ERode

Wannabe Writer Needs Help

Maybe pointless rambling

When it comes down to it, there's no logical method or technique that would make all readers care more or less about what's happening in the story. There's general advice out there that's useful, such as the whole 'start as close to the end as possible' or 'kill your darlings', but when it comes down to it, it's generally going to be a shot in the dark. Badly written and poorly plotted novels get published and become popular all the time, from amateur novelists nonetheless. And unless you posted serialized fiction or doing booktok hijinks to drum up interest by posting excerpts, it's not really possible to get a grasp on exactly what the audience reaction would be.

Basically, it's the kinda situation where it's like: "Yeah, just write what you want, for something you're passionate about, and the audience will naturally come."

That being said, the latter half of that statement could be considered. Narrow who you want your audience to be, figure out what they're into, and then adjust your writing and plotting to align with that audience. Could be adjustments like "litRPG people like seeing game systems embedded into writing, so I'll generate numbers to go alongside the magic system" or "isekai people generally enjoy the sense of escapism and power, so better to keep things breezy and not maintain infinite suffering cycles". Of course, the further you are from your own audience, the more artificial or corporate your attempts at appealing to them would become, which is why genre writing kinda just pops up from people who're into that stuff to begin with...so once again, "something you're passionate about".

Man, what the fuck was even the point of writing all that?

Anyways, don't get caught up in the whole "my story doesn't have themes" trap. Don't overthink in terms of there needing to be a strong message either, because what you think is 'cool' would end up forming a message either way (which would be very telling as to who you are as a person, for better or worse). On some occasions, people have written stories with a strong, intentional message, but those people are writing those stories to get the message out, not to necessarily grab a reader.

In any case, I'd recommend self-publishing on whatever site you're interested in. Off the top of my head, there's Wattpad/WebNovel, RoyalRoad, Honeyfeed, etc. Toss your writing out into chunks; you'll get readers. Some of them might even comment, whether positive or negative. It'd be a real response though. Writing's an inherently lonely activity (which is why we're RPing instead), so stuff like that might help. I used to self-publish on Wattpad myself, and even if I never ended up finishing that story, the comments I got sustained me in a way that just writing cool things didn't.

Kinda like different types of nourishment, perhaps.

ArrowFell: The Wizard Queen's Court

Will be getting to it more this week zzz.

ArrowFell: The Wizard Queen's Court

Posted. I really need to get around to those NPC sheets. If I haven't done one for at least Minuette by the end of tomorrow, yell at me, lol.

@Click This

@Estylwen Did Click ever do this?

ArrowFell: The Wizard Queen's Court

It's ok, Callum. Here, have another castle for your troubles. Don't mind the stains on the carpets or the ghostly wailing at night.

Iris Ascendis

Girl needs stronger drugs, clearly.

Iris Ascendis

So was there any kind of detectable essence hijinks involved in the ghost-man’s activities?

Wardens of the Glade: A Light Fantasy RP

S A R N A I
S A R N A I

^{“I don't think I'm like the rest of you, but I'll try to be.”}

C H A R A C T E R P O R T R A I T C H A R A C T E R P O R T R A I T _________________________________________________________ C H A R A C T E R S U M M A R Y C H A R A C T E R S U M M A R Y _________________________________________________________ Sarnai is the adopted daughter of a tavern owner and former mercenary. Ignorant of the wider world and self-centered by nature, she travels out of her home, her town, her nation in search of something that would make her become the person she wanted to be. Age: 20 Race: Human Nationality: Hahral Weapon of Choice: Crossbow Elemental Affinity: Water Spiritual Affinity: Dark

C H A R A C T E R B I O G R A P H Y C H A R A C T E R B I O G R A P H Y ________________________________________________________________________________________ Her parents were good people. Her father was the owner of the Milky Toast Lizard, a tavern that, despite its nonsensical name, was popular amongst merchants and mercenaries. Her mother was a former caravan guard whose reputation and easy-going attitude endeared her to the suppliers of her husband's establishment. Sarnai already knew how to walk, to speak, by the time the couple became her family, but everything else she had, she gained from them. She learned how to cook and clean, how to record inventory and count coins, how to tell the difference between good and bad produce, how to pour a drink and slide it to any corner of the bar's counter. She learned how to take care of herself and dress herself, how to hide a knife and shoot a crossbow, how to hunt for wild game and then dress it. Growing up in the northern quarter of the market district of Dranabris, Sarnai saw glimpses of the wider world through those who came in and out of the Milky Toast Lizard's doors, but otherwise continued to learn. Learn so she could work. Work so she could earn. Because she knew that parental love wasn't an unconditional thing. She still held flashes of memory from her childhood, enough that she knew that she was not of her mother or father's blood. So it was just by dumb luck that she wasn't amongst the urchins on the streets, begging and stealing, scrambling for any opportunity to earn coin or a roof over their heads. That scared her when she was young. The idea of being tossed in the world without any support, of having to scramble for her own place. She had to work harder, learn faster, be obedient, make sure she can keep her place, so she that she could keep her place. That scared her when she became older. What was she? She passed by the needy and disadvantaged without a thought, plastered on fake smiles as she played sycophant to the rich, went about her day while willfully blind to everything around her. Her parents were good people. They had lifted her out of the refuse, had taken care of her to this day. She had, in return, become the type of person who would not do the same, so concerned with herself that she would tread upon a child's hand in the hurry to complete a delivery. Sarnai had to be better. Perhaps it was an overcorrection, to travel towards Atutania and the Order of the Glades, in order to become a realm-defending warden. But where else could someone so deficient as herself learn to become a good person, unless she surrounded herself with would-be heroes, unless she learned how to offer up her own body for the well-being of the world? C H A R A C T E R I Z A T I O N C H A R A C T E R I Z A T I O N ________________________________________________________________________________________ Practical ⬗ Determined ⬗ Cordial ⬗ Frugal ⬗ Insecure ⬗ Cowardly A B I L I T I E S A B I L I T I E S ________________________________________________________________________________________ Sarnai is handy with a crossbow. She has a good eye and can consistently land a bolt from 60 paces away, though there's no guarantee where on the target it would land. The archers of the Hahral Triumvirate are more skilled than even the elves, but she clearly doesn't count amongst their number. As someone who has worked for more or less her entire life, she has a good amount of stamina and strength, as well as a sense of balance derived from balancing overloaded plates of food around a room of merry drunks. It isn't anything comparable to the sort of physical fitness that could be expected from a career soldier or an athlete, however. In terms of magic, she has none.

---

Wardens of the Glade: A Light Fantasy RP

Magic in the Park

Pew pew fast as fuck boiiiii.

Magic in the Park

“I’m not the confrontational type either.”

At least, not in terms of direct confrontations.

But it seemed like the knocking was just for a show in the end; Roland hadn’t locked the door, so it swung upon with ease to reveal the stranger. The ungloved hand caught Amaya’s attention first, a stark paleness against the dark attire that the man was dressed in. Was the left hand bare for the purposes of a Craft that required a more tactile sense? Or was the right hand covered, to seal a particular capability? The white hair indicated age, but there were no particularly deep lines marking the decades that may have passed, while the motions were at once casual and confident.

Amaya didn’t believe in reductive stereotyping, but if she were to guess, this man was of Precedence, exuding authority even without any sign of a House’s paraphernalia.

Still, he knew Leonard Forrst, so either her middle-aged middleman was dead, or he could be trusted. The former would be problematic, so the latter would be what she leaned upon as the coiled strength in her body gradually relaxed. The raven-haired courier brought her mug to her lips once more, blowing gently before taking another tentative sip. Still a touch too hot, especially with the minor burn on her tongue now, but drinkable.

“If Leonard recommended me, I’ll hear you out.” Amaya’s own eyes glinted cat-like, more acknowledgment than threat. She set her tea down, popped open her bag of now-hydrated teriyaki chicken rice. A sweet and savoury aroma filled the cool atmosphere. “Go on, I’m listening.”

The first spoonful was perfect. The second? She should have stirred it better, because the rice was crunchy.