As an amateur writer, I understand that certain things just come with experience, and some can’t be avoided until I understand the process and style a little more, but what are some more fixable mistakes that you can think of? Specifically stuff that kind of… takes you out of the book mentally. I’m trying not to write a story that people will be disinterested in because there are just small, nagging mistakes.
We make fun of men writing women all the time, but what about the opposite?
During a conversation I had with my brother he said that "male authors are bad at writing women and know it but don't care, female authors are bad at writing men but think they're good at it". We had to split before continuing the conversation, so what's your thoughts on this.
Genuinely interested.
Welcome to this week's discussion!
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okay so genuinely tell me if this is a universal writer thing or if i am just broken.
Action scenes? I'm in my element. Give me a chase scene, a battle, someone making a terrible decision at 200mph and I will deliver. Landscapes, emotional gut punches, morally grey villains? Fine. Great even.
But the second my characters sit down to eat dinner and just... talk? My brain leaves the building.
"Hello," he said.
"Hello. This bread is good."
"Yes. Very bread."
Like what is WRONG with me. These are people I invented. I know everything about them. But apparently the moment there's no immediate threat to their lives I forget how conversations work entirely.
I think part of it is that action has clear structure (tension, escalation, resolution) and casual dialogue is just vibes?? There's no obvious endpoint to "two friends catch up at a tavern." It just kind of... goes until I mercy-kill it.
Anyone have any exercises that helped with this? Or at least confirm that I'm not the only one writing sword fights to avoid writing small talk lmao
There's this rule that gets repeated everywhere in writing spaces and influencers: if you don't hook the reader in the first paragraph, you've already lost them. Don't get me wrong, I get where it comes from. I mean, DNF is real yeah yeah
BUT this has barely been the case with some (if not all) of my favorite books. Almost none of them grabbed me immediately (Mistborn comes to mind...it took me quite a few pages to get into it, and then I was obsessed), and some of those that did, like Fourthwing, turned out to be poorly written (in my own humble opinion).
I wonder if the obsession with the hook is actually pushing writers toward a kind of panic energy in their openings. Everything has to be urgent or something big has to happen, someone has to almost die, etc. And then the rest of the story has to somehow justify that opening.
I believe some stories need a slow start and some characters need to just exist for a bit before you care whether they live or die, and that's OK.
Am I alone in this or are you a blind supporter of the 'first chapter hook' advice?
When we talk about books, we usually focus on the reading process – our preferences, favorite genres, tropes, and characters. But I’m also interested in what happens after we finish a book.
Do you take time to sit with the thoughts and feelings it left you with, or do you move on to the next book right away? Do you like to analyze the story further, rate it, or maybe even write a review? Do you look up fan-made content like fan art or fan fiction?
I’d be interested to hear about your experiences.
In your opinion, what makes a good antagonist? An evil one? A smart one? One with a redemption arc? An unredeemable one? Or something else, entirely? Do tell!
I have heard many people associate anthro’s with children's tales or write it off as solely “for furries.” Would you avoid a book just because it features anthros? How could I prevent that?
Coreline plays In a harsh dystopian environment inspired by Cyberpunk. Inside a vertical city with anthro characters that would give you a familiar feeling of a mix of Arcane and Zootopia...
The main character, a fox, best described as - Charming, strategic and street smart. The story itself is told like a Noir Thriller with aspects of Mystery, but it can also become a lighthearted comedy with quirky fun characters.
It subtly tackles many mature themes... conflicts like class division and predator / prey dynamics are explored. How ever, the main themes will be the main characters ties to a gangster organisation and his desire to quit. A course of action will lead him to a gadget that might help him out.
(Art by Fallerium)
As the title says, I want to know if the idea I had for the cover art tells a story on its own. As I have tried to give it a symbolism of its own.
Now, I must admit, 1 cover is missing. (guess where?) That would make the progression a little more obvious.
But I'm curious what they say to people without any context. What pops and what doesn't? What speaks do you, and what is it even saying?
The artist (my gf) and I are on the same page, and I think she did an amazing job. Now, I want to know if people who weren't at our brainstorming sessions can follow our strange leaps in logic and “symbolism.”
Thanks for the time and for giving your take!
(Cover 2 is WIP)
I was talking to a friend the other day who reads a lot on Wattpad and she was telling me how she spent almost an hour trying to find something new to read. She knew exactly what she wanted, but was overwhelmed and got results that had nothing to do with what she searched.
I've heard this kind of thing a lot but honestly I've never heard anyone describe a platform that actually gets it right.
I didnt mean to send it, I know it isnt finished
How can I un-submit it? I didnt upload the fil, as in the story everything is filled put but there is no document attached to it
Do I have to make a whole new submission?
My at on quibble is Salphia
Authors can now access their "My earnings" dashboard with per-book metrics and revenue! 🎉
It's been in the making for a while and it's finally here, at least in a first version. This dashboard allows authors to see the following for each month:
We're going to follow up with the actual onboarding with our payment provider as soon as we've finalized everything with them. Until then, earnings will simply accrue in the dashboard.
Back in September last year, we've introduced our subscription plan Quibble+ as an optional support plan. We are thrilled that quite a few people adopted it. To those who did: you're literal champions! We've decided to redistribute all the subscription revenue generated from it to authors based on how much their work was read up until March. Quibble took 0 revenue from it.
Quibble+ is since March required to read on Quibble (with a 1 month free trial :^) ). Many authors have expressed a wish to publish one or more stories for free, either to help build their readership, or simply to make their content freely available. Consequently, we're currently working on a second publishing label where authors will be able to publish their stories for free, outside of the monetization program. This is planned for the coming weeks!
What's next?
Quibble is about to close to loop and be fully equipped to host many different types of stories, pay authors, and provide a great reading experience.
Let's go!
(Edit: typos :p)
Hey everyone,
Next week we’re hosting the next monthly AMA on our Discord. No recording, just a casual chat. Anyone can join.
We’ll go through:
Just a few areas we’re already thinking about:
If you were in charge of Quibble’s roadmap, how would you prioritise everything above? Feel free to drop your top 10 in the comments and/or tell us what we’re completely missing.
Also:
And if you already have AMA questions, drop them in the comments as well, and we’ll go through them during the session.
See you next week!
What is your opinion on cliches? Do you like them? Do you not? Do you think they should not exist? What do you think of them? Do tell!
Coreline, the endless metropolis stacked vertically towards the sky.
Amid its smog-drenched streets, some claw their way to survival, while far above, the elites live in the lamp of luxury. The city’s chaos is designed to keep - you - down.
Weather? A policy. Travel? Regulated. Empathy? turned efficiency.
Nox lives amid its neon-covered streets, He's a cunning fox playing outside the rule-book. Throughout his life, he has been challenged and played like a puppet on a string, dancing to the city's tune.
Coerced by a group called Bloodhounds, he scams a protogen. What should have been a quick job cascades into chaos as Coreline's most powerful groups will eminently collide. This chain of events opens an opportunity for Nox…a chance to break his shackles.
Can he escape the tightening noose around his neck, or will he get crushed by the brutality of Coreline?
(Ty for your feedback <3 - Artist of the cover is Virios/MAi3Y )
LMK what you think — ! ^^
I have a story I'm working on which is being written in Norwegian. I'm hoping to be able to share plot lines and maybe even a chapter later at some point when I'm further along with my story. The issue is the language, and I don't see any info anywhere about whether or not Quibble is open for submission in different languages.
Is Quibble multilingual or just in English for now? If so, do you fellow quibblers think I should share some plot lines / materials from the story in English so that I can get more feedback?
We always hear that everyone starts bad and gets better with practice, but that's the effort side of things. I'm curious what you actually notice when you read someone's work, whether they're a student, a debut author, or someone who's been in the industry for years, that makes you stop and think this person has something real. What jumps off the page for you?
Now that we’re nearly halfway through May, I figured it’s a good time to check in! How many books are you aiming for this year, and how many have you managed to finish so far? Any DNFs?
Or is it perhaps wishful thinking on the reader’s part? As readers, we have certain expectations and preferences. We imagine the story we’ve read in a specific way, and naturally develop certain expectations regarding the book’s possible future sequel. We often make our opinions known to the author through fan works and fandoms. Do you think a good author will take their readers’ wishes into account? Or does being a good writer mean you must be completely independent and come up with the story entirely on your own?
The ancient Egyptians believed that the soul is divided into two parts. “BA” is the part that moves freely between the worlds of the living and the dead, while “KA” is a powerful force that persists even after our death. When these two parts are united in one person—“AKH”—that person becomes immortal, blessed with the privilege of spending their eternal life among the gods.
This myth reminded me of the connection between the author and the reader. Our souls unite through our shared passion for a story.
Because of this union, the book becomes “immortal.”
Is it nice to ponder such things?