#on all social media but like with having a tolkien only blog and my main blog being b&w i don't end up rbing a lot of the stuff i like but | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

kholran · 3 years

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Oh shit I saw this yesterday but yesterday was A Lot so I forgot until right now. Tagged by @vishcount, Thank you!!

it’s nice to get to know you a bit better and these types of things are probably those you don’t really come around asking from ppl :’D i feel like i go way too long without even knowing how tall ppl are or what their blogs are really about haha

rules: answer 30 questions and tag however many blogs you want!

name: Amanda, but I respond better to Khol

gender: ??? I go with she/her pronouns but sometimes I’d rather not.

star sign: Aries

height: 5′3″

time: 11:34 pm

birthday: april 10th <<-- WAIT REALLY? SO IS MINE.

favorite bands: L’Arc~en~Ciel, Nightwish, Within Temptation

favorite solo artists: Hyde...and uh...like a bunch of theater people.

last movie: Legend of Loulan: Ghost Army that I pirated watched last night. Hoo boy, that sure was...a movie...that was made.

last show: Ep 27 of Destiny’s Love starring Zhang Ming En.

when did i create this blog: Uhhh....*checks email* 2012

what i post: Right now it’s mostly Liu Chang/Sang central. But also some Zhu Yi Long, Guardian, and whatever else. This is my main blog and it’s kind of an everything blog. Just my fixations take priority.

last thing i googled: Xin Yue Restaurant because I always get the spelling wrong.

other blogs: ijustreallylikeelves is my Tolkien sideblog, and thegreymajor is my Outlander one. I’ve been a bit neglectful of both of them lately oops

do i get asks: Haha no.

why i chose my url: I went through a handful of more fandom-y urls whenever a new fixation struck, but once I started getting more involved with different fandoms on like discord and stuff, I decided it was easier if I just went back to using my regular internet handle so people could find me across multiple social media sites. Kholran was an RP character I created back iiiin like 2003? Thereabouts? And I didn’t get to play with him much so I stole his name and have been using it online ever since. I made it up, so chances are if you see a Kholran somewhere else online, it’s me.

following: 359

followers: 433 and I love you all very much.

instruments: Yeah no. But I can sing.

what i am wearing: A black hoodie with a horse shoe and roses on it, and fuzzy pj pants with Jack Skellingtons all over them. And equally fuzzy socks with llamas.

dream job(s): Animal rescue and behaviour rehabilitation. Too bad the pay in jobs like that is. Not great.

dream trip: Yes. Everywhere. Except maybe places with a lot of snow, because I don’t handle the cold very well. But only after they invent teleportation because I have too many pets to go off travelling for any length of time.

favorite foods: Pasta, Noodles, Rice...look, if you can make a vague tube shape out of some kind of starch, I’ll probably like it.

nationality: American (but more specifically Spanish/English/Dutch)

favorite song: I’m between song obsessions right now, but I was thinking today how Liu Chang’s Ping Yao Wang Shi song never fails to boost my mood. So I’ll say that one.

last book i read: I was in the middle of one of the Outlander books when Guardian/DMBJ hyperfixation hit and I stopped reading anything but fanfic.

top 3 fictional universes i’d like to live in: Do I have to live in them when the things I like were set? Because some of that (like Middle Earth during the War of the Ring would be one giant NOPE). But if I get to live in them in like. A peaceful time without any strife. First would DEFINITELY be Middle Earth. I’ve loved that world since I was young. Elves and magic and hobbits. Yes. Two (and I KNOW, guys. I KNOW.) would be the Harry Potter universe. All that magic. And yeah I’d have to spend just as much time and effort on social issues there, but that’s not much different from living in America right now so. And Three. Uh. The world Dinotopia is set in? Because how awesome would that be?

I tag whoever wants to do this and hasn’t already been tagged!

#mine #things i'm tagged in

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maglors-anion-gap · 3 years

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Just curious - since you seem to understand a bit about it - but why do people do anon messages signed with their name? Instead of not?

Hi!

So a lot of us have side blogs in addition to our main blog. The side blogs allow us to curate our social media experience better. I find that I get better engagement on my work, and that I’m not blowing up the dash of my non-Tolkien friends, if I use a side blog. It’s also faster and less hassle than having separate login info.

The one downside of a side blog is that you can’t really send asks from it. You can answer asks, and you can send dms, but you can’t send asks.

Hence Signed Anon Messages:

- some people that follow me here only know me as tol-himling. They may not recognize who I am if I send an ask from my main blog. personally, I don’t separate my main blog and my side blog - I have links available between the two so you can find me either place. But it’s not necessarily common knowledge for everyone here. That’s the main reason I used to sign my name on an anon message.

- Some people like to keep their online spaces separate though! This could be for personal or professional reasons - I have a rant blog that I don’t share with anyone that I just use for my mental health. I wouldn’t link that blog and this one. and I never put posts complaining about a specific person anywhere that they might be able to find it, that would be such a rude thing to subject them to! (Don’t worry tho, I never complain abt my followers or mutuals, i literally had nothing but excellent experiences with all of you!)

- Other people have gotten caught in fandom drama and want to keep that separate from their main blog so they don’t get dogpiled on main as well. Nobody likes to be the subject of a 90 page call out that boils down to nothing more than “goodie proctor saw him bookmark bondage fic on AO3”

- if we wanted to be truly anonymous, we wouldn’t sign our name at all. And that’s just what an anon message IS.

- however, obviously, someone could impersonate you using your blog name. That said, someone could do the same thing by creating fake screenshots, or a side blog that looks a lot like yours, etc etc there are a lot of ways to spread harassment and misinformation on this site! Not just though anon impersonation. Be careful what you say and who you say it to, people love to take things out of context!

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battlestar-royco · 4 years

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updated faq

Round 2! I tried to shorten the answers so as not to be repetitive, and I also added new FAQs for your convenience. My past self who wrote my first FAQ annoys me, and this one is more thorough anyway, so here you go. I still can’t believe you all actually interact with me enough that I have to make one of these.

Questions up here, answers under the cut.

anti sjm basics

1. why are you an anti?

2. why are you specifically anti SJM?

3. do you like anything about SJM’s books?

4. terminology and practices

5. why do you hold SJM to a higher standard than other authors?/why do you focus on criticizing this one woman more harshly than you do men?

6. did you see what xyz stan did?

7. are you an anti for non-SJM stuff?

best of (in my humble opinion)

diversity and sensitivity

8. I have a question about writing and/or how to portray xyz identity...

9. can you please tag...?

10. is it okay if I like [x author]/[y series] even if I know they’re problematic?

11. what are your suggestions for aspiring authors who want to write diversely?

personal

12. is it okay if I message you?

13. why don’t you post about books/shows/movies you actually like?

14. favorites?

15. book suggestions?

16. are you a writer/what are you writing/do you plan on publishing?

17. is it okay if I follow you on other social media?

18. fandom research

19. when did you start your blog?

20. how did you decide your url?

anti SJM basics

1. why are you an anti?

I love thinking critically about the media I consume. Though I wouldn’t say I’m particularly “anti” any text or author, some people classify any criticism as “anti.” To respect people in the main tags, I post in anti tags so they don’t have to see critical posts. Otherwise, I love talking about positive, neutral, and negative aspects of books.

2. why are you specifically anti SJM?

The Anti SJM Manifesto

What made you turn into an anti? x x

Rowan/Rowaelin: x x x

The fandom: x x x x x x

3. do you like anything about SJM’s books?

Yes. I like a lot of SJM’s ideas, but I don’t like how they’re executed at all. I highly enjoyed TAB, TOG-HOF, and the witch storyline of QOS. My favorite TOG characters are Manon, Chaol, Nehemia, and Sorscha. Honorable mention for Lysandra, Kaltain, and Asterin. My favorite ACOTAR characters are Nesta, Lucien, and Tarquin. Additional links: x x x x

If you want my positive thoughts on certain SJM characters, look up: “anti sjm: [character name]” and you’ll find them.

4. terminology and practices:

Anti SJM Glossary. Seeing as many of us have had bad experiences with stans and in one case, authors, we censor names so our posts stay in our own tags.

What is soap dick? From August 2018 x x.

Manongate? when KOA came out, Charlie Bowater’s promotional art (x) depicted Manon as Asian. Here’s more on why that’s a problematic and lazy decision on SJM and Bloomsbury’s part: x x.

5. why do you hold SJM to a higher standard than other authors?/why do you focus on criticizing this one woman more harshly than you do men?

SJM alone out of all the biggest YA authors has yet to make craft improvements or display a social awareness similar to what I’ve seen from her colleagues. I give all authors an equal chance, but SJM’s writing and behavior has significantly decreased in quality compared to other fantasy authors despite her books being lauded as complex and feminist works. However, I’m not perfect, so do feel welcome to send me an ask if you think I’m being unfair.

The anti SJM community is focused on women because we all mainly read women. Critiquing women doesn’t mean we are unaware, dismissive of, or silent about the issues in men’s work. The “anti” movements for the likes of GRRM do exist, but under a different name than “anti”–there are thousands of critical meta blogs, book/TV critics and reviewers, Youtubers, etc out there who discuss his flaws in depth. I also have lengthy anti GRRM, anti GOT, and anti ASOIAF tags. Finally, I personally find critiquing and discussing women’s work a lot more interesting, productive, and empowering than doing the same for men, especially because my blog’s focus is on the YA author/transformative fan community at large.

About Leigh Bardugo: x x x x x x x

About GRRM (and GOT): x x x x x x x

About Tolkien: I've only read The Hobbit and a third of Fellowship of the Ring, and I’ve only watched FotR, so I don’t say much about him at all.

6. did you see what xyz stan did?

Probably not, especially if what they did was off Tumblr. I don’t look at stan accounts unless someone informs me that my posts or I have come up in conversation on their blog. Any specific stan urls in asks will be redacted both for their privacy and my own well-being. Stans have doxxed, harassed, and discriminated against antis, including myself, so I’d rather save us all the trouble.

7. are you an anti for non-SJM stuff?

I most often talk about SJM’s books, but I’ve also been very critical of GOT/ASOIAF. Following GRRM, several other YA authors have appeared in positive, neutral, and critical lights. On the more critical side we have Cassandra Clare and JK Rowling, and a very little bit about Victoria Aveyard, John Green, Maggie Stiefvater, Stephenie Meyer, and Veronica Roth. Otherwise, I’ve talked about Susan Dennard, Rick Riordan, Leigh Bardugo, and Marie Rutkoski. Check out my YA critical tag for more. I’m also down to discuss franchises like Star Wars, Fantastic Beasts, MCU, etc, as well as TV shows. Basically anything big in genre fiction media, there’s a good chance I’ve read/watched it and I have opinions!

best of

anti SJM

Are the Illyrians MOC?

Moral Ambiguity Series

Anti Nessian

Lucien or Rhysand?

Chaol or Rowan?

misc.

why are period dramas like... that

White Feminism

a beginner’s guide to fandom racism

diversity and sensitivity

8. I have a question about writing and/or how to portray xyz identity...

First and foremost, check my “writing advice” and “writing advice: poc” tags to see if the question has already been answered.

I am black cis girl with a dual degree in women’s/gender studies and creative writing. I will best be able to answer questions regarding black characters, women, racial oppression and identity as a whole, and most questions about queer characters. There’s a chance I can provide a basic answer to questions about demographics outside of these, but I’ll most likely advise you to ask another blogger or seek out sensitivity readers.

9. can you please tag...?

Yes. Just send an ask and I’ll tag anything. I’ve turned off all Tumblr notifications for this account so I probably won’t see tag requests in comments unless you comment within a day or so of the post.

10. is it okay if I like [x author]/[y series] even if I know they’re problematic?

Absolutely. I’m not the liking-things police and I can’t control whether you like something or not. There’s no such thing as an unproblematic author or unproblematic series, so you just have to like what you like at your own discretion and with a critical eye. As long as you’re aware of the issues and not denying or ignoring them, maybe even seeking out other people whose opinions add to the conversation, you’re good. It’s exhausting to be 100% critical but harmful to be 100% uncritical, so you have to seek out critics you like and figure out how to maintain a dialogue with the text and/or the author. The balance is different for everyone but once you find it, it gets easier to keep up!

11. what are your suggestions for aspiring authors who want to write diversely?

Concepts to be aware of and tropes to avoid: male gaze, the Bechdel test, the Mako Mori test, the sexy lamp test, fridging, Orientalism, xenoface (called “the Gamora Phenomenon” on my blog), black best friend, Spicy Latina, Dragon Lady, bury your gays, disability narratives, queerbaiting.

What not to do when creating a culture.

My advice about writing POC.

Check out these blogs if you like: x x x.

Follow as diversely as possible. Follow multiple blogs, especially writing- or fandom-themed blogs, run by POC (especially women and LGBTQ+), bloggers from religiously marginalized groups, bloggers with disabilities, older bloggers, younger bloggers, international bloggers, plus size bloggers, etc. Everyone has different perspectives and opinions, so it’s best to read from multiple sources.

Magnify marginalized voices in conversations about diversity, and LISTEN to what they are telling you.

Read diversely! Read genre fiction written by marginalized people. Maybe even read some gender, queer, race, or disability theory if you like. I’m personally a fan of Audre Lorde, Anne McClintock, and Sara Ahmed, but I like a lot more.

Seek out multiple sensitivity readers for the specific identity you are trying to represent (ie if you are trying to write a Muslim woman, ask a Muslim woman to sensitivity read for you. Experiences are not interchangeable so don’t treat them as such).

Don’t let the research stop here. This is just the beginning. There are plenty of awesome and accessible resources out there if you want to know more. I started learning about this stuff on sites like Tumblr, Goodreads, and Youtube. The Goodreads review sections, especially for YA books, are so entertaining and full of commentators coming at texts with feminist, queer, and POC lenses if you look in the right spots. There are also podcasts and Youtube videos about feminism, history of queerbaiting, and such. Happy reading/listening/writing!

personal

12. is it okay if I message you?

If we’ve been mutuals and/or we’ve interacted for a while (at least a few weeks or so), absolutely. When it comes to questions about writing or diversity advice in WIPs, I prefer asks (off or on anon is fine; if you’d like to be off anon but answered privately, you can indicate that in the ask). That way, other people with similar questions can join the discussion and I’m less likely to repeat myself. That said, I’m not opposed to messages; I just get shy around people I don’t know :). Regardless of ask or message, please try to ask the full question as clearly as possible so I can answer it to my best ability. Generally, you can expect an answer to your message or ask within a few days to a week of sending.

If you’re looking for a fight and/or if you start using condescending, rude, or discriminatory language, you will be ignored.

13. why don’t you post about books/shows/movies you actually like?

I do! :)

14. favorites?

books: Harry Potter; The Hunger Games; Six of Crows; Percy Jackson; The Winner’s Trilogy; Angelfall; The Secret History; Othello; Jane Eyre; The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe/The Magician’s Nephew; A Storm of Swords.

movies: Alien, Blade Runner 2049, Harry Potter, Wonder Woman, Black Panther, Annihilation, Mad Max: Fury Road, The Terminator 2, The Breakfast Club, The Lion King, Moonlight dir. Barry Jenkins, Sleeping Beauty, Mulan, Tangled.

tv series: Sense8, Battlestar Galactica (2004-2008), Black Mirror, The X Files, The 100, Westworld (season 1 only), Watchmen, Homeland (seasons 1-4 only), Orphan Black, Breaking Bad, The Office, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, New Girl, Fleabag.

15. book suggestions?

Book recs!

Maxine, did you read/watch...?

16. are you a writer/what are you writing/do you plan on publishing?

I hope to publish, yes! I write mostly YA fantasy, but I also love sci fi, crime drama, and certain elements of horror so I have works in or influenced by all of those genres. I want to get my foot in the YA fantasy door first and foremost :). Check out “polysorscha writes things” if you want to know more specifics.

17. is it okay if I follow you on other social media?

As of now I keep my blog disconnected from my personal life, so I don’t share my other socials but feel free to follow me over on my main blog @ripley-stark if you like! It’s just pretty gifs and photos of my favorite movies and shows, social justice, meta reblogs here and there, and rambling in the tags. Don’t feel like you have to follow if you don’t want to; I say a lot more on here.

That being said, I have given my Goodreads to a handful of people who ask, so if you want to track what I’m reading, private message me and I’ll send you the link. In the case that I share the link with you, please respect my privacy and do not repost or share the link anywhere else unless you see me share it on my blog publicly.

18. fandom research:

In March to May 2019, I conducted a survey on my blog in an attempt to gather information about fandom through a social justice–specifically, intersectional feminist–lens. Here are the results and my analysis of the survey x. The purpose for this data collection was to write my final undergraduate research paper in one of my two majors, women’s and gender studies (the other is creative writing!), which focused on diversity and inclusion in genre fiction media and fandom. The final paper is about 11k words. I haven’t publicly published it, but message me if you’re interested in reading it! I also plan on doing more similar surveys to gather information about what audiences want to see in future media, so if anyone is interested, please send messages, asks, comments etc about what YOU want to see and/or ideas about how we can spread the info to creators. This is much bigger than just me and I can’t do it without your help. I love hearing from diverse voices and amplifying them as much as I can. Everyone’s perspective is meaningful!

19. when did you start your blog?

No earlier than the end of April or beginning of May 2018.

20. how did you decide your url?

I wish the Celaena/Dorian/Chaol love triangle resolved in a polyamorous relationship, and that Nehemia and Sorscha were thriving. Seeing as I am black, Sorscha is one of two characters in T0G who represents me. Thus, polyamorous + Sorscha. :)

#faq

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livvywrites · 5 years

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11/11/11

tagged by @jynecca! thank you :D

1. Go to song when you need to get into the mood to write?

None. I’m not really a “listen to music while you write” person.

2. Dream director for a film/television adaption?

I only really know of like a handful of directors? & I’mma go with Taika Watiti.

3. If you ever saw your WIP go to stage, is more likely to be a play or a musical?

Well, since music is super important to slaeyrs, & they’re a big part of the story, probably a musical!

4. Favourite thing you’ve written?

This is definitely up there.

5. Top five authors, go!

Sarah J Maas

Terry Pratchett

Maggie Stiefvater

That’s not five, I know, but I’m getting a lot pickier when it comes to books & their authors, so! I have yet to read anything I didn’t like by Pratchett; I admire the prose in the Raven Cycle & snippets I’ve read from her other books; and then I’ve enjoyed every book by SJM that I’ve read.

6. Biggest influences to your writing?

The Inheritance Cycle - Christopher Paolini

Throne of Glass - Sarah J Maas

Terry Pratchett

Neil Gaiman

Lord of the Rings & The Hobbit - Tolkien

& my mind is blanking but there are more

7. What do you use more, first/second/third person?

Third! But I love second person. First... I’m not real keen on, tbh.

8. What social media would your OCs have?

Alinora would have old accounts she deleted or abandoned long ago, before eventually conceding to a Twitter account.

Elaena would have Instagram, Twitter, and Tumblr and be highly active on all three, but in different ways.

Lyr would have an Instagram, Snapchat, and a Twitter.

Ava would have a really nice blog, an Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter.

Talitha would have a blog where she hosted her own articles and research for free, as well as posted answers & such to people’s questions. She would have two Twitter accounts--one for her pseudonym and the other for her personal life; as well as an Instagram and Snapchat. And probably Tumblr.

Aishlynn would have a Twitter and an Instagram account.

9. Why do you write the genre you write?

I grew up with fantasy. Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, the Hobbit, Disney... Also had a lot of Sci-Fi in there too (Star Wars, mainly, but my parents both enjoyed Star Trek as well). So that’s part of it. But when I was about, I dunno, 8 or 9? I saw the Eragon movie, & the only part of it I really remembered was the baby dragon. I wanted to read the book something awful, & then I did, & I found out the author was pretty young when he wrote it & that made me realize that I could be an author one day & I wanted to write about dragons & cool adventures &...

Thus fantasy is my main genre.

10. Team Edward or Team Jacob?

🤢

Even back when I was into the Twilight books I always said I was Team Bella, tbh. Up until later, though, when I decided I was Team Alice all the way. Alice & Rosalie & Jasper & Emmett & pretty much anyone but Edward & Bella & Jacob lmfao.

tagging: anyone who wants to answer my questions!! (which are under the cut!)

1. Favorite song to sing? (Bonus: why?)

2. A story idea you wish you had the time/ability/skill to write right now?

3. What book have you reread the most times?

4. Favorite mythological creature?

5. Favorite myth/legend/fairy tale?

6. If you could retell any myth, what would it be and how would you change it?

7. Favorite subcategory of the genre you write in?

8. A genre you’ve never written but would like to try?

9. How do you keep your ideas organized?

10. Writing tools you can’t live/write without?

11. How would you describe your writing style? (Or voice!)

#tag games #writeblr #11 11 11

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archetype-online-blog · 5 years

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Blog: So it’s time to write a query letter …

You’ve just finished the perfect short story and want to submit it to your favorite journal or magazine. Or, you’ve finally put the finishing touches on that 80k-word novel and you need an agent to start pitching it to all the big publishers. But how do you approach these intimidating professionals* who have been reviewing masterpieces longer than you’ve been alive? Your best friend throughout this process is going to be a really strong query letter.

If you don’t know what a query letter is, don’t stress! It’s just a short note, almost like a cover letter, that pitches the idea of your story to an agent and asks if they’re interested in representing you. It gives you a chance to specify the title, length, and genre of your story, as well as provide a brief summary, so an agent can decide if your work matches their professional interests. A good one can get you moved to the “keep reading” pile — but a bad one can mean an immediate rejection. Like all first impressions, the way you represent yourself and your work is key.

Read on to see our comments and critiques of example letters, as well as advice on how to create and refine yours.

*The people we’re talking about — agents, editors, publishers, etc — shouldn’t be seen as intimidating. They only want what you do — to find amazing, creative works, and to make them available for everyone to appreciate. If it helps, think of them as giant book nerds like you and your friends.

MAGAZINES/JOURNALS

When submitting a short story to magazines or journals, you don’t really need the long summary and detailed description authors include for novels. Your submission is short enough that editors will be able to read the whole thing! Instead, just give them the basics and thank them for their time. A lot of times, journals will post exactly what information they’re looking for in their calls for submissions.

Here’s a sample:

Dear Editors,

I would like to submit my short story “Hills Like White Elephants” (1,400 words) for publication. I have never previously published a short story.

This is a simultaneous submission. Per your guidelines, if I don’t hear back within three months, I will assume my story does not align with the publication goals of Transition Magazine.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely, Ernest Hemingway

This offers all the important information — title, word count, whether you’ve been previously published, and whether this is a simultaneous submission (in other words, if you’re submitting the piece to other journals at the same time). It takes the time to be polite, but it isn’t so long it’ll waste an editor’s valuable time.

The line about the guidelines is optional, though you should definitely follow all guidelines. You can also include any relevant personal information here. Make sure you check the requirements of the journal you choose to see what information they require.

ROUGH QUERY LETTER — MISTAKES TO LEARN FROM

Before we get to a really strong query letter, we though it would be fun to show you one that pretty much misses all the key requirements. See if you can figure out why the mistakes below are so tragic and ill-advised.

Now that you’ve survived that train wreck, here’s why these mistakes might be the last ones you make with that particular agent, and how to avoid them:

1. Agents get TONS of query letters every day, and they want to know you’ve already done your homework and checked whether they’re a good fit for you. So sending the same unpersonalized query letter to every agent listed on a website probably isn’t the best idea! If you didn’t take the time to look up their name and write a separate email, why would they waste time reading the names of your characters and worlds in addition to everyone else’s?

Instead, address the agent by name and always start a new email for each agent.

2. This doesn’t tell us anything particularly interesting about the writer or how their interests connect to the agent, so it’s kind of a waste of time to read. It would be better not to include this paragraph at all.

3. Make sure to mention the title and genre of your work near the top, so the agent knows what they’re about to read. Also, avoid boastful claims or bragging about how good your story is — let your writing speak for itself later on.

4. A lot of people say there’s no such thing as a new story, just new ways to tell it, but you still don’t want your summary to sound like twenty other books or every movie that came out in the 90s. Instead of relying on cliches like “new kid in town” or “chosen one” that we’ve all heard a million times before, focus on the parts of your story that are fresh and exciting!

5. Repeating “mysterious” and “mystery” in the same sentence starts to feel a little sloppy — make sure you read through your letter out loud before you send it off, to catch any embarrassing mistakes.

6. When you read this paragraph, the plot and conflict are really hard to follow. Make sure your summary gives the reader a clear picture of what happens in your story. You can test it out on your friends before you sent it for real — if they can keep track of what’s happening, you’re probably good to go!

7. Again, if a particular sentence doesn’t add very much, cut it — that way, it won’t take up an agent’s time and annoy them.

8. When reading real query letters, the funniest thing is always when people claim their work is “the next Harry Potter” or “following in the footsteps of J.R.R. Tolkien and George R.R. Martin.” By omitting a claim like this, you’re not saying your work isn’t amazing — but you’re also not setting yourself up for an unfair comparison between you and incredibly sophisticated, famous writers. Think about it — even J.K. Rowling probably wasn’t calling herself the next Roald Dahl or Madeleine L’Engle as she was querying The Sorcerer’s Stone. Statements like this are too bold, and give agents a weird feeling before they even start on the manuscript.

It can be helpful to include works you think are similar to yours if such information will concisely convey the mood or themes of your story to an agent. Try something like, “fans of Neil Gaiman will appreciate the whimsical atmosphere of my setting,” or “my protagonist will captivate people who love the inquisitive nature of Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot.” From these descriptions, I’m prepared to get a similar general feeling from your work. But I’m still expecting you to be a unique, individual author doing your own thing, with all your own artistic choices.

9. Promising your book will make a good movie is also too bold, and feels weird.

10. Be respectful and formal in greetings and closings.

GOOD QUERY LETTER

Strong query letters avoid the mistakes we listed above, and add some other really important information. Here’s one for reference:

1. This writer clearly did their research and found an agent they want a strong partnership with in the future.

2. If you have a really great anecdote, this can be a good way to connect with an agent. If you don’t have something strong and you’re just looking for any way to connect, however, it can be best to omit this section.

Good anecdotes: You’ve interacted with the agent before, either at an event or on social media, and they encouraged you to reach out (this is a REALLY good way to open — get out there and make connections if you can!). Another agent recommended you try querying this one. The agent is particularly interested in minorities or strong women, and that’s a main selling point of your work. This agent stated recently they’re looking for (YA fantasy, middle grade sci-fi, etc) and that’s what you’re going to provide now.

Not-so-good anecdotes: You have a similar taste in books. You think other books they’ve represented are amazing. You strongly suspect based on a few comments in interviews that the agent likes hopeful stories, and your story is hopeful. You just know you’d get along based on something they wrote on Twitter last week.

3. Always mention the name of your work near the beginning, so the writer knows what story they’re about to read and can easily remember it. You can put this in the subject line of your email, too.

You should mention the target age group and genre, too, both in the body and the subject line. Do you write middle grade? YA? New adult? Adult? Is your story fantasy? Sci-fi? Mystery? Dystopian?

4. The summary of your manuscript is arguably the most important part. You want to make it sound interesting and complex, so it stands out among all the other letters the agent will receive. Write it and rewrite it, then rewrite it again. Get feedback from everyone you can.

5. You should specify the word count, and you should also know that your length is right for this kind of story. Agents are going to run away from a middle grade novel that’s 120,000 words, or a high fantasy book with tons of world building and subplots that’s only 30k or 40k. Do some research as you’re writing to make sure you’re hitting the sweet spot, and if your story ends up being too long, consider splitting it into multiple books.

6. Advice varies on whether to mention sequel potential, but if you have a series started, feel free to say so.

7. On their websites, agents will probably tell you how they want work submitted. Are they looking for two separate attachments, a query letter and a manuscript? Do they want the first twenty pages of a manuscript, the first ten chapters, or the whole thing? Do they not want to open attachments at all, and request that you copy everything into the body of the email? MAKE SURE you follow these instructions, as writers that don’t will be rejected immediately.

8. Be respectful and formal in greetings and closings.

As with most of advice, none of these tips apply in all cases at all times. There are always exceptions to any rule, and since you know your work better than anyone, you should trust your judgement if you think something doesn’t apply! But in general, if you stick to this format, agents will be able to move past your query letter and evaluate your work based on its merit.

Want feedback on your query letter? Send it to us at [email protected]!

Like our blog? Find more posts at https://archetypeonline.org/blog/

#archetypeonline #query letters #the business of writing #blog post #querying #talking to agents #creative writing #young writers

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hermanwatts · 4 years

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Sensor Sweep: Hall of the Giant King, Henry Kuttner, William Stout, Alex Nino

RPG (Grodog): Thinking through the mega-dungeons I’m familiar with, the stand out qualities that I love to play through, and the mega-dungeons that bring that to the table are: Best Environments to Explore and Map: Castle El Raja Key, Maure Castle, Caverns of Thracia, Foolsgrave. Most-Fun Encounters: Castle Greyhawk, Foolsgrave, Rich Franks’ mega-dungeon. Most-Fun Puzzles, Enigmas, and Centerpiece Encounters: Castle Greyhawk, Maure Castle, WG5, ASE1/2-3, Undermountain.

Science Fiction (Alexandra Rowland): I was groomed and abused by Scott Lynch and Elizabeth Bear for several years. For a long time, I never wanted to talk about this in public. I didn’t want anybody to know about this. I only began rethinking yesterday and I was still considering what to do about it, but… …Apparently I don’t have that luxury anymore.

Art (Modiphius): The Art of Robert E. Howard’s Conan: Adventures in an Age Undreamed Of features a selection of some of the most incredible art associated with the classic barbarian hero ever assembled into one set of covers. With one of the most successful gaming Kickstarter campaigns of all time, Conan set out to be the definitive treatment of Conan in games: central to that was recruiting a stellar lineup of artists for covers and interior illustrations. The Art of Conan presents a variety of art drawn from the incredible core rulebook and the expansive line of sourcebooks and supplements, organized by book, allowing players and fans of amazing sword-and-sorcery art to enjoy this fantastic art on its own.

New Release (DMR Books): Cahena is a historical novel (with fantasy elements) dealing with the brave and beautiful warrior queen who reigned over the Berbers in the seventh century. The Cahena, as she was known, was believed to be a sorceress and prophetess. She led an army forty thousand strong, wielding javelins and scimitars, in a valiant struggle against the Mohammedan invaders who were fresh from their conquest of Carthage. Rich in historical detail and dramatic action, this is a story to rival the great war epics of all time.

Publishing (Amatopia): There’s been talk on social media by Big Prominent Authors who’ve been paid a lot of money to write stuff about how hard it is to stay prolific in these totally unprecedented and difficult times. These writers–whose only job is to write–can’t seem to squeeze in a page or two amidst the chaos. It’s emotionally taxing do perform their job, you see. It’s so hard because evil bad people who may or may not be orange keep them from focusing. What a bunch of weenies.

Genre (Pulprev): Today when people think of science fiction and fantasy, chances are, they think of two separate genres. Science fiction, the genre of starships and computers and technology. Fantasy, the genre of knights and dragons and castles. Two distinct genres, and never the twain shall meet. The meeting of the two, science fantasy, was the exception, the red-headed stepchild, never part of the mainstream. This wasn’t always the case.

Art (Heavy Metal): William Stout has had a long and eventful career as an illustrator and production designer—you can read all about it in the biography on his official website. His work has run in numerous publications, including Heavy Metal. And then there was Masters of the Universe. The 1987 movie seemed like a good idea, given the popularity of the toys, but the Cannon Films production, starring Dolph Lundgren as He-Man and Frank Langella as Skeletor, was a flop.

Paleontology (Phys.org): Lions were once far more widespread than they are now, with several subspecies of lions dividing the world between them. They were found in much of Europe and Asia including the Middle East, in Africa, North America and maybe South America. Previously, the cave lion Panthera leo spelaea was found across much of Eurasia and as far as Alaska and Canada. But cave lions died out 13 000 years ago, perhaps partly due to humans, although paleontologists suspect that climate change played a major role. The American lion P. leo atrox suffered the same fate.

T.V. (Kairos): Loyal readers know that a key mission of this blog is shedding light on Hollywood’s hatred of their audience. Much as A Bridge Too Far proves Pigman’s Caine-Hackman hypothesis, the1998 movie Pleasantville epitomizes Hollywood Death Cultism. YouTuber Devon Stack, who reviews movies with a keen eye for both literary criticism and propaganda, explains this superficially innocent film’s subversive depths. “As much as the baby boomers fought to overturn and rebel against and eventually destroy the American culture that existed before them, one thing that I have always found interesting is how much the same champions of counterculture that sadistically dismembered their heritage and mocked every tradition their parents have gifted them, but at the same time romanticize this same culture they worked so hard to undo.”

Science Fiction (Adventures Fantastic): “Trog” appeared in the June 1944 issue of Astounding. It has never been reprinted. The story is set in 1956. Civilization has been collapsing for four years. The general consensus is that humanity has a collective, mass consciousness that has tired of civilization. It takes over people at random and causes them to destroy things. Supply lines have been disrupted. Food is scarce. Things that break cannot be replaced. People destroy things. Those that do are called trogs, short for troglodytes.

Book Review (Marzaat): In the summer of 1565 on the parched ground of Malta, the future of Western Civilization was decided. Would the Moslems continue their expansion into the Mediterranean, preying on European ships and taking Christian slaves as far away as England? Or could they be held back? It was an epic struggle, an astounding tale of resolve and leadership, of disunity in command and disunity among allies.

Tolkien (Notion Club Papers): Tolkien and The Silmarillion by Clyde Kilby. Lion Publishing, Berkhamsted, Kent, UK. 1977 pp 89. (US edition, 1976.) This is a hardly-known, slim, minor, but fascinating contribution to the writings about Tolkien. Its centre is an account of the summer of 1966 which the author spent meeting with the seventy-four year old Tolkien a few times per week, ostensibly to provide him with informed and enthusiastic secretarial assistance to get The Silmarillion ready for publication.

Pulp Magazines (Black Gate): This third installment of the Weird Tales deep read covers the eleven stories in the October 1934 issue, including the first Jirel of Joiry story by C. L. Moore. Her flame didn’t burn as long in the Unique Magazine as the Lovecraft-Howard-Smith trinity’s did, but it did burn as brightly. Moore had sixteen stories in Weird Tales between 1933-1939, twelve in an incredible burst of creativity in the years 1934-1936.

Travel (Last Stand on Zombie Island): Outside of Moscow, reportedly on the location of one of the principal stavkas of the 1941 defense of the city from the German invasion, now stands the so-called Main Cathedral of Russian Armed Forces. Built by popular subscription (with lots of help from the military and government) the immense Eastern Orthodox church is a living, breathing memory to the Russian (not Soviet) effort against Hitler in the Great Patriotic War.

Art (DMR Books): The result was The Fantasy Worlds of Alex Nino, which came out in 1975, just a few short years after Alex began doing work for American comics. The publisher was Christopher Enterprises, a somewhat shadowy company about which I’ve been able to discover little. They emerged on the scene in 1975, put out portfolios by Nino and Michael Kaluta, then followed that with a Bernie Wrightson portfolio in 1976. Also in 1976, Christopher Enterprises published several awesome posters by Wrightson and Stephen Hickman.

Weird Tales (Tellers of Weird Tales): I first wrote about Earl Peirce, Jr., on May 17, 2017. I misidentified him then as Earl Monroe Pierce, Jr., based on his age and his residency in Washington, D.C., where Peirce/Pierce is known to have lived. A month later, an anonymous commenter let me know that I had the wrong person and provided a link to an online discussion about the right one. I removed what I had written and promised an update and correction. By then it was too late: my mistake was memorialized in the Internet Speculative Fiction Database (ISFDb) and you can still find it there today. I pride myself on doing good work.

Old Science Fiction (M Porcius): Here at MPorcius Fiction Log we are beating the heat and staying off the streets by reading old issues of Thrilling Wonder Stories at the internet archive. In our last episode we read three stories by Leigh Brackett; those tales of rough men trying to master their environments and find or create a place where they belonged–and the women who loved them–were later reprinted in Brackett collections and theme anthologies. Today we read three stories by Henry Kuttner that have not been quite so widely reprinted–you might call them “deep cuts.”

RPG (R’lyeh Reviews): 1978: G3 Hall of the Giant King. 1974 is an important year for the gaming hobby. It is the year that Dungeons & Dragons was introduced, the original RPG from which all other RPGs would ultimately be derived and the original RPG from which so many computer games would draw for their inspiration. It is fitting that the current owner of the game, Wizards of the Coast, released the new version, Dungeons & Dragons, Fifth Edition, in the year of the game’s fortieth anniversary.

Sensor Sweep: Hall of the Giant King, Henry Kuttner, William Stout, Alex Nino published first on https://sixchexus.weebly.com/

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beesandbooks1 · 4 years

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Discussion: Female Fantasy Authors

Hello book bees and welcome to another discussion post! For this post, I will be discussing the differences in reading fantasy books by male authors and fantasy books by female authors. To keep things simple, I will mostly be considering the divide in gender representation. I will discuss intersectionality in a later section, and may reference representation of BIPOC and LGBT+ people but today I will not be diving in depth into those topics. Additionally, when it comes to intersectionality and the discussion of BIPOC authors and characters I am a white person, so it is important that you listen to BIPOC writers and what they say on the topic over what I may say.

CW: This post will feature discussions of sexual assault, rape, misogyny, homophobia, racism, and other sensitive topics. I will be including further content warnings where appropriate, but please be aware that these topics come up and read with caution.

If you’d rather read this post on my blog, follow this link! Also, feel free to comment, on my blog or in the tags, with your thoughts on this topic!

Problems I have with Male Fantasy

I do enjoy fantasy books written by men, and I have read plenty of them. But there are a lot of problems that often crop up. This isn’t exclusive to fantasy, of course, but I’m focusing on fantasy in particular because this is something that actually led me to abandon the genre for a few years. Something about fantasy settings can bring out the worst in male authors, as though the presence of fantasy elements gives them liberty to introduce sexist and horrible plotlines for their female characters (if they have any).

The first issue I usually have with a male written fantasy book is the lack of female characters, or at least the lack of good female characters. A lot of the generic high fantasy produced by men imitates Tolkien’s gender ratios without the payoff of the female characters that are present in that seminal work of the genre. Nine times out of ten when reading a fantasy novel by a male author, I find that I can count the amount of female characters on one hand. I also find that those characters fall into archetypes such as the damsel in distress, are victims of sexual assault (something I’ll come back to in a bit), or are irredeemably evil in a way that is intimately tied up in their gender. It’s frustrating to read entire books and series in which all of the representatives of my gender are boring, annoying, or otherwise flat.

CW for following paragraph: Sexual assault, rape, abuse

The second problem I have is that the worst and most graphic depictions of rape and sexual assault I have ever read have been in male-written fantasy novels. I don’t know exactly what causes this to happen, but I have definitely noticed a pattern that male-written fantasy seems to often portray the worst in men. To give credit where credit is due, the authors generally make it clear that the rape and sexual assault is bad. Revenge and punishment is often had, and the male heroes and protagonists don’t partake in sexual assault. However, the descriptions are still there, and often with zero content warnings. I’m privileged that these descriptions while uncomfortable are not strong triggers for me and I am able to read and process them without detriment to my mental health. However, I often skip these descriptions and DNF these books because of them. I have experienced enough threats, misogyny, and sexual harassment that I have no need to read about those experiences in fantasy–a genre that I consider an escape from the ills of real life. There is not and never has been a plot purpose to the inclusion of such graphic depictions of rape and sexual assault. And yet, rape, sexual assault, and sexual abuse in relationships are often used by male authors to explain a character’s personality. These are used as character backstory to either demonstrate how good and moral a character that opposed these actions is, or to demonstrate how horribly abused a character was (usually female, but not always), or to demonstrate what a monster an antagonist is. While including characters who are rapists is one thing, including graphic depictions of their crimes is an entirely unnecessary other thing.

I find that fantasy novels by men are also often less well rounded and yet lauded as better than female authors’ works. Women write some incredibly unique fantasy worlds with interesting and surprising twists and turns, and yet are passed over for awards and recognition in favor of male authors whose stories are predictable at best. This is not to say that every fantasy novel by a man is poorly written and unimaginative, but to point out the discrepancy that exists in recognition and famous names. The gender gap in fantasy has led to a variety of tactics and techniques to promote female authors. The most commonly known one is the use of initials instead of full names because of the demonstrated bias that readers have against picking up a fantasy novel with a woman’s name on the cover. Different worldviews and experiences lead to different writing styles, worlds, and plotlines. It’s time that the voices of women writers in fantasy were bolstered.

“Strong” Female Characters

I am hardly the first to point this out, but male authors (and some female authors, to be fair) tend to write what are supposed to be strong female characters that just…aren’t. A good example of this not in the fantasy genre is the way Joss Whedon writes Black Widow in the Marvel universe. In Whedon’s writing of her, she is considered strong and badass but only so long as she conforms to a certain ideal of feminine and mourns the fact that she cannot have children. Female characters written like this–supposedly strong but ultimately weak when stripped of their fighting prowess–are frustrating to read. You see this a lot in fantasy where a female character is constantly touted as the best fighter, or the strongest mage, but is stripped of her power as soon as the main male protagonist with his lack of experience and lack of talent bests her in battle (usually only because of sexual tension).

There are a lot of tropes and characteristics of this type of female character in fantasy. Usually, she is bitter and mean due to some trauma in her past that either isn’t all that traumatic (reinforcing the idea that women are hysterical) or is all that traumatic but she isn’t given the character development to move past her grief unless of course the main male protagonist offers her love and affection. If she is a skilled warrior, she learned so by being trained against expectations of women usually by her father or brother(s) and is constantly underestimated by others despite also having a reputation as a warrior. She fought and clawed her way to where she is and she disdains all women who didn’t do the same, isolating her from literally everyone because the men don’t respect her either.

Yes, there are women in the real world who did claw their way up to the top of male dominated fields, and there are women who did that to the exclusion and isolation of their peers of all genders. However, there are a lot of women who use their positions of power to bolster other women and help others and have a lot of friends, family, and coworkers that like and respect them. It doesn’t make a female character strong to be a loner who hates everyone and is equally hated for their nonconformity. In fact, it creates an unrealistic expectation for young and impressionable readers that in order to be powerful and strong you need to be alone.

Experience: Reading a Female Fantasy Author

I have at various points found myself reading a good fantasy book and then looking up the author to discover they were a woman. It’s no surprise to me, considering my lack of patience for overhyped male authors, that my favorite authors are almost always women and my favorite books inevitably written by women. The experience of reading fantasy from a female author is one I enjoy immensely. I find the characters more diverse, well rounded, and respected. I find the plot focuses less on imposing trauma and pain on people and more about the hope that rises up in a dark fantasy world. The villains have more interesting motivations, or at least are more interesting people to read about, and the worlds are explored more. A lot of the fantasy written by men that floods the cheaper shelves of bookstores and the free ebook world is self fulfillment in the form of a fantasy world, largely based in the author’s preferred fantasy world of choice and pursuing the traditional adventure and romance plot the author aspired to have when younger.

There’s also not a lot of respect for female fantasy authors as compared to their male counterparts. I had a creative writing professor in college who disparaged any popular series written by a woman but was unable to see that he didn’t feel the same about works by men. This bias is everyone from writing professors to literary scholars to publishers to literary agents and even down to authors and readers themselves. While I simply don’t have the time to really delve into the facts and figures about gender bias in the fantasy genre in this blog post, I can cite my experiences as writer and reader. In that same professor’s class I worked on a fantasy project with a group of four other women and one man. Guess whose parts of the project the professor praised most? Guess whose parts the professor though worthwhile despite his strong bias against fantasy writing? Male fantasy writers are more respected for going against the masculine grain to write still highly masculine stories but in a fantasy setting. Female fantasy writers are considered just another one of the pack of wildly delusional women.

There is a lot of room to be creative in fantasy. If you want to see just how nuts people can get, look up anecdote threads on any social media site for Dungeons and Dragons tales. Everyone who’s played had a crazy idea that somehow worked during a campaign. The same can often be true of fantasy stories, because ultimately if there’s dragons and magic and whatnot then the limit is only your imagination! And yet. Women who write diverse worlds in which racism (fantasy or otherwise) never existed, or world where women have always been in charge, or worlds where gender doesn’t even exist are often criticized for having created unrealistic worlds because apparently despite fantasy being what it is we still have to include all the pain and trauma of the real world.

Intersectionality

Intersectionality was coined by Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw, a black feminist scholar, to describe the experiences of black women within the framework of feminism. Historically and still today, discussions of feminism and the experiences of women worldwide tend to focus by default on the experiences of white women. Crenshaw thus introduced intersectionality as a framework with which to understand that the experiences of a black woman can be significantly different than those of a white woman due to the multi-faceted nature of the discrimination against people of color, black people in certain countries such as the United States, and black women specifically who face many levels of oppression within the frameworks of whiteness, wealth, sexism, etc.

Intersectionality is often used by feminist and queer scholars to describe the social stratification that needs to be considered when discussing oppression and privilege. This stratification considers a variety of factors from sexuality to gender presentation, education and wealth, to race and skin color. This framework considers that looking at different women’s experiences requires an understanding of the different factors at play in each one.

The reason I am including a brief discussion of intersectionality is that this conversation has largely lumped all women together in the face of fantasy writing. But it’s important to understand that even within the texts of female fantasy authors, there can be factors of racism, colorism, internalized misogyny, privilege of wealth and education, homophobia, and transphobia. I’ve read one fantasy author’s entire body of work–almost thirty novels–and she has never featured a gay or trans character. I’ve read other female fantasy authors who despite best efforts represent racist tropes in their attempts to include diverse characters without sensitivity readers. As a white woman, it is my responsibility to understand my privilege in seeing myself in fantasy writing which should be some of the most diverse in fiction but frankly isn’t.

As a queer woman I can speak to the under representation of queer characters in fantasy. Often times, queer characters are sidekicks and side characters that are just there for the representation points. A lot of fantasy writers (some female but most male) argue that the inclusion of queer characters in a high or epic fantasy setting based weirdly on incorrect assumptions about medieval Europe is unrealistic. If you’ve got dragons, though, you can include a gay person. Or five. Or fifty. Heck, I wrote a fantasy novel for NaNoWriMo one year that featured exactly zero male characters and only one straight woman! And it still made sense because the whole time they were dealing with a dragon, and magic, and witches.

The point I have briefly wandered away from is that fantasy authors tend to present diversity in fantasy elements but don’t seem to ponder presenting real diversity. Using fantasy racism as a metaphor for real racism is a tired trope often poorly done by white authors without a full understanding of what the very real effects of long term racism and racial oppression are like. Including queer characters in your story only for them to still fear discrimination and violence isn’t new or gritty or interesting or diverse, it’s tired and harmful.

Conclusion

There’s been a lot to chew through in this post. Admittedly, this topic is probably better discussed in literary theory journals and by more seasoned scholars, but a lot of those journals are also behind academic paywalls and filled with academic jargon that isn’t always easily accessible to readers. I’ve discussed these topics before in academic settings and in personal conversations, so I feel comfortable transitioning some of the ideas I’m accustomed to discussing to talking about the differences I have observed in my experience reading fantasy novels. I do think that people in the bookish communities are aware of gender gaps and intersectionality, and that there’s interest in promoting more diverse authors in our favorite literary genres.

How about you book bees, what are you thoughts on this topic? Please feel free to share in the comments!

#bookblr #books #fantasy #discussion

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mysteryshelf · 6 years

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SF & FANTASY WEEK - Continuum Trilogy

Welcome to

THE PULP AND MYSTERY SHELF SF and Fantasy Week!

DISCLAIMER: This content has been provided to THE PULP AND MYSTERY SHELF by the author. No compensation was received. This information required by the Federal Trade Commission.

About the Books

THE 13TH CONTINUUM

One thousand years after a cataclysmic event leaves humanity on the brink of extinction, the survivors take refuge in continuums designed to sustain the human race until repopulation of Earth becomes possible. Against this backdrop, a group of young friends in the underwater Thirteenth Continuum dream about life outside their totalitarian existence, an idea that has been outlawed for centuries. When a shocking discovery turns the dream into a reality, they must decide if they will risk their own extinction to experience something no one has for generations—the Surface.

RETURN OF THE CONTINUUMS

As Myra and her friends set out to find the First Continuum, they must navigate a hostile landscape and even more hostile inhabitants of other continuums with their own ideas about the future of the human race. In the pulse-quickening sequel to The 13th Continuum, the young heroes must make an unlikely ally if they are to survive long enough to reach their destination and learn the secret behind humanity’s destruction and the hope for its survival.

THE UNITED CONTINUUMS

In the epic conclusion to the award-winning Continuum Trilogy, Aero leads a group insurgents from the Second Continuum to overthrow his rival Supreme General Vinick and unite his space colony’s military forces, while Seeker takes on a secret mission back to her home colony to reinforce Earth’s defenses and defend the First Continuum against an even greater threat. Myra’s nightmares have become a reality as the Dark Thing hurtles toward Earth with designs on eradicating the planet’s fledgling populace. The only thing standing in the way are the three Carriers and those who would join them to fight against a second coming of the Doom.

Purchase at Amazon

Also Available

Includes short story by Jennifer Brody entitled “Let Me In”

Pre-order at Amazon

Interview with the Author

What initially got you interested in writing?

I’m a voracious reader and love getting lost in books. Nothing is better than reading a great book that you can’t put down. I started out my career working in Hollywood on many book adaptations, like The Lord of the Rings films. Eventually, I realized that instead of working on other people’s stories, I wanted to write my own. That sent me on my journey to writing The 13th Continuum and becoming a published author.

What genres do you write in?

I write big worldbuilding science fiction—and it’s my main passion. That said, I love stories of all kinds. My next book will be a YA Romance Space Opera (so fun!). But I’m kicking around an idea for a thriller and a fantasy book after that. I’ll see where my ideas take me.

What drew you to writing these specific genres?

Let’s see … basically I’m a giant nerd. I love Star Wars, Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Mars books, Kurt Vonnegut, Asimov, Tolkien, A Wrinkle in Time, Tamora Pierce, Anne McCaffrey and more! I love getting lost in big worlds—and creating them is even more fun. I also love asking what if questions and imagining where our current path could take us in the future.

How did you break into the field?

The usual way—writing a manuscript, querying agents, getting signed, then my agent submitting to publishers. Actually, some film producers slipped my unpublished manuscript for The 13th Continuum to Turner Publishing, who fell in love and bought my trilogy.

What do you want readers to take away from reading your works?

I want them to fall in love with my characters and get lost in alternate realities. I’d also love them take away the warnings present in the Continuum Trilogy (don’t want to spoil it).

What do you find most rewarding about writing?

I love getting lost in the writing process and creating new worlds. It’s kind of like choose your own adventure, except I’m the author. I also especially love my younger readers. They’re so passionate about the books they love. Getting kids excited to read is a dream come true.

What do you find most challenging about writing?

The rejection. Sometimes, it can feel endless. My first manuscript didn’t sell—it’s my drawer novel. But I learned a ton writing it, and it landed me a great book agent. Also, the uncertainty in the market causes some stress. I do best when I just focus on a story I love and that I feel compelled to tell. I love the hard work and craft of a writing a novel.

What advice would you give to people wanting to enter the field?

Take classes, like the ones I teach for the Writing Pad in LA. Seek out communities and other writers in your area. Read, read, read, read. Write what you LOVE the most.

What type of books do you enjoy reading?

Everything and anything in between! As long as it’s good writing and a compelling story. Recent-ish favorite authors:

Adult folks: Victor LaValle, Victoria Schwab (she also writes YA), N.K. Jemisen, Marlon James, Anthony Doerr, Neil Gaiman, Joe Hill, Meg Wolitzer, Andy Weir, John Scalzi, Marko Kloos

YA folks: Leigh Bardugo, Amy Spalding, Robin Talley, Angie Thomas, Kelly Link, Livia Blackburne, Marie Lu, Stephanie Garber

Is there anything else besides writing you think people would find interesting about you?

I was born in St. Croix in the USVI, grew up in Appalachia, and graduated from Harvard with a degree in film. I began my career in Hollywood, working on the remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. I went on to work at New Line on films, including The Lord of the Rings films, The Golden Compass, Birth, etc. I produced a teen dance film called Make It Happen, starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Tessa Thompson. It was the first film to feature a Lady Gaga song.

What are the best ways to connect with you, or find out more about your work?

I’m super reachable and love hearing from readers!

Jennifer Brody

Award-Winning Author of The Continuum Trilogy

Website: jenniferbrody.com

Twitter: @jenniferbrody

Instagram: @jenniferbrodywriter

Snapchat: @jendawnbrody

Facebook: www.facebook.com/jenniferbrodywriter

Mailing List Signup: http://eepurl.com/ciNpvH

About the Author

Jennifer Brody’s award-winning novel The 13th Continuum sold in a 3-book deal and is being packaged into a feature film. The book is a Gold Medal Winner (Young Adult – Sci-Fi/Fantasy) from the Independent Publisher‘s Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards. Return of the Continuums and The United Continuums complete this epic trilogy. Her short fiction appears in the upcoming From the Stars anthology and Common Deer Press’ Short Tails. She is a graduate of Harvard University, a creative writing instructor at the Writing Pad, and a volunteer mentor for the Young Storytellers Foundation. She’s also a board member for the non-profit science fiction writing competitions the Roswell Award and the Tomorrow Prize. She also founded and runs BookPod, a social media group for authors.

After studying film at Harvard University, Jennifer began her career in Hollywood. Highlights include working for New Line Cinema, most notably on The Lord of the Rings films, The Golden Compass, and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. In 2008, she produced the feature film Make It Happen starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Tessa Thompson. She lives and writes in LA with her husband and one-eyed miniature Goldendoodle named Commander Ryker.

SHANNON MUIR’S THURSDAY THOUGHTS – Mor...

BLOG TOUR – Highland Peril

BLOG TOUR – Five-Six, Deadly Mix

BLOG TOUR – A Perfect Manhattan Murder

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SF & FANTASY WEEK – Continuum Trilogy was originally published on the Wordpress version of The Pulp and Mystery Shelf with Shannon Muir

#shannon muir #pulp and mystery shelf

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