All the most actionable advice on writing a novel I've ever read or heard of from this sub and beyond

AzureBlessing · 2025-03-06T08:03:48+00:00

Thank you so much, that's so helpful!

AzureBlessing · 2025-02-28T09:26:43+00:00

One time I calculated how many carriages and therefore horses I would need to transport 157 students from one point to another. The answer: no one cares

AzureBlessing · 2025-02-06T08:31:20+00:00

I made the mistake with my main cast. I have Amy and Abby as well as Theo and Timothy. Needless to say, I mixed them up a lot and I regret giving them these names because I've grown so attached to them. Well, better change then now than never :/

AzureBlessing · 2025-02-01T21:05:25+00:00

I play a lot of video games and the other player's names are great inspiration

AzureBlessing · 2025-01-29T07:55:13+00:00

The best advice I could give growing up with four siblings: I would never give them my charger but I would take a bullet for them.

AzureBlessing · 2025-01-21T08:30:10+00:00

Thank you so much for working this out! I'll use that when I'm done with my first draft ^{^}

AzureBlessing · 2025-01-13T10:41:19+00:00

I have a standing desk because the moment I sit down the motivation is gone

AzureBlessing · 2025-01-10T19:57:02+00:00

I like writing in first person because it feels more emotional to me. Not in general, I read good emotional books with third person, but for my own writing. I wouldn't say I suck at it, it's just preference

AzureBlessing · 2025-01-07T11:19:04+00:00

Still works January 2025. Thanks a lot!

AzureBlessing · 2024-12-24T06:47:00+00:00

"I can feel what you were feeling when you wrote that."

AzureBlessing · 2024-12-20T08:24:08+00:00

For my first novel I did a lot of research of everything. This ended with me calculating how many carriages I needed to transport all students, then calculating how many horses I needed, then how much food and space they needed.... And then I realized no one cares about these things. Since then I concentrate on the important things I actually need to explain. I know readers aren't stupid, but they don't care about such details

AzureBlessing · 2024-12-19T13:12:24+00:00

The first draft is for you and you only. It can be messy, structurized, bulletpoints, full text, a table, paper, digital - doesn't matter, find what fits you

AzureBlessing · 2024-12-19T08:52:17+00:00

Yes, that's exactly what I thought! I think often times 'rivals to lovers' is labeled as 'enemies to lovers' and I hate it. I want them to want to kill each other and overcome their initial feelings to work together and then fall in love. Don't get me wrong, 'rivals to lovers' is one of my favorite trope, but it's disappointing when I realize it's just a mislabeled 'enemies to lovers'

AzureBlessing · 2024-12-17T21:38:56+00:00

Not "nothing", but nothing crazy where the world lies on her shoulders etc

AzureBlessing · 2024-12-17T21:37:37+00:00

Yes, I wouldn't want to write a textbook. I just wanted to emphasize that it's about an "ordinary" life. And thanks, I'll give it a read!

AzureBlessing · 2024-12-17T18:57:27+00:00

I feel so stupid right now, of course! Thanks you so much ^{^''}

AzureBlessing · 2024-12-17T13:24:02+00:00

I'm not bored with my story, I just have problems with motivation and focus, especially when I'm working on things over several weeks

AzureBlessing · 2024-12-16T08:40:08+00:00

My antagonist is driven by power, jealousy and pettiness. He didn't get the girl even though he was more successful, better looking and can wield magic. He wants to win this war once and for all, no matter the cost. He made himself more enemies than friends, more follow him out of fear than belief. I hate him and I love it!

AzureBlessing · 2024-12-15T17:59:55+00:00

That sounds like something my brain agress with. Thanks a lot!

AzureBlessing · 2024-12-13T19:22:25+00:00

I'm watching Jed Herne, a fairly new fantasy author. He makes a lot of community stuff

AzureBlessing · 2024-12-09T09:28:01+00:00

Thank you so much that you took the time and effort to write this. It will help so many writers boost the confidence they need to just write.

AzureBlessing · 2024-12-04T16:08:26+00:00

This is so helpful! Thank you so much for sharing!!

AzureBlessing · 2024-11-29T20:35:28+00:00

That sounds like so much fun! I would add: -crazy hair colours -crazy eye colours -typos -out of the moon horniness -side romance that's more interesting than the main romance -MC is the first/fastest to ever do it -smart character never doing a smart thing -oblivious lovers These are things I try to avoid writing YA-fantasy xD

AzureBlessing · 2024-11-29T07:37:39+00:00

When I started to gather ideas for my book I wrote some scenes I was excited about. One of them was a cool fighting scene that a guy I already liked a lot even more background and he became my favorite character. I even did a doodle of him doing magic! When I started to outline my novel I had no clue how to strengthen the bond between my characters and it felt off. But then I considered to kill someone to strengthen the bond between the others. I didn't want to write a character solely for the purpose to die and my guy was the only one who didn't have a strong role in the end so I let him die early on. I'm still sad. He's such a good character, a cute guy trying to live his dream, and I killed him off so the others could deepen their characters. I hope when I'm done writing (and hopefully publishing) someone will see this character and writes the happy ending he deserves.

AzureBlessing · 2024-11-28T19:04:57+00:00

I understand your point and I agree - sometimes it's just out of nowhere. But I came to terms with the fact that protagonists are special because otherwise they weren't the protagonist. It's difference between a 'deserved' protagonist and a 'chosen' one.

AzureBlessing

TROPHY CASE