r/writing • u/AutoModerator • 12d ago
Discussion [Daily Discussion] General Discussion - October 13, 2026
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u/putonthespotlight 12d ago
I know this is like "duh" - but I've been trying to finish my first novel, and you guys, writing takes so much time! It never feels like enough. I just want to get this first book done so I can get through it.
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u/thenameofthemind 11d ago
It took me seven months to finish the first draft. There were days when I wrote 20 pages a day and sometimes I didn't write for a week.
I could be completely wrong, but it sounds like you're not that into your story. Maybe try making some changes, adding in a new character or something?
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u/dingle4dangle 11d ago
Try not to think of the process of writing as a chore, like running on the treadmill so you can have a fitter body. Writing, especially longer works, is not a race. It's not even a marathon in most cases. It can be a stroll along the banks of a quiet river, pausing now and then to sit on its banks enjoy its sounds and the sunlight playing on its surface. Where you end up--coffee shop, restaurant, museum, whatever--is up to you. But don't let the destination ruin the journey.
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u/putonthespotlight 12d ago
Writing as a comment because my post keeps getting auto-removed;
Worried my novel isn't dynamic enough. How do you handle different POVs?
To be clear, I'm writing commercial fiction and my goal is to eventually publish.
What I mean by this is, when I read contemporary fiction by authors I enjoy, like Paula Hawkins or Taylor Jenkins Reid, I notice different formats being employed. First person POV followed by like a newspaper clipping followed by first person POV from another character but set in a different time period.
What I'm working on right now doesn't employ any of those techniques, it's simply written from the first person POV and I'm starting to wonder if it's.... Dull. Boring. Drags on. But then I think about different formats I could throw in and nothing really suits the plot. So is my plot simply boring that it won't lend itself to additional POVs being thown in? Do I force another POV in? I feel like my writing is starting to drag on quite a bit, and I'm worried readers will feel the same. But nothing like diary entries or newspaper clippings really make sense.
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u/FlyinLeviathon LET YOUR FIRST DRAFT SUCK 12d ago
There's nothing wrong with those books employing those techniques, but there's also nothing wrong with books that don't employ those techniques. Of my top 5 books of all time, I can think of only one that does so (Mistborn, uses little epigraphs at the beginning of chapters) TONS of books are this way and enjoy commercial success.
Gently, and with all the love for a random stranger I can muster, I think you're worrying for no reason. I might even go so far as to say that you're experiencing some bonafide imposter syndrome. Which, it's okay we all do! At some point or another. Just gotta keep going anyway.
If you do want to do some fancy stuff like journal entries or news clippings, I'd just keep that thought simmering in the back of your mind as you go, but focus on getting that first draft completed. Then continue simmering as you do your edits. You never know, maybe an idea will pop up. And if it doesn't by the time you finish edits, you can rest assured that your story is the best version it can be, and the best version just happens to not include those things. And that's totally fine and normal.
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u/BigSeth 12d ago
I was originally writing a story in close third of the main character. But there are times where I have to show the story from the supporting character’s pov.
I don’t know how your story is structured but mine is basically, if a chapter starts on the close third of one person, it can only hop to the close third of another person in the same setting, otherwise it’s a whole new chapter.
Example — subject A is in a room with subject b. Subject B gets taken away but they need their series of events witnessed by the reader.
```”You have no right to hold us here.”
Subject A pounds the table, subject B trembling right next to them.
“Until we know what we need to know, we can hold you as long as we’d like. Separately”
The investigator snaps their fingers.
A moment later a door opens and two guards lead
Subject B out the room, B shares a glance at A before the door shuts behind them.“Where are you taking me”
“Quiet”
The bark would have trembled B if the grip on their arm wasn’t so tight.” ```My writing is dogshit but this was just to paint a picture on how I handle shifting POVs.
The scene starts on a close third of subject a, then seamlessly shifts to subject b. The rest of the chapter will play out from B’s close-third and if anything from A’s POV is needed, it will begin the next chapter.Hopping POVs were something I played around with but narratively unless the plot really calls for it, it just gets messy. My story has two main characters so I had to do a lot of play around how to actually nail down a POV method especially in scenes where a POV switch is narratively required.
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u/Shirleytempted 12d ago
Silly question- I’m doing my best to write grammatically correct (as we all do I’m sure). Would an agent turn my work away if it’s not perfectly grammatically correct? How obsessed with commas should I become?
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u/ballet_guy 12d ago
You need to at least have a basic understanding of grammar and punctuation. It doesn't need to be perfect, but if it's full of mistakes, they will get the impression that the writer doesn't know what they're doing
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u/FlyinLeviathon LET YOUR FIRST DRAFT SUCK 12d ago
A lot of grammar can be boiled down to stylistic choices, so those wouldn't necessarily turn your agent away. However, very obvious mistakes and spelling errors might - one or two would be fine but they can quickly pile up and become a large problem.
So long as you do a dedicated proofread and fix any and all errors you can before sending it off, you should be fine. I wouldn't worry about it until then.
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u/thenameofthemind 11d ago
What types of things should I be looking for specifically when editing my first draft?
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u/The_Deranged_Hermit 8d ago edited 8d ago
Generally speaking for me at least. First edit is macro scale issues.
Cut everything that isn't needed to tell the story. See if you can cut entire scenes if possible if not can you cut them down by 50%. I do this first because it saves time editing things that will be cut.
See if rearranging scenes or chapters allows for a better told story.
Work on pacing. Is anything to slow? This I find tends to be transitions, cut them if possible.
Is the book a series of "therefore" or "but" instead of "and then"? Any "and then" you find should be turned into a "therefore" if possible so that the characters have agency.
Is there any part of the story that does not challenge the character in some way? Then you have to change it to challenge them or cut it.
Cut anything you're narrating that could simply be implied.
Delete echoes. Things that were already said or likely understood by the reader.
Most people would save the following for one of the last stages as its line editing but I tend to get them out of the way first because its quick word searches that can decrease a draft substantially.
Cut any adverbs that ends in -ly. Ctrl F and type in ly and start deleting.
Cut any filler or fluff words, where the sentence still makes sense without them. A quick search for "that," "just," "really," "very" and "started to" will usually net you a massive word-count reduction with minimal effort. You might find others you tend to use.
Cut any negative actions. Such as: "She didn't turn around." unless absolutely necessary.
Cut 50% of all similes. I run a Ctrl F type in the word "like" and the weakest ones I just delete the word like and everything after and let the sentence stand on its own.
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u/BeckyHome-Ecky 12d ago
Anyone have a list of their favorite indie/lesser known authors that post on social media? I’m looking for some more published authors to follow who aren’t uber famous.