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Writer survey

Writers, share your thoughts in this short survey to help us develop a new product for your needs.

Participation is voluntary, and you can stop at any time before submitting. Any results we publish will be anonymised. You must be 18 years or older.

This survey is run by Overstory AS. For any questions or concerns, email [email protected].

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How do we reach you?

Sharing your contact details is optional. If you choose to provide them, we might reach out to invite you to a short paid interview.

First name

Last name

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What country do you live in? ^*

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In the past 12 months, which of the following have you mostly written for personal or creative projects? ^*

Select 1 of the following options

I am not a writer / I have not been actively writing

Non-fiction (e.g., articles, essays, memoirs, self-help, cookbooks, etc.)

Children's books (e.g., picture books, chapter books, etc.)

Visual works (e.g., comics, graphic novels, illustration-based projects, etc.)

Short-form works (e.g., short stories, flash fiction, poetry, etc.)

Long-form fiction (e.g., novels, novellas, serialised works, etc.)

Performance pieces (e.g., screenplays, stage plays, etc.)

None of the above

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How have you used artificial intelligence (AI) tools in your most recent long-form fiction writing project? ^*

Select 1 of the following options

AI tools have generated most of the text

AI tools have generated a large portion of the text

AI tools have generated some text or suggestions, but I have written the majority

I have written all the text myself, without using any AI tools

I haven't started the drafting/writing stage of my most recent fiction project

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What is the primary genre of your most recent fiction project? ^*

Select 1 of the following options

Horror

Crime/mystery

Historical fiction

Thriller/suspense

Contemporary fiction

Fantasy

Science fiction (sci-fi)

Romance

Young adult (YA)

Literary fiction

Erotic fiction

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Which device have you primarily used to work on your most recent fiction project? ^*

Select 1 of the following options

Dedicated digital writing device (e.g., Freewrite, Alphasmart)

Voice recorder or speech-to-text device

Pen and paper

Typewriter

Laptop or notebook computer

Desktop computer

Smartphone

Tablet (e.g., iPad, Galaxy Tab, reMarkable)

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What are your main goals as a writer? ^*

Get personal satisfaction or a sense of accomplishment

Publish with a traditional publisher

Self-publish (print or e-book)

Publish online (e.g., Wattpad, AO3, Royal Road, Medium, etc.)

Earn income through writing

Gain recognition, critical acclaim, awards

Grow a readership or online presence

Improve writing skills or craft

Other

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What motivated your most recent fiction writing session? ^*

Deadlines or commitments (personal, community, co-writer)

Feedback from readers

Another writer's success story

Personal enjoyment or relaxation

Desire to improve writing skills or experiment

Inspiration or a sudden idea

Reading other writers' work

Progress toward reaching a milestone or finishing a draft

Insight from other writers

Other

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Which statement best describes your writing process for your most recent fiction project? ^*

Select 1 of the following options

I dive straight into writing and figure things out along the way

I create a rough outline or jot down a few notes before I start writing

I outline critical scenes then build the story out from there

I plan most of the scenes and leave room for new ideas

I prepare a detailed outline of the whole story before I start writing

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Which of the following did you outline in detail before you started writing your most recent fiction project? ^*

Select all that apply

Main characters

Supporting characters

Character backstories or arcs

Relationships and family trees

Settings/locations

World-building details (e.g., history, cultures, religions, languages)

Laws, magic system, or rules of the world

Major twists or reveals

Timelines or chronologies

Main themes and messages

I did not outline any of the above in detail before I started writing

Other

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During the creation of your most recent fiction project, have you shared drafts or granted access to your work to any of the following? ^*

Select all that apply

Co-writers

Friends or family

Beta readers or critique partners

Editors or proofreaders

Literary agents

Mentors or teachers

Writing groups

No, I have worked entirely on my own

Other

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The last time you worked on ideation and planning for a fiction project, which parts felt distinctly challenging—enough to demotivate or frustrate you? ^*

Select all that apply

Idea generation (brainstorming, mind-mapping, organising thoughts, etc.)

Research (finding and collecting background information, fact-checking, etc.)

Early development (turning an idea into a strong premise)

Creating supporting materials (character sheets, maps, family trees, timelines, etc.)

World-building (setting, cultures, rules, history, magic system, etc.)

Plot and structure (outlining, story arc, pacing, subplots etc.)

Character development (character arcs, relationships, motivations, backstories, etc.)

Organisation (taking notes, filing, etc.)

I did not find any part of ideation and planning distinctly challenging / I have not yet reached this stage of a fiction writing project

Other

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The last time you worked on drafting/writing for a fiction project, which parts felt distinctly challenging—enough to demotivate or frustrate you? ^*

Select all that apply

Managing and incorporating new ideas that arise during drafting (adding, revisiting, and rewriting sections based on new ideas)

Motivation and consistency (overcoming blocks, avoiding procrastination, building a writing habit, self-doubt)

Maintaining creative flow (staying focused, managing distractions and interruptions)

Plot and structure (tracking details, avoiding contradictions, ensuring continuity)

Finding the right words (converting ideas into words, writing dialogue)

Perfectionism (constant rewriting, not knowing when to move on)

I did not find any part of drafting/writing distinctly challenging / I have not yet reached this stage of a fiction writing project

Other

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The last time you worked on revision and editing for a fiction project, which parts felt distinctly challenging—enough to demotivate or frustrate you? ^*

Select all that apply

Identifying what needs fixing (knowing what to look out for, missing issues in the story or your writing)

Feedback (getting constructive feedback, integrating it)

Perfectionism (not knowing when to stop, over-editing)

Structure (fixing plot holes, pacing issues, continuity errors, ensuring story logic, removing contradictions)

World-building consistency (rules, history, geography, cultures, systems)

Improving sentence flow and readability (clarity, style, word choice)

Character and dialogue (refining character arcs, motivations, relationships, developments)

Language mechanics (spelling, grammar, punctuation)

I did not find any part of revision and editing distinctly challenging / I have not yet reached this stage of a fiction writing project

Other

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The last time you worked on publishing preparation for a fiction project, which parts felt distinctly challenging—enough to demotivate or frustrate you? ^*

Select all that apply

Traditional publishing process (querying, agents, submissions, word count limits and other genre-specific standards)

Self-publishing logistics (structure, formatting, cover, ISBN, platforms)

Marketing and book promotion (getting publicity, running ads, etc.)

Proofreading (final edits, fact-checking, etc.)

I did not find any part of publishing preparation distinctly challenging / I have not yet reached this stage of a fiction writing project

Other

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Have you tried any solutions to overcome these challenges? ^*

Select all that apply

Self-reflection and management (routines, habits, productivity methods, mindset exercises)

Human support (coaches, mentors, critique partners, beta readers, writing groups)

Online resources (courses, guides, blogs, podcasts, forums, videos)

Tools and software (writing or organising tools, world-building tools, AI tools, productivity apps)

No, I haven't tried any strategies or solutions

Other

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Approximately how much have the solutions you tried to overcome these challenges cost you in the past 12 months? ^*

Select 1 of the following options

Nothing/free

$1–$50

$51–$100

$101–$250

$251–$500

More than $500

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Overall, how effective have the solutions you tried been in addressing these challenges? ^*

Select the option (1–5) that best represents the effectiveness

1 → Not effective

5 → Extremely effective

Not effective Extremely effective

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Why haven't the solutions you tried fully resolved these challenges? ^*

Select all that apply

Helped temporarily but didn't stick

Hard to apply consistently

Too expensive in the long-run

Didn't address the root cause

Overwhelming or too time-intensive

Not personalised enough

Didn't match my learning or writing style

Other

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What has prevented you from trying to solve these challenges? ^*

Select all that apply

Didn't know where to start or what options exist

Not sure what would actually help

Don't have time

Don't have the budget

Haven't found anything credible or trustworthy

Didn't think the problem was solvable

I prefer to push through on my own

I don't want to change my tools/workflow

It isn't big enough of an issue to justify seeking help

Other

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Which of the following software have you used for your most recent fiction writing project? ^*

Select all that apply

Word processors (e.g., Google Docs, Microsoft Word, LibreOffice, etc.)

Editing and grammar (e.g., Grammarly, ProWritingAid, etc.)

Notes, research, and organisation (e.g., Notion, Obsidian, Evernote, OneNote, Plottr, etc.)

General writing (e.g., Scrivener, Ulysses, Living Writer, Papyrus Author, Typora, Novlr, iA Writer, etc.)

Productivity and focus (e.g., Cold Turkey Writer, FocusWriter, etc.)

World building (e.g., Campfire, World Anvil, etc.)

AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, SudoWrite, Gemini, etc.)

Book formatting and publishing (e.g., Atticus, Vellum, etc.)

None of the above

Other

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What influenced your choice of writing software for your most recent fiction project? ^*

Select all that apply

Familiarity or previous experience with the software

Free or has a free tier

Specific features or functionality

Value for money

Ease of use and acceptable learning curve

Compatibility across devices and operating systems

The software's interface, aesthetics, and design

Data privacy and security

Quality of customer support

Active writing community

AI tools and assistance

Collaboration or co-authorship needs

Other

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Which of the following writing software have you paid to use (at any point in the past) for a fiction writing project? ^*

Select all that apply

Grammarly / ProWritingAid

Notion / Obsidian

Evernote / OneNote

World Anvil

Atticus

Plottr

SudoWrite

Vellum

Ulysses

Campfire

iA Writer

Typora

Novlr

Cold Turkey Writer

Scrivener

Living Writer

FocusWriter

Papyrus Author

I have never paid to use writing software for my fiction projects

Other

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Why haven't you paid for writing software before? ^*

Select all that apply

Free version / free tools are good enough

Haven't found software that meets my needs

Unsure which software to choose

Don't want to pay a subscription

Concerned about the learning curve / time required

Want to try more before committing

Don't believe software would help me

Don't want to change my tools/workflow

Other

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What convinced you to pay for writing software? ^*

Select all that apply

Specific features or functionality I needed

Positive reviews or recommendations from other writers

Free trial convinced me to upgrade

Discount, voucher, or promotional offer

Lifetime or one-time purchase offer

Subscription plan suited my needs

Desire to improve productivity or writing process

Other

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What specific features or functionalities matter most to you in writing software, and what do they help you achieve? ^*

In the space provided, list all relevant points and briefly explain each one.

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Which social media platforms have you spent the most time on over the past 12 months? ^*

Facebook

Instagram

Snapchat

TikTok

Discord

Twitter / X

Youtube

Substack

I do not use any social media platform

Other

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Which of the following communities, programs, or events have you participated in over the past 12 months in relation to fiction writing? ^*

Select all that apply

Online writing communities (groups, discussion forums)

Online writing workshops / virtual events (live sessions, webinars)

In-person writing workshops / local writing groups / retreats

Writing prompts and challenges

Literary contests or competitions

Fiction writing courses or academic programs

Mentorship programs

I have not participated in any fiction writing-related communities, programs, or events in the past 12 months

Other

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What kinds of online content formats do you enjoy the most? ^*

Live sessions or webinars

Interactive formats (quizzes, polls, games, question-and-answer sessions)

Podcasts

Community discussions (groups and forums)

Short-form videos (under 5 minutes)

Blog posts / articles

Graphic (comics, infographics, memes, gifs)

Email newsletters

Long-form videos (over 5 minutes)

Other

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What types of fiction writing-related content do you find most helpful? ^*

Community stories from other writers

Software / tool reviews and tutorials

Motivational / inspirational posts

Productivity hacks and routines

Industry news and trends

Publishing advice (traditional and self-publishing)

Writing craft tips (style, character development, plot, etc.)

Book reviews or recommendations

Reviewing / critiquing other writers' work

Interviews and insights from established authors

Other

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Writer survey

Overall, how effective have the solutions you tried been in addressing these challenges? *

Thank you!

Thank you for your interest

Overall, how effective have the solutions you tried been in addressing these challenges? ^*