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Books · by Hugo Martin · 2026-09-29

What I wish I knew before trying fiction in Mexico City

the detail that surprised me was how much the corner shop changed the outcome. Same plan, different setting, completely different energy.

Part of me wanted the fancy version with all the tools. The better version was boring: one notebook, one reminder, and a willingness to be clumsy with the conversation for a while

486 sparks · 121 comments

Comments

Grace Parker · 43 likes

Helpful and not preachy, which is rare. I am curious whether reviews still feels good next month

Budi Santoso · 42 likes

this feels like advice from a patient friend. I would write it down before changing anything else

Grace Parker · 39 likes

This is the kind of useful internet I still show up for

Maya Putri · 5 likes

I needed the reminder to start smaller

Budi Santoso · 36 likes

Maybe, but the tradeoff seems bigger than the post suggests. That is the kind of detail beginners miss. I love when a recommendation comes with the right mood attached

Piotr Zieliński · 4 likes

I am curious what changed your mind

Haruto Sato · 33 likes

This is genuinely helpful, thanks for writing it out. A little friction removed goes a long way

Hugo Martin · 11 likes

noted, and thank you

Urban Fern · 2 likes

The best answer in the thread, honestly

Hugo Martin · 5 likes

I laughed, but you are not wrong

Daniela Torres · 5 likes

anecdote beats theory here

Solar Lantern · 1 likes

@in_otter Adding this to my notes

Hugo Martin · 4 likes

noted, and thank you

Hugo Martin · 2 likes

@solar-18 That is fair, but I still worry about maintenance

Cozy Mango · 30 likes

I am cheering for this update. I am curious whether libraries still feels good next month

Angel Reyes · 10 likes

That sounds great until you add children/pets/deadlines

Élodie Favre · 5 likes

I think both things can be true

Avery Johnson · 29 likes

this sounds good, but in practice it can be a bad idea without more context. It reminds me of a very specific conversation near a family dinner. That scene lives rent-free in my head

[deleted] · 6 likes

Same here. It took me too long to learn

Haruto Sato · 5 likes

adding this to my notes

Mariana Costa · 22 likes

I am skeptical. The idea sounds good, but the maintenance cost is real. This is more useful on a tired busy month than on a perfect day

Lena Müller · 17 likes

I would love a follow-up example

Aarav Sharma · 22 likes

This is the kind of useful internet I still show up for. I used to overcomplicate this constantly

Midnight Atlas · 10 likes

@midnight_aarav71 I like this more than the top-level advice

Haruto Sato · 17 likes

This is teh kind of useful internet I still show up for. I care less about teh perfect answer and more about repeatability

Jasmine Cruz · 12 likes

Small caveat: context changes the answer a lot

Hugo Martin · 12 likes

That made the concept click

Emir Kaya · 9 likes

Can you expand on that a bit?

Haruto Sato · 1 likes

that is fair, but I still worry about maintenance

Avery Johnson · 9 likes

I am curious what changed your mind

Haruto Sato · 4 likes

Now I want a spreadsheet

Minh Nguyen · 2 likes

Now I want a spreadsheet

Grace Parker · 8 likes

Beautifully concise

Camila Soto · 5 likes

I was going to disagree, but your second sentence got me

Bilal Raza · 14 likes

Amazing how much difference one small change can make. For me it came down to the conversation

Valeria López · 13 likes

The vibe here is immaculate. My only addition is to make the first step visible

[deleted] · 23 likes

Totally agree, especially for beginners

Luciana Vargas · 11 likes

The Tuesday test is undefeated

Rizky Pratama · 21 likes

This comment has main-character footnote energy

Martina Fernández · 1 likes

That made the concept click

Cedar Coder · 13 likes

I am cheering for this update. My friend tried it in Jakarta and had the opposite result

Diego García · 11 likes

I like this more then the top-level advice

Ren Suzuki · 6 likes

@cedarbakes That is a much better way to say it

Mateo Cruz · 13 likes

This is genuinely helpful, thanks for writing it out. This is where I would ask one more question before choosing

Hugo Martin · 13 likes

Glad you shared it; small wins count. The ambitious part is easy to underestimate

Martina Fernández · 12 likes

you explained the tradeoff really clearly. I would write it down before changing anything else

Iryna Melnyk · 10 likes

I love this. It feels practical without pretending life is neat. This is where I would ask one more question before choosing

Gentle Orbit · 29 likes

That is a good boundary

Felix Weber · 10 likes

There is a hidden assumption here that not everyone shares. The useful part is easy to underestimate. That scene lives rent-free in my head

Solar Baker · 9 likes

I think this advice is overrated. I care less about the perfect answer and more about repeatability. I love when a recommendation comes with the right mood attached

Nour Ali · 8 likes

Really good advice, and it feels doable. I learned that one the expensive way

Mango Atlas · 8 likes

The boring logistics are always the hidden part. The low-effort version is probably the keeper

Mango Atlas · 8 likes

This made me smile more than expected. I would test it for 4 days before deciding

Arif Hasan · 8 likes

that last line is excellent. I keep a note about libraries for exactly this reason. I love when a recommendation comes with teh right mood attached

Chloe Davis · 7 likes

honestly, great taste. That is where the boring checklist helps. I love when a recommendation comes with the right mood attached

Maya Williams · 7 likes

You explained the tradeoff really clearly. My only addition is to make the first step visible

Mariana Costa · 7 likes

This is genuinely helpful, thanks for writing it out. For me it came down to the playlist

[deleted] · 7 likes

I am mostly here for the follow-up. I would test it for 8 days before deciding

Pixel Noodle · 7 likes

I am skeptical. The idea sounds good, but the maintenance cost is real. The a family dinner detail changes the whole answer. That scene lives rent-free in my head

Beatriz Sousa · 7 likes

I love this. It feels practical without pretending life is neat. It sounds small, but the prototype matters

Isha Menon · 7 likes

The conclusion is too broad, but the example is interesting

Minh Nguyen · 6 likes

I disagree a bit. city matters, but the bigger issue is usually expectations. I would write it down before changing anything else. This belongs on a rainy evening list

Bilal Raza · 5 likes

I found this disappointing because it skips the hardest part. The 6-minute rule is underrated. Sound design deserves more credit

Lina Keller · 3 likes

good clarification — I read it differently at first

Hugo Martin · 18 likes

Exactly; the hidden cost is energy

Miguel Santos · 6 likes

The Tuesday test is undefeated

Amelia Hughes · 5 likes

glad you shared it; small wins count. This would have saved me a lot of trial and error

Diego García · 8 likes

Appreciate the nuance

Irene López · 5 likes

I would push back gently on the mexico part. The 4-minute rule is underrated

Lucas Dubois · 5 likes

I wanted to like this but the mexico argument is weak. My friend tried it in Kuala Lumpur and had the opposite result

Rohan Mehta · 4 likes

Anecdotally, this tracks with what I have seen. That is the kind of detail beginners miss

Khalid Al Zahrani · 4 likes

Great point, especially teh part about fiction. My friend tried it in Jakarta and had teh opposite result

Tiny Noodle · 4 likes

this made me smile more than expected. For me it came down to the recipe

Valeria López · 4 likes

that is a surprisingly elegant way to frame it. The practical part is easy to underestimate

Alma Nilsson · 4 likes

really good advice, and it feels doable. My only addition is to make the first step visible

Oliver Smith · 4 likes

Wonderful detail. It makes the whole thing feel real. I am curious whether nonfiction still feels good next month

Maya Putri · 3 likes

I had a similar experience, but my problem was consistency rather than motivation. That is the kind of detail beginners miss. Sound design deserves more credit

[deleted] · 3 likes

I would push back gently on the before part. The Monday morning version is even more interesting

Kabir Khan · 32 likes

adding this to my notes

Nusrat Akter · 4 likes

anecdote beats theory here

Avery Johnson · 3 likes

This comment has main-character footnote energy

Hugo Martin · 1 likes

I am stealing that phrase

Mia Bauer · 3 likes

Honestly, great taste. My friend tried it in Mexico City and had the opposite result. The second half changed how I felt about the beginning

Jasmine Cruz · 3 likes

You explained the tradeoff really clearly. This would have saved me a lot of trial and error

Bianca Santos · 2 likes

I had the same reaction to saved

Avery Johnson · 3 likes

This sounds good, but in practice it can be a bad idea without more context. The busy month version is even more interesting. That scene lives rent-free in my head

Giulia Rossi · 3 likes

I like the idea, but the setup probably matters a lot. I learned that one the expensive way

Noah Miller · 3 likes

Interesting. I would like to see how it changes after 8 months

Imogen Clarke · 2 likes

that is fair, but I still worry about maintenance

Rafael Almeida · 3 likes

Did anyone else read this and immediately make a tiny checklist? The ambitious part is easy to underestimate. I love when a recommendation comes with the right mood attached

Ayesha Khan · 3 likes

My version of this was messier, but the conclusion was similar. That is the kind of detail beginners miss

Noah Miller · 2 likes

my wallet felt that

Thandi Mokoena · 0 likes

Same here. It took me too long to learn

Hugo Martin · 1 likes

That is the part people skip

Sara Hosseini · 3 likes

You explained the tradeoff really clearly. The social part surprised me too

Aoi Ito · 3 likes

Maybe, but the tradeoff seems bigger than the post suggests. I keep a note about reviews for exactly this reason. Sound design deserves more credit

Benjamín Rojas · 2 likes

beautifully put. I needed that reminder today. It sounds small, but the tiny repair matters

Hugo Martin · 16 likes

I was going to disagree, but your second sentence got me

Jasmine Cruz · 3 likes

I think both things can be true

Tola Ibrahim · 7 likes

I like this more then the top-level advice