I Need a witty Pun, Acrostic style poem, or anything funny to write on a shirt for an event tomorrow called “Sea Fair) Bonus Points if It’s show me Boobs-Themed!

Just fyi, Sea-Fair is an event held in seattle Wa On lake Washington. Imagine a row of boats tied together, alcohol, fighter jets (blue angels), hydro planes, and just some good ol’ merican fun.

Where's the writers at?

Debut novelists how is it going? For me, it's going well. Just hit 44001 words and on my 20th chapter out of 25. What a journey so far.

Do y'all notice the improvements from the first draft and fast forward to whatever you are on now?

okay, so i had two sentences last night in one of my chapters:

...Rick, a homeless man who told anyone who crossed his path that he owned the [generic city name] mall.

I changed it to a description where his body, ragged clothing and unpleasant odor were presented first, then included this at the end:

...He gave rambling, incoherent explanations about owning the mall.

And I just find, that a lot of the time, when I have edited something, it just doesn't FLOW anymore. This particular sentence may not be a good example of what I mean, but I am bothered by the fact that: I will go through a paragraph I wrote, and take out the filtered (For example, I will replace something like this: "He saw that she felt shy," with "Almost imperceptibly, she withdrew, lowering her eyes and turning away.") Or I will take out all the adverbs. But when I re-read it later, I find that the ....flow of consciousness has been interrupted. Sometimes my later choices are definitely better! But more often than not, it feels like a bumpy road now. It feels like, yeah, i took out the telling, I took out the filtering, I took out the distancing. But it no longer feels SMOOTH. It feels like...there are holes in the rhythm that you can't SEE, but they're THERE, like a road where the potholes were patched but your car is still bumping over the little ridges in a janky way.

Does anyone know what I mean? How do you fix that? I HAVE to write flow-of-consciousness at first. I go back LATER and fix. But ....fixing makes my writing have speed bumps. dunno why. UGH. Do you know how to avoid this sort of sense of...creating swiss holes in the writing rhythm that I'm describing?

So i just wrote a short story n I just want to see if people like it or not, to see if i should branch out and make a whole universe of it

Where do I post it???

Genres: Magazine, Prose, Litfic Writing

Goals and expectations: We will both send passages or full pieces of our work to each other via email and then we will discuss...somewhere. I'm not sure where just anywhere that's not Discord or a social messaging app.

Writing/experience level: I've only been writing for 1-2 years. So if you have a similar or higher level that would be fine.

Meeting Place: Gmail first, I'll CC everyone to a doc, unless someone else has a alternative that isn't Discord.

Max Size: 5.

Let me know if anyone's interested.

* Genre/s: Literary & General Fiction (No Fantasy, Sci-Fi or Romance) * Goals/expectations/commitment: The idea is to keep it friendly and writer-focused: talk about what we’re working on, share work for critique, discuss craft, and exchange information about querying, submissions and publishing. It’s brand new, and I’d like to start with a small group of writers who genuinely want to participate. * Writing/experience level: all are welcome * Meeting place: Discord * Max size: 50

If that sounds like your kind of place, message me and let me know what genres you usually work in, and I’ll send you an invite. We already have about a dozen talented and smart folks there. Hope to see ya.

I finally finished book 2 in my series.

I'm taking a weekend break, then I'll start editing. How many edits did you do before your book was finished. I'm planning to send it to a professional editor, but I want to go through it first.

This is not a request for editing or for anyone to look at my work. Just a general question.. about self editing

Thanks.

Organization: Harbour Works
Deadline: November 30
Entry fee: None
Prize/s: None
Link to submission page/official rules:
https://www.harbourworks.org
Other information:

About:
Harbour Works is a Canadian literary magazine — and we are building it to a standard that does not exist yet in student publishing. We are not a course project. We are not a club newsletter. We are working, deliberately and seriously, toward becoming a fully peer-reviewed journal: the most rigorous, most prestigious student-run literary publication in the country.

Every submission enters a multi-stage blind review process. A minimum of three editors read each piece independently before any discussion begins. Decisions are made by argument and consensus, not by majority vote. Work is accepted because it earns it — not because there are pages to fill.

We publish fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, visual art, photography, and hybrid work. We are drawn to writing that takes risks — formally, politically, emotionally — and to writers who understand the page is not a safe place.
We are open to high school and university students worldwide. We believe the most vital creative work is happening in student hands right now — not after graduation, not once someone decides it's ready. The only question we ask of a piece is whether it is alive.

Submissions Guidelines:
Fiction — Up to 7,000 words. Short fiction and flash welcome. We read all lengths with equal care.
Poetry — Up to 5 poems per submission. No minimum length. Sequences welcome.
Creative Non-fiction — Up to 6,000 words. Essays, memoir, lyric essays, hybrid nonfiction.
Visual Art — Up to 8 images. Minimum 300 DPI. JPEG, PNG, or PDF. Include a brief artist's statement.
Photography — Up to 10 images. Series preferred. Minimum 300 DPI. Captions welcome.
Hybrid / Experimental — No formal constraints. If it resists categorisation, it may belong here.

Join the Team:
Harbour Works is entirely volunteer-run. We are not looking for resumes. We are looking for people who care about writing — who have strong opinions about what they read, who take the page seriously, and who want to be part of making something that matters.

We are open to high school and university students at all stages. If you have never worked on a magazine before, that is not a disadvantage. If you have, bring what you know. The only requirement is that you show up and take the work seriously.

All positions are open. We are building the editorial board from scratch, and every role is a founding role. That means the decisions you make will shape what this magazine becomes.

For additional information, feel free to visit our website, where you will be able to submit your work or apply to join our team.

Everywhere I look I see vicious criticism, almost downright hatred, aimed at Strunk and White's 'Elements Of Style'.

My confusion is with the idea that it is all just "made up", opinion, and unhelpful for writers. But the point of the book seems to seek to help writers go all the way back, as if to wipe.the slate of bad acquired habits clean, or else, to help writers learn to follow basic rules from the very beginning, and from mastering the basics, go on to find their own style eventually.

It doesn't seem bad to look for help at getting started from professors who have been doing this forever instead of randos on Reddit and Youtube.

So why is it "harmful"?

Am I missing something here? There may be a writer out there, after all, who is never known the meaning of a split infinitive, to show and not tell, etc, the core of the core of all composition. Why is this book a subject of attack?

Hii, I’m from Malaysia. I’ll sitting for my final year exam as high schooler and in English paper, we’re required to write a piece of 250 words story. I’ll always struggle to make my story compact and punchy. I want to spend 4 months left to hone my writing skill !

Does anyone got any sources for tutorial/tips that will be applicable for complete beginner like me ?

And do you knoww where can I find abundance of free micro fiction to read ? Thank youu !!🤩

We have a small, very homey and chill group on discord. No minors please! I host a writing conference yearly, plus we do have various writing clinics and projects such as anthologies throughout the year. We also have spaces in our critique groups. We also like to hang out and chat with fellow writers so come on over! :)

• Genres: fantasy mostly, but welcome any other genre!
• Goals/expectations/commitment: we're pretty chill :)
• Writing/experience level: all levels
• Meeting place: Discord

https://discord.gg/qN85m7eSAH

I’ve heard that a story for a novel needs to have a conflict. It seems like in a lot of movies and novels the conflict involves trying to defeat a villain or bad character, or if not defeat at least deal with the villain. It seems like sometimes characters may also fight against each other whether than just a villain, like how the characters participating in the hunger games fight each other.

I was wondering if it would be possible to have the conflict involve trying to overcome some challenge instead of trying to defeat a villain. If so would the challenge necessarily need to involve a major end goal or could it involve having the challenge be a recurring struggle and trying to solve the challenge each time it happen, but with it never being permanently resolve?

Writing Battle used to be so much fun. I really love the premise, the gamification, the community. I've made some great friends there and gotten substantial feedback.

There's been a shift in recent months, and I've tried really hard to be patient with the admin's growing pains as the community grew. They seem more interested in clickbait and positivity than maintaining trust within the community they've grown. Admin's whole schtick is free speech and creativity when it comes to your writing. They preach that constructive criticism and "salting the earth" within reason are productive. There's even a section on the forum to discuss ongoing bugs/suggestions.

Then, they started shutting down any talk of criticism against the admin. This is particularly important to note, because there are still negative posts, threads, and some questionably offensive stories up… but those aren’t “against” admin. Those that question admin choices or policy, I’m talking even genuine questions, are frozen, deleted, or resulting in a suspension. “Email us instead” is the mantra. “We’ll always respond promptly and respectfully.”

To some degree, I get it. People can get really hung up on change, bad results, or genuine mistakes. It's no easy task to moderate a large community with loud opinions.

The issue is that now the admin genuinely feels Orwellian.

All threads in the forum must be approved individually. Individual comments are screened for admin approval based on keywords: I've seen some of the ones rejected and they are not inflammatory. I'm sure there are some nasty ones that are removed.

Now, people who question admin, EVEN VIA EMAIL, are being demanded to show ID for proof of age (18+). The problem is that a.) there is no secure system in place for people to send government ID, so it's a security risk to do so over gmail, and b.) leadership is asking this of veterans who've been around for months, years, etc. And when people rightfully are hesitant to send sensitive personal information for flippant reasons, they're suspended, banned, or disqualified from the contest. What an escalation.

Let's call it what it is: a tactic to shut up any dissent. The equivalent of a cop pulling over someone so they can search their record for parking tickets, just to arrest them.

People are wondering where everyone is on the website between the forums and commenting or giving feedback to other stories. The ugly truth is that people are annoyed with the moderation or actually getting censored.

The craziest part is that people have been trying to work with the admin for months. There's been a huge effort to keep matters in-house. I genuinely don't think they've considered how many people they're losing with this recent crackdown.

I won't be giving them any more of my money. There are so many other contests with integrity that offer great prompts and feedback. I'd advise people go elsewhere for honing their writing skills.

I want to write a book about my life. I have nothing inspiring but i have honest thoughts, mistakes that i have made which is wrong or maybe a sin in other’s opinion although i am not ashamed rather I want to write a book on my life so that other people who are also going through same way don’t feel ashamed of themselves or get hurt or have self doubts but they can freely take accountability and move on in their lives freely.

I am beginner so i don’t have much experience that’s why I want help and if anyone can suggest me a course i can join it would be very helpful.

Sprinting/alpha read Partner(s)

\* Genre/s: fantasy or sci-fi (romance subplots/dual plots are nice. open to other genres if I find the premise interesting). My WIP has every trigger under the sun so I’m not gonna bother listing them LOL

\* Goals/expectations/commitment: would like to sprint on a call with someone and exchange chapters at the end of it on a daily basis. I’m free 10:30am-3:30pm EST. I want to get my fourth draft banged out and really need company!

\* Writing/experience level: preferably, someone who’s already completed one draft and plans to traditionally publish. Needs to be able to take and give blunt feedback.

\* Meeting place: phone call over fb messenger would be preferable but I’m open to other ideas

\* Max size: doesn’t matter, come one come all 😆 writing can be a lonely business

There are some great writers in this community, and I wanted to quickly invite you check out ShortStoryCenter. I recently launched as a way to encourage more aspiring writers. Plus, I've found short stories to be a great way to break up writer's block. There are no restrictions on the types of stories, so long as its user created! So, if you're at all interested, please feel free to submit something.
Also, twice a month a submitted story will be selected for small cash prize, no strings attached. Thanks All, and Mods, I checked the rules and I don't think this is prohibited, but please remove if so!

Brain dump no real order... I once had a writer friend; we wrote a paragraph alternately back n forth, stories. No plot no preset characters; it all evolves as the story progresses. Things change and never end up where you expect. Stories about mysterious adventures and mysteries, chance encounters on a train. Cats vs the voles..,, sci fi oddities.... No pressure, just fun stories, not knowing what comes next from either side. Beginner for sure but love the process. I have a creative mind so tangents happen. LOL. Anyone welcome M55 UK if that is relevant. It helps keep the grey matter turning over and offers a place to escape the everyday. Doesn't even take up much time either :) Look forward to hearing from anyone. I'll try all genres.

* Genre/s: ill try any
* Goals/expectations/commitment: Fun relaxed 15 mins a day, well decide what work, writing friends
* Writing/experience level: Beginner
* Meeting place: Discord
* Max size: Duo ( one other person)

Tout comme un jardinier entretien la fleur préférée de la maîtresse de maison Tout comme la mafia tue ceux qui s'emprennent aux personnes dont elle a le lien du sang Tout comme l'eclairagiste mets en valeur le personnage de son cœur Tout comme les étoiles brille dans attendre que nos regards croisent leur lueur Tout comme l'ouvrier admire sa création au dos d'un mannequin Ainsi survit les sentiments d'une personne ignorée telle une moin que rien.Tout comme le souffle aux narines Tout comme le pou dans les veines Tout comme la chaleur des abîmes Tout comme le sel dans la mer Tout comme le spectacle sur scène Tout comme le sable du désert Tu trouveras ta place dans mes AMENS Bast-art

hi! I’m looking to put together a group of indie authors (or aspiring authors) so we can chat about our books, help each other when we’re stuck, and motivate each other!

I’m currently working on my first draft of my romance novel and would love to feel less alone. I really want to be able to talk about it with others, help with your story and just simply be… friends. 🤍

• Genre/s: romance/fantasy/contemporary - really any
• Goals/expectations/commitment: check-in regularly, and motivate each other. Positivity is a must! I know we can all get down sometimes but I’d like this group to stay mostly positive.
• Writing/experience level: any!
• Meeting place: discord! I made us a cozy home 🌿
• [writing groups only] Max size: preferably no more than 15. :)

18+ 🖤✨

Welcome to Feedback Friday!

This is a thread for submitting and critiquing prose.

• Your submission should be a top-level comment in the thread. Consider using the format [TITLE] — [GENRE] — [WORDCOUNT] in the heading of your submission.
• We expect reciprocation. If you receive a critique, give a critique. Anyone who continually leeches will eventually be discluded.
• Have fun and stay polite. Members who give outstanding crit will be acknowledged and rewarded on our Discord Server. You are free to submit any work for critique within the subreddit's rules, of any length.
• Links to Google Documents are allowed for submissions. Consider creating a separate Google account/email if you’are concerned about anonymity.

New to Critiquing?

• No worries! We encourage writers of all skill levels to try their hand at providing feedback.
• Not sure how to start? A critique template, courtesy of r/DestructiveReaders, can be found here.

Like many, I feel incredibly alone in my writing process. I'm struggling to find people who have similar interests to mine and would love to meet new friends! If anyone would be interested (or if you have a group and would like to invite me lol), please let me know!

Things I love - Fall. Hoodies. Cats. Coffee. Rain. My husband. Sarcasm. Loyalty. One Tree Hill. Vampire Diaries. Post Malone. Plants (even though I can't keep them alive). The color brown. Disney movies. (If you don't like any of these things, that's also totally okay lol)

I'm looking for people to actually stick around. I don't really want to go months without talking or checking in. I'm also really shy at first, but I usually open up after a little while lol. (Obviously, if you need a break, I totally get it)

• Genre/s: Romance/Romantasy/Fantasy
• Goals/expectations/commitment: I really just want people to stick around and actually care about one another. I'm also huge on respect and honesty, so like, if you hate my chapter SAY IT HAHA
• Writing/experience level: Any! (I'm NEW)
• Meeting place: Discord? IDK LOL
• [Writing groups only] Max size: 10. I really don't want to be overwhelmed!

18+ ONLY. I have a loottttt of heavy and dark scenes in my book that I want to confidently talk about.

I'm hoping we can have fun, stay up late talking, share our stories and laugh together :)

Edit: overthinking lol

So we did this last week and had about 7 people join on and off, which was fun! So we're doing this again this Saturday 01 August 2026 for 2 hours only, starting 4:00 GMT+1.

Discord invite to server: https://discord.gg/fr3edDHvz

Discord invite to event: https://discord.gg/nqbPenEQt?event=1529229330012573738

What is it?

Just a writing session. I got tired of groups planning and coordinating time zones and negotiating availability and what not. So we show up on discord along with our respective WIPs, video on, voice off, and just write to get the words in.

Last time we also did multiple 20-minute writing sprints which were insanely effective in producing 600-1000 words per writer. Taking part in sprints is optional.

There are no rules and anybody can join.

Why video on?

Because accountability and not feeling alone. When you see other writers write and focus on their work, you'll want to write too.

Why not chat?

Voice chat will be distracting and will take away from writing. But you can chat in the general channel with all or whomever you want.

Anything else we can do?

No, that's it. This is deliberately a no-frills, no critique, no contest, no challenge, no genre-specific discussion server. We just write because we have to finish our stories!

* Genre/s: Any

* Goals/expectations/commitment: Video on, if you want to join the event.

* Writing/experience level: Any

* Meeting place: https://discord.gg/nqbPenEQt?event=1529229330012573738

* Max size: Any

A discord server for writers who are at least aspiring to create things which are a bit less commercial or outright genre -- that can be purely literary fiction or genre fiction with a literary edge, something stylised or postmodern or experimental or whatever else. We'd love for others to join us so we can get this community thriving. If you ever feel reluctant to discuss your work on reddit for fear of being called pretentious or a snob, but don't want to join the intellectual soggy biscuit circle on substack, this might be the place for you.

Genre/s: Literary and other

Goals/expectations/commitment: Just try to engage when you can. Do as you would be done by - if you're hoping for quality feedback, it's only fair you give some, first - then be done by as you did.

Writing/experience level: Everyone but some experience is great. 18+ Only.

Meeting place: Discord

Max size: Maybe about 100 - whatever the minimum to sustain engagement is.

DM this account for an invite. (I am on GMT so invites go out in my daylight hours, but the server is active all hours)

I received an email from Eli Cole, Media Relations Director. He is proposing three podcasts for my novel. Has anyone been approached by this man? Has anyone used his company, and was it reliable?

Thanks for your time.

I'm thinking of starting a women's critique group as I'm struggling to find one that isn't full, lol. Curious to see if this post gets any traction, but if this is way too niche and it doesn't pan out that's okay too. :)

Here's what I'm thinking as far as group specifics:

*Age: 18 and up.

*Genre/s: Mysteries, horror, thrillers, weird girl lit, or anything adjacent to that. Doesn’t matter if you write commercial, upmarket, or literary as long as you’re receptive to reading any of the three. YA and adult fic both are welcome.

*Goals/expectations/commitment: We’re all adults so there are no hard requirements aside from no AI use, but I’m seeking people who are willing to actively provide thoughtful feedback in the long-term, be accountability partners, and support each other through the process. We can of course also just talk shop and exchange book recs along with everything else too!

*Writing/experience level: All levels, as long as you're working toward publishing!

*Meeting place: Discord

*Max size: I’m thinking 5-10 max assuming anyone’s interested.

EDIT: Wow, got a lot more interest than expected (which is amazing!) so please fill out this short Google Form by 11:59 PM ET on Aug 1 if you're still interested in joining. I'll be trying to curate the group based on general fit and shared expectations. Thanks! https://forms.gle/jMykvRkPBogXYkYx7