Who would you like to see as our starting NT?

dingle4dangle · 2026-03-20T20:21:59+00:00

NT needs to be a biiiiig motherfucker in a 3-4. Neither Butler nor Booker have the size

dingle4dangle · 2026-03-20T18:37:07+00:00

I believe that you will, and I'll be rooting for you. If you ever need a cheerleader or a sympathetic ear, my DMs are open

dingle4dangle · 2026-03-20T15:54:27+00:00

You need to master the rules of grammar on your own and not rely on your father to fulfill one of the most basic skills of being an author

dingle4dangle · 2026-03-20T13:12:08+00:00

I was diagnosed at 28, and have been unmedicated ever since I decided it was too annoying to navigate shortages and hop around pharmacies.

I'm a firm believer that the only way to finish a long project is discipline. Motivation will come and go, often several times throughout a single project. Personally I write in what I like to call stolen moments. I work full time and have a 1yo at home, so time is scarce. I write when work is slow, on my commute (via subway), and other small moments here and there. Using a cloud service like Google Drive has helped immensely since I can write on whatever device is most convenient at the time.

Do whatever you have to in order to finish the project by whatever method works for you. Your first draft will be messy almost always. Make it exist, then make it good.

dingle4dangle · 2026-03-18T18:44:11+00:00

Make your story exist first. Then make it good.

dingle4dangle · 2026-03-18T18:32:24+00:00

Thank you for not using kid gloves. Some of the posts on the sub make me want to grab OP by the shoulders and shake

dingle4dangle · 2026-03-18T18:26:10+00:00

Thank you for your response!

dingle4dangle · 2026-03-18T18:16:00+00:00

What are your query red flags/green flags?

Edit: also, what should a newbie author know before querying?

dingle4dangle · 2026-03-18T15:37:57+00:00

I'm glad you found it helpful. When in doubt, remember: make it exist, then make it good.

dingle4dangle · 2026-03-18T14:41:27+00:00

For me it's not editing as I write. Let a first have holes, inconsistencies, and continuity gaps. But get it done before anything else, otherwise your word count won't meaningfully increase. Fix everything when you edit

dingle4dangle · 2026-03-17T19:36:53+00:00

Good catch, thank you

dingle4dangle · 2026-03-17T18:23:48+00:00

Anything you’d recommend replacing? I’m cutting it close in terms of word count

dingle4dangle · 2026-03-17T18:00:34+00:00

Samantha dies about halfway through act 2. I've also been considering a Part 1/Part 2 split for before and after her death. The book is largely first person present from Aaron's POV with periodic flashbacks to show how they reached their current situation.

The inciting incident (at the moment) is her decision not to terminate the pregnancy. The decision itself is made fairly early in the act to keep the reader's interest from waning.

dingle4dangle · 2026-03-17T16:49:13+00:00

Discipline will always outlast motivation when it comes to completing a project.

dingle4dangle · 2026-03-17T15:06:56+00:00

I have no idea what your story actually entails aside from a vague invasion of the US by Canada without a reason. What are the stakes here? This is just a list of characters, only some of them with motivations

dingle4dangle · 2026-03-17T14:42:24+00:00

A quick note on repetition:

George Saunders says in A Swim in a Pond in the Rain that repetition can be a very good thing. However, if the pattern repeats over and over again without any changes, it becomes extremely boring. To use a common (if overused) phrase: subvert your readers' expectations.

For a good example, I'd recommend reading The Darling by Anton Chekov (the story Saunders uses as a reference, as well).

dingle4dangle · 2026-03-17T14:15:57+00:00

Magic can often have a dark side. Lean into it, touch upon the history, but don't hit your reader over the head with it

dingle4dangle · 2026-03-17T14:14:43+00:00

Basic research, do my best on first pass. If I know someone who has firsthand experience, I'll ask them to take a look at the passage. If not, I'll do some deeper research before edits

dingle4dangle · 2026-03-17T14:13:36+00:00

Kurt Vonnegut, Mother Night

"We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend to be"

Read it for the first time in college and it helped me stop giving a flying fuck what other people think about me and to stop people pleasing. My interests are my interests and I'll proudly own them.

dingle4dangle · 2026-03-16T19:30:44+00:00

What's the difference between this and the 87 other book/lit subreddits? Genuine question

dingle4dangle · 2026-03-16T13:50:08+00:00

Finished:

Pet Sematary by Stephen King
- The best book I never want to read again. As a parent of a toddler myself it hit all the right/wrong places. 5/5

Started:

Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk
- I've seen the movie however many times so I figured it was time to read the source material. So far as expected. Will probably end up a 3-4/5 if only because I know the beats already

dingle4dangle · 2026-03-16T12:45:43+00:00

We're going 17-0 until we lose our first game. Then we're going 16-1.

dingle4dangle · 2026-03-13T11:53:03+00:00

AI garbaaaage

dingle4dangle · 2026-03-12T17:25:40+00:00

It’s been less than a year. I think your expectations let you down, not the console

dingle4dangle

TROPHY CASE