Harsh Writing Reviews

You did not ask for it, you did not want it, you got it anyway. You are not ready for a real editor but you've got me and I'm harsh enough as it is.

[harsh-writing-reviews]

British

Yes

[sugar-petals]

Before you torment yourself endlessly debating and researching unsatisfactory verb lists of ‘said’ alternatives, eschew the dialogue tag entirely. Proper writing leaves no doubt about who says what without ‘said’. Dialogue tags are only meant to elucidate outliers — e.g. a third party in conversation — or convey how (!) the line is delivered. The speaker has to be largely self-evident in context and description. Hell, even the reader’s intuition. If any person could say a particular line, rather work on characterization. Once you find yourself wanting to employ said (or ‘answered’, ‘replied’, ‘suggested’ etc.) all the time, the dialogue is not sound in the first place. So: Try it out. Delete the captain obvious tags and you can regain focus on the essentials.

[under-cover-nerd]

What if I start posting my poems up here even though they’re not too good? I mean, it’s my blog, my poems, my space. And then maybe you guys can tell me what you think or something? Maybe?

[harsh-writing-reviews]

Do whatever you want. Tag me if you want a harsh review.

[questions-for-everyone]

Is writer’s block real?

[harsh-writing-reviews]

Yes and no. Fucking up and not admitting you’ve derailed things is the number one leading cause of this fake disease.

[questions-for-everyone]

Which is the best country in the world?

[harsh-writing-reviews]

Not the one you were thinking of.

[thanetcreativewriters]

Questions to answer while beta reading: Mechanics and basics

New writers can sometimes benefit from more attention to the basics of writing. Seasoned writers less so. However, it is always worth reviewing the basics in case there is anything the writer has missed. Just remember that you are not there to proofread or edit - just give great feedback.

Are there any glaring spelling, punctuational or grammatical flaws?

Does the formatting seem reasonable or at least consistent?

Are there any excessive word repetitions?

Are sentences of a reasonable length?

Are sentence lengths varied?

Is the tense (past, present, future) of the narrative consistent?

Does each speaker get a separate paragraph?

[questions-for-everyone]

What is it that enables some TV series to run and run?

[harsh-writing-reviews]

Good writing, usually.

[authorbuzzuk]

Big lists of the UK's independent publishers • Author Buzz

When I started researching for a post about the UK’s smaller publishers, I soon realised that it was a big topic and that others had already started to cover it really well. So, instead of copying the work of others, I want to give the credit where it is due. Here is a collection of …

[authorbuzzuk]

A room of one’s own? Today’s writers can’t afford such a luxury | Katy Guest

Private boltholes are crucial to an author’s creativity. But try getting one on £10k a year, says writer and editor Katy Guest

[questions-for-everyone]

How do you make money from writing?

[harsh-writing-reviews]

With great difficulty.

[soyouwannabeawritereh]

CONTROVERSIAL WRITING TIP

Get off Tumblr and start writing. 

[benjafin-deactivated20220415]

at what point do we start admitting that a lot of fantasy based around medieval britain is either LOTR fanfic or shitty revisionist historical fiction bc i’m sick of fantasy settings inspired by medieval britain that regurgitate/amplify the bigotry and toss some dragons in and go “worldbuilding” like fuck off 

[harsh-writing-reviews]

If your story is crap...

...that is a good thing. It means you are one more shit story closer to writing a good one. Keep going.

[harsh-writing-reviews]

Okay muppets, it is time for me to write some fresh reviews. Place yourselves on my sacrificial altar and prepare for me to give you my opinion.

Reblog this to volunteer as my next “victim”.

[harsh-writing-reviews]

Listen up muppets. Take the wax out of your ears and pay attention. I can only give you a harsh writing review IF I CAN FIND YOUR WRITING!

I did not think I would have to spell that out to you.

[psliterary-deactivated20190419]

[sandydragon1]

Tips for Writing Immortal Characters

Consider how they age. Do they automatically stop aging at a certain point? Do they control their physical age? Keep in mind that physical and mental ages can differ, so don’t be afraid to experiment with this a little.

Don’t make them all knowing (unless they’re God or something similar). Just because you’ve lived a long time doesn’t mean you know everything. While having long lives does give immortal characters more time to accumulate knowledge, the world is always changing. New things are being discovered and invented all the time, so it’s impossible for a single person to know about absolutely everything. Consider having them be especially knowledgeable about a specific topic or two to showcase how they like to spend their ample lifespan, allow them to have cool specialized skills, and still allow them to have gaps in their knowledge.

Decide what can physically hurt them. Immortal characters may not be able to be killed, but they can often be harmed in one way or another. Can a mere mortal hurt them? Having them get hurt by something comically pathetic can make for some good comedy, especially if the immortal character seems formidable at first. If mortals can only hurt them with specific tools or with the aid of other immortal characters, then your immortal characters will be good sources of drama since they’ll be tough to deal with. Consider establishing that they can be incapacitated, perhaps in ways worse than death. Being chopped into dozens of pieces sucks, but it’s even more agonizing if you can’t die. Can you imagine being rendered helpless and incapable of communicating with others forever? Powerless rather than death will likely scare them more than anything, so use that to your advantage to add tension to immortal characters’ arcs.

Let things emotionally hurt them. Imagine watching your country fall into ruin or watching all your loved ones die while you remain physically unchanged. That sort of emotional trauma provides plenty of fuel for conflicts that immortal characters will inevitably have to face. Do they become resigned to watching things fall apart around them or will they try to do something?

Use them to explore big themes like what gives life meaning. Living for centuries can give you an interesting perspective on the world. Diving into an immortal character’s perspective and being exposed to their unique worldview can provide a lot of food for thought for the reader.

[thanetcreativewriters]

What genres do you write in?

[harsh-writing-reviews]

Sarcasm, mostly.