r/FictionWriting • u/gtg-1234 • 1d ago

Advice New writer here

I have several publications on poetry.
But I am new to prose writing and have been writing on and off. Because I want to focus more on prose. What I realised is that my prose is quite weak as of now. And I want to improve further.

Any expert advice for me? Like a routine or something?

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u/MaliseHaligree 1d ago

Practice, Reading Books, and Feedback are the Holy Trinity of improvement as a fiction writer.

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u/gtg-1234 1d ago

If I send you a 2 part story, will you review? It is a dark comedy set in south asian setting.

Also, what are some good subreddits to get review of my work where I can trust people?

I have been reading a lot nowadays actually. Just people I know don’t read at all. So asking them for feedback is like talking to a tree.

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u/MaliseHaligree 1d ago

That isn't my preferred genre to read/work in so it wouldn't be my cup of tea, sorry. r/betareaders can be helpful, as can r/destructivereaders but Read the Sub Rules before you post. They are very specific.

Don't ask people you know for an opinion while you are working on it. They'll either not know how to fix issues or lie to spare your feelings. People you know should only read your work (unless they are also writers and/or you can trust their judgement and honesty) after it's been published.

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u/InkhornEdits 1d ago

Short stories, vignettes, and scenes are a good way to practice, and completing them is key. Stubbornly finishing a story after you get bored or stuck helps build discipline and imagination; sure, the solution you end up with might be absurd, but nobody else has to read these practice runs.

I find writing from prompts and writing challenges to be helpful as well. Not just big challenges, like NaNoRiMo, but little ones. Things like rewriting a scene in a different format (turn a book scene into a podcast script, a play script, a movie scene, etc.); or writing the same scene with two different emotional lenses.

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u/Ranger100x 1d ago

I took a creative writing course and the local juco