have heard of:

• The Diaries of Samuel Pepys by Samuel Pepys

• Seven Pillars of Wisdom by TE Lawrence

• The Autobiography of Ben Franklin by Ben Franklin

• Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman by Richard Feynman

• The Civil War Memoirs of Ulysses S Grant by Ulysses S Grant

Microsoft has OneNote in its office package which I find useful.

There is also, Trello, which is an online site where you can create index cards and is easy to use, and also free. That may suit your needs.

Yep, On Writing is where I remembered that from. It is a pretty damn good read, even if you don't want to learn how King writes novels. I also meant to say 14,000 above. Unless he decides to write an epic, 180,000 words (2000 words * 90 days) is plenty for most novels.

IIRC, he then puts it aside for 6 weeks before coming back to edit.

Lots of good tips in that book. Maybe I'll give it another read.

First, congratulations on having written something. Many of us end up thinking about ideas and never taking the time to get them down. My critique is rather heavy in tone, but I want to be clear: that doesn't mean your piece is without merit. Keep writing.
I think you can safely call the piece fiction.
Your grammar is generally fine. That's based on a quick read-through. Your best friend here is a copy of <em>The Elements of Style</em>.

"An" instead of "a" in the last sentence, paragraph six. That sentence is also a rather long, clunky fragment. I don't mind fragments, especially if they have a certain punch to them. This fragment does not. Avoid it and others like it.
The only other grammatical change I'd recommend is in paragraph five: "They would've to do..." While "would" and "have" do combine to make that contraction, it feels out of place with the infinitive "to do." Instead, try, "They'd have to do..."

It's difficult to critique something both unfinished and this brief. I will say that the opening is generic and uninteresting. It strikes that unpleasant balance of being unimaginative and over-reaching. Your idea, when you start writing about it, is more engaging. Would you consider shaving the first few paragraphs down to one or two? Alternatively, you could open with a very short (I'm talking 1-2 sentence) exposition on the technology.
I hope that is helpful.

Did I suggest not describing characters at all?

A few minor authors who use minimal character description:

Stephen King and Suzanne Collins:

>In his book, On Writing, Stephen King advocates minimal character description, preferring to let the reader create her or his own mental images of the characters in his books.

>Suzanne Collins, if memory serves, devotes a whopping two brief sentences to her physical description of Rue, and a single sentence to Cinna.

Cormac McCarthy:

>In the novel "All the Pretty Horses" the two main characters meet a young kid on horseback on a trail leading to Mexico. The meeting scene consists of four pages of descriptive action and dialogue. The only physical description he uses in the four pages consists of the following two sentences: He had on a broadbrim hat and bib overalls. - -He was a kid about thirteen years old.

But what do they know? Must have forgotten about the millennia-old trends.

My personal favourite is yWriter, it's independent software written by an author. Tons of features, and free to use (but if you find it useful, it's good to donate!)

Lots of people like Scrivener, lots of features, decent price ($45).

Stephen King - "On Writing"

The feedback everyone else has provided is excellent, and very much on point. However, if there is a single book that impacted me the most, that really just resonated and reminded me to pick up that metaphorical (or literal in some cases) pen everyday - it was "On Writing".

well the good thing about writing is you don't need to read another book to help you get better you just need practice. However, if you do want to read a book I have heard Stephen King's "On Writing" Is a must read.

Also mentioned in 'On Writing' and:

Wikipedia

>At the time of publication, King was working as a teacher at Hampden Academy and barely making ends meet. To cut down on expenses, King had the phone company remove the telephone from his house. As a result, when King received word that the book was chosen for publication, his phone was out of service. Doubleday editor William Thompson (who would eventually become King's close friend), sent a telegram to King's house which read: "Carrie Officially A Doubleday Book. $2,500 Advance Against Royalties. Congrats, Kid - The Future Lies Ahead, Bill."[7] It has been presumed that King drew inspiration from his time as a teacher.[7] New American Library bought the paperback rights for $400,000, which, according to King's contract with Doubleday, was split between them.[8] King eventually quit the teaching job after receiving the publishing payment. The hardback sold a mere 13,000 copies, the paperback, released a year later, sold over 1 million copies in its first year.

I find these blurbs of real-life very inspiring.

The Bad:

1. Punctuation. I realize that writers often "periodize" for style, but sometimes it's too much. Commas, please. I know that you were trying to be...polysyndetonic, but for some reason it doesn't work here. I think the main reason is you are using it where it's not required. You should save it for dramatic parts, or parts in which you want the reader to feel confused, not the very beginning.

2. The whole drug thing is kind of overused. There are hundreds of thousands of stories about drug use. The way you gloss over it isn't much of an eye opener, nor is it something endearing.

3. You haven't really told a story. But I guess this was just an experiment.

4. There is very little tension. I don't feel the urgency that your character probably feels. Something has to be at stake and it must feel real. Give more questions to the reader: Will you (actually) lose her? Will she (actually) die? Is she going to turn into a zombie?

5. You overdo the descriptions more than a bit. Streaming headlights, pulse of her voice, flash of the eyes, yeah, that all sounds pretentious, like some high schooler trying to be smart.

6. A sprinkle of dialogue would be alright, unless you are writing a diary or epistolary.

7. Watch out for the grammar. Don't overuse commas and watch the little things here and there. Again nothing that can't be fixed. Just pick up Strunk and White's The Elements of Style.

The Good:

1. The pacing is done well. You have a good grasp of timing and rhythm.

2. It is succinct for what you're writing. It's not too bogged down, despite the load of reminiscing.

3. Your voice is fairly natural. There are some parts that seem convoluted, but in general, minus the symbolism as well, it sounds like listening to someone talk, which is what you want for these types of things. Stick to making your writing sound natural.

4. You have skill in describing action. I thought the car scene (2nd paragraph) was done skillfully.

Hi everyone! My name is Ridley Browder, and I just recently self-published my first ever poetry book called Blurred Years. I am a 20 year old college student interested in writing and more specifically poetry. I am pretty new to all of this and would love to join any writing or poetry communities you may suggest. I would also love to take criticisms, suggestions, and reviews on my current book so that I may improve for my next release!

You can check out the link to my book here.

I also have a website, and it'd be great if I could gain more of a following. So, if you are interested in poetry, please come join my email list!

For updates, you can follow my Instagram and Twitter accounts: ridleyswritingroom

Thank y'all so much, and I look forward to any suggestions and tips and tricks.

Reidaro : Bastion, researched and compiled by Ais Roe

A Google Docs link

PDF download link

Note: I have never tried, or desired to sell this book, which is why there's no Amazon or equivalent link. That being said, it's been edited and rewritten several times; I hope the lack of price is not an issue.

A brief synopsis: Writer Ais Roe recounts the tale of a boy named Grey after he finds himself in incredible debt and without a home. He meets Kichi Kanabe, a girl searching for her older brother, and decides to help her as a way of finding himself and discovering what he wants to do with his life now that all the things he had been working towards were stripped away. Along the journey, the pair have to deal with the monsters that wander the landscape, as well as the bandit coalition, Atlas and the criminal/terrorist group the Fifth Wave.

This book is the first in an intended series, of which the first four are written, but only the first is edited and available online.

[](/a14 "Give it a try!")

Here's my shameless plug:

My book which has been twice written, thrice edited is currently, has been, and will (for quite a long time) be free. Here is a Google Docs link. Over here is a small website with some extra info and the pdf for downloading.

(Incredibly) brief synopsis: A young-man named Grey, seventeen years old, finds himself without a home and incredible debt. He meets Kichi Kanabe, a girl who is in the middle of her search for her lost brother. Coming from similar backgrounds, the two become fast-friends and help each other survive in the face of monsters and criminal organizations. As the journey progresses, more people join their group and they get involved in even bigger adventures.

Feedback would be appreciated! This is intended to be the first book in a series; I already have the next 3 written and they are undergoing revisions (albeit slowly).

Once again, it is 100% free. I have never charged, nor do I have plans to charge in the future.

Hey Henry,

As we're just getting off the ground, I'm going to let this slide for now. But in the future, please make sure all request for criticism follows the guidelines in the sidebar. Specifically:

• All requests for feedback should be self.posts and should be tagged as: [Crit] Title of Work [word count][genre]. In the self.post: link to the work & include a blurb/summary. Also, indicate what level of criticism you desire: light, moderate, heavy.

• Critique Guidelines - 7 simple rules to help with critique process. (Google Doc)

Thanks,

karl

Thanks! I wrote one actually, but it’s not focused on justice but is a true depiction of my mental illness I experienced. Other than that, I wrote in a blog

https://www.amazon.com/Memoirs-Madness-Christopher-Markowski-ebook/dp/B006ZR34BE/ref=nodl_

Thank you for the thoughtful reply. The fact that you def seemed to have 'gotten it' on the first read through and but still found it unenjoyable is taken to heart. i was kind of going for dislocation in the first section which would be followed by the dislocation of the tonal shift, on purpose, but i guess i don't know to what purpose. It kinda just came out that way lol

if you have time anytime, this is something else i've written. much more straightforward, no tonal shifts -- just a relatively straightforward telling of a story. it's a bit longer that the last one, but any feedback on any of it would be nice. I'd be more than happy to give a read to anything if you'd like, as well.

in any case, thanks again.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxNCJk52iknpbUN0VjlUNXZ4V2dhY1k3bHZ6cHZ6TldPaGhB/edit?usp=sharing

In my most recent story, the main character, the first officer aboard a star ship (yes, Star trek) had to use the head. He didn't use it to void his bowels, he used it to throw up because he was scared. here

I don't think a smartphone is well suited to that, but a Chromebook would certainly work. Smartphones are more suited to doing small edits here and there while on the go.

Another option would be a Raspberry Pi 4 with either 4 or 8 GB of RAM. You could buy the desktop kit, plus a monitor, and then use the included LibreOffice program to do your writing. It wouldn't be as portable, but it would give you a more full featured computer, while still being cheap.

That said, don't save important work on the SD card. Save it somewhere more reliable, like a flash drive, hard drive, SSD, or cloud storage.

The Liar’s Bite: Nine tales that will sink their teeth into you and not let go. Two detectives search for answers at a grisly massacre, a bullied boy struggles to survive his tragic memories, and a man shipwrecked on a sandbar crosses unspeakable lines to survive. These stories and more—will haunt you long into the night.

Get your free copy here: The Liar’s Bite

Hi everyone, I’ve started a fundraising page for my science fiction adventure novel: Sacrifice. DONATE HERE

READ THE FIRST 7 CHAPTERS HERE

The Feyland series is definitely an example of this. In a much more in-your-face way than Star Wars or even Dune.

Though, most people actually consider science fiction as a sub-category of fantasy in general, so this question gets a bit tricky if you stick with that perspective.

As to how to blend the elements, Feyland does it by making science fiction the catalyst for the main event. A girl accesses a virtual reality machine, and gets stuck in a fantasy world with real dangers. That's just a nice simple way.

This week's icebreaker is:

Which darlings have you killed, and what made you realize it was time for them to go?

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/write) if you have any questions or concerns.

Waking to a living nightmare, David White finds himself trapped in his own home. Accompanied only by his dog Buddy, they search for a way out before it’s too late. But the key to their escape is trapped within his shattered memory.

Click here to download the free kindle ebook: Fate of the Firelight

Cents:

When Kitt Barlow flips a coin to decide whether or not to quit his job, winding up on the front lines of World War I was the last thing he expected to happen. Now, his only hope of survival depends upon his wits…and the change in his pocket.

Get your copy today: Cents

I finally published my third book! It’s called Cents. It’s about when you flip a coin and wind up back in time.

“When Kitt Barlow flips a coin to decide whether or not to quit his job, winding up on the front lines of World War I was the last thing he expected to happen. Now, his only hope of survival depends upon his wits…and the change in his pocket.”

Here is the link to get your copy today: Cents

Hi Y’all! 😄

I just published my second book! But I bet your curious about the title of this post. Well, my first book took me 16 years to finally get the courage to publish. After that, I was determined to get my next book out much faster. In fact, I challenged myself to try and write the next one in 16 days!

I filmed myself during the 16 days. You get to see all my excitement and struggle of coming up with a new book.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy it and that it inspires you to go for it! 😄

Here is the link to the video: Writing a book in 16 days

Also here is a little bit about the book I wrote:

“Nine tales that will sink their teeth into you and not let go. Two detectives search for answers at a grisly massacre, a boy struggles with his tragic memories, and a man shipwrecked on a sandbar must cross unspeakable lines to survive. These stories and more—will haunt you long into the night.”

Here is the link if you want to grab a copy:

The Liar’s Bite

Hey Y’all! 😄

Well, after taking 16 years to publish my first book (Fate of the Firelight), I was determined to write my next book much faster. In fact, I challenged myself to write the next one in 16 days. While I didn’t accomplish that goal, I did manage to write the rough draft of The Liar’s Bite in that time.

But now I’ve got two books published!!! I did it!!!

Here is a little bit more about The Liar’s Bite:

“Nine tales that will sink their teeth into you and not let go. Two detectives seek answers at a grisly massacre, a bullied boy struggles with his tragic memories, and a man shipwrecked on a sandbar must cross unspeakable lines to survive. These stories and more—-will haunt you into the night.”

Here is the link: The Liar’s Bite

Genre: Psychological Thriller/Fantasy

Blurb: Waking to a living nightmare, David White finds himself trapped in his own home. Accompanied only by his dog Buddy, they search for a way out before it’s too late. But the key to their escape is trapped within his shattered memory.

This week the kindle version is only $0.99 cents on Amazon.

Link: Fate of the Firelight

Icebreaker answer: I put them in a situation first and see what they do and that builds who they become.

Hi y’all 😄

Well, it only took me 16 years of writing off and on, but I finally did it! I’m a published author!!!

Here is a little bit about my story:

Title: Fate of the Firelight

Genre: Psychological Thriller/Fantasy

Blurb: Waking to a living nightmare, David White finds himself trapped in his own home. Accompanied only by his dog Buddy, they search for a way out before it’s too late. But the key to their escape is trapped within his shattered memory.

It’s available on Amazon as a kindle download or a paperback book. Here is the link: Fate of the Firelight

I never feel embarrassed, but, if I did, I would be embarrassed to admit I like anything with steamy sex scenes.

And, speaking of which, I wrote and published such a novella a few days ago. The title is 'Sex between Besties'. Since this is a self promo thread too, HERE is the link.

Title: Fate of the Firelight

Genre: Psychological Thriller/Fantasy

Blurb: “Waking to a living nightmare, David White finds himself trapped in his own home. Accompanied only by his dog Buddy, they search for a way out before it’s too late. But the key to their escape is trapped within his shattered memory.”

Free Kindle version 2/8/21-2/12/21

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08L9QGGR7

Can a demon have a change of heart? Can you read this book to the end without crying? https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08PX7CVW7/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i1

Hi people! I would love if you could check out my book! Name: Dear BTS Genre: Epistolary non- fiction Link: https://www.amazon.in/dp/B08KLPKHXL/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&amp;keywords=jahanvi+wadhwa&amp;qid=1601787268&amp;sr=8-1

i guess I'll be an ass (but it's because I want you to improve) and tell you that if you're getting a lot of out these posts you should buy a book on writing that is written by actual professional fiction writers who provide much more useful information https://www.amazon.com/Gotham-Writers-Workshop-Practical-Acclaimed-ebook/dp/B002UM5BU0

I managed to miss Friday as I only submitted it then, so I hope it's OK to post here as I don't want to start a different thread...

Please check out my short story The Last Spike (Kindle) (or UK Kindle) which is free on Amazon for Sunday and Monday. It's in the 'urban fantasy' category, which I didn't realise existed until I submitted it.

The story follows a Police officer working through the outbreak of a series of attacks and the disappearance of bodies. I think my description and cover need work, and now it's up I'm a bundle of nerves about it, so any feedback gratefully received.

Last year I became dissatisfied with the progress I'd been making in my fiction, and I conducted a survey online, asking over 1,000 writers how they improve their writing (I posted in r/write and you guys were kind enough to share your thoughts :D ). I then started reading about "expertise science" in a variety of books, studying how talented people got that way. Next I surveyed big time bestsellers like Andy Weir, Jodi Picoult, and Gregg Olsen about their writing processes. And finally, I put it all my findings into a FREE ebook on Amazon called <em>How to Improve Your Writing</em>.

The book centers on the seven main ways to improve your writing, as suggested by writers (like y’all) in the survey. I call them the “7 Drills”.

1. Write
2. Read
3. Get Feedback
4. Study
5. Edit
6. Enjoy Art
7. Live

I explain the drills in the context of deliberate practice (the secret sauce to maximizing the efficiency of your writing time), and I give examples of each drill from my own practicing. I explain how I “read like a writer” with Ender’s game, how I “studied the craft” through Brandon Sanderson’s YouTube series, and so on, giving a step-by-step guide for how to convert your knowledge into effective habits. You *can* be a great writer. All you need is the right practice regimen.

With your answers in the survey, you gave me this system for free. Now, I’m giving it freely back. I hope it helps.

Here, then, have another: Don't fish for dialogue attributors such as "responded" and "replied" too much. "Said" is one of the few instances where I would recommend being a bit repetitive; it just ends up feeling forced when you cycle through dialogue attributions. Stephen King's "On Writing" talks about this and a host of other things you might find useful. I highly recommend it even if you aren't a fan of his fiction.

>how do i go about editing that most efficiently

That's a HUGE question. Sadly I don't have time to give it the attention it deserves, but I will impart what I believe is the most important rule. It is from Stephen King's "On Writing," which I would highly recommend you read if you get the chance.

"Don't be afraid to murder your darlings."

Take an AXE to that first draft. Cut, cut, cut and then cut some more. Excise whole scenes... hell, whole CHARACTERS if they're not driving the plot. Aim to cut at LEAST 10% of every chapter, probably more. Tighten your writing, get rid of unnecessary adverbs, kill the exposition and allow things to come across naturally through dialogue or action.

Doing all that will be an excellent start. For the first revision, anyway. Then you'll want to do it all again, and again... Hope that helps at least a little. Seriously though, check out "On Writing." Great book.

I'll just add to the chorus of people saying that On Writing is really good.

On his advice, I've picked up a copy of Elements of Style and found it be a great 'nuts and bolts' type of guide.

Those two books, along with a series of essays that Chuck Palahniuk wrote about the craft of writing, are great resources for any aspiring writer and I've found them each to be extremely useful.

It has nothing to do with proficiency, and everything to do with accuracy. The Elements of Style is neither of good quality nor modern.

Cambridge grammar books deserve to be read because they do exactly what Strunk and White fail to do: to provide an accurate and useful guide to modern English grammar as it is used and accepted.

I didn't mean to be condescending, but I was shocked to see the antithesis of what the OP was looking for as the top reply.