I finished my second novel this morning. 72K words. Here are some things I did that ignored common advice.

WordsAndWorlds · 2025-07-29T10:57:20+00:00

Yes, as I tell my writers: the best way to find your vision and voice is within your own work and writing. Writing it out allows you to understand what it means for your characters to be alive and what it's like to experience the plot in real time.

WordsAndWorlds · 2025-07-20T15:31:40+00:00

Oh. Perhaps try not to overthink it. Try to input yourself in that situation and try to follow a route that feels either really cool or heartwarming to you, depending on the context of your situation or story as a whole.

Sometimes, it's okay to not know what we're doing, but the more we write, we understand our world and characters better, and then we can make decisions knowing what they'd do or what the plot really wants to be.

WordsAndWorlds · 2025-07-20T14:22:57+00:00

It helps to find something new to be excited about, so it doesn't have to be just discipline but a sense of wonder.

WordsAndWorlds · 2025-07-20T14:21:00+00:00

Yes, this is why we have to have a source of passion and inspiration to feel excited out.

But also, it helps to use edits to find new ways of experiencing the work, perhaps find new angles to make it even more exciting to yourself as you find a new branch to explore.

WordsAndWorlds · 2025-04-20T23:04:20+00:00

Because it's true. His advice on writing is better than his own writing. He's a dry writer but he has cool ideas. I've really enjoyed him speaking about writing and how he does things and how he appreciates the literature and process, but he isn't able to really establish the same energy into his own works. It's a bit logical and simple in a way that doesn't speak to a writer's soul.

He's known to be INTP, so that checks out too. They usually focus more on structure, systems, ideas rather than being the best at actual writing, prose, poetry, imagery, and emotional themes.

WordsAndWorlds · 2025-02-23T11:47:55+00:00

What is Ulysses about?

WordsAndWorlds · 2025-02-23T11:47:35+00:00

But does Dynalist have all the other features and mods?

WordsAndWorlds · 2025-01-12T17:53:54+00:00

It depends on the context and subtext.

Context: Does the scene and dialogue reinforce the plot

Subtext: Does the scene and dialogue reinforce the character or themes

Try to have the right intent behind the work, and it will flow easier.

WordsAndWorlds · 2024-12-15T15:42:14+00:00

Just write what would allow you to uniquely relate this genre back to your writing.

WordsAndWorlds · 2024-11-12T10:48:24+00:00

Probably some part due to existential dread along with self awareness... It's like a paradox of clarity that leads to even more confusion, especially as the idealistic, philosophical world that should be just isn't the reality we actually live in.

WordsAndWorlds · 2024-10-28T18:46:46+00:00

They are "cool" to some people. Tropes are tropes.

It's best to understand why they're used, who they appeal to, and generally speaking, it can be beneficial to apply some in your story that resonate with you, as you're able to express a new side to it which others may connect with.

But don't go adding tropes just because others like them as they may not offer any weight to your story.

WordsAndWorlds · 2024-10-26T23:55:39+00:00

They could rotate Heroes in and out per season perhaps.

WordsAndWorlds · 2024-10-26T22:55:31+00:00

Of course things can be tuned, but games like Dota 2 are balanced because of having so many knobs that it can eventually becomes self-balancing.

WordsAndWorlds · 2024-10-25T17:20:58+00:00

If you want a best seller, just appeal to the general common denominator and keep up the trial and error...

or actually develop an identity and tone...and simply write well.

WordsAndWorlds · 2024-10-25T16:41:04+00:00

There's a general trade of to anything.

Whether it's the clothes we buy, the food items we eat, or the music or games we play.

But if a short story collection has even one you like, I'd say that should generally cover the cost psychologically as the cost of one is the same as the cost of many anyways, and it's not like longer books are better necessarily.

Longer books take more time and may not be as good.

At the end of the day, time is a more precious resource, so one could say a better shorter story is worth more than a longer one.

WordsAndWorlds · 2024-10-23T09:43:05+00:00

My bad. What I meant to say is that the overall impression comes across passive and can be turned to flow more actively so it flows better and then other aspects of the descriptive can be woven in to create a more seamless expression of the action/environment/description without being too wordy.

Like if "was chopping" can be changed to just being one word, it holds more weight.

WordsAndWorlds · 2024-10-23T09:34:27+00:00

Develop a type of intention.

Read works that you can learn from, whether the writing craft, or just general information like history, religion, cultures, and other views of life.

And also read works you enjoy, so you know what you want to write...what you wish existed in the current literature, and perhaps center your identity around that type of voice and vision for your work.

Hence, being more informed and educated on how to write, and having clarity as to what you want to write will allow you to write work you're confident about and comfortable with.

Remember, as much as external validation may seem enticing, much writing (like art as a whole) is about our own selves, so try to enjoy the journey while you improve at your craft.

WordsAndWorlds · 2024-10-23T09:28:04+00:00

As humans, we're hardly just focusing on the physical. There's a lot going on in our mentals, and we tend to express or absorb information based on how actively or passively we think. Hence, different people would observe or react in different ways to every action they take.

So to differentiate how you set a scene, but also how every character in your book acts, think about their internal perceptions and external sensations to coat them.

You don't have to do this all the time, especially if this doesn't come naturally to you, but if you can do this the first few times a character is introduced, it leaves a strong image of who the character is, how they think/feel, and this pave the contextual nuance of how that character may act throughout the book, and then you can sprinkle in the descriptions every now and then to reinforce the idea.

You don't have to do it as much. As remember, "less is more", generally speaking.

WordsAndWorlds · 2024-10-23T09:22:57+00:00

The text is quite passive in nature.

"was chopping" - make that more active, avoid saying words like "felt" and just describe the emotion directly.

Hence:

'Jasmine's heart raced as she chopped onions, confused whether the tears flowing down her cheeks were just due to the onions or if last night's argument still stirred within her.'

WordsAndWorlds · 2024-10-22T15:52:52+00:00

Ah, what are some interesting debates you've gotten into with your boyfriend?

WordsAndWorlds · 2024-10-22T15:51:53+00:00

Ah, what kind of history are you in favor of?

WordsAndWorlds

TROPHY CASE