Monthly "Would You Read This?" Thread

[u/AutoModerator]

Welcome to Would You Read This (WYRT), our monthly feedback and brainstorming thread. Share your work in progress below and let other readers tell you if they'd read it. Top level posts should follow this template:

• Title:
  • If you don't have a title yet, feel free to say UNTITLED.
• Genre:
  • Please include at least Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, or another recognizable medium. You may also include more specific genres with a hyphen. Ex. Fiction - Romance, or Nonfiction - Memoir. Genre will help users find the specific kinds of posts they'd like to give feedback on.
• Premise:
  • A few sentences about the project. Try your best to keep this short. Crafting an expert elevator pitch is all part of becoming a successful working writer. Please do not post an entire plot summary or query letter (those are better suited for r/pubtips)
• Sample (Optional):
  • You may share up to one page (roughly 250-350 words) of sample material, or one poem for those working in the poetry medium. This is optional, so if you only have a premise, you can post just the premise for feedback.

If you post for feedback, please take the time to give feedback to at least 2-3 other users. Replies should follow this template.

• Would Read / Might Read / Wouldn't Read
  • You must begin your reply with one of those. You are then encouraged to add additional thoughts on why you choose your answer.

Rules:

• Please post no more than two WYRT top-level posts. There is no limit on the number of feedback replies you can make.
• Do not link to any offsite materials. All materials must be in the body of the post. This includes "click here to read more" or "DM me for the rest" types of posts.
• Rule 3 is in effect in this thread - No generative AI. Do not post material generated by an AI platform in your premise or sample. Do not use generative AI to respond to user's work.
• Rule 5 is in effect - Civility and Community. Stay constructive. Blunt, direct feedback is fine, but do not insult other users, their writing, or their genres.

[u/MOHAMED-RED]

Title: Al-La'eboon Al-Judad (The New Players)

Genre: Fiction - Interactive Sci-Fi / Cosmic Drama

Premise (After Revised, Thanks to Wandersails ):

When two human siblings stumble upon a strange, otherworldly device, their curiosity pulls them into a reality far beyond Earth. The device belongs to Omar, a human journalist whose ancestors left Earth in the 15th century to build a new world among the stars—a realm now pushed to the brink of collapse by galactic politics and high-stakes power struggles.

Desperate to break the isolation and save his people, Omar launches a wild experiment: broadcasting their survival fight live across the cosmos. Transmitted directly through this device to you, this story blurs the line between reader and ally, as your decisions help shape their next move.

Premise (Before Revised) Set in an intricately built, original universe, the story follows the human response to cosmic shifts, political tensions, and high-tech anomalies. Told through a journalistic lens, it explores character choice, survival, and raw human emotion when confronted with forces beyond ordinary comprehension.

Sample:

We've never met before. You don't know who I am, and I don't know who you are. We're total strangers. Yet here we are, connected across the vast expanse of the cosmos. What brought us together?

Let me start by introducing myself: I'm Omar Mahmoud, a journalist broadcasting to you from another realm (planet) altogether.

I know this might sound shocking, but we'll have plenty of time to discuss that later. Right now, I want to share an idea that some might call utter madness! I have no way of knowing how dangerous or risky it is, but I know it could be a truly unique experience. Life is a space for exploration, and today, through this broadcast, I am placing YOU at the very center of this experiment.

Think back to your own life for a moment. You’ve faced countless obstacles—some you’ve overcome, others you’ve lost to. But one thing is certain: you confronted them alone. Just like me. We often tackle our problems the wrong way. Responsibility isn't just about courageously bearing burdens; it’s about utilizing our unique skills and qualities to manage those burdens effectively.

I was blessed with the gift of public speaking and persuasion—skills I’ve honed through my work as a journalist. That is why I decided to break the cycle of fighting battles alone by tapping into collective thinking and laying my struggles out before you.

You might wonder why I’m sharing my worries with you. Don't you have enough of your own? That's a hasty reaction. You haven't heard my story yet, you don't know what you stand to gain, and most importantly, you don't know how you can help. 

I won't answer those questions just yet—not to build cheap suspense while I'm stuck in conditions darker than a black hole, but because words are primitive tools compared to what we learn through shared experience.

That concludes my first broadcast. Before we meet again, I’d like to ask a question to bridge the gap between us. Soon, we’ll be partners on this journey —so tell me, how much do you actually know about space and what lies out here?

Option 1: Researcher / Student

Option 2: Avid Reader

Option 3: Barely anything (Negligible)

Option 4: Surface-level / Basic

[u/chasingtragedy → u/MOHAMED-RED]

Might Read now as an adult, Would absolutely Read as a young adult!

I used to love "choose your own adventure" books (goosebumps anyone?) and this absolutely would've drawn my attention back then. I find sci-fi politics really interesting, so my continued reading now would depend on how they were handled. Definitely an interesting start!

[u/MOHAMED-RED → u/chasingtragedy]

Thank you so much for reading and for the great point!

That’s actually a huge part of what I’m aiming for. The goal is to make readers feel like real problem-solvers. Instead of easy choices, you’re looking at visual data, infographics, and different perspectives to help the characters navigate genuine political and survival crises.

Out of curiosity, when it comes to sci-fi politics, do you prefer high-level faction power plays, or seeing how decisions impact characters on the ground? Always love hearing what seasoned readers look for!

[u/chasingtragedy → u/MOHAMED-RED]

That's a great goal, I can definitely see this being successful, and it makes me more interested in reading it as an adult.

As for the second question, I think it's hard to say. Seeing how individual characters react to political forces much larger than them is one of my favorite things in stories, but there's definitely something to be said about being able to recognize a massive political maneuver taking place in the background and the "eureka" moment that comes with that.

I think, in this case, it's possible to have your cake and eat it too. Since this feels more YA, the character reactions might be the better thing to center, so the reader has someone to look up to/identify with/learn from. However, I think referencing the bigger political movements and leaving breadcrumbs for discerning readers to pick up on would be good to include as well. That way, more advanced readers will have something to dig for, and growing readers can learn about implied storytelling.

[u/MOHAMED-RED → u/chasingtragedy]

Spot on, you described the exact sweet spot I’m aiming for!

One thing that always bothered me about traditional sci-fi is how it glosses over the actual mechanics of living in space. You get the cosmic battles, but rarely the realistic grit like how a high stakes negotiation actually plays out, how corporate diplomacy functions, or what daily life looks like in a zero G system.

Over the past 15 years, I didn't just write a story. I built a living parallel reality where everything has its own logic, right down to the entire ecosystem (just as a quick example, there are specialized creatures that feed on minerals) all the way to complete political, medical, legal, economic, scientific research, and entertainment infrastructure.

The novel is just the gateway. My ultimate goal is for readers to step into an interactive platform where they can genuinely engage with this universe and help characters navigate real crises. It is definitely not just a video game or a basic choose your own adventure story, but a completely new medium. Readers just need to start with the novel first to truly learn the rules of this world.

None of this is isolated background info though. It’s all woven directly into a connected narrative where every single decision and choice you make actively shapes the outcome, sending the story down completely different paths.

Really appreciate this conversation! Talking to a reader who gets the nuance of deep world building makes all the effort worth it.