Ok #writingcommunity , help me please. In a future where phones have been replaced with neural implants, and participating in society without an implant is next to impossible: What would be the nickname / slur for people who choose not to have an implant?
Things I thought of but didn't like : Relics, Offliners, Discos (as in disconnected).
Any ideas?
#WordWeavers Oct 7th. How do your MCs handle strong emotions?
Badly 😅
He never had a good emotional role model, so he tends to not allow himself to feel much beyond anger. He can be pretty dangerous and violent when his temper flares.
Only the Living Feel Remorse: A Ghost Story
#horror #ghoststory #ghost
#writerscoffeeclub 6/10 Are you self-published or trad-published? How's it going?
Self-published, and well... it's going? I guess?
I've sold 32 books with another 8 or so on back-order. It's not spectacular, but not nothing either.
Doing your own marketing is a *lot* of work for very little direct result. As others said though: it's a marathon.
I'm working on being an online presence, since I've found often people will buy your books if they know *you*.
It's Wednesday again, so here is a new chapter of my novella! If you like what you've read so far, please consider buying the book!
Only the Living Feel Remorse: A Ghost Story - Chapter 5
A suspenseful yet fast-paced horror novella. It features an anti-hero main character, a friendship gone bad, a vengeful ghost and neo-pagan blood rituals which end up costing you much more than you bargained for.
Read it online now:
https://ashtardeza.com/fiction/only-the-living-ch5/
#writingcommunity #horror #haunting #ghosts
#WritersCoffeeClub 03: Should a writer have a face shot on their book cover or within their book?
It's most definitely not a requirement, but I did put a picture on the back of the paperback edition. I think it can be good for readers to put a face to the name, allows them to feel more connected.
As a reader I'm fine either way.
#WordWeavers
4. Character development, world-building, plot — how much attention do you pay to each?
I'm not very heavy on the world building, but plot and character development are vital.
My book is all about the MC's descent into bitterness and desperation. The way one bad decision leads to the next.
Only the Living Feel Remorse
#horror #ghoststory #ghost #haunting
#WordWeavers 10.3 — How do you convey your characters' emotions?
Kind of by doing what I learned in therapy. They taught me to pay attention to how my body feels (chest tight, stomach pain etc), so I use those physical sensations a lot to convey the emotional state of my characters.
Just did a test recording, narrating the first chapter of my book... it's not as bad as I feared, but I'm definitely not a voice actor either 😅
I was worried my accent would be too distracting, but that part actually seems OK.
I was reminded again how important editing is. I got a lovely critique of my book, which also noted that the writing didn't flow so well in the second half and I was a bit verbose there.
That's exactly the part where my editor got busy with other things and couldn't spend so much time on it.
I'll collect more feedback and then maybe create an updated edition with more editing.
#writingcommunity #author
#WritersCoffeeClub 10/2. How often do you write in a typical week? How do you find the time?
On average probably once a week. I'm not very prolific.
I tend to write when I feel an idea brewing. I find my brain does a ton of background processing, which suddenly reaches a boiling point and then words flood out.
Trying to deliberately make it happen at a specific moment usually leads to frustration and crappy writing for me.
#WordWeavers 2 Who is your most intriguing character? Why?
I'd say John, the ghost. At the surface level his motivations seem simple. Anger and revenge.... but his actions hint at something else going on.
Too bad for the MC that he is too focused on getting rid of the haunting to actually take notice.
Only the Living Feel Remorse
#horror #ghoststory #ghosts #haunting
#WritersCoffeeClub 1Oct- Shameless self-promo. What's your WIP? What's it about?
It's no longer in progress, since I published it.
It's a tragic horror story about an anti-hero MC who ends up haunted by the ghost of his best friend. He finds a group of neo pagans who offer help, but at a terrible cost.
Will he be able to save himself before It's too late?
It's a story of trauma, alcoholism, bitter envy and regret.
Only the Living Feel Remorse
https://books2read.com/b/only-the-living
#WritersCoffeeClub 30: Dumb things people say when you say you're a writer?
I guess I'm lucky: I don't get a lot of dumb remarks. I do get people suppressing a shudder when I tell them I write horror 😅
Lots of: "Oh, cool... but not my thing" 😅
New blog post: Emotional Bleed.
Where I talk about how often, feeling bad about one thing will bleed into other aspects of my life.
https://ashtardeza.com/blog/emotional-bleed/
#mentalhealth #polyamory #rsd
Having a shitty day mental health wise. Had to cancel a party I'd been looking forward to for months because I'm Covid positive, and the 30 sales I celebrated a few days ago feel like abject failure right now 😔
Going to bury myself in some comfort reading I think.
#WritersCoffeeClub How do you format scene breaks in your writing?
Like the actual on the page formatting?
I did a little hacking in Pandoc to format them as 3 bullets in a row. I managed to create the same effect in CSS for the online and epub versions and in LaTeX for the PDF version.
#WritersCoffeeClub Sept 28. Do you practice "kill your darlings" in your work?
Not really. If I get feedback that a passage doesn't work, I'll probably change it... but if I feel something is vital to the story, I'll probably go with my gut and leave it in.
That being said: sometimes you have an idea that seems promising, but every time you write it, it feels clunky. Those I often end up cutting.
#wordWeavers
Sep 27. Do any children under two or older people factor into your story?
No, and that's a good thing. Pretty much none of what goes on in my book is suitable for minors.
Only the Living Feel Remorse: A Ghost Story
#horror #haunting #ghosts #ghoststory
#WritersCoffeeClub Sept 26: Have you used a MacGuffin in your writing? Be honest.
Yes, no, kind of. At one point, my MC is instructed to retrieve [Spoilers] to finally free himself of the ghost.
Was it really a MacGuffin? Well, I'm not saying 😉
Only the Living Feel Remorse: A Ghost Story
#horror #ghoststory #haunting #ghosts
#PennedPossibilities 83 — SC or MC POV: What keeps you awake at night?
MC: John haunting me is what keeps me up at night. Not knowing if he'll be there at the foot of my bed when I open my eyes. Not knowing if I'll wake up in my own bed at all, or if he put me in some life threatening situation again.
How am I supposed to sleep, knowing that that is when he comes for me?
Only the Living Feel Remorse: A Ghost Story
#horror #haunting #ghoststory #ghosts
@0402138e I have a horror novella out, in time for Spooky Season.
It features an anti-hero main character, hauntings by a vengeful ghost and pagan blood rituals that end up costing him more than he could have imagined.
Since it's my debut, I priced it at a low $2.99, perfect for a quick snack read.
Only the Living Feel Remorse: A Ghost Story
https://books2read.com/b/only-the-living
There they stood, illuminated by the pale moonlight. Faces cold and impassive, their soft childish features set in an inscrutable expression.
He remembered each face, sinking beneath the cold water as his strong hands had squeezed their life-breath out of them.
Here they all were, just looking at him. As the seconds ticked by he noticed how his own breathing became laboured, as if dozens of tiny hands clutched his throat.
#MicroMonsters
Things that give me a ton of joy: watching someone live-chatting their progress through my book on Discord... with spoiler tags where needed 🥰
#writingcommunity
#WritersCoffeeClub 25 What keeps you striving concerning your writing goals?
I'm probably an outlier here. One of the things I settled on in therapy this year was *not* to strive. I could work on things I love, but I didn't need to accomplish anything this year.
I've tried to take that to heart. So, I've finished my debut and I'll start working on my next project as soon as an idea sparks joy with me.
No goals, just follow the joy.
#WritingCommunity #author
#WritersCoffeeClub 9/24. What are your biggest bugbears with publishing?
The automatic assumption that the only worthwhile goal is to become a professional full-time author.
I prefer to see it Sultans of Swing style:
"And Harry doesn't mind if he doesn't make the scene. He's got a daytime job, he's doing alright."
#writingcommunity #author
I really need a good premade writeup for when someone asks me what my book is about 😅
I struggle so much to make it into a succinct description that doesn't give away too much.
#writingcommunity #author
#WritersCoffeeClub 17 How do you promote your writing?
Mostly by playing these hashtag games. I've also set up an Instagram account and I'm now posting weekly chapters of the book on my blog.
So far, none of it has had much effect 😅
Only the Living Feel Remorse
#WritingCommunity #horror #ghoststory
I just realised that Spooky Season is soon upon us and I just released a horror novella... I should probably put those 2 things together 😅
#writingcommunity #author #horror #spooky
#WritersCoffeeClub 9/16. Do you have prologues in any of your writing? How do you feel about them?
So far I haven't. I often start a story right in the action, so then prologues detract from that. My novella does have an epilogue, and I felt really added something.
Only the Living Feel Remorse
#horror #ghoststory
#WordWeavers 15Sep- Is your MC neat or messy?
Totally messy. His apartment is a wreck, his idea of apparel is jeans and an old band t-shirt.
He just can't be bothered. After the hauntings begin, things go downhill from there.
Only the Living Feel Remorse
#horror #ghoststory
#wordWeavers
Sep 14. Does your antagonist have any likeable or redeemable qualities?
I dare say he's a lot more likeable and justified in his actions than the MC is 😅
He is just responding to being brutally murdered.
Only the Living Feel Remorse
#horror #ghoststory
#WritersCoffeeClub Sep 14. Have you ever written about an ex-partner and changed their name in your story?
No, that would feel unethical. I do use character traits from people I know, but I've never transplanted a real person into a story wholesale.
#PennedPossibilities 71 — Was your MC ever bullied as a child? If so, why?
He was a loner, poor and son of a single alcoholic father who believed in physical punishment. All of this set him up to be a perfect scapegoat for classmates.
The one thing that made school bearable for him was the fierce friendship of John.
Only the Living Feel Remorse
#horror #ghosts #ghoststory
#WordWeavers 9.13 — What animal would you like as a muse and why?
A family of rats... they could tell me about lost treasures and whisper dark secrets to me.
#WritersCoffeeClub 9. Have you ever abandoned a writing project that wasn't working? What was wrong?
I ended up abandoning *every* project for the better part of 2 decades.
I had the idea in my head that I wanted to write a novel, but every time I drowned in my own ambition.
Then I changed my strategy and started writing short stories. Those I could finish. That led to writing a novella, which I also managed to finish.
Now I feel like I might be able to write a novel.
#writingcommunity
#WordWeavers Sept 8: What do you pay attention to when describing your characters’ surroundings?
I generally thing about how it affects the characters. I often write in first person, so then it makes sense to note how a room smell, if it's hot or cold, etc.
Also, the surroundings can be a powerful tool to set the mood for a scene.
#WritersCoffeeClub
8. Did you like to read as a child? Which books did you read?
The library was my refuge as a kid, and I devoured books. My dad used to chide me that I'd "read my mind away" 🙄
I remember reading The Never-ending Story at least a dozen times 😅
I switched from reading Dutch translations to mostly reading English in my early 20s and that's been the majority of my reading since.
#WordWeavers 7: Why did your antagonist become an antagonist?
Now that one is easy to answer: after he was brutally murdered. Until then he had been a sweet and caring man, and a good friend.
In death be became a vengeful ghost.
Only the Living Feel Remorse
#horror #ghosts #ghoststory
#PennedPossibilities 64 — Break up your MC's life (thus far) into 3 chapters and give each of them a title.
1: Early years: growing up in Shithole, hanging out with John and Suzie.
2: Building a Life: after John and Suzie married, getting better jobs and being happy'is
3: The haunted man: after assualting Suzie and killing John, being haunted by John’s ghost and locked into an ever more desperate struggle for survival.
Only the Living Feel Remorse
#horror #ghoststory #ghosts
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