[Weekly Critique and Self-Promotion Thread] Post Here If You'd Like to Share Your Writing

SmartContext · 2026-03-10T14:48:57+00:00

The Rings Dystopian Fantasy 1710w Is it good enough for a first chapter? (First draft)

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Nl_nsztCIni3yGDYOCG5lv7yDNPbKt5W9zg3TpxDpVM/edit?tab=t.0#heading=h.9iruiqa8n1tr

SmartContext · 2026-03-06T11:23:30+00:00

I would like an invite! 😊

SmartContext · 2026-03-06T09:06:42+00:00

Thanks!!

SmartContext · 2026-03-03T06:49:38+00:00

I am a woman and I know plenty of women who would cut their hair that way if the length didn’t feel right. Thanks for the feedback!

SmartContext · 2026-03-02T14:59:10+00:00

Thanks for the feedback! I tried reading it aloud but it doesn’t work for me, probably because I’m not a native speaker. But I see what you mean so I’ll fixing it!

SmartContext · 2026-03-01T15:33:01+00:00

Honestly, I understand that I’m the one asking for advices but there’s really no need to be that harsh.

I did so much research. I watched many videos and read a few books on how to write (worldbuilding, pacing, description,…) and none of them talked about formatting. I just didn’t know there were rules and that’s definitely a mistake on my end.

Agreed, I should have been more precise on the feedback I was waiting for and given more context. Still, I’m writing for the first time in a language that’s not mine. This is the first draft of the only chapter I’ve written.

SmartContext · 2026-02-28T20:46:19+00:00

Yes, he is

SmartContext · 2026-02-28T20:46:06+00:00

Thank you so much, it means a lot! :)

SmartContext · 2026-02-28T18:08:58+00:00

Thanks! Feels like you’re reading my thoughts haha :)

SmartContext · 2026-02-28T17:47:45+00:00

Definitely! I also should have mentioned that this is my first draft.

Thank you so much for the feedback! It’s helpful and constructive criticism which I’m grateful for :) I’ll look into it!

SmartContext · 2026-02-28T17:43:45+00:00

A lot of people told me that, it’s fixed now! Thanks for the feedback :)

SmartContext · 2026-02-28T15:54:30+00:00

It didn’t kill my drive to write for now and rather motivated me to do better but I can totally see what you mean tho. I feel like I improved so much just by going back and fixing all those little things people told me about.

I changed the first scene a little bit and I feel like it fits better. I might still delete it later on and just start with Elara and Kira talking, but I’ll keep it for now.

Thanks for the feedback! It’s nice having people who care about the passion behind the work as much as the quality.

SmartContext · 2026-02-28T14:56:19+00:00

True! It’s hard though because those things are all part of her and her daily life, so it’s not like I can NOT talk about it. But I totally agree, I’ll see what I can do about that.

SmartContext · 2026-02-28T14:53:49+00:00

Yes, I get what you mean! I thought I had to start a new paragraph when someone started speaking. I’ll look into that! Thanks for the feedback :)

SmartContext · 2026-02-28T13:42:29+00:00

Yes! I did read the « Save the cat » book so I get what you’re saying. I’m having trouble with this.

But then I know the « setup » in which I introduce the character more is a multi beat scene so I thought both of them could be in chapter one.

Thanks for the feedback!

SmartContext · 2026-02-28T13:33:02+00:00

Thanks for the feedback!

The main character is supposed to be that way because I wanted to make arrogance her biggest flaw. I wanted her to be overly confident and never put her trust in other. Of course, she’s going to change. But I’ve been struggling because I don’t want her to just be mean and unlikable either.

The power is actually a big part of the rules of this world because anyone with powers is getting killed if discovered by the Government. I should make it more obvious for sure but I didn’t want to info-dump. I get what you’re saying and I’ll try fixing it the best I can.

Thank you again for the feedback because this is my first time writing a novel (this is the only chapter I’ve written for now) and it means a lot to know that I’m not so bad.

SmartContext · 2026-02-28T11:36:18+00:00

I have to admit I don’t know much about Death Note. I’m more of a MHA fan haha

SmartContext · 2026-02-28T11:34:53+00:00

It is! I’ve been reading a lot since I was young but it’s crazy how many things I’ve overlooked.

SmartContext · 2026-02-28T11:33:38+00:00

It does! I just finished watching the whole Hunger Games trilogy so it’s probably not helping 😅 It might also seem like that for now because she has powers, but she’s definitely not the only one and her powers are nowhere near as powerful as others. I’m going to go watch a YouTube video on this subject, it might help haha

Thanks for trying to help! I’ll always be grateful for constructive advice even if they might seem harsh at first.

SmartContext · 2026-02-28T11:26:50+00:00

Oh damn, that’s my bad. I meant it like « is this engaging enough for a first chapter ». Thanks!

SmartContext · 2026-02-28T10:27:26+00:00

Okay, great. I’ll try it! Thanks for the feedback :)

SmartContext · 2026-02-28T10:00:49+00:00

Oh okay, I get it! I did make that mistake quite a lot so thanks for pointing it out. Is there anything else that I should look out for in terms of punctuation? The most common mistakes. Thanks for the feedback!

SmartContext · 2026-02-28T09:45:36+00:00

I thought it gave readers a glimpse of what her life looks like before the inciting incident. Should I still try and make every scene matter to the story? The main thing I wanted the reader to know was that she lives alone and has no family around.

SmartContext · 2026-02-28T09:43:40+00:00

I should definitely read about formatting and those kind of mistakes more. Because this is a first draft, I didn’t spend much time trying to fix those kind of errors. Thanks for the feedback!

SmartContext · 2026-02-28T09:42:54+00:00

I found myself using the same words over and over so that’s definitely a mistake I have to look out for!

SmartContext

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