u/Exoticplayz11

Let me start by saying that I'm a perfectionist who loves routine and order in my work, but can never maintain them. Because of this, I always feel like what I write isn't good enough. At the same time, I can't write just for the sake of writing, and ever since I started writing almost 30 years ago, I've done it solely with the thought of publishing someday, and I feel that if I didn't manage to publish, I'd simply give up writing altogether. The process itself has never been enjoyable for me, perhaps because I can't be systematic about it, and writing one thing for nearly 10 years is incredibly frustrating - and any attempts to develop a habit end in forcing myself, rapid burnout, and even longer breaks between chapters. Only a written, finished piece gives me satisfaction, but of the over 50 things I've written over those 30 years, I've only completed, like two or three, so I get very little satisfaction. Perhaps this problem could be solved by writing shorter texts, but unfortunately, all my ideas always concern projects where it's simply impossible to write more concisely. My latest project, with the plot shortened as much as possible, will have to have at least 300 chapters in 4 volumes – since December 2018, I've only written five - only around 30 pages each. Any attempt to shorten this text even further would mean removing all the side plots, 95% of the characters, and leaving only the main plot, which would transform my text from a solid historical novel with in-depth research into some cheap romance story set in the old times to make it more interesting. I don't have the energy anymore - I've tried to quit writing several times, but I always come back. I've calculated that if I sat down to write every day and wrote three to six pages, I could finish this novel in five years – at my current pace, it would take 480 years minimum. I'm exhausted and don't know what to do. I've tried to change my mindset, read and watch more about the era, but nothing changes. I simply have a writer's block most of the time. Do you think I should quit writing, or is there still any hope that I'll get my act together and be able to write consistently like others? /j

I was reading volume 4 today and I'm close to finishing. I honestly really like how things came together, and I'm starting to understand how Ayanokoji thinks a little bit more. However, I have one problem - namely during the Karuizawa jumping scene.

Why is it that this even needed to happen? To me, I felt like the author "hand" was very much visible in that scene, since I don't believe Ayanokoji would realistically use sa as a means, especially since Karuizawa was already in the palm of his hand.

Also, be mindful of spoilers, since I don't like them.

Thanks in advance!

I've seen a lot of people in this subreddit say, "Muslim women nowadays are the worst!" or other variants of this sentiment. I frankly hate it. It makes "traditional" Islam sound like a synonym for "incel" Islam. Let's be frank: A lot of Muslim men, too, are terrible with their deen.

And we shouldn't judge how "good" a Muslim is by their sins. The Prophet (pbuh) said that the best of Muslims aren't those who do not sin, but those who sin and come to Allah and repent. In other words, it doesn't matter if this Muslim does this sin a lot. You should encourage them to be better, but you shouldn't think that they're worse Muslims immediately. You will never see what they do behind the closed doors. The istaghfar after fajr that wiped away more sins than yours in three months. This is more of a side tangent though, so I'll get back to my main point now.

Muslim men and women in this day and age are more immoral than ever - yeah, I get it. We all do. The propagated modern secular liberal ideals have rotted all morals and values and have caused sin to be abundant (exaggeration, but still mostly true). But, why focus on the bad when we can focus on better things? Why say, "Muslims are immoral nowadays," and not, "I fasted every day of Ramadan?"

This post probably won't get many views and that's fine. The few who do read this should know this: Most of Social Media is ultimately a waste of time, so build your hereafter instead of getting pulled into this bog of misery. Choose to be happy.

جزاكم الله خيرا

So I've been writing recently and thinking whether to seek feedback or not. I feel that many people have trodden the same steps as I, which is why I present this post: Should you look for feedback during the writing process, or should you not?

I decided to weigh the pros and cons, and though they are obviously gonna be inaccurate (I am a biased person, after all), I'll still try and make it useful:

Pros:

1. You can find eyes to see what you've been writing. Some people just feel lonely when writing. Writing is lonely. And feedback makes it less lonely.

2. Feedback (duh): As in, you're able to ask people things like, "Were you confused?" or "How was the prose in this scene?" A tip for finding good feedback: Use particular questions to get more applicable data on your writing. And with it you can improve faster.

Cons:

In summary, its basically the risk of throwing a wrench into your momentum. What exactly is this "momentum" dear OP is speaking about? Well, momentum in writing is exactly as it sounds. Its the fuel you use to put pen to paper (or finger to key) and produce a novel. Unlike cars however, momentum is pretty rare. And sometimes advice can act as chains that slow you down instead of propel you forward (in your craft). Thus, feedback does bare an inherent risk of ruining your story, as it does elevating.

Ultimately, I don't know everything there is to know about writing (seeing as some people here have been writing for decades), so I'd like to hear your thoughts! What is it about feedback that could be good, or could be bad? What manner should new writers approach feedback with their writing?

I wanted to read non-fiction, and thought I ought to read the Seerah. I've been a Muslim for about a year, and though I think my iman is okay for right now, I want to learn more about my Islam. Learning about the Prophet (عليه صلاة وسلم) is something I wanted to do for long.

So, is there anyone here who can direct me to a place where I can read the authentic Seerah (life) of the Prophet?

جزاكم الله خيرا

I’ve seen a lot of people say that they “haven’t written in weeks” and only wrote 300 words. Now, life gets the better of any of us. However, I think this has to do with something else.

Y’know what else I noticed? These people always have great ideas. Really good ideas you can make into a story.

So what I believe happens is that people often believe that the finish line of their idea will come as easily as the idea was imagined. But that’s not the case.

Imagination is cheap, but prose? It’s what establishes writers as writers. The “why” for the craft is in the pen. So what if you have a great idea? Nobody wants to read ideas, they want a narrative. Character arcs across tens of thousands of words.

You get what you want by working for it. And work… is not always fun. It’s why it is called “work” at some times and at others a “hobby.”

This isn’t for those who don’t take writing seriously. They can have their fun. Those who want to improve should pay this post heed.

Update: This post has gotten quite a lot of traction. Far more than I think I've ever gotten on here. I just want to address a few things:

1. This post is completely human. If you go back and look at my previous posts for instance, you will likely find a good track record of me writing in a human way. Honestly, I never meant to sound "robotic" here, but oh well.

2. Minor wording discrepancy: A lot of people got tripped up on the word, "prose." I do admit I used the wrong wording. This post is about discipline and working hard for what you want, not prose. So for anyone reading this later, keep this in mind.

3. This is kind of overwritten in this sub: I know, and probably shouldn't have contributed. I'm in a smaller writing community that is sort of dead. I see a lot of people with great ideas but not discipline to write. And so that was what gave me motivation to write this.

I hope this clears up any discourse.