The word count actually increased by about 3k, but that's only because I added a couple scenes and fleshed some telling out into showing. Currently sitting at 109k.

I'll do one more quick pass before handing it out to beta readers, then another based on their feedback before querying agents for publishing. Overall, it seems the bulk of the work is behind me.

When the world bows to power, one man will rise to rule it.

In a world where ancient powers sleep beneath forgotten ruins, legendary beings shape the fate of kingdoms, and strength determines who survives, a mysterious power lies dormant within one man.

Abhishek is no ordinary warrior. Scarred by the past and standing before the remnants of an ancient legacy, he carries something the world has long forgotten—the power of the Monarch.

But power always comes at a price.

As secrets buried for centuries begin to awaken, Abhishek must uncover the truth behind his power, face enemies beyond his imagination, and walk a path where every choice could change the fate of the world.

With ancient deities, mythical weapons, ruthless enemies, and mysteries rooted in a world inspired by Indian mythology, his journey will test the limits of his strength, willpower, and humanity.

Will Abhishek master the power within him?

Or will the power of the Monarch consume him before he can claim his destiny?

His journey begins now. His legend will shake the world.

🔥 Follow the journey of Abhishek as he rises from the shadows and discovers what it truly means to be a Monarch.

New chapters every week.

Which author gave you the most inspiration? When I was a kid, it was Roald Dahl, Michelle Magorian, Enid Blyton, Judy Blume, Doug MacLeod (who I met when I was only eight years old) and a whole host of other writers. Now, it is Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Jaqueline Druga, Neil Gaiman etc.

As an adult, I still read my childhood favourites. I call them my guilty pleasure books because they stand up in quality today.

Does anyone have advice on how to make my writing feel less amateurish?

My writing feels amateurish to me, and I think it objectively comes across that way, too. Does anyone have any advice on how to improve it? (I'm actually amateur)

And I know I should be revising it, but I just want to rewrite the whole thing from scratch. What should I do?

I am writing a fantasy story loosely based on my own life, at the moment it’s just a lot of scribbles on a notepad, in my notes app, or in my head. 🤣 I work p/t as a copy editor too, I have always used Grammarly as a copy editing tool just for generic typos, and grammar tweaks, I noticed it seems to have become more demanding, trying to rewrite and restructure things that are not keeping with the tone of the authors books, you can, of course, ignore these, which I always do.
However as it’s seeming a bit too pushy (and something we don’t like in creative writing) for my liking, I have cancelled my subscription. I guess I’m wondering if there are any editing tools that work for you all best and if you could give me some tips. 📚📖✏️

If you've watched any youtube videos with writing advice before, you'll see the same points reiterated.

• The first chapter must be engaging from the get-go
• It must be intriguing enough to hook a reader, but not reveal too much
• You need to get to action right away, no descriptions that occupy the first page, as most people will find it boring
• Set up a conflict and character arc

I am not saying some of these things don't have merit, but if you read older books, most would fail these criteria and (possibly) would be rejected from publishers today. It just doesn't seem fair that your story must be as action-packed as possible to hook your reader, if that's not the story you're going for. East of Eden wouldn't be here if John Steinbeck followed these rules.

I am wondering, how true are they? Do publishers automatically say no if your opening chapter is more descriptive than action? What happened to setting the scene and letting the reader getting absorbed in your world? I am trying to gauge if I should scrap my first chapter since it's beautifully written, but boring, according to the people I have shared it with.

I'm a writer who enjoys writing novels, poems, and lyrics. Like many writers, I know what it's like to have ideas in your head but not always know what to do with them.

Sometimes, you have a story you really want to write, but you don't know where to begin. Sometimes, you have characters, scenes, and bits of a plot, but putting everything together feels overwhelming. And sometimes, you simply wish you had something to guide you through the process.

I've been in that position myself, and I know how confusing it can feel when you're trying to figure everything out on your own.

That's why I wanted to share these two workbooks for free. My hope is that they can help other writers who might be in the same position I once was in.

📘 1. Your First Novel

This one is for people who are new to novel writing or who have an idea for a story but aren't sure how to turn it into an actual novel. It covers the basics, from developing your idea and characters to planning scenes and getting started with your first draft.

📚 2. Novel-Writing Workbook

This one goes into more detail and offers additional worksheets for things like plot structure, character development, worldbuilding, continuity, revision, and preparing your manuscript.

You don't have to use both! You can choose whichever one suits your needs, and you're welcome to use only the pages that are helpful to you.

Both workbooks are completely free. I'm sharing them because I know how helpful it can be to have some guidance when you're starting out, and I'd like to make that process a little less overwhelming for someone else.

I hope these help someone, even if it's just by making the first step a little easier. And if you have suggestions for improving them, I'd be happy to hear them!

FYI, it's my first time sharing something from Google Drive, so please let me know if anything is wrong.

Happy writing, everyone! 💛

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1FA9BxKkoBfU30HdYuddaJdjdu5hNUsTP

I recently came across an old writing project I started when I was 15 (I'm 22 now), and have been working on it ever since. I have little to no experience with writing but I enjoy it a lot, however I find myself comparing my writing to other authors through the books that I read or even just fanfiction. I have no intention of publishing my work (as of right now) but I still wanted to get feedback, plus I felt confident in my work, so I had my cousin proofread what I have so far; and let's just say it was extremely humbling. They gave me a lot of suggestions in which I ended up adding most of them to my story, however it's clear that my writing style was way different from theirs, which upset me, because even though their suggestions were helpful, I still couldn't help but feel bad that I didn't think of those before.

They told me that my way of writing is very straightforward and that's not a bad thing, but my personal goal with writing is to use more descriptive wording, to really make it feel immersive instead of just stating what my characters are doing. I keep this in mind all of the time, but when I'm sitting in front of my laptop trying to come up with descriptions, my mind goes blank, and I get frustrated that I can't think of these things so easily like other writers.

Maybe it's not as easy for others either, but I feel like I'm just not good at what I enjoy, and it doesn't really stop me, because I want to improve, but all of this pressure I put on myself demotivates me a lot. I have lots of ideas but they mostly stay in my head because I know that I won't be able to execute it the way I want to.

Any tips on how to handle criticism? Anything I've gotten just felt like nitpicking even though it's been clear that it's all constructive. I can't help but get upset.

Edit: thank you everyone for commenting, i’ll get to them as soon as i can, this is my first post and honestly didn’t expect it to get many views, so thank you! I’m taking everyone’s inputs into consideration!

One of the hardest parts of writing isn't always finding the right words. Sometimes, it's figuring out how all your ideas fit together.

You might have research notes, interesting examples, arguments, and several possible directions for an article. The challenge is turning those separate pieces into something coherent.

Here are three ways to approach that problem using tools.

1. Use a notes app to collect your ideas

Start by putting your thoughts, questions, and research in one place. Don't force everything into an outline immediately.

The goal is to capture your ideas before you forget them, not to make them perfect.

2. Use an outline or mind map to find relationships

Once you have enough material, start grouping related ideas.

For example, if you're writing about remote work, your notes might include productivity, employee satisfaction, communication, and working hours.

You can organize these into broader sections and decide which ideas support your main argument, which need evidence, and which belong somewhere else.

A mind map is useful for exploring connections. A traditional outline is useful when you're ready to decide the order in which readers should encounter your ideas.

3. Use a visual writing tool when the relationships become complicated

Sometimes, a list of headings isn't enough. You want to understand how different claims, examples, and supporting points relate to one another.

That's where visual approaches to organizing writing can help. Instead of looking only at the finished paragraphs, you can examine the structure behind them and identify missing connections or unnecessary repetition.

I've been exploring FluxLinks and its Mosaic workspace in this context: thinking about how writers can organize and examine the relationships between ideas.

The important thing is that you don't need a particular tool to start. Even a sheet of paper with boxes and arrows can help you understand your material better.

My takeaway: Collect first, organize second, and polish the writing after you understand how the ideas fit together.

I'm curious about other writers' workflows: do you prefer outlines, mind maps, digital tools, or simply writing a rough draft and organizing it afterward?

I'd say I'm somewhere between "solving a calculus equation" and "stubbed pinky toe on coffee table." Is that too much?

I am still learning how to write but I have something to share.

When writers use the same word or phrase to describe the same thing in different character POVs, it bothers me a little bit because no two people think the same way. If one person uses 'beautiful' to describe nature, another can use 'insane'. One says 'are you crazy?', others can say 'have you lost your mind?'.

These little distinctions help keep the voices different, imo. I have seen three different POVs in a book using the same phrase 'double agent' to describe spies. All these characters are wildly different. Then again, my observation could be garbage because this repetition is in a famous author's work.

I've been working on a sci-fi story, and I wanted to share the basic idea here to see what people think.

The story is set in the year 4230. A couple of thousand years earlier, humanity discovered a substance, an energy source called Spark, in the asteroid belt. After nine years of experiments, humanity finally succeeded in extracting its first substantial supply. It was an extraordinary discovery. Just a single cup of Spark could power an entire Type I civilization for two years without relying on any other energy source.

And yet, despite the vast quantities believed to exist in the asteroid belt, extracting Spark proved far more difficult than anyone had imagined. Even with humanity's advanced technology, producing another cup takes seven years.

Spark isn't essential for survival, but its extraordinary potential makes it one of the most valuable substances in the solar system.

By this point, humanity has expanded beyond Earth, giving rise to four major civilizations:Earth, Mars, Titan (Saturn’s moon), and the Space Colonies (similar to those depicted in Interstellar).. Each has its own ambitions, culture, and vision for the future.

Naturally, something this valuable eventually led to a massive war. When the war finally ended, humanity came up with a different way to settle the competition for Spark.

Every seven years, the four civilizations compete in something called The Games.

There are five challenges:

Race — A test of speed, skill, and endurance.

Convergence — A combat challenge that pushes contestants to their limits.

Expedition — An adventure involving exploration, survival, and the unknown.

Grand Design — A strategy challenge where intelligence and decision-making can change everything.

The Ascendancy — The final battle between the top two civilizations.

The winning civilization receives half of the Spark produced during that cycle.

And here's the catch: you only get one chance to compete in your entire life. For those selected, it's not just about winning a competition. Their entire civilization is counting on them.

The main story follows a group of young candidates from Earth, preparing for the tenth cycle. There's rivalry, friendship, characters with complicated pasts, and a bigger mystery connected to the original war.

One thing I should mention is that these aren't ordinary competitions. They're futuristic, intense, and unpredictable, with crazy plot twists, hidden rules, and loopholes that could completely change the outcome of a challenge. I've already plotted out two of the challenges, and I'm excited to develop the others further.

I'm still figuring out a lot of the worldbuilding and rules, but I'm particularly interested in exploring the idea of humanity replacing war with competition. What happens when the fate of entire civilizations rests on the shoulders of a few individuals?

Feel free to be honest! I'd love to hear your thoughts, especially if you spot any loopholes or problems with the concept that I haven't considered yet.

Feedback is always welcome..

I carry a quiet winter in my chest, a heavy kind of tired that sleep can't touch. If death was a person, it would be me... walking through rooms where the lights refuse to stay on, dragging a shadow that looks just like defeat. I remember the seed I planted in the dark, how I watered it with hope and kept it warm, watching a delicate green thing finally break the soil. It was mine to hold, mine to let grow. But the noise came rushing in from every side..... a chorus of voices getting into my head, convincing me to let it wither, talking me right into pulling up the roots with my own hands. Now the soil is dry and empty again. My body is a hollow house, a place where good things perish before they bloom.
They talk about time healing, but time is just a long, cold hallway where I watch everybody else hold what was meant for me. My hands are too cold to keep anything good. I am just a ghost of my own making, ready to lay it all down and surrender to the dark.

what do you guys do to come up with more original names. I’m crafting a historical lineage for my world building and I’m going about writing the history of noble house. However I’m noticing that nearly every Duke or duchess (across 1,000 years or so) tends to have the same name. please help. for some context here are the names (some monikers included)

1. Amin I "Longspear"
2. Corlyn I
3. Brian
4. Vera I
5. Amin II
6. Terin I
7. Kalroy I
8. Maler I
9. Terin II
10. Kalroy II
11. Amin III
12. Amin IV "Wolfsbane"
13. Vuran I
14. Kalroy III "The Cruel"
15. Terva
16. Vera II
17. Baren I
18. Terin III "Boarsbane"
19. Fre I
20. Corlyn II "The Jealous"
21. Kalroy IV "The Good"
22. Vuran II "The Slicer"
23. Lukras I "The Felled"
24. Corlyn III "The Young"
25. Baren II "The Plague Bringer"
26. Amin V
27. Kalroy V
28. Asper I
29. Caelin I
30. Fre II "The Lustrous"
31. Maler II
32. Caelin II "The Restorer"
33. Asper II
34. Maler III
35. Vera III
36. Lukras II "The Silent"
37. Amin VI
38. Amin VII "The Young Buck"
39. Aya

I was just reading something cataloguing recurring themes in a certain author's work. And some people are taking it as granted that this author must approve of this because they keep writing about it.

It got me thinking. I wrote about lobotomies because I couldn't think of anything that horrified me more. I also have a recurring theme of adults realizing they had forgotten abuses when they were a child. Because it horrifies me as a concept, and that makes me want to write about it.

I once have a friend say I wasn't safe around his family because I wrote a fairly gnarly home invasion story that killed some kids (He got over it, but that was his initial reaction).

My recent adventures in a hospital left me fairly traumatized, and without realizing it, a lot of my horror had echoes of that few months, as well as bits and pieces of the horrors I heard from others in group therapy.

I think people tend to write about things that they like, but I can't be the only one that returns to themes that I detest as well, perhaps to exorcise the ickiness learning about them gives me?

I was thinking about a recent technological development, the great filter, fermi paradox, etc. when I wrote this (not a discussion post about said recent technological development, but i can't say what it is or else it automatically doesn't let me post lol)

I’m writing a fantasy book and I’m about 25,000 words in and I’m stuck. I have more ideas for the plot, but it’s so bad. I knew the first draft was gonna be rough, but sheesh!!!!! It makes me want to scrap it.

Hello everyone, I have recently finished writing, editing, and revising my novel which I believe is ready to be sent out to agents for representation. I've written a little bit of a draft for a query letter, but I'm stuck on one thing.

I left some things potentially ambiguous in the book, especially near the end. No, it is not an open ending, nor does it leave too big questions (it's a full standalone in itself), but I do see that it has series potential.

It is also I think, relatively 'marketable' as it's not only a dystopian speculative/sci-fi but also has a slow burn romance and overall potential. I'm wondering, when I pitch it to agents in the query letter, should I mention that it has series potential/planned to have a sequel? As I said before, it's a standalone and would do well as a standalone with no 'loose ends' or plot holes, however I'm considering how to approach and agent regarding the rest of it.