Fantasy's world's greatest bard, baby. "Thank you, thank you very much."Wouldn't that be crazy? A pop singer-inspired D&D fantasy plot. Your prestige is determined by how close you are to the singer's bloodline.
))
I don’t really know anything about Hololive and Vtubers, can I still understand it~? ?I'm writing something softer. (Completely opposite of my first book
This one is more friendly toward normal audience. (Completely opposite of my first book
-but it is a fanfiction.
Okay, well you just listed all of the genres I tend to write in as "less interested in" however you basically also described my writing style in general [immersive world-building, and character-driven stories], and hit on most of the thematic elements of one of my main projects [soft, cute, romance]. Sadly it's the one I haven't posted here (yet) because I'm in the process of re-writing it (in parallel with the other two major projects I've dropped here on Scribble Hub).
Oh wow I really appreciate this ? I was truly hoping people would provide small, non-spoiler excerpts in their recommendation like how I did. Thank you for taking the time to read the monstrous length OP by the way!! Just from these excerpts I’m loving your gorgeous writing voice. I’d say we have pretty similar styles, even! I’ll check the out when I’m back in town. When you do post Duskfall, feel free to share it here again!! :)
The Elarian Chronicles (Full Project Title)
Heyo~!
To sum up my previous post: I love commenting. I obsessively use the multi-quote function on SH because it feels like I'm annotating a real book. This site doesn't have Wattpad's line-by-line comment function, so this will have to do. I leave comments on every chapter I read because I'm a yapper, and I think writers appreciate a reader who interacts with their story, yes? You can check my SH profile and see that my comments are often very long. I will spam you with comments if I like your story until you tell me to shut up.
In general, I can read anything, though I'm much more inclined towards soft, cute romance; comedy with deadpan humor; immersive worldbuilding; and character-driven stories. I am less interested* in LitRPG, isekai, erotica, and harems. Of course, there will always be exceptions if the story is good enough. Keep in mind I'm extremely picky with what I choose to read; if I like something, then I love it. If I'm uninterested in something, I don't usually bother reading.
So, feel free—matter of fact, encouraged—to advertise yourself or someone else's story to the best of your abilities! Maybe you can find something you like here, too!
Let's dive into the specifics of what I like, with examples! Please note that your book does not necessarily need to fit these criteria. I'm just saying this to narrow down some choices. Also, since we're (mostly) amateur writers, I'll just list the SH stories I like so it's more fair to compare. ?
CHARACTERS:
Putting this one first because it's the most important for me. I adore character-driven stories. If I don't like or care about the protagonist, then I truly cannot bring myself to read more. Authors that know their characters well, can write distinguishable character voices, and not afraid to give their characters flaws just as much as positive traits automatically have my respect. The most satisfying thing to read is character development, especially if I reread a story from the beginning and see a huge difference between the protagonist's former and current self.
Examples:
- The protagonist of the story Consorts of the Court, Queen Moriya of Dyss, starts off as a naive, sheltered princess who was suddenly thrusted into the world of politics at a young age upon the unexpected death of her mother, the former Queen. We follow her journey of learning to become the ruler of the queendom Dyss, hardened by scheming politicians, warring nations, and the highs and lows of human nature. As of right now, we are 43 chapters in, and though it may not seem that long, whenever I reread the first few chapters, I almost get emotional from how far Moriya had come. Her personality is not as expressive or apparent as most webnovel protagonists because she observes more than she acts, and she changes her behavior based on who she interacts with, which is realistic and very much relatable. And most of all, she is a beautifully flawed character. With the slowburn nature of the story, you must give her time to grow. She is not perfect, she is not a prodigy, and she has biases and makes foolish decisions at times. But ultimately, all of these traits remind you that she is a human who had the weight of a whole nation thrown onto her shoulders at a very young age.
- Similar to Moriya, the protagonist of Secretly, I'm a Cultivation Genius, Wang Yihan, is an overconfident, undereducated disciple of a cultivation sect. He's cheerful, naive, and firmly believes himself to be a cultivation genius despite having a mundane spiritual root and... cough... little talent. Why do I love him? Other than the absolute hysterical comedy he provides, his sheer undying optimism is just fun to read. He's the type to actually brighten any room he enters, even though he stresses the hell out of his peers from his ability to attract danger. And despite his overconfidence, he does not have a big ego, and he truly does want to improve himself, especially after meeting the real cultivation genius of the sect, his love interest and senior, Zhao Tai. It's utterly heartwarming to watch him grow under Zhao Tai's instruction, slowly understanding what cultivation is all about, what being a genius truly means. He is lovable, flawed, and incredibly dynamic.
- The story The Nightmare Weaver has quite a big cast, though the main focus would be on Zev McTerror, Zach Ghoul, and a new third character (won't spoil whom, you just gotta read it~). I'll highlight Zach, the deuteragonist, here because he's my favorite right now. I love characters like him who appear intimidating and almost punkish in a way, yet is a sweetheart on the inside. A delinquent who can be a softie, essentially... only to those he cares about. What I love about this story specifically is its ability to create distinct character voices. Zach's lazy, nonchalant gestures, sassy sarcasm, and casual attitude towards violence are so vividly illustrated from his dialogue and descriptions. Look at this:
Just from that line, I bet you could already picture what kind of person he is. So if you think your book or any book has excellent characterization like this, definitely recommend it to me!DESCRIPTIONS:
With this one, I understand not everyone is into writing overly detailed descriptions. While I love poetic proses and lyrical language (eyyy, alliteration), I don't need extravagant descriptions to enjoy a story. You definitely do not need 50 lines describing a room (in fact, please don't do that). Just anything that paints a vivid imagery, whether it's a setting, character appearance, action scene, etc. I just like to appreciate some juicy descriptions, you know? Bonus points if you use personification as a literary device—my favorite one. ;)
- The story What Comes After has tons of highlightable descriptions that are lyrical and elegant. But this one comes to mind as one of the most memorable ones:
Is this not the definition of apocalyptic?? Just from this snippet, you can tell that there used to be a normal, peaceful life, and it's now ruined by... something catastrophic. A calamity, if you will.
- Scholar Song Goes on an Adventure made my eyes brighten already with the opening paragraph, and I already knew it was gonna be a banger upon reading it.
I just showed a small snippet of the description, but you can already get a feel of what Village Qinghe is like. These small, mundane details like the apothecary, general goods, the inn, and the not-so-reasonably-priced treasure shop illustrate an image of the village beautifully. The dry humor is just a chef's kiss on top.
- Consorts of the Court has too many amazing descriptions to choose from, so I'll just begrudgingly pick one:
Had to resist highlighting an environmental description. This scene is very active—lots of things going on, from the competitiveness between the courtesans to the sensory details like the jingling sound. The focus on the gold bands and bells is not only a cool detail to have for character appearance, but shows Moriya's discomfort and "progressive" views for her time period. Like I said, I love character-driven stories.
HUMOR:
This one is definitely not necessary because not everyone writes comedy, and not every story needs humor. My own story has a few humorous moments, but it is ultimately a dark fantasy, so... I sadly can't make it that comedic. But I sure love reading comedy. I love dry, deadpan humor as well as absurd humor. Sadly most books I've seen that attempt humor just get a "nose exhale" from me. Very few get me to laugh out loud. So I'll show you what makes me laugh:
- Secretly, I'm a Cultivation Genius had made me laugh so many times within the first couple of chapters that it's hard to pick one moment. But I'll include one that made me hysterical for no reason.
When I tell you I laughed... hollered, even... Why? I don't know. Just the fact that the butterfly was having none of Wang Yihan's BS sent me to space. ???Dry humor gets me so badly.
- The Nightmare Weaver also has a bunch of comedy gold. I love sassy narrators that bully the characters, like in Kaguya-sama: Love is War. But beyond that, even without the narrator's attitude, there are plenty of hilarious moments to choose from. This particular one made me let out a rather unflattering laughter:
As you can tell... I lovestupidsilly, quick-witted moments like these. ? And it's so hard to find them outside of manga/manhua/manhwa. So if you know of any stories with this type of humor, please let me know.
- This moment from My F Grade Reincarnation... I'll leave no comment. If you know, you know. ?
IMMERSIVE WORLDBUILDING:
Also not necessary, but pleasant to have. I love stories that have a world that feels lived in, no matter how vast or small, especially in fictional, fantasy worlds. This could range from the world's fictional history, architecture, daily life, geography, politics, and more! I won't say too much on this because I personally am not that great with worldbuilding, but I appreciate it when authors do this. Just a note: I do not expect any of the following examples' level of lore and worldbuilding in any other story. I'm down to read realistic fiction set in a small-town high school just as I am to read an epic fantasy set in a whole separate universe.
- Consorts of the Court (three-hit combo lol) has some incredibly extensive worldbuilding that involves the blending of real history and pure fantasy. Guys, there's a map of the continent. Through the protagonist's eyes, you first get a brief overview of the world of Dyss as well as its surrounding nations. You also get hints of each nation's culture, whether it's based on clothing, geography, language, theology, folklore, or daily life. There's even a made-up language. This is some LOTR-level of work. As this is a character-driven story, you only get more in-depth details of a certain aspect of the world if Moriya actually personally explores that part. So the pacing is comfortable and digestible.
- Cameron to Candy is probably well-known enough here (hit trending several times recently), so I won't say too much about it. The massive glossary speaks for itself. There are several nations and kingdoms located in the region known as The Cone, the main one this book focuses on being Paddlewick. Each of them have unique history and culture. There are also different races, original vocabulary and phrases, an entirely made-up calendar, and more. I definitely don't expect every story to be like this, but I just gotta appreciate the amount of work put into this world. There are also miscellaneous spin-off short stories if you want to explore other parts of The Cone more.
- The Nightmare Weaver (another three-hit combo lol) is one of those stories where the lore and world get deeper and more complex the further you read. I don't want to say too much because that spoils the fun, but the complexity and diversity of this deceptively simple world reminds me of D&D in a way. So many races, so many powers, so much lore... You usually get more extensive explanation of any new lore uncovered at the end of their respective chapters.
ROMANCE:
It hurts to put this last because this is actually my #1 favorite—just some cute, sappy romance. I'm a big romance writer and reader. But I know I'd be greatly limiting myself if I made romance a necessity. ? A soft, slowburn romance with emotional intimacy before physical is my absolute favorite. I look for mutual yearning, minimal misunderstandings, good communication, and emotional connection. From small, casual comfort in each other's presence to grand, romantic gestures and professions of love... I will take all of them. I write about this stuff, therefore I will eat it all up. Sadly, I haven't found that many romance stories that are my cup of tea on SH so far, which is honestly really surprising, but I assume that's because I'm not looking hard enough.
I also have a Scribble Hub fan art thread where you can get more info on what books I've been reading that I may have left out.
- Bringing back Consorts of the Court one last time (I'm sorry y'all I just really love this book okay) because I haven't found any other romance books that fit my taste as perfectly as this. It's actually a harem!! Well, a reverse harem... in a reverse gender role world... so technically it's a harem, yes? The harem feels more like a found family dynamic, but the romance was just peak. You get soft, pretty boy(s), building character before romance, and tons of emotional intimacy and tension before the romance officially commences. Just an overall feel-good vibe, you know? I left a long AF review where I scream harder about the romance, so you can go check it out lol. This is one of those stories where I don't mind if it becomes smu—uhh... anyways. ?
- The Beast World Calls My Name is another reverse harem (coincidence, I swear—) with adorable romance that reminds me of the shoujo manga/manhua I read a lot when I was younger. Wholesome, cute, and pure. It also has a long, white-haired pretty boy so how can I not automatically love it. ? This is one of those romances that I wish Wattpad had more of. You still get the cheese and the trope, but none of that toxic "alpha male" stuff. This is what I look for when I say I want to read soft, cute romance. More of this, please, if anyone of you could recommend some!
I'll add more examples and criteria when I think of them. For now, these are all what I like and look for. Please recommend me some books that match my request. Feel free to advertise your own books as extensively as you need if you think I'll like it. Hog my attention if you must. And if you've linked your book to me before on my original post and still think I'd like it, feel free to link it again!
Heyo~!
To sum up my previous post: I love commenting. I obsessively use the multi-quote function on SH because it feels like I'm annotating a real book. This site doesn't have Wattpad's line-by-line comment function, so this will have to do. I leave comments on every chapter I read because I'm a yapper, and I think writers appreciate a reader who interacts with their story, yes? You can check my SH profile and see that my comments are often very long. I will spam you with comments if I like your story until you tell me to shut up.
In general, I can read anything, though I'm much more inclined towards soft, cute romance; comedy with deadpan humor; immersive worldbuilding; and character-driven stories. I am less interested* in LitRPG, isekai, erotica, and harems. Of course, there will always be exceptions if the story is good enough. Keep in mind I'm extremely picky with what I choose to read; if I like something, then I love it. If I'm uninterested in something, I don't usually bother reading.
So, feel free—matter of fact, encouraged—to advertise yourself or someone else's story to the best of your abilities! Maybe you can find something you like here, too!
Let's dive into the specifics of what I like, with examples! Please note that your book does not necessarily need to fit these criteria. I'm just saying this to narrow down some choices. Also, since we're (mostly) amateur writers, I'll just list the SH stories I like so it's more fair to compare. ?
CHARACTERS:
Putting this one first because it's the most important for me. I adore character-driven stories. If I don't like or care about the protagonist, then I truly cannot bring myself to read more. Authors that know their characters well, can write distinguishable character voices, and not afraid to give their characters flaws just as much as positive traits automatically have my respect. The most satisfying thing to read is character development, especially if I reread a story from the beginning and see a huge difference between the protagonist's former and current self.
Examples:
- The protagonist of the story Consorts of the Court, Queen Moriya of Dyss, starts off as a naive, sheltered princess who was suddenly thrusted into the world of politics at a young age upon the unexpected death of her mother, the former Queen. We follow her journey of learning to become the ruler of the queendom Dyss, hardened by scheming politicians, warring nations, and the highs and lows of human nature. As of right now, we are 43 chapters in, and though it may not seem that long, whenever I reread the first few chapters, I almost get emotional from how far Moriya had come. Her personality is not as expressive or apparent as most webnovel protagonists because she observes more than she acts, and she changes her behavior based on who she interacts with, which is realistic and very much relatable. And most of all, she is a beautifully flawed character. With the slowburn nature of the story, you must give her time to grow. She is not perfect, she is not a prodigy, and she has biases and makes foolish decisions at times. But ultimately, all of these traits remind you that she is a human who had the weight of a whole nation thrown onto her shoulders at a very young age.
- Similar to Moriya, the protagonist of Secretly, I'm a Cultivation Genius, Wang Yihan, is an overconfident, undereducated disciple of a cultivation sect. He's cheerful, naive, and firmly believes himself to be a cultivation genius despite having a mundane spiritual root and... cough... little talent. Why do I love him? Other than the absolute hysterical comedy he provides, his sheer undying optimism is just fun to read. He's the type to actually brighten any room he enters, even though he stresses the hell out of his peers from his ability to attract danger. And despite his overconfidence, he does not have a big ego, and he truly does want to improve himself, especially after meeting the real cultivation genius of the sect, his love interest and senior, Zhao Tai. It's utterly heartwarming to watch him grow under Zhao Tai's instruction, slowly understanding what cultivation is all about, what being a genius truly means. He is lovable, flawed, and incredibly dynamic.
- The story The Nightmare Weaver has quite a big cast, though the main focus would be on Zev McTerror, Zach Ghoul, and a new third character (won't spoil whom, you just gotta read it~). I'll highlight Zach, the deuteragonist, here because he's my favorite right now. I love characters like him who appear intimidating and almost punkish in a way, yet is a sweetheart on the inside. A delinquent who can be a softie, essentially... only to those he cares about. What I love about this story specifically is its ability to create distinct character voices. Zach's lazy, nonchalant gestures, sassy sarcasm, and casual attitude towards violence are so vividly illustrated from his dialogue and descriptions. Look at this:
Just from that line, I bet you could already picture what kind of person he is. So if you think your book or any book has excellent characterization like this, definitely recommend it to me!DESCRIPTIONS:
With this one, I understand not everyone is into writing overly detailed descriptions. While I love poetic proses and lyrical language (eyyy, alliteration), I don't need extravagant descriptions to enjoy a story. You definitely do not need 50 lines describing a room (in fact, please don't do that). Just anything that paints a vivid imagery, whether it's a setting, character appearance, action scene, etc. I just like to appreciate some juicy descriptions, you know? Bonus points if you use personification as a literary device—my favorite one. ;)
- The story What Comes After has tons of highlightable descriptions that are lyrical and elegant. But this one comes to mind as one of the most memorable ones:
Is this not the definition of apocalyptic?? Just from this snippet, you can tell that there used to be a normal, peaceful life, and it's now ruined by... something catastrophic. A calamity, if you will.
- Scholar Song Goes on an Adventure made my eyes brighten already with the opening paragraph, and I already knew it was gonna be a banger upon reading it.
I just showed a small snippet of the description, but you can already get a feel of what Village Qinghe is like. These small, mundane details like the apothecary, general goods, the inn, and the not-so-reasonably-priced treasure shop illustrate an image of the village beautifully. The dry humor is just a chef's kiss on top.
- Consorts of the Court has too many amazing descriptions to choose from, so I'll just begrudgingly pick one:
Had to resist highlighting an environmental description. This scene is very active—lots of things going on, from the competitiveness between the courtesans to the sensory details like the jingling sound. The focus on the gold bands and bells is not only a cool detail to have for character appearance, but shows Moriya's discomfort and "progressive" views for her time period. Like I said, I love character-driven stories.
HUMOR:
This one is definitely not necessary because not everyone writes comedy, and not every story needs humor. My own story has a few humorous moments, but it is ultimately a dark fantasy, so... I sadly can't make it that comedic. But I sure love reading comedy. I love dry, deadpan humor as well as absurd humor. Sadly most books I've seen that attempt humor just get a "nose exhale" from me. Very few get me to laugh out loud. So I'll show you what makes me laugh:
- Secretly, I'm a Cultivation Genius had made me laugh so many times within the first couple of chapters that it's hard to pick one moment. But I'll include one that made me hysterical for no reason.
When I tell you I laughed... hollered, even... Why? I don't know. Just the fact that the butterfly was having none of Wang Yihan's BS sent me to space. ???Dry humor gets me so badly.
- The Nightmare Weaver also has a bunch of comedy gold. I love sassy narrators that bully the characters, like in Kaguya-sama: Love is War. But beyond that, even without the narrator's attitude, there are plenty of hilarious moments to choose from. This particular one made me let out a rather unflattering laughter:
As you can tell... I lovestupidsilly, quick-witted moments like these. ? And it's so hard to find them outside of manga/manhua/manhwa. So if you know of any stories with this type of humor, please let me know.
- This moment from My F Grade Reincarnation... I'll leave no comment. If you know, you know. ?
IMMERSIVE WORLDBUILDING:
Also not necessary, but pleasant to have. I love stories that have a world that feels lived in, no matter how vast or small, especially in fictional, fantasy worlds. This could range from the world's fictional history, architecture, daily life, geography, politics, and more! I won't say too much on this because I personally am not that great with worldbuilding, but I appreciate it when authors do this. Just a note: I do not expect any of the following examples' level of lore and worldbuilding in any other story. I'm down to read realistic fiction set in a small-town high school just as I am to read an epic fantasy set in a whole separate universe.
- Consorts of the Court (three-hit combo lol) has some incredibly extensive worldbuilding that involves the blending of real history and pure fantasy. Guys, there's a map of the continent. Through the protagonist's eyes, you first get a brief overview of the world of Dyss as well as its surrounding nations. You also get hints of each nation's culture, whether it's based on clothing, geography, language, theology, folklore, or daily life. There's even a made-up language. This is some LOTR-level of work. As this is a character-driven story, you only get more in-depth details of a certain aspect of the world if Moriya actually personally explores that part. So the pacing is comfortable and digestible.
- Cameron to Candy is probably well-known enough here (hit trending several times recently), so I won't say too much about it. The massive glossary speaks for itself. There are several nations and kingdoms located in the region known as The Cone, the main one this book focuses on being Paddlewick. Each of them have unique history and culture. There are also different races, original vocabulary and phrases, an entirely made-up calendar, and more. I definitely don't expect every story to be like this, but I just gotta appreciate the amount of work put into this world. There are also miscellaneous spin-off short stories if you want to explore other parts of The Cone more.
- The Nightmare Weaver (another three-hit combo lol) is one of those stories where the lore and world get deeper and more complex the further you read. I don't want to say too much because that spoils the fun, but the complexity and diversity of this deceptively simple world reminds me of D&D in a way. So many races, so many powers, so much lore... You usually get more extensive explanation of any new lore uncovered at the end of their respective chapters.
ROMANCE:
Rasanya berat menempatkan ini di urutan terakhir karena ini sebenarnya favorit nomor 1 saya—kisah romantis yang manis dan mengharukan. Saya seorang penulis dan pembaca novel romantis yang handal. Tapi saya tahu saya akan sangat membatasi diri jika menjadikan romantis sebagai suatu keharusan. ? Kisah romantis yang lembut dan berkembang perlahan dengan keintiman emosional sebelum fisik adalah favorit mutlak saya. Saya mencari kerinduan timbal balik, kesalahpahaman minimal, komunikasi yang baik, dan koneksi emosional. Dari kenyamanan kecil dan santai di hadapan satu sama lain hingga isyarat romantis yang besar dan pernyataan cinta... saya akan menerima semuanya. Saya menulis tentang hal-hal ini, oleh karena itu saya akan menikmatinya semua. Sayangnya, saya belum menemukan banyak cerita romantis yang sesuai dengan selera saya di SH sejauh ini, yang jujur sangat mengejutkan, tetapi saya berasumsi itu karena saya tidak cukup teliti mencarinya.
Saya juga memiliki thread fan art di Scribble Hub tempat Anda bisa mendapatkan informasi lebih lanjut tentang buku-buku apa saja yang telah saya baca yang mungkin belum saya sebutkan.
- Saya kembali membahas Consorts of the Court untuk terakhir kalinya (maaf ya, saya benar-benar menyukai buku ini, oke?) karena saya belum menemukan buku romantis lain yang sesuai dengan selera saya sebaik ini. Ini sebenarnya harem!! Yah, harem terbalik... di dunia dengan peran gender terbalik... jadi secara teknis ini harem, kan? Haremnya terasa lebih seperti dinamika keluarga yang ditemukan, tetapi romansa di dalamnya benar-benar luar biasa. Anda akan mendapatkan karakter pria yang lembut dan tampan, pengembangan karakter sebelum romansa, dan banyak keintiman dan ketegangan emosional sebelum romansa resmi dimulai. Secara keseluruhan, suasananya menyenangkan, Anda tahu? Saya sudah menulis ulasan yang sangat panjang di mana saya berteriak lebih keras tentang romansa di dalamnya, jadi Anda bisa membacanya lol. Ini adalah salah satu cerita di mana saya tidak keberatan jika menjadi smu—uhh... pokoknya.?
- The Beast World Calls My Name adalah harem terbalik lainnya (kebetulan, sungguh—) dengan romansa menggemaskan yang mengingatkan saya pada manga/manhua shoujo yang sering saya baca saat masih muda. Manis, imut, dan murni. Ditambah lagi ada cowok tampan berambut panjang dan putih, jadi bagaimana mungkin saya tidak langsung menyukainya?? Ini adalah salah satu romansa yang saya harap lebih banyak ada di Wattpad. Anda tetap mendapatkan unsur klise dan stereotip, tetapi tanpa unsur "pria alfa" yang toksik. Inilah yang saya cari ketika saya ingin membaca romansa yang lembut dan imut. Lebih banyak lagi seperti ini, tolong, jika ada di antara kalian yang bisa merekomendasikan beberapa!
Saya akan menambahkan lebih banyak contoh dan kriteria ketika saya memikirkannya. Untuk saat ini, ini semua yang saya sukai dan cari. Silakan rekomendasikan beberapa buku yang sesuai dengan permintaan saya. Jangan ragu untuk mempromosikan buku Anda sendiri seluas yang Anda butuhkan jika Anda pikir saya akan menyukainya. Silakan saja menarik perhatian saya jika perlu. Dan jika Anda telah menautkan buku Anda kepada saya sebelumnya di postingan asli saya dan masih berpikir saya akan menyukainya, jangan ragu untuk menautkannya lagi!
Heyo~!
To sum up my previous post: I love commenting. I obsessively use the multi-quote function on SH because it feels like I'm annotating a real book. This site doesn't have Wattpad's line-by-line comment function, so this will have to do. I leave comments on every chapter I read because I'm a yapper, and I think writers appreciate a reader who interacts with their story, yes? You can check my SH profile and see that my comments are often very long. I will spam you with comments if I like your story until you tell me to shut up.
In general, I can read anything, though I'm much more inclined towards soft, cute romance; comedy with deadpan humor; immersive worldbuilding; and character-driven stories. I am less interested* in LitRPG, isekai, erotica, and harems. Of course, there will always be exceptions if the story is good enough. Keep in mind I'm extremely picky with what I choose to read; if I like something, then I love it. If I'm uninterested in something, I don't usually bother reading.
So, feel free—matter of fact, encouraged—to advertise yourself or someone else's story to the best of your abilities! Maybe you can find something you like here, too!
Let's dive into the specifics of what I like, with examples! Please note that your book does not necessarily need to fit these criteria. I'm just saying this to narrow down some choices. Also, since we're (mostly) amateur writers, I'll just list the SH stories I like so it's more fair to compare. ?
CHARACTERS:
Putting this one first because it's the most important for me. I adore character-driven stories. If I don't like or care about the protagonist, then I truly cannot bring myself to read more. Authors that know their characters well, can write distinguishable character voices, and not afraid to give their characters flaws just as much as positive traits automatically have my respect. The most satisfying thing to read is character development, especially if I reread a story from the beginning and see a huge difference between the protagonist's former and current self.
Examples:
- The protagonist of the story Consorts of the Court, Queen Moriya of Dyss, starts off as a naive, sheltered princess who was suddenly thrusted into the world of politics at a young age upon the unexpected death of her mother, the former Queen. We follow her journey of learning to become the ruler of the queendom Dyss, hardened by scheming politicians, warring nations, and the highs and lows of human nature. As of right now, we are 43 chapters in, and though it may not seem that long, whenever I reread the first few chapters, I almost get emotional from how far Moriya had come. Her personality is not as expressive or apparent as most webnovel protagonists because she observes more than she acts, and she changes her behavior based on who she interacts with, which is realistic and very much relatable. And most of all, she is a beautifully flawed character. With the slowburn nature of the story, you must give her time to grow. She is not perfect, she is not a prodigy, and she has biases and makes foolish decisions at times. But ultimately, all of these traits remind you that she is a human who had the weight of a whole nation thrown onto her shoulders at a very young age.
- Similar to Moriya, the protagonist of Secretly, I'm a Cultivation Genius, Wang Yihan, is an overconfident, undereducated disciple of a cultivation sect. He's cheerful, naive, and firmly believes himself to be a cultivation genius despite having a mundane spiritual root and... cough... little talent. Why do I love him? Other than the absolute hysterical comedy he provides, his sheer undying optimism is just fun to read. He's the type to actually brighten any room he enters, even though he stresses the hell out of his peers from his ability to attract danger. And despite his overconfidence, he does not have a big ego, and he truly does want to improve himself, especially after meeting the real cultivation genius of the sect, his love interest and senior, Zhao Tai. It's utterly heartwarming to watch him grow under Zhao Tai's instruction, slowly understanding what cultivation is all about, what being a genius truly means. He is lovable, flawed, and incredibly dynamic.
- The story The Nightmare Weaver has quite a big cast, though the main focus would be on Zev McTerror, Zach Ghoul, and a new third character (won't spoil whom, you just gotta read it~). I'll highlight Zach, the deuteragonist, here because he's my favorite right now. I love characters like him who appear intimidating and almost punkish in a way, yet is a sweetheart on the inside. A delinquent who can be a softie, essentially... only to those he cares about. What I love about this story specifically is its ability to create distinct character voices. Zach's lazy, nonchalant gestures, sassy sarcasm, and casual attitude towards violence are so vividly illustrated from his dialogue and descriptions. Look at this:
Just from that line, I bet you could already picture what kind of person he is. So if you think your book or any book has excellent characterization like this, definitely recommend it to me!DESCRIPTIONS:
With this one, I understand not everyone is into writing overly detailed descriptions. While I love poetic proses and lyrical language (eyyy, alliteration), I don't need extravagant descriptions to enjoy a story. You definitely do not need 50 lines describing a room (in fact, please don't do that). Just anything that paints a vivid imagery, whether it's a setting, character appearance, action scene, etc. I just like to appreciate some juicy descriptions, you know? Bonus points if you use personification as a literary device—my favorite one. ;)
- The story What Comes After has tons of highlightable descriptions that are lyrical and elegant. But this one comes to mind as one of the most memorable ones:
Is this not the definition of apocalyptic?? Just from this snippet, you can tell that there used to be a normal, peaceful life, and it's now ruined by... something catastrophic. A calamity, if you will.
- Scholar Song Goes on an Adventure made my eyes brighten already with the opening paragraph, and I already knew it was gonna be a banger upon reading it.
I just showed a small snippet of the description, but you can already get a feel of what Village Qinghe is like. These small, mundane details like the apothecary, general goods, the inn, and the not-so-reasonably-priced treasure shop illustrate an image of the village beautifully. The dry humor is just a chef's kiss on top.
- Consorts of the Court has too many amazing descriptions to choose from, so I'll just begrudgingly pick one:
Had to resist highlighting an environmental description. This scene is very active—lots of things going on, from the competitiveness between the courtesans to the sensory details like the jingling sound. The focus on the gold bands and bells is not only a cool detail to have for character appearance, but shows Moriya's discomfort and "progressive" views for her time period. Like I said, I love character-driven stories.
HUMOR:
This one is definitely not necessary because not everyone writes comedy, and not every story needs humor. My own story has a few humorous moments, but it is ultimately a dark fantasy, so... I sadly can't make it that comedic. But I sure love reading comedy. I love dry, deadpan humor as well as absurd humor. Sadly most books I've seen that attempt humor just get a "nose exhale" from me. Very few get me to laugh out loud. So I'll show you what makes me laugh:
- Secretly, I'm a Cultivation Genius had made me laugh so many times within the first couple of chapters that it's hard to pick one moment. But I'll include one that made me hysterical for no reason.
When I tell you I laughed... hollered, even... Why? I don't know. Just the fact that the butterfly was having none of Wang Yihan's BS sent me to space. ???Dry humor gets me so badly.
- The Nightmare Weaver also has a bunch of comedy gold. I love sassy narrators that bully the characters, like in Kaguya-sama: Love is War. But beyond that, even without the narrator's attitude, there are plenty of hilarious moments to choose from. This particular one made me let out a rather unflattering laughter:
As you can tell... I lovestupidsilly, quick-witted moments like these. ? And it's so hard to find them outside of manga/manhua/manhwa. So if you know of any stories with this type of humor, please let me know.
- This moment from My F Grade Reincarnation... I'll leave no comment. If you know, you know. ?
IMMERSIVE WORLDBUILDING:
Also not necessary, but pleasant to have. I love stories that have a world that feels lived in, no matter how vast or small, especially in fictional, fantasy worlds. This could range from the world's fictional history, architecture, daily life, geography, politics, and more! I won't say too much on this because I personally am not that great with worldbuilding, but I appreciate it when authors do this. Just a note: I do not expect any of the following examples' level of lore and worldbuilding in any other story. I'm down to read realistic fiction set in a small-town high school just as I am to read an epic fantasy set in a whole separate universe.
- Consorts of the Court (three-hit combo lol) has some incredibly extensive worldbuilding that involves the blending of real history and pure fantasy. Guys, there's a map of the continent. Through the protagonist's eyes, you first get a brief overview of the world of Dyss as well as its surrounding nations. You also get hints of each nation's culture, whether it's based on clothing, geography, language, theology, folklore, or daily life. There's even a made-up language. This is some LOTR-level of work. As this is a character-driven story, you only get more in-depth details of a certain aspect of the world if Moriya actually personally explores that part. So the pacing is comfortable and digestible.
- Cameron to Candy is probably well-known enough here (hit trending several times recently), so I won't say too much about it. The massive glossary speaks for itself. There are several nations and kingdoms located in the region known as The Cone, the main one this book focuses on being Paddlewick. Each of them have unique history and culture. There are also different races, original vocabulary and phrases, an entirely made-up calendar, and more. I definitely don't expect every story to be like this, but I just gotta appreciate the amount of work put into this world. There are also miscellaneous spin-off short stories if you want to explore other parts of The Cone more.
- The Nightmare Weaver (another three-hit combo lol) is one of those stories where the lore and world get deeper and more complex the further you read. I don't want to say too much because that spoils the fun, but the complexity and diversity of this deceptively simple world reminds me of D&D in a way. So many races, so many powers, so much lore... You usually get more extensive explanation of any new lore uncovered at the end of their respective chapters.
ROMANCE:
It hurts to put this last because this is actually my #1 favorite—just some cute, sappy romance. I'm a big romance writer and reader. But I know I'd be greatly limiting myself if I made romance a necessity. ? A soft, slowburn romance with emotional intimacy before physical is my absolute favorite. I look for mutual yearning, minimal misunderstandings, good communication, and emotional connection. From small, casual comfort in each other's presence to grand, romantic gestures and professions of love... I will take all of them. I write about this stuff, therefore I will eat it all up. Sadly, I haven't found that many romance stories that are my cup of tea on SH so far, which is honestly really surprising, but I assume that's because I'm not looking hard enough.
I also have a Scribble Hub fan art thread where you can get more info on what books I've been reading that I may have left out.
- Bringing back Consorts of the Court one last time (I'm sorry y'all I just really love this book okay) because I haven't found any other romance books that fit my taste as perfectly as this. It's actually a harem!! Well, a reverse harem... in a reverse gender role world... so technically it's a harem, yes? The harem feels more like a found family dynamic, but the romance was just peak. You get soft, pretty boy(s), building character before romance, and tons of emotional intimacy and tension before the romance officially commences. Just an overall feel-good vibe, you know? I left a long AF review where I scream harder about the romance, so you can go check it out lol. This is one of those stories where I don't mind if it becomes smu—uhh... anyways. ?
- The Beast World Calls My Name is another reverse harem (coincidence, I swear—) with adorable romance that reminds me of the shoujo manga/manhua I read a lot when I was younger. Wholesome, cute, and pure. It also has a long, white-haired pretty boy so how can I not automatically love it. ? This is one of those romances that I wish Wattpad had more of. You still get the cheese and the trope, but none of that toxic "alpha male" stuff. This is what I look for when I say I want to read soft, cute romance. More of this, please, if anyone of you could recommend some!
I'll add more examples and criteria when I think of them. For now, these are all what I like and look for. Please recommend me some books that match my request. Feel free to advertise your own books as extensively as you need if you think I'll like it. Hog my attention if you must. And if you've linked your book to me before on my original post and still think I'd like it, feel free to link it again!
Hey! I think you would like my book - it is a character driven fantasy where the protagonist slowly loses himself, spiraling into moments of bloodlust and insanity at times. Not without reason though, but many don't notice why...?? I try to write in a way that makes the book seem visceral, and immersive with in-depth world lore.Heyo~!
To sum up my previous post: I love commenting. I obsessively use the multi-quote function on SH because it feels like I'm annotating a real book. This site doesn't have Wattpad's line-by-line comment function, so this will have to do. I leave comments on every chapter I read because I'm a yapper, and I think writers appreciate a reader who interacts with their story, yes? You can check my SH profile and see that my comments are often very long. I will spam you with comments if I like your story until you tell me to shut up.
In general, I can read anything, though I'm much more inclined towards soft, cute romance; comedy with deadpan humor; immersive worldbuilding; and character-driven stories. I am less interested* in LitRPG, isekai, erotica, and harems. Of course, there will always be exceptions if the story is good enough. Keep in mind I'm extremely picky with what I choose to read; if I like something, then I love it. If I'm uninterested in something, I don't usually bother reading.
So, feel free—matter of fact, encouraged—to advertise yourself or someone else's story to the best of your abilities! Maybe you can find something you like here, too!
Let's dive into the specifics of what I like, with examples! Please note that your book does not necessarily need to fit these criteria. I'm just saying this to narrow down some choices. Also, since we're (mostly) amateur writers, I'll just list the SH stories I like so it's more fair to compare. ?
CHARACTERS:
Putting this one first because it's the most important for me. I adore character-driven stories. If I don't like or care about the protagonist, then I truly cannot bring myself to read more. Authors that know their characters well, can write distinguishable character voices, and not afraid to give their characters flaws just as much as positive traits automatically have my respect. The most satisfying thing to read is character development, especially if I reread a story from the beginning and see a huge difference between the protagonist's former and current self.
Examples:
- The protagonist of the story Consorts of the Court, Queen Moriya of Dyss, starts off as a naive, sheltered princess who was suddenly thrusted into the world of politics at a young age upon the unexpected death of her mother, the former Queen. We follow her journey of learning to become the ruler of the queendom Dyss, hardened by scheming politicians, warring nations, and the highs and lows of human nature. As of right now, we are 43 chapters in, and though it may not seem that long, whenever I reread the first few chapters, I almost get emotional from how far Moriya had come. Her personality is not as expressive or apparent as most webnovel protagonists because she observes more than she acts, and she changes her behavior based on who she interacts with, which is realistic and very much relatable. And most of all, she is a beautifully flawed character. With the slowburn nature of the story, you must give her time to grow. She is not perfect, she is not a prodigy, and she has biases and makes foolish decisions at times. But ultimately, all of these traits remind you that she is a human who had the weight of a whole nation thrown onto her shoulders at a very young age.
- Similar to Moriya, the protagonist of Secretly, I'm a Cultivation Genius, Wang Yihan, is an overconfident, undereducated disciple of a cultivation sect. He's cheerful, naive, and firmly believes himself to be a cultivation genius despite having a mundane spiritual root and... cough... little talent. Why do I love him? Other than the absolute hysterical comedy he provides, his sheer undying optimism is just fun to read. He's the type to actually brighten any room he enters, even though he stresses the hell out of his peers from his ability to attract danger. And despite his overconfidence, he does not have a big ego, and he truly does want to improve himself, especially after meeting the real cultivation genius of the sect, his love interest and senior, Zhao Tai. It's utterly heartwarming to watch him grow under Zhao Tai's instruction, slowly understanding what cultivation is all about, what being a genius truly means. He is lovable, flawed, and incredibly dynamic.
- The story The Nightmare Weaver has quite a big cast, though the main focus would be on Zev McTerror, Zach Ghoul, and a new third character (won't spoil whom, you just gotta read it~). I'll highlight Zach, the deuteragonist, here because he's my favorite right now. I love characters like him who appear intimidating and almost punkish in a way, yet is a sweetheart on the inside. A delinquent who can be a softie, essentially... only to those he cares about. What I love about this story specifically is its ability to create distinct character voices. Zach's lazy, nonchalant gestures, sassy sarcasm, and casual attitude towards violence are so vividly illustrated from his dialogue and descriptions. Look at this:
Just from that line, I bet you could already picture what kind of person he is. So if you think your book or any book has excellent characterization like this, definitely recommend it to me!DESCRIPTIONS:
With this one, I understand not everyone is into writing overly detailed descriptions. While I love poetic proses and lyrical language (eyyy, alliteration), I don't need extravagant descriptions to enjoy a story. You definitely do not need 50 lines describing a room (in fact, please don't do that). Just anything that paints a vivid imagery, whether it's a setting, character appearance, action scene, etc. I just like to appreciate some juicy descriptions, you know? Bonus points if you use personification as a literary device—my favorite one. ;)
- The story What Comes After has tons of highlightable descriptions that are lyrical and elegant. But this one comes to mind as one of the most memorable ones:
Is this not the definition of apocalyptic?? Just from this snippet, you can tell that there used to be a normal, peaceful life, and it's now ruined by... something catastrophic. A calamity, if you will.
- Scholar Song Goes on an Adventure made my eyes brighten already with the opening paragraph, and I already knew it was gonna be a banger upon reading it.
I just showed a small snippet of the description, but you can already get a feel of what Village Qinghe is like. These small, mundane details like the apothecary, general goods, the inn, and the not-so-reasonably-priced treasure shop illustrate an image of the village beautifully. The dry humor is just a chef's kiss on top.
- Consorts of the Court has too many amazing descriptions to choose from, so I'll just begrudgingly pick one:
Had to resist highlighting an environmental description. This scene is very active—lots of things going on, from the competitiveness between the courtesans to the sensory details like the jingling sound. The focus on the gold bands and bells is not only a cool detail to have for character appearance, but shows Moriya's discomfort and "progressive" views for her time period. Like I said, I love character-driven stories.
HUMOR:
This one is definitely not necessary because not everyone writes comedy, and not every story needs humor. My own story has a few humorous moments, but it is ultimately a dark fantasy, so... I sadly can't make it that comedic. But I sure love reading comedy. I love dry, deadpan humor as well as absurd humor. Sadly most books I've seen that attempt humor just get a "nose exhale" from me. Very few get me to laugh out loud. So I'll show you what makes me laugh:
- Secretly, I'm a Cultivation Genius had made me laugh so many times within the first couple of chapters that it's hard to pick one moment. But I'll include one that made me hysterical for no reason.
When I tell you I laughed... hollered, even... Why? I don't know. Just the fact that the butterfly was having none of Wang Yihan's BS sent me to space. ???Dry humor gets me so badly.
- The Nightmare Weaver also has a bunch of comedy gold. I love sassy narrators that bully the characters, like in Kaguya-sama: Love is War. But beyond that, even without the narrator's attitude, there are plenty of hilarious moments to choose from. This particular one made me let out a rather unflattering laughter:
As you can tell... I lovestupidsilly, quick-witted moments like these. ? And it's so hard to find them outside of manga/manhua/manhwa. So if you know of any stories with this type of humor, please let me know.
- This moment from My F Grade Reincarnation... I'll leave no comment. If you know, you know. ?
IMMERSIVE WORLDBUILDING:
Also not necessary, but pleasant to have. I love stories that have a world that feels lived in, no matter how vast or small, especially in fictional, fantasy worlds. This could range from the world's fictional history, architecture, daily life, geography, politics, and more! I won't say too much on this because I personally am not that great with worldbuilding, but I appreciate it when authors do this. Just a note: I do not expect any of the following examples' level of lore and worldbuilding in any other story. I'm down to read realistic fiction set in a small-town high school just as I am to read an epic fantasy set in a whole separate universe.
- Consorts of the Court (three-hit combo lol) has some incredibly extensive worldbuilding that involves the blending of real history and pure fantasy. Guys, there's a map of the continent. Through the protagonist's eyes, you first get a brief overview of the world of Dyss as well as its surrounding nations. You also get hints of each nation's culture, whether it's based on clothing, geography, language, theology, folklore, or daily life. There's even a made-up language. This is some LOTR-level of work. As this is a character-driven story, you only get more in-depth details of a certain aspect of the world if Moriya actually personally explores that part. So the pacing is comfortable and digestible.
- Cameron to Candy is probably well-known enough here (hit trending several times recently), so I won't say too much about it. The massive glossary speaks for itself. There are several nations and kingdoms located in the region known as The Cone, the main one this book focuses on being Paddlewick. Each of them have unique history and culture. There are also different races, original vocabulary and phrases, an entirely made-up calendar, and more. I definitely don't expect every story to be like this, but I just gotta appreciate the amount of work put into this world. There are also miscellaneous spin-off short stories if you want to explore other parts of The Cone more.
- The Nightmare Weaver (another three-hit combo lol) is one of those stories where the lore and world get deeper and more complex the further you read. I don't want to say too much because that spoils the fun, but the complexity and diversity of this deceptively simple world reminds me of D&D in a way. So many races, so many powers, so much lore... You usually get more extensive explanation of any new lore uncovered at the end of their respective chapters.
ROMANCE:
It hurts to put this last because this is actually my #1 favorite—just some cute, sappy romance. I'm a big romance writer and reader. But I know I'd be greatly limiting myself if I made romance a necessity. ? A soft, slowburn romance with emotional intimacy before physical is my absolute favorite. I look for mutual yearning, minimal misunderstandings, good communication, and emotional connection. From small, casual comfort in each other's presence to grand, romantic gestures and professions of love... I will take all of them. I write about this stuff, therefore I will eat it all up. Sadly, I haven't found that many romance stories that are my cup of tea on SH so far, which is honestly really surprising, but I assume that's because I'm not looking hard enough.
I also have a Scribble Hub fan art thread where you can get more info on what books I've been reading that I may have left out.
- Bringing back Consorts of the Court one last time (I'm sorry y'all I just really love this book okay) because I haven't found any other romance books that fit my taste as perfectly as this. It's actually a harem!! Well, a reverse harem... in a reverse gender role world... so technically it's a harem, yes? The harem feels more like a found family dynamic, but the romance was just peak. You get soft, pretty boy(s), building character before romance, and tons of emotional intimacy and tension before the romance officially commences. Just an overall feel-good vibe, you know? I left a long AF review where I scream harder about the romance, so you can go check it out lol. This is one of those stories where I don't mind if it becomes smu—uhh... anyways. ?
- The Beast World Calls My Name is another reverse harem (coincidence, I swear—) with adorable romance that reminds me of the shoujo manga/manhua I read a lot when I was younger. Wholesome, cute, and pure. It also has a long, white-haired pretty boy so how can I not automatically love it. ? This is one of those romances that I wish Wattpad had more of. You still get the cheese and the trope, but none of that toxic "alpha male" stuff. This is what I look for when I say I want to read soft, cute romance. More of this, please, if anyone of you could recommend some!
I'll add more examples and criteria when I think of them. For now, these are all what I like and look for. Please recommend me some books that match my request. Feel free to advertise your own books as extensively as you need if you think I'll like it. Hog my attention if you must. And if you've linked your book to me before on my original post and still think I'd like it, feel free to link it again!
