First-time user starting a brand new series, please review it?

killwrites

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Hi, friendly but clueless first-time user here! I wanted to post this before sleeping yesterday, but my chapter wasn't published until 5 hours later, so I have to delay it to now. I'm used to a style that fits more mature audiences, but this time I want to try target younger readers so I read up too many isekais this week and got the balls to write my own.

Anyway, tl;dr please help to critique my story (especially whether it's suited for my target audience and my attempt at a JP LN style lol)! I posted two chapters so far, but I'm not sure if the newer one is still up yet. Thank you!

Link: https://www.scribblehub.com/series/354995/our-crusade-on-this-clusterfck-of-a-world-begins/
 

EternalSunset0

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First thing I noticed is the formatting. I think it would be better to cut the line breaks in half so that there won't be as much white space between lines.

I feel part of the story lacks "descriptive motion" though. I'm not sure if it's just a stylistic thing, but there's not a lot of prose detailing motion or transition from one scene to the other.

I think I have read a decent amount of light novels to know that they're more dialogue oriented, but I think it would be better to at least say or tell something about what Shun did in between two scenes once in a while.

Shun could also use a bit more description, as well as the world itself. Right now, its image is something more like the starting city in Re:Zero, and while I may be right, maybe a few more descriptions of those will help.

The bookstore scene is good, as well as when he first returned to the barracks. That's more of what I am talking about previously. I'd like to see more of that.

That's all personal tho and I can't tell if it will suit younger audiences. I think a few drawings to help illustrate some scenes would be awesome.

Love the cover btw. Definitely something that would bait me to blind buy an LN at a bookstore. I'd pick it up.
 
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greyblob

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Hi, friendly but clueless first-time user here! I wanted to post this before sleeping yesterday, but my chapter wasn't published until 5 hours later, so I have to delay it to now. I'm used to a style that fits more mature audiences, but this time I want to try target younger readers so I read up too many isekais this week and got the balls to write my own.

Anyway, tl;dr please help to critique my story (especially whether it's suited for my target audience and my attempt at a JP LN style lol)! I posted two chapters so far, but I'm not sure if the newer one is still up yet. Thank you!

Link: https://www.scribblehub.com/series/354995/our-crusade-on-this-clusterfck-of-a-world-begins/
I'd say you got the hang of it; however, there's a glaring issue with your MC: he has met two females so far and has yet to stutter, blush, or freeze altogether.
Also might need to add some descriptions since there is close to none.
 

killwrites

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I think it would be better to cut the line breaks in half so that there won't be as much white space between lines.
Ah, thanks for pointing it out! I'm writing this on my laptop using google docs using double line spacing, so I think that may have something to do with the white space.

there's not a lot of prose detailing motion or transition from one scene to the other
I read a lot of feedback on this forum about not focusing too much on worldbuilding since readers generally don't care about that in the first few chapters, so it's intentional hahaha but maybe I overdid it.

I think a few drawings to help illustrate some scenes would be awesome.
I will consider doing that! Tho my art is pretty basic hahaha
Thanks for your comprehensive feedback!
he has met two females so far and has yet to stutter, blush, or freeze altogether.
sigma male in the making jk

I read a lot of negative stuff about this type of MCs tho (something like typical weak-willed JP protagonists?) so I didn't want to go down that route. Is that not normal? Oops
 

greyblob

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sigma male in the making jk

I read a lot of negative stuff about this type of MCs tho (something like typical weak-willed JP protagonists?) so I didn't want to go down that route. Is that not normal? Oops
Oh, I personally hate it to the core, but its what LN MCs tend to be. I don't think it's an issue, though I'd say you need a harem. No isekai is complete without the obligatory multi-racial harem. It'll also boost your readers by a good amount.
 

EternalSunset0

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I read a lot of feedback on this forum about not focusing too much on worldbuilding since readers generally don't care about that in the first few chapters, so it's intentional hahaha but maybe I overdid it.
I think what this means is that you shouldn't dump an encyclopedia entry of your world early on. Do not have walls of text detailing the state of the world down to its politics, culture, and all that.

If you find the need to infodump, keep it to a line or two at most maybe.

But feel free to have your protagonist observe the structures or maybe what the general populace is wearing. Something to help visualize the world a bit more should work.

I read a lot of negative stuff about this type of MCs tho (something like typical weak-willed JP protagonists?) so I didn't want to go down that route. Is that not normal? Oops
I don't see it as a minus, but that's also because I am completely desensitized to these kinds of MCs and has come to accept it as a norm. Feel free to do what you wish with your character.

It's not a thing of note in my feedback anyway, as you can see. For me, it's more of I want a way to visualize him more, otherwise I'll just imagine him as a Kirito-clone or a Kazuma/Subaru type.
 

killwrites

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I'd say you need a harem
You know, now that you mention it, most of the isekais I read with the harem tag have many readers complaining that they aren't really harems because the MC doesnt choose anyone or alr chose a certain girl early on. I don't really want to deal with that kind of nitpicking lol
I want a way to visualize him more
I'll add that to the next chapter!

Lol I read mostly isekais that feature alpha MCs who get what they want from the start, but that's apparently the minority of isekais huh...
 

greyblob

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You know, now that you mention it, most of the isekais I read with the harem tag have many readers complaining that they aren't really harems because the MC doesnt choose anyone or alr chose a certain girl early on. I don't really want to deal with that kind of nitpicking lol

I'll add that to the next chapter!

Lol I read mostly isekais that feature alpha MCs who get what they want from the start, but that's apparently the minority of isekais huh...
That's fair. You can do whatever you want. But this is a working formula, and the harem tag will definitely guarantee more readership.
 

EternalSunset0

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You know, now that you mention it, most of the isekais I read with the harem tag have many readers complaining that they aren't really harems because the MC doesnt choose anyone or alr chose a certain girl early on. I don't really want to deal with that kind of nitpicking lol
Haha which is why I dropped the tag out of my series. I've had people ask me whether my work is an actual harem or not due to the things you stated.

I don't want to get nitpicky with the specifics, but if you look at it, is something like Oregairu a harem? Or Index, if you've seen it? Re:Zero?

The answers are always yes and no, and I myself find it hard to find the general consensus answer.
I'll add that to the next chapter!
Looking forward to it!
 

Snusmumriken

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Ah, thanks for pointing it out! I'm writing this on my laptop using google docs using double line spacing, so I think that may have something to do with the white space.
SH automatically double-spaces new paragraphs so you end up with quadruple spacing.
I read a lot of feedback on this forum about not focusing too much on worldbuilding since readers generally don't care about that in the first few chapters, so it's intentional hahaha but maybe I overdid it.
So I've read it myself. What he is talking about isn't world building that is missing from your story. it is minimum detail of a scene. For example in the prologue at the beginning I thought he was talking to some slime sitting on a desk or something. That was due to how little detail you have provided for the Commander.

Pretty much none of your characters are described both physically nor emotionally apart from little tidbits and whatever else we can extrapolate from dialogue. Combine that with the fact that a lot of your dialogue is, well, empty. There isn't much info given to us about the characters - in fact i couldn't even imagine any of them in my mind as I was trying to read it. Nor I could imagine what they might do afterward.

You don't need to tell readers that this is country X it is at war with Y and Z and other historical minutiae. what you need is to help readers paint the picture in their mind. He is in a brand new world but he doesn't bother to notice any differences which means this world is modern? I see you trying to do that in the 1st chapter but it isn't enough in my opinion. Especially since you don't describe the inner word of the MC apart from few exclamations.

Now to the MC - he is passive. Like really passive. All he had done throughout the two chapters is react to others speaking or doing things. even his trip to bookstore is specifically worded to be a passive one. "walk aimlessly" - "presented by a bookstore by luck without even trying to find it" - "given history book" - "proceed to infodump about world setting" The only active part of that was him asking for a book and even that was worded as if the goddess expected him to ask for it and just left it there for him to pick up.

The reason why passivity is bad is that once again the reader has no clue where the story would head on onward. There is no plan of action that MC managed to convey to us with his inner thoughts or set of actions. Whatever is happening is too ambiguous to even react to. Without the ability to properly wonder and predict - readers lack the interest in the upcoming plot. Which could be okay if you were writing slice of life, but you don't really have a lot of meat on everyday interactions either. It is mostly just people talking to each other.
 

killwrites

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SH automatically double-spaces new paragraphs so you end up with quadruple spacing.

So I've read it myself. What he is talking about isn't world building that is missing from your story. it is minimum detail of a scene. For example in the prologue at the beginning I thought he was talking to some slime sitting on a desk or something. That was due to how little detail you have provided for the Commander.

Pretty much none of your characters are described both physically nor emotionally apart from little tidbits and whatever else we can extrapolate from dialogue. Combine that with the fact that a lot of your dialogue is, well, empty. There isn't much info given to us about the characters - in fact i couldn't even imagine any of them in my mind as I was trying to read it. Nor I could imagine what they might do afterward.

You don't need to tell readers that this is country X it is at war with Y and Z and other historical minutiae. what you need is to help readers paint the picture in their mind. He is in a brand new world but he doesn't bother to notice any differences which means this world is modern? I see you trying to do that in the 1st chapter but it isn't enough in my opinion. Especially since you don't describe the inner word of the MC apart from few exclamations.

Now to the MC - he is passive. Like really passive. All he had done throughout the two chapters is react to others speaking or doing things. even his trip to bookstore is specifically worded to be a passive one. "walk aimlessly" - "presented by a bookstore by luck without even trying to find it" - "given history book" - "proceed to infodump about world setting" The only active part of that was him asking for a book and even that was worded as if the goddess expected him to ask for it and just left it there for him to pick up.

The reason why passivity is bad is that once again the reader has no clue where the story would head on onward. There is no plan of action that MC managed to convey to us with his inner thoughts or set of actions. Whatever is happening is too ambiguous to even react to. Without the ability to properly wonder and predict - readers lack the interest in the upcoming plot. Which could be okay if you were writing slice of life, but you don't really have a lot of meat on everyday interactions either. It is mostly just people talking to each other.
Ohh, yea I see what you mean now.

I wanted to paint a comparison between how the MC initially acted when he come to the world (not caring about the new world, uninterested in anyone but himself cos his personality was like that before reincarnating) and then start accepting and changing himself (it's a romance story after all), but right now I haven't posted much chapters yet so it's not that obvious. I intentionally omitted details to reflect that but just shot myself in the foot lmao

Well, hopefully the later chapters will make up for it. Thanks for your insight!
 

Snusmumriken

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Ohh, yea I see what you mean now.

I wanted to paint a comparison between how the MC initially acted when he come to the world (not caring about the new world, uninterested in anyone but himself cos his personality was like that before reincarnating) and then start accepting and changing himself (it's a romance story after all), but right now I haven't posted much chapters yet so it's not that obvious. I intentionally omitted details to reflect that but just shot myself in the foot lmao

Well, hopefully the later chapters will make up for it. Thanks for your insight!
The issue is - many readers won't offer you a lot of leeway. Your first chapter is the most important exactly because that is where a lot of readers decide whether they want to read further or not. And if you haven't given them a hook yet - something that makes them interested/curious/willing to read further - they won't click next.

I have a character change in my first chapter too, and I intentionally spend extra time trying to flesh him out pre and after change exactly so that readers could have some grip on the character desirer and possibly began to get curious about what happens next. (it still came out weak but I will work on it later)

When readers start the story - they do not know where you will take it. They have no idea of your plot. And, most importantly, they don't trust you yet as a new author. There are hundreds of weak and boring stories and many have no time to check that this particular one "gets better after ch10" (unless you have reviews that say that) they would simply click on the next story, since they are all free and easily accessible.
 

killwrites

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The issue is - many readers won't offer you a lot of leeway. Your first chapter is the most important exactly because that is where a lot of readers decide whether they want to read further or not. And if you haven't given them a hook yet - something that makes them interested/curious/willing to read further - they won't click next.

I have a character change in my first chapter too, and I intentionally spend extra time trying to flesh him out pre and after change exactly so that readers could have some grip on the character desirer and possibly began to get curious about what happens next. (it still came out weak but I will work on it later)

When readers start the story - they do not know where you will take it. They have no idea of your plot. And, most importantly, they don't trust you yet as a new author. There are hundreds of weak and boring stories and many have no time to check that this particular one "gets better after ch10" (unless you have reviews that say that) they would simply click on the next story, since they are all free and easily accessible.
Fair point, honestly now that I look at my story I could have just combined the prologue and first 2 chapters into a "first chapter" and scrap the prologue idea altogether. I guess I overlooked the "hook" part because I was under the initial impression that it would be like watching anime where viewers usually give it 3 episodes before deciding to continue loll totally inexperienced in writing fiction here

Well, mistakes were made and first impressions are hard to change. Just praying for small to moderate success at this point while I rewrite my prologue to attract future readers~

Thanks once again! It has really helped me a lot

Edit: Tried to utilise the tips that were given and published the rewritten prologue, can I trouble you to look through it?
 
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Snusmumriken

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The issue of anime - they subconsciously realise that people invested money in it. There was a group of people being paid to make it and many others who are paid to screen it.

On sites like Sh where the cost of entry is pretty much zero - there is no subconscious trust in an author - anyone can write whatever, it is only taken down if it breaks the rules. Combine that with the availability of other stories just a click away and people become picky.

as such, for a beginner author, there are 4-5 things you want to worry about. Title and Cover (the catchy title is catchy, And custom cover brings 'trust' see above, A lewder cover brings obvious 'connoisseurs) Tags (no matter what there are diehard fans of certain tags that will read your story and give you a lot of leeway if you have a certain tag) Synopsis (many readers filter out there already, treat it as a mini-1st chapter with ability to wave your future plot twists, like your romance for example that doesn't start right away) and finally the 1st chapter. Treat 1st chapter and synopsis as your advertisement for your product, - you want them good enough so that readers would click that button.
 

killwrites

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On sites like Sh where the cost of entry is pretty much zero - there is no subconscious trust in an author - anyone can write whatever, it is only taken down if it breaks the rules. Combine that with the availability of other stories just a click away and people become picky.
I remember when i first started here and posted a thread looking for advice, someone suggested me to pick quantity over quality lmao. im guessing it's cos the more series you write the better you are perceived to be

well never mind about that, i cant even manage one out of the two T_T
 

Snusmumriken

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You can go quantity over quality, but even then you want your 1st chapter to shine because quantity alone gives you visibility. Use catchy tags and spam chapters daily to keep your story on the 1st page for the tag searches, sorted by recently updated.

The quality of the early chapters gives you readers while overall quality gives you reader retention. There are many stories that have a ton of views, but if you look closely many of them never go past the first few chapters and, in some cases, you can even have stories with thousands of views in early chapters only to barely reach hundreds in more recent ones.
 
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