What are some general tips on how to write good original fiction?

[aurifex]

I made $15,100 this WEEK from my writing, and just imagine how much more I can bullshit tomorrow.

I truly do not care if you believe me, because I think relying on "argument by credentials" is cringe as fuck. Only Paul_Michaels brings it up literally everywhere I post because he is obsessed with the concept of readers and money

 

[Deleted member 84247]

This place is an echo chamber. I can't believe a bunch of people provided different ways to actually get traction. Let me continue to poison this echo chamber and say that not every type of story will get trending. Writing GL on Scribble Hub gives me an advantage that you don't have while not writing what gets popular.

Take this story Hordedoom. I took the liberty of looking at it, and there are many things standing in the way of yourself. A 6 part prologue? That is a lot of dumping that a lot of people aren't going to even care about to begin with. Looking at chapter one, the chapter itself is 3200 words, and you write blocky style paragraphs that aren't as popular on this site.

Have you ever tried to change the style of your paragraphing? Did you try to make chapters that are 2k words instead? You did make one slice of life story, but even that one has this blocky paragraph style. Would you consider changing your style for fame? Or do you want to try and maintain the same style?

 

[Valmond]

Since you asked me to not engage with you I try to do so. But I can't walk past this thing. Bro, no offence here. Have you ever thought OP made everything within the second "way" of doing it? Really, no offence here, but my guy, rookie, has been writing for years now, and you seriously advise him to plan his stories? Or to follow a schedule? I don't know the word I should use here, but the closest one to what I want to say would be, this looks very condescending.

That wasn’t my intention, it is just the process. I have been writing for years myself. And it took years for me to build, it is just my experience.

I don’t know how OP does things, so I tried to give an appropriate response based on how I have done it.

It got results, and it is just advice, and nothing more.

This place is an echo chamber. I can't believe a bunch of people provided different ways to actually get traction. Let me continue to poison this echo chamber and say that not every type of story will get trending. Writing GL on Scribble Hub gives me an advantage that you don't have while not writing what gets popular.

Take this story Hordedoom. I took the liberty of looking at it, and there are many things standing in the way of yourself. A 6 part prologue? That is a lot of dumping that a lot of people aren't going to even care about to begin with. Looking at chapter one, the chapter itself is 3200 words, and you write blocky style paragraphs that aren't as popular on this site.

Have you ever tried to change the style of your paragraphing? Did you try to make chapters that are 2k words instead? You did make one slice of life story, but even that one has this blocky paragraph style. Would you consider changing your style for fame? Or do you want to try and maintain the same style?

Yeah, this would do it. The style can be a barrier of entry.

 

[RainyLiquid]

?

?

This no longer has to do with the forum I'm just here to watch the show unfolding.

 

[Valmond]

?

Allow me to join too.

Also, I looked as well. OP looks to be doing okay. If it works, it works ya know.

 

[RepresentingWrath]

That wasn’t my intention, it is just the process. I have been writing for years myself. And it took years for me to build, it is just my experience.

I don’t know how OP does things, so I tried to give an appropriate response based on how I have done it.

It got results, and it is just advice, and nothing more.

Once again, no offence here, but if we talk about SH you didn't get the results that would allow you to speak on behalf of how to get more views, readers, and comments here. I don't know how good you are doing on RR, I think you left it anyway, so there isn't really any point comparing stats there, right? Anyway, I won't bring up myself or my acquintances here. Rookie has more views and readers than you on SH. OP has more views and readers than you, and I'm fairly sure he did follow the basics. And he isn't satisfied with just that. So yeah. I won't ask you to do research, it would be hypocritical of me since I don't do it either. I just felt iffy about reading basic writing advice and couldn't shut my mouth, sorry.

 

[RainyLiquid]

Allow me to join too.

Also, I looked as well. OP looks to be doing okay. If it works, it works ya know.

What's crazy is I feel like I saw this exact same argument on RoyalRoad last week, and it also turned into three people circling one another all yelling.

I love the internet.

 

[Valmond]

Once again, no offence here, but if we talk about SH you didn't get the results that would allow you to speak on behalf of how to get more views, readers, and comments here. I don't know how good you are doing on RR, I think you left it anyway, so there isn't really any point comparing stats there, right? Anyway, I won't bring up myself or my acquintances here. Rookie has more views and readers than you on SH. OP has more views and readers than you, and I'm fairly sure he did follow the basics. And he isn't satisfied with just that. So yeah. I won't ask you to do research, it would be hypocritical of me since I don't do it either. I just felt iffy about reading basic writing advice and couldn't shut my mouth, sorry.

Fair enough, and I understand and agree.
I had around 1100 on RR, I decided to leave it behind and move on.

It was just my experience of doing things, and I shouldn’t have done that.

What's crazy is I feel like I saw this exact same argument on RoyalRoad last week, and it also turned into three people circling one another all yelling.

I love the internet.

So the normal then? ?

 

[Deleted member 84247]

Allow me to join too.

Also, I looked as well. OP looks to be doing okay. If it works, it works ya know.

Stop doing that. OP doesn't like their numbers. They want to increase them. It doesn't do to tell them that their numbers are okay when they can get much more, and they clearly want to. If they want to increase their numbers, they will have to change something. It's only making yourself feel better to pat them on the back. If you can give actionable advice instead of "just do what you're doing," that is better. Most of the time, the actionable advice will be doing something you don't want to. Which may include changing styles and genres.

 

[Paul__Michaels]

A $10,000 dallor author you say? And yet, he is too much of a coward to show us his book. You would think an arbiter of literature would love to show off their work. And yet, you'll hide like last time.

 

[Valmond]

Stop doing that. OP doesn't like their numbers. They want to increase them. It doesn't do to tell them that their numbers are okay when they can get much more, and they clearly want to. If they want to increase their numbers, they will have to change something. It's only making yourself feel better to pat them on the back. If you can give actionable advice instead of "just do what you're doing," that is better. Most of the time, the actionable advice will be doing something you don't want to. Which may include changing styles and genres.

Yes, that is true. To keep growing, you have to also adapt to style and genre. It is just how the platforms work.

 

[RepresentingWrath]

Fair enough, and I understand and agree.
I had around 1100 on RR, I decided to leave it behind and move on.

It was just my experience of doing things, and I shouldn’t have done that.

Nah, it's just, kind of personal, I guess? I observed Rookie on SHF for a long time. He is a good author, I honestly think so, but he struggles to bring in more stats, even though he wants it. Me and many others advised him multiple times to change his approach but this or that got in the way. He is also a stubborn person, and didn't fully follow through with the advise people gave him. I honestly wish for him to succeed since he is humble and hardworking. So seeing your advice on basics set me off. Do share your experience next time, I didn't want to shame you into not doing it. It's just somewhat personal and I couldn't control my emotions.

 

[Valmond]

Nah, it's just, kind of personal, I guess? I observed Rookie on SHF for a long time. He is a good author, I honestly think so, but he struggles to bring in more stats, even though he wants it. Me and many others advised him multiple times to change his approach but this or that got in the way. He is also a stubborn person, and didn't fully follow through with the advise people gave him. I honestly wish for him to succeed since he is humble and hardworking. So seeing your advice on basics set me off. Do share your experience next time, I didn't want to shame you into not doing it. It's just somewhat personal and I couldn't control my emotions.

I get that, I understand what it is like to struggle with stats and other reception I’ve been there myself, working hard, tirelessly doing so.

I want OP to succeed too, I want everyone to meet their goals. That’s just how I am.

And don’t worry about it, I’d rather you tell me so I know. I do hope OP at least takes the time to make the paragraphs more manageable, I feel it would help them get a bit closer to their goal.

 

[aurifex]

Checking what this Rookie guy writes, his work doesn't belong on Scribblehub—in the sense it isn't on market. He should be trying to corner RoyalRoad. SH has a market for smut and LGBT+ stuff.
The RoyalRoad forums are also hopelessly clueless though. Go find select knowledgeable, successful RR authors and see what they have to say. By definition the "laymen" who use a public space like SH/RR forums doesn't know how to be the 1% that succeeds. You're getting advice from failures.
The author of DOTF released a post on the topic. Wales has a blog on how to write serials. There are private discords you can probably network into if you're polite and earnest.
Whatever you do, don't use public forums. Please, man, trust me. They're all cess pits of mediocrity. I am the only voice of reason you will find—listen to it.

 

[RainyLiquid]

Nah, it's just, kind of personal, I guess? I observed Rookie on SHF for a long time. He is a good author, I honestly think so, but he struggles to bring in more stats, even though he wants it. Me and many others advised him multiple times to change his approach but this or that got in the way. He is also a stubborn person, and didn't fully follow through with the advise people gave him. I honestly wish for him to succeed since he is humble and hardworking. So seeing your advice on basics set me off. Do share your experience next time, I didn't want to shame you into not doing it. It's just somewhat personal and I couldn't control my emotions.

I get that, I understand what it is like to struggle with stats and other reception I’ve been there myself, working hard, tirelessly doing so.

I want OP to succeed too, I want everyone to meet their goals. That’s just how I am.

And don’t worry about it, I’d rather you tell me so I know. I do hope OP at least takes the time to make the paragraphs more manageable, I feel it would help them get a bit closer to their goal.

Gasp. A civil conversation between two people online that ends with them coming to an agreement? Impossible.

 

[RepresentingWrath]

Please, man, trust me.

YES! Trust the pixels on your screen!

 

[Deleted member 84247]

Checking what this Rookie guy writes, his work doesn't belong on Scribblehub—in the sense it isn't on market. He should be trying to corner RoyalRoad. SH has a market for smut and LGBT+ stuff.
The RoyalRoad forums are also hopelessly clueless though. Go find select knowledgeable, successful RR authors and see what they have to say. By definition the "laymen" who use a public space like SH/RR forums doesn't know how to be the 1% that succeeds. You're getting advice from failures.
The author of DOTF released a post on the topic. Wales has a blog on how to write serials. There are private discords you can probably network into if you're polite and earnest.
Whatever you do, don't use public forums. Please, man, trust me. They're all cess pits of mediocrity. I am the only voice of reason you will find—listen to it.

Be Aurifex -> say to take the validity of an argument and not stats...Proceed to say that advice here is bad because they don't have stats. Wow, that's a novel concept. Maybe this guy actually is a genius. Only listen to him when he never provided stats because he has a monopoly on true information. This guy is so smart that I'm trembling.

 

[aurifex]

Be Aurifex -> say to take the validity of an argument and not stats...Proceed to say that advice here is bad because they don't have stats. Wow, that's a novel concept. Maybe this guy actually is a genius. Only listen to him when he never provided stats because he has a monopoly on true information. This guy is so smart that I'm trembling.

You didn't engage once in "logical arguments". You only now respond after I gave up and tried to set OP straight with the same shit you were doing the whole time—appeal to authority.
Whatever. I feel bad for everyone misguided enough to listen to people on these forums. Hopefully OP reads my comments and has an analytical enough mind to recognize the sense in my words. If he doesn't, he wouldn't have succeeded in the meritocracy of authorship anyway.
Best of luck

 

[Anonjohn20]

I assume you talk about SH, right? Monitor top 8-10 trending for at least one week. ideally couple weeks or more. Next step, skim through every work that appeared on trending during that time. As you look through those works, take notes of what works.

This is how we end up with more litrpg, cultivation, and isekai, How could you give this advice?

I accept your concession.

This is not Reddit, in case you can't tell.

top 25 on ScribbleHub wouldn't make top 200 on RoyalRoad, Webnovel, etc.

The trick to being successful on Royal Road is to jerk off the author cliques so they don't send their fans to harass you; I've seen multiple stories get taken down by moderators due to "community" outrage. The trick for Webnovel is to basically give them the rights to your story and then post a chapter every day; they don't care about quality, they care about quantity.

 

[RepresentingWrath]

Best of luck

We all know you are too weak-willed to truly leave the thread. Even this message I typed to you, you have to obtain that sweet last word. C'mon, reply to me! Say I am a fool! Say I'm and idiotic circlejerker! Say that I am a retard and I belong to reddit! Let the hate consume you!