Announcement

After a month, I'm finally back, and I have some happy news to share with you.

You can still read this message if you're a new reader of this book even if it's intended for older readers (regarding the promise in chapter 8).

The first good news is that I'll be updating the novel again after a month of hiatus.

The second good news is that my writing has improved. Maybe? If you have read five or ten chapters, please provide your opinion in the comment box.

Aspects of my writing that have improved over the previous month.

1. Stong verbs (for example)

Daniel sprinted down the hall. > Daniel quickly ran down the hall.

Some of you might be wondering if there's really that much of a difference between "sprinted" and "quickly ran." The answer is yes!

Let's do a little experiment. What goes through your mind when you see the word "sprint?"

For me, I see the very clear image of a sprinter. In the millisecond it takes me to read the word sprint, I've imagined the speed of an Olympic runner, the bunch and release of her leg and calf muscles.

On the other hand, when I think of "quickly ran," the image is far more abstract. The figure in my imagination is shadowed, and the running has that dreamlike quality of motion without actual movement.

So perhaps you can understand why it's important. However, this doesn't imply I won't employ weak verbs in the future because they can breathe new life into my novel when used correctly (hopefully).

2. showing rather than telling (for example).

Telling: it was snowing

Showing: The road was dusted with a cold layer of snow as it fell from the ominous sky.

The key difference between showing and telling in writing is that showing involves describing what is happening in such a way that you guys can get a mental image of the scene whereas telling only involves explaining or describing the story to the reader.

But just like before, there are situations in which telling rather than showing is preferable. In these circumstances, my book will be more enjoyable for you guys to read. So, to sum it up, I'll use telling in the future.

3. Not employing any of the five senses. (for example)

No sense: Daniel saw a beautiful beach.

With senses: The sea's vivid blue color slithered toward the golden sand. As Daniel made his way through the side of the shore, fresh air washed into his nostrils. Daniel could feel his foot sunk into the soft sand with each stride.

See the difference? The one with sense got more life right?

Like before, I sometimes only use one or two senses, such as hearing and touching (the two that are most commonly used when writing a novel), or I might decide not to use them at all because doing so would slow down the progress of the book. It won't slow down the flow of my novel if the balance is just correct.

I believe that is it, so thanks for your patience. You can count on me to use all of this in my writing.

By the way, just to clarify, I'm not an expert either; I'm just a beginner. I chose to write this to inform my old reader about my improvement and error (it's also a remembrance of my mistake) and this note can be also useful (maybe? Lol) to assist other beginner writers like me in avoiding them. (If you've decided to write a novel, consider applying these tips; you can alternatively refrain from doing so.)

Since I'm going to edit the chapters first and change several plots to make the book more representable, I'm going to delete every chapter.

It's the fifth time I did this bruh...

1. Was the genuine start of my writing: it lacked proper grammar and didn't contain any abomination I've listed above, and I couldn't even tell the difference between your and you're. It could be the outcome of not listening to the teacher and simply eating in the back row seat. (sorry teacher lol)

2. The second time, I only know basic grammar and none of the other things I had previously stated were present. (ashamed author) btw English was not my native language.

3. No straightforward description or even a single powerful verb was written for the third time.

4. For the fourth time, I can write a description (celebrate), but I have no idea how to utilize showing, write it in the past tense, powerful verbs, five senses, or good vocabulary.

5. I practiced by writing a short story (don't ask me to upload it; it's a cringe story) and by learning the craft of writing a novel using the internet, so this time I now know how to write. (hopefully, I could?)

Oh, and before I go, I just want to add that I'm not quite confident with my writing, so if it somehow disappointed you, don't worry since I'm still a beginner and I can still get better. I hope you understand, thank you.

That's it, everyone. Bye.

Oh, and I'm going to add an XP section to every chapter where you can comment on any random nonsense that comes to mind. If everyone likes it, you'll get an XP for it. (hopefully)

It's a true goodbye this time.