Howdy all! This is my first time joining a writing forum to actually post so sorry if I'm missing any of the intricacies of ettiquette. So first things first, I go by Brim, I'm 23 and I write YA. Within that I tend to have a bit more wiggle room, my 3 current projects (all in very different stages) are in a sort of dieselpunk dystopian setting, horror/urban fantasy, and high fantasy. So I get around a little in terms of subgenre! I've been writing since high school, nothing published but I have gotten all the way through a couple of 80k word drafts, so I've got that unreadable first attempt at a novel out of the way. (I finished NaNoWriMo on one of them!) I don't care for writing anything shorter than that. I'm actually currently in the process of editing and rewriting right now rather than actively writing, but I'm also doing a lot of planning right now. I tend to bounce between projects as a response to writer's block. I love reading within the genres I write! I have a special love for YA because I like the fact that it tends to keep a pretty quick pace without taking itself too seriously (And when it does, I can't take it too seriously). That said a sampler list of my favorite books includes The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov, The Illuminae Files by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff, The Grishaverse Books by Leigh Bardugo which I just finished, and the first three books of The Dragon Riders of Pern by Anne McCaffrey so my tastes can be a bit of a crapshot honestly. Maybe suggest a book to me if you respond! I find one of the better ways to grow stylistically is to explore the works of a variety of authors, so I'm happy to try new things! That and it's a nice way to get a conversation going!
False dichotomy. Re-writing and planning are active writing. In fact much writing is done when you're not at a desk but mowing the lawn or washing dishes and ideas cascade through your mind. Then you just need to get them down on paper (virtual or otherwise) before they evaporate. So in some ways the thinking part is more the 'actual writing', and the bashing of keys with fingertips is just re-writing. Welcome to our little forum. Hope you enjoy it here.
Welcome to the forums! I am quite like you in that I read...just about everything. While I write mostly fantasy and science fiction, I read westerns, historical fiction, fantasy, science fiction, non fiction, and pretty much anything I get my hands on. I am currently reading DMT: The Spirit Molecule by Dr. Rick Strassman. I personally have never done hallucinogens but I find it fascinating, especially due to many of the plants used in shamanistic rituals having DMT in them. Kind of interesting to theorize if the visions they have are just their minds making stuff up or if it actually opens a conduit to the spirit realm. Might make for an interesting story plot.
Hey Brim. I have to say thank you for mentioning dieselpunk. I didn't even know that was a thing until your post. I swear, there's a punk for everything now. Cyber, steam, diesel... I need to think up one of my own! Your genres are right up my street, so I'll definitely check out whatever you choose to post! Welcome to the forums!
Welcome, Brim. See if you can get hold of some of Andre Norton's old, yea unto ancient, science fiction. Dread Companion sticks out in my mind.
I'll second Andre Norton. It's actually Alice Mary Norton, but she started in the 40's and because she wrote fantasy and science fiction she had to have a more male sounding name, so it became Andrew North. But as her popularity skyrocketed she developed enough clout to change that, so she settled on Andre Norton. A couple of my favorites by her include Catseye and The Zero Stone.
Oh wow you guys respond very fast! I'm not quite sure how to respond individually but it's really nice to see such a friendly community! I'll definitely make sure to check out the books you recommended! I've had a lot of fun with old Sci-Fi so Andre Norton sounds right up my alley! (And also glad to introduce someone to dieselpunk! It's always exciting to help someone find something they'll really enjoy.) Thank you so much for the warm welcome, all of you!
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