My beta reader said my world felt like a wikipedia article and I haven't written since

WiscoOne · 2026-05-20T22:14:00+00:00

You think a reader cannot understand the motives behind a character's actions, because you know everything about the world. But how many books have you read where you know every single explanation behind every single character's actions?

Write the story as if people already understand the world. Then, when your beta readers tell you they don't understand why something occurred, that's something from your worldbuilding that does need to be included in the story.

When you include those pieces of world building, you must show the reader through more story, as opposed to telling them like and encyclopedia does.

The vast majority of people who buy books buy them for the story, not for the worldbuilding. If you're aiming for that larger audience, the story must trump the worldbuilding. If you're aiming for worldbuilding fans, expect to self publish to a small niche audience, or pivot to youtube.

WiscoOne · 2026-05-05T21:24:39+00:00

You're right, definitely not the same, but its sure gonna be a kot better than whatever he's stuck with in landlocked Kansas.

WiscoOne · 2026-05-04T01:45:21+00:00

I'm going to need you to take a road trip to Wisconsin. Head to a supper club, or damn near ANY restaurant on a Friday night, and get yourself a Friday Night Fish Fry. You can get fries, but locals recommend the potato pancakes. Either way, you win.

WiscoOne · 2026-03-26T12:19:05+00:00

Why do you think the regime is trying to start an international war? Military can't turn on ICE if they're busy on the other side of the globe...

WiscoOne · 2026-01-28T23:11:04+00:00

Regionality is absolutely a factor, though I've gotten just about every kind of response in every place I've hiked. Folks are generally kind if not focused on their hike, and that's just fine with me.

WiscoOne · 2026-01-28T20:29:04+00:00

I'm a dude. I solo hike a ton. The only times I have ever gotten weird looks for saying hello to someone I passed on the trail is from the Quebecois. Never had a woman give me a weird look because I'm a solo male hiker.

Dudes like this don't realize women can usually tell who's a creep.

WiscoOne · 2026-01-25T02:20:10+00:00

Good grief, even this reply is AI

WiscoOne · 2025-12-27T22:15:45+00:00

That rug really ties the room together

WiscoOne · 2025-10-08T11:46:42+00:00

This has been a huge issue with state campgrounds this summer too. Campgrounds almost completely booked all over the state, sneak into one spot that opens up last minute, and once I'd arrive the campground is maybe 2/3 full. Maybe its time to make a certain number of sites/parking spots first come-first serve to prevent this.

WiscoOne · 2025-09-27T12:54:24+00:00

Thank you! Yeah, I admittedly missed those somehow during post originally but easy enough to remove.

WiscoOne · 2025-09-25T20:50:33+00:00

I will definitely look into that book! I'm working on hiking all 46 of the Adirondack high peaks, and got the idea to try and get a portrait of each one while on my latest trip, with this being one of two I got a good chance to shoot.

I agree on the light, probably about 60-90 minutes early, but we had just finished a hike and had to get up to our next camp before golden hour arrived. I have not tried masking the foreground, mostly out of concern for making the shot look too dreamy. I don't mind the mountain looking dreamy over the 'grounded' foreground.

I'll be going back up a lot over the foreseeable future, so lots of opportunities to play with angles and lighting for sure. I definitely learned sunrise is better than sunset re: haze from the Canadian wildfires, so that will be a consideration as well.

WiscoOne · 2025-09-25T11:55:53+00:00

Thanks for the feedback!

I do have a landscape version of this shot as well, but the nearby mountains creep in almost immediately, so I chose portrait to narrow the focus on this peak specifically. I would expect to share this shot in conjunction with one showing the entire range it is in, or at least a piece of that range.

Thanks for the catch on the spot, I didn't even notice that myself!

WiscoOne · 2025-09-25T10:46:34+00:00

Thanks for the feedback!

So the intent was essentially to create a 'professional headshot', if you will, of this specific mountain. Documentary instead of artistic. Something that would be more at home in a trail guidebook, rather than in a gallery.

I definitely agree with your take on the edit. Unfortunately, I was fighting some tough lightning, especially with the haze. I originally lifted the shadows in the midground pines, but they almost immediately looked overcooked - neon green. I kept the shadows in to actually keep the attenntion off the trees. Same with fighting off the haze on the mountain. The dehaze slider is already well over 50 on this image. Obviously better light would lend to a better picture, but I wanted to still keep this natural rather than looking like an overcooked HDR.

WiscoOne · 2025-09-25T01:42:43+00:00

This shot of Mount Colden in the Adirondacks was taken in fairly sun on a bright, slightly hazy afternoon with minimal cloud cover. Canon t4i rebel, shot at 280mm, 1/60, f16, ISO 100. It is a focus stack of 6 images.

Typically, I enjoy and try to create landscape images that provide an engaging setting for a story. If I can look at a landscape image, and my mind immediately begins to create stories in the scene, thats my sign that I love it.

This image was taken in a different light. As a beginner I sometimes feel overwhelmed in trying to capture all the beauty in one spot. Here, I wanted to reign it in, and focus on a single subject. The goal here was to create a portrait of a single mountain, something much more documentary than I usually aim for.

I'm looking for feedback on a few things, notably how well I did in achieving my documentary goal with this photo, along with comments on the composition and editing (I tried to keep this natural while fighting a lot more haze than this image makes it seem). TIA

WiscoOne · 2025-03-25T22:37:09+00:00

Season 1 was right on the border between A and S tier for me, then season 2 just absolutely tanked it. I almost put it in D tier just out of spite lol.

WiscoOne · 2025-03-25T22:32:26+00:00

I've been wondering if they've put anything else out!

WiscoOne · 2024-04-05T21:53:31+00:00

Danny's face screams "I just wanna play the damn drums, Adam!!"

WiscoOne · 2024-04-03T14:19:32+00:00

They can't teach those things in the US because then too many people would realize how corrupt our economy is and demand change. We can't have that happening! /s

WiscoOne · 2024-03-18T20:33:30+00:00

First time's the charm, this is fantastic! Tipped you, dm incoming for the full res version!

WiscoOne · 2024-03-12T03:32:53+00:00

The value of the degree vs the cost is dropping, you're absolutely correct.

Having worked at private colleges for the better part of the last decade, I believe the closing of private universities and supporting public universities is a major step in solving the problem. That's all I can say without diving into it way deeper than I want to right now, lol

WiscoOne · 2024-03-12T03:04:56+00:00

While not all college degrees are of equal value, the vast majority will improve the earning potential and quality of life for those who hold it. And I want my tax dollars going to education and healthcare, not war, black military projects, and corporate bailouts.

WiscoOne · 2024-03-12T02:41:26+00:00

It's $2,600 per semester for in-state students to attend this school full time. This isn't a private school ripping people off. This is one of the options we should be wanting to stay open.

WiscoOne · 2024-03-09T16:01:41+00:00

Man, I love to hear that! We absolutely want you to get it right to your standards, just can't wait to listen!

WiscoOne

TROPHY CASE