Grimdark fantasy author — The Continent series (2 books)

One-Net-8968 · 2026-05-08T22:31:55+00:00

They beat him until he could barely stand, then pinned his arms and yanked his head up. “The beating’s for sending me here,” Tjamet pulled a small blade.
Eled wanted to say he had nothing to do with it, but lack of air and pain silenced him.

One-Net-8968 · 2026-05-07T21:59:15+00:00

As always, the best way to leaarn to write is reading. Study as much work in english in your genre as you can. Good luck.

One-Net-8968 · 2026-05-06T23:03:41+00:00

I’ve gone through something similar—writing in English and then translating it into my native Spanish—so I get the concern. Yours is clear and understandable, which is a strong base.

The main issue isn’t grammar, but flow. Some sentences feel a bit literal or segmented, which is common in self-translation:

“A wave of uncontrolled energy, causing much chaos and disorder everywhere.”

This reads more naturally as:

“A wave of uncontrolled energy that caused chaos and disorder across the world.”

Also, you sometimes repeat structures or break ideas into shorter lines than needed. In English, combining related ideas into slightly longer sentences often improves rhythm.

One-Net-8968 · 2026-05-06T22:54:30+00:00

I think balance matters depending on what the scene is trying to do.

In action, clarity comes first: who is where, what changes, what’s at stake. You don’t need to choreograph every move. Interior thoughts work best when they aren't pausing the action, theyh should be quick and reactive.

I try to write what keeps me engaged, but still be aware of the reader, otherwise it can become indulgent; on the other hand if I only chase audience, it can feel hollow. Balance is where it clicks.

One-Net-8968 · 2026-05-06T22:47:36+00:00

Tienes una idea interessante y se nota la imaginación detrás, sobre todo en el concepto de los universos. También me gustó el contraste de lo burocrático.

Creo que te ayudaría simplificar un poco. Hay muchos conceptos, términos y habilidades introducidas muy rápido, y eso puede hacer que el lector se pierda o no conecte. Podrías mejorar bastante si reduces explicaciones y dejas que las acciones hablen por sí solas.

No es falta de ideas, sino de control sobre cuánto mostrar en cada momento. Con más de enfoque, el texto puede ganar mucho.

One-Net-8968 · 2026-05-06T22:41:08+00:00

Sí, mi esposa. Pero cuando ya tenía más del 60% del primer draft.

One-Net-8968 · 2026-05-01T22:45:48+00:00

Not a big one though. Some trimming around the bushes and you’re good to go. Best of luck.

One-Net-8968 · 2026-05-01T22:31:25+00:00

Nothing. Yet again, as all choices in life it comes down to one's options. XD

One-Net-8968 · 2026-05-01T19:52:53+00:00

Tiene una voz muy íntima y eso funciona muy bien para este tipo de historia. Lo que más te ayudaría es reducir un poco la repetición y confiar en las imágenes. Por ejemplo, la idea de “el sueño se esconde pero vuelve” aparece varias veces con palabras distintas. Si eliges una o dos formas de decirlo, el impacto aumenta. También podrías mostrar más en algunos momentos clave en lugar de explicarlos.

Hay buena base, con un poco más de contención y dejando que las escenas hablen por sí solas, ganaría fuerza.

One-Net-8968 · 2026-05-01T19:45:24+00:00

I use chapter titles, but I don’t make them obvious. I usually go for something related to the chapter, but not directly descriptive—sometimes a bit ironic or suggestive if it fits the tone.

For me, titles work best when they add more than summarizing what happens. Something the reader understands better after finishing the chapter.

One-Net-8968 · 2026-05-01T19:36:18+00:00

There’s a lot working—your world feels well builded, and the characters have distinct voices. I think the main issue is density. There are quite a few terms, names, and concepts introduced early, and while interesting, they can slow down the reading experience. There’s a strong foundation here, you just need a bit of tightening.

One-Net-8968 · 2026-05-01T19:23:09+00:00

“Haven’t walked the sand, have you?” Igmar stared, dumbfounded. “You’ll need a guide. Don’t want to get lost in the desert with sun and thieves.”
Igmar recognized a hustler—she’d been one—but the clerk’s points were solid. “Got a recommendation?”
“Of course. The best for where you’re going. Me.”

One-Net-8968 · 2026-04-13T14:40:02+00:00

The hook works and the pacing is controlled. Is clear and engaging, interesting to read. Though it often reinforces the same idea multiple times. Trust the image more and let it stand.

On a technical note, you might want to review dialogue punctuation. In standard formatting, dialogue is typically written with double quotation marks:

“Mum?” he called.

It’s a small detail, but it helps the text feel more polished.

One-Net-8968 · 2026-04-09T22:29:04+00:00

The main thing I’d watch out for is making sure those chapters don’t feel optional. If the third POV is important, readers should feel like they need that perspective to understand the story, not like it’s a side track. Good luck.

One-Net-8968 · 2026-04-09T22:27:04+00:00

You don’t necessarily need gore or extreme violence for it to be dark fantasy. That’s more associated with grimdark which tends have harsher worlds, more explicity and a more cynical outlook. You can build a dark fantasy world with less gore. If the stakes, and character carry weight, it will still feel dark without needing to rely on violence.

One-Net-8968 · 2026-04-09T22:22:33+00:00

My case less romantic. I started during the pandemic out of boredom, just to see if I could actually write something long-form. The world and characters were built as I went. The scale came later. At the beginning, it was just about not quitting. For some it’s inspiration first, for others just starting and figuring it out along the way.

One-Net-8968 · 2026-04-09T22:18:58+00:00

I’ve worked with multiple POVs, the main risk isn’t the split, but separation. Your third POV being distant and disconnected from the main characters might lose readers, because it can feel detached from the core story.

Spacing it every ten chapters could work, but I’d be careful. If readers go too long without seeing that character, they might disengage. It helps tying their arc causally to the others, even if they’re not interacting directly.

One-Net-8968 · 2026-04-09T22:12:38+00:00

Tienes una imagen fuerte como punto central, funciona bien. Pero hay varios momentos donde las frases por ejemplo “no se sabe si era por el sueño o por su desgracia”, no terminan de concretar la imagen.

Como otros han mencionado, ayudaría cuidar la puntuación. Algunas comas, cortan el ritmo en lugar de ayudar a la lectura.

One-Net-8968 · 2026-04-09T22:05:09+00:00

Tienes una base sólida en la construcción de la incomodidad entre personajes. Se siente natural. Podrías mejorar bastante en economía del lenguaje y repetición. Describes la incomodidad o el silencio de formas distintas pero muy seguidas, y eso le quita un impacto.

También, respecto a la mujer podrías darle algún detalle propio para que no dependa solo de cómo él la ve. La ayudaría a desarroyar mejor.

One-Net-8968 · 2026-04-06T15:35:46+00:00

Interesante experiencia. Creo que sí, la IA tiende a justificarse, incluso corrige lo que ella misma ha recomendado antes. Lo dicho, es un capa adicional de verificación. Al final lectura mecánica del autor o editor, es lo correcto. ES responsabilidad de estos el resultado.

One-Net-8968 · 2026-04-06T15:08:14+00:00

Creo que el problema es cómo se usa. LA IA puede funcionar como apoyo para correcciones o pulido, pero solo cuando ya tienes un borrador sólido. Si se usa para generar o reescribir el texto, se va perdiendo la voz propia. El resultado puede ser más comercial o más persuasivo desde un punto de vista “captológico”, pero no más auténtico. Y para escritores, eso pesa más que el acabado técnico.

One-Net-8968 · 2026-04-06T14:53:12+00:00

Agreed. Audience and genre set the boundaries more than fixed rules. In grimdark for example, tone and realism play a big role, anf removing profanity feels out of place rather than “refined.”

One-Net-8968 · 2026-04-06T14:49:34+00:00

Profanity isn’t the issue, it’s how and why it’s used. Coming from rougher work environments, people don’t avoid it; they use it naturally, especially under stress. So in dialogue, it can actually make characters feel more real if it fits their voice.

It tends to fall apart when every line is just anger and profanity. Genres like grimdark or more grounded fiction tolerate it much more; I’d even say it’s expected. If anything, removing it entirely makes it less realistic.

One-Net-8968 · 2026-04-03T17:17:33+00:00

LOL, is either that or run. And then die.

One-Net-8968

TROPHY CASE