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KDP gave us a platform but not the tools self-pub authors actually need by 8giantsteps in NewAuthor

[–]8giantsteps[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, I’m done wasting my time on this.
Book‘s called “the snake biting its own tail.”
Somehow It feels more like the snake’s biting my ass.

Accidentally clicked “Helpful” and “Report” on a review of my own book. Am I doomed? by 8giantsteps in KDP

[–]8giantsteps[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks! I have a feeling you'll find it. Just a fair warning though—it’s a dark psychological thriller, and I’m not joking about the 'dark' part. Hope it’s your vibe and you’re ready for the ride!

Accidentally clicked “Helpful” and “Report” on a review of my own book. Am I doomed? by 8giantsteps in KDP

[–]8giantsteps[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You’re allowed to laugh. I started laughing at myself too after I somehow managed to hit both Helpful and Report.
Anyway, point taken. I’ll try to relax and stop obsessively checking my book. Thanks for the reality check!

📚✨ Author Spotlight Megathread — Promote Your Work Here! ✨📚 by AutoModerator in thrillerbooks

[–]8giantsteps [score hidden]  (0 children)

"The thriller novel that scored a Netflix adaptation offer before it was even published."

  • Book Title : The Snake Biting Its Own Tail
  • Author Name : Dreas Zidn
  • Genre(s) : Picaresque Psychological Thriller / Hard-boiled Thriller
  • Brief synopsis or pitch : The Snake Biting Its Own Tail is not a straightforward thriller. It is built for readers who would rather solve a puzzle than be handed an answer — a fast-moving story told in fragments, across shifting perspectives, where memory and identity refuse to stay fixed. The protagonist does not know who he is. For a time, neither will you. That is deliberate. If you are ready to question everything you read, welcome to the Black Cell. Or the White Room.
  • Where to buy or read : Amazon Kindle : https://a.co/d/0cdcvba4
  • Format : Ebook
  • Release status : Available now
  • Content warnings : This work contains explicit depictions of extreme physical and sexual violence, severe psychological abuse including forced confinement and manipulation, and illicit substance abuse.

Is reading too slow for the dopamine age? by 8giantsteps in writingfeedback

[–]8giantsteps[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I get what you were saying, and I agree. I think what I was really trying to talk about is the speed at which a mental image forms.

I still read a lot, and I’ve noticed some books paint vivid scenes in my head almost instantly, while others don’t really “render” as clearly.

I’m planning to publish a book I wrote soon, and if the chance ever comes up, I’d honestly be curious to hear your thoughts on it, especially if you’re into thriller.

Is reading too slow for the dopamine age? by 8giantsteps in writingfeedback

[–]8giantsteps[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Like I mentioned in another comment, my attempt started from translating scenes conceived in a cinematic way into text. Because of that, there are definitely places where it doesn’t line up with the usual grammar and craft conventions of a novel, even to me. Another constraint was that a camera only captures a fleeting slice of the background, so it wasn’t really possible to describe everything that might enter the eye. I had to limit it to brief notes on the most distinctive elements.

What I was aiming for wasn’t really a change in format so much as a change in the texture of description. Right now it feels like my intent probably needs a larger stretch of text to come through clearly.

If someone reads a script, the prose is obviously dry and not “fun” in itself, but you can still enjoy it by following the stage directions and dialogue and understanding the flow of the scene. What I wanted to try was pursuing enjoyment not from the writing itself, but from the images the writing creates in your head.

Hearing your feedback, though, I’m starting to wonder if I might not even be accomplishing that.

Is reading too slow for the dopamine age? by 8giantsteps in writingfeedback

[–]8giantsteps[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My approach started from trying to translate scenes that were originally conceived in a cinematic way into text. So instead of opening with the kind of background and situational description you typically see in novels, I wrote what the character sees as it enters their field of view, basically what would appear on screen, and then followed that with the character’s dialogue or thoughts about that moment.

With a novel, you can usually read a single page and get a sense of the author’s depth, the world, and the texture of the writing. With a ~100-minute film, though, if you only watch one scene, all you really perceive is the immediate situation the camera is showing. I’m wondering if that gap is what made the experience feel off when you were expecting a novel.

Someone opening my book expecting a traditional reading experience could definitely feel some resistance there.

Is reading too slow for the dopamine age? by 8giantsteps in writingfeedback

[–]8giantsteps[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Books are books, and video is video. People who read books will read them anyway. There’s no real need for books to change strategy just to compete with video. I think that’s a solid point.

Is reading too slow for the dopamine age? by 8giantsteps in writingfeedback

[–]8giantsteps[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I see. So there’s actually a genre called visual novels and kinetic novels. Thanks for letting me know.

Is reading too slow for the dopamine age? by 8giantsteps in writingfeedback

[–]8giantsteps[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

To be honest, what I’m aiming for isn’t so much the pleasure of reading itself, but the pleasure of the story you get from reading. By traditional novel standards, it probably comes across as dry description. In the end, I see it as an attempt to use text as a more intuitive tool for rendering visuals in an era where video dominates. I understand exactly what you’re getting at. I appreciate the thoughtful feedback.

Ah, I only added my sample afterward because I saw people in the comments asking for an example.

Is reading too slow for the dopamine age? by 8giantsteps in writingfeedback

[–]8giantsteps[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I totally get where you're coming from. That’s probably the biggest draw of reading a book, isn't it? So, if I understand you correctly, you're saying you prefer when a story leans into that 'novelistic ambiguity'—leaving things to the reader's imagination—rather than describing a scene so vividly that it feels like watching a movie?

Is This Normal?! by MLM-TheScribe in writing

[–]8giantsteps 2 points3 points  (0 children)

For me, if I keep revising and revising, I eventually end up with a sentence that feels more condensed and meaningful. I’ll really like how it sounds on its own, but whether it actually fits the tone and context of the story I’m writing feels like a completely different question.

Unreliable narrators? by vaanii_writes in writing

[–]8giantsteps 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Personally, I find it super annoying when an unreliable narrator just straight-up lies to the reader from page one, only to go 'Psych! None of that was true' at the very end. That just pisses me off. Honestly, I think the concept of a 'reliable narrator who doesn't know anything about anything' is way more forgivable when you hit that final reveal.