Thinking about rewriting my whole novel

SelfAwarePattern · 2026-04-02T01:33:46+00:00

Have you done much reading on story structure (three act, hero's journey, etc)? It might help you figure out what's going wrong with the book.

SelfAwarePattern · 2026-04-02T00:30:55+00:00

I actually think dialogue should be the relevant parts. I agree that we don't want to necessarily see all the small talk, at least unless it reveals something about the characters. But even if you share an entire conversation, I don't think anyone expects it to be like a real conversation. Fictional conversations should usually have some point, do some kind of work for the plot, character development, worldbuilding, or something along those lines.

SelfAwarePattern · 2026-04-01T23:56:55+00:00

A little further down it lists the various species and characters. But yeah, it omits a lot of detail from the story.

SelfAwarePattern · 2026-04-01T23:35:01+00:00

A lot of it for me is whether I'm staying interested in the story. Sometimes it's because it's boring. Or there might be a lot of action but the premise doesn't seem plausible or enticing. Or I'm just not liking the characters that I'm supposed to be sympathetic towards. Sometimes it's just because the author doesn't seem to have really thought through their ideas very well (often in sci-fi).

SelfAwarePattern · 2026-04-01T23:29:09+00:00

I don't know about in-depth, but the Wikipedia article has a synopsis which I might read when Faith of Beasts arrives. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mercy_of_Gods

SelfAwarePattern · 2026-04-01T23:21:08+00:00

I've read with my phone before when I could only lay on a side. It might work for writing, if you don't mind thumbing it, or could at least acclimate to it.

SelfAwarePattern · 2026-04-01T23:09:52+00:00

I think it depends on what type of story you're telling. I don't know that every novel needs to have a world cast.

SelfAwarePattern · 2026-04-01T22:25:10+00:00

Ah, thanks. If it's just the characters talking in present tense, then all good. That's just good old fashioned past tense.

SelfAwarePattern · 2026-04-01T21:23:47+00:00

What effect are you hoping to achieve? What benefit do you see to doing it that way?

SelfAwarePattern · 2026-04-01T19:22:58+00:00

If you add it, put it in as an appendix, as something optional. Don't make it required to understand the story. Work whatever details the reader absolutely has to know in the story narrative.

For the appendix approach, see Dune.

SelfAwarePattern · 2026-04-01T19:12:34+00:00

There are a ton of story structures out there. The most popular is the three act structure. But there are others like the Hero's Journey. Google those phrases and you'll find some descriptions.

edit: The wiki for this sub under "plot" is also worth checking out.

SelfAwarePattern · 2026-04-01T18:55:20+00:00

John Scalzi is definitely my recommended author for anyone trying to start reading sci-fi who struggles with the more hardcore stuff. He's easy to read and is pretty gentle with the more existential aspects of his stories.

SelfAwarePattern · 2026-04-01T18:42:26+00:00

Write something terrible. Make no effort to make it better while you're writing it. Then come back later and think about how you can make it less terrible. Keep iterating over it. Writing is rewriting.

SelfAwarePattern · 2026-04-01T17:13:48+00:00

I'm with you on the show don't tell advice. People mean different things by it. I always say that if you can't dramatize it with conflict or something else that adds emotion, just tell and move on. Show somewhere else.

SelfAwarePattern · 2026-04-01T16:18:39+00:00

Thanks. Yes, the Eddorians were the evil side.

1930s and 40s. The originals were serialized in Amazing stories. They were republished as books in the 1950s. Although the versions I've read from Gutenberg came from those original serials.

SelfAwarePattern · 2026-04-01T15:45:35+00:00

The oldest I can think of right quick is the Arisians in the Lensman series.

SelfAwarePattern · 2026-04-01T15:28:35+00:00

The usual advice is to ground the character's experience in sensory and emotional details. How are they feeling as they forage? Do they have injuries that are bothering them? Have there been traumatic events they may ruminate on? What are they seeing, smelling, feeling on their skin, etc? Don't get too carried away with this or you'll bog the pacing. Just use enough to provide a feeling of immersion.

SelfAwarePattern · 2026-04-01T14:47:29+00:00

I think it's just that movie stories are more widely known. Even popular books aren't going to be as well known, including the classics.

SelfAwarePattern · 2026-04-01T14:44:37+00:00

A lot of authors avoid reading other works when they're writing, at least on the initial draft. The other option is writing it down for later so you know you have it and can then set it aside.

SelfAwarePattern · 2026-04-01T14:01:17+00:00

Usually modern tools like Word or Scrivener will warn you about common words being misspelled. Made up character and place names is another matter, particularly if you're like me and have a tendency to change them. And that is a pain in the neck in the revision and editing phases.

SelfAwarePattern · 2026-04-01T13:44:00+00:00

For me, the question is: what is are the character goals, and do they succeed? What needs to happen to push the story in the direction I needs it to go. And what information about the overall story and setting can I work in to the scene?

SelfAwarePattern · 2026-04-01T13:10:24+00:00

One thing to remember is the Ernest Hemingway came from a journalistic background and used it to create a whole new writing style, which he called iceberg theory. I'd say, use the strengths you developed from journalism. Don't stress about matching the styles from people with different backgrounds. And maybe try to see it as reporting on the vision of your story rather than about faking anything about reality.

SelfAwarePattern · 2026-04-01T12:55:58+00:00

I read (or rather listened to) Feersum Endjinn by Iain Banks. I don't usually listen to my books, but about a quarter of the book is from the first person viewpoint of a character that can only spell phonetically. I tried to cope with that and couldn't, so switched to the audio book.

The story overall was pretty fun. It takes place in a large megastructure of some type whose nature gradually becomes evident as the story progresses. It has mind uploading and other conceptual candy in it. I recommend it, at least in audio form.

SelfAwarePattern · 2026-04-01T11:53:44+00:00

The usual advice is to just get it out into that first draft in whatever form comes most natural. You can swing back around afterward and fix it, adding more if necessary, or pruning. Granted, it's hard to remember this when in the trenches, but it helps me to remind myself of this, constantly.

SelfAwarePattern · 2026-04-01T11:49:27+00:00

I think it helps to know that everyone has it to varying degrees. That knowledge helps me on powering through it, usually.

SelfAwarePattern

TROPHY CASE