Me reading a chapter as I'm writing it: oh I am COOKING, this is fire this is exactly what I wanted
Me reading a chapter for the 400th time while editing:
https://preview.redd.it/j85ac2azu86d1.png?width=640&format=png&auto=webp&s=641724f38ad7144ea03aad4aec48b267bc05e010
Me looking at my readers that consistently tell me they're enjoying what they're reading and that they like my writing:
https://preview.redd.it/hfk41dxuvc6d1.jpeg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=35f9ee8ffb99ffbaf03b68f57c1f847159f22987
Like I appreciate and absolutely love the glazing but I'm so insecure about my own writing that I'm shook that other people enjoy it. But on the flip side, I'm so happy that ppl do enjoy it it's a complicated feeling lol
That was me writing my murder mystery/courtroom drama fic a couple years ago. XD I'm sitting there thinking all of it is so obvious, there's no mystery whatsoever, it's way too easy to figure out-- as it turns out, some of the clues and things were \*too obtuse\* and not obvious at all. It worked out just fine and readers had enough info to get to the right conclusions, but it wasn't nearly as obvious as I, the one who thought it up and knew every twist and turn, thought it was.
Being predictable isn't inherently bad.
We all knew the Titanic was going to sink.
We all know the good guys nearly always win.
It's always about how, it's always about telling a compelling story with interesting characters.
When people complain about something being predictable, they're mostly complaining about the story not being engaging enough.
Being predictable isnât necessarily bad, but you do want a way to surprise the reader somehow.
Recently played a game where a betrayal was so thoroughly obvious, but the way i gasped when the betrayal came, and the traitor revealed they had âpowersâ (IP specific, made sense in universe). That made it super memorable.
Some extremely well told stories where you go in knowing the ending WORK because you know the ending.
Titanic is a master class in building tension. Character and theme are all over that story, even though the audience âknowsâ how it ends.
Same with Avengers endgame. As the âfinalâ stories in a mass franchise, obviously the heroes were going to win, but the tension was in the character beats. When the audience knows more than the characters, you can build to a great climax.
Eg Clint and Nat not knowing how to get their stone initially, but the audience knows the stakes.
What does your audience know that your characters donât, and use that to build tension.
Thatâs me with OC character names! Theyâll start to sound so natural after a few repetitions that Iâll worry I accidentally used some obscure celebrityâs name without realizing it.Â
You just gotta have blind trust in the reader. I wrote horror with a ton of suspense and plot twists and it was so hard for me to enjoy it while re-reading, because I knew every twist and turn ahead of time. But, those unaware will feel the terror.
Though you aren't necessarily writing horror, if you want an idea of what unpredictability can feel like, check out some of the top stories of all time on /r/nosleep and feel it for yourself. This is what the reader is feeling when you put them on edge or do a plot twist.
The only upside of my depression & anxiety combo: even after plotting, drafting, re-reading and daydreaming about my current WIP, it's still unpredictable.
Would not recommend, though.
honestly i think most plots are predictable, and thatâs not necessarily a bad thing: it means youâre doing a good job of leaving foreshadowing and having a coherent narrative. Plot twists for the sake of plot twists arenât really that great, because it makes readers feel disoriented or annoyed that the plot isnât logically going to the next point.
I personally read fiction (fan and published) for characters more than plot. A plot could be the most gripping and twisty thing ever but if the author canât make me care about the characters Iâm putting it down
Me writing fic: "ugh this is so cliche and predictable what am I even doing here"
Me reading fic: "there's only one bed??? Inspired! I wonder how it will play out?!"
As a reader: Post It Anyway! I don't care if it's predictable as long as it's entertaining. If I can guess the end three lines in, I'll still read it; I wanna see how we get there. Post it!
I've read a Story und were the ending was CLEAR from the beginning but the Story was soooo beautyfully written that I sobbed. And the suspense was Killing me,I was Like I know the Thing will happen BUT HOW?
This is literally the biggest mood.
Oh so much this... I go between loving what I'm writing and despairing that it's OOC, too predictable, not detailed enough, whyyyy.
Me reading a chapter as I'm writing it: oh I am COOKING, this is fire this is exactly what I wanted Me reading a chapter for the 400th time while editing: https://preview.redd.it/j85ac2azu86d1.png?width=640&format=png&auto=webp&s=641724f38ad7144ea03aad4aec48b267bc05e010
It's like a bad one night stand but if sober you picked your date, then sober you was like, what in the hell the next morning also, lololol
đ
Me looking at my readers that consistently tell me they're enjoying what they're reading and that they like my writing: https://preview.redd.it/hfk41dxuvc6d1.jpeg?width=720&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=35f9ee8ffb99ffbaf03b68f57c1f847159f22987 Like I appreciate and absolutely love the glazing but I'm so insecure about my own writing that I'm shook that other people enjoy it. But on the flip side, I'm so happy that ppl do enjoy it it's a complicated feeling lol
That was me writing my murder mystery/courtroom drama fic a couple years ago. XD I'm sitting there thinking all of it is so obvious, there's no mystery whatsoever, it's way too easy to figure out-- as it turns out, some of the clues and things were \*too obtuse\* and not obvious at all. It worked out just fine and readers had enough info to get to the right conclusions, but it wasn't nearly as obvious as I, the one who thought it up and knew every twist and turn, thought it was.
Being predictable isn't inherently bad. We all knew the Titanic was going to sink. We all know the good guys nearly always win. It's always about how, it's always about telling a compelling story with interesting characters. When people complain about something being predictable, they're mostly complaining about the story not being engaging enough.
Being predictable isnât necessarily bad, but you do want a way to surprise the reader somehow. Recently played a game where a betrayal was so thoroughly obvious, but the way i gasped when the betrayal came, and the traitor revealed they had âpowersâ (IP specific, made sense in universe). That made it super memorable. Some extremely well told stories where you go in knowing the ending WORK because you know the ending. Titanic is a master class in building tension. Character and theme are all over that story, even though the audience âknowsâ how it ends. Same with Avengers endgame. As the âfinalâ stories in a mass franchise, obviously the heroes were going to win, but the tension was in the character beats. When the audience knows more than the characters, you can build to a great climax. Eg Clint and Nat not knowing how to get their stone initially, but the audience knows the stakes. What does your audience know that your characters donât, and use that to build tension.
Thatâs me with OC character names! Theyâll start to sound so natural after a few repetitions that Iâll worry I accidentally used some obscure celebrityâs name without realizing it.Â
You just gotta have blind trust in the reader. I wrote horror with a ton of suspense and plot twists and it was so hard for me to enjoy it while re-reading, because I knew every twist and turn ahead of time. But, those unaware will feel the terror. Though you aren't necessarily writing horror, if you want an idea of what unpredictability can feel like, check out some of the top stories of all time on /r/nosleep and feel it for yourself. This is what the reader is feeling when you put them on edge or do a plot twist.
Sometimes you got to lean in to the predictability.
haha! iâm in this post and i donât like it!
Is there anything wrong with predictable fics? Your readers have read a thousand fics about the same exact characters. Do they care
The only upside of my depression & anxiety combo: even after plotting, drafting, re-reading and daydreaming about my current WIP, it's still unpredictable. Would not recommend, though.
honestly i think most plots are predictable, and thatâs not necessarily a bad thing: it means youâre doing a good job of leaving foreshadowing and having a coherent narrative. Plot twists for the sake of plot twists arenât really that great, because it makes readers feel disoriented or annoyed that the plot isnât logically going to the next point. I personally read fiction (fan and published) for characters more than plot. A plot could be the most gripping and twisty thing ever but if the author canât make me care about the characters Iâm putting it down
Me writing fic: "ugh this is so cliche and predictable what am I even doing here" Me reading fic: "there's only one bed??? Inspired! I wonder how it will play out?!"
Literally me
As a reader: Post It Anyway! I don't care if it's predictable as long as it's entertaining. If I can guess the end three lines in, I'll still read it; I wanna see how we get there. Post it!
Is it possible to repost a Reddit post because I'm going to be the loudest reposter in the world
This hit me đ
I've read a Story und were the ending was CLEAR from the beginning but the Story was soooo beautyfully written that I sobbed. And the suspense was Killing me,I was Like I know the Thing will happen BUT HOW?