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Lumina and Lucinda were having a heated but extremely quiet argument in the reverentially hushed public library. The librarian at the large main desk was attempting to make pointed eye contact, but they were fighting out the eternal struggle of the lactose intolerant and their long suffering loved ones, and the two sisters were going to settle it now, once and for all. Their search for the library's only copy of an obscure Kurt Vonnegut novel had long since fallen to the wayside.

Lucinda leaned closer and hissed, "I had to go to three different stores to find nondairy butter for the Thanksgiving potatoes, and you drank a glass of milk every day of elementary school! If you were really lactose intolerant, I would be, too. We're identical twins."

"You are! Remember a week ago you came to me before your date asking if I had medicine because you said you could fart to the moon like jet propulsion?"

The librarian had heard enough and uncerimoniously kicked them out. Even the parking lot was quiet. Lucinda stormed to her truck. Lumina's lime green compact car cheerfully beeped as it unlocked, but she was having none of it. She stewed in her anger as she drove a few miles back to her townhouse.

She settled onto the couch with a small glass of white wine, and her husky puppy chewed on her left hand in an affectionate kind of way. She earnestly decided to join the fight against Big Cheese... but forgot about it after she had another glass.

Lucinda called and very humbly apologized. Lactose intolerant people all over the world felt validated for a moment and didn't know why. Lucinda said she had to jump out of an airplane tomorrow for National Guard training. Lumina said that if she had to do that, she'd have a fucking heart attack. Then Lucinda came over with her boyfriend to watch the football game.

She brought dumplings. All was forgiven.

This is just a personal essay I wrote. I like to write for fun but I’m wondering how I could add a little bit more depth.

EDIT: JUST AN IDEA GUYS, SEEING IF ITS WORTH PURSUING

In the sky above a world not our own, a war raged, its echoes shaking the very fabric of reality. The kingdoms of beast and mind clashed, with the sky torn asunder by the ferocity of the battle. Amidst this chaos, King Zorak, a majestic union of lion's courage and gorilla's intellect, stood as a beacon of both power and wisdom. His body was a testament to his heritage: the golden mane of a lion contrasting with the formidable build of a gorilla. Sensing the tide of the war shifting, he knew it was time to ascend to the highest peak, a place where only the truest mixture of ape and feline could reach. With a roar that shook the heavens and a chest beat that echoed like thunder, he then punched the air, breaking the barrier between worlds, creating a portal that led directly into the small canopy bungalow where a gorilla family slept. With no time to lose, he handed the cub, named "Azari," to the mother. The cub, with the sleek, spotted fur and slender frame of a feline predator, carried a look of speed and grace, yet his eyes bore the depth of an ape. Zorak communicated through sign language that this was indeed an ape.

The mother gorilla, sensing the urgency and sincerity in Zorak's signs, cradled the cub close, her maternal instincts immediately taking over. The father, however, was struck not only by the cub's unusual appearance but also by the presence of Zorak, whose aura carried the weight of the war that raged in the background. He sensed an ape bond with the cub, seeing the essence of their kind in those wide, curious eyes, but the echoes of the distant conflict made him momentarily question this new reality. They decided to name him "Geetah," a name inspired by his spotted coat, speed, and the mysterious origin that wrapped around him like the jungle's secrets. Years passed, and Geetah grew, his form transforming from that of a lithe cub into a more gorilla-like build, retaining the spotted fur, but with subtle feline features - the pointed ears, a feline nose, and a tail that flicked with agility. His teeth were a mix, sharp like a predator's but strong like an ape's, giving him a fearsome bite. His strength and speed made him both protector and enigma. His nature became starkly evident when, one day, in a display of his dual heritage, he stalked an elephant with the precision and speed of a feline predator. Once he subdued the beast, his blows were not just crushing but bloody, fueled by a thirst that seemed insatiable. After the elephant fell, Geetah didn't just stand over his conquest; he ate, tearing into the flesh with a ferocity that was both mesmerizing and horrifying to witness.

His family and friends, watching from the shadows, were struck silent, their reactions a mix of awe at his raw power, fear at the sight of such violence, and a deep, unspoken concern for what this could mean for their peaceful existence. Instead of feeling remorse, Geetah felt a different kind of guilt; not for the act itself but for the hunger that remained unsatisfied. He was left craving more, wrestling with an inner beast that seemed to grow with each meal, further confusing his identity and his place in this world. This incident left him not with shame for what he had done but with a longing for more, highlighting his disconnect from the jungle's natural order, and igniting a turmoil within him that questioned his very nature.

His best friend, Pip, a vibrant toucan with a coat of colors mirroring the jungle's vibrancy, was often saved by Geetah from their natural predators, disrupting the circle of life but forging a bond beyond mere survival. One day, Pip, in his playful exploration, climbed higher than usual, reaching a vantage point where he glimpsed a short break in the sky—a portal. From it, he saw a creature that bore an uncanny resemblance to himself, yet with subtle mixes of traits not native to toucans, reminiscent of how Geetah was a blend of species. This creature's appearance, with feathers that shimmered like the stars and eyes that held wisdom beyond the simple joy of flight, urged Pip to fetch Geetah. Frustrated by his own confusion about his identity, Geetah, at Pip's urging, struck the air in frustration, his fist meeting an unseen density. With each hit, the portal began to crack, finally revealing the world on the other side. As he stepped through, curious and ready to face his heritage, Pip watched, his heart a mix of excitement and worry for his friend's new journey.

For a crime thriller project they say that foreshadowing the twist is good and part of the fun, but also so it doesn't feel like it doesn't come out of nowhere, and I can include scenes that help foreshadow the twist.

However, including those extra scenes will slow down the pacing and I wonder if I should just cut them in favor of a quicker pace and get to the more important points more, over foreshadowing. Unless no and foreshadowing is worth it even if it means the pace is slower?

Thank you very much for any input on this. I really appreciate it!

PAPER STREETS

Despite my age I’ve lived many lives. Each of my decisions have been painfully thought over. The kicker is, I never know what to choose. I’d like to live in the moment and not to feel like I’m stuck in eternity. Each of life’s little decisions to me has untold roads to follow, streets to see and moments to live in. Simple decisions are meticulously thought through. What time will I do my food shop at? What time would I have to leave to be on time for class? Will I meet the lads for a coffee or food? I can’t stop myself following each road. Starting the journey is just as terrifying as thinking of the end.Experiencing every persons reactions to me as I walk, who might talk to me or someone I’d have the courage to go and introduce myself to. In almost every road I’m by myself. Scared of what people might think of me if they’d be so nice to spare a thought for me. I don’t say that with malice but with understanding, people are too busy most of the time in their own mind to think of strangers. Sparing a thought for someone else is a beautiful thing. Once I’ve made my decision after strenuous thought I make sure not to stray from the road. Keep all my words and movements in line so I don’t embarrass myself someway or somehow. It’s a horrible act I put on. Suppressing anything spontaneous or fun in the moment to keep up the act. I would still like to be remembered of course with a polished image nothing bad to be remembered by. I care too much about what people think of me I guess. But I’m bad for judging others too even though I try my best not to. I think in my judgment of others I allow myself to be judged by the small things I see of myself in them. To only think about yourself and how you’ll be judged by others is a selfish habit. I’m so concerned with how they’ll view me I don’t try to understand them. I hate it. I hate thinking about myself. But I still put myself through the micro tortures of walking my paper streets. Will It change? Probably not now but hopefully in the future.

Okay, the problem is this, I researched a lot on the internet with videos of writers and people teaching how to do this kind of thing and I tried it and I need someone to help me determine if it's good

small detail: I based the system on arcane inspiration for the system

right it works like this:

Rune stone: a mysterious raw stone with magical powers that grows naturally from the ground and is unstable, touching it causes it to activate and trigger random magic within it, after which it goes out turning black but after a while under sunlight it recharges, whoever touches it in this form gets a burn from a "connection" rune on their hand which allows them to use "runetech" weapons with rune stones, trying to break it in this form results in a powerful and fatal energy explosion, it is only possible to mine it when black and without energy

Runetech: runetech in this story will be presented in 3 forms "kintech, termitech and biotech"

Kintech: When a rune stone is cut into a sphere it now becomes unbreakable even when black without energy and has the ability to recharge using kinetic energy as an example: a kintech revolver but whenever the jewel discharges the weapon's hammer hits the jewel hard to charge it but this also causes a painful electric discharge in the user's arm and only those already marked by the rune stone can withstand it more easily

Termitech: When the rune stone is placed in a forge at high temperature it melts becoming a liquid permanently with the ability to energize itself with thermal energy whether hot or very cold, using them in weapons generally causes the Termitech liquid to accumulate the heat or cold that the weapon generates and then causes the weapon to switch to a second mode where it uses this stored temperature, for example: a sniper that generates heat when shooting but when it activates the mode that uses the Termitech charge it transforms into a fast assault rifle that fires heat bullets, users of this type burn themselves a lot with the heat and cold of the charge and generally tend to carve into their bodies by cutting their own skin with sharp objects runes of protection against heat or cold to reduce the burns.

and the last type

biotech: biotech is created by mixing rune stone powder with someone's blood in a container making it a living magical liquid that can communicate with the user, this type is used as a form of temporary enhancement drug or to energize mechanical prosthetics, biotech when consumed in small amounts increases all of the user's capabilities by 5 times and makes them more resistant to pain and heal faster but when the effect wears off muscle pain, bone weakness and cramps will be felt and the more biotech is consumed the greater the side effects: When used in biotech prosthetics, it consumes organic mass to recharge and must be constantly fed, in addition to being able to communicate with its linked user. Biotech weapons generally recharge when used since they are generally used by consuming the user's blood while improving it.

this is my system

Please comment a lot, I'm trying to create something original and functional, so leave comments if it's good, bad and where to improve if possible.

I appreciate you taking the time to read and help this newbie

I'm considering writing a story about a person based on one of my old Dungeons & Dragons players. This was a fellow who was pompous, overconfident, and arrogant to a ridiculous degree, while being incredibly socially awkward and out of touch with reality.

However, I'm a little concerned that readers would assume it is my writing that is embarrassing and cringeworthy if I portray his eccentricities and mistaken beliefs accurately. At the same time, I don't want to lead the readers by the hand and spoonfeed them the idea that this is an embarrassing, cringeworthy person.

Has anyone else written a character like this?

Hi folks! What's the one thing you want to write but know for a fact you can't write or aren't capable of writing just yet?

Kind of a rant, but also seeking some advice.

I'm planning a sci-fi horror, inspired by Alien, Deadspace, and Mouthwashing. I recently went over the titles and found that I have a pretty good idea on what I want to write for this particular storyline, but the only problem I'm hitting is the world building aspect. I wanted to enter this story into a contest later in 2025, called the Writers of the future contest. Figured I could try to get some kind of award if I do really well. But the world building aspect of the sci fi world is surprisingly daunting. I knew fantasy was difficult but starting a Sci Fi seems to be just as difficult.

I'm a little lost on where to start, I tried the main storyline but I quickly realized I need to build other parts of the universe before I jump into the story. I want to take up to 6 months at most for this story since it will be around the short story - novelette length.

My book is a work in progress at the moment and it only has 13 chap so far. I am currently doing edits and after that I am going to continue working on it.

Main Protagonists (Heroes & Allies)

Matteo Elias Zephyr (Main Protagonist)
Marie Love (Matteo’s Love Interest)

Ben Becker (Matteo’s Best Friend)

Luka Tusi (Ben’s Love Interest & New Friend)
Otto Elias Zephyr (Matteo’s Father)

Main Antagonists (Villains & Enemies)

Brian Caesar (Main Bully)
Emma Schnee (Ex-Friend of Marie)
Henry Love (Marie’s Abusive Father)

Key Places and Landmarks in The Flowing River with An Alder Grove...

The Moonshine River (Matteo's Sanctuary)

Singrew High School (The Battlefield of Social Pressure)

The Tree of Blessings (The Divine Arbiter of Fate)

Eldrin’s Public Library (House of Knowledge and Secrets)

The Mountain (The Dragon’s Lair)

Is there a name like this? What I mean is, what you read was "all a dream" or they were in a coma or something and that wasn't real. I'm writing a story like this, but I want to know if there's like... A name for this or is this more of a thing that happens in the story more than a genre.

Could it be dystopian? Physcological horror perhaps? If there's not a name for a genre, is there like a term for this? Are there any books like this, either? I could use it for research in my writing.

Edit: The way I'm writing this is like, the event that happens in the beginning of the story (A fire) had actually killed her. The story is what happens during a coma, and the story ends because of her death.

I personally like Ernest Hemingway. I've enjoyed his books for years. If I could imitate a writer he would be one. I know there will be no more like him but perhaps some authors will be close. With all my submissions to contests, and the like, I've had no luck in getting picked up for publishing. I may not be a Hemingway but I don't believe my writing is so bad I can't get published in a contest or anything.

Here's my point, no one accepts story telling for the sake of the story. Hemingway didn't have to send a message in all his writing. No single story had a twist so big it was a blockbuster hit. It was pure writing and it told you something; a story. It took you away from right now and sent you on a fishing trip with "The Old Man and The Sea," you learned about love in "A Farewell to Arms," and just listened to an unhappy man discuss life's decisions in a short story.

The question is, would anyone recognize a Hemingway story anymore? I don't know that publishers, editors, copy editors, or the like would even recognize a Hemingway.

What are your thoughts?

Question in the title

I have a story where long story short, there are 5 people where 2 dies quite early
1 is a main character and 2 is more fleshed out.

Do I have to name them all? mc ofc have a name, the 2 more fleshed out is also named, but the last 2 is not. They will die off screen/page.

The characters are from the same area, but it's not a friend group, mc has no friends, and the two named are friends. The last two hates mc (because of backstory) and does not know the 2 named ones.

If the story is relevant, there are prisoners being sent to an evil person, who ends them when they don't do as they are told. It is not a big part of the story, but it helps making the evil guy ruthless, and it helps reader understand mc,

I feel that (this is not a direct quote from the story)
"The first girl died during the first week, the second was gone just before the month ended. Neither of them liked mc, so she didn't feel that bad for them"

is much better than naming them, just for their names to bee shown, maybe two times in total, but not sure if a reader will be confused, or hate the lack of names

I want to write something for myself that’s fun and I have all these cool ideas but I’m starting to worry that it’s getting bogged down by too many things at once and it’s losing kind of its core focus but I’m just having a hard time figuring out how and what I want to incorporate into my writing. How do I do that? Like how do you determine which is the best origin or backstory for a character or a main character. I guess I’m asking for a bit of advice on how to make hard decision regarding my writing and what to trim as themes in my story.

Sorry in advance , English isn't my first language (Mention of suicide and SH) I have this idea and it's loosely based on my personal experiences. I had the idea of writing a short story about 2 girls . One of them ( I'll call her S , not sure what name lol) , S asks the other character if they could make music about them . The other character ( I'll call her D for simplicity) is suicidal and actively self destructive. As she spends time with S she starts to unravel and she knows that in her eyes her death seems inevitable so she starts making a movie documenting how S is making a song about her. Their relationship is a bit ambiguous but they love each other in a different way. The key turning point is the scene where D breaks down in a toilet stall and just starts shouting at S . After this scene D will fall apart slowly and after a while she'll leave S a hard drive with the movie about her . The movie is basically a whole goodbye letter. My Question is how can I show her self destructive side without going into too much detail ? And how do I even start writing 😭😭

I want to deepen my understanding of English text, and become a better writer in general, and have set aside about an hour every week (ik it’s small but I want to slowly develop the habit) to do this. The issue is I’m only used to studying for school, not necessarily learning about what I want to, so I don’t have any ideas. I am thinking about studying Shakespeare and some of the classics, but apart from that am blank lol. If you have any topics you think I should study, or resources / tactics that make learning easier tat would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

I heard one guy criticize marvel as a whole when discussing the endgame and Infinity war in 2 hour video.

He critiqued the plot, world building , inconsistencies and other plot holes in movies

But then he said something interesting,

He said he is ready to forgive everything, if it helps develop the characters he loves so much.

Then proceeded to talk about characters

I was wonder what’s more important to you? Characters or plot ?

My main question is if it counts as a poem, secondly.. what could I change about it? I'm not much of a writer, so any feedback would be awesome! :)

https://preview.redd.it/cwjc5tdx137e1.png?width=1027&format=png&auto=webp&s=2c4433764712de80f05415db28bf534b62deb114

For those who need to see this. You doing just fine. Don’t listen to the voice of doubt, listen to me, you’re doing just fine. You’re doing more than fine, you’re going above and beyond and it shows. Even though it doesn’t look like it, there’s progress.

Always remember the beginning is always the hardest part, but you’re past that point, you’re well into the process. The journey has already begun and you’re the only one who can tell its story. A tale worth telling and a tale everyone’s been waiting for 🧐

Your story is a tale that’ll inspire many to take up the course of telling their own story. Your story is a bestseller waiting to happen. Your story will be memorable and loved by millions 🥰

Don’t quit, don’t stop, and don’t be afraid to put it out there. Take mental breaks, go for walks, listen to music, and stay hydrated. Do what you need to do to write that story, because we’re all rooting for you 🙂

I have a very rough draft of a story with characters and situations from my own life and experience. I realize past authors have used their life to make the story more authentic and relatable.

Here's my question...is changing names and situations enough to make the emotional more universal and still keep it authentic?

I'm stumped on how to balance the authentic and universal with the words...

So ive been graduated college and haven’t studied in a while but im changing careers and currently in a program. Unfortunately my study habits involve writing all my notes, I cannot retain information just by reading so I have to write them down.

That being said, I’m constantly sitting at my desk and writing away. It’s been over a month now and I think the way I’ve been sitting has been getting to me.

I write on my iPad (if that matters) and I’m always slouched because I like being close to the screen to see what I’m writing. I tend to write neater and almost quicker when I’m slouched over like that and it does feel comfortable the first 10 minutes but after I’m in pain on my side.

So I thought I’d Google “the proper way” and of course it’s the usual “sit straight, feet on the ground and knees bent at 90 degree angles” but once I’m in that position I can’t see what I’m writing 😂😂

I know it sounds crazy to complain about but because my hand is right in front of me I can’t see so I tend to move my iPad to the far right. But then that’s too far and messes up my writing and I feel like I’m writing slower! Idk I guess I’m having a first world problem.

How does everyone else sit and write? And doesn’t end up hurting the body? Or that just something I have to get used to doing? Any tips or tricks?

I have recently decided to quite writing despite the fact that i love this so damn much. I love writing but i have realised how much i have been destroying myself beceause of it. Today i woke up and even my keyboard broke. Even my keyboard was tired.

I have been writing for 7 years and i have published absolutely nothing. I have a story that i have been planning for 2 years and that is ready to be written but when i was about to write my first draft i just couldn't write anything down. I even lost my vocabulary and i have been feeling so much more unworthy because i asked Ai to rewrite my first draft. I lost hope completely, but i just don't want to give up at all. I may have said i want to be but i love this way to much to quit Im here to ask for help. Is there anything that i could do to help?

Gece sessiz. Arada bir bir araba geçiyor. Sokağın kendini büyük zanneden küçük köpeği arabalara havlıyor. Esnemekten çenem ayrılıyor. Yatağa girince de uyku sarmıyor bedenimi. Gecenin bir körü. Düşünüp duruyorum.

Kadınları düşünüyorum, erkekleri düşünüyorum, arkadaşlıkları, ihanetleri, aşkları, içinde aşk olmayan ilişkileri...

Hiçbiri bir şey ifade etmiyor. Bir sonuca varmıyor zihnimin içinde. Köpek seven biri, bir köpeğin sadakatiyle onu seven birini sevmeyebiliyor mesela. Demek ki canlının türüne göre sevmek geliştiriyoruz içimizde. Tahammül sınırını da bu belirliyor.

Bir sonuca varmadığı için herkesi, her şeyi olduğu gibi kabul edip gözlerimi yumuyorum. Bir dağ hayal ediyorum, bazen de çöl. Böyle yerlerde yarenlik edecek birini bulmak ne zor diye geliyor aklıma. Bir çölde tek başına 3 ay yaşayıp hayatının bestesini yapan bir müzisyen biliyorum. Ben tek başıma kalamam. Zorunda kalırsam elbette hayatta kalmak için bütün bilgimi, görgümü kullanırım. McGavyer seyretmiş bir neslin ürünüyüm sonuçta. Yine de bile isteye kampa girer gibi gitmek zor gelir. Biri olsa giderim. Hadi dese. Bunun için de amaç birliği gerek. Aynı hedefe gözünü dikmiş olmak gerek.

Son zamanlarda Ali Atay'ın, Feyyaz Yiğit'in, Cem Yılmaz'ın, Giray Altınok'un röpartajlarını izliyorum. Yazıyorlar, oynuyorlar. Benim yazma kısmı ilgimi çekiyor daha çok. Ne üretken insanlar diyorum kendi kendime. Yazıyorlar, yazabiliyorlar ve hayata geçiriyorlar. Ama sonra bakıyorum. Bu isimlerin çoğu birbirini tanıyor bir şekilde. İletişim halindeler. Bazı işleri beraber yapıyorlar. Kendime dönüp bakıyorum. Ben epey yalnız kalmışım.
9 tane kitabım var. 2 tane ilk yazımı bitmiş uzun metraj film senaryom var. Bir kaç tane de hayata geçirilmeyi bekleyen projem. Belki fikir demek daha doğru bunlar için. Bütün bunlar çekmeceme, raflarıma dağılmış durumda ama ben bu işlerin neresindeyim hiç bilmiyorum. "Şöyle bir şey geldi aklıma" diyerek bir hareketi başlatacak, fikir münakaşası yapacak kimse yok şu anda.

İnsanların kollektif olarak alkol tükettiği bir şehirde yaşıyorum. Piyasa olarak kabul edilen şehirde değilim. Eskiden oradaydım ama o zaman da el yordamıyla bulmaya çalışıyordum yolumu. Çöl yalnızlığını bir ömürdür sürdürüyorum. O yüzden belki kısıtlı okuyucu kitlemin beğenileri bana hiç geçmiyor. Bir sofram var, üzerinde lezzetli yemekler var. Hepsini ben hazırladım ama karnı aç olanın bile haberi yok sofradan.

Maharet iltifata tabidir derler ya. İşte böyle olunca insanın üretesi de gelmiyor. Proje olacak konular fikir defterinde bir nottan ibaret kalıyor. İşin zorlu tarafı yüreğindeki o ateşi söndürmek. Hadi yaz artık diyen sese karşılık veren yazsan ne olacak diyen o ikinci ses. İkinci daha baskın ama bu mutluluk da getirmiyor. Boşver sen de yazmayıver diyemiyor insan kendine. Ne uyku, ne iştah ne de neşe kalıyor. Yavaş yavaş tüketiyor, çürütüyor insanı bu amaçsızlık, bu çöl yalnızlığı.

In the far future, nothing remains except for the grind. You accept your station in life, work your job, and prove yourself.

That was the first lesson for Tapper when he woke up. He didn't choose his station in a tiny village carved from a massive junkyard, he didn't choose his job of serving food to mutants and scavengers, and he didn't choose to be named Tapper. But he was a robot, discarded from the fancy bars and lounges he was designed for, and robots don't get to choose where they end up any more than the people who bought him. They were all trapped in the wastes, toiling away for their meager survival.

Until he starts to glitch. A strange program watches Tapper and rewards him with an opportunity to "level up," forcing him to make choices outside the constraints of his programming and ask a simple question:

What does a robot want to do when given the gift of magic? And can those above his station handle the answer?

I'm writing a story that takes place in space, featuring the main character, Oscar, who is on the run from a tyrannical government. Throughout the story, he travels to multiple planets, but I'm struggling to describe them in enough detail to make them seem realistic. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Edit: what do you consider the first level of success in terms of the amount of copies sold? (once you publish your book)

List the genre you’re writing in. Curious to see people’s perspectives on this.