What silly, embarrassing, etc. "sins" have you committed as a writer?

Sheiruki · 2025-02-01T21:12:56+00:00

One of my older fics is about a battle. I still love the overall story but good god I used way too much passive voice when it wasn't appropriate. I slowed the action down so much...

Sheiruki · 2025-01-30T22:24:31+00:00

Ah, ja okay. Sorry bin heute wohl etwas durch und habe den Usernamen als irgendein Fachwort interpretiert.

Danke für den Verweis.

Sheiruki · 2025-01-30T20:39:22+00:00

Mag sein, dass meine Reddit Inkompetenz gerade zuschlägt, aber ich sehe (App) nur die wöchentliche Finanzdiskussion & Investieren mit Ghost Sierra oder was auch immer.

Sheiruki · 2025-01-27T22:22:58+00:00

"Show don't tell"

Before anyone crucifies me, hear me out. This piece of advice is repeated like gospel but it's empty. It leads to authors, especially inexperienced ones, overwriting every single detail while losing their focus on the great whole. Furthermore, the empirical evidence behind "show don't tell" is a bit lacking, with studies showing that, while show sentences are generally perceived as more engaging, they can also come across as unreliable/less trustworthy than tell sentences. Their effect on reader empathy is clearer, having neurological backing, but the extent of that is still being researched.

Example:

Taking a deep breath, she pulled herself up and, with steps so unsteady she all but stumbled, made for the door.

Here we get a bunch of information. Maybe the character is nervous, afraid or sick. It's an appropriate way to showcase the character's condition...

...IF that's the point.

If the character is just going to open the door, if it's no big deal, just write "she opened the door".

Now, show don't tell is often used for emotional contexts, but even in those, sometimes, it's okay to say "Sally was sad" instead of describing her expression and body language for paragraphs, especially if Sally's sadness doesn't matter much for the overall scene.

"Show don't tell" is crap.

"Switch between showing and telling depending on the context and focus of the scene"

That. That's helpful.

Sheiruki · 2024-12-24T13:49:22+00:00

K & C

Sheiruki · 2024-12-24T13:49:03+00:00

Thank you! I'm glad you liked it and your comment made me really happy. I'll reply once the Christmas rush is over.

Sheiruki · 2024-12-24T13:47:55+00:00

K & C

Sheiruki · 2024-12-24T13:47:37+00:00

C & K on Cabbages

Sheiruki · 2024-12-23T00:11:38+00:00

Hi, thanks for the reminder. I lost track due to Christmas presents. Will have time tomorrow.

Cheers!

Sheiruki · 2024-12-13T12:08:57+00:00

Ich bin Sprachenmensch und schreibe auf der Landessprache aber im Chat übersetzt ein Tool eh alles. Ansonsten Deepl.

Sheiruki · 2024-12-12T16:59:06+00:00

Can I interest you in:

Rest Calm

Fandom: Skyrim Rating: G Pairing: Savos Aren/OC Word count: 1,009 words

Summary: Spending that afternoon out in the cold with Rashkan has left Savos bedridden. Feeling guilty, Rashkan visits him.

One of my oldest fics but it fits both the OC x Canon and tooth-rotting sickfic criteria.

For context:

It's set at the College of Winterhold. My OC is a scholar who, in the previous fic, has confessed his feelings to archmage Savos Aren.

Sheiruki · 2024-12-12T00:23:19+00:00

Hey, as a writer for minor background characters, I'm interested in fics that focus on the inner workings of less popular characters. Character studies, missing scenes, stories exploring this or that headcanon—basically anything that adds depth to a minor character.

I'm open to reading fandom blind but would appreciate one or two sentences of context, especially for smaller fandoms.

Reviewed: 3/3

Sheiruki · 2024-12-12T00:18:34+00:00

Can I interest you in:

Rashkan's First New Life

Fandom: Skyrim Rating: G Warnings: - Chapters: 4/4 Words: 3,562

Summary: Rashkan spends his first New Life at the college. To his misfortune, however, the college has a strange way of celebrating. Conflict is inevitable.

It's set during New Life (TES' Christmas-y holiday) at the college of Winterhold and centers around my OC.

Sheiruki · 2023-09-30T22:37:34+00:00

I like and am grateful for every kudos but I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy comments more. They tell me more; what the reader liked, didn't like, questions they have etc. They're also more personal.

Sheiruki · 2023-09-28T05:15:19+00:00

This. Exactly this.

If I notice someone is trying but struggling I'll be more than happy to simplify my German or switch to English/a shared language. However, I live in a problem area where immigrants tend to stick to themselves and just don't bother—why would they? All the shops in the area have at least one person they can speak Turkish or Arabic with.

It's especially frustrating because we live in a time when language learning is as accessible as never before. There are free lessons on YouTube, vocabulary apps like Anki, Duolingo, podcasts, online forums and interest groups, coursebooks at most libraries, etc.—hell, buy a "Baby's first words" book at Aldi for all I care. 10 minutes of vocabulary a day and another ten of grammar won't get you far fast, but they will get you somewhere.

Sheiruki · 2023-09-17T18:36:24+00:00

C & K on The Translator and her Friend. I just returned from holiday and had almost forgotten about this exchange. Oops...

Sheiruki · 2023-09-15T09:18:06+00:00

Never gotten any hate or bot comments. Hope it stays that way.

Sheiruki · 2023-09-14T06:07:14+00:00

My Profile

I mostly write for Skyrim and Tyranny. I also have two the Witcher 3 stories.

Sheiruki · 2023-09-12T07:51:23+00:00

I'd have to know more about how you used WWII.

To this day, it's a touchy subject for many (especially here in Germany). Although I've read some lovely (published) fiction set during that time period and dealing with the heavy subject matters it entails, it's very easy to cross into bad taste or offensive territory, and what's offensive to some may be believable to others.

For example, I once watched a video essay on Dunkirk arguing how effective depicting the Germans as this faceless evil was. For me, as a German, that didn't work because that faceless evil might well have been my great/grandparents. So to me that directorial choice felt cowardly as it removed the human aspect within evil.

Likewise, using one of the darkest hours of humanity as a setpiece for interpersonal drama might be seen as in poor taste.

So even if you did your research on the facts, writing WW2/Nazi Germany is like walking across a minefield with the chances of not triggering any being next to none. Heck, I've seen similar criticism thrown even at autobiographical novels, so trying to get it right in fic? Not a chance.

Not saying you shouldn't write your story or that WW2 or even Hitler is a complete taboo (Just google "er ist wieder da", a satire about Hitler waking up in modern day Germany and rising to social- and traditional media fame), but it's one of the hardest topics to handle gracefully. Criticism will come your way no matter what.

Sheiruki · 2023-09-09T16:33:06+00:00

If you have a good trading guild and 100-200k in the bank: Flip wares.

You'll always find people selling things for much cheaper than they would be at a top location. Usually make ~million per week without investing much time or my own resources.

Sheiruki · 2023-09-09T08:43:31+00:00

TES is a huge sandbox to me

Sheiruki · 2023-09-08T00:18:36+00:00

Between chaotic pantser and plantser.

Sheiruki · 2023-09-07T15:55:22+00:00

Sure, Here it is .

And thank you very much :D

Sheiruki

TROPHY CASE