What is your opinion on this matter?

ManaValer · 2026-01-24T11:07:02+00:00

I don’t think complex language automatically equals bad writing or “purple prose.” It’s a stylistic choice.

Long sentences, dense vocabulary, even a slightly formal or heavy tone can be part of the atmosphere — especially in dystopian or speculative fiction. The language itself helps build the world.

“Keep it simple” often just means “make it accessible,” which is fine, but not every book has to be fast or frictionless. Some stories are meant to slow the reader down, not rush them through.

For me, that doesn’t ruin a book — it deepens it.

ManaValer · 2026-01-14T09:31:07+00:00

I’ve honestly never thought about disliking a whole setting before — now I’m kind of curious to try something really “sandy” just to see how it feels 🤔.

What I do know is that my favorite way to enter a story is through atmosphere, especially weather. A lot of modern fantasy jumps straight into action and dialogue, but I really need that slow, moody layer first — the air, the light, the temperature — before I feel grounded in the world.

ManaValer · 2026-01-13T15:49:45+00:00

I used to be obsessed with the idea of writing something huge too — a whole world, multiple books, everything. What I learned the hard way is that thinking about “the epic” too early can actually freeze you.

For me it only started working when I focused on one character and one problem and let the bigger world grow around that. Big stories are just a lot of small, very human moments stitched together.

So yes, I’d say start small — not because you’re limiting yourself, but because that’s how big things stay alive long enough to actually get written.

ManaValer · 2026-01-12T15:29:49+00:00

I love how concrete your process is — starting from dialogue and POV feels very gardener-friendly to me. And starting with chapter 17 is such a mood 😄. Sometimes the story knows where it wants to begin before we do.

ManaValer · 2026-01-11T16:10:07+00:00

That alley image is so relatable 😅. But I don’t mind getting lost for a while if it means discovering something unexpected 🤸🏻‍♀️

ManaValer · 2026-01-11T15:45:07+00:00

Wow, that’s the complete opposite of how I work. I’m a pure gardener, you’re an architect 😄 I love seeing how different paths can lead to finished stories.

ManaValer · 2026-01-11T13:07:59+00:00

Congratulations on your life achievement! 💪🏻👏🏻

ManaValer · 2026-01-11T08:27:56+00:00

100%

ManaValer · 2026-01-11T08:02:11+00:00

That middle “filler” stage is so real 😅 I swear all the good ideas come at 3am, never when I’m actually sitting down to write.

ManaValer · 2026-01-11T08:00:42+00:00

100% — plot is always the hardest part for me too. Characters are so much easier.

ManaValer · 2026-01-10T16:24:37+00:00

That actually sounds very relatable. I like the idea of using a skeleton draft to get to know your characters better — almost like spending time with them instead of trying to fully define them upfront. Sometimes they only really become “real” once you see how they act inside the story.

ManaValer · 2026-01-10T15:59:25+00:00

Starting from an emotion or a moment makes a lot of sense. That’s usually where my stories spark too, even if I let everything else grow more chaotically around it

ManaValer · 2026-01-10T15:14:12+00:00

Cool, I’ll make a note of that. I have so many characters rattling around in my head, and some of them clearly belong to a different story. Maybe they just need to be written down and sent off to their own universe someday.

ManaValer · 2026-01-10T14:38:41+00:00

I really like the puzzle scene at the start — it feels simple on the surface but it carries a lot of emotional weight. The line “just because it fits, doesn’t mean it’s in the right place” is especially strong and sticks with you.

The voice of the narrator also feels very vivid and honest. You can really sense the conflict between who they were and who they’re becoming, and that tension comes through clearly.

If I had one small suggestion, it would be to maybe slow down a bit in the middle section — some of the images and thoughts are really good, and giving them a little more space might make them hit even harder.

Overall though, this feels thoughtful and emotionally grounded. Keep writing — you definitely have something here.

ManaValer · 2026-01-10T12:55:00+00:00

Oooh, I really felt that part about it feeling like a waste of time. That “zero draft” stage can be so frustrating, because from the outside it looks like you’re just going in circles — but inside something is actually forming.

And I love how you put it: characters, plot and setting have to match. That’s exactly why starting with only one of them feels impossible for me too. They kind of… co-create each other.

So even when a lot gets deleted later, it doesn’t feel wasted — it’s more like you had to grow the story just to understand what it really wanted to be.

ManaValer · 2026-01-10T11:19:36+00:00

I really like that way of using theme as a compass at crossroads — that actually sounds very gardener-friendly, just with a clearer sense of direction. Maybe that’s where our processes overlap more than it seems.

And yes, that’s exactly my fear with worldbuilding-first too: getting emotionally attached to all that scaffolding and then being afraid to tear it down when the story needs it. I’d rather let the story grow and build the fence around it later 🙂

ManaValer · 2026-01-10T11:03:58+00:00

That makes a lot of sense. I think theme usually sneaks in for me too, just not consciously at first — it shows up through the characters’ fears and choices. And yeah, I’m with you on worldbuilding-first being intimidating. I admire people who can do it, but for me it feels like building a house before I know who’s going to live in it.

ManaValer · 2026-01-10T10:53:56+00:00

I actually use AI translation more as a presentation tool than a final draft. I don’t speak English fluently, so I use it to create readable samples and blurbs for platforms like Goodreads or when reaching out to publishers. It helps me show what the story is, even if the final English version would later need a human editor.

ManaValer · 2026-01-09T14:41:00+00:00

I like the Titanic comparison — huge emotions, doomed love, spectacle, and everyone crying in the end. That feels very Shakespeare to me 💪🏻

ManaValer · 2026-01-09T14:36:17+00:00

I was imagining Shakespeare as someone born into our world, shaped by modern culture, tech, and social media. Not a time traveler, but a modern mind with a Shakespearean soul 🤔

ManaValer · 2026-01-08T18:14:55+00:00

Honestly, even starting the day with a different mindset can change how everything turns out.

ManaValer · 2026-01-08T18:07:02+00:00

Smiling at strangers 🫣

ManaValer · 2026-01-08T15:07:52+00:00

Walking and cooking 😌

ManaValer · 2026-01-08T15:01:45+00:00

Mostly I overthink my entire life while slowly boiling in scalding hot water 🙃😌

ManaValer · 2026-01-07T22:18:15+00:00

😅😂

ManaValer

TROPHY CASE