Thread 24603164

Daily Goal edition

Previous:>>24598467
>What is Web Novel General?
A general for readers and authors involved or interested in the growing phenomenon of 'web novels', serialized English fiction posted to websites such as: Royalroad, Webnovel, Scribblehub, Wattpad, Archive of Our Own, Spacebattles, HFY, various personal author websites, and more

>Why read web novels?
Not for prose or tight editing or deep themes, frankly. As a whole, web novels are infamous for content sprawl and pacing issues. If you enjoy having millions of words to sink your teeth into to get to know the world and characters, though, you may be interested. Keeping up with other readers on a weekly basis to discuss the story's events unfolding is another perk, in the same way discussing an ongoing TV show might be.

>Why write web novels?
Ease of access & potential for Patreon earnings. Many successful authors gain an audience on their website of choice and funnel their readers into a Patreon. See https://graphtreon.com/top-patreon-creators/writing for an idea of what some are earning.
Also, once an author has earned a fanbase, transitioning into an Amazon self-publishing career is several orders of magnitude easier than starting 'dry'.

> Advice for Noobs!

##READ THE FOLLOWING BEFORE ASKING FOR HELP##

Running your story like the business it is:
https://www.royalroad.com/forums/thread/116847

On writing webserials:
https://alexanderwales.com/how-to-write-a-web-serial/

Sanderson's Writing lectures 2025:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEUh_y1IFZY&list=PLSH_xM-KC3ZvzkfVo_Dls0B5GiE2oMcLY

Recommended web novels
https://rentry.co/d2yvczro

Anon's guide to success
https://rentry.co/RRBasicGuide

FAQ
https://rentry.co/pytefpxn

Web novel buddhism nonsense
https://rentry.org/theprecepts

##READ THE PRECEDING BEFORE ASKING FOR HELP##

Thoughts on the title for a story I'm working on?:
>I Awoke As A Constellation, But It Seems That I Sponsored A Regressor

>>24603198
I have no idea what that means, but I'm sure it's something xianxia slop.

You should add First Contact on recomendations

I bought a Twix bar but one Half of it was A Portal to Another World so now I have an Ancient Civilization Heading for my Asshole

>>24603212
It's more along the lines of system apocalypse slop than xianxia.

>>24603164 (OP)
What are the most important aspects of a web novel’s magic system, and which existing web novel magic systems do you like most and why?

>>24603251
>What are the most important aspects of a web novel’s magic system
that it ties into and improves the narrative

>>24603251
I like archmage's. It just works. Non-intrusive, doesn't bog down the story. Its cool, its magic ain't gonna explain shit.

>>24603251
The most important thing is limitations.
In movies or tradpub books you can get away with Lol Whatever. In manga, comics or webnovels it's very easy to trip up.

>>24603251
Consistency, be ready when you make a spell to explain why it wasn't used when it could have easily solved a problem 100 chapters later because you just forgot.

Also just use Black Company's magic.

>>24603238
don't use the word regressor if you're not trying to channel your inner chinaboo

>>24603314
>chinaboo
what?

>>24603314
if its a regressor story use the word regressor

>>24603322
only chinese and korean web novels (or those alluding to them) say "regressor" or "transmigrator".
original english works always just say reincarnated without specifying

>>24603329
But he's not a reincarnator, he's a regressor. Those are two different things.
>Reincarnator
>Regressor
>Transmigrator
>Possesor
all different things

>>24603224
This as the potential for some smutty kino. Imagine the MC gets captured by a demonic evil cultivator, but she decides that he's entertaining or genre savvy enough to let him tag along. She's a very evil and domme, but with a slightly soft spot for him (the kind that heals your bones after breaking your hips). The conflict is he trying to avoid his and hers deathflags.

>>24603338
>Those are two different things.
No, regression and transmigration are both subcategories of reincarnation.
And again it's not a term that's natural in native English. Those differentiated, more specific terms come from translated Chinese works and if you use them in your title readers will expect a Chinese-inspired story.

>>24603349
According to my 4 month Wuxia phase evil cultivator means she fights with acupuncture needles meaning she repeatedly incapacitates you with needles then uses a second set to keep you hard for hours while repeatedly draining you

>>24603354
>Researching pills and meditation techniques to create a founding stock of white wives
You joke but this would actually work.
It'd be stupid.
But it'd actually work.

>>24603251
I like it the most when the magic tries to follow the laws of nature. It will obviously have to deviate from them, but those should be done intentionally. This makes the magic feel more consistent.

Eg a fireball's power falls off with the radius cubed because it explodes out in the shape of a sphere. Being on the edge you will take a lot less damage than being in the center.

This doesn't have to be as limiting as people think either. We've put lightning into a rock and made it think for us. Magic could easily be capable of things like that too, but those should be complex engineering spells, not just "oh yeah, there's a spell that will open any lock!"

>>24603164 (OP)
>Anon's guide to success
>https://rentry.co/RRBasicGuide
I'm going to to release just two chapter per week, even if means all my chapters get 20 views.

>>24603398
Do you want a medal?

>>24603398
At least build some backlog before posting; 20 views is exactly what you'll get otherwise.

>>24603381
here’s my premise:
>MC is a black nerd, the kind that thinks Solo-Leveling is the literary peak of humanity, who consumes thousands of MTL’d eastslop named Jacob
>Consumes too much, mistakes a cyanide pill for an “Apple-Wood Pill” and eats it
>Reincarnates as a Chinaman in a Chinese cultivation setting
>Slumbering black awareness revolts against the sudden yellowness of his skin
>Becomes a cultivator, integrates 8 different kinds of mythical “black animal” bloodlines into him
>Transforms into the cultivation world’s first black man
>Instead of creating black people, decides it’s be easier to attain the Dao and become an immortal through inventing white people
>Thus chinese cultivators are introduced to non-chinese peoples and have to, for the first time in vigintillions of years, distinguish different races of humans who aren’t half-demon or other actually non-human race

>>24603393
>Eg a fireball's power falls off with the radius cubed because it explodes out in the shape of a sphere. Being on the edge you will take a lot less damage than being in the center.
Smart.

>This doesn't have to be as limiting as people think either. We've put lightning into a rock and made it think for us. Magic could easily be capable of things like that too, but those should be complex engineering spells, not just "oh yeah, there's a spell that will open any lock!"
Bog standard rationalist fiction slop.

>>24603407
I can't build a backlog because my motivation to publicize them drives me forward.
Many classical works were initially released in weekly magazines. It works as a motivation to an extent.

When I look for a new story to read I skip it if it has a female lead.

>>24603364
this is just not true lol. regressor is plenty common of a tag for rr western-style litrpg

>>24603398
it's perfectly fine to not care about having readers but i don't understand why people crow and brag about it. is a little sus

>>24603364
It is a South Korean-inspired story, so I guess from that point of view (yours), it would be okay.
But I don't think they are subcategories of Reincarnation.
For example:
>I Reincarnated and now I've become the greatest Duke of the North?!
>I Transmigrated and now I've become the greatest Duke of the North?!
>I Regressed and now I've become the greatest Duke of the North?!
I'm alluding to three different things? yes?

>>24603447
Maybe you should expand your tastes

>>24603447
I have male lead globally filtered out, personally. fmcs always have the better narrative and emotional work

10 LEFT!

>>24603251
Restraints, list what you don't like and make them verboten. I always choose not to have teleportation, time travel, flying, air staircases, future sight for example. And then you choose what's the highest theoretical damage level, could a mage level a mountain or no? Kill an entire army or no? Set up rules like that.

>>24603457
Regression is "reincarnated as my self back in time" and transmigration is "reincarnated in another world". Both commonly get tagged with reincarnation. Or "Reborn" which means the same thing. Though transmigrators are far more popular thanks to the influence of japanese isekai webslop.

The actual "reborn back to life in another body, in the same world, without timetravel BS" is the more normal use of reincarnation in fantasy outside of webslop but I've actually only seen it as the premise of webslop once (Keiran the Eternal Mage).

>>24603447
i'm sorry, my next story will have a male lead.

>>24603447
Everyone does that, it's always an american libtard fmc or gooner fmc. Both completely uninteresting.

>>24603230
added. need moar scifi recs.

>>24603722
>[It's serialized]
Anon's SSS-skill 「Shitpost Merge」

>>24603722
vgh.....kvno.....

>>24603722
why not strong to stronger?

>>24603722
I made it, Mom.... I'm famous.

>>24603722
>>24603739
>It's Serialized

>>24603739
>>24603873
what web novel is that a reference to? isn't everything on these sites technically a serial?

I started reading Beware of Chicken last night and it's actually good?!
Someone lied to me saying the dude was weaker than his chicken though. I'm nearly done with book one and the human MC is still way stronger.
Chunky... ;_;

>>24603899
See >>24601261

>>24603903
Bi De gets quite a bit strong later on but I wouldn't ever call him stronger. Main character may not be martially trained but he has that redneck farmer strength.

>>24603903
>I started reading Beware of Chicken last night and it's actually good?!
it's pretty good yeah
some people in this thread literally just call everything trash idk. i think it's tourists. unless someone lists what they do like, ignore their opinions

The new chapter of FFF-Class 'Unlucky Antagonist' is out!
This is the final chapter featuring my fantasy sport---Miramble---so please send your honest opinion.

https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/119783/fff-class-unlucky-antagonist-villains-origin-story/chapter/2487585/martial-critique-part-four

>>24604153
Holy shit, 500 pages!

bro is writing words and publishing them

oh yeah, we out there on the grind

>>24604201
He has the right grindset for it at least.

>>24603461
Female leads are always passive. The story happens to them rather than them fighting for it.
>>24603514
Good.
>>24603528
I don't mind that so much. I just hate that they are passive. It's like reading a Japanese light novel.

>>24604206
The half-finished notes for a story I want to write are that long. Surely that can't be all he's written?

>>24604220
That is indeed all that I've written, but I don't have notes, I'm just writing chapters as I go; that's almost 4 at the moment. Haven't published any though.
If you're talking about FFF, he has 137k words total. So a lot lot more.

>I'm a fucking hack
>I'm a fucking pervert
>I'm a fucking retard
>I'm a fucking genius
^my outlining process

>>24603528
>gooner fmc
erm, continue?

>>24604245
i welcome you to scribblehub dot com

>>24604233
Based mania Maxxer.

Why did we pick up so many screeching retards?

>>24604319
the screeching retards are the long term regulars buddy

>>24603251
>>24603292
Also, consistency is important when you want to make genuinely good plot twists for your magic system. If your readers understand your power system better, the more rewarding it will be for them when you do cool, out of pocket shit with it while still being believable and bound by the rules that you have abided by.when writing.

>>24604319
Web novels aren't highbrow literature.

>>24603251
I don't agree with everything he says and his more recent books have been a bit shit but Brando Sando's laws are a great reference for this sorta thing
https://www.brandonsanderson.com/blogs/blog/sandersons-second-law

>>24604377
Sandoman got pozzed by his own community.
Way of Kings went peak I LOVE SCIENCE Redditoid.

>>24604377
damn it I love Yoshitaka Amano's art style
imagine having a web slop cover illustrated by him

>>24604387
the therapist line was frankly disturbing

>>24604398
I hate it when stories bring up therapy. They rarely seem to understand that therapy is almost as much quackery as chiropractice.
Does it make people feel better? Yeah.
Does it help some people? Sure.
But what doesn't seem to come up in fiction is that therapy isn't a guarantee. Meta studies have found that about a third (33%) of the people going into therapy improve their symptoms, about 50% have no effect, and the rest become worse.
Any time I read about it in fiction it's treated as a silver bullet though. There's a reason that psychiatrists (actual mental health doctors) mostly rely on drugs. Therapy has its place, but it's not a silver bullet.

>>24604444
Nice quads.
I had the idea of a power system based on cultivating mental illnesses to get superpowers but decided that informing readers that they can cultivate mental illness IRL was a bad idea. Also just didn't feel like writing a cultivation story.

>>24604544
What would the cultivation stages even be?

>>24604560
Just higher and more severe levels of mental illness. Imagine if the DSM5 was an instruction manual. And since there's so much symptom overlap developing new mental illnesses would be really easy and fun!

>>24603198
sounds gookslop desu.
not hating but it's just another rehash of asspulls as surprise power ups. good luck making that slop work

The kind of "therapy" these people always bring up is for overweight theyfab white women who have "ptsd" from being fat and unlikable and exists for them to be treated like children by someone who tells them what they want to hear. I'm a mentally fucked up idiot and have tried this kind of shit. It did absolutely fucking nothing besides drain my wallet. Having to hand over money for someone to pretend to care and treat me like a human was arguably worse for my mental health.

The secret is to legitimately imagine yourself as that image of pepe in a suit that's very smug. This is very high iq and badass by the way. It's essentially the 21st century version of stoicism. Next you go for daily walks in nature, this shit helps big time. Lastly you pop stimulants daily until your heart gives out.

This is what I've learned from personal experience, cheers.

>>24603251
Why do you need a magic system in your fantasy?

>>24604675
the fat mormon says i have to

my fantasy has no magic system. because it has no magic.

>>24604740
that's called science fiction then

>>24604740
>>24604743
any advanced science far above current tech levels is magic
ergo magic system

My fantasy magic is so autistic that you have to spend hours drawing sigils so in order to ambush a caravan the protagonist runs from rooftop to rooftop triggering glyphs and sigils he meticulously drew days before.

Oh, neat. Glad to see that web novels have their own general thread now.
I'm thinking of doing a dungeon core or superhero thing for the next writathon. I got the gimmick for the dungeon one, but am still thinking what I would do for a super story.

>Write one story for two weeks
>Suddenly get new idea I'm infatuated with
>Start to slow down writing my original piece as my brain is bombarded with where to go with my new idea
>Rinse and repeat

>>24604856
Cultivate discipline. Better to write 1000 chapters of one slop, than to write 10 chapters of 100 slops.

>>24604856
I fear not the author who has written 10,000 slops, but I fear the Anon who has written one slop 10,000 times

What if I write an Isekai, but the MC is European?
Do I have to pick some specific European country that he's from? That will come with a lot of baggage. I can't really hide what specific country he's from either because the name would give it away.

>>24604937
do whatever you want

>>24604743
It has the sword but not the sorcery. It has the knights but not the dragons. It has the elves and the horrific creatures but not the gods and talking animals. In what way is this science fiction?

>>24604937
Why does it matter? I fail to see the issue.

>>24604937
>Do I have to
It's your story.

>>24604954
maybe hes russian and is afraid of the backlash for having a mc they can unleash their 3-day operation hatred on

>>24604853
dungeon core is one of those ideas that seems appealing in a gimmicky way but isn't fun in implementation

>>24604937
Don't think that's as much of an issue if you don't dip your toes into the politics of his country. Or just don't specify, if the name's is already giving it away, why talk about it? Just say that he misses his home or something, not that he misses the victory parade or drunken IRA veterans.

is there a text-friendly version of that recommended web novels list in the OP that can be saved or copied and pasted to a text file easily, via select all and paste into notepad this one looks kinda rough

Make him German. Every single fucking thing he sees in his isekai world make sure to comment on it.

>we don't do this in germany
>in germany we do x instead
>in germany we say

>>24605007
Click edit, then ctrl+a, it'll give you the entire file, then cut the parts you want. The file is (supposedly) protected, so you can't change things.
>>24605014
Thought the same, but it doesn't work for me.

Does anyone else try to develop a plot, and then realize they’re ripping off another book/vidya/etc?
>Thinking of this cool concept: The world goes to shit somehow and while multiple groups try to rebuild over generations, one group tries to revert to roman paganism, has their own emperor and military, tries to take over shit, etc.
>it’s been done before
KILL ME

>>24605044
i don't care if i accidentally copied something i like because i purposefully copy things i like.

>>24605044
There is nothing new under the sun. Write what you want regardless.

>>24605044
im basically just making a very loose condensed adaptation of lotgh and another guy is aping heroic legend of arslan so don't feel bad about it. good authors borrow, great ones steal, or something.

>>24604981
I mean, it's basically a text version of a tower defense game. All you need to do is give it some variety here and there to keep it from getting stale too quickly.
>>24605044
That's when you alter it enough to be different or execute it in a different way. Or, just don't worry about and do it anyway.

>>24605044
WN are all derivative anyway, it's not like you're making high art. Most of the trending stories are like "What if you were in Halo, with magic?" or "What if you were in Gintama but an unfunny white guy who can't write?"

>>24605054
>it's basically a text version of a tower defense game.
yeah that's the issue. the inherent limitations of the genre kills it on a story level. but removing those limitations means it's barely a dungeon core anymore

i read for story + character. have you read a dungeon core that does those well? gimme a rec

>>24605051
This. Do your take on it. If someone asks about your inspiration just be honest.

>>24605050
>>24605051
>>24605053
>>24605054
>>24605056
5 responses to the same anon in a minute. did the botnet activate or something

>>24605064
stop noticing things.

>>24605064
I'm usually on /v/ and can't cope with slow threads so I answer everyone.

>>24605064
SEA hours, authors are active

>>24605064
It was a good question.

>>24605014
>>24605026
thanks bros, that edit way worked just fine

>>24604937
balkan or mittleeuropa?

>>24605071
It's a common one I think, every author—web novel writers more so—are sure their ideas aren't new.

should i end the web novel in 5 books as originally planned or endlessly milk the cash cow because its performing better than expected

>>24605085
yes.

>>24605085
Are you making Patreon bucks? Go go go until you stub.

>>24605054
there’s no hit video game including people pretending to be Spartans. Noted.

>>24605059
I enjoyed the first two volumes of Divine Dungeon since they were more focused on the nitty gritty of the whole operation and had a good balance between the dungeon and the guy. Fell off of it hard later on, when things got overly complicated. I got spoiled on books 3-5 and was glad I dipped. The story drifted so far off of where it started.. The Dungeon Is Always Hungry was fun up to where I read. Slasher shlock
I'll be frank with you. I don't think there are many dungeon core stories that do either element well. The ones I read either go off the deep end or have insufferable characters. The only reason I was thinking of doing one was because I figured I might be able to do it better.
>>24605085
Make a tight story that people remember fondly, not a slog that people makes people wonder when it'll end.
>>24605093
Didn't say that at all, bro.

Any good god protagonist stories? The only one I've found any good so far has been RE: Deity. I'm surprised this subgenre hasn't been more fleshed out.

>>24605120
There's the Nebula's Civilization. Has a webtoon as well.

>>24605120
>I'm surprised this subgenre hasn't been more fleshed out.
I'm not. even OPMC is stupidly tricky to write. a godly character would be nearly impossible

>>24605008
It would be funny.
>>24604996
Maybe you're right.
>>24605075
Mitteleuropa
>>24604954
If he's German, Australian or Swiss and does something bad he's a nazi. If he's Russian he's Russian or a commie. If he's Italian he's a fascist. If he's Spanish he's a francoist.
Maybe it will be fine if I just ignore it or make him like Lithuanian or Estonian or something.

>>24605085
Personally I think the best strategy is to write tighter stories with definitive ends, and try to carry your audience to a new, better story after the ending. On the other hand, if you suck and you just got lucky (SelkieMyth), then dragging things out is absolutely the best way to go. Make as much money as you can on your popular work, save and invest it as best you can, and then move onto mediocrity and fish for attention with "side story" chapters in the same setting later on.

>>24605139
>>24605085
As a reader I don't like endings. If I like the characters in your story then I will want to see more of their life rather than less.
I don't understand the little that wasn't the story to be over and done with at all. You're reading it for the characters, not the plot, right? The plot will have been done a thousand times already. The characters are what make it interesting.

>>24605132
I think it can tap into that slice of life / kingdom builder vibe. It's like beware of chicken but your farm is a universe. You could have wars with foreign gods. Perhaps there's millions of gods and you're considered a pathetic pauper of a god. Throw some progression in, work your way up among the gods of the multiverse. I feel like it could work.

>>24605162
>It's like beware of chicken but your farm is a universe
The charm of BOC is the cozy personal feel and close connections between tight knit friends and family. How do you do that with an entire world? Makes no sense

the charm of BOC is because chickens go boc boc haha get it

>>24605192
Well you're a god, you create some minor gods to your pantheon to help run things. Perhaps you descend into the mortal realm and make a friend and promote them to godhood to join you. Or you've got God friends with their own realms who swing by to help you. You spend your days working on creating new wonders like the world tree to enrich the mana production of your realm, maybe that ties into your own strength.

I can see a lot of ways you could make a god protagonist story. What if the protagonist was a minor god in a world with thousands of other no name gods. Make your gods weak. Make em strong. Make em op. Make em creators, make em lazy bastards that fuck with mortals for fun. I can quite literally see anything being viable.

>>24605132
>even OPMC is stupidly tricky to write
If your main character is the strongest, then the story needs to be about something other than finding out who's the strongest. Its literally that simple.

>>24604740
kino

>>24604743
it'd actually just be called low fantasy. Think of the mount and blade setting.

>>24605085
how good is "better than expected"? a couple extra beers per month? can work fewer hours at your part time job? can afford to write full time?

the answer will be different for any of those situations

>>24603468
good job
did you buy an ad?

I will never escape 100 follower ELO hell.

>>24605343
Elo should only have the first letter capitalized. The Elo system is named after a chess dork by the name Arpad Elo, it is not an initialism.

>>24605343
same but 14 followers

>>24605343
Your stories aren't good, sowwy, start over.

>>24605377
I thought about writing but I trvke myself enough i dont need double taps from everyone that glances at my writing

>>24605357
better than 1

>>24605384
Are you the anon with the Touhou thing? I'm reading it. It's well-written, but RR just isn't the right audience for it. Don't be discouraged though.

>>24605432
probably not idk what that is

>>24605341
Yeap, 100 bucks.

Will this work?
[NaziCore] [Demagogue MC] [Pleb to Fuhrer][Weak to Strong] [Broken skill with HUGE potential][Savior MC] [Strong to OP] [Strongest Jews hater]

>>24605484
You need to preface those with [Free Palestine] for it to work.

...Anon?

my five strongest warriors.

>>24604377
I will reference brandosando on absolutely nothing

>>24605192
>>24605233
Run the story on Scribblehub or mimtory and make plapping new half gods into various women a major part of your day to day operations.

>>24603722
Kek my fucking sides. Is this something you're actually uploading? If so, please link so I can read it.

>>24605595
Yes, still working on increasing my backlog before I start publishing though.

>>24605534
where do you see this? RR or google analytics?

>>24604937
You don't have to at all. Mine isn't specified, and he only goes by the new name he is given. I got around it by making it part of his character arc that he somewhat dissacociates from his past as a defence mechanism. He had a happy life with a family and doesn't want to be constantly reminded of what he lost so tries to stifle his emotions and memories.

>>24605044
It's not as bad, but I didn't realise I had named an entire kingdom after a fucking pokemon until it was too late to change.

>>24605650
was it mudkip?

>>24605641
RR analytics. It is locked behind author premium so it'll cost you the 5 dollars.

progress was made

I was promised melties. Where da melties at?

>>24603224
>>24603349
nice but she also needs to be a leftover woman as referred to in Chinese culture
MC will be hagmaxxing

>>24605850
I haven't posted yet, so autists have nothing to latch onto. They're incapable of starting or creating anything original but can only react to the moves of their betters.

Is this the thread where I complain about pocket.fm ads?

>>24605908
no this is where you complain about failed creatives who think loredumping their worldbuilding makes a good story

>>24604853
don't listen to this chimp >>24604981
I want to read dungeon core stories
write dungeon core stories

so when does LOTM get good
I'm at chapter 500

the unhinged rant from last thread kinda stung desu
what web novels should i read to actually get into the scene and write stuff that will get an audience

>>24606037
Why would you let a 4chan rant sting you

>>24606037
did you called out for being a secondary who is ignorant of the scene?

>>24604937
Motherfucker, do you imagine there's just like a generic European guy from no country in particular? We're not one giant blob of Europeanness. Pick a country you find interesting, and DYOR.

>>24606193
dunno, i never heard of maladaptive daydreaming before

>>24606197
i guess
i just want to write something people will read but it's like web novel doesn't just mean "a novel on the web" anymore, it needs to be a """web novel"""

>>24606217
>anymore

>>24604937
If you write in English, it's likely most of your readers are American and will drop you the moment euros are mentioned.

>>24606037
>unhinged
it was reasonable

anyone else get 'fan' mail of people who want to share their ideas for YOUR story with you? is this a common thing? I think its kind of weird

>>24606224
there's an illusion of a parasocial relationship between slopper and sloppee where the latter might have some say in how their favourite slop develops

>>24606224
Yes, it's a common spammer. They apparently want to coax you into paying for artwork.

people dont dm you praise unless you're getting shitloads of it in comments too & have already made it big time
its all scams you newfags

mfw /wg/ anons are so jealous of my fan mail they accuse them of being scammers

I might be genuinely too soulless for character driven writing

>>24606266
>m-my scam totally isn't a scam guys!!!!!!

>like litrpgs
>also a pseudo-medievalist and hobby-historian
do you think my readers would notice or care if i based my medieval fantasy litrpg off of a specific period of medieval/late antiquity europe, such as the Migration Period, Vendel Period, or Carolingian era?

I once got actual personal email from some dude saying "they" liked my story and wanted to adapt it into animation! Unfortunately, the dude failed to even introduce himself, say where the fuck he was from, or tell anything about his alleged studio, or past works, or anything, so even if he were 100% serious and legit, I could only trash his love letter.

>>24606267
autism, aspergers, soullessness, social maladjustment, being sheltered, etc aren't obstructions to character-driven writing because characters aren't people.

>>24606295
because it wasn't a genuine offer, it was a scam you moron
they're written to be intentionally suspicious to filter out anyone with half a brain, so the scammer only gets leads from the most oblivious and gullible sorts

>>24606306
No shit sherlock

>>24606314
so why are you going on about "the obvious scam was written like a scam, isn't that so funny????"

>tfw get genuine fanmail
>but its only for my art not the stories I make
maybe I should just be a shitty artist instead.

>>24606292
no
they would notice the endless babbling about things nobody cares about
historians have mental illness that drives them to find uninteresting things interesting
if you can enrich your story with your knowledge of history without making your story about your knowledge of history, I could see that being very interesting

>>24606321
Because it was a better scam mail than the one you got, fucking loser. Your trash is not even worth a signed email

>>24604544
>I had the idea of a power system based on cultivating mental illnesses to get superpowers
I don't know why exactly but reading this made me laugh

>>24606330
my idea is having the MC get reincarnated into a litrpg world, expect litrpg tropes, then gets blindsided at the lack of plate armor, the local fusion of feudalism with litrpg classes available to everyone, the fact that the Knight Class relies heavily on horses, that chainmail/scale armor is considered “heavy armor” by the common consciousness of the system, etc.

it’s even more of a culture shock for the MC who got inserted into the fantasy world’s equivalent of the pre-Thule culture and started migrating southward. at first he assumes the lack of familiar litrpg equipment/tropes is the fault of his reincarnated tribe (basically ancestors of Inuits) and assumes them to be barbarians, goes off to more “civilized” lands down south only to discover that the litrpg world is nothing like his favorite litrpgs, and has more in common with schizo rpgs like Elin

>>24605120
Same, there was one that climbed to rising stars recently but the MC got a body 6 chapters in. The curse of non-human MC's.
I have the idea for one but I want to read Tree of Aeons beforehand to see how much my idea overlap with it.

>>24604569
>Imagine if the DSM5 was an instruction manual
that's hilarious
write this

will they find me out if i make multiple accounts to give my shit 5 stars?

>Suddenly a dozen views overnight on a completed story
It's nice... But why?

>>24606363
AI.

>>24606365
>My writing is poisoning a dozen bots
Skynet has been postponed another day, no need to thank me.

>>24604544
>>24604569
would my Avoidant Personality Disorder grant me intangibility? or Dissociative Disorder allow me to astrally project my soul as a separate spirit entity? Would Stonewalling literally manifest stone walls around me as a defensive measure?
This has potential...

>>24606303
Maybe I'm just retarded.

>>24606330
TRVTHNVKE alert.
History is arguably the coolest humanity practiced by the most uncool people imaginable.

>>24606362
Anon eight chan has samefag detection across IPs and that's coded by a single gigasperg.

>reread writing
>accidentally wrote some full on fetish bullshit
Welp.

>>24606224
>>24606235
The age of telemarketing has moved beyond email and crept into comment/contact sections!
Anyway, while one always needs to be wary of real scams, generally a little research on the user name, or any other identifying information, shows you it's an artist seeking commissions. May be a bit annoying, but come on. Don't begrudge artists trying to keep the pot boiling. As this thread demonstrates, one has to make a decision how to approach your art. If not as a minor hobby, or mere entertainment, then study the business FAQs and guides in the OP. Artists must do the same, and so you are going to get spammed a bit for commissions.
Note: I'm not an artist, although I am sympathetic. I only recently got enough views to be hit up by a few artists. Sorry guyz, I'm just a hobbyist. For now.

>>24606303
>autism, aspergers, soullessness, social maladjustment, being sheltered, etc aren't obstructions to character-driven writing because characters aren't people.
In a perfect world, many of the attributes of for instance a person with a touch of Aspergers? Can come across as stoic, heroic, or even virtuous. Blank face can appear to be stoic military bearing in the face of anything. The black and white reasoning can come across as heightened sense of what's right. Not seeing "well, you know how it really is, anon" will become high virtue. You can work a positive aspect for a lot of things. Paranoid people? A touch of it would make them good at investigating or defensive measures. And where do you think race car drivers and many other daredevil heroes come from? A truly healthy sociopath. Writers with a "touch" of something, see things differently and can present them in a different way. It comes across as creativity and it can show a normie reader the hypocrisy of something they would never think of.

>>24606362
I do it for my stories and i don't get banned.
Just don't do it with multiple accounts. 1 is fine

>>24606362
If they went out of their way to prohibit doing this in the rules, I would assume they're also prepared to catch you.

2,500 words doesn't sound like a lot but man sometimes it can be hard to load a chapter to meet the wordcount.

>>24606419
nah, that's retarded
shill on twitter and join collabs and chase trends, but don't DM people under false pretenses to try and pressure them into giving you $80
t
pretty sure these people aren't actual artists anyway. they pretend to be fans then AI gen you some shitty garbage then try to emotionally blackmail you into paying for it

is it bad to start a chapter with a flashback?

>>24606235
>Yes, it's a common spammer. They apparently want to coax you into paying for artwork.
as a newfag toposting work on a WN, yeah. I came on (here, WNG) and related how happy I was, someone said they loved my work and wanted to talk about it. [CloudNine.PNG] but helpful anons here, snarked out "sure its not an artist?". So I googled their screen name, and... yeah. artist. I shook my head, smiled, and moved on.

>>24606430
As someone whose writing is as anemic as one of my characters, I agree.
>>24606435
It can confuse readers if you don't say it beforehand. I would use sparingly.

>>24606224
>anyone else get 'fan' mail of people who want to share their ideas for YOUR story with you? is this a common thing? I think its kind of weird
this is *exactly* what happened with my "fan" message. Google that screen name the message is under, you'll see quick its an artist. Probably the same one as mine? That share ideas was the same line they used on me.

>>24606217
>i just want to write something people will read but it's like web novel doesn't just mean "a novel on the web" anymore, it needs to be a """web novel"""
There was never a point where someone could write whatever nonsense they wanted and get read. It has always been true that you must write to market if you want readers. So I'm confused what this distinction you're trying to make is.

>>24606435
I've started more than a few chapters with dream/flashback copouts
>End chapter with protagonist facing a massive beast
>Next chapter is the creature lunging and swiping, turns out it's behind bars because the protagonist saw it at a zoo/fair a year ago. This is how he knows how to kill it
>End chapter with protagonist recognizing the antagonist
>Next chapter they're discussing something serious, turns out it's plans for their apprenticeship because they used to be friends
>This is how protagonist knows them
I think it just depends how you do it. Not saying my examples are particularly good, just how I've done them in the past.

>>24606217
>i guess
>i just want to write something people will read but it's like web novel doesn't just mean "a novel on the web" anymore, it needs to be a """web novel"""
Suck it up and keep writing, anon. I'm in the same boat. I make novels I would have liked reading from 1990 and prior. I swear, you could WN site post an unpublished Clancy or Dan Brown thriller? You won't get any attention. While 2 page chapters of nonsense, gets stars. Suck it up, keep going. When enough of "us" are assembled? We can get people reading normal stuff again.

>>24605303
and if your character is a god, your story has to be about...

>>24605850
>I was promised melties. Where da melties at?
all I have to do, is post anything. What I call my "number one fan" immediately homes in on me, and starts his autistic screeching shit. Ignore them.

>>24606458
this poster is a slut for .5 star reviews

>>24606458
i doubt that you even have a single dedicated screecher, because your faggy typing style pisses me off every time i see you too. i just rarely say anything about it
seriously, do you have a mental disorder or something? why do you type like this

>>24606430
Steven King needed cocaine to do 10,000 a day. Don't feel bad.

>>24604319
>Why did we pick up so many screeching retards?
In the service? We called that SNAFU
Situation Normal, All Fucked Up

>>24606217
so you were stung but learnt nothing from the rant

>>24606489
i didn't notice until you pointed out: there's many anons here with a vision but no story. i've read so many drafts with proper noun spam right at the start

>>24606433
>AI slop ... blackmail you into paying for it
Maybe? I haven't encountered this myself, yet. Nevertheless, good advise to keep in mind. It's out there.

>>24605534
this nigga really filtered search with 5 negative tags and 0 positive ones and scrolled all the way to page fucking 17 to click a result
lmao
wait why were there two referrals from that search page wtf

>>24605908
>ads
block them.

>>24606031
if it's not grabbing you just read something else. 500 chapters is way more than enough to see if you like a story...

>>24606613
>500 chapters is way more than enough
it gets good at 1200 though, just stick it out
(kek)

>>24606336
That sounds like a fun concept anon but yeah if you don't make it explicit in your blurb (or even worse make some snarky System Voice allude to it in story) it'll pass over a lot of readers' heads that it's supposed to be historically accurate and they'll just assume there's some plot macguffin reason for nopl8.

>>24606363
I linked it to my slopcord. Your'e welcome.

>>24606417
Don't edit it out.

I'm never gonna fucking make it

>>24606628
I also thought it could be that. But dunno if it's a joke, thanks anyway.

>>24606659
Where? The toilet?

Everyone keeps saying reading prolifically is a good way to git good at writing, and not just reading in your genre, but across different genres. Post your reading lists

>>24606659
If you're in it to make money there's better ways to collect minimum wage.

>>24606693
i dont keep a reading list

>>24606660
>But dunno if it's a joke, thanks anyway.
Anon I don't even know who you are or what your story is. But that's the most likely explanation -- someone liked it and linked/recommended it to a friend group

>>24606701
minimum wage jobs universally suck dude. you're missing the point

>>24606693
>not just reading in your genre, but across different genres
you should definitely read some books outside of your genre but mostly you should be extremely well versed with the content you actually intend to write. knowing the genre is three quarters of the battle when it comes to writing for an audience

>>24606693
Just finished this one: https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/102225/the-scribe
8/10 recommend, self contained, trad novel sized, and not litRPG.

Right now I'm reading:
https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/68959/the-cabin-is-always-hungry-a-dungeon-core-horror
https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/106967/bloodstained-blade-gamelit-sword-mc
https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/109544/the-art-of-gold-digging-isekai-litrpg
https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/104261/bookbound-bunny
https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/117255/rend
https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/118891/new-life-as-a-max-level-archmage
https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/93931/born-under-a-black-sun

>>24606693
Whenever I try to read Gatsby I keep coming back to trashy AO3 fics :(

compared to its japanese progenitor, western harem fantasy is a lot more advanced in one aspect (just having sex with the women in question) but aeons behind in another (the women in question actually having an interesting dynamic between themselves)

>>24606430
This is the worst. I hate having a great, concise chapter and I need to add 500 words to it somehow. It always makes it suck.

>>24606884
The Scribe lost me when the mc turned mindrapist roidmaxxer through op magic

>>24607053
Make a list of short interludes you can pull out when you're in that situation.
Introduce a side character who won't meet the main cast for a couple chapters to build suspense.
Dive into character dynamics and show what someone is doing in their downtime.
Have a flashback or bit of historical lore that thematically mirrors what's currently happening.
Jump to another character's perception of what's just happened and explain how their thought process justifies the way they're going to react in the next chapter.

>>24607090
Almost dropped at that point, but that's basically his end game. The story had pacing issues, the parts before he became OP were the most interesting.

>>24607053
its fine to have a shorter chapter here and there. Just shouldn't be drastically shorter

>>24606912
>just having sex with the women in question
there are pornographic light novels too you know. they're just not the mainstream ones with adaptations on prime time tv

>>24606430
TRVKE.
It's why backlog is so important.

>>24606693
I just pick up five physical books from one of those open library things then finish them. Rinse and repeat.
If you're a sun hating sperg like Lovecraft you gotta read like Lovecraft i.e absolutely everything you can get your hands on in order to mitigate your lack of life experience.
"Refined" literature only works if you lead a refined life otherwise it'll just lead to purple clad banality.

>>24607243
do you look like this?

>>24607214
guess I was thinking more of the mid-2000s esque battleharem genre, you're right

>>24606453
That's one hundred percent a problem of what audience is on what websites. People who like Dan Clancy read newly published novels abusing his name in Barnes & Noble or pick up his back catalog from used bookstores. They don't go to royal road or scribblehub. That's not to say they wouldn't be interested in anything new and indie, it's just that to get their attention, you have to advertise where they are, and I don't know where that is. Facebook groups? Newspaper ads?

>>24607355
>Dan Clancy
Anon?

>>24606567
Dude wants something new but knows what he hates and just kept scrooooooolling until he found something worth opening in a 60th tab. I'm the same way, especially with hentai.

>>24607367
good man. eroticism is beautiful and should be held to a high standard

>>24607362
>Clancy or Dan
Yeah that's my fault. You know what I mean though. Like how Clive Cussler is dead but they keep putting his name on covers to bait out boomers.

>>24607367
I'm the same way. just the other day I did the same and looked for probably an hour straight. At this point I think I've seen every story worth reading on the entire site.

>>24607375
Yeah. The James Patterson model. Or the Warrior Cats lady or whatever.

>>24607382
You haven't accumulated a list of 200 stories "worth checking out later" yet in a massive bookmark folder? I mainly look at the "you might like" section under what I actually follow, and click on interesting user ads.

web novel readers don't want to read your shitty imitation of a tradpub novel and that's at best

I created the Patreon page and published it. Do I have to do anything else to lock in the rates or is this enough?

Does Patreon unpublish pages for inactivity or anything like that?

>>24607413
I think that's enough
>unpublish
I don't think so
I paused it anyway. I'm still Backlogging©

>>24607394
No, I am really picky. At my peak I think I reached 10 stories marked as Read Later. This is how looking for new stories goes for me.

>scroll through results
>Look at synopsis, see main character with stereotypical ass name like Kai/Seth/etc
skip
>See chatgpt blurb with bullet points
skip
>See 'school life tag'
skip
>See the author mentions how they have an animal sidekick
skip
>Author talks about how the system is snarky
skip
>mc has 'the worst class' or 'the worst skill'
skip
>ai generated covert art
skip 90% of the time
>orphan backstory
skip

I could keep going but you get the idea.

>>24607428
I don't mind AI generated cover art. I agree with the rest.

>>24607422
how much you backlogged so far chief
personally I've hit 300k and I figure it's about time I start planning for a launch

>>24607428
>my shitty story slips through all the filters
Bros I'm gonna make it

>>24607450
>personally I've hit 300k and I figure it's about time I start planning for a launch
300k is way overkill. you just need enough to see if your story has legs. which is like 80k. after which you settle into your normal schedule which can be as low as 3x weekly

unless you're planning on writing the whole serial even if you only have 2 readers lol

>>24607450
I kneel.
you have ten times more than the paltry inventory I now daren't even call my stockpile. you are Beaver Incarnate. the forests tremble in your presence.

Artem gets hit by a drone and dies in a ditch. He wakes up in another world that is at peace. Artem has to struggle with adjusting to peaceful civilian life in an unknown world until a neighboring nation starts coveting the lands Artem finds himself in.

>>24607428
My story slips by them all, I'm in. Enjoy reading my slop.

>>24607477
The land of knights and magic is intimidating, but Artem finds an unlikely ally in the other world: Ivan, the fateful drone pilot. Far from anything resembling home they strike up an uneasy friendship. Will their friendship survive the trials ahead? Will they fight in yet another war? For a land that isn't theirs?

>>24607488
But also Artem is gay, and being gay is punishable by death because of the dark lord. If the drone pilot turns him in, he'll get dark elf pussy. But first he must prove Artem is gay.

>>24607494
Which is hard to do because Artem is inexplicably surrounded by women who fawn over him, one of which being the dark elf Ivan lusts over. No matter what happens, this story ends with a bang.

any decent non litrpg progression story? Just finished mol & cradle and I want more

>>24606693
Odyessy
Stranger in a Strange Land, uncut
Rendenvous with Rama
Berserk Deluxe vol1
Haven't bought physical hardcover copies of yet but still considering it: War & Peace

On RR
https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/111615/enjashek
https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/112061/a-fall-to-greater-heights
https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/22868/after-moses
https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/59168/the-undercurrent-saga-hard-sci-fi-space-epic-5
https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/116627/the-long-journey-with-a-dragon-girl-in-a-foreign
https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/43057/birds-of-prey
https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/125106/hegemon-of-shongma
https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/47340/master-this-poor-disciple-died-again-today - not sure about this though. 1mil words would be crazy to get through.

>>24607428
Unfortunately the bullet point blurb is current RR meta, not just a chatgpt signal.
>tags
you can set a global site filter to hide these. won't help for blurb/title based icks though

I'm basically an LLM trained on 4chan posts

>>24607600
In the future, saying nigger will be the only way to prove you're a flesh and blood human.

>>24607602
Lest we all be devoured by slop

>>24606693
currently reading
>Lord of the Mysteries
The Weird Fiction esque setting full of unknowable horrors that drive you mad is great and it's fun to read about all the MC's bullshit scheming and plotting. And it's also fun to see him asspull plans at the last second and have them somehow work while everyone else reacts like "amazing, he knew everything all along, he must have such depths of insight".
>Weirkey Chronicles https://www.goodreads.com/series/306753-the-weirkey-chronicles
A western cultivation story where people advance by building a tower inside their soul from spiritual materials so strength as well as what powers they can use are based on their skill at archetecture and interior design. Picked this up just cus the premise was weird enough to be interesting.
>Succeed, or Fall into Depravity as a Witch https://www.scribblehub.com/series/1226237/succeed-or-fall-into-depravity-as-a-witch/
I think anon linked this one. Pretty good so far if you like depraved cultivators gender bending their sect rivals into love slaves.
>Worth the Candle https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/25137/worth-the-candle
I picked this up because of the premise of a guy being isekai'd to a world that's a mashup of all the tabletop campaigns he wrote/ran sounded interesting. Very good so far. A lot of focus on character writing and not just plot.
>The Years of Apocalypse https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/81002/the-years-of-apocalypse-a-time-loop-progression
i fucking love time loops

The last non tradpub/non-webslop novel I finished was in April, oops.

>>24607488
Make them Oksana and Natasha, and also gay. I will now read your sloppa.

>>24607631
>The Years of Apocalypse
The FeMC felt so slow it was painful. I know it's convention to start at a low point to allow plenty of room for growth, but she almost felt dumb.

>>24607631
Favorite time loop stories?

>random comment on a chapter months after publishing it
Is there any better feeling?

>>24607668
My favorites are pretty much all the well known highly rated ones you've already heard of. Mother of Learning, The Perfect Run, YoA as mentioned.

For a lesser known one, The Mage of Shimmer Mountain was pretty good.

>>24607688
Man I couldn't last more than 4 chapters of perfect run, does it get better or?

>>24607694
Get better in what way? I obviously liked it but I don't remember too much about the first 4 chapters to say how they're different from the rest of the book. I've definitely seen others say they couldn't get into Voidherald's writing style though.

>>24607653
>Reading a femc story

>>24606693
>web
The Mirror Legacy
Lord of the Mysteries

>trad (genre)
sporadically revisiting:
Zelazny
Le Guin
Chandler
Pratchett
Gibson
Howard
(translated) Japanese mystery novels

>>24607792
did your gf cheat on you or something why do you spam this anywhere you can

New chapter of FFF-Class 'Unlucky Antagonist'is out.

You can’t even imagine what a pain this chapter has been.
I had to write it on my smartphone, my text editor nearly deleted the whole thing, and I almost published the draft by mistake.
Now, I just want to sleep.

https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/119783/fff-class-unlucky-antagonist-villains-origin-story/chapter/2489804/martial-critique-part-five

going to link my femc story

>>24607878
AAAEEIIIIII SAVE ME NIGGERMAN

>>24607668
>>24607688
Slightly off-topic since it's a tv show, but if you want a great timeloop story go and try and find the chinese mini-series Reset. iirc it's free on YT if you can't locate a download.

>>24607878
Do it, I'll click read later on it. I might even read it

Is this a good way to isekai my protagonist?

https://pastebin.com/raw/gxQ7c3c9

>>24608130
Didn't read any of it but no

>>24608136
Thanks.

>>24608130
>https://pastebin.com/raw/gxQ7c3c9
skimmed and theres nothing amazing or novel about it but its syntax and vocabulary isnt offensively boring. I don't frequent these generals but i did read a ton of mlp fanfiction and my appeal was the character out of place and their reactions to the crossover world, or the themes and conflicts of the story. If i were looking for more sloppa to read, thats what i would care about, and the context is filler to get to it. make sure your summary/synopsis is good.

>>24608130
It made my eyebrows rise.
It's quite convoluted, there's a lot of POVs changes just to say:
>MC died lol
It is intended, but the joke didn't land for me. Maybe the readers on RR will like, I don't know.

Also, I don't think that pigeons can carry kebabs, are you thinking of seagulls?

>>24608025
https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/63818/the-crow-and-the-rabbit

>>24608154
>It's quite convoluted, there's a lot of POVs changes just to say: MC died lol
I'm mostly taking the piss out of the "his eyebrows rose in surprise" that many authors like to use. I was hoping to convey something like this in written form. https://youtu.be/Ex2NB7JsLyA

>I don't think that pigeons can carry kebabs
Perhaps I should make it a seagull. They often steal from people eating on the beach, it's more fitting.

>>24608152
Appreciate the feedback.

>>24608168
>I was hoping to convey something like this in written form.
That vid is a classic webm bait.
But then it doesn't land because we got the demon POV so we already expect that the truck will swerve last second. You put the punchline before the joke.
And yes, it's is a nestled joke, but you could've pulled a one-two rather than just bait and switch.

>>24608130
I was ready to head out as soon as onions came up.

>>24606464
>i doubt that you even have a single dedicated screecher, because your faggy typing style pisses me off every time i see you too. i just rarely say anything about it
>seriously, do you have a mental disorder or something? why do you type like this
>
goddammit, I just fucking t-y-p-e. I'm not editing a newspaper article, its a fucking 4chins post. I'd say get a grip? But you're not the only one. I've given up caring about that shit. And back at everyone not just (you). Godddamn "web slang" is fucking ridiculous. Its like I have to study ebonics to figure out what assholes are saying. But I don't bitch about that. I dont like your posting commas. I dont like this I dont like that. Wahhh. Autistic crybabies, and everyone wants everyone else to post the exact way they do it. Will you motherfuckers change your pampers and get the fuck over it.

I Fucked The Villain's 36 Year Old Wife [OP MC] [NOT a harem] [Isekai] [Chad MC] [Attractive MC] [comfy hagcore] [non-virgin MC]

>>24608203
seriously though.
all these fucking shills shitting all the boards up, and all you care about it a comma or other inconsequential bullshit. Go beat off to some "futa", if thats the kind where the cute little girl has a three foot long dick. And if its shoota or buta, because I didn't study contemporary chinese comic book bullshit? IDGAF.

>>24608203
>>24608216
what are you even talking about

>>24608219
>>>24608203 (You)
>>>24608216 (You)
>what are you even talking about
>
Here's a blast from the past. "That's enough /b/ for tonight". Gotta work in the morning.

>>24608201
It's a bit of whiplash because I took a snippet of the entire chapter instead of dumping a full one with context. If you had the multiple chapters of context leading up to this it would make more sense. It would still be dumb though, which is also the point.

>>24608219
Tina got called out for the way they write on /wg/.

>>24608017
I'm totally hooked thanks for the recommendation, anything else you really like time loop related?

>>24608165
Ooh this one was already on my list.

Would you rather have 25 loyal and passionate readers, or 2,500 that moderately enjoy what you put out?

>>24608350
25—if they comment. I don't write for money so knowing that someone enjoys it is what I'm looking for.

>>24608350
Whichever one pays the $10/m.

Are there any books I should read that will teach the very basics of writing? I'm not talking about characters or plot or even grammar. What I want is something that will help me convey my ideas into words. I can stare at a blank page for only so long. No amount of bullet points if ideas is going to help. I want a way to go from "xyz happens in this scene" to having an actual written scene, but I don't know how.
>>24608130
I wish I could write this well.

>>24608381
I've been recommended two books: How to write a sentence by Stanley Fish and The elements of eloquence by Mark Forsynth. I've only read the former but I think it helped me.

>>24608381
>I wish I could write this well.
Wow, thanks. You can definitely write as well as me, I'm a beginner as well after all. My advice to you is to start writing right now. It doesn't matter what. Spend ten minutes describing a town square, the criers yelling, the sellers hawking their wares, the people scurrying from stall to stall. Then spend ten minutes writing something else, a short dialogue between two characters, make one of them have a thick accent. Rinse repeat until you've covered all kinds of situations. Whether or not you like what you've written you have just 10 minutes to write it and move on to the next scene.

This is how I started. After a few days I said fuck it and moved on to writing an actual story. I plotted out some major things that would occur but mostly went in blind. It doesn't matter how bad you think it is. You can always go back later and edit it later. What matters is that you start today.

>>24603164 (OP)
finally published my own writing on my website, hiddenmomentum.xyz! I guess it's more of a web-short-story than a web-novel but there is a webnovel fully charted out and it will be coming soon

>>24608342
Np anon. As for other stories... I think they've all been mentioned. Like Reset? The closest would be "Someday or One Day" - a chinese show again, though the loops aren't as frequent. Just be aware the first episode before the loop starts is kinda bad but don't let it put you off. There is a Neflix remake called "A Time Called You" which is actually a pretty good, solid remake but the original version while being lower budget has a certain magic that can't be copied.

>>24608130
You have too many POVs. I got bored enough that I skipped some of them because they weren't conveying anything new.

>>24608414
thoughts on rezero? not exactly groundhog day

>>24608404
I feel like publishing on your own personal site will make it hard to find new readers unless you shill it a ton. Nice art for your first chapter though. I like the colors used and style a lot.

>>24608437
see my explanation >>24608168
I agree that the joke probably isn't conveyed well enough though. I'll need to think about how to fix it.

>>24608130
I read the whole thing and I'm not sure how I feel about it.
The writing is pretty amateurish on a sentence level. Most offensively the constant comma splicing. The style itself isn't great either, lots of short sentences but not punchy, just short and kind of bland. That's hardly a killer in the web serial space, prose barely matters here, but you aren't doing yourself any favors.
I'm not sure if the punchline landed, comically dragging out the truck hitting him only to veer off, piano, etc. It wasn't aggressively unfunny, at least, which happens sometimes. I honestly think it might've been funnier if the sentence level execution was stronger—like with how a joke, tone of voice and vocal delivery matters. The limp writing/scene setting/descriptions makes the joke less funny. It has some promise, I guess, conceptually
From a meta level, I have to ask—is this intended to be a pure comedy? Because the sheer absurdity of the opening scene sets the stage for it being a full comedy, and if subsequent chapters start taking the story seriously, that'll be pretty big tonal whiplash.
I really haven't seen many full-comedy web novels in the west. That's more common in the eastern sphere a la konosuba, since they'll eventually end up as anime (where comedy works much better)

What are your goals with this piece?

>>24608165
resident creep that likes your femcs.

what smell do they emit after sweating a day's work?

do they shave or are they au naturale?

>>24608440
>I feel like publishing on your own personal site will make it hard to find new readers unless you shill it a ton.
you could make it a full time job 60 hours a week shilling everywhere you could think, astro turfing, sock puppets, etc, and it wouldn't remotely approach a front-page spot on royalroad's homepage, like what a successful rising stars run might get you

>>24608404
no thank you mr hacker man i will not click your link

>>24608438
Never seen it, not watched anime in a long time. Just like webnovels there's a ton of jap+chinese tv series that have time-travel, isekai, transmigration. You just have to get adjusted to the cultural norms and (CCP) censorship.

>>24608455
>I have to ask—is this intended to be a pure comedy?
Yeah. It's essentially a satire/comedy on the isekai genre. A meta shitpost you could say. Nothing inherently new to the concept, mostly me just having fun twisting and subverting common tropes. I appreciate the feedback on my writing. I definitely use commas far too much. It's tough for me to find different ways to break it up. It's equally hard to find out why my sentences often feel so bland. I'm assuming this is normal when reading your own writing?

>What are your goals with this piece?
I mostly just want to have fun and write something silly that makes me laugh. I wanted to go with something more serious but came to the conclusion that something like this, that I didn't take so seriously would be better to improve with. I guess we'll see if that pans out.

>>24608401
Thank you. This might be the best advice I've gotten. It seems like such a simple thing, but somehow it seems that it's what I was missing.

>>24608507
>my sentences often feel so bland. I'm assuming this is normal when reading your own writing?
I can't say I felt like my writing was bland when I started. Mostly it was me trying too hard to throw in flowery language and imagery where it didn't belong. Now that I have a lot of writing under my belt, I hardly think I'm Steinbeck or something when I reread my prose, but I think it's pretty solid for what it is. So that feeling of 'what is this crap?' shouldn't last forever. It took about ~600k words for that feeling to go away for me, and another like million before I started feeling actually confident & that I was better than most of the best-rated on royalroad.

>your goals
Best of luck, then. Just wanted to ensure you weren't opening with a comedy then shifting to a more serious tone after the isekai scene. Would've been a blunder
I disagree with your assumption that if you want to write serious stuff, starting with something less serious will help you improve faster. The only way I could see that being true is if you have serious mental hangups and would stall out/refuse to write that more serious piece because of inferiority complexes etc. Which is a legitimate possibility I suppose. Developing a skill can be a mental game

The dragon stood up wings unfurled and roared. It was an intimidating sight, but the adventurers were undeterred. With the paladin in the lead the party of three advanced closer.

Light flickered off the dragon's red scales and smoke started billowing out of its nose. A defeaning roar echoed through the tunnel followed by a wall of fire.

The flame melted everything it touched - the floor became lava, the ceiling dripped molten iron, and the walls had disappeared entirely. But the adventurers were unharmed. A barrier of light shimmered in front of the paladin.

The wizard incanted a quick spell and a globe of frost spread out from him solidifying the molten tunnel once again.

The dragon roared, "Who dares to defy me? I am the king of the Golden Mountain and you are in my domain."

"Your reign of terror ends today, snake," the cleric shouted from the back of the party.

The dragon, incensed by the insult, barreled towards the party. If fire wouldn't do it, then physical power will. The gargantuan dragon charged with wild abandon until a loud twang echoed through the cavern.

A ballista bolt rushed through the air at the dragon. It hit the dragon squarely in the back, crushing its insides, and exited through the mouth. The bolt embedded itself entirely in the wall of iron.

The dragon was dead in a single shot.

"I told you I could backstab him with a ballista," the rogue shouted from the other side of the room.
How bad is it?

>>24608612
The opener is so generic that my eyes actually glazed over, though I get that's the point. Backstab as a word feels very odd here unless it's intended to be a video game or tabletop mechanic, in which case I think you should play on that. If he got some kind of critical multiplier why not say that? He didn't backstab the dragon.

>>24608612
>How bad is it?
I thought it was AI for a while, but at least that means you're getting basic sentence structure right :/
The "this happened then that happened then this happened" bullet point style is really boring to read. Who is the POV character and why can't I tell? That's the biggest issue by far. Zero flavor whatsoever to the text

>>24608612
I have a feeling you're the anon I told to do small writing exercises by spending 10 minutes to write a scene with minimal to no prep. If that's you then you're doing fine. Keep trying new scenes and taking note on what you liked and didn't like about it. None of your scenes will likely stand well on their own in the beginning.

If you're not that anon then like the others said it's painfully generic. Anchoring the pov to a single character could allow the reader to see some of their thoughts and feelings which would make it read better. Try to imagine yourself in the scene. Is someone breathing heavily? Is there a crest on the paladins shield? What is his armor made of? What kind of staff does the wizard have? You say it's hot, I want a character to feel that and for me to see it. These kind of details will make it less robotic. At least that's what I think.

I haven't been able to write for three weeks and now I can't write for another more. My backlog is fucking dying. I'm never doing anything for family ever again. I'll just live in my author's hermit hole forever.

>>24608838
Spend the time time plotting out all the chapters in your head.

>>24608838
You just wrote that post, why can't you write anything else?

>>24608858
Yeah I'm daydreaming about it hard but it's not the same as banging out 1k words/day.

>>24608864
I pushed too hard on visiting family, so I had literally no time for anything. Then I caught a really bad sinus infection, had to drive like 300 miles while sick, and now I'm about to dogsit for someone for a week. I MIGHT be able to write next week, but I'm not counting on it. More likely I'll be ill the whole time and only able to care for the dog and eat fastfood and be a fat american watching anime.

I'm so mad.

>>24608633
>>24608664
>>24608728
Thanks. I am the same anon. I tried asking ChatGPT for feedback but it told me that it's inappropriate content. I'm glad for your feedback. This made me understand what I was missing much better than reading it myself.

>>24608886
Look at it this way; you can use that sort of feeling in your writing. It's a lot easier to write about something you've experienced before, and wanting to do something productive while being put down on all sides is prime angst.

https://stepan.chizhov.com/do-review-swaps-influence-top-1000-books-and-other-adventures-of-ratings-on-royal-road/

>stories with review swaps tend to have a higher average rating even on the organic reviews
I feel like this is going to embolden the review swappers.

>>24608950
Circlejerk reviews can't save bad writing or audience sentiment. It's the same thing with videogames and movies.

>>24608130
I did not feel compelled to finish it, so probably not.

>>24609012
tldr slips on a banana peel and crushed by a grand piano

>>24609027
That would be tragic. Are you trying to write a comedic parody of a regular isekai? I'm curious about the intentions behind it.

>>24609036
Yes, it's just a parody shitpost on isekai. I've had 10 chapters of this dumb protagonist trying to kill himself, failing and ultimately giving up on on the idea. Now that he's no longer suicidal he immediately dies to a grand piano in the most looney tunes-esque way I could think of. I would've done a falling anvil but I wanted to bring back the truck driver from his first attempt.

>>24609053
So you wrote a parody of your own work? Does this stem from you mocking yourself because you don't like the progress you've made on it, or just a breather? Also, if you could take a look at this real quick I'd appreciate it.

https://pastebin.com/MTGUDViY

>>24608633
Rogues in D&D can do a special attack called a backstab. This adds a huge amount of damage to the attack. In some of the previous editions the rules around what you can use as a weapon to backstab have been a little loose, especially if you had a very rule-of-cool DM. There's an old joke about using ridiculous siege weaponry to deal humongous amounts of damage.

>>24609074
No, the entire story is a parody of the genre, not of a specific work.

I've already read the first two chapters of yours so it didn't take me long to finish this last one. Not sure how I feel about the sack of meat protagonist being dragged around without much agency of his own. You've hinted at him being used to test curses so I'm guessing he'll be some manner of support to the party? Anyways, the most recent chapter is mostly world building. You've dropped a mention about how the protagonist is here because of a wish that he doesn't know yet. From a readers perspective I don't actually know or care much about him so far. I think it comes down to how soon you can introduce the protagonists wish to the reader. If the wish isn't good and the mc remains passive then I can see it being an issue.

>>24606333
Schizophic Sally darted left to avoid the onslaught of punches from paranoid Peter, his fists warping everything they came into contact with.

"The rats in the ceiling came through my manhole, officer!"

She screeched as the air around Peter began to hear up, and his hair was set alight.

"I knew it! The government drones were beaming their propaganda into my mind!"

He screamed.

The opening left by his panic allowed Sally's hidden companion, klepto Kevin, to turn invisible and swipe a roll of toilet paper from the restroom.

"All according to my master plan."

Muttered delusional Debra as she used her scrying eye spell to monitor the situation.

>>24609113
That was the main thing I was concerned about with the third chapter. I need it to establish what his main function will be in the story, and, as you said his wish. Unfortunately, much like the sack of meat, I also cannot formulate a wish. From his point of view, if that makes sense. I guess I'll just have to stew on it some. And try and cut back on purple prose some more, as one anon said. Thanks for humoring me.

>>24604544
My first thought was the movie trilogy Unbreakable

I'm tired of having shit prose. Trying to look for underpriced writing editors on fiverr but they are all overselling themselves like crazy.

>>24609136
Editors can polish competent writing, but they can't outright salvage garbage. Read more and practice.

>>24609096
Yes, I assumed it was that but it's jarring to have that entire generic blurb to set up a single punchline but not actually set up the punchline.

is it bad to have two dialogue heavy chapters in a row?

>>24609208
If the dialogue is bad.

>>24609238
>>24609238
>>24609238

new

how do I find yandere in RR without searching for yandere in the title?

>>24603447
This, but with male leads.

>>24608404
dogshit font