Writers Struggle with Process & Doubt
13 posts in the last 60 days, all from r/writers.
“In crime thrillers, the violent moment is usually the obvious focus, but I think the aftermath can be more disturbing. The quiet room, the witness who cannot explain what they saw, the detective trying to read what is left behind. That silence can carry more weight than the act…”
“I’ve always been told I’m good at writing. The unfortunate thing, however, is that the one they see as good often thinks otherwise. I’ve been trying to write a short story about two lovers. Finding their way through unexplainable events, and a being far beyond their knowledge…”
“Hello. So I want to write a book based on a true story of my life. I just don’t know how to start. I thought about seeing if someone wanted to write it and publish it for me and keep the bulk of the profits. Or I write it myself but how do I get started? How to I categorize the…”
Many writers express difficulty starting, maintaining momentum, overcoming self-doubt, and seeking feedback. They grapple with plot development, character creation, and the overall quality of their work, often feeling overwhelmed or blocked.
SOURCES (54)
“Hi everyone! I've always enjoyed creating stories in my imagination and narrating them to my friends. Now I want to turn this interest into a serious writing skill, but I have no formal knowledge of fiction writing. I'm looking for a structured way to learn,…”
“Just curious lol. I would be the second one. In the content might something interesting for someone and I would like “ok interesting, maybe?”. Become a writer seems lost the feeling of a reader submitted by /u/Fine-Menu-8482 [link] [comments]”
“In crime thrillers, the violent moment is usually the obvious focus, but I think the aftermath can be more disturbing. The quiet room, the witness who cannot explain what they saw, the detective trying to read what is left behind. That silence can carry more weight than the act itself. Do you find aftermath harder to write than the crime? submitted by /u/Robertlaurie_author [link] [comments]”
“I’ve always been told I’m good at writing. The unfortunate thing, however, is that the one they see as good often thinks otherwise. I’ve been trying to write a short story about two lovers. Finding their way through unexplainable events, and a being far beyond their knowledge. Pain they cannot comprehend. Ripped from a world they once called home. I am only just drafting the story. It clearly branched from a silly little project to something more. And I wish I could make it seem like more. I kno”
“Hello. So I want to write a book based on a true story of my life. I just don’t know how to start. I thought about seeing if someone wanted to write it and publish it for me and keep the bulk of the profits. Or I write it myself but how do I get started? How to I categorize the events in my life? How to I store documentations incase I’m sued for recipes and available documented proof? I know people in my support community that have used Amazon Publisher but I’m looking for a publisher that will”
“Hi there, Been writing this story on and off for a few years now, work and life and all that. I realised that I never actually came up with a story brief. I just kind of sprinted into it. I’m not really sure exactly what genre this falls into but I guess that’s the beauty of writing. Anyway, here it is. Swan Song. A story about people trying to survive. Sure it sounds cliche, but everyone has their own definition of survival. The cop who has spent her career helping find lost people, but when so”
“I’m a new writer, and I have yet to publish anything. I find myself wanting to write similar books to the ones I enjoy, but there’s this urge to “replicate” those stories and I hate it. I know I have a voice inside me somewhere but why does it get foggy when I start writing? For instance, I enjoyed this summer romance book. Now, I’m trying to make a mood board and write snippets but I’m always thinking “okay, the author has this, that, and the third,… so I need to check off those boxes”. When in”
“Hey guys, I’m very new to the whole idea of writing a book. I actually only started seriously thinking about it because a few people told me I should write my story For context, I’m a Sudanese woman, and you really don’t see many Sudanese women writing and publishing books about their lives, identity, experiences, etc. So I’m honestly not even sure where to start Do I just write my drafts, get the grammar fixed, edit everything, and then sell it digitally? Is that basically how self publishing w”
“Hey all, I am currently writing my first book, and originally I was going to have it be a non-fiction book about something that happened to me, but I realized that that might be a little bit too hard and a little bit too advanced for me, so I pivoted to making it a fictional book. My goal is 90,000 words, so my first question is, is that too long? I just finished up the 13th chapter, and I am around 49,000 words right now. My goal is to have 3,750 words per chapter. So is that too long? (That me”
“Just having one of those days when I wonder whether I should just give up. How do you deal with this? submitted by /u/Magrat2804 [link] [comments]”
“I am in the middle of editing my first fiction novel. On v13. My nonfiction that came out earlier this year did okay. Didn't sell thousands but the feedback was solid, got 13 reviews all 5 stars. Mostly people I know though. But in the fiction world I have no network or followers. I use Substack once a week and have about 60 followers. I've had a few people read the whole first draft and they liked it but they were all people who know me. Once is a published author - four published books”
“I'm not really a writer yet but really think I can and do wanna start but don't know where. I have a lot of ideas and material and have already decided what to write about (have just written n put things up in blogger or Google docs) but don't know where we really put our materials as a writer? How do people become writers? What's the process? How does it work? I'm new to this.. submitted by /u/Sea_Astronaut_5104 [link] [comments]”
“I want to write about a conspiracy in my next story but I am stumped. any help or reading list would be appreciated my biggest inspiration for this is everything by naoki urasawa submitted by /u/Grouchy-Holiday-6078 [link] [comments]”
“for me, being a writer is kind of an associative process. spending whole days on my laptop just tapping away at letters lol then taking a break, sitting on the porch with a cigarette, watching people walk by and waiting for that one thought i’ve basically been waiting for all day haha.i’m curious what being a writer feels like from your perspective. what does a normal “writer day” look like for you? submitted by /u/vtacet [link] [comments]”
“Heya, I’m seriously contemplating about writing a book or not, and I would like some seasoned writers expirence. I already got a very satisfying pitch or at least good enough for me. How do yous manage to write emotional impacting scene and transmitting them to the readers. How can a writer be sure on transmittimg something of impact on someone first reading if they can’t experience it thems first hand. The writer of a story would never have a first reading experience. submitted by /”
“Hi everyone, hope everyone is doing great. I want to touch on the topic of being secretly a writer, albeit for social, political or professional reasons. I am writing my first novel, under a penname, and no one knows about it; not my family not my co-workers not even my closest friends whom I share everything with. I am currently at draft 0 and the amount of mental heavy lifting I am doing is really tiring sometimes. The amount of times I get asked what am I doing in my room for LONG periods of”
“For those of you who write regularly - particularly essays, newsletters, blog posts, longer-form nonfiction, etc. - I'm curious about something. What part of the writing process do you find most challenging, or experience the most friction around? Besides coming up with what to write about, are there particular points in your writing where you tend to get stuck, lose momentum, procrastinate, or find it harder to keep going? Basically curious which parts of writing present the most friction f”
“Hello, fellow writers! I come to you with an issue I’m sure a lot of us face, and I wanted to discuss it. I feel very stuck, well beyond writer’s block. Sometimes I feel like a fucking fraud even calling myself a writer, since I’ve never actually written anything. I have all these ideas that I write down and flesh out in my mind or in my Notes app, but every time I open a doc,Final draft or Scrivener, I just stare and nothing comes. And it terrifies me. I know writing is what I want to peruse in”
“It's been a long time since I last wrote fiction, and in preparation of fulfilling my dream of writing a full novel I've started writing a short story. Now for my book I plan on doing a plot summary and outlining all the chapters, but for my short story I have the story in my head and I'm just writing it as it comes to my mind. So while what I'm writing is a series of events, right now I'm just kinda word vomiting all over the page to get everything out, and then I plan on go”
“In my story, I'm not sure how descriptive/detailed i should be. When i asked my wife, she said that its a book the whole point is to be descriptive and detailed. I don't disagree, i just want to know if this is the normal way to do it or if its more preferred to do it any way you want. I just personally want to know what most readers find more interesting to read, more descriptive detail? Or a quicker description for better pacing? (I say it that way because I know some people think that”
“I might already know some of them! But I’m curious what all of you do? If you’re an awesome writer who does this naturally, wonderful, what about when you began? What about when you first started? What helped you? Drop ya advice? Xo submitted by /u/PlaymateAngel [link] [comments]”
“Posting from an account separate from my main one. I haven't written creatively in 6+ years and I am recently getting back into it as a hobby (and nervous about sharing). Brief note on my writing below: the visual came to me first, then a couple of phrases and sentences that wouldn't leave until I wrote them down, so I did. I tried to expand on them well enough to have a fleshed out 'scene' that is intended to be read as if it were a piece of a larger story. I've been reading”
“I'd like some feedback on this short excerpt from my in-progress novel please. Thank you!! Turning the corner into a square hall with a door in front and one on the left, he once again raised the weapon fully. Now, directly in front of him was a closet-sized bathroom, nothing to be seen inside except what looked like a tiny toilet and an even smaller sink. Both were yellow and covered in dust. He glanced left and froze. The door there was open, and inside was the thing he had actually been e”
“My novel’s set in present day, and its genre is closest to coming of age with mystery elements. I’ve been looking for posters with a similar genre set and maybe I’ve missed them in my feed. Curious- are you guys writing realistic fiction? If so, what about? Would love to hear:) submitted by /u/sendmonkeyphotos [link] [comments]”
“Hi there, I know this is an odd, loaded question. And I'm also not sure if this is the right sub for this. But my question pertains to a book I'm writing that would require an very in depth explanation of the process of saving a lonely submarine being thrown into a planets orbit. If anybody catches what I'm writing, KUDOS ;) to you! For context, the submarine is entirely made of iron, with the hatch welded shut and no windows. The contents inside are exposed to severe radiation due t”
“I'm writing my first ever book in english, I'm at 76k words since May. Its been both the most exciting yet exhausting thing I ever done. Some days I write 200 words, some days 1k. I still have a lot to finish. Yet I'm so scared to actually finish it, because then I have to read it again and again. What if I hate it? What if my anxiety gets the best of me and then I convince myself is not good. I started writing when I was 10 but my family has no idea, my closest friends found out a m”
“My story, idk is it good or not but I need a scenario that keeps readers from getting bored. I actually understand a few concepts, but explaining them requires a hook to spark interest and keep the reader engaged. So, what should I do? submitted by /u/Sareetaa [link] [comments]”
“I have a project on the go at the moment, I am writing a memoir for someone as a ghost at present, but as it goes on, I'm feeling like I ought to switch it over. I can rewrite the majority of it to be bio rather than autobi, but I am unsure as to what would be the "better" choice. If it helps, the story starts in very early life and covers some exceptional hardships, then transitions through early adulthood and some further unpleasantness before breaking free as part of the rave sc”
“Hi everyone, [19M] I'm writing my first novel, and it's an English psychological thriller. I've never written a book or even a serious story before, so this is completely new to me. My goal is to publish it in English so that people around the world can read it. I'd really appreciate any advice on questions like these: - What are the biggest mistakes first-time novel writers usually make? - What should I focus on while writing a psychological thriller? - What makes you keep readi”
“Lately, I've been experimenting with more of a "Plantser" approach to writing. This process sort of feels like that trope of the conspiracy theorist connecting a bunch of random scraps of paper containing names, photos, maps, notes, etc. with red yarn on a corkboard. It feels stream of consciousness like a pantser, but what I'm writing in these first stages is going to be used more like reference material a plotter would make before starting writing for their real rough draft.”
“On paper this doesn't really make any sense. But I want to know how you guys know want to write about. I've been working on this stupid draft for a book for like 6 months now and the plot has changed about 100 times since I'm new to in-depth writing. I think it's improving a lot but I reached a complete standstill because I realized part of the reason why it's been changing so much is because I've been open to a million interpretations of the story and don't know what”
“Hi, fellow writers! Writing here to ask you about something. Is it normal to completely hate writing? Like, I have these ideas in my mind, and I am so grateful for them. However, when I write, I feel like I write completely horribly and just can’t but feel kinda down about it. Is that normal? Do you have any advice? Thank you💗 submitted by /u/Thin_Championship970 [link] [comments]”
“English is not my first language. 😭 I have a lot of trouble in describing stuff and I just don't know when to.. Also, most of what I write is just full of dialogue. How do I make my work more interesting? submitted by /u/ComfortableAioli7410 [link] [comments]”
“I'm new to writing and I feel really passionate about one short story idea in particular, but I don't feel like I'm capable of writing it. It's so stylistically different to what I feel comfortable with and it's been a fight just to get out the first few lines. Is this a moment to be patient and return to the idea once i feel i've improved as a writer or should do I continue to work on it, even if I'm dissatisfied with the final result? I'm a hobbiest btw. Not cur”
“Hi, I'm looking for feedback. Would this blurb make you read the sample? Why or why not? Blurb: She boarded the East-West Line at Jurong East, just as she did every weekday morning. He boarded the same train, expecting nothing but routine. On that sunlit day, amid the rattle of the carriage, unbidden tears fell. A packet of tissues touched a heart. A sketchpad captured the scene. No questions. No names. No promise that they would ever meet again. But that was not the end. Inspired by the qui”
“I read my writing and I always feel like it's the worst thing I've ever read or just totally mid. I know asking outside readers would be a good source, but how do i choose? I've had my friend who's majoring in english to read my stuff but she's my friend, and she'd never outright say my writing is bad. Any advice? submitted by /u/aghgreat [link] [comments]”
“Hello! I’ve been writing this project in the background for maybe a year now and have come across a little roadblock. I have quite a few characters, and recently I’ve been feeling the need to add more (Maybe 5-6 more) Now the reason for this is that a lot of characters in my story die horribly (for various reasons which all further the plot) but it’s kind of a very oddly blanched ship! Right now most of the deaths are near the beginning or right near the end and the middle feels a little bit emp”
“I have never posted my writing anywhere… just wanted to find a place to let some of this out. I hope it can resonate with someone else… happy to receive feedback! —E He learned the sound of the house after she died. It was not silence exactly; more like a subtraction. The tick of the hallway clock grew sharp enough to feel accusatory. The refrigerator hummed too long. At night, the walls seemed to hold their breath. She had been seemingly healthy, laughing that morning, scolding him gently for l”
“hi so I want to write a book about two spys but I have no idea how to start it like how are they spys submitted by /u/mellyidea [link] [comments]”
“Newish to Reddit, any subs for non-fiction writers? I have written a memoir and another non-fiction/memoir hybrid in the works and find it hard to relate to fiction writers which seem the majority here. Love reading fiction but can’t write it! submitted by /u/Several-Winner-12 [link] [comments]”
“Time was unbothered to move here. This grove in the woods belonged to only those who could brave its thorny thicket around it. Time only slipping though in the sunlight that found cracks through the foliage. The light landing on the pond dances across it in a twinkling finale of the day. I lay near the edge of the pond. My elbows dug into the patch of purple dragon throat to prop me up. I relaxed fully into the purple patch, a fuzzy stem tickling my ear as I did. How ironic, the thing I was sent”
“In fiction, that means gathering information from notoriously unreliable sources, namely imaginary friends and all manner of other voices in your head. They're really the only ones that know the whole story, anyway. submitted by /u/UndetectedSlytherin [link] [comments]”
“hello ! i’m here to ask for some help on developing what each of my goddesses rule over. i want each of them to have a “main” thing like time or fate then i’ll basically umbrella other things into it. the few ive thought of and looked into a bit were time, fate, creation, and space but im not 100% sure that they’re what im looking for. one of my goddesses with be forgotten by the community so im thinking that what she rules over must be forgotten as well or something they don’t want to focus on”
“I don't know Sci Fi. In fantasy, you have to limit them. There is always the wise ass who says you can't write it. You aren't good enough. You're a fraud.”
“This is true in a historical fiction setting, but in sci-fi/fantasy, even horror, the chattering goblins in your head are generally the best bet, I found.”
“If you are writing a historical piece that claims to be based strictly on fact, base it on fact. If you are writing a dramatic book based in a known historical period, say World War II, be prepared for gazillions of experts to lampoon you if you have someone smoke the wrong brand of cigarettes. If you are doing something outside of history like a literary drama that isn't naming real people, do what you want. I have characters based on one of our dogs, off someone from my wife's job that”
“Oh nice, I like to write romance as well. I'd still work on finding themes you want to include and all that as well, and figure out where the romance fits in, ig and researching.”
“Maybe you could try researching spies and looking through spy media. I'd also decide on what genre you want to write like romance, thriller, etc. They could be spies that work with secret gadgets, ones that just collect information, etc. Those are just some ideas. Good Luck!”
“sorry I am English I just have a hard time with spelling and I think my sleep meds are kicking in strong so that's probably why I don't make sense”
“I like where you're going with the story, the wistful, melancholy vibe. To me, the story would be stronger if the actual letters were there to be read. Then when they met, the conversations and reactions to words said. The tension and emotion during the exchange.”