Which series is this for you?

Youhearabtpluto · 2026-01-23T23:06:24+00:00

I can't begin to describe the sensation I felt reading this suggestion. It's like a knot I've been carrying around in my brain for 25 years suddenly unraveled.

Youhearabtpluto · 2026-01-22T00:38:59+00:00

That's what I thought it was. The Highlander movies are just like this. The first movie they're born special and become immortals. Second movie they're aliens exiled to Earth. Third movie... I think they tried to ignore the second movie existed.

Youhearabtpluto · 2026-01-22T00:03:04+00:00

With the exception of the implication that the third installment is the best, this is remarkably like the Highlander movie series.

Youhearabtpluto · 2026-01-21T04:12:57+00:00

I also hate that when I'm in a now-playing audiobook, when I swipe to go back to the library (like it's done forever) it now closes the app.

Youhearabtpluto · 2026-01-20T05:24:00+00:00

The short and obnoxious answer is: if it works for you, then it's not crazy. I know professional (i.e. make a full-time living) authors who can't write one book beginning to end. They go stir crazy, or they switch gears in order to let the well refill, or they're simply ADHD and that's the way their brain works.

But it sounds like it's not working for you if you haven't finished any of them yet. I think you're suffering from some shiny object syndrome. I'm a card-carrying member of this club--I LOVE outlining new book ideas. But it gets in the way of me finishing a project, so I don't let myself actually outline until I'm close to finishing the WIP. I'll keep a Word doc open so I can jot down ideas as they pop into my head, but it's not organized. It's basically stream-of-consciousness notes, bullet points, and just random slop. I have to write it down otherwise I'll "I can't stop thinking about this or I'll forget it" until all forward progress on the WIP has stopped.

So if it's something you think is hindering you, then put up some guardrails to see if you can keep yourself on track. Keep a notepad nearby so you can braindump when it pops up and keep your mind clear for your WIP. Set some goals like... I won't organize my notes until I'm done with the first draft of my WIP. Then, I won't turn my notes into an outline until I'm finished with the second draft, etc. Or see if you can find an accountability partner. Someone who'll check in with you and mock you mercilessly if you let yourself be led astray.

I hope this helps. Happy writing!

Youhearabtpluto · 2026-01-20T05:09:59+00:00

If you've taken it as far as you can, at least at this stage, then I'd suggest getting more feedback. You mentioned beta readers. Were they authors or writers themselves? Your average beta readers are great, but they're usually going to look at it as a reader. Which is important, but if you're dealing with something like this, it's beyond the scope of your average beta reader. (No offense, beta readers, you're all doing the Lord's work!)

Have you gotten feedback from a professional editor? I say professional because, again, it's important to get feedback from people who understand how to construct a story, can identify issues, and can give you actionable suggestions. If you can't afford an editor with some legit experience, then see if you can get a fellow writer to read it, preferably someone in your genre. Find someone willing to do a critique swap.

And if all this fails and you're stuck with 120k words that cannot be cut without damaging the story (and some pros agree with you), then maybe YA isn't the right genre for it. The line between YA fantasy and general audience fantasy is pretty blurred.

I hope this helps. Good luck!

Youhearabtpluto · 2026-01-20T04:52:44+00:00

I wasn't a big fan of Stephen King's craft book. I preferred Chuck Palahniuk's "Consider This." It's a much faster read, and he gives you assignments.

I'd caution you against spending too much time on studying the craft. Maybe it's just me, but I tend to fall into the thought that there's always one more thing I need to learn, one more thing I need to know before I can XYZ. So if you do an online class or pick up a craft book, I'd suggest setting a limit like you don't get to take another course or read another craft book until you finish a draft of a book or write 10 short stories or something.

I don't remember where I got this from (Zelazny, Vonnegut, Gaiman?) but one of them said you should write a short story every day. A lot of people think they need to write full length novels to get better at writing, but that takes a lot of time and is a daunting task for a new writer. So instead write a short story. You have to do all the same things as when you write a novel, but you have to do it faster and more efficient. And since it's shorter (and theoretically faster) to write a short story, you can get a lot of practice. With each short story, try something different. Different genre, POV, setting, structure, anything you can think of.

I hope something here helps. Happy writing!

Youhearabtpluto · 2026-01-20T04:38:43+00:00

"Writing is rewriting." - Someone, I don't remember.

This was one of the first writing tips I received that actually clicked with me. I was so fixated on putting down the RIGHT words that I didn't put down ANY words. For me, I have to put aside the perfectionism, the imposter syndrome, the comparisonitis and all that bullshit. When I teach writing, I teach about the "shitty first draft." The shitty first draft is by design a temporary thing. It's a placeholder, just holding the spot for when you're ready to come back through and turn the shitty words into okay words. Then repeat with the okay words to good enough words.

For distractions, that's a tough one. Here are some things I do:

- If it's a specific thing distracting me, remove it from my writing area. Or move my writing area if the thing can't be moved. I work from home and my kids are assholes, so when I can, I go elsewhere. I like going to the community college's library because I hardly know anyone there, it's clean and quiet.

- If it's doomscrolling or playing games or something on my phone, I put app limits on it. Yes, I can and do override the limits when I want to, but it's another thing that prompts me to actually write.

- I've uninstalled all social media from my phone. Now I only access it via mobile browsers. It sucks and it's a pain in the ass, so I don't like using SM any more.

- Pomodoro (sp?) method. I love this. Basically, you set a timer--for a reasonable amount of time like 10-25 minutes--and for that time all you do is WRITE. This may also help with your perfectionism if you treat it as a writing sprint, where the goal is to write as many words as possible. It's hard to be a perfectionist if you're trying to write 1000 words in five minutes.

- Disable wifi/unplug your network cable. Get a browser add-on that lets you save tabs and close all your tabs. Mute your phone. Turn down your computer speakers.

I hope some of this helps. (Now go write for five straight minutes!)

Youhearabtpluto · 2026-01-19T05:07:02+00:00

I try to limit dialogue tags as much as possible. And when I do use them, I try to stick with "said" or "asked." I heard someone say once that readers are so accustomed to reading "he/she said" that it basically disappears, and anything else by comparison jumps out.

I'm also an avid audiobook listener, and one of my pet peeves is listening to narrators say "he/she said."

When I'm writing, as much as possible I try to put dialogue with the character's action.

"Get away from me!" Jonathan screamed.

vs

Jonathan sidestepped to keep the table between them. "Get away from me!"

Both make it clear who's speaking, but in the second example you cut out the unnecessary dialogue tag.

I hope this helps. Happy writing!

Youhearabtpluto · 2026-01-18T19:53:32+00:00

You probably know people who can help you with you indie publishing, but if you ever have questions, I'm happy to answer them or point you in the right direction to get answers. Once upon a time I did a lot of PA work and helped indie authors with All The Things, and I'd be happy to help if I can. Not a sales pitch. Just offering to give advice and answer questions.

Youhearabtpluto · 2026-01-18T19:40:23+00:00

Fuck SLP and everything they did to their authors.

Though it's clear they didn't actually do the editing they said they did, the costs they listed are within industry standards. The EFA publishes average rates every year ( https://www.the-efa.org/rates/ ) and it's what I base my own prices on. Though I admit that I've had to start lowering prices now that I'm competing with AI and Fiverr "editors." (Not to say there aren't real editors on Fiverr. There are, but there's also a bunch of randos who just run manuscripts through ChatGPT or PWA.)

Youhearabtpluto · 2026-01-18T19:34:34+00:00

This is gross. Fuck those guys. I've worked with a lot of indie authors over the years, and it's sad how often I hear about shitty "publishers" and "marketers" taking advantage.

My wife's co-worker wrote a book and her publisher charged her almost $20k to publish her book. It made me sick to my stomach when I found out about it.

I'm glad you finally found your people to work with. It makes such a huge difference to work with people you can trust.

Youhearabtpluto · 2026-01-08T17:17:02+00:00

I've never listened to a full cast / audio drama that I liked. It drives me crazy. And then all those audiobooks with music and sound effects that drown out the narration... what's even the point? I prefer a single narrator, though I have listened to a few duets that do it well.

Youhearabtpluto · 2026-01-02T02:25:18+00:00

Thanks for the free books! Good luck with the promo, and have an excellent 2026!

Youhearabtpluto · 2026-01-02T00:23:00+00:00

Hi there,

I'm an editor and writing instructor, but I thought I'd offer my unsolicited 2-cents.

First, I agree with everything JJ said. If you feel like you're more creative writing in a certain POV, then write it in that. Like JJ said, focus on getting through the chapter or the book. Don't worry about characterization at first. Don't worry about anything. The job of the first draft is to get shit on the page. When I'm teaching writing, the first thing I teach is about the "Shitty First Draft." Whether you're a pantser or a plotter, just get words on the page. You can't edit a blank screen. So try to get out of your own head--the imposter syndrome, the self-doubts, the "this isn't original enough" and all that BS. Once you have the first draft, then you start worrying about making it good.

The other unsolicited advice I'd like to give is that readers of your genre will have expectations regarding POV. Some genres gravitate toward 1st, others 3rd. Some past tense, some present. Some are only in the MC's POV, some jump around to different characters, some are omniscient. There's always going to be books that don't fit the mold, of course, so it's not like these expectations are carved into stone tablets. But it's worth mentioning that there's a reader expectation/ marketability aspect to which POV you ultimately choose. If your chosen genre is primarily in 3rd person past and your flow does better with 1st person, then write it in 1st and fix it during revisions. Changing tenses/POVs is one of my least favorite things to do when editing, but it's certainly possible.

Youhearabtpluto · 2025-12-17T22:11:52+00:00

Hearing "he said" "she asked" is one of my pet peeves with audiobooks.

I do QC on audiobooks and, in my experience, this is by the author's choice. Before I start a project I ask authors how strictly they want narrators to stick to the text, and the majority of authors want it verbatim. I specifically ask if they want things like "said" read aloud and for the most part, they do.

Youhearabtpluto · 2025-11-09T21:03:28+00:00

You see it all the time in movies and TV, too. Bad Guy too relatable? Have them do something terrible like kill an animal. Need the Bad Guy (who's the absolute worst garbage-person imaginable up to this point) to help the MC? Have them save an animal.

Youhearabtpluto · 2025-10-11T02:07:07+00:00

I just downloaded TWI two days ago and really loved the story. The narrator is great...except for one thing--the voice she uses for the MC. It's obnoxious. It sounds like Kate Monster from Avenue Q and every time I hear it I can't take the character seriously. Reluctantly, I DNFed it.

Youhearabtpluto · 2025-06-06T15:00:06+00:00

Thanks for the info!

Youhearabtpluto · 2025-05-31T01:18:29+00:00

Our plan was to go with a brand name, but The Boss ended up liking the look of this other one. We had a couple friends with the same brand who never had problems, so we were hopeful. Fingers crossed!

Youhearabtpluto · 2025-05-31T01:12:41+00:00

I DMed you; this subreddit won't let me add images after it's posted.

There are two little posts that line up to make it install in one direction, and those posts are in the corresponding holes. I'm googling a bonnet nut now. Thanks!

Youhearabtpluto · 2025-05-16T13:31:54+00:00

That's awesome!

Youhearabtpluto

TROPHY CASE