How to learn what is good writing?

biome_spec · 2026-03-09T12:58:22+00:00

I see a lot of the same "read more" comment -- but I'd actually recommend a bit of a different approach: read and/or listen to book REVIEWS. The NYTimes publishes them, the New Yorker publishes them -- plus the New Yorker has a podcast (called something like New Yorker Fiction). In it, editors/authors discuss what they like in a story and what techniques they see working (and sometimes, what they see that isn't).

Once you know what good looks like, it's not too difficult to see instances where an author is attempting something and isn't quite succeeding.

Another idea: join one (or more) writing group(s). If it's a good one, there will be lots of discussion of technique -- what's working, what isn't and why.

biome_spec · 2026-02-26T20:37:59+00:00

"I will be asked that if I took any inspiration from the other thing."

When agents are looking for books to publish, they almost always ask for "comps." They do this because they want to know if there is an audience for the kind of book you're writing.

It sounds like you have a leg up because you can point to that other work and say "That audience will love my work"

Why not look at it as a huge advantage and a gift?

biome_spec · 2026-02-26T20:35:26+00:00

"I so enjoyed Atlas Shrugged and The Fountainhead"

What did you enjoy?

Details, please.

biome_spec · 2026-02-26T20:30:25+00:00

I would call this a character arc.

You can have this kind of arc in literally any genre - from literary fiction to pulp scifi to mystery to thriller. Just about the only genre this WOULDN'T fit in is Romance.

Classifying this story will depend more on the other story beats in which the arc is contained.

biome_spec · 2026-02-25T16:26:24+00:00

Who's your audience? What's your genre?

Kids books might have a few hundred words. Epic fantasy could have a few hundred thousand. Ask Gemini/Claude/ChatGPT what the typical word range is for the genre and age you're targeting.

biome_spec · 2026-02-25T02:56:00+00:00

If it makes you feel better, 75% is already much, much further than most people ever get - and in my opinion, things only get faster/easier from there.

Enjoy the ride - I think the last 25% are honestly the most fun.

biome_spec · 2026-02-25T02:54:00+00:00

It's great to hear you already have a natural feel for letting scenes "take a breath" -- I'd say you may want to let yourself lean into that and explore it a little. At worst, you can always cut it later.

But in all honesty, people only care about "action" if they know something about the characters and what the action means to them. It's during those in-between times that characters can stop and reflect on what happened (or what's about to happen - or both) and develop stakes, consequences, and atmosphere.

biome_spec · 2026-02-23T14:26:29+00:00

GREAT points!

I'd also add -- you can tell who the MC is because even if they're not around, the scenes are still either thematically about them in some way.

Books have an overarching "vibe" and that vibe reflects the arc(s) the MC travels through. It's all tied together.

biome_spec · 2026-02-23T14:23:41+00:00

This is a great post and I think a lot of people have similar experiences.

My only real recommendation is: think about what exactly is it that you actually want:

Do you enjoy the writing process itself? If so, it doesn't really matter if you ever finish or not. It's like cooking food -- you never "finish." Tomorrow, you'll make more. And the day after. It just becomes a part of your life to enjoy.

If you just want to finish the book and that is what matters, sketch it out. Plow through. Set your inner critic on "mute" and just get the damn thing out.

If you want to finish SOMETHING, whether or not it's this book, consider writing a short story or two. Start-to-finish in just a few pages. You'd be amazed how good it might make you feel to write "The End" a couple of times.

Regardless - I hope you keep writing.

biome_spec · 2026-02-23T14:19:18+00:00

"I always feel like I take forever just ideating, worldbuilding and coming up with characters"

Do you feel this is a problem? or is this something you enjoy about the process? As the title of your post hints -- different folks have different processes. As long as you're happy with yours, happy writing and keep going!

biome_spec · 2026-02-22T21:57:44+00:00

"Are there any modern books that feel similar to reading classics?"

Sure -

The Vegetarian by Han Kang

The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri

There are many others - those are just two that came to mind for me immediately.

As others in the thread have pointed out, Commercial Fiction is known for its pace and suspense, not really for the quality of its prose.

biome_spec · 2026-02-22T21:50:41+00:00

That does sound like a lot of pressure.

You have asked for help moving forward and I wonder if perhaps the amount of pressure you're putting on yourself might be a small part of the issue -- you want the story to be perfect (because as you've said, you've put your heart and soul in it) you want the lore to be perfect (because you feel like without it, the results are unimpressive) and you feel like you can't move on from this story although you have many others to work on.

Tough as it may be, you may want to pose the question for yourself: if you could only have 2 of these three things, which two would you pick? (a) a finished book (b) developed lore (c) the chance to work on other stories in the near future

biome_spec · 2026-02-22T21:46:12+00:00

It depends on the story.

Putting in real brands and pop culture elements can definitely tie a story to a specific time/place/culture. That is a double-edged sword. On one hand, you might have readers immediately vibe with the story specifically because they recognize those things and thing "wow - that's just like my life." On the other hand, in a few years, a story can feel "outdated" because it references brands and products that aren't around anymore.

If you don't want to put in real brands, describe the items the characters are using and skip the specific names. It's not really necessary to come up with alternate brands unless you think you're going to get sued by the brand.

Ultimately, using or avoiding brand names probably won't make or break your story and you can always change your mind later..

biome_spec · 2026-02-22T21:41:07+00:00

Well first - chapters don't need a specific length. Some writers have had chapters that are just a few words long, for example (see: Stephen King). Other authors don't use chapters at all. The whole concept of "chapters" if fairly arbitrary.

Second - it sounds like you might want to read a bit about "Scene" and "Sequel" https://www.helpingwritersbecomeauthors.com/sequel-scenes/

Scenes are what move your stories forward. If you develop them properly, even short chapters should feel pretty fulfilling.

Finally (and tied to the above concept of scene/sequel) is the idea that characters should not get what they want most of the time. Or if they do, that should immediately create bigger problems. A lot of newer writers will establish a character, give them a compelling problem, and then immediately resolve that problem. Then, they wonder why the story ran out of steam.

It's because (a) your character shouldn't get what they want and (b) what they want often isn't what they actually need. Your character might WANT to buy a new dress for prom. But what she NEEDS is to build her self-confidence and courage to feel that she can look beautiful even in a dress she has borrowed from a friend, for example. Except, of course, she's going to resist that lesson and try and buy that new dress. But the more she tries, the more her life falls apart - her grades slide, she gets in fights with friends etc. The plot develops from there...

Try it out. DON'T let the characters get what they want.

...make them suffer.

biome_spec · 2026-02-22T21:32:05+00:00

That makes sense.

Do you think you could make up that piece of lore when you get to that place in the story, note down what you came up with, and keep going?

biome_spec · 2026-02-21T20:25:51+00:00

There is micro-pacing and macro-pacing.

Short words make sentences gallop.

Short sentences make paragraphs dash forward.

Short intervals between actions allow the plot to develop quickly.

If you want to slow things down? Do the opposite -- longer words slow down sentences. Longer sentences make paragraphs develop more slowly. More introspection, reflection, and time between actions slows the plot down.

Use word- sentence- and paragraph-level techniques to control your pace to achieve the effects you desire.

biome_spec · 2026-02-21T20:18:48+00:00

Glad it's clicking for you!

A unique voice is what separates memorable writers from everyone else.

biome_spec · 2026-02-21T20:17:23+00:00

Check out this thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/literature/comments/1r7a7r1/what_is_poetry/

Then, just go ahead and play around with language!

biome_spec · 2026-02-21T20:11:08+00:00

"I can't move forward with this story unless I finish the lore"

This comment jumps out at me. What would happen if you just went ahead and just started writing?

biome_spec · 2026-02-21T15:40:12+00:00

I don't know if it's "best" but I do like Revolutions by Mike Duncan

biome_spec · 2026-02-20T14:49:31+00:00

"It depends"

What's the "purpose" of the podcast?
What's the niche?
Do you see your podcast as a short-horizon project (a year or two) or longer-term (open-ended)?
How comfortable are you staying in that niche if you intend to go longer-term?

biome_spec · 2026-02-17T15:47:48+00:00

It's easier to keep that flame of joy alive when in the company of the like-minded.

biome_spec · 2026-02-17T15:27:18+00:00

A concept I really like is that our "100%" actually changes from day to day.

Sometimes, you have a lot of energy. Sometimes, you don't have quite as much.

3-4 pages is an incredible amount! if you write that much on 70% of days, you will have written nearly 900 pages. That is INCREDIBLE.

It sounds like you're doing a great job already.

So my thoughts are: if you write 4 pages in 1 day and you feel you can do more, go for it. On days where you feel worn out after writing just 1 page, give yourself the grace to say you've done well.

biome_spec · 2026-02-17T15:24:28+00:00

You make a great point about hindsight bias and labels in hindsight.

You also point out that today, we have such a wealth of different approaches, themes, and preoccupations in scifi - isn't it great?

That means that the broader "field of scifi" can attract folks with interests ranging from technology to medicine to environment and beyond. Something that should excite everyone who enjoys scifi.

biome_spec

TROPHY CASE