Hi everyone! I'm a brand new author and after going through the forum, I have been unable to find a good way for first-time authors to interact, support each other and plug into a community where we can review each other's work and provide constructive feedback.

Since it looks like the editors for the Phenomenal Author Evolution Contest are rather busy this Christmas season, I want to test out creating this Forum Discussion thread for us to feel safe to ask each other basic questions that experienced authors may already know, and to read and support each other's writing.

If no one responds, I'll delete this discussion after awhile but I just thought it would be an interesting way to get plugged into a helpful community since we're all as new to this as each other. 😆😆😆

Hope to hear what y'all think!

    hi,

    Its great. I wonder whether we can use the same novel from first installment for second installment?

      One thing I've been looking for but have been unable to find is good targets for your webnovel statistics. If anyone can find a good forum post and send me the link, I'd appreciate it greatly.

      If you haven't been featured or recommended on the relevant pages, what's a good 'views', 'collections', 'power vote' target to have, or whether setting goals like that will just cause you to be demotivated.

      At what point do you say, screw it, there's not enough engagement in this webnovel for me to keep putting my blood, sweat and tears into it? 😅😅😅

      Just as a sample of what I'm thinking about...

      20 chapters written over 20 days (at least 1,500 words each):
      - 50,000 views
      - 200 collections (growing at average +5 every 24 hours)

      30 chapters written over 30 days...
      - Etc, etc

      Would this kind of info be useful for the rest of you?

      (By the way, here is my first chapter if anyone is interested to give feedback: https://www.webnovel.com/book/12523274806741605/33757957699194769/Goddess-of-War/Prologue-(1)---The-Father)

        Norah_Koch Yes, I believe we are supposed to use the same novel for each installment. 🙂

        So installment #1: Synopsis, Settings, Character List, etc
        Installment #2: First 3 chapters of the same novel
        Etc, etc.

            Shima_Himawari
            Hahaha, I didn’t mean 1,500 as a rule of thumb. It was just a sample of what kind of statistics it would be nice to be able to refer to.

            Although so far all my chapters have been 1,700 to 1,800 words without me planning out this length...

            I heard that some authors write between 1,500 and 3.000 words per chapter... 😱😱😱

                Join the inkstone Discord author server and you can chat with all the authors there. It's really lively there. As long as you've published through Inkstone, you can access it.

                  ArriaCross I posted the link to my novel a day ago in #novellinks as they asked but was still not added to the server so I wasn’t sure what I’d find in Discord yet...

                  Will check it out again and hope that I’m on by now... 😊👍

                      ArriaCross
                      I can't access it yet..the discord author server
                      Even though I have already put novel links there..it really upset me.

                          sometimes i find myself writing 2k words for a chapter then later i cant even come up with 500 lmao

                          Also i've written like 15-20 different starts for my novels but i still haven't released one. I'm too much of a perfectionist i guess...

                            Littleordinary It's actually an art form to be able to write stories shorter and it can be quite enjoyable. There are some people who specialise in Twitter stories where they try to capture the essence of stories and still make it interesting in very few words. 😊😊😊

                                Siterus Seems like most authors target an average of 1.8k to 2k words per chapter based on what I've been reading.

                                I'd love to read some of what you've been writing. Part of my philosophy for WN is that I can release imperfect chapters out, then refine it in future based on feedback, grammatical errors, etc.

                                Then maybe in future...I can dream about getting something published in print. 😍😍😍 50 years down the road maybe... 🤪🤪🤪

                                    AerynSun thing is i'm actually pretty confident about my grammar, but i don't think my "story" is interesting enough, or that it is so complicated that nobody will understand what the hell is going on, so i keep trashing them.

                                    been doing this for a few months now lol. Though, I plan on releasing something sooner than later this month, maybe join the competition.

                                        Siterus same here lol... even i can't understand wha i'm trying to convey T_T

                                            Siterus I try to put/write out a plan. Like the main idea of each chapter that I'm thinking to write. You don't have to do it in order, it just helps placing your thoughts right.

                                                tara_ Go to the desktop version of your Inkstone and the Discord info is in there. ☺

                                                    AerynSun I kinda depends on your uploads.if you only upload once a day it is usually 2500+ words per chapter. Twice and more a day is usually 1000 -2000 words so they can manage the pace, cliffhangers etc

                                                        AerynSun Hey Aeryn! I agree there so little platform to communicate in webnovel huhu I cant even message my voters, do guys have any idea how to drop a message to voters?

                                                            Technolance 😱😱😱 I read on my itty bitty phone so I find that anything above 2k words starts to get a bit draggy.

                                                            It’s different if I read on my desktop, a kindle or a print book format. For those even 4K words is ok... ☺️☺️☺️

                                                                tara_ @Siterus I’ve found it helpful to have a vague outline so that I know what that current story arc might look like.

                                                                Then if I’m as excited, or more excited, about the overall story arc than the specific chapter’s words I’m writing, I have more incentive to just publish that chapter even if it doesn’t feel perfect so that I can see the story arc take shape. 🤣🤣🤣

                                                                    StripTheWriter no specific way but some people write a ‘review’ and address their voters, some write an ‘author’s note’ in an auxiliary chapter, and some just leave an author’s note at the end of the chapter they’re writing in the author’s thoughts section. 😊😊😊

                                                                        AerynSun exactly. Yet at the same time (for me) I try not to really think about it alot? Because sometimes I get bored of the story too when I have already thought about everything and every character. 😂

                                                                            Hey, im not really a new author but i did take a break from all the webnovel stuff hapenning and just focused on writing then publishing so i hve no idea what this phenomenal author thing is... Can someone be kind enough to enlighten me? Huhu... Also, does the entry have to be new?

                                                                              So_mi I'm not sure but I think you can still set up a new novel and click the Contest option. The Phenomenal Author Evolution Contest was set up to encourage new authors to start their first novel, where selected stories would get support from WN's editors. It was a wonderful concept and idea, which attracted a lot of applications.

                                                                              Unfortunately, I think that the overwhelming number of authors, busy editors and holiday season means that most people did not receive a lot of feedback and guidance, and came away a bit frustrated.

                                                                              As for me, I'm still continuing with it because it did motivate me to start writing and I want to follow through until I've done 20 chapters, even if I don't get the editorial feedback and support from WN. 😂💪

                                                                                  AerynSun awww I don't really want to make a new novel cuz it might hinder my progress with the current one :( it wouldve been nice if we got their feedback from the old ones we created but i guess they dont got much free time :(

                                                                                      I advise against finding motivation to write elsewhere. New authors should write for the benefit of experience, and not gain. Re-writing chapters and scrapping many of them is a waste, in my opinion, simply because there are great opportunities to improve by hearing out critiques from fellow peers here in WN.

                                                                                      Please check out my entry to the Phenomenal Author Evolution FL contest :) I would deeply appreciate any comment I receive.

                                                                                      https://dynamic.webnovel.com/book/12630791806246305

                                                                                      In the brink of death, Eva, a 16-year old orphan peasant in the Kingdom of S'alazar, was resigned to dying due to the cold in her mostly empty shack in the slums outside the border of the City of Maine, that is, until she heard a voice in her head that would change the course of her life, or the world for that matter.

                                                                                      Used to the grit needed to overcome the harshness of this world, but now equipped with a System (with a handsomely alluring voice) who filled the gaps of her human weaknesses, Eva easily grows in power and strength. Interestingly, she soon discovers that, not only does she now find in herself the desire to conquer the world with the ability to do so, but she is now also dead-set in conquering her System's heart.

                                                                                      AerynSun on second thought, i think i will write a new one to actually widen my horizons and improve my writing style (And i want to see their feedback from this novel i made when i was an immature teenager.) 😂

                                                                                          First time novel author here...

                                                                                          lot of doubts came up as I started writing, especially what words to use where? Am i using them correctly. lot of uncertainty. Is it damn understandable?

                                                                                          just put my work here... if you are curious you can read it and give me some reviews...

                                                                                          took me two whole days to write a single chap here aww... sleepless nights are worst... ideas just keep on popping up not letting you go to sleep T_T

                                                                                          Immortal Reincarnates to Goof-around : https://www.webnovel.com/book/12563880406922505

                                                                                          synopsis:
                                                                                          Follow the adventures Neil Gibbons, an Immortal reincarnated as a young master.

                                                                                          Strength, power, ability. These synonymous words are those that kept me sane in my quest for eternal life, have lost their meaning.

                                                                                          Myriad troubles that tested me have long faded into nothingness, while here I am moping around with half of existence in my palms.

                                                                                          Having etched myself on to existence, I became so powerful that even I cannot kill myself.

                                                                                          As the Divine Devas and Asuras dig a pit for me, I reincarnate in their backyards.

                                                                                          Just a laid back story for both me, the author and you the reader.

                                                                                          The MC is an overpowered (self-proclaimed)immortal who decides to reincarnate in worlds of other divines 'cause he has nothin' better to do.

                                                                                          Follow the (self-proclaimed)immortal in his adventure through the Myriad worlds to indulge himself.

                                                                                          your reviews and suggestions are much appreciated

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