TODAY'S MY 9TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FIRST TIME I PUBLISHED A BOOK!

I was 10 years old when I self-published my first mystery book, and I didn’t tell my parents that I was going to do it!

I have only published 1 other book in print, a 2nd edition of the first one, but I have made 5 Wattpad books and I have a website and a YouTube channel!

I might actually release a couple of videos today!

Anyway, thank you so much for reading this!

Stay tuned for more!

Hello! 25-year-old unpublished writer here. Been writing all my life, but nervous about my skill level, so I've been reluctant to share (but I'm trying to break out of that).

(also, I’m here cuz Alexa Donne mentioned this sub in a video, shout out to her)

I'm nearing the end of the first major arc in my WIP. I edit as I go, and I'm far enough along that I'm wondering how well I've done so far in setting up the story. Also wondering if readers actually enjoy it, or if I just like to read my own words. I'll leave a summary & a bit of what I'm looking for, if you're interested in reading and wanna give general feedback, feel free to DM me or comment!

"THE FATES STARS SING"

LENGTH: 8K Words

SUMMARY

Zimri, orphaned as a young boy, now serves as the assistant to the master skyseer Tyke, who can communicate with the heavens above and learn all that the gods have to share. Since his people were conquered by the ruthless Harkan Oron and generations were branded with the mark of the Beastfather, Zimri has had one burning question: who is his father?

When his master's web of lies is suddenly unraveled, Zimri must flee to another land with the sellsword Theo and embark on a quest to stop a savage warlord from obtaining the long-lost mask of an old, dead god. Their journey will take them through ancient ruins, across seas, desert sands, and vast steppes. Along the way, they will discover not only themselves, but also family—both blood and chosen—and a fate sung by stars.

What I'm looking for

This is my first foray into High Fantasy. Maybe you can call it Romantasy (I did just reread Laini Taylor's DoS&B and felt very inspired). I've always wanted to break into the genre, but have been nervous about my ability to do it well. I take a lot of inspiration from history; particularly the real life 16th-century astrological observatory called the Star Castle & the Mongolian conquests of the 13th century.

There is a gay romance, my first gay romance I've written as a gay person lol. It's not explicit or anything. Nothing major has even happened with that storyline yet, but the love interest is obvious, so I'm wondering how that's been handled.

I edit (and outline) as I go and may rewrite large swaths, so I'm not looking for line-level feedback cuz it may all be rewritten anyway. Unless it is intrusive to your reading experience, or you really wanna point out things that stand our and hook you in.

I simply ask you to read, (hopefully enjoy,) and leave some feedback for me. Not just the bad - I have been told before "stick to things the reader enjoys," about certain things with other WIPs, which is helpful feedback, but it would be even more helpful to know exactly what the reader is enjoying! Doesn't mean don't point out bad things - if dialogue is weird or there is way too much infodumping to get into it, pls tell me.

I'm mostly just worried if it’s good, even with its flaws. How's the pacing? Is it interesting? Did I write a beginning that pulls you in, encourages to read on, or did I bore you?

If you are a writer looking for feedback I am totally down to trade and return the favor.

Basically what the title says i'm writing a superhero ttrpg, where the players play as C class heroes. All the heroes that are overlooked and have "weak" powers. A list heros are like superman B list are side kicks and everyone else are c class. Except suddenly A and B class heros are being hunted down and killed by a mysterious force. but the C Class heros seem to be fine as they come off as so weak that they are basically undetectable to his force. And so the players have to step up make a team and be the heros they have always known themselves to be. What i need is some powers that would seem weak or or useless but csn be used creatively. Like the ability to create puddles. Seems weak, but you toss an electric grenade Into the grenade into the puddle and shock people or a heat one and creat steam and burn people. Or have the ability to fart on command? Create a suit and Turn your endless farts into a jet packs and flamethrower.

I don't know how to ask for critiques on here (but due to me just getting on Reddit for the first time and due to the rules which says not to share the work itself on here)...I need help.

Hello, I’m going to be participating in Bindery’s Pitchfest and was wondering if someone could please critique my pitch?

There was no word count as far as I saw but I’d like to keep it as short as possible while also showing the best parts of my book. Thank you, here’s the pitch!

Emperor Vanof’s reign spread through the galaxy like prickly vines.

His army was the strongest in the galaxy and any resistance was swiftly handled. For hundreds of years, he was allowed to do as he pleased, taking every planet he wanted and taking the lives of those who inconvenienced him. Until one day, a former soldier who had escaped from Vanof stumbled upon a ray of hope: four humans who were willing to help save the galaxy for money and a way back home.

“The Galaxy’s Last Defenders” is a [word count] YA, Sci-Fi novel inspired by Netflix’s “Voltron: Legendary Defenders,” Marvel’s “Guardians of the Galaxy,” and M.K. England’s “The Disasters.” Featuring a diverse cast of characters in race and sexuality, the book also focuses on imperialism, rebellion, found family, and a ragtag group of heroes.

Basically, I took a break from writing, partly because I’m a student and got too busy, and also because I felt absolutely defeated after receiving feedback that I didn't know how to write for the genre at all, and was writing stories that were basically too tragic for readers. In some ways, I saw what these people were saying. There were two readers who really enjoyed the story as is, but I ended up tweaking a subplot so that it wasn't as "tragic" and didn't clash with the main plot as much.

Overall, I think the break helped a lot, but I won’t lie that whenever I start writing, I feel icky all over again. This is not the first time eceived some really disheartening (but likely truthful) feedback on the plot of my novel. I am determined to edit this project; however, I keep hearing the negative but truthful feedback echoing in my head. I’ve been writing for 4 years now, but I guess I’m still not great at accepting critical feedback, even if it’s right. Maybe I also have OCD and that's why I'm stuck on this.

I thought writing something completely new would help, and I do have some ideas. However, I still liked some parts of this original story, and the characters.

My 5 MCs are friends, and I’m debating to make one more of them, because one of them is definitely straight. I have a chaotic bi leader of the group, the gay friend that’s the mom of the group, that one girl who stands up for everyone that is queer, the straight best friend and then there’s this girl who is supposed to be the straight guy’s girlfriend. I’m debating if should make her ace. Well that’s it.

I'm writing a fantasy book which is supposed to be YA, but my protagonist is 10. At the start, she is quite childish and immature, but she does grow and become more serious, etc. There are also some themes that may be too old for some readers (war, death, might have a little horror). I don't know if my character is too young to appeal for the YA audience, although the themes are definitely 'old' enough. (I usually don't write characters this young, but I actually got inspired from a dream and the age just fits for me)

title is a bit confusing but i have my main character who is new at a school, and obviously a lot of important scenes happen at school. i j don’t want each chapter to be like “i’m at school again except it’s a new day” but i can’t think of like “filler chapters” any tips??

Hello, I am preparing for the San Francisco Writer Conference in February to pitch my manuscript, and am looking for a last pair of eyes on my YA ice skating/Russian mafia story. Would there be any takers here? It deals with themes of past child abuse, past SA, and gender/sexual identity.

———————————————-

Three days. Three days, and Sasha hasn't slept.

Anxiety marches under his skin like ants, pinning his bloodshot eyes to the darkness of his bedroom. He breathes deep through his nose and tunes his ears to clanking plates, a flushing tap, and his coaches' muted, furious murmurs as they argue in the kitchen. He can't make out what they're saying through the wall, but their thunderstorm growls and sharp staccato spikes only ratchet his unease.

His cousin Alexei breathes deep and even in the bed mirroring his own, pressed against the opposite wall.

Baring his teeth at the ceiling, Sasha shucks off the sweat-damp weight of his comforter.

Like him, his bed is a small, bony thing, fifteen years old and rusted at the joints. They shriek as he slips from beneath the sheets, bare soles pressing into the firm carpet. Bracing his hands on the edge of the bed, he takes a moment to steady himself until his dizziness passes. When was the last time he ate? Showered? His skin sticks together where it folds, sweat gathering in the bends of his elbows and knees.

The bedroom is dark, nearly black, with heavy curtains drawn and the air thick and humid. Hot. His eyes pick out the looming silhouette of the dresser he shares with his cousin, its curved mirror flagged with Alexei’s postcards and photographs. Sasha threw his phone somewhere last night, when the tabloids got the best of him, sounding like it landed under the dresser. Sasha rakes a hand through his greasy hair, scratching his scalp with another long-suffering sigh. The black sweater he's worn for half a week is balled up and packed over the digital clock on his nightstand, the black fabric blocking the red lettering.

It’s too warm warm in here. Sweat crawls down his nape, raising goose flesh as it climbs beneath the loose tank top hanging off his frame. He feels tragic. Sloppy. A half-melted ice cream struggling to hold its shape.

With a sigh, he tugs the elastic from his hair, allowing the damp strands to fall from the half-hazard bun sagging on top of his head. The ends stick to his shoulders, a silk curtain when he bothers to treat it right. He should have taken a leaf from Alexei’s book and slept on the ride from the airport yesterday.

Creaking to his feet, Sasha gets dressed in the black sweats he wore the day before. He moves from memory, the world painted in greys behind the curtain, his room in blacks, his mind a bed of static and silence. As a rule, he doesn't let it wander. Deep thoughts lead to remembering, and remembering means killing what little his Uncle left of him.

No, Sasha works best on autopilot. Machines seldom make errors, and he cannot afford a single one.

What if you’re into anime? Are there animes that resonate with you as a YA writer? For me, the list goes in order: Naruto, Fullmetal Alchemist, Bleach, Haikyuu!!, Ace of Diamond, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and a sleeper hit, Eyeshield 21. Total bangers and tear-jerkers that fuel my love for YA! If not anime, do you have your own special hobby that finds its way into your work?

I'm working on a fantasy story right now. My protagonist is 17 years old, and the story has what I think are YA themes: leaving a relatively sheltered life and setting out on an adventure that thrusts them into unfamiliar and exciting new experiences, making friends, becoming more responsible and compassionate, etc.

However, I'm unsure if there's a tonal or writing style difference between YA fantasy and Adult fantasy. Is it just that the language in YA is simpler? Does YA fantasy have less elaborate word choice, an easier to read experience, less dense world building and descriptions, and less flashbacks? I've also heard that YA is also more character focused. Does that mean that there are more intercharacter interactions, more dialogue, more romance, and bigger character reactions and emotions?

I know YA is a marketing category, but when querying literary agents, some only represent YA fantasy and others only represent Adult fantasy, so I think it would be important to know/figure out which one my story is. Unless the difference between YA fantasy and Adult fantasy isn't really that big, and people could query both without issue?

Hola, soy una escritora casi principiante de Wattpad. Estoy escribiendo una novela que me gustaría promocionar debidamente, pero por mucho que lo intento no consigo pasar de las 30 lecturas. ¿Alguien me podría aconsejar sobre cómo promocionarlo?

Has anyone gotten half way through a draft only to realize they have to change the main character because someone you intended to be integral to the story is ACTUALLY meant to be your main character? Their story, even from the beginning has been more compelling but I thought their contrast with the main character I started with would balance them both out.

My novel is 57k words and set from the perspective of a defiant racehorse filly on the Curragh (the centre of Irish horse racing). The story unfolds with additional perspectives of her two racehorse friends as they escape their oppressive training regime on the grounds that it’s cruel.

Their quest to find “freedom” is a satire symbolic of the current housing crisis in Ireland. While searching for fields and stables in which they can live without ridicule, they encounter many of the same problems as young Irish adults; lack of availability, land owned by vulture funds, excessive livery (rent) fees and poor conditions of available stables.

Their journey is accompanied by three sixteen year olds who each share a problem in common with their mount, be it searching for belonging, the ache of being female/a mother, or the agony of toxic masculinity.

Underlying themes include politics, capitalism, homelessness, Irish culture, racism, feminism and sexuality, infused with wit and humour.

Anyone interested?

Hey all. I'm trying to think of my main character's background. Part of the story is coming to realize that her home hasn't been all she thought it was, realizing something isn't necessarily "normal".but she doesn't realize until she goes away to college.

In the past I've done arguing/cheating parents, parents with substance abuse and toxic sibling with an enabling parent and absent father.

I have been thinking maybe narcissism or mental health issues but I want it to be something semi-small that it would only take a little distance to realize.

Looking for a low key partner to exchange progress on a weekly basis. Willing to critique or just give kudos as desired. Happy to bounce ideas around, look at outlines, etc.

Hi! I am new to this group just joined. I am writing a book by hand, I just finished chapter 1. But I need some help.

I am writing a romance book with my main. Characters owning a bakery and is fated to a dragon. I need help figuring some romance plots we can do around the bakery. One idea I have is them taste testing sweets but that's it. Can someone help with some ideas.

I adore writing YA stories. However, I’ve found myself leaning into writing characters that are more in the 20s ranges… I feel like that’s pushing it out of YA, but I’m wondering what you all would define the age range for YA MCs nowadays?

"There's explicit, detailed killing of women and children, mentions of sexual harassment, and a character experiencing teen pregnancy. Is there a line in YA?"

ex: Bastian chuckled and gestured for her to sit. “Relax, there’s some Delentro grape wine for you in the flute. Business can wait; I’m a man who always makes time for life’s pleasures,” he said, his voice thick with innuendo that sent a chill down Zia’s spine.

She forced her face into a polite mask but scrunched her nose involuntarily. “I’m fifteen, and I don’t indulge in alcohol,” she said, her voice tight. Her mother’s struggles with addiction had left Zia with a firm resolve to stay far away from drugs or alcohol.

Bastian’s smile faltered. Girls were more fun when they’d had a drink, but he overlooked it for now, chuckling. “I see. Then I’ll get to the point. Your talents are coveted, Miss Adams—sought after by many. I, as the future king of this nation, have my coronation coming up no later than next year. After that, I’ll marry my betrothed, and two years later, I’ll take my concubines. The timeline fits perfectly with your graduation.”

His smile broadened. “Finish your schooling, and I’ll make you a queen of this nation. You can pursue any field of study you desire—court mage, herbalist, alchemist—I’ll pave the way for you to become a leading figure of Terrakos. Coin, power, and my love will all be yours.”

Zia’s stomach dropped. This was worse than the other offers, but from a prince, could she even say no? She stood, keeping him in her view, her voice unsteady. “I’m sorry, but I’m not interested in becoming anyone’s wife—now or in four years.”

Hey guys, how are you? I hope you’re all good. 

I’m looking for beta readers to give feedback on the first three chapters of my YA manuscript “The Brave,”  97k words. 

The blurb:  

Seventeen-year-old Diana Mason just wanted a prosperous life. Working at a New York coffee shop to help her unemployed mother, while the fear of losing her ill sister consumes her, makes her desire a different reality. Everything’d be better if her father hadn't disappeared, leaving an unfillable void in her heart. Her ordinary life changes when a mysterious man arrives at her job with an opportunity. Diana’s courage and determination attracted the attention of the secret agency C.A.D.E., who selected her for biannual spy training. The agency pays more money than Diana ever dreamed of. The chance to help her family and get the life she always wanted arrives. Diana leaves for the peculiar world of C.A.D.E., the agency hidden underneath the Mojave Desert, where robots and submarine cars are as commonplace as the blue sky.   

The training consists of eight phases, where in each one, fifteen recruits face different challenges - such as learning to fight, facing fears in hyper-realistic simulations, and surviving in extreme scenarios - which become more dangerous as the training progresses. At the end of each phase, C.A.D.E. eliminates the worst performing recruit, taking their money, skills learned during training, and C.A.D.E.-related memories, returning them to their old lives like blank canvases. Only the best recruits become agents.         

Diana finds herself at an enormous disadvantage. The other recruits are physically more prepared; the challenges are like nothing she has faced before, and to her surprise, she’s the only girl among the recruits. As if the pressure isn’t enough, Diana discovers that her father is a C.A.D.E. agent, and he’s closer than she thinks. Diana must overcome her limits and carry on the phases while accepting that her father wasn’t who she thought he was. To become an agent, aid her loved ones, and preserve her identity, Diana must be more than just strong. She must be brave.

• The Brave is aimed at teens over 12. 

• The book is a genre-bending of Science Fiction, Contemporary, and Spy Fiction. 

• The story is set in the 2010’s *that’s my favorite YA era* 

• Comp Titles: Totally Spies, Spy X Family, and Thieves' Gambit by Kayvion Lewis 

Please, if you’re interested, dm me! 

Thanks!!!!

So I'm working on a project and I'm not entirely sure what I want to do with it if I finish it. I had a question though, I don't think my writing is great and know it would need some severe editing (grammar, sentence structures, making sure it flows right to someone other than me). Any tips on editing or how to find someone who might be able to help?

Hi everyone,

I have completed a young adult spy novel that focuses on two seventeen year olds that are a part of an undercover crime-solving agency. It has both mystery and romance elements. I'm having trouble figuring out which genre it should be queried under because some of the feedback I've received is that teen spies would be unrealistic in the real world, and therefore this wouldn't be considered YA Mystery (as I initially thought). I'm wondering if this means it would be considered fantasy, even though there are no other traditional fantasy elements. Similar novels from the past like the Gallagher Girls have been classified as "YA Spy fiction" but this is not a typical query genre category. Appreciate the advice!

I'm working on a lower YA fantasy book (think middle school) and with some of the fight scenes I'm not really sure how graphic I can get. MC has a fire sword and fight in a war with dragons, one of which she kills on screen and I'm not really sure how to approach it. Like, obviously she's not full-on stabbing him to death because that doesn't really fly but she is fighting with a sword so I can't just have her not stab people. Most of my inspirations are shows which can get away with different things here so I'm not sure what to do. Any advice?

I got a friend to read my first two books, but he isn’t the target audience. So there were a lot of things he questioned. I don’t know how to have readers who give me their opinions but are also a target audience? I’m editing my book and about to send it to a publisher.

I am an indie author currently writing a Young Adult series and I'm curious about how far I can push the boundaries.

Any fans or writers of YA fiction on here? If so, I'd like your advice.

Now, obviously, my series won't contain explicit content, like violent gore or graphic bedroom scenes. The audience and age group I have in mind is 13 and up.

However, the story does have a few instances of violence, like a bloody lip or people winding up in dangerous, tense situations. And it's possible the danger levels may increase with each book in the series.

There are also a couple instances where mild swear words like "hell", "damn", and "asshole" are used. But these only appear occasionally. I plan for them to be used mainly for emphasis rather than outright insults.

Also, my protagonist and the majority of the characters at a point of change in their lives, so things like puberty and hormones are mentioned but never go into great detail. There may also be jokes involving things like underwear, but, again, nothing too explicit.

Based on all of that, would my series still be acceptable towards YA readers, or is there a different genre that would be a better fit?

The novel in writing revolves around a series of apparent murders that turn out to be sacrifices, the sacrifices are stripped naked and stabbed only once. I never go depper when detailing their nudeness, nor are there any explicit sex scenes or nothing of the sort but I'm worried that the bare mention of a bare body could screw with labeling the story or something of the like.

Has anyone dealt with something similar?