What are some icks you get when reading a novel?

@cherrystark Cherry Stark
Wed, 06 Aug 2025 00:35:41 +0000

@cherrystark wrote:

So this isn't really an ick, but just some advice.

I learned when I started out to make a long-term plan. A lot of story ideas don't work for long-form serial fiction, so it's really easy to burn out. However, your idea may work better under the format of a traditional novel outline.

Another thing you have to plan for is $$$. A lot of writers, no matter their platform, write like they're social media content creators, thinking the amount of content they produce drives how much money they make. This model only "works" for a small fraction of writers. Different platforms have varying pay rates, audience bases, and reputations. Hoping to go viral/premium or live off your Patreon won't fly. *It may sound trivial, but if you want to make money, you have to plan to make money. Spending time marketing and getting no return isn't worth it.

Write whatever you want but make sure it's the very best you can. Depending on your social circle as a writer, you might feel a "push" to write something in trendy subgenres. Like @jwabeasley commented, a lot of writers LOVE using worldbuilding as a draw and create these incredibly complicated worlds but fail to create compelling characters. The only person who cares about your world is you.

But with all that being said, go have fun. Write. Learn. Make mistakes. Enjoy your reads and the pennies you earn along the way. Don't worry about what other writers think are "icks" because to one writer is an ick, another writer might consider the same Shakespeare.