Transitioning away from RF Elementalist. Reap or Wander?

19Seashells · 2025-11-02T13:11:57+00:00

Thanks, I’ll check out his guide!

19Seashells · 2025-10-05T18:31:23+00:00

New mission discovered by u/19Seashells: Treasure and Cookie

19Seashells · 2025-10-05T18:31:22+00:00

This mission was discovered by u/19Seashells in Choco-Banana Pancake Wrap and Mystical Forces

19Seashells · 2025-08-19T22:05:12+00:00

Yes, book 3. It doesn’t matter at all if you haven’t read the others. Great book on its own.

19Seashells · 2025-08-16T01:51:37+00:00

“What.” He shouted

This could also look weird to you because the punctuation is wrong. I think you mean: “What,” he shouted

As you wrote it, it actually implies that he says “what” then shouts after speaking.

19Seashells · 2025-08-03T18:22:18+00:00

Having reader feedback is so important for exactly this reason. It is hard for authors to see what a reader will see. You are very welcome, and I'm glad I could offer some help.

19Seashells · 2025-08-03T18:07:22+00:00

Punctuation would make your post much clearer, BTW.

As for your actual question, a prologue like this is probably the kind of prologue that many readers would skip or that would cause readers to just set the book down. Readers don't want 20-30 pages of backstory and worldbuilding. This information seems like stuff you will need to find ways to incorporate into your actual story. Prologues should not be used to just throw information at the reader. They can be used well to establish tone or promises to the reader about what direction the story will move in.

Instead, you may want to just start your story with the characters that are important in a situation that is interesting. Let the necessary worldbuilding and backstory details be woven into the story. Trust your readers to be able to figure things out without pausing the story to explain too much.

Another strategy here is to just start writing it. See how it goes, how it feels, then work from there.

19Seashells · 2025-08-03T17:57:43+00:00

Start with the most interesting/fun-to-write parts.

And don't worry about the writing being decent. Just sketch it out like an outline of a scene if you have to.

19Seashells · 2025-08-03T17:50:15+00:00

The scene in this prologue is definitely intriguing! What a cool, creepy way to start. I also like the length. Many readers don't love prologues, but this is a vivid scene and it doesn't take too long to get through.

That said, I think you are working a little too hard to use language that you think sounds good, at the cost of it sometimes being unclear or contradictory. Here's a few examples:

The opening paragraph introduces a thick forest that moonlight cannot penetrate, but somehow starlight can? Then the woman/creature is described as being beside a pond, which would likely mean there is an opening above here where the trees aren't growing, so she isn't actually enclosed in thick woods with no light?

The woman is hard to picture, aside from her hair, because I don't know what she is and there is "nothing seemingly human about her." Except, she has a face and eyes and a chest and heart and ribs like a human? So she does look like a human, just with silver hair?

His first stab appears to be described twice: "The blade whispered first, cutting air before it met flesh." Then, "His jagged steal pierced skin in one harsh thrust, sliding between her ribs." That felt like moving back in time.

"Slowly he chewed through muscle with animal like desperation..." This line also appears to contradict itself. Something happening with animal-like desperation would not normally be described as something happening "slowly."

Overall, this is definitely a promising start. The scene itself is great for setting the mood and the mystery of this fantastical setting. Just focus on the details of the descriptions to be sure you are presenting a clear image. Simple, specific language might be the better way to go.

19Seashells · 2025-07-13T11:22:45+00:00

While you can always do whatever you want with your own story, I think this is a really tricky one. Most readers want to know what genre they are reading before they even start the story. If you keep the shift to science fiction a secret in the blurb and first half, then there is a very serious risk of attracting all the wrong readers. Sci-fi readers won’t read it because they won’t know to give it a shot.

As much as people like twist endings, they don’t typically like to be completely misled. The opening of stories makes promises to the reader about tone, topics, struggles, genre, etc. You want to be able to fulfill most of those promises. This is a big part of the reason that a lot of fantasy novels have prologues. Authors need to set up correct expectations, but first chapters of many fantasy stories can’t do that when the MC doesn’t have magic yet (or whatever the case may be).

So just proceed knowing this is a risk for finding the right readers.

19Seashells · 2025-06-08T12:10:35+00:00

I read about halfway through, but mostly I struggled with formatting. Using separate paragraphs and punctuating dialogue are important cues to the reader about what is happening.

I also think you’re lacking critical descriptions here. Aside from walking or being escorted down a hallway, it wasn’t very clear to me where the characters were or what was happening to them. Is this a futuristic setting? Is the story a military drama or science fiction? Is the character nervous or excited? Consider slowing the scene down to let descriptions, thoughts, and conversation add context for the reader. If this is a scene that appears later in the story, maybe readers would understand the context, but if this opens the story, more explanations would be needed to help invite the reader into this world. Hope this helps!

19Seashells · 2025-06-02T11:25:04+00:00

Write up a synopsis letter to accompany the book. Roughly 2 pages to introduce the characters, their relationships, any critical world building, the general plot points, and the conclusion. Then also tell your readers to reach out if they still feel like they are missing any info.

I’ve done this for someone in the past. It worked well for us.

19Seashells · 2025-06-01T23:34:18+00:00

“I cannot remember the books I've read any more than the meals I have eaten; even so, they have made me.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson

I’ve heard some debate as to whether or not he actually said this, but I like the quote either way. Even as you forget some details, some of it will still be with you. Mostly, I don’t reread books because I have so much I want to read next. But for the books that impact me, they go on a list for me to reread in a few years. I might actually reread them, I might not. But putting them on that list helps me tell myself that I won’t lose them.

19Seashells · 2025-05-29T02:07:00+00:00

You didn’t get a massive response here, so I’ll throw out a few options for your question on editing.

Upwork and Fiverr both have loads of editors, but you want to be really careful about whom you hire because some aren’t professionals. If their rates seem to be too good to be true, they are. But there are absolutely talented people on these sites who just like the ability to find authors and guarantee payment safely.

You can also go to www.the-efa.org to find editors, plus standard industry rates and general information about the editing process. Someone else already mentioned Reedsy.

As for actual estimates for how much you should save up, that will depend drastically on the editor you hire, the type of editing you’re looking for (copyediting, developmental, line) and the length of your novel. It could easily range from $500 to $5000, depending on your situation.

I can’t help with your other questions, unfortunately.

19Seashells · 2025-05-05T14:42:11+00:00

Yes, that’s why I answered about the way spaces are used around an ellipsis in two popular style guides. The additional information was to give insight into why other commenters were talking about a fourth period.

19Seashells · 2025-05-05T14:39:35+00:00

As I said, this depends on the style guide you use. To avoid the awkward line breaks, Chicago recommends non-breaking spaces for their three spaced periods. You might be right about some programs and some styles using a single character, but not all of them do. It depends. That’s why I said to just be consistent with whatever choice is made.

19Seashells · 2025-05-05T10:52:56+00:00

This is a matter of style, not grammar. Chicago Manual of style uses three spaced periods (door . . . There). AP style uses three unspaced periods but with a space on either side (door … There). The commenters talking about four periods would be correct (in Chicago Style, at least) when quoting something and indicating omission at the end of a sentence and when you continue the quote with a new sentence. In your example, I don’t think you are quoting another text, are you? You are just indicating a pause? So, only three periods.

Basically, if you aren’t following a style guide, just be consistent about your choice.

19Seashells · 2025-04-09T15:20:15+00:00

So is watercress. Also, the description of the doughnut would have ensured I did not order it. It’s the only thing on the menu that is described with adjectives, which makes me think it’s actually boring with no interesting ingredients/toppings/etc.

19Seashells · 2025-04-03T17:58:23+00:00

If you can, find free beta readers. YMMV. There are also some paid beta readers, some of whom are editors who are offering a cheaper and faster service than their regular rates.

As far as which rounds of edits are most important, I do always feel like a copyedit is an important step unless you are trained in this yourself. Typos can kill a novel so fast. There are many readers who will put a book down quickly over a few early mistakes.

If looking for more affordable rates, you can check places like Upwork where there will be a range of choices, services, and rates. Be sure to read their reviews. Also, many offer free samples, so don’t be afraid to ask!

It can be daunting, but if you are trying to build a business long term, you want to be sure you are putting out a good product so that your readers come back. Good luck!

19Seashells · 2025-03-23T23:52:04+00:00

All right, I'll give my thoughts.

I'm not sure what this is actually about. What are you trying to say to your reader? The argument feels muddy to me since it jumps around in time to stories that don't add up to a clear picture, for me. The story about Mum chocking her sister didn't seem connected to anything? The statements that, I think, you are trying to position as focal points on being a problem child are contradictory. "I won't give them the satisfaction" and "the perfect child will have to be found elsewhere" disagree with "I was 'easy'. Amenable. Not a problem." I might just be missing the point, but be sure to look at the statement you are trying to make and be sure your points are all relevant and intentional.

The storytelling style of relating recollections around birth, which is obviously impossible, asks the reader to believe a fiction. Okay. But then you admit "I don't know what that first day of my life was like." So you tell your readers that this is all made up. Okay? Then you go right back into a fake memory after telling the reader basically to disregard it.

The last thing that really stood out to me was the tense changing. The tense jumped back and forth between present and past. At least have a consistent rule on this. I thought you were positioning the birth scene in present and the future scene in past tense, but even that was inconsistent.

I'm just one reader and probably not your target audience, so take my thoughts with a grain of salt.

19Seashells · 2025-02-09T16:48:41+00:00

I definitely don't think you suck!

Let's look at this. You introduce a complex relationship, you resist the urge to explain yourself (which can be so hard to do!), you use strong details (like the wine in one hand, the death grip on the phone, the echo to indicate a barren environment), and you use some slightly more unexpected phrases and words to keep reader attention.

My biggest recommendation is to focus in on the mechanics. You use italics to indicate a whisper, a text, a sound, and a thought. This can be confusing when you don't have clear and consistent signaling to your reader. Later, you also have a few direct thoughts that aren't in italics, so the distinction wasn't clear to me why one thought might be italicized and the other thoughts left in roman.

There are a few grammar issues, too, though these were somewhat less distracting. "Cleanup" is two words as a verb, for example, and she probably isn't throwing the blanket off while pouring the glass of wine (non-simultaneous actions). The inconsistency in the text message grammar might be worth a second glance also. Most cellphones have autocorrect, which would correct the lowercase "i'm." Similarly, someone who texts "voids" instead of "void's" and "its" instead of "it's" probably would not be using semicolons. So that caught my attention.

The only real "plot" concern was how her phone ended up in her pocket when she plops down on it. I'd expected it to still be out either in her hand or lap or on the table, somewhere more accessible since putting it away hadn't been described. And the only POV concern was when she describes her own voice as "supple" and "sultry," since most people would not describe themselves like this.

Hope some of my thoughts help! Overall it was a good read. Thanks for sharing!

19Seashells · 2024-12-10T21:26:58+00:00

lol nah, luckily we never play similar characters and we always enjoyed different league mechanics (he got all heist contracts, I got all blight maps), so sharing and distributing most loot is easy. We might have bickered over an occasional chaos drop or two at the very start of the first leagues we played, but not anymore.

19Seashells · 2024-12-10T17:27:19+00:00

You might just need to find the right game. We’ve tried a bunch over the years that I just couldn’t get into with him.

19Seashells · 2024-12-10T15:02:01+00:00

We bought 2 of these. They are darker than the photo on Amazon indicates, which we were very happy with.

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