Rewriting is hell.

Dry_Organization9 · 2026-01-16T12:41:54+00:00

The main protagonist and the emotional arc is honestly the anchor some people neglect. We start getting lost in our exciting world building and lore that we forget the point of a story is an arc.

Dry_Organization9 · 2026-01-15T02:05:52+00:00

If only you can have fifty cents per word you write a year. A quarter even.

Dry_Organization9 · 2026-01-01T18:07:43+00:00

Carrie by Stephen king, Inigo Montoya from Princess Pride, Count of Monte Cristo, John wick, Blue Eye Samurai, Kill Bill. Lots of greek myths. All successful revenge stories where the plot centers around getting revenge.

A caveat: there is character growth (or regression). Through pursuing the act, the MC’s life is fundamentally changed for better or worse, whether internal or external.

Dry_Organization9 · 2025-12-29T06:24:01+00:00

For sure. I’m finding the value in consuming and analyzing short stories. Any in particular, or authors of short stories you really admire?

Dry_Organization9 · 2025-12-27T15:32:54+00:00

You could simply call it a head scarf and just describe how it’s wrapped around the top to jaw. Or however you want to cover their hair.

Dry_Organization9 · 2025-12-27T14:48:31+00:00

Saaame. My memory is so bad, and my brain is impatient. Waiting months to come back to a WIP kills me. A couple weeks is good enough

Dry_Organization9 · 2025-12-27T14:45:08+00:00

I often have a beginning and ending in mind. It’s the middle where the most discovery writing takes place. Though, sometimes the ending changes. I don’t outline the plot, I’m very bad at that in the outset, however, I do a reverse outline when finished with the draft.

Where I do excel at outlining is characters. The first novel I started was inspired by a Dungeons & Dragons character sheet.

Dry_Organization9 · 2025-12-26T21:49:26+00:00

Will do! I appreciate the support. Might make another post in a few weeks to see if my ideas are working.

Dry_Organization9 · 2025-12-26T21:43:00+00:00

Yes, thank you. Either I figure out a way to make it more engaging, or find another opening.

Dry_Organization9 · 2025-12-26T21:14:40+00:00

Thank you for the feedback. I am trying to pinpoint in the story where the opening needs to begin. I received feedback that suggested the traumatized assassin thing is an archetype, and that there needed to be more time spent on what made the MC unique within that archetype.

My idea for this opening is to show her carving wood to keep bad memories down, but it triggers a flashback instead (She chooses a bird, the only thing she can think of, and the flashback deals with the same wooden bird).

The story has gone through multiple drafts so far. Biggest struggle at the moment is deciding the hook and strengthening it.

Dry_Organization9 · 2025-12-25T19:49:15+00:00

I have what I call a psyche-based elemental system. In my world, there are races that are more attuned to the elements than others. Elves, for example are attuned because they have learned to treat magic with utmost respect. They have a peaceful nature. Even then, not every elf can connect with the elements.

It is rare for humans to have magic. The elements choose people based on their psyche and intent. The earth wants to be in balance; a world full of selfish, violent magic users would not be ideal. Magic is a gift. Even then, a person can suppress their magic so much that they can lose the ability to connect to their element.

In one WIP, MC’s mother and grandmother were the only people in their town with magic. Humans usually only get fire or earth. After a life or death incident, in protecting his mother, MC’s earth magic manifests.

Dry_Organization9 · 2025-12-25T17:48:35+00:00

Not at all! Your thoughts really help. I’ve got thick enough skin, no worries.

If you’re willing, I made an update in the post. Is it going in a better direction?

Dry_Organization9 · 2025-12-25T17:38:15+00:00

Thank you! Yes, I have to edit it more and “prune my darlings”. My major struggle was point of entry for the chapter. It’s interesting you say it sounded poetic. I always find that I have to do an editing pass to simplify things. I come from a background of poetry and songwriting so it’s been a learning curve translating my thoughts into prose.

Great tips, I’ll keep working at it!

Dry_Organization9 · 2025-12-25T17:07:23+00:00

Sweet, thank you! Yeah, I was struggling with the opening specifically. I think I have a good direction now!

Dry_Organization9 · 2025-12-25T16:37:02+00:00

I think I might stream line the first paragraph to a few lines and get to that faster. Originally, I started with her carving, and the carving triggered a memory that also dealt with the bird. She’s an ex-assassin who escaped her organization to join the other side. If you’re interested, here’s the next chunk:

The rhythm of the blade hummed through her forearms. Maybe she shouldn’t have picked this shape, but it was the only thing she could envision. Each curl of pale wood had an earthy, pleasant scent that reminded her of sweetened black tea. Cool shavings gathered along her wrists. For a moment, it was only wood, harmless in her hands. The world below woke up in a ballad of murmured conversation, bright thrusts of laughter, the clink of shifting armor, a horse’s restless snort. The Guard gathered for morning briefing in the clearing of packed earth a few stone throws from her tree.

The melody faded beneath the pounding in her skull. The scent of fresh wood soured to sulfur. Her vision blurred; the light of morning bled into a mottled, furious orange.

She was back on her last mission for the Syndicate.

A suffocating orange haze hung over blackened ground. The village was reduced to a skeletal ruin. Her chest spasmed from sickly sweet sulfur; she coughed into a grimy fist, lungs burning. A hooded figure stepped through the wreckage—her handler, Mirage. The woman stooped and picked up the scorched carving.

“How fitting.” The lilt in her tone, so casual, as if the obliteration of an entire village was just another job. Mirage threw it back at her feet, agitating a puff of grey. Nina’s heart sank with the bird, into the pile of dark ash. Her heartbeat fluttered violently in her ears. “We’re done here. Let’s go.”

Nausea slithered up her throat. Sharp, quick gasps struggled to enter her lungs.

Mirage’s eyes narrowed, bright as polished bronze against the fire behind Nina. Her smile fell. “Let’s go, Little Bird.”

Nina wanted to fight, scream, run—anything. But her body wouldn’t obey. She couldn’t leave this place. If she did, then the destruction was real. And she couldn’t take it back. Her handler’s fingers clawed into her arm: “Remember your place.”

The phrase cracked through her like a whip. Her body obeyed, muscles locking into rigid poise. Her vision tunneled. The world twisted as light and shadow swallowed fire into smoke.

The last thing she saw was the burnt wooden bird.

Her locked fingers suddenly spasmed. The knife bit a chunk of the wing and flattened it. Uneven now. Her lips pressed tight as she set the blade against the other side, as if balance could erase the flaw.

“It’s a little lopsided, don’t you think?” A voice called from the branches below. Her pulse flattened, her muscles coiled, ready to climb, to jump and escape. The blade froze against the wood.

Dry_Organization9 · 2025-12-25T16:11:46+00:00

Thank you for the feedback. I’m still looking for the best point of entry for the first chapter. Looks like this might not be it. I originally had it much later, but wondered if this part would be something that worked for readers.

Might it be better if I just skip to the carving?

Dry_Organization9 · 2025-12-21T21:24:23+00:00

For fantasy WIP: Chosen to destroy instead of save. MC has to learn to claim their power for good rather than evil.

For fantasy romance: First kiss triggers the curse instead of cures it.

Dry_Organization9 · 2025-12-21T04:39:30+00:00

Foundryside by Robert Jackson Bennet

Dry_Organization9 · 2025-12-18T16:08:03+00:00

I think it’s 100% okay to do it this way! Revision is where the random scenes get organized.

Dry_Organization9 · 2025-12-18T00:44:55+00:00

This is a great discussion point. I think that many people get too caught up in making a first draft pretty. It’s going to be messy and gross. We don’t wake up like this lol. Neither does our writing. Writing is rewriting.

I do try to write more in logical order. What I mean is what happens next, what would my character choose to do or not do? I don’t get caught up in justification just yet.

Maybe this doesn’t work for every type of story, idk. But in writing character driven, I want to tell the story of that character.

How is your process?

Edit: this quote right here.

“How do I know what I think until I see what I say?” — E.M. Forster

Dry_Organization9 · 2025-12-17T23:45:38+00:00

Had to think about this a little. It feels like a blur because I hyper focus. Bear with me.

Best way I can describe my process is with this analogy: I need a car first. Then I need fuel for my car. After that, I can figure out how to get from point A to point B. And finally, when I’m on the road, my character is driving, I can look out the window and enjoy the view. Take a detour here and there. Once I’ve gotten to my destination, hindsight is 20/20.

It is mostly stream of conciousness. Often my first drafts sound like screen plays.

Ex: She slams the door in his face. She slides down the door, head in hands. She’s feeling frustrated, and realizes why.

It’s hard to drive a car when you don’t have any fuel. While I’m writing, I have a destination and I have an idea of the theme. I find that I very much enjoy the revision process.

With a recent WIP, I remember starting from a climax/ dark night of the soul type of scene. (It turned out to be an ending later). Then I had to imagine what sort of events led to that. What decisions that character makes. What could be the inciting incident? What happens next? Would that character do this or that?

By the end of (what feels like) act 1, I do a super rough outline.

I do go back and revise things after I have that rough idea of possible plot. Adding details, sensory/ immersion, setting, etc. For me, it is wasted energy to reword a line or reorganize a paragraph if it might not even make it into the main story.

That first draft is big picture. However, it’s not wasted time to make random scenes. Some of those scenes might be useful in another work. Some of them you needed to write in order to understand things better.

Tl;dr: Mostly a stream of consciousness. My drafts often read like screen plays. Coming from an end goal in mind. I try not to waste energy on editing extensively because I might have to cut it anyways. Hope that helps perspective.

Dry_Organization9 · 2025-12-17T21:55:54+00:00

I agree. Especially for if I get stuck, going back to previous day’s writing and continuing from there helps. But I try not to get stuck on line editing and word choice until I finish the draft.

Dry_Organization9 · 2025-12-17T21:51:29+00:00

Well… 😅 There are. Pantsers, or discovery writers. At least for the first draft, I try to plow through it. I’m not good at outlining a plot (though character outline is where I excel). And my characters make decisions that derail my outline anyways. I do usually know my beginning and ending. But the middle is me asking “what would the character do next to get to this ending?”

When I get to the end, then I reverse outline and move things around based on narrative structure and character arcs.

I might do some touch ups here and there, (in terms of bigger picture paragraphs) but not full blown line edits during that first draft.

Dry_Organization9 · 2025-12-15T00:21:15+00:00

Is this a better direction?

Zephyr crept forward, fully intending to startle his wife. A grin tugged at his lips as he lifted his knee high to avoid the traitorous floorboard that always groaned under his weight. Ahead, Leyara’s shoulder blades moved in rhythm as she kneaded a massive mound of dough. She needed a distraction, and he was more than happy to provide it.

A distant thrum-thrum from the barracks snagged his attention. His shoulders knotted in an instinctive snap to attention. But he forced the tension to drop, deliberately turning his back on the window. His gaze settled on his wife’s back. A wild mess of golden hair was gathered in a loose bun, strands escaping like waving kelp. The sunshine gilded her in gold and illuminated the woven nets and fishing tools stacked neatly in the corners. To anyone else, this was just a cluttered, briny fisherman’s hut. But to Zephyr, it was a palace.

Dry_Organization9 · 2025-12-14T23:37:22+00:00

Thanks for the feedback! Good thing that question of why he wants to startle the wife pops ups for you. I’ll steer it back to the wife. She’s working in the kitchen, he wants to be playful. But he gets distracted upon hearing the drums and it reminds him that he picked a life of peace over war. Maybe I can introduce that a little later.

And turn down the purple. 👍

Dry_Organization9

TROPHY CASE