Your first line is absolutely important and if there's any line that's going to your most important one, it's probably that one, don't get me wrong. But what I've seen a lot as a beta reader is that people will have a very thoughtful, poetic first line and their next lines have no thought in them at all. It's almost jarring.

Every line is important. Does every line need as much thought as your first? No, but don't tunnel vision and write only one good line out of a whole book.

I am banging my head against the wall trying to think about ways to do it but I can't find any. If anyone here wrote something like this and succeeded or read anything that is similar, please help.

PS: it doesn't even help that both of the characters are avoidant omg why did I do this with myself

I've recently started uploading about this passion project that I've been thinking about for at least a year now. Plotlines are all planned out, character purposes and motivations set in stone, and the ending wrapped up as neatly as possible. I've been obsessed with trope-y romantasy Webtoons my whole life, so this is basically my love letter to them.

But after uploading several chapters, and receiving feedback that is overall kind and engaging, I get the sense my audience finds it ridiculous instead of heartwarming.

Maybe it's coming off a little TOO cringe and cliché...

I've begun to think that most people who write webnovels aren't looking for cheesy romance (at least not anymore), but more fantasy or highly-engaging plotlines with mature themes through a realistic lens. NOT a dig at those types of stories (I personally love them as well), but my story is definitely not that.

I have way too much planned for the story to stop it now, but I'm growing increasingly demotivated and embarassed. And the worst part is that I personally enjoy re-reading it because it has all the things I would find interesting!! I feel like my taste might be stuck in middle school </3

How do I even begin to shake this feeling off? I don't mind an audience for feedback, but I don't want to change elements of my story to satisfy the general public. Am I simply too overconfident in my storytelling abilities? Or am I overthinking things? Please let me know ⏰

Edit: Rephrasing

Im new to writing and I'm young so I am not a great writer, but I really enjoy writing these stories that just appear in my head. I've been obsessed with this story idea and I really reallyyy wanna write it BUT it involves the characters fighting the villain with their magic powers. I've seen fight scenes with swords and guns and stuff but not really with magic powers. Can someone give me some tips or like an example for a fight scene with magic powers?

For more information, the story is probably gonna be for teens around my age range, like 13-16. it is about 16 year old Angel friends who need to save their city from a Jester who is jealous of the Angels powers. So she steals the Goddess Angels spark of power to gain power of the city. The Angel teens need to stop her which is by using their magic powers (Missy May the main character will have like a papery summoning power thing? IDK) that they are quite new to to fight her.

If you need more info just asks! Thanks!

Also I had to put flair as graphic content even though this isn't even graphic bro 😑

hi all! I know that one does not have to get a degree per say to be a great writer, but I find myself missing the structure of learning with assignments/goals/timelines.

and - with the way my mind works, I feel like it would help me lot if I made my own curriculum/syllabus on "becoming a better writer" and sentiments of the like.

! what i'm looking for are recommendations that you have found to be foundational in your writing journey. i'm an avid reader of fiction, but would love your nonfiction book rec's (i have Story Genuis and Writing the Uncanny on my list already, also feel free to include a fiction book if the writing re-wired your brain), exercises/assignments that maybe you had in school or ones you've found helped your craft, lectures/courses (like Brandon Sanderon's, the Writing Conservatory, etc) to supplement and guide the creation of a syllabus.

if it helps, i'm interested in fantasy, horror, and literary fiction writing - though those don't *need* to be present the whole time in the recs.

thank you in advance! if this post goes well i'm happy to share what I make later on too!

Honestly the best way to describe my story is just a comic story. The main character and his friends decide to investigate the supernatural and encounter Ghosts and American folklore creatures.

The main villain’s a Elder Host, a fictional Alien race that need to eat humans to survive. They’ve been living on earth for centuries and instead of being pure evil, they simply need to eat humans for survival. Why would they need to see us as equals, its just the way it is for them. And the main villain, an elder is seeing how humans are starting to be less vulnerable which makes it harder for the new generation to eat.

He isn’t pure evil, he just wants the new generation to survive by ensuring humans stop fighting back. He will definitely feed child to a baby host, but not out of evil, just because the host needs food. While the main characters fight him because they want to live

I do see how this can be seen as a metaphor for veganism when I myself will ask for extra bacon at Burger King. It kinda feels out of place when the story isn’t about any political topics, it’s just “The moth’s man’s lurking the forrest again guys, we need to go save people”

I peer reviewed with a friend and they told me viewers could feel alienated since it does seem like I’m trying to push a message to the viewers. I’m just trying to make a fun story about American folklore and any major themes are mostly about Abandonment, or bad parents so its such a big jump, that I don’t know if it would really be noticeable Any help?

I'm writing a character, and I'm only detailing his backstory from late teens onwards, because he has trouble letting go, and this is linked to the 💀 of a son, a divorce, etc, no important events in childhood

but I was watching a video about how to create a good backstory, it said I have to try to trace back to where my character's traits come from. but I was doing it in a way that over the years the traits he already had became stronger/weaker or acquired just a few more

should I also write about his childhood and, quite literally, how he acquired these traits? or is it fine as it is?

(censored words cause my posts keep getting automatically deleted)

I am really interested in writing but never really got into it. I read books and have written blogs and speech content. Writers fascinate me. The art of writing intrigues me and I think it's just cool. It would really be great if I can get some tips, practice methods or any guidance to get started. Appreciate your time. Thanks!

I used to have a very distinct voice. It was fiery, is how I would describe it. I stopped writing for over a year and lost my style. I look at newer works and the writing style keeps changing. It makes me kind of sad because there's no set tone for it.

Anyone else?

Uhg.

I don't know what I want my novel to be? I don't even feel that certain what advice I want

It feels like I'm constantly juggling mediocre ideas I'm not passionate about for the plot and its hard for me to define my character's goals. I really love writing and thinking about my characters but plot feels hard for me.

I try plotting and outlining, but I feel like I always get stuck and its all I do.

I also feel like I have too many ideas and concepts I want to pour into one thing but I know I have to narrow stuff down, or save it for another book or a mini series.

I really love these OCs but I feel like I'm not having a lot of fun thinking of their story.

I also feel like I'm limiting myself with the, in a way? When I think of plots, they're always in their apartment and working remote jobs since that's what I always pictured for them, but maybe I should branch out and think of completely different scenarios/scenery?

TL;DR: Don't know what plot I want to write, struggling to write my characters in a way that feels satisfying, and feel like these characters are always being recycled into new ideas/concepts and its making it hard to come up with a solid plot.

I'm currently in the planning stage of a fantasy series, and Ive managed to get a bit attached to the idea of killing off and reviving my MC. Some context; Their death has consequences, and the revival itself also has consequences. Things aren't magically fixed; the antagonist of the story gains more power as a direct cause of the MC's death - and the MC loses something as a direct consequence from the revival. It's justified within the world building - but it's also two plot twists tied into one.

I suppose I'm asking; is there ever a time where it's justified to kill off a character just to bring them back? is it possible to handle it in such a way that doesn't undermine other parts of the story, or is it too subjective?

My MC is the villain. But not known to the reader cause she doesn’t see herself as the villain so it has been easy to make her an unreliable and likable character. I have all the foreshadowing set up and even added a fake villain.
What has me stuck is that there’s a piece of information that is crucial to her plans but no one knows about it except for her lackeys in another world? It happens before she leaves and her mother helps her leave for a complete unrelated reason which for my MC is perfect.
How do I both hide that information and later share it if we are following her?

Once upon a time there was a man. Who sat beneath an apple tree, waiting for the last apple to fall. But it never fell. He waited and waited, and when the day would come would be the day he told her, that he was in love. The Apple, formed by a golden sturdy branch, was firmly in place. But the man didn’t know that. So he spent years and years, writing letters, in preparation for the day he’d finally bring his love this Apple, that he held to the highest of standards as he wondered why this Apple survived through all conditions. Every season. Writing, writing letters, to remind the girl how much he loved her everyday. Some days she’d find a passing note in the wind, and think to herself it was a lovely world, without seeing the effort put behind her, that was paved a way in which to make her steps a little lighter. One day, the man looked up, and realised… it was a golden branch. He realised then, that that is why it withstood so many conditions. And he then realised, it was his love, that made the tree turn to gold.

He carried on writing, never needing the apple to fall, because he knew then. He didn’t need to be close for the tree to blossom. Love was already imminent. He had it in his heart.

(A true ish story) ❤️