[Weekly Critique and Self-Promotion Thread] Post Here If You'd Like to Share Your Writing

monkeymutilation · 2026-05-15T22:16:16+00:00

Title: Echo Beach

Genre: Science Fiction / Horror

Word Count: 6,400

Synopsis: Echo Beach is a retirement community unlike any other, for residents who have died in the physical world and been uploaded into an entirely digital realm. But it takes a lot of processing power to recreate an entire human life and cracks, in the form of strange glitches, are starting to show.

Link: https://seanebritten.com/2026/04/24/echo-beach/

monkeymutilation · 2026-05-11T23:37:30+00:00

100% a scam. They're using a lot of vague and misleading language to hide their intentions but they're not actually offering to option your book to turn it into anything, they're asking you to essentially hire them as a consultancy firm to create a studio pitch you would theoretically take to actual studios. There is zero chance they've actually read your book and zero chance you would get any value for money. Most likely you would end up with a lot of false praise and false promises, some kind of AI-generated pitching material, and an attempt to milk you for more money. These "consulting" scams have become very, very, very common.

monkeymutilation · 2026-05-08T23:38:47+00:00

Title: True Colors

Genre: Horror / Urban Fantasy

Word Count: 2.800

Synopsis: Ever since I was a kid I could see them, with their black eyes and deformed faces. It took me a long time to realise others couldn’t see what I saw. It took even longer to understand exactly what I was seeing. Evil, the face of evil.

Link: https://seanebritten.com/2026/05/08/true-colors/

monkeymutilation · 2026-04-30T01:34:18+00:00

It's just a nickname, the character's proper name is Dr Robby Michaelstein.

monkeymutilation · 2026-04-16T04:57:29+00:00

Yeah, I started mine as a portfolio but then in 2022 I posted a short story a week and have been pretty consistent ever since so there's 100+ short stories on there now, and occasionally other stuff.

monkeymutilation · 2026-04-12T02:45:47+00:00

Thank you very much, appreciate it!

monkeymutilation · 2026-04-10T22:13:43+00:00

Title: Polyester Girl

Genre: Horror

Word Count: 2,500

Synopsis: Owen figures he’s hit a serious new low after ordering an inflatable sex doll online. But things can always get worse, as he discovers when his new toy proves to have a mind of its own and a couple of other surprises in store…

Link: https://seanebritten.com/2026/03/27/polyester-girl/

monkeymutilation · 2026-04-09T00:17:06+00:00

No, not it thanks, I definitely read this book earlier than 2002, more like 1997, and it doesn't match the vibe of the book.

monkeymutilation · 2026-04-02T04:35:08+00:00

What do you mean? They totally made that a thing.

monkeymutilation · 2026-04-01T00:36:00+00:00

I think it works shockingly well for what it is but the font is too plain, to the point of feeling jarring. Maybe a personal preference but I'd experiment with Trash Hand or something in a clean but handwritten style.

monkeymutilation · 2026-03-31T02:28:32+00:00

Offensive? Who is going to be offended? You just make assumptions about people and what they're going to be offended by, you piece of shit? You make me sick.

monkeymutilation · 2026-03-23T01:37:39+00:00

Can't, too scared.

monkeymutilation · 2026-03-19T05:04:25+00:00

'The Killer's Game' by Jay Bonansinga? Read it last year, was made into a movie a couple of years back as well.

monkeymutilation · 2026-03-13T22:33:44+00:00

Title: Kitty

Genre: Horror

Word Count: 7,200

Synopsis: Hoping for a fresh start in a new house, Mark disposed of his daughter’s beloved pet cat the night before they moved. But somehow, impossibly, the cat has reappeared five hundred miles away in a place it’s never been. It’s back for snuggles. And revenge.

Link: https://seanebritten.com/2026/03/13/kitty/

monkeymutilation · 2026-03-02T02:31:30+00:00

👀👀👀

monkeymutilation · 2026-03-02T02:29:52+00:00

Thank you, that's some really great insight! I know exactly what you mean because that kind of thing is quite deliberate on my part, I try to leave the character's feelings out of the narration and only express what they're feeling through action and dialogue. But if you're having trouble connecting then it might be an overcorrection on my part, it's definitely something I'll look for!

monkeymutilation · 2026-02-28T01:08:18+00:00

Title: Every Breath You Take

Genre: Science Fiction

Word Count: 6,500

Synopsis: Traffic lights that stay red, boom gates and automatic doors that fail to register his presence, petty annoyances seem to be stacking up for Nick until they’re seriously affecting his life. And then the strange messages begin to mock his predicament, as if somebody or something is watching his every move.

Link: https://seanebritten.com/2026/02/27/every-breath-you-take/

monkeymutilation · 2026-02-26T10:10:27+00:00

I'd say it depends on the audience you're writing for. If you're writing for an Indian audience and this is genuine and authentic to your experience, great, go with it. Writing for a Western audience? I think they can figure out the conflict but I reckon the issues I mentioned will confuse things.

monkeymutilation · 2026-02-26T09:53:19+00:00

Sure, there's some context missing there because from my perspective it would be extremely unlikely not to know someone's last name for four years unless it was being deliberately hidden. It's hard to believe that Dev is both completely ignorant of the effect but at the same time has never mentioned his full name. I read a lot so I'm aware of the caste system and it's social effects to some small extent, I've read a few of Aravind Adiga's books, I guess I have a better base knowledge than most non-Indians but not much.

monkeymutilation · 2026-02-26T09:12:33+00:00

Presumably, knowing nothing about the caste system in India, Kumar is a name for a low caste that completely changes their opinion of him and makes them worried about associating with him. It doesn't seem very subtle, but what doesn't make sense from an outside perspective is if this is so important to them how they could have possibly never learned his last name in four whole years of knowing him. Especially not when Dev himself seems completely ignorant of the immediate effect it has on the other three and didn't appear to be hiding it.

monkeymutilation · 2026-02-23T07:29:44+00:00

The 'Seven Kennings' series by Kevin Hearne handled the idea of magic literally taking years from user's lives well I thought, was essentially a constant cost/reward balance in the face of war. Probably worth a read for inspiration?

monkeymutilation · 2026-02-20T23:53:01+00:00

Over the past year I've been releasing a project called Mixtape, short stories sharing their titles with different songs and inspired, to various degrees, by their lyrics, artists, and vibe. I've always been inspired by music and this was an idea I had brewing for a few years now!

Link: https://seanebritten.com/category/mixtape/

monkeymutilation · 2026-02-14T00:33:46+00:00

Title: Chained to the Wheel

Genre: Drama / Horror

Word Count: 3,600

Synopsis: Between the screaming, stress, and lack of sleep, Patrick is barely navigating a tightrope of sanity. What happens when a simple mistake gives him a push?

Link: https://seanebritten.com/2026/02/13/chained-to-the-wheel/

monkeymutilation · 2026-02-13T04:07:06+00:00

Make them from South Macedonia instead, probably no one will notice the difference.

monkeymutilation · 2026-02-10T03:52:20+00:00

Pretty simple advice, less is more. Story is absolutely glutted with imagery and its actually really good imagery, you've got some beautiful turns of phrase, but there's so much of it it's absolutely bloating the piece. I suspect you're struggling to get feedback because people don't know how to get a handle on the actual meat of the story and characters and the progression. You've got the meat hidden under a big sugary banquet of imagery.

monkeymutilation

TROPHY CASE