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what if we got lost in the woods & performed dark rituals & engaged in homoerotic acts of cannibalism to survive the frozen winter (and also we were girls)

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my 14 year old self is swooning

ron weasley girlies rise 🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼

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A bullying investigation has opened up at Hogwarts

Inspo creds

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as my first post i will be posting a snippet of my book, specifically the prologue. I know its unlikely anyone will see this or care but i want to post my work and would appreciate any feedback!

The world was shaking. Another tremor had begun peeling its way across the lands in a violent delight. The ground moved in waves, shivering as though it could split open at any moment. A storm accompanied the tremors, as it always did. Vicious rains beating down on land for hours at a time, rains that continued even after the tremors were long gone. The tremors and their storms were not the first of their kind, and would not be the last. In fact, these phenomena made one thing clear for everyone; Peremora was dying. The magic that once coursed through even the deepest parts of the realm was fading and the tremors, the storms, all of them were pointing towards something far worse to happen after they pass.

The storms began when Althea was young, when she was a girl of only ten. Her mother had forced her into her first official dancing lesson that day. Dancing was never especially important for the children of House Wrenne to learn, but their mother had always enforced it. Tatiana was effortlessly the best, graceful and sharp in all the right ways, just as the firstborn girl should be. Althea was a little less graceful, sharp in the wrong ways, and always trying to measure up to her older sister’s example. The years Althea spent watching her sister dance did not help her dance at all. Their younger sisters, Dianthe and Demetra spun together in circles while Atlas sat happily on their mother’s lap. The twins would not have lessons for another year or two, which meant they could frolic and twirl without being scolded. The girls spun until they dropped, falling into a fit of giggles as they hit the floor. Althea stepped on her partner’s toes, again, so she let go of his hands and stomped dramatically over to her mother.

“Mother, I do not understand why I must dance for so long!” Althea huffed, as she watched Tatiana spin sweetly around the ballroom.

“It will help in the long run, my dear.” The queen chirped, pinching at Atlas’ cheek. Althea huffed again and plopped down next to her sisters, giving up on ever being good at dancing.

Tatiana looked like a dream, a young lady spinning about the room and following every step she needed to. The boy she was dancing with was as dreamy as she was, leading Tatiana in time to the flowing music being played by a violinist in the corner.

A crack of lightning and a pounding at the ballroom door broke through the music.

The dream had shattered.

A few seconds after the pounding came the King, bursting through the ballroom door frantically, screaming the Queen’s name. The violinists stopped their playing with a screech. The boy dancing with Tatiana scuttled away, the presence of the King in this state enough to make anyone fearful. It was a blur, running through the corridors faster than ever. It was never something Althea and her siblings did in a way that was so desperate. The rains followed the King’s frantic state, it seemed, as a downpour began while they rushed through the halls of the castle. The children mindlessly ran after their mother to where their father had been leading her. The rain was heavier than it had ever been when they arrived in the training yard. The yards had been full of sentinels, protectors of the royal family.

They had failed to protect.

On the ground, in the middle of the yard, lay the oldest of six. The heir to the throne, dead before them all. The rain soaked his tunic to his body and the mud was turning his white hair shades of brown. Theodore had been training to head the royal guard, something their father had suggested he do in preparation for his eight and tenth birthday. As the family looked upon him, his body looked sickly. A cherry red color had begun taking over his tanned body. There was no blood, no unusual tracks or anything remotely indicating foul play, yet they could all tell something about this was undeniably wrong.

The Queen cried out and flung herself onto his body, unphased by the pouring rain. That seemed to be the first and last time the children of House Wrenne ever saw their mother step foot into the training yards.

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Valyrian Names for Writers!

Credit: Tommyscottart on Devianart.

So with the rise of HOTD I thought I might post something that other writers may find useful for their work, specifically when it comes to naming valyrian OCs!

Obviously we've been given a fair amount of canon valyrian names from ASOIAF and Fire & Blood but not everyone wants to reuse the same names. So I thought I'd share some sources I've found that were helpful!

One & Two

Both of these reddit posts to r/asoiaf by u/AliceCringekung and u/CW_73 have been a major help when it comes to naming valyrian characters by providing an assortment of all possible valyrian names based on the ones we've seen in canon.

(u/AliceCringekung's post even has some notes about the valyrian naming system.)

Both used the known prefixes and suffixes to come up with the names.

Prefixes:

Dae-, Ae-, Rhae-, Mae-, Bae-, Vis-, Vae-, Valae-, Jaehae-, Gae-, Elae-, Lae-, Jacae, Matae-, Hae-, Helae-, Nae-, Au-, Ayr-, Jae-, Va-, Vale-, Sae-, Shae-, Cor-, and Rho-.

Suffixes:

-erys, -ella/-ela, -ena, -enya, -mon/-mond, -gon, -gor, -gar, -ger, -lor, -lora, -kar, -enys, -ryn, -erea, -erion, -emion, -nar, -lon, -erra/-era, -eron, -gelle, -el, -elle, -gel, -lys, -lyx, -midon, -nara, -nora, -larr, -nor, and -nyra.

Those are the ones we know/have appeared in canon.

Looking at those, particularly the prefixes, we can make a few guesses on other prefixes that might also work for Valyrian names, for example:

Tae-, Kae-, Rae-, and Cae-.

AE is a popular point in valyrian names, so you can assume that any other letter followed by AE would work as a prefix.

Another thing I've noticed is that the names never seem to be more than three or four syllables which tend to 'flow' nicely into each other. Also, outside of the 'Jaehae' prefix, which can be seen as the 'Jae' and 'Hae' prefixes combined, none of the other prefixes seem to be used together in one name. It also seems to apply to suffixes as well.

So when making a valyrian name it's probably best to remember;

[prefix] + [suffix] = [name]

Hope you guys find this helpful!

((Credit to the OG creators of the 2 reddit posts!)

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I need a word for horny but not in a sexual way more just like wanting kisses and hugs and affection or something

This is a great question! The best way to write about desire in a way that makes readers feel invested is to write around it.

Instead of using just a single word, use language that hints at something simmering below the surface. That way, you build tension for your readers, making them invested in the outcome of your characters' relationships. Here are some tips for how to write romantic desire in various ways (including some handy synonyms at the end as well).

Unconscious movements

Covert glances

Licking and biting lips

Mirroring the other's movements

Parting or crossing of legs

Touching one's own skin

Swallowing more than usual

Blinking rapidly

Short breaths

Playing with one's hair

Fidgeting

Leaning closer than usual

Internal feelings

A fluttering heartbeat

Comfort in the other's presence

Knots in your stomach

The sensation of other sounds being muffled

Nervous tingling

Short of breath

Hypersensitivity

Sudden weakness

Thumping pulse

Emotional overwhelm

Goosebumps

Behaviours

Surrounding oneself with reminders of the object of desire (like things that smell of them, or an object they hold dear)

Creating reasons to spend more time with the other person

Loss of inhibition

Impatience and irritability

Setting active goals to attain the object of desire

Conscious and subconscious fixation

Changing oneself to better suit the other's wants

Feigning other interests to promote jealousy

Showing resolved desire

Finally feeling personally fulfilled

A sense of calm and peace

A shift in focus from pursuit to personal happiness

Feelings of contentment

A change of life priorities

Feeling like an obstacle has been overcome

A more relaxed manner or expression

Personal and romantic growth

Showing unrequited desire

Pining for lost love

Frustration and anger

Bottling one's feelings

Living in denial

Feeling rejected

Falling into a personally damaging pattern of pining for the wrong people

Strained friendships

A sense of disconnection and isolation

Some handy synonyms

Craving

Longing

Yearning

Wanting

Hunger

Thirst

Covet

Infatuation

Obsession

Attraction

Passion

Fascination

Lust

Pining

Aching

Burning

Need

Love

Devotion

Rapture

Appetite

Frenzy

Frisky

Amorous (thank you, @quotidias, for the contribution!)

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Is it Possible for an Idea to be Beyond Your Skill Level?

                I think writing as a skill is often underappreciated. In that, I mean I think even writers hold ourselves to a standard that no other creator does. Out of all the skills or hobbies, it’s probably one of the least physical ones, which is often seen as the “benchmark” for skill, or the limiting factor in someone improving something.

                For example, musicians get more nimble and can reach their notes quicker and more accurately, allowing them to play more difficult pieces. Athletes get stronger and gain in endurance, allowing them to score more goals or otherwise go farther in the season with their team.

                I see writers all the time who believe they should be able to do anything because they don’t have that physical benchmark to limit how far they can go, and then the draft doesn’t come out how they wanted it to, and they get discouraged.

                Here’s my take, writing as a skill is just like any other. It needs practice. It’s not something you’re either born with or not, it needs to be developed and strengthened.

                With that in mind—I promise your idea isn’t beyond you. No one is ever going to finish a perfect draft on their first try—that’s never how anything works, and it has nothing to do with how “talented” you are.

                Rewrite the scene until it’s capturing what you want it to. Rework that character until they are who you need them to be. Edit until your motifs are coming through. It’s all practice, every draft is another practice towards nailing the end product. Do you think artists nail drawing hands on their first try? What about on their tenth try?

                So why are you holding yourself to this idea that it’s taking too many drafts to perfect?

                It’s okay to keep trying. If you’re really struggling with realizing a concept, take it out of its context. Write the character you want to see in different situations separate from your project. Read how others have done something similar, take notes. Gather sources and inspiration for what you want to do. Reach out to other writer friends for advice.

                Overall, don’t not write because you think it’s beyond you. With a little bit of work and practice, there’s no story you can’t finish.

                Good luck!

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Types Of Professional Editing

There are many ways to edit your work. The editing process itself is most often broken down into 5 major categories, give or take. The 5 steps are like building a house! This is a brief description of each, and I will then make separate posts to further develop on each topic, so stay tuned and follow along!

Step 1: Developmental Editing (AKA conceptual editing)

This stage of editing is early in the writing process. The editor helps you plan and plot your story and gives you ideas to help organize your story so that it flows well. They tell you what’s working and what’s not. They do not write or rewrite anything, but are simply there to help you strategize and plan to avoid plot holes, work on pacing and help you create a story that everyone will love. This is the house building part of designing the house layout, pouring foundation and putting up the whole house! It’s a big job. (I wrote that in Mario’s voice)

Step 2: Structural Editing (AKA content or substantive editing)

Much like developmental editing, this stage of the process is all about big picture in a more specific way. Here the editor will work through chapters, paragraphs and go through your whole story in a detailed way to find errors in continuity, plot holes, incomplete sections and smooth out the story, working on tone, voice and your target audience. They may move lines or paragraphs around to help with flow. This is the house moving part where you are looking at every room, finding which room you want dedicated to what, and you start moving your larger items into the house like beds, TVs, tables, etc.

Step 3: Stylistic Editing (AKA line or comprehensive editing)

This step is much more in depth. The focus is on the flow and impact of every word in every sentence. The editor moves line by line, eliminating jargon and cliches, unclear sentence structures and using clear and precise words when it helps the story. You’re now getting reading to move into the house. You’re picking the perfect wall colour to match your sheets and the decor you have packed up in bins and picking the perfect spot for the rest of the your furniture.

Steps 4: Copy Editing

This step is very straight forward and should only be done once the book is completely finished. This is all about grammatical errors, punctuation and spelling. I promise you, you can’t get all of these on your own. Even professional editors may only be able to catch up to 90% of mistakes. Spelling and grammar mistakes can be hard to spot, but even just having a few in your book can make people put your story down and never pick it up again. You’re putting all your stuff away. Clothes go in the correct drawers, spices get lined up in the pantry, your cutlery is getting separated into their own groups and you’re organizing your books on the shelf.

Step 5: Proofreading

The final step! This is all finishing touches, going over everything for any lasting mistakes. This step is usually done after formatting and typesetting to make sure everything flows properly and nothing is missing before being send to print or publish. Finally settling into the house :) You’re putting up a couple paintings, fixing the scratches and scrapes that happened while moving in, and setting fresh flowers into a vase in the kitchen. You can finally relax and maybe even invite people over to see it.

Some people don’t get an editor, while others may have multiple. It’s best practice to have multiple to look over it, and that’s typically what happens at traditional publishing houses. LOL it’s so expensive though, so do what you can. Are there any of these that you feel you’ve got handled by yourself? Are there any of these that make you dread editing your future book?

Did you know I currently offer services for steps 1 and 5? Send me a message if you have any questions :)

Keep an eye out for a more in depth description and explanation of each one separately!

Happy Writing and Happy World Book Day!

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Hi there!. I'm new to writing and I'm wondering about where to post the finished ones (I have 2). I'm not looking forward for money, I just want people to read my stories. Can you give me suggestions.

First off, I just want to say a big thank you for submitting this question to me - it's always exciting to help someone share their creative work with the world. Now, you're in luck because promoting your stories and getting your writing out there isn't as daunting as it used to be, thanks to the wonderful world of the internet!

I’ll try to make this a short answer but knowing me i’ll probably make it too detailed (ha, ha)

(Also the websites I’ve listed with the 💫 are the best options for you)

Wattpad 💫

If you're an aspiring writer or simply love reading, then you've probably heard of Wattpad. With millions of users worldwide, it's undoubtedly one of the most popular online platforms for stories, fan fiction, and original works. The Pros and Cons of Wattpad While Wattpad has gained a massive following, some users find it a bit clustered, especially with advertisements and story recommendations on the side usually seen while reading a book on the platform. However, despite these minor inconveniences, the platform is easy to use, and you can easily find a following for your work. • Pros: • Easy to create a profile and start writing • Simple and user-friendly editor • Massive reader base • Opportunity to gain a following quickly • Cons: • Advertisements can be a bit overwhelming at times • Recommended stories can be off-topic or irrelevant

If you're new to Wattpad and want to know how to create a story, it's relatively easy to get started. First, create a profile and write a short bio. Then, you can start writing your story using the Wattpad editor or copy and paste your manuscript into the chapters. If you're unsure about how to create a story, don't worry. You can find plenty of tutorials online, or you can let me know, and I'll be happy to post a step-by-step guide.

Overall, Wattpad is an excellent platform for writers and readers alike. With a large selection of stories and a massive reader base, it's an excellent opportunity to share your work and find readers to your liking. Despite its minor flaws, it's undoubtedly worth checking out, especially in your situation.

Quotev 💫

Quotev is a website that offers users the ability to share their stories, quizzes, surveys, and more. It's a platform that has gained a lot of popularity in recent years, and many people are comparing it to other sites like Wattpad. While both sites are fantastic in their own right, there are some great reasons why Quotev stands out.

One of the best things about Quotev is the quality of stories available on the site. As a user, I have personally read some truly fantastic stories that have kept me engaged and entertained for hours on end. There are a lot of talented writers on Quotev, and the community is very supportive of new and upcoming writers.

Another great thing about Quotev is how easy it is to build an audience. Unlike other platforms where you need to do a lot of marketing in order to get your work seen, Quotev has a built-in audience that is always looking for new and interesting content. All you need to do is post your work, and people will start to find it.

The interface of Quotev is very simple and easy to use. This makes it easy for new users to navigate the site and start posting their work right away. You don't need to be a tech expert to use Quotev, and that's one of the reasons why it's so popular among writers and readers alike. (And also why I love it so much.)

Overall, Quotev is a fantastic platform for anyone who loves to read and write stories. It has a great community of writers and readers, and the quality of the stories on the site is truly impressive. I definitely recommend Quotev, It’s definitely worth checking out.

Medium 💫

Medium is a popular online publishing platform that allows users to share their thoughts, ideas, and stories with a vast audience. Medium aims to create a space for writers and readers to engage in meaningful conversations and exchange ideas. It has a user-friendly interface and offers diverse content, Medium has multiple different genres to choose from, including technology, business, culture, politics, and more. Medium offers a unique feature called "claps" that allows readers to express their appreciation for a piece of writing. The more claps a story receives, the higher the chances of it being featured on the platform's homepage, thus increasing its visibility. Additionally, Medium provides writers with an opportunity to monetize their content through the Medium Partner Program, wherein authors can earn money based on the engagement their stories receive. Overall, Medium serves as a valuable resource for both readers and writers by providing a platform for sharing ideas, (I would 100% recommend checking out this website, so you can post your stories.)

Reedsy Discovery

As a writer, I have found Reedsy to be one of my favorite websites. Not only do they offer a book editor that I personally use to write my manuscripts, but they also have an application called Reedsy Discovery that lets anyone discover new books to read.

If you want to start using Reedsy Discovery to post your stories, the first step is to create an account. Once you have an account, you can customize your author profile and figure out the genres that you enjoy reading.

Since your looking to post your two stories, you can submit your work to Reedsy Discovery, you can do so by clicking on the "Submit Your Work" option in the top menu. From there, you will be taken to a page where you can fill in the title, synopsis, and other details about your book. You can also upload your manuscript, whether it is a PDF or an EPUB file. Be sure to include information about the cover, genre, word count, and any other questions that they may ask. Additionally, you can customize your author bio to let readers know more about you and your work.

While Reedsy Discovery is a great platform for discovering new books, and to post your work, it is important to note that there is a fee of $50 if you want to publish your book on their platform. While this may not be the best option for everyone, it can be a great way to get your work in front of readers who are looking for new books to read.

Overall, Reedsy Discovery is a fantastic tool for both readers and writers. Whether you are looking to discover new books or publish your own work, this platform has everything you need to get started. But since you aren’t looking to charge your readers, I feel as if this isn’t the best option for you. But just in case for your future projects you want to publish and bring popularity to, this is a great option.

Amazon KDP

Amazon KDP is an exceptional platform for authors who want to publish their books, even if its a novel, non-fiction, or a cookbook. With Amazon KDP, you can create an account using your Amazon account details or create a brand new one. Before publishing your book, ensure that you add your author/publishing address information (address is mandatory).

Amazon KDP offers you several options like hardcover, paperback, series, and Kindle eBook. Among these, I would recommend the eBook. All you need to do is fill in the requirements, upload or create a book cover, and upload your manuscript file. You are free to set the price that you want to charge for your book.

If you want to give your publishing journey a professional approach, Amazon KDP is the perfect option for you. Even if you are not looking to earn money from readers, Amazon KDP can serve as an excellent platform to showcase your work. There’s a lot of great marketing additional features as well. (This is a good option if you want to receive revenue for your book, which you mentioned you didn’t but this is still an alternative option if you do want to have a professional publishing journey for your 2 finished books)

Barnes and noble press

Who doesn't love Barnes and Noble? If you're based in the US, you've probably visited this cozy bookstore at some point in your life. .But you can actually publish your novel on Barnes and Noble's website for free. (Literally) You can get your book on one of the most popular bookstores in the world without spending a dime. (I was surprised too.)

The first step to publishing your book on Barnes and Noble is to create an account. It's a simple process that takes only a few minutes. Once you have logged in, you need to verify your vendor account to gain access to the book publishing feature.

When you're ready to publish your book, go to the "Create Book" option on your account dashboard. You can choose between a print or an eBook format, depending on your preference.

After choosing your format, you can proceed to fill out the necessary details about your book. This includes the title, author, description, and other relevant information. Once you're done, you can submit your book for review.

If your book meets Barnes and Noble's publishing criteria, it will be available for purchase on their website. This is a great way to get your work out there and connect with readers who might not have discovered your book otherwise. If i’m not mistaken I think you can also charge your books for free on this website.

Google books (Partner Center)

Google Books offers a self-publishing option for authors. This platform allows writers to publish their work independently and reach a global audience. Authors can easily upload their books, set their own prices, and track sales and revenue. With Google Books, authors have full control over their content, and can even make changes or updates to their books anytime. This self-publishing option provides a great opportunity for writers to share their work with the world and grow their reader base. (I’m 90% positive you can make your novel price free of charge since I’ve downloaded ebooks for free on Google Books previously.)

Rakuten Kobo

Another website I found from my extensive research on self-publishing websites, was Rakuten Kobo, you can post your novel for absolutely free on Rakuten Kobo

Rakuten Kobo is an ebook retailer that offers a vast selection of digital books from various genres. It's a popular platform among readers, with millions of users worldwide. But I recently discovered that Rakuten Kobo also allows authors to publish their work for free.

The process of publishing your novel on Rakuten Kobo is simple and straightforward. All you need to do is create an account, upload your manuscript, and set the price. You can also opt to enroll in the Kobo Writing Life program, which offers additional benefits such as marketing tools and promotional opportunities.

What Are the Benefits of Publishing on Rakuten Kobo? • It's free: Unlike traditional publishing, you don't need to pay anything to publish your novel on Rakuten Kobo. You can even set the price of your book and earn revenue from every sale. • It's easy: You don't need to be a tech expert to publish your work on Rakuten Kobo. The platform is user-friendly and provides step-by-step instructions to guide you through the process. (similar to all the other websites I’ve listed) • It's global: Rakuten Kobo has a vast international reach, which means that your book can be accessible to readers from all over the world. • It's customizable: You have control over the pricing, distribution, and marketing of your book. You can even track your sales and revenue through the Kobo Writing Life dashboard.

Goodreads 💫

Goodreads is a popular platform for book lovers, allowing users to discover, review, and recommend books. One of my all-time favorite websites as well. One of its features is the self-publishing option, which allows authors to publish their work directly on the site. This option gives writers the opportunity to reach a wide audience and receive feedback from readers. Self-publishing on Goodreads can be a valuable tool for both new and established authors, as it puts their work in front of millions of potential readers and helps them build a dedicated fan base. I recommend checking the self-publishing option so you can publish those books of yours.

LuLu Publishing

(Sorry if this entire answer is long, but here’s a short summary for LuLu Publishing)

Lulu Publishing is a leading self-publishing platform that allows authors to create, publish, and sell their books. The website offers a user-friendly interface, providing tools and resources to help authors throughout the entire publishing process, from manuscript creation to distribution and marketing. With Lulu, authors have full control over their work, retaining copyrights and earning higher royalties than with traditional publishing. Additionally, Lulu's global distribution network ensures that authors' books can reach a wide audience, both in print and digital formats.

YouTube Comments (Yes, really) 💫

As an author or writer, it is important to get your work out there for people to see. I wanted to make sure to list a good promotion idea for your finished books. One effective way to do this is through social media platforms such as YouTube. However, you cannot simply post your entire manuscript in a YouTube comment. Instead, a great marketing strategy is to find popular playlist videos that match the theme of your book. For example, if one of your finished books is about a mysterious death in a boarding school, try finding a playlist with a similar theme or vibe. Once you have found a suitable playlist, you can post teasers and even promotions for your book in the comments section. • Make sure to keep your teasers short and engaging. • Include a link to your book's website or social media page to drive traffic to your work. • Engage with your audience by responding to comments and questions. By utilizing this marketing strategy, you can reach a wider audience and potentially gain new readers. It is important to be creative and think outside of the box when it comes to promoting your work. That’s the main reason I wanted to list YouTube.

Conclusion

Sorry for the lengthy answer, I always write too much in my blogs, but I wanted to make sure the information is as helpful as possible for you so you won't have to search the web extensively. Hopefully, you will be able to publish one of your books on at least two of these websites. -Ren

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Who Is Ren T.

Hello everyone, this is my personal blog, where I post my short stories, manuscript chapters, and anything else that interests me. My main blog is TheWriteAdviceForWriters

Why did I create TheWriteAdviceForWriters

Writing is my dream, I love the art of writing stories created from your mind and imagination. I've always had a big imagination since I was young. Once I discovered I wanted to be a writer. I went straight ahead to researching. There were many websites that helped with creative writing and it was so helpful to have an already made guide for new writers or any leveled writers. I also always had a passion for teaching and bringing knowledge to others, I love researching and learning about things that really interest me. So, I thought why not make a blog/brand to help writers like myself? and that's where it began...

Where did I come up with the name

I wanted people to be attracted to my brand, and wanted to let others know I'll be giving them the right advice, So I decided to change "right" into "write" to make it sound more wittful.

What does TheWriteAdviceForWriters Offer?

I wanted to make TheWriteAdviceForWriters as flexible as possible, with the goal to have EVERYTHING you need to start your writing journey. TWAFWs offers-

Great advice for writing fiction

How to guides for a variety of topics in creative writing

Modern & aesthetic workbooks for you to print or fill in digitally

A vast range of new, underrated and popular resources for writers

A blogger who answers your questions with informative details (me)

Notion Templates

Templates of any kind, like blurb templates, YouTube descriptions template, synopsis templates and more

New book recommendations, and even book reviews

Guides on your author social media

A YouTube channel with everything you need for writing

Another YouTube Channel for playlists to listen to while working/writing

Secret tips and tricks for writing (In any fiction genre)

Courses for fiction

An upcoming proofreading and editing service (Coming soon)

A Discord community for writers

Tutorials and more

I wanted to make sure to make this the place for every writer. There's still so much upcoming to this brand that I have in stored for writers like you.

What is the upcoming proofreading and editing service?

I'm working on a service to help you with your stories. Perhaps there's something with your story that isn't sitting right with you. Like you fell into a plot hole or need ideas, need to make your prose prettier or just need better scenes. I'm working on a service just for writers to help them with any of those problems. It's still a WIP

But it's going to be pretty big for writers alike, and the best part there's going to be a FREE option. So excited honestly!

Ren T.'s Bio

My name is Ren T. And I love writing historical fiction, fantasy, romance, thriller, and everything between. I own TheWriteAdviceForWriters a brand to help you with your creative writing journey.

small Q&A

Where are you from? The USA California

What's your name? - Ren T. But call me Ren

What's your dream? - To publish many novels. And study at Oxford

How long does it take you to write your blogs? - It usually takes me a day or two, or if it's short perhaps around five hours. I work really hard with researching and writing, my goal for my blog posts is to sound as professional and witty as possible to make it entertaining. I usually write 1-2 blog posts a day and post them when I think is the best time.

Anyways please enjoy TheWriteAdviceForWriters and if you'd like to see my personal writing, like manuscript chapters, updates on my up and coming features for TWAFWs brand follow RenWritingCorner.

(I'm working on multiple social media accounts. So, stay tuned for those.)

Also follow my Wordpress website https://thewriteadviceforwriters.wordpress.com

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Throw Out Your Daily Word Count Goal

                (Unless it works for you, of course.) But I’m beginning to realize that having a daily word count goal is really unhelpful for me. The main reason why is that I either shudder over the challenge and stall out and don’t write at all. OR, I get on a good roll, write my goal, and then stop myself there so that I can theoretically “pick up” on it again the next day and have another easy writing day. Then, the next day the words just aren't there like they were before--or I've forgotten where exactly I was going on said roll.

                Either way, it just wasn't working for me.

                Of course, word count goals can allow you to just get words onto the page when you wouldn’t have otherwise—and if you find it helpful, you should absolutely continue to use it.

                For me, what I’m finding way more beneficial is to let myself off the hook more. Instead, my goal is to write at least five days a week. It counts if it’s five words, it counts if it’s 2000, it counts if it’s just editing the last chapter I just did. I get two days off if I need it to recharge/read/step away from the project for a bit, but there’s limited pressure.

                Instead, the ‘pressure’ (or rather, motivation) comes from having a writing buddy to follow the project through. This is another thing that’s not going to work for everyone, but I need someone to be reading my work throughout. My writing buddies give me feedback, ask questions, but most importantly, create a sense of ‘responsibility’. I have someone to write to—a reason to finish the chapter.

                The best writing goal is the one that gets you to write, and to enjoy it while you do it. What kind of goals do you guys set that work for you?

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Bad Pacing Advice

Anything that can go wrong, should go wrong. Right?

Not necessarily.

This is really common advice for when a plot feels flat or boring. And sometimes, it's really good advice. But sometimes, it the worst advice you could get. It really depends on why the plot is feeling flat.

A plot is made up of beats: events that have to happen in order to move the plot forward. Another way of saying this is, what things need to happen before the story's conflict can be resolved?

When a plot is falling flat, it generally has one of three problems. Either there aren't enough story beats, the story is moving too quickly from one beat to another, or the story is moving too slowly from one beat to another.

Making things go wrong is good advice if there aren't enough story beats. Too few beats means there might be too much space between beats where the story can sag and get boring. In other words, slow pacing. It can also make the conflict seem too easy to resolve, because story beats are often obstacles that need to be overcome before the story can satisfactorily end.

However, if your story is moving too quickly between beats, making things go wrong isn't always the right answer. It can work if you deliberately use a set-back to delay getting between two points that would otherwise be too close. But just making something go wrong for the sake of it will only add more beats to the story, it won't slow them down.

If your story is moving too slowly, making more stuff go wrong is about the worst thing you can do. At best it just makes your story longer. At worst, it adds new beats between your already existing beats, increasing the distance between them even more. It might seem counter intuitive but making things go wrong (killing a character, losing a fight, getting captured, friendship and relationship drama etc.) can actually slow your pacing down more.

I notice this issue a lot in epic fantasy stories. Maybe it's just me, but I find when things are constantly going wrong -- when the plot isn't getting any closer to being resolved because every time the characters try to take a step forward they end up worse off than before -- I get frustrated and bored. I just start thinking "here we go again. Get to the point!!"

Sometimes your characters need to succeed too. Good pacing isn't making your characters fail at every opportunity. It's knowing when to let them fail and when it's time to move forward.

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The Darkest Hour for your Protagonist

Also known as the “crisis” or the moment when all hope is lost for your protagonist. The Darkest Hour is when your character hits rock bottom and that “happy ending” just seems unreachable. In this scene, success for your protagonist appears impossible.

What could be a Darkest Hour?

In my opinion, you want your darkest hour to be as dark as possible. Push things to the extreme, create stakes, and hurt your protagonist.  

• Not just any death, but the death of someone your protagonist loves (did your protagonist fail to save them? They now blame themselves.)

• Not just a mild injury, but a serious and life-threatening one (does this injury follow your protagonist into the end of the story? Permanently?)

• Use their fears against them (if they’re afraid of snakes, don’t just have one appear… have them fall into a pit of them.)

• Make your protagonist lose all hope and put their insecurities on full display (they’re embarrassed and ashamed in front of everyone.)

• Attack their mentality just as much as their physicality. (Betrayals, lies, deceptions, self-doubts.)

When does it happen?

Typically, the Darkest Hour occurs right before the climax. Your protagonist is at their all-time low until they have an “a-ha!” moment and gain the hope, strength, or resources to overcome their conundrum and push into the climax of the story.

How does my Protagonist overcome their crisis?

There are numerous ways that your protagonist can trudge out of the mud and gain the strength to continue fighting. They could do it independently and prove themselves a true hero, pull hope from memories and past encounters, receive aid from allies, divine intervention, etc. 

Why is the Darkest Hour Important?

The Darkest Hour is vital to a character’s arc and story because, during their all-time low, their true nature is revealed. Their insecurities, flaws, and fears are all out on the table and the readers get to see them at their most vulnerable. Watching them overcome the crisis shows the reader their growth as a character.

⭐ Show the readers how much your protagonist has grown. If this crisis happened at the beginning of your story, your protagonist would NOT have been able to overcome it. Only through their growth, learning, and plot experiences… are they able to overcome it now.

⭐THIS IS WHERE YOUR PROTAGONIST CAN FINALLY SEE THEIR MISBELIEF/FLAW.

During or after your protagonist’s Darkest Hour is an amazing place for your protagonist to realize the flaw in their thinking (their misbelief). 

Referring back to older posts, your protagonist needs to have a “flaw” or “misbelief”. A false way of thinking that eventually, they will realize is wrong.

• “I’ll never be good enough.” • “Magic is wrong and I will never use it.” • “All aliens are evil and need to be eliminated.” 

This misbelief should have been impeding on your character through the entire plot, causing them conflict and turmoil. After fighting for survival in their darkest moment, they realize they were thinking wrong all along.

• A character reminds your protagonist that they are good enough. • Your protagonist sees magic being used to heal their allies and realizes finally that it can be used for good. • An alien saves your protagonist from a bullet and suddenly your character sees that not all aliens are bad.

Instagram: coffeebeanwriting   

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Introduction

When writing a novel, creating a vivid and memorable main character is essential to engage readers. One way to achieve this is by crafting a detailed and compelling description of their physical appearance. In this post, we will discuss how to write a character's appearance, especially the main character, to create a picture that resonates with your readers.

Describing the Main Character's Appearance

When describing the appearance of your main character, it's important to consider the role they play in the story. This will help you determine the level of detail and the type of language you use to describe them. For example, if your main character is a detective, you might focus on their sharp eyes, the lines on their face, and the way they hold themselves. These details help create an image of a focused and determined individual, which fits the character's role.

Another important factor to consider is your audience. Are they young adults, fantasy lovers, or mystery readers? Each genre has its own conventions that can influence how you describe your main character. For example, a young adult reader might appreciate a description of a main character's stylish clothing, while a fantasy reader might prefer a more detailed description of the character's physical features, such as the shape of their ears or the color of their eyes.

Using Sensory Details

To create a vivid and compelling description of your main character's appearance, use sensory details. Sensory details involve using the five senses (sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell) to describe the world around your characters. For example, if your main character has curly hair, you might describe the way it bounces and catches the light, the sound it makes when they shake their head, and the way it feels when someone runs their fingers through it. Using sensory details can help your readers feel like they are a part of the story and create a powerful emotional connection.

Avoiding Clichés

When describing your main character's appearance, it's important to avoid clichés. Clichés are overused phrases or descriptions that can make your writing seem unoriginal or generic. For example, describing your main character's eyes as "sparkling like diamonds" is a cliché that has been used countless times in literature. Instead, try to come up with descriptions that are unique and specific to your character. This will help make them stand out in your reader's mind and create a more memorable reading experience.

Conclusion

Crafting a detailed and compelling description of your main character's appearance is essential to engaging readers and creating a memorable story. By considering the character's role in the story, and your audience, and using sensory details, you can create a vivid picture in your reader's mind. Remember to avoid clichés and come up with unique descriptions that capture the essence of your character. With these tips, you can write a character's appearance, especially the main character, that will resonate with your readers and bring your story to life.

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How To Have a Good Beta Reading Experience (or: what I've learned from 3 years of beta reading)

So lately I've been having a lot of discussions about beta reading with my discord groups so I thought I would write it out here and also share some resources I've used over the years.

This is mostly by and for writers, however readers can learn from this post as well!

DISCLAIMER: I'm by no means a writing expert, but I have been either beta reading others' books, or having my own stories beta read consistently since 2020. THIS IS ALL PERSONAL EXPERIENCE/OPINION. Others may agree or disagree ❤️

Here are the main points I'm going to talk about in this post, and I'll do it under the cut to save your dash space:

Understanding Alpha vs. Beta Readers

Choosing Readers

Being Clear About Feedback

Swapping / Compensation

The Importance of Writing Community/Groups

Websites/Resources for Finding Beta Readers

1. Understanding Alphas vs. Betas

So this is extremely important and for me, this may be the difference between me finishing your book or not. Many times, especially from new writers who had never had anyone read their work before, had extremely rough drafts that were barely coherent and were NOT beta ready, but asked me to beta read. I am not a person who can look past extensive grammar errors, nor am I the kind of person who will sit and fix all your grammar line-by-line for you.

Alpha Readers - for first/second drafts

Beta Readers - for polished drafts

It is ok for alpha reads to be unpolished and have grammar issues, and it's even ok if they have plot issues, continuity errors, etc. Because alpha readers are there for that purpose: to be the first eyes on your story and help you find and fix those issues.

The issue I have had over and over, though, is people asking for a beta reader when what they really needed was an alpha. I went in expecting a polished draft and got someone's Draft 0. In some cases, I got 100k drafts where the writer obviously had no idea how to format dialogue grammar and every single dialogue was wrong. Obviously this made me slow and in many cases, unable to finish.

Alpha readers will go in expecting it to be unpolished, and will be prepared to look past grammar/stylistic errors in order to focus on the big picture issues (plot holes, character consistency, pacing/engagement issues, etc). A Beta may be too frustrated by an unpolished draft to finish it or provide the feedback you're looking for. If you have been experiencing a lot of betas backing out and not finishing your work, you might consider this as a possible reason why.

I would also recommend, if you have never had anyone read your work before, even if you have had multiple drafts, it might be safest to ask for alphas rather than betas.

A quick way to see if your work is beta ready (again, personal experience): Pick up a published book from the shelf in your genre. Does your book read similarly? Does your formatting & grammar look the same? Bonus: read it out loud! If reading the published book out loud is significantly easier than reading yours out loud, you're probably in the alpha stage.

TL;DR: Understand your draft and which level of reader your draft is ready for. Know the difference between polished and unpolished, and be upfront about it.

2. Choosing Alphas/Betas

You may not like it but: Just because someone is your friend, real life or online, does not mean they will make a good reader for you.

#1 MOST IMPORTANT: GET READERS WHO LIKE & REGULARLY READ YOUR GENRE!

I cannot stress this enough. As someone who writes vampire content, I cannot begin to express to you the amount of useless comments I got from readers who had clearly never read a vampire book in their life.

You need someone who is familiar with your genre and you likes your synopsis/blurb.

Caveat: that said, I did find a few great betas who had never read vampire content before and gave awesome feedback. However, these readers knew and admitted they knew nothing about the paranormal genre, and because of that did not make any comments on worldbuilding, instead sticking to plot and character development only. Some readers can't make this separation.

Another thing I would recommend, especially if you are swapping or the beta reader is also a writer/on writeblr, I would recommend reading their writing before having them beta read. If you read their excerpts and see that it's really unpolished or a style that's vastly different than yours, that might change whether you want them to read for you.

In my most recent beta round, I used a google form to do a quick survey to see who was interested in beta reading. This worked really well for me and I would recommend it! You can also use this to make all potential readers agree to not share/distribute/plagiarize your work, so you have it in writing just in case someone were to try something.

This was also a great way to see which genres they usually read and how many times they have beta read in the past!

TL;DR: Get readers who LIKE your genre. Read their writing and see how they write. Use an online signup form to narrow down.

3. Be Clear About The Type of Feedback You Want

This is perhaps the second most important thing when you get readers. Many readers will shy away from reading your work if you have nothing in mind for them to look out for. Also, being clear about this shows that you 1) know it isn't perfect and needs work and 2) you have insight into what the issues already are.

For Alphas, these traits are what I have found to be the most helpful:

Immediate inline reactions - particularly emotional engagement and pointing out lines that resonated with them

NO grammar/stylistic comments (unless incomprehensible)

Questioning of worldbuilding, character decisions, and character development - particularly if confusing or unclear

Comments on action sequences & their readability

Comments on believability of the plot points/progression

For Betas, these are what have been most helpful to me:

Comments on grammar, especially if repetitive

Stylistic comments, particularly for over-used words or noticeably repetitive sentence structures

Comments on pacing

Comments on plot initiation point and buildup/execution of the climax

Not questioning my worldbuilding/plot and trusting that what I have written is intentional. Only pointing out areas that have on-page evidence of inconsistencies.

Everything above is simply personal preference. You might find other comments to be better for alphas/betas. However, being upfront about which comments you want or don't want can drastically change which people want to read for you!

Some readers are obsessed with in-depth inline grammar/style comments, some aren't at all. Some writers LOVE these in-depth grammar comments, and some don't. Being clear about what you want is the best way to make sure you and your readers are compatible for the stage of editing you're at.

4. Swapping / Compensation

So this one I might have a bit of an unpopular opinion, but I wanted to cover it because so many people talk about it on here and other sites.

Again, based on my personal experience, swapping and compensation does not mean you're going to get better feedback or have a better experience or relationship with readers.

For the record, for everyone who beta reads for me—and finishes—I always offer to read theirs, even if it's a genre I don't like.

Personally, I have never tried compensation (re: money) for beta readers. However, there are a few issues I've come across with swapping:

Mine was beta ready and theirs was unpolished first draft

Our types of feedback didn't align

Our genre preferences didn't align

Their feedback was nowhere near as high quality or constructive as mine

In these cases, one or both of us burnt out on reading the others' work, and then we'd both bail. Especially with #4, it was very disheartening for me to spend hours finding their plot holes, helping them come up with ways to fix them, for them to then write 1 paragraph about what they thought of my story that was extremely surface level. To me, that wasn't even a swap, and was practically worthless. There was even one who got sensitive about the feedback I was providing (which was a queer sensitivity read) and then left almost identical comments on my story, which weren't even relevant. It was like revenge-commenting.

All this to say: I have had positive experiences with swaps. My alpha for twtr was a swap and I really enjoy her work and she enjoys mine, and we will probably continue to swap forever.

This goes back to #2 above: be picky & choose your readers well. Your story is your baby, and it deserves to be critiqued by people who value you and your story, and want to help you make it the best possible version of itself.

To summarize, I have had two good swapping experiences. I have had 10+ good uncompensated betas—with an offer for me to read their stuff when it's ready. Do with that what you will.

5. Writing Community / Groups

On to a more positive note! I have had the best experience here on writeblr, and this is coming from someone who has tried multiple other communities (which I discuss in the last section below). Having my own discord server from tumblr, joining a few other writers' discord servers, has completely changed the game regarding finding consistent betas, more resources, and just having an overall much more positive time writing and editing.

Writeblr keeps me grounded, keeps me hopeful, and even if I share something that doesn't get tons of notes, it's so nice to have interaction. It's so nice to give and get back, consistently.

I do want to emphasize the importance of giving to get back. If no one is liking/interacting with your excerpts, tag/ask games, etc. then that's probably because you're not interacting with them! It's very important to show interest in other people's work!!

I'm not saying you need to jump onto everyone's taglists for all their wips, but join the ones that genuinely interest you the most. Play in ask/tag games consistently. Follow writers back who follow you (if they post things you're interested in, ofc).

I have the same amount of followers as the people I follow right now, and I think that goes to show that people reciprocate here on writeblr! It's a lovely community and don't be afraid to reach out ❤️

I have found almost ALL my recent betas from my tumblr and discord groups. They have been lovely so far and I would highly recommend building up community here if you are interested in finding betas.

6. Websites/Resources for Finding Betas

Alright, last section. Thanks for bearing with me. I'm going to go through the sites I have used, and why I still use them, or why I dropped them.

Scribophile

So, for starters, this is one I don't use anymore. This was the site I first used when I had a polished draft in 2020 and had no idea how to get feedback. Essentially, they have a point-system. The more comments you make, the more points you get, and then when you have 3 points, you can post a chapter. It continues in a cycle.

Pros: Personally, I think the site helped me a lot in realizing what a bad critique looks like (which is helpful!) and also helped me learn which comments/feedback types work for me, and which don't. I don't regret my time there by any means, and I found one life-long friend and beta reader there I wouldn't trade for the world. It also allows you to post/remove your story and the readers don't have direct access to it—meaning if they want to download/steal/plagiarize, they'd have to copy and paste or screenshot chapter by chapter. It's a little safety precaution.

Cons: It's not the best place to get constructive feedback. The issue with their system is it encourages quantity over quality in critiques. Because of that, you'll get strangers rewriting your entire chapter in their own style so they get 2-3 points for one critique, but... was any of it actually helpful to you? Maybe, maybe not. It's also random, so you can't control who comments on your stuff, and they might just comment to get points even if they hate your genre. I also don't think it's fair to have to do 3-5 chapter critiques in order to save up enough points to post ONE chapter of your own. And if you want to post your story for full beta reads and control who reads it and who doesn't, you have to subscribe monthly.

So I keep an eye on it occasionally to look through their forums on writing, agents, publishing, etc. But most of the forums gets nasty, because there are a lot of really pretentious writers who think they know all the rules. If you join small groups (e.g. sub-groups based on diversity, etc) they tend to have better and more meaningful discussions.

Personally, I would never use it for beta/alpha/feedback ever again. This is the site where most of my bad swaps came from. But you might find it useful! So I thought I would share it.

Nanowrimo Forums

This is another one I don't use anymore, but might consider reusing in the future. The biggest issue I have with nanowrimo is that a lot, and I mean A LOT, of these participants are first-time writers and have no concept of what polished vs. unpolished even means. I did find two really good swaps there (actually the only two good full swaps I've had) but those were very hard to find.

There is also the issue that a good chunk of them only write during November, not year round. So for finding consistent, year-long partners, this is not the best option. I'm a member of 2 discords that have all fallen silent as soon as Nano actually ended.

Also, in my experience, asking questions about anything related to "controversial" topics (especially trans and minority ethnic groups) becomes toxic very quick, which is unfortunate. There are even a few moderators who seem to be contributing to the toxic/immature discussions rather than fixing them/shutting them down, which is the main reason I stopped using it.

However, it's a GREAT place to get free, simple covers! Their artisan section is fantastic and there are a lot of people there willing to make basic covers/banners for you for free.

BetaBooks

I've only been using this one about a month so far, but I'm really liking it. It's set up that you can invite betas to your story specifically, or you can look through a beta reader library, read their profiles, and invite them to see if they're interested.

This is essentially an alternative to Scribophile. It allows you to post your story online and find betas and become a beta.

Why I like it better than Scribophile: it's not a point-based system, meaning it's uncompensated so the readers have nothing to gain other than enjoying/helping your story. There's no hard feelings if someone bails. It allows you to see all comments in one place (which Scrib can't do). (And with discount codes found through google, it's cheaper, too. Message me if you need help with this 👀)

It also is all online, easily removable, so readers would have to copy/paste or screenshot chapter-by-chapter to steal it. So again, just a little safety net that makes me feel better.

Writeblr

Yep, that's right. Right here. Actually right here on tumblr has been where I have found the most beta readers and in the shortest time. I talked about this in the section before so I won't regurgitate. But there's a reason why this community is so long-lasting. It really is the best one out there I've found.

TL;DR / IN CONCLUSION:

Know where your book is in terms of reader-readiness. Know the difference between alphas/betas and polished/unpolished. Know the types of feedback that work for you and specifically request it when recruiting betas.

Interact with a community. Give interaction in order to receive, and don't expect people to reblog/like your content if you don't reach out first. Join small, niche writing community discords. Find like-minded writers.

Decide to swap or not, but this won't make or break you.

There are many writing communities out there designed to help you not only find betas, to provide beta-reading feedback forms and commentary. Try them out and see what works best for you.

And above all, thank Writeblr for being such a lovely community ❤️

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Fictional worldbuilding

I have this list I compiled of topics for developing of countries, whether fantasy based or not, and it seems to be a useful resource to share. Feel free to use this list to develop your own lore, but DO NOT claim it as your own or repost. It's pretty long, but I think it covers a lot of relevant topics for worldbuilding.

General

∎ Country name - Etymology if possible - Reasons for the name ∎ Does it take inspiration for a historical time period, aesthetic, or culture ∎ What sort of government is it

Important Places

∎ Main cities - Layout of the city - Economic or historical importance ∎ Other cities and places of importance - Ports - Mine cities - Scholarly cities ∎ Seasonal or turistic places

Climate and Terrain

∎ Important lakes, rivers, mountain chains or other geographically relevant places ∎ Seasons ∎ Climate in general ∎ How does the terrain affect daily habits ∎ Important plants - Agriculture - Crops for export ∎ Important animals - Livestock

Government

∎ System of government - Nobility/aristocracy -- Titles and inheritance/eligibility of titles - Merchant class ∎ Current and past rulers

Social customs

∎ Entertainment - Common forms of entertainment - Games - Cultural/social forms of enterteinment (go to parties/go to the movies/go out to eat/etc) ∎ Seasonal entertainment - Vacations - Seasonal high class customs ∎ Customs regarding reading and books ∎ Customs towards addictive substances - Alcohol - Tobacco - Opioids - Other stuffs ∎ Education and educational system ∎ Houses - Home layouts - Common things in houses ∎ Rites of passage - Age to be presented as adult to the society and customs regarding it ∎ Manners and behaviour in public ∎ Religion - Possible gods - Holidays - Festivals ∎ Customs regarding music - Musical instruments

Notions of family

∎ Inheritance laws ∎ Marriage and concepts of marriage - Marriage rituals - Who is allowed to wed who - Divorce - Customs toward conjugal and domestic violence - Polygamy -- Extraconjugal affairs --- Bastards ∎ Adoption ∎ Division of domestic labor and roles

Economy

∎ Coin and values ∎ Important internal products ∎ Main imports ∎ Main exports ∎ Important commercial relations

Fashion

∎ Common feminine fashion ∎ Common masculine fashion ∎ Concepts about clothing - What is seen as vulgar - What is seen as desirable ∎ Fashion and rites of passage ∎ Hairstyles and adornments

Names and language

∎ Base language ∎ Linguistic influences ∎ Working of names - Family names -- Patronymic and matronymic - Personal names

Magic and technology

∎ Magic - Practice of magic - Permissions within magic - Common and uncommon forms of magic ∎ Magic creatures of importance ∎ Level of technology ∎ Daily uses of technology

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Reasons your Novel Might get Rejected

Thinking of publishing traditionally? Here are some reasons why a publishing agency might reject your book. Don’t let any of these reasons keep you from writing, but rather help you strengthen your craft!

1) Your target audience is unclear. Are you writing for middle-grade boys or adult females? Suburban single mothers or war-enthusiast who love everything weaponry and explosive? Of course, your story can end up appealing to multiple categories of people (take Harry Potter for example). But if you know who your prime reader is, you’ll be able to use the correct language, voice, and reading level for them.

2) Your query letter or synopsis is lacking and doesn’t hook the agency. A query letter and synopsis are two different things presented to an agent or publishing company. You must be able to properly sum up your  book in an interesting way for an agency to want to peruse your novel. You have to pique their interest.

A query letter is a brief summary used to capture the attention of an agent/publishing company. A sales pitch one might say. It typically contains your story’s main hook, some details about the book (genre, similar books, etc.), and some facts about yourself. If the query letter is successful, the agency will go on to read your synopsis/pages.

A synopsis is a summary of your entire book from start to finish and what happens in it (including character arcs and plot). This is all done in less than two pages.

3) Predictability. It may be predictable characters, or the plot itself. Either way, predictability isn’t good. What’s the point of reading a book if you can already predict the events? Conflict is the heart of all stories and if your book lacks conflict/stakes, it can become predictable. Give your characters inner conflict just as much as you do physical. Make it difficult for readers to know what your character will do.

4) Your story starts way too early. From what I’ve researched, a huge reason why books get declined is that they start wayyy before anything happens. You’re revealing tons of background information or your character is doing pointless things when they should be approaching the inciting incident. The inciting incident is the scene that launches your character on their journey and should happen sooner than later! 

5) You aren’t balancing showing vs. telling. Contrary to popular belief, a novel should have a bit of both (but… probably more showing). If you spend every scene in extreme detail, you risk slowing your story down. If you tell everything, you aren’t immersing your reader.

6) You’re spending too much time in Act 1. A story consists of three Acts. The beginning, middle, and end. The rising action/set-up, the middle/climax, and the resolution. Don’t spend too much time in Act 1 setting things up. You’ll want to properly pace your story so that it doesn’t drag on too long before hitting the heart of the story.

7) Simply… bad writing/grammar. Also, consistent POV is important. This one is self-explanatory, but if you care about what happens in your story, you should also care about the grammar and prose! Typically, hiring editors is a step you must do before taking your novel to a publishing agency.

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