Writing What have you learned about writing so far in 2026?

[JayMark]

I just spit my coffee out... its too damn early for that shit... oh god, the smell

You better keep that cross handy doggo because they about to release the demons!


I learned that I should probably quit writing for a more easily lucrative hobby, or write something more people want, but I'm too dumb to stop doing something I like and continue to waste my life.

 

[JordanIda]

Plot and scene development are unnecessary. Readers don't care. Too much:

"Hi. I'm Julie."
"Keith. I'm a Capricorn."
"Aries. Let's f--k."
"'Kay."

All that character-building? Just gets in the way. Straight to the action. That's what I've learned.

 

[JayMark]

Plot and scene development are unnecessary. Readers don't care. Too much:

"Hi. I'm Julie."
"Keith. I'm a Capricorn."
"Aries. Let's f--k."
"'Kay."

All that character-building? Just gets in the way. Straight to the action. That's what I've learned.

This! This! If I could just write like this! I'm a no talent hack!

 

[blushiemagic]

I’ve learned that, no matter how many times I tell myself “don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good,” I will always turn the perfect and the good into mortal enemies.

 

[SouthernMaiden]

"Don't be delusional."

I kept writing coz I thought hard work can replace talent. Big mistake.

I'm sad to read this. All I can say is focus on learning. See if there are any affordable classes locally. Write shorter pieces and ask people to critique them.

 

[Worthy39]

That it's difficult to do while stressed, which I have been all year.

 

[Hans.Edward.Trondheim]

I'm sad to read this. All I can say is focus on learning. See if there are any affordable classes locally. Write shorter pieces and ask people to critique them.

Already stopped. You can't force yourself to something that didn't click in the first place.

You'll burn out.

 

[TinaMigarlo]

I originally wanted to write something... but after seeing OP's answer...
My cheeks turned red. I quickly covered my face and ran away.
Sorry, I'm in the wrong room. This place isn't suitable for a little girl like me.
Besides, I'm still thousands of years old... still too young for an immortal magical girl.

I know what I learned.

Don't let @Eldoria anyways near anything you like reading, or that you wrote.
Not if you were happy reading/writing it.
She starts out, like a Calculus IV lecture...
But once she gets going?
You get hosed down the street like the firefighters did in the old civil rights films.

DISCLAIMER: this post was satire. In truth, I can't really get her to read my stuff.
she doesn't really do gratuitous sex and violence.

 

[greyblob]

that fantasy is in its darkest ages and FL novels are a plague

 

[Rosica]

that fantasy is in its darkest ages and FL novels are a plague

Nothing new there. It's been like that since Twilight (2005).

Say something we don't know, goyblob.

 

[TinaMigarlo]

I kept writing coz I thought hard work can replace talent. Big mistake.

hard work does not replace talent.
hard work literally *IS* talent.
"talented" is just what we call it when you've done enough work.

words like "talented" and "lucky" are things by which we seek to describe...
when preparation meets opportunity.

 

[Hans.Edward.Trondheim]

hard work does not replace talent.
hard work literally *IS* talent.
"talented" is just what we call it when you've done enough work.

words like "talented" and "lucky" are things by which we seek to describe...
when preparation meets opportunity.

So yeah, I have no luck with writing. Hence, not wishing to waste time and resources further, I stopped.

 

[SouthernMaiden]

that fantasy is in its darkest ages and FL novels are a plague

That has nothing to do with your own personal development of your writing skill

I originally wanted to write something... but after seeing OP's answer...

My cheeks turned red. I quickly covered my face and ran away.

Sorry, I'm in the wrong room. This place isn't suitable for a little girl like me.

Besides, I'm still thousands of years old... still too young for an immortal magical girl.

You can ignore that! I explained it in a way that was PG though!

Well, I've been struggling to grow my audience this year. Similar stories pop up and grow, leaving mine in the dust so... I've sort of learned to work with what you have. I may not have a growing audience, but I appreciate the readers that follow my story and keep up with the newest chapters.

It can be tough, I think the key is consistency. Variety. And promoting yourself in addition to your stories

That it's difficult to do while stressed, which I have been all year.

Wish you the best. The world is a nightmare.

Nothing new there. It's been like that since Twilight (2005).

Say something we don't know, goyblob.

What did you learn tho. Also thats an unfortunate mispelling of their name

I learned more about the marketing side of things and how much people can make from Patreon with certain tropes. I think this current story I am writing will not earn that much monthly, but the next one will do better.

People treat marketing like a "bad word". But its a legit thing we should all work on.

I think its fine/good cause im an attention slut when it comes to my work

That the readers of my second novel prefer the darker topics than the lighter side

Interesting, any examples?

I learned that too many cooks spoils the broth. When asking for feedbacks to multiple people, ask feedbacks for different aspects of the story. Preferably the one they have expertise in. Or you will get conflicting feedbacks that will confuse you.

Now i see. This is what you learned! My b.

Thats a good idea. Not all feedback is good. And should be more focused

 

[Rosica]

Not all feedback is good. And should be more focused

And it takes effort for some people to be objective when they don't like you or the kind of story you write. This shouldn't be a problem when they're being honest about their bias.

I like it when people admit they're biased. It shows their maturity and allow others to value their feedback appropriately. Without diverse perspectives, everything will become an echo chamber.

 

[greyblob]

That has nothing to do with your own personal development of your writing skill

my personal writing skill is a product of the media i consume. there is no media for me to consume. its the dark ages

 

[TinaMigarlo]

So yeah, I have no luck with writing. Hence, not wishing to waste time and resources further, I stopped.

how do you know that you were not just about to turn the corner. You can't know that.
keep at it.
I always enjoyed your posts.
if you need to do (writing) less, then fine.
but... do it.

 

[SouthernMaiden]

my personal writing skill is a product of the media i consume. there is no media for me to consume. its the dark ages

No choice but to touch grass then.

 

[Rosica]

my personal writing skill is a product of the media i consume. there is no media for me to consume. its the dark ages

No choice but to touch grass then.

Touch grass or time travel to the Victorian Era.

 

[Hans.Edward.Trondheim]

how do you know that you were not just about to turn the corner. You can't know that.
keep at it.
I always enjoyed your posts.
if you need to do (writing) less, then fine.
but... do it.

How do I know? I've been writing since 2019. Did everything to put out a proper story. Finished an entire story, 21 books, 5 arcs, 400+ chapters and a million and three hundred thousand words. All because I am delusional and idealist enough to think hard work can make for talent and skill.

Guess what? Nothing. One can't make an unpopular concept popular enough.

Check out my story stats. Feedback always critique how I construct words (coz I'm not a native English speaker, I don't know and easily understand stuff). When I try to use AI to improve my writing, I get feedback saying that I don't remove flaws that made others avoid it in the first place. It felt I haven't learned anything at all.

I'd ask for feedback from people I trust. They make excuses, which I understand btw, given the length of what I wrote. Or I'd be ignored.

What are the next suggestions? Write in my language. Problem is, Filipino pop literature have a small niche, and make it worse for me, coz I'm a guy and I can't write female-centered stories.

Study creative writing? I would if I could. I can only afford self-help books, which I also am having difficulty to understand. A creative writing short course here can fetch as high as 15k per session, something a public school teacher like me who earns 32k a month and has to buy insulin worth 3k a month (aside from my other maintenance meds and house utilities) can barely afford.

So, why did I stop writing? Practical reasons. I can't keep fueling my delusions forever. Delusions and daydreams won't bring food to my table, nor pay my bills and medicines.

Not to mention, my time. Alot of which goes into my work. And I also take care of my mother.

Addendum: a lot has been telling me to give up editing the novel I first wrote, but I stubbornly refuse, mainly because I wanted to give that work a fighting chance. It is a passion project after all. At least, before leaving it online, let me fix the problems I saw.

 

[TinaMigarlo]

maybe not what I learned in 2026... except to SAY it.

Writing? Feels like, something bubbling up inside you.
A need. A craving.
Call it what you will, I don't care.
Some need to feel more important than you really are?
Some urge to prove that you're "thing x" and not one of the cattle on this earth?
Some desire to be... again, whatever.

But its there.
I can best relate it to a fighter.
A fighter was once described, as...
"You fight like something is trying to claw its way out of you"
and that's writing in a nutshell, at least to me.
I feel it more (or less) at different times.
Do people make fun? Sure do.

Usually along the following lines...
"Oh. Its sad." (they were thumbing through a large text)

"What's sad."

"This, need. To do something. Get some medication, that'll go away."
-------------------------------------------------
yeah, well... I don't seek medication for it.
I refuse to accept that a desire to so "something" in this world, is a sickness.

How do I know? I've been writing since 2019. Did everything to put out a proper story.

Guess what? Nothing. Check out my story stats. Feedback always critique how I construct words (coz I'm not a native English speaker, I don't know and easily understand stuff). When I try to use AI to improve my writing, I get feedback saying that I don't remove flaws that made others avoid it in the first place.

What are the next suggestions? Write in my language. Problem is, Filipino pop literature have a small niche, and make it worse for me, coz I'm a guy and I can't write female-centered stories.

Study creative writing? I would if I could. I can only afford self-help books, which I also am having difficulty to understand. A creative writing short course here can fetch as high as 15k per session, something a public school teacher like me who earns 32k a month and has to buy insulin worth 3k a month (aside from my other maintenance meds and house utilities) can barely afford.

So, why did I stop writing? Practical reasons. I can't keep fueling my delusions forever. Delusions and daydreams won't bring food to my table, nor pay my bills and medicines.

Not to mention, my time. Alot of which goes into my work. And I also take care of my mother.

if you enjoy doing it, then do it.
damn it, there's enough "horrible translations" out there, getting millions of views...
you? could so easily, be one of those.

How do I know? I've been writing since 2019. Did everything to put out a proper story.

Guess what? Nothing. Check out my story stats. Feedback always critique how I construct words (coz I'm not a native English speaker, I don't know and easily understand stuff). When I try to use AI to improve my writing, I get feedback saying that I don't remove flaws that made others avoid it in the first place.

What are the next suggestions? Write in my language. Problem is, Filipino pop literature have a small niche, and make it worse for me, coz I'm a guy and I can't write female-centered stories.

Study creative writing? I would if I could. I can only afford self-help books, which I also am having difficulty to understand. A creative writing short course here can fetch as high as 15k per session, something a public school teacher like me who earns 32k a month and has to buy insulin worth 3k a month (aside from my other maintenance meds and house utilities) can barely afford.

So, why did I stop writing? Practical reasons. I can't keep fueling my delusions forever. Delusions and daydreams won't bring food to my table, nor pay my bills and medicines.

Not to mention, my time. Alot of which goes into my work. And I also take care of my mother.

if you enjoy doing it, then do it.
damn it, there's enough "horrible translations" out there, getting millions of views...
you? could so easily, be one of those.

How do I know? I've been writing since 2019. Did everything to put out a proper story.

I would be embarrassed to say exactly how many years I've been at this.
I put it down, I come back to it.
screw everyone, and whatever they think.
you *literally* never know, when you will create that one thing that makes it.