hey /lit/ how many of you write short stories? do you share them

>>7626002
Don't share online until you're ready to ask for money. "writers" prey off people posting good ideas for free, so start by talking to friends you trust in order to build in the directions you think will help your work. When you have a strong draft have someone with an eye for punctuation read it and offer ideas to edit it. Only show your work to people who want to help you succeed.

>>7626002
don't listen to >>7626035
instead share your stories with me at [email protected] and I'll publish them online under my name and collect $2.75 in the next year in the royalties I get from selling your work on amazon. Thank you for your time, and keep reading Vern & Sisters publications.

just start writing, lazy fucker.

>>7626035

I am in the same predicament as OP. The problem is, I do not have friends. Why can't I just self-publish it on Amazon in the hopes that people would read it?

>>7629646
Nobody will sorry

I've just started trying to write something (read: finish something), and I've found out I'm really only passable at dialogue.

Example: http://pastebin.com/8aR8x2pj

Anybody willing to share any suggestions for how to get better at descriptive writing?

>>7629646

Self-publishing is a cancer. Anyway, if you're self-publishing on Amazon, then technically Amazon is publishing your book. As I recall, Amazon takes a considerable cut of your profits for the right to use their website.

You're problem is a total lack of character. I don't know who these two people are or why I should care and I don't think you know either. Figure out interesting characters and the dialogue will flow.

>>7629720

This is really awful and you can do better.

Focus on the second part of that sentence, though.

At least you recognize trope enough to write an entire scene on it. It's good to know how to wield cliche but you need to do something better than this.

I get the desire for an audience, I really do, but I do think the writing still has to come first. I really don't buy into the line about "you must write as though/even though you may never show it to anyone," because writing is at its core a form of communication. However, to hold off trying to write until you KNOW you'll be well-received doesn't seem like a good idea.

Just start, even if you're no at first (or think you are no good, rather), and keep going.

>>7630865
Thanks for the feedback. Hypothetically, I wanted to improve this piece. What would you do?

>>7631145
Not that guy, but I'm curious what the punchline was?

>>7631524
It's not actually finished yet, but the setup is that Man 1 is actually trying to get Man 2 to help him ask the server out.

The hubris of people who think other writers are just hanging around waiting to steal their ideas as though there's anything valuable in them is astonishing.

Writing is in the execution. Share your stuff with your friends and/or send it to zines for publication. If you're any good they'll pay you for it.
Self-publishing on Amazon won't get you feedback and your profit will be zero-to-negligible, as well as making you look ridiculous to any potential agent or publisher who might one day actually want to publish your work properly.

Any good books to read on creative writing? I used to love that stuff in school but naturally it was only highschool level, and I chose not to pursue literature as a career choice.

>>7631673
you'll get more just from reading books in general than you'll get out of a book on creative writing
>>7626035
>>7631637
problem is, I don't really have any friends, and when I do show it to people i know in real life, they all really praise it, and aren't able to give me any solid criticism, but when i post my writing online it gets shit on.