#PennedPossibilities 505 Name a handful of authors who inspired you over the years.
❤️ JRR Tolkien (esp. The Silmarillion had a huge impact on me when I first read it. Such a feast for lovers of world building)
❤️ Lex Croucher (so funny, just such a delight to read. I wish I was half as witty)
❤️ Amy Barry (I was reading her work back when she was still writing as Tess LeSue. She was my introduction to Western Hist. Romance and 100% the reason I'm writing a silly Fantasy Western right now)
#WritersCoffeeClub Nov 20: Are novel genres helpful or constraining? A bit of both?
I find them helpful. They keep me on track so I don't go chasing plot bunnies all over the place. It can be reassuring to know that I'm writing something with clear conventions, like a fantasy or a romance.
That being said, genres do tend to mix and match a lot, and that can also be fun to experiment with.
#WritersCoffeeClub 13. Is there a message that runs through all of your work?
I'm not sure if there is any real message across my writing but certain themes and topics crop up a lot. I write about queer found families, class differences (in fantasy settings, but there are always certain parallels with our world), and how people deal with grief and mortality (which has a lot to do with my fascination with funerary and mourning practices throughout time).
#WritersCoffeeClub Nov 8: Where do you get your books?
I'm fortunate to have several independent bookstores in my area, so they're always my first stop when I'm book shopping. I also borrow from my library a lot.
#pennedpossibilities 491 — Do you plan on publishing your current WIP one day?
I hope to publish both my WIPs one day. One of them (co-written with a friend) will hopefully be ready for publication late next year. My solo project is still in draft mode, so it has a long way to go.
I didn't always want to publish, but I think that was mainly due to my anxiety/imposter syndrome. I'm getting much better at telling off the voice in my head that tells me my work isn't worth sharing.
#wordweavers #writing 7. Do your MC’s values align with the traditions and values of the community they come from?
Well, one of them is an outlaw, so he is opposed to many of the traditions and values he grew up with. He lives in a setting that is patriarchal and heteronormative but he has no interest in marriage or romantic relationships in general.
The other is a woman who is trying her best to be all the things she's been brought up to be: demure & obedient. But she isn't doing well at it
#writerscoffeeclub Nov 7. Is there one genre or subgenre you would never write?
I don't think I could write horror or any other dark sub/genre (e.g. Dark Romance, or Dark Fantasy). I like to write stories with happy endings, and I'm far too squeamish to put my characters through anything potentially traumatic or lethal.
#writerscoffeeclub 16 Oct- Have you ever tried to write something set in a culture other than your own? How did it go?
I write a lot of fantasy. I draw a lot on my own cultural background as a Norwegian Australian. I'm really careful not to just 'copy-paste' cultures from our world, but rather try to draw inspiration from different elements of cultures in order to make something that feels true to the setting I'm trying to make. I avoid drawing upon closed/ sensitive cultural practices.
WRITING STATUS UPDATE:
I'm working on two projects at the moment:
- a fantasy romance co-written with my bestie (currently on draft 3, 73k words)
- a fantasy western friendcom (draft 1, 5k)