chonnie this book you designed m cover for is my third attempt at writing, and let me share some of my experiences and realizations. The more we write the better we get, so if you love the concept of your story so much you never wrote for fear of ruining it, then it will sit in the back of your mind untill it fades away. Just take that leap and if you don't like what you wrote, you can try again and again untill you find it's the quality you want, but that will leave you with agonizing frustration. Just take a day to look at the possible flaws in your previous chapter and make the next one completely improved in that way. I've seen many webnovels start out with just honest to God trash writing evolve quickly into some of the top novels on here. It's about the process not the destination for me, I hope this helps.
To Original Authors! The Fear of Posting Mediocrity.
Ah, I would never be satisfied on my own story. The worries will always be there because I know it is not enough and I did not deliver all the details I wanted to relay or tell my readers. I don't want to use it as a reason or excuse but truly I have struggles because English is only my third language. So I would never be satisfied every chapter because I know there are lots of mistakes and writing issues.. Hehe
Elise_Elleneth I commend you for being able to speak three languages. Really cool.
To be able to write in English is difficult enough for a native speaker, since the language is adaptive with new rules and words added every so often. Then there's the country dialects to deal with.
Well i started writing in december as a gag I'd keep the chapters short and goofy and as a gag since I was writing a demonic story I'd keep the chapters word count at 666, honestly since I was having so much fun I never quite cared for content as long as it's readable and funny all's good! Was my motto, then it got alot more popular than I had originally planned and some readers even offered to be editors, something which still baffles me, and so I kept writing actually took the time to research a little and try to increase the word count the result= I got to write an epic battle between Satan and Lucifer while angel Gabriel gave them marriage counseling...
I had a blast! So be goofy! Heck add text chats and emails like I did, it's fun and you find yourself improving as the chapters run on, really I can't compare chapter 1 and 25 you'll go a long way and you'll see your progress and you'll find devoted readers who are really so much fun to talk to.
Fear is present yeah it always is, but as long as you have fun sharing your little world i think it's worth it.
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And as for improvement neither English or Chinese are my first languages but I've become rather fluent in English since i began writing, and my assistants don't correct me as much now, plus readers ratings has improved and their reactions are what I was going for so yep I can note improvement
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chonnie I have a lot of mixed feelings about it. My older work was written with an entirely different mindset, both politically and culturally.
But I'm not really sure whether it's yet time to completely rewrite them or not, or just leave them as it is.
At the time I was more Center-Left Libertine, and not ... quite ... the far leftist I am today. So my dystopian fiction had a drastically different kind of culture flavor.
( For anyone curious, I'm a Green Transhumanist. )
Most of my concerns seem to be writing things out of order, as I tend to remember them in a Meta-Narrative kind of fashion. For the bits and pieces that are autobiographical. Although the purely fictionalized parts don't have this problem.
Generally I plan out my book by writing the ending first, and imagining the rest.
Not fillers yet, as far as I know.
Ex. Compare America centered dystopia, and Japanese-Anime centered dystopia where it's set in America but has an entirely different feel. A bit like how Count Cain is set in France, but it's not very French.
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No, I know it's shit but I write for fun to see how much I can improve before writing seriously. I'm honestly afraid to edit since I'd be distracted.
Honestly I have, but I have a bit of slightly straying away from the outline. As for fillers, I do have some which I didn't notice I was writing.
Auxiliary: Naturally, I'd feel happy with high collections, stats, and comments but that's not how I know if I had improved or not. If I reached the point that I don't get as bored as before reading my own story, the flow of sentence and paragraph is quite good, the sequence of sentences and descriptions became better, then I improved.
Edit: I'm more on tempering myself at the moment since I have two stand-alone novel and three series ideas (my current book is part of one of the series even if it's trash)
Of course. I'm always editing and re-editing. Even then, sometimes I still think it's not as good as I want it to be. But when I re-read I noticed my writing improved compared to years ago when I first started so I can't complain too much. Just happy I saw improvements in myself. I prefer quality over quantity so I try not to write filler chapters. I tend to write character-driven stories so I don't structure it around an event??
chonnie I am often in a situation where I am not satisfied with what I write. More often than not, I am very unhappy with what I write and I have often rewritten a lot.
What I did was to read up on how to write. I have bought books on writing and read them, I have read a whole lot, and implemented it in my writing in an attempt at writing better.
In the end, I am still incapable of reading my own stories without cringing and a constant urge to rewrite, but I hold back, also because I can see my constant evolving writing style.
I plan out my chapters like this.
- Before I begin writing a story I plan the entire plotline (very loosely, like, 10-20 sentences of what happens in each book)
- then I make a short plan from arc to arc, about what I want to happen in the arcs
- when I know what will happen in the current arc, I begin writing the chapters.
Fillers aren't all bad, to be honest. I am not a big fan of them, but they are needed sometimes to transition from one arc to another or to lighten the mood. I don't mind them from time to time, if it is not something that takes up too much space in a story.
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First, I had absolutely NO confidence in my writing or story when I first started. Writing was something I did in private and the only person who read my writing, was, me. That was me growing up. So getting through the first hurdle of actually publishing a novel in Webnovel was beyond my comfort zone.
Yes, I fear writing a weak chapter that makes the readers weep and drop the novel. However, what is "weak" really is based on your own perception, isn't it? If you place yourself too high and expect too much, you will always second guess yourself and never feel it's good enough.
1. Are you ever satisfied with your chapters
Yes. I write because I enjoy it. I write as to how I like the MC to be like. I write while putting myself in the shoes of the reader and ask myself, 'what do I want/enjoy?'.
There are those who don't like my novel because MC is too OP - but there are those who like it because the MC is OP. In fact, what keeps me going is the readers and their reaction to my characters. Which, generally, has been extremely positive. They are my fuel. They feed me.
I don't bother with the view ratio or whatnot (seriously, mine is SO bad it's laughable) yet, I have had a good, steady buildup of readers. Readers who have been me from the start and those who have joined. Active readers who comment and that, quite literally, gives me immense joy.
So I focus on that. Even if it's just ONE reader who is a die-hard fan, it is enough. Luckily, I have quite a few and it's growing steadily. Out of 900+ who have my novel in their library, only about 15 comments, with 6 being regulars.
I'm not happy with the first 30 chapters as I was SO green then. Not to say I'm an expert now but I have improved. Many things I regret not doing but will get to that much later. Earlier chapters are more like "will edit it after novel over, perhaps" and later chapters are like "I'm happy".
2.a. How do you plan out your chapters? Do you structure your chapters around a certain event (like a character introduction, situation, etc.)
I go with the flow. I have a general arc and each chapter will be as according to the flow of that arc. Sometimes it can be character intro, sometimes background, sometimes future plans. My writing has a lot of explanations and description of feelings, but I also try to add in humour, and 'fangirl' moments.
Each chapter is about 1700 words, so I have a lot of leeway to do things as I like them.
2.b. Have you ever posted a filler/what do you think about filler chapters?
Yes, but I try not to have one entire chapter of it. "Filler" chapters, to me, are to try to explain the thought process of the MC or his background. I try not to do that in one chapter, but instead, break it up over several chapters. Mix up humour / events together with it. I don't view 'filler' chapters to be useless dumping of information.
How do you determine whether or not you've improved your writing? ex. stats, praise, etc.
Reaction of readers: when they react as according to how I hope they would. When they can hate the ones I write to be hated. When they cheer for the MC in defeating an opponent. When they curse someone hurting the MC's sister. Things like that.
To be able to elicit such emotions for the characters you created gives me a sense of happiness and joy that cannot be described.
So ... yeah. That's my WOT about my own experience.
DJRogue SAME! I write, read a few times and post and then re-read after posting.
"I think how someone writes it very personal and there is no set recipe to follow - you write the way that is most comfortable to you - you can't write the way someone else tells you too. It's your story and in the end, you must follow your own instincts."
What you said there is exactly how I feel for I have no knowledge of any proper literacy format. I feel it'll actually hinder my creative juices. Don't know how to add quotes, so can just retype.
In the end, write because it brings you joy, right?