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Before I go talking about myself I have a question for any of the more experienced writers here. I have started writing a book (fantasy) and when I eventually finish, is there a way for me to get another proofreader before I publish. Really it might be months before I finish, but I would like to have an experienced writer for advice dealing with the story, grammar, and plot flow.

 

So onto me and how I stumbled here. My name is Jacob, and I live in the U.S. done with the details. So I have always loved books and have been reading the likes of Brandon Sanderson, Robert Jordan, George R. Martin, Terry Brooks, etc..... since I was ten. Seriously my dad dropped me into the world of Shannara when I was ten, and then lead me to David Eddings from there I spiraled into reading. Since then I enjoy most fantasy, horror, scy fi, and thrillers, and videogames. I found CYS and have started reading almost non-stop, and then was inspired to write and here I am.

 

Well, hello I am glad to be here and any advice is welcome. The guides here have already been a tremendous help.

Welcome to the site.

Are you writing a typical novel, or do you intend to convert it into a CYOA? Because that's going to affect how you do your plotting.

As far as grammar goes, there are tons of online resources for grammar review if you're concerned you may have forgotten some. But really, in fiction writing, you can get away with a lot of stuff you can't in formal writing. It just depends on your writing style and how you implement your breaks from grammar conventions. Fragments are a good example of this. The more you read and write the easier and more natural these deviations from formal grammar will come.

Many community members are happy to do proofreading for projects that are going towards the site, but I'm not sure you'll find a ton of offers for a work that isn't going to be posted here. I could be wrong, but I wouldn't hedge my bets.

If you look in the Help & Info section of the site, there are a number of articles on story-writing. Many mostly focus on CYOA story-writing, but the basic principles may be helpful.

But other than general information, you'll have to ask a specific question for help with the story and plot flow. Are you concerned with pacing, POV, character development, plot points, plot vs. story questions, foreshadowing, trope & cliche elements, etc.?

The basic advice I always give for any story is to use the active voice as much as possible and use strong verbs and nouns to decrease your reliance on adverbs and adjectives. The latter helps paint a clearer picture in less words, while the former keeps the reader engaged in the story.

But the best way to become a better writer is to write. And write the story you want, not what you think will be popular. Hope this helps, and once again, welcome.

Definitely CYOA there is no way I could do an actual novel, yet. When I wrote book I only meant that the cyoa would have a strong story, similar to the length and detail of End-Master's stories.

Other than the basic issues of mostly correct grammar and does the plot flow from one paragraph to another my concerns are character development so are they underdeveloped or cliche, and the point of view does it stay the same.

Personally, I think if you have the dedication to see it through, a novel is easier to write than an epic CYOA since you're writing one story versus several.

This can help you with cliches. There are several decent 'Mary Sue' tests on the first page of Google as well. If you've never done one, they can be a little fun to fiddle with. But if you're unsure if a character is too much of a cliche or too overpowered, the test provides a rough idea of where they stand. But everything comes down to your own implementation in the end.

But even cliches can be twisted and made fresh. Harry Potter is nothing but a bunch of cliches with a different spin on them. Orphan boy, trio of heroes, prophecy, only the hero can stop the Big Bad, characters leave out important plot information for no good reason (I'm looking at you Dumbledore.) The list goes on. And I'm not dumping on the books. It's actually pretty sweet when an author molds a cliche into something unique.

What POV did you plan on using?

That list of cliches, thankfully doing a Cyoa it adapts the cliches such as it allows the story to be spread across decades. So instead of  the new hero beats trained villain instead hero has trained for thirty years. That kind of thing.

 

As for my PoV I have been doing second for most of the story, but I have a reason for this in the plot (spoilers sweety) I occasionally use first, but really only when there is a dialogue going on.

Welcome to the site. Be warned; we are dangerous and slightly insane. I recommend you check out the Forum Games. It's where we go to unleash the insanity we don't put into our storygames. There's quite a lot of fun there, and of course insanity. Glad you could join us. 

Message supervised by the CYS community. Welcome to our asylum.

Welcome to the community.

Glad to be here, and let me guess there is no way out.

Oh no, there are ways out, just hard to find. I made it out for three months. Only just got back in a few days ago.

Welcome to the site.

If you are looking to write a commercial book and publish it, yes, there are proofreading services out there. Most will cost you money and be worth crap. The best way for you to get advice on the story is to find some friends that like reading the type of story you're writing and just ask them. Keep in mind: not one single person will say that every page is gold (unless you pay them, of course).

Nice getting to know you, and welcome to the site. Stop by the forums often and good luck on your story. Glad to see a new face around. ^^

Hello, welcome to CYS. To answer your question, you can put your game on Sneak Preview and send a link to the people you want to proofread.

Ah, cool Thanks.

'ello. I believe other people have already answered your questions.

Welcome to the site, enjoy your stay.

Welcome to CYS!

Since I didn't see it posted here yet, I thought I'd give you yet another option.  When you are far enough along with your story, post a link to it in "Writing Workshop" along with your plea for proofreaders.  To get more bites, you might offer tasty treats!