Um. You guys? We were not expecting 300+ comments on our first community post... But THANK YOU all for jumping in and saying hi and sharing your wonderful thoughts and words and ideas with each other.
Clearly we can't reply to everyone but HOLY WOW, WE LOVE YOU ALL!
I’m late to this party but happy to be here still!! I’m working on a few different projects, but the big ones I’m most invested in (at the moment) are a poetry collection & the first book in a fantasy triology! I have a few short stories & essays also sitting on my desk somewhere. Mostly, I’m just always trying to fold writing more into my daily life alongside working full time!
I'm working on a collection of linked stories. Loosely linked by a place, an area. Characters appear and disappear over time, things happen that nobody other than a couple of protagonists and antagonists know about.
I'd like to share writing for purposes of shared critique. Positive, helpful criticism, y'know.
Hi! I'm Sam. I'm a junior in college majoring in English and Creative Writing, and I desperately want to get better at the "creative" part of writing. I'm a strong writer in many other places, but I get stuck when I try to write creatively. It's not that I don't have the words to write, it's more that I can't seem to solidify my plots and come up with ideas that feel fresh and new. I have two 2000-4000 word short stories to write this semester, and I want to create something I'm proud of. Here to learn!
I'm Aditi. I work as a freelance journalist, but spent much of my 20s aiming towards a career in directing and screenwriting. I'm currently dipping my toes into novel writing, and am (very slowly) working on a speculative fiction set in a future where the earth has become actively hostile against humanity. It's been a few years since I threw myself into creative writing (outside of fanfiction 🤪) and these workshops have helped me get back into the swing of things. Hoping to keep chipping away at my novel over the course of the year.
I've just discovered The Forever Workshop, and why not, I'll add to the comments too! I'm El and it took my 10 years to get the end of the first draft of my first novel. On the second novel now, 5 years in BUT there was definitely too much worldbuilding in the beginning. Now I'm halfway through, working hard to go at my own pace, (life, work, etc) resisting the invisible pressure to go faster, while also wanting to get to the end of the draft this year.
I'm Paula. 13 months ago, I took a 6 month gap year from teaching to finish my novel. It started as a short story in 2017, one of the people in the workshop didn't get any of it so I had to write more. I wrote about 20 000 words in 2019 but then the Pandemmy hit and my creative juices dried up for two+ years. The novel is not finished. I have written about 20 000 more words and a shit load of spoken word poetry. I perform at open mics a lot which might be why I'm so tired all the time. I write in English and in Dutch and think I suck for different reasons in each.
Amiwrong, or just ignant. But nobody is talking 'How to Talk to Other Writers'. Are y'all breaking out in groups that I'm just stupid about? I'm perfectly willing and able to admit that I don't know how this all is supposed to work. Same as such, it all feels to me, we're just talking AT one another, when we ought to be talking TO each other. Or is thread dead. And where do we go from here.
Hey! I’m Britt, a writer and reader of fiction and speculative things. Last year I finished my first long-ish form work, a horror novella, and through that realized I have a LOT to learn about making characters that can carry long form stories. My main priorities are to dive deep into characters and let a few of them loose in a novel draft by the end of the year, and keep on with short works and submitting them. Glad to be here!
My favorite - my go to - is thus, 'Fine, I'll do it myself.'
Any ringydingies? It encompasses much more than I originally could conceive. Confession - I stopped reading a decade ago. I told myself I wanted to hear my own voice for a change. And I do. I don't recommend it to others though. I know I'm missing out, but I hope you'll try to understand.
'I'll do it myself' runs all the way through my work because it's strength and weakness amalgamated, it's also natural in the sense of self, it's the boy who wants to tell a story all his own, it's the character who builds her own prosthetic from scratch, and ultimately because it's the same character who eventually takes her own life.
Hey there. I'm Sarah. After piecing it together over seven years, I finished a first draft of my first novel. Hooray!
It's about a woman working in a large tech company who is tasked to find out "what's really going on" behind the scenes while working with and around coworkers who may be there to help her or prevent her from succeeding. It's set in the American south so there's a whole host of characters including tech bros, ladder climbers, hospitality and maintenance workers, seedy motels run by sweet grandmas, swinger retirees, and a middle-aged white man who believes he can solve everything even though he has zero first-hand knowledge of the problems at hand. They fight, they scheme, they work together to uncover the conspiracy. It's a lot of fun!
But I don't want to touch it. The editing process feels overwhelming and unpleasant, especially when I could be working on one of my other newer, shinier, and totally different works-in-progress. I really need someone to read what I have and help me figure out what to keep, what to cut, what to expand upon, and what to consolidate.
I've never submitted to lit mags, but I did have one short story shortlisted for an writing contest in 2023, so that was cool.
I am currently writing on Medium (75 followers so I don't get paid) but I would "like" to write and be paid for it. I do "too much" writing for free (and still have a mortgage to pay) and am not good at this "getting people to your website" thing. But does Substack give you more visibility than Medium?
I lean towards writing flash but would like to expand my short pieces, up to several thousand word short stories. I would like to establish a trusted writing partner relationship- someone with whom to share work for ideas as well as editing.
Um. You guys? We were not expecting 300+ comments on our first community post... But THANK YOU all for jumping in and saying hi and sharing your wonderful thoughts and words and ideas with each other.
Clearly we can't reply to everyone but HOLY WOW, WE LOVE YOU ALL!
And counting :)
I’m late to this party but happy to be here still!! I’m working on a few different projects, but the big ones I’m most invested in (at the moment) are a poetry collection & the first book in a fantasy triology! I have a few short stories & essays also sitting on my desk somewhere. Mostly, I’m just always trying to fold writing more into my daily life alongside working full time!
I'm a bit late to this but I hope not too late.
I'm working on a collection of linked stories. Loosely linked by a place, an area. Characters appear and disappear over time, things happen that nobody other than a couple of protagonists and antagonists know about.
I'd like to share writing for purposes of shared critique. Positive, helpful criticism, y'know.
Hi! I'm Sam. I'm a junior in college majoring in English and Creative Writing, and I desperately want to get better at the "creative" part of writing. I'm a strong writer in many other places, but I get stuck when I try to write creatively. It's not that I don't have the words to write, it's more that I can't seem to solidify my plots and come up with ideas that feel fresh and new. I have two 2000-4000 word short stories to write this semester, and I want to create something I'm proud of. Here to learn!
I'm Aditi. I work as a freelance journalist, but spent much of my 20s aiming towards a career in directing and screenwriting. I'm currently dipping my toes into novel writing, and am (very slowly) working on a speculative fiction set in a future where the earth has become actively hostile against humanity. It's been a few years since I threw myself into creative writing (outside of fanfiction 🤪) and these workshops have helped me get back into the swing of things. Hoping to keep chipping away at my novel over the course of the year.
I've just discovered The Forever Workshop, and why not, I'll add to the comments too! I'm El and it took my 10 years to get the end of the first draft of my first novel. On the second novel now, 5 years in BUT there was definitely too much worldbuilding in the beginning. Now I'm halfway through, working hard to go at my own pace, (life, work, etc) resisting the invisible pressure to go faster, while also wanting to get to the end of the draft this year.
"Who said what, where? Why?"
I'm Paula. 13 months ago, I took a 6 month gap year from teaching to finish my novel. It started as a short story in 2017, one of the people in the workshop didn't get any of it so I had to write more. I wrote about 20 000 words in 2019 but then the Pandemmy hit and my creative juices dried up for two+ years. The novel is not finished. I have written about 20 000 more words and a shit load of spoken word poetry. I perform at open mics a lot which might be why I'm so tired all the time. I write in English and in Dutch and think I suck for different reasons in each.
I'm new to these groups on Substack. Where is the content? I don't know how to navigate there. thanks!
I’ll leave you with a second theme, more important - ‘Instinct vs. Algorithm. Who you got?’.’
In my construction, we as a species choose instinct. And that choice prevents our extinction. But if only that were the end of it…
Dear Jo, and the rest of my people -
Amiwrong, or just ignant. But nobody is talking 'How to Talk to Other Writers'. Are y'all breaking out in groups that I'm just stupid about? I'm perfectly willing and able to admit that I don't know how this all is supposed to work. Same as such, it all feels to me, we're just talking AT one another, when we ought to be talking TO each other. Or is thread dead. And where do we go from here.
Hey! I’m Britt, a writer and reader of fiction and speculative things. Last year I finished my first long-ish form work, a horror novella, and through that realized I have a LOT to learn about making characters that can carry long form stories. My main priorities are to dive deep into characters and let a few of them loose in a novel draft by the end of the year, and keep on with short works and submitting them. Glad to be here!
I dig a good character study, or deep dive as you say. And yeah man - turn 'em loose on the world.
Themes.
My favorite - my go to - is thus, 'Fine, I'll do it myself.'
Any ringydingies? It encompasses much more than I originally could conceive. Confession - I stopped reading a decade ago. I told myself I wanted to hear my own voice for a change. And I do. I don't recommend it to others though. I know I'm missing out, but I hope you'll try to understand.
'I'll do it myself' runs all the way through my work because it's strength and weakness amalgamated, it's also natural in the sense of self, it's the boy who wants to tell a story all his own, it's the character who builds her own prosthetic from scratch, and ultimately because it's the same character who eventually takes her own life.
What's yours? What sustains you...
Hey there. I'm Sarah. After piecing it together over seven years, I finished a first draft of my first novel. Hooray!
It's about a woman working in a large tech company who is tasked to find out "what's really going on" behind the scenes while working with and around coworkers who may be there to help her or prevent her from succeeding. It's set in the American south so there's a whole host of characters including tech bros, ladder climbers, hospitality and maintenance workers, seedy motels run by sweet grandmas, swinger retirees, and a middle-aged white man who believes he can solve everything even though he has zero first-hand knowledge of the problems at hand. They fight, they scheme, they work together to uncover the conspiracy. It's a lot of fun!
But I don't want to touch it. The editing process feels overwhelming and unpleasant, especially when I could be working on one of my other newer, shinier, and totally different works-in-progress. I really need someone to read what I have and help me figure out what to keep, what to cut, what to expand upon, and what to consolidate.
I've never submitted to lit mags, but I did have one short story shortlisted for an writing contest in 2023, so that was cool.
Hi Sarah! That story premise sounds like the layers go all the way down... (And what a brilliant cast of characters!)
I am currently writing on Medium (75 followers so I don't get paid) but I would "like" to write and be paid for it. I do "too much" writing for free (and still have a mortgage to pay) and am not good at this "getting people to your website" thing. But does Substack give you more visibility than Medium?
I lean towards writing flash but would like to expand my short pieces, up to several thousand word short stories. I would like to establish a trusted writing partner relationship- someone with whom to share work for ideas as well as editing.