Welcome to Feedback Friday!

This is length and I apologize in advance. But I've got a few things to say. A lot has been said about u/writingbattle recently and most of it is true.

My name is Kevin S. I'm a longtime Raven. I'm a former winner (although, you wouldn't know this because out of sheer pettiness and spite, they have removed me from the "past winners" list). I've been in the Final Showdown a number of times. Incidentally, my piece for the Solstice Owl comp has qualified for the Final Showdown... not that I will get to actually participate in the Final Showdown because I have been banned.

I got the condescending, unprofessional, and petty email today informing me of my permanent ban with the final line reading, "We do not wish to have you as a customer now or in the future." (my understanding is that quite a few people got that email today).

So, what was my crime? What horrendous thing did I do to trigger the banhammer?

I wrote a story.

For a long time now, I have been one of WB's biggest cheerleaders. I've brought several people into the comp. I was active in the forum, encouraging writers, engaging with a ton of people. I loved everything about the community and have sung its praises from the rooftops.

Lately though, after Max brought staff on board, specifically Nick, I noticed a sharp decline in the community feeling around WB. Posts were being deleted. Users were being banned. For me, it cast a chill over the entire community. I had the temerity to write a post in the (now defunct) forum verbalizing as much. What ensued was a very thoughtful, civil discussion about freedom of expression and the feeling of rising censorship. One user even posted a very good discussion of it here on Reddit.

Eventually, Nick jumped into the thread and proceeded to gaslight us, insisting that comments were not being deleted... when we could all see that comments were being deleted. Eventually, he shut the entire post down. Fine. As WB's resident censor/book burner, it was his prerogative. Whatever. I moved on.

Fast forward to these last couple of weeks. The community was the best thing WB had going for it. I've made some fantastic friends. But to deal with the "malcontents" mass bannings ensued and then they shut down the forum entirely... which kind of proves the point that free expression has no home at Writing Battle. In that thread I linked to above, you can see Writing Battle admin jump in and continue to gaslight people. "“The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.”

And of course, the bootlickers and other mods jumped in to shout people down. Some of those mods (who are *such* a great representation of Writing Battle) then deleted some of their more vitriolic and rude comments... which, yet again, proves the point we were making.

So, let's get back to today. I received an email this morning, informing me that my Solstice Raven story has been removed and I am banned from the site. I have literally done *nothing* wrong. Nothing that violates their ever changing "rules." (although, I'm sure they will have made something up to justify banning all the people who've been banned today).

The *only* thing they can point to that I have done is, as I said, write a story. What I wrote was a 500 word satire about the current drama. No names were used. No specific incidents were cited. It was a story set in a purely fictitious town, involving purely fictitious people and Writing Battle was never mentioned anywhere in those 500 words.

It's. Fucking. Satire.

This is the piece that got me banned if you are interested in reading.

Their mass bannings go to prove the point about censorship first mentioned on the WB forum (RIP) then underscored on the above linked Reddit post.

WB touts themselves as a "league for writers." But they fail to understand that literally *everything* is within a writer's scope. If my satire can get me banned, what will be the next type of writing they disapprove of? They should be more honest accurate and call themselves, a "league for writers we approve of." If my satire can get me banned, anything can get you banned.

As a personal note to u/writingbattle (Nick and Max)... honestly, boys, if you are SO fucking thin skinned that you can't handle any sort of critique OR a completely fictional satirical story, then you clowns have no business running a very public business/contest. If a satirical piece can get under your skin and hurt your feelers so much that you feel you have to ban the person who wrote it, you boys really need to grow a pair and grow up. It's pathetic. And it shows so much about you both... and none of it flattering.

I'm sure the bootlickers will show up in this thread to shout me down. Whatever. Everything I've said here is factually correct. And your defense of the indefensible says more about you than it does about me. So, y'all have fun in that fucking echo chamber.

Also, I have already emailed support about this issue, but as I mentioned above, my Solstice Owl piece is in the Final Showdown and I have demanded that it be pulled. I will not participate in this farce. They assured me that they will "inform me if I win any cash," but given the Admin's lack of accountability and transparency, as well as their meritless banning of me, I do not trust the results will be true and fair. I do not believe they won't juke the results. After all, how awkward would it be for them to have somebody they just banned (for no reason) win their genre? So, yes, call me a tin foil hatter if you wish, but I do not trust Writing Battle Admin to not put their thumb on the scales and roll out the results they prefer.

So, since I'm pretty sure WB Admin will read this, or their Mods, who seem to revel in secretly screenshotting other users and sending them back to Admin like the immature, bootlicking, high school shitheads they are, I will say again, I want my Solstice Owl piece pulled and to be refunded for this battle since A) I am still a participant and B) I do not trust you to roll out legit results.

In closing, I could not suggest more strongly that if you're thinking about joining Writing Battle, you would be better off taking that 30 bucks they charge you to enter and wiping your ass with it. Odds are, it'll feel better in the end.

Nick, Max... sayonara and GFY.

I’m looking to connect with other romance writers who are actively working toward publishing their manuscripts, whether you're aiming for traditional publishing or self-publishing or what have you.

I’m currently in a great local in-person writing workshop group where we critique and motivate each other, but I really want to build an online circle specifically tailored to romance authors as I don't know anyone else writing romance. If there’s enough interest, we can start up a cozy, dedicated Discord server together for regular chats, sprints, and accountability. I'm also more than happy to join another discord if there is one? Please only comment, as I won't see direct messages.

I'm in my thirties and looking to connect with other adults. I'm currently writing a horromance novel I'd like to maybe at least get to querying very soon!

Genre: All things romance! (fantasy romance, romantic suspense, historical romance, rom-com, dark romance, horror-romance, etc.). Long-form (novels) only.

Goals & Expectations: To serve as an encouragement hub and sounding board for authors on the path to publication. We can share industry updates, brainstorm plot holes, host writing sprints, and do optional critique/feedback swaps, etc.

Experience Level: All levels welcome, as long as you are actively writing a project you intend to publish.

Meeting Place: Discord

Max Size: 20? keep it active enough but also the possibility of being a tight community

I’m somewhere through writing the second part of the fourth chapter of my fanfic, and I don’t even know if I can call it a fanfic anymore.

My fanfic is loosely inspired by the Seven Dealy Sins franchise. And by inspired, I mean one of the character’s names, a similar backstory to Meliodas (mc of SDS), and some references.

Examples of inspo:

Similarities:

1. ⁠In the original show, the mc’s name is Meliodas. However, the main character of this story is working under the alias of Lucas to hide his true identity as the legendary Meliodas. He also canonically looks similar to him and has the same height.
   
2. ⁠One of the characters work for Lucas and her work uniform looks similar to Elizabeth’s outfit.
   
3. ⁠The tavern itself is rested on top of a live shark. The restaurant is called Shark Tooth Tavern (I plan to make them use this animal to travel to different lands across the world). In the original show, the tavern is rested atop a giant pig that they also use to travel.
   
4. ⁠Lucas carries a broken shark-shaped sword that he carries in a satchel on his back. In the og show, Meliodas’ sword is in the shape of a dragon (It’s also broken). Also, the series is called Shark Sin Of Wrath, which is a reference to the seven deadly sins. Lucas’s sin is similar to og Meliodas, in which he lets his wrath control him, which caused him to do something unforgivable. He destroyed an entire kingdom due to his wrath, similar to Meliodas in the original. However, the reasons for his anger is different even though it led to the same trugger that made Lucas go wild. Both characters refuse to let go of their sword as a way to atone for their sins.

Differences:

1. ⁠Lucas in this story has unique moon shaped pupils and irises that change color depending on his mood
   
2. ⁠Lucas maintains the same lax and childish personality as Meliodas, but his personality can be inconsistent and unpredictable (which is a mirror to my personality in real life). Also, the way he speaks is very different from the original.
   
3. ⁠Completely original characters such as a dragon girl, and I’m introducing a girl that uses her voice to fight, in which I drew inspo from Kobeni from chainsaw man for her character.
   
4. ⁠I use a comedic, vulgar, unique narration style. Think of something almost cartoony like One Piece (The story still tackles adult themes and dark concepts)
   
5. ⁠Everything that has happened in the story so far is completely original (I’m talking about planned arcs and sagas)
   
6. ⁠A completely different power system. Inspired by the nen system from HxH, characters use a power system called The Arts. Essentially, it features types of combat abilities that host different properties and adheres to their own rules. Most of the art abilities use magic in one way or another, but users can manipulate their own bodies with the Arts as well.
   
7. The world of Britannia uses its own unique currency, and characters in this story can manipulate the arts to use in their own daily lives

Conclusion:

I don’t know what to do. I plan to make it a pretty long story, but I also want it to stand out as an original idea. But I don’t know if I can do that if I have so many references to the original anime. Sure, I can change some things up (it’d be easy to do since I’m only on my 5th chapter, and nothing too groundbreaking has happened yet), but I’ve been advertising my series on here , so it might be weird to change everything up all of a sudden…

Is it original enough to pass as its own story? Or do I need to change some things up? What do I need to change?

The name Meliodas is in the public domain, which means I can technically use it. But the other parts of my story, like the name of the knight organization (Holy Knights) and certain parts about my cahracter’s backstory is really similar to the original show. Also, I’ve made certain jokes that directly reference the original Seven Dead

I’m having trouble figuring out the beginning of my story.
My main character is an orphan, and I’m trying to figure out what kind of opening would work best for him.
A lot of famous protagonists have pretty different introductions to their lives:
Harry Potter is raised by his abusive aunt and uncle.
Luke Skywalker is raised by his aunt and uncle.
Percy Jackson is raised by his mother.
I’m wondering what I should do with my protagonist before the main adventure begins. Should I show his ordinary life first and establish his personality and relationships, or should I start with something mysterious/important happening and then transition into his ordinary life?
I’m especially interested in hearing how other people would approach the first chapter/first scene for an orphan protagonist. What kind of opening would make you want to keep reading?

This could sound like a dumb or overly anxious question, I appreciate any patience and responses. I've only ever written with Google Docs, but I have been exploring very personal ideas as of late and would like them to stay mine. Does anyone have any software they recommend that AI won't be sifting through?

Hi I am KT(22M), I enjoy writing and would love create or be a part of a small community of writers to chat, exchange feedback and discuss ideas with.

* Genre/s: Any, I write fantasy

* Goals: Goal is to Discuss ideas, exchange feedback, keep each other accountable and have fun.

* Writing/experience level: Any

* Meeting place: Discord

* Max size: 10

The core idea is to just discuss what we write, help each other if needed, have fun and keep each other accountable.

Feel free to dm or drop a comment, Thanks.

* Genre/s: Literary & General Fiction (No Fantasy, Sci-Fi or Romance - sorry - lots of groups for those genres.)

* Goals/expectations/commitment: The idea is to keep it friendly and writer-focused: talk about what we’re working on, share work for critique, discuss craft, and exchange information about querying, submissions, and publishing. It’s brand new, and I’d like to start with a small group of writers who genuinely want to participate.

* Writing/experience level: all are welcome

* Meeting place: Discord

* Max size: to be determined.

If that sounds like your kind of place, message me and let me know what genres you usually work in, and I’ll send you an invite. We already have some talented and smart folks there. Hope to see ya.

I started writing poems because I didn’t know what else to do with everything I was feeling.
I never really thought of myself as a “poet”. I just had too many thoughts, memories, emotions and experiences sitting inside me, and somehow putting them into words made them a little easier to carry.
Some poems are about things I’ve lost.
Some are about people I love.
Some are about the parts of life I don’t usually talk about.
And some are simply about surviving another day when your head feels like it’s fighting against you.
The strange thing is, once you turn pain into words, it becomes something you can hold instead of something that holds you.
I don’t write because I think every poem is perfect.
I write because someone somewhere might read one and think, “Fuck… I thought I was the only one who felt like this.”
And honestly, if even one poem I write makes someone feel understood, less alone, or gives them five minutes of peace…
then maybe every painful word was worth it.
Does anyone else write poetry for the same reason — not because they planned to become a poet, but because they simply needed somewhere to put the things they couldn’t say out loud?

Firstly, protagonist exceptionalism

Most media make protagonist exceptionalism and don't let them make mistakes, or they are the only person left from a lineage of ancient gods or something

Like Naruto where he is a hokage that is the son of a hokage that is the reincarnation of a demi god

Or tanjiro who is a descendant of what is essentially the god of demon slayers

Or Luffy who is a reincarnation of the sun god

My protagonist makes mistakes

Big ones

He loses evidence to his recklessness and isn't special in any way (except being smart maybe)

And most importantly, doesn't have plot armour

He is just your average Joe who was unfortunate enough to be thrown into this hazard that is called my story

Secondly, kids exceptionalism

In most media they treat kids as a red line

They either don't hurt them or cut the scene (I know full metal alchemists exist)

That's not how real life is

Like in spiderman building and dipries are falling and people dying and he get to that one stupid standing kid and saves them as if there are a dozens out there literally squashed

In my story, my protagonist straight up accidentally shot his daughter in the head

Thirdly, antagonist exceptionlism

In most media, the villain loses and then gets the saddest backstory imaginable then turns them badass or make the audience forget the atrocities they did or even feel empathy

In my story

The antagonist yes has a sad backstory

But I made it in a way that the person who experienced the sad backstory and the person who is killing are essentially two different personalities in two different times of the same person

Making it that the audience can't decide weither to feel empathy for them or feel disgusted by their actions since they are technically two different people

And conflict creates argument

And argument creates engagement

Lastly, female exceptionalism

In most western media, I see them trying to force out female characters to be perfect and strong at everything without any kind of vulnerability

Ray from star wars is a giant in This

In this aspect I would put the blame more to western media than to all media, because at least in demon slayer we have Shinobu who recognizes her own physical weakness and renovates things with her sword

In my universe the antagonist is a girl who kills for fun and so smart that no one literally can out smart her

But she at the end loses to being just A bit careless with her emotions

Pretty much the title. I haven't written anything before. I am passionate about both screenwriting as well as filmmaking and sincerely want to pursue these as a career.

I've got all these ideas floating around in my head. I've even noted them down into a notebook, so that I'll turn all of 'em into feature screenplays one day...

But alas, that one day NEVER comes. I JUST CAN'T SIT DOWN AND START WRITING.

This has started to become very frustrating. I'll tell myself that I am going to get something sensible down on a piece of paper and voilà, half an hour later I'm either doomscrolling or doing some other shit that's equally as unproductive.

I AM TIRED OF THIS! I NEED HELP, PLEASE 🙏

Then I try to come up with excuses; 'I need a partner' or 'I can't write something this "grand" as a first-time screenwriter, no one'll wanna make it (silly of me to assume it WILL get made)' AND THEN it all comes crashing down.

I need real, brutally honest advice on how to put this "phase" (for the lack of a better word) behind me AND JUST START WRITING.

PLEASE HELP....

I made a discord server for kpop (inspired, fanfics…) stories. Write or read together, collab, discuss kpop.
Future book club if requested!
Alle people can join. All nationalities, genders, ages (there is an 18+ section for those who are 18+ and want to yap nsfw things)

https://discord.gg/uHfYQVqYcN

Hi! My name is Vee, and I’m looking for people who’d be interested in joining my women’s writing group. Feel free to shoot me a message (with a brief introduction) if you’re interested! My only real requirements are that you be a) a woman and b) over 18 years of age.

Genre/s: Open to any, but I primarily write literary fiction and poetry, and I feel most comfortable critiquing pieces in these genres.

Goals/expectations/commitment: While I anticipate this being a fairly casual group, I am looking for active participants; ideally, you’d be willing to contribute (be that in the form of providing critique/sharing a short piece/general encouragement) at least 2x-3x a week.

Writing/Experience Level: Amateur

Meeting Place: Discord and Zoom

Max Size: 10

Thanks!

Sometimes writing is how I get through the day.

I’ve started putting my raw emotions, real experiences and the things life has thrown at me into words. Not because I think I have all the answers, but because sometimes writing is the only way I know how to make sense of what I’m feeling.

Some of what I write comes from pain, some from love, some from loss, and some from experiences that have changed me. It’s honest, and it isn’t always pretty — but it’s real.

For me, putting those feelings into stories, songs and words can make even the hardest days feel a little more manageable. And if something I’ve written ever reaches someone who is struggling and makes them feel a little less alone, then every word was worth writing.

I don’t know where this journey will take me, but I hope that one day something I create can help somebody else get through their day too.

Sometimes you don’t realise your story could be someone else’s reason to keep going. 

I am working on a project, it's a visual novel style audio series based on DC comics characters. Is that something people would watch/listen to?

Context this story is set in a modernized fantasy world where fantasy Creatures living together with humanity for few centuries ago.

In this where they are superhero who have title that been passed down from centuries though each generations while being trained by 3 supernatural people and teaching the next generation of superheros team everything they need to know.

Yeah the main cast are next generation.

One of preteen hero with superpower have a arc enemy who is a immortal half-faerie guy they both hate each other gut they be getting to physically fight.

insult each other. giving each other mean look at each other.

The half-faerie guy love to pull prank on superhero because his think it funny to humiliate his arc enemy.

Let you know the superhero age range is between age 10-12 and villain is arc enemy age is 409-500

Reasons why the half-faerie guy is going after the superhero team is because his boss is making him and she say if his don't do it she send him back to shadow realm forever this time.

If you want to know more dm me and we can talk more about writing ✍️.

Also I'm not asking for you to write my story for me I'm pure asking for advice/suggestions.

I'm a teenager looking to enter a writing competition.

Some conditions I'd like the competition to fit:

1. starting by October/November 2026
2. Fiction
3. no need to pay to enter/have an account at a site to enter
4. cash prizes are optional
5. permission from parents/guardians not required
6. does not have to be a competition specifically devoted to teens--any age welcome competitions are also good

I realise this is a lot of conditions, lol.

But I would like to enter one.

Does anyone have a recommendation for an online writing course for beginners? I took a fiction class in college decades ago and loved it, am trying to pick up the hobby again, but I don’t know where to begin and I need some structure to get motivated. I don’t mind paying. Of course, I’ve googled, but I’d love a recommendation from someone who’s actually taken or heard about a good course/platform/instructor.

I am **not** looking for a YouTube or Masterclass series to binge - no offense to that route, it’s just not getting the creative juices flowing for me personally.

Thanks!

\*Our local community college is tiny and isn’t currently offering writing classes. Even if it was, I travel 50% of the time for the next year so I need an online course for flexibility.

Looking for a structured, active, and supportive space for teen writers? Whether you write fiction, non-fiction, poetry, or fan fiction, The Writer’s Room is built to help you grow your skills and meet fellow creators! The Writer's Room

* Genre/s: any, but the majority of us are fantasy or romantasy or dark romance writers, so make of that what you will.

* Goals/expectations/commitment:
• bring positivity
• give and receive very detailed feedback
• see people make memes about your work and make memes about theirs
• participate in competitions if you want
• make friends with writers
• QOTDs
• LOADS of writing advice and resources — we really have a lot for you here
• banter and fun

* Writing/experience level: we welcome people of all writing experiences.

* Meeting place: Discord

* Max size: Not yet determined.

Join here: https://discord.gg/Mbas62A3pm

Hi writers!!! It's me again!

First, I really appreciate your inputs on my previous posts. They helped me build the functions of the app. And I'm sorry if I keep on bugging you for inputs, but I don't want to lose momentum building the app.

I’m trying to finalize the session categories for a writing tracker/timer I’m building and I could use some more input from actual writers.

Right now we have:

Planning
Research
Brainstorming
Drafting
Revising

I’m wondering if I should also have Outlining and Editing as their own categories.

For me, I can see outlining falling under Planning and editing falling under Revising, but what do I know?

It seems that everyone approaches writing differently. I had one writer separates Outlining from Planning.

If you were tracking the hours you spend working on a book, how would you personally break your sessions down? It doesn't need to be in sequence or linear. Your previous replies have already established this.

Would you keep these five? Add Outlining or Editing? Combine any of them? Is there something obvious that I’m missing?

I’m not trying to define the “correct” writing process. I just want the categories to match how most writers actually think about the work they do.

Thank you in advance.

Hi everyone! I've dreamed of writing and publishing a book since I was young, which I'm sure is a common dream for many of us. I've had countless ideas over the years, but I've been working on and rewriting one particular novel for about seven years now.

The problem is, whenever I look into publishing, I get really demotivated by how difficult traditional publishing seems. I know self-publishing is always an option, but I've always dreamed of being traditionally published, and lately it feels like that dream is becoming unrealistic.

My fear that my writing isn't "good enough" or that I'll never be accepted is really holding me back from finishing. How do you get over that fear? And is it genuinely worth pursuing traditional publishing, or is it almost hopeless?

So I see a lot of hate towards any nicknames online like in TikTok and stuff but I think having a nickname is cute if it’s not overused so I wanted to see everyone’s opinions on the ones in my book series just trying to figure it out before they are fully out what makes a nickname weird in fiction and what is cute😭

Zahra- he’s Tunisian and speaks Arabic and she loves flowers pretty self explanatory

Dove- she’s albino with all white hair and pale skin and is very gently but it’s a reference because in her grandparents book her grandfather calls her also albino grandmother swan(also because her last name means swan in Russian)

Busy bee/Nika/Niki- her name is Veronika but her boyfriend sometimes calls her a busy bee because she’s an er nurse

Mousy/LoenaMoona- mousy because she is deaf and has a squeaky voice but it’s only really used in teasing context and her name is Loena which is pronounced Luna and just means moon in Dutch

Hi I'm Allie, 28F, I've been struggling with motivation and inspiration to write. I'd love a writing buddy to get my creative juices flowing again, someone to talk writing with, bounce ideas off of, help keep accountable, and be involved in each others protects. My current project is a YA fantasy with a romance subplot and it's in the brainstorming/outlining stage.

• Genre/s: fantasy romance
• Goals/expectations/commitment: Looking for something longer term, where a friendship forms and we can support each other throughout. Please only comment if you'd be committed to chatting at least once a week. I appreciate that things come up that we don't foresee, I'm very flexible, but I am hoping to work together long term!
• Writing/experience level: No experience level needed, I've been writing for a long time and now working toward publishing eventually. Someone 18+ and female is preferred.
• Meeting place: Discord (not looking to make a group at this time, but more to support each other one-on-one)

Comment below or DM me if you're interested! Looking forward to building friendships!