Why subscribe?
This is a newsletters for writers and readers who:
Understand that the meaning of life is 42.
Like Disc-shaped worlds that fly on the back of a turtle.
Keep the company of cats (as many great writers do đ).
Find delight in the supremely odd.
Are happiest surrounded by books of all kinds đ.
Have always known that vampires are misunderstood.
Appreciate life isnât to be taken too seriously.
Please say hello đ I think youâre going to like it here.
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đFor readers: Check out my crazy Sci-Fi Comedy series here. Plus, get off-the-beaten-path book recommendations + sneak peeks of middles and endings.
âïžFor writers: Get tips on why we keep turning pages and what doesnât work for different readers, plus my rants and discoveries in the Novelist Uncensored section.
An overview of my last year of book reviews:
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern was an exceptional Literary Fantasy with a gay romance I loved just as much as The Binding by Bridget Collins.
The Boy Who Steals Houses by C.G. Drews was a moving Contemporary YA drama.
Triflers Need Not Apply by Camilla Bruce was Historical Fiction based on the true story of serial killer Belle Gunness.
Feet of Clay by Terry Pratchett was a fantasy read featuring golems coming alive.
Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas was a Historical Gothic Romantasy I adored.
The Year of Living Famously by Laura Caldwell was a Contemporary Rom-Com.
The Outsider by Howard Fast was Historical Fiction around the effects of Oppenheimerâs project and the nuclear spy trials on the U.S. Jewish community.
The Oracle of Stamboul by Michael David Lukas was Historical Fiction set around the fall of the Ottoman Empire.
Rich & Pretty by Rumaan Alam was Literary Fiction satirizing young NYC women socialites.
The Story of Chicago May by Nuala OâFaolain was a biography of the most famous Irish female thief of the early 1900s.
Merivel by Rose Tremain was Literary Historical Fiction in the reign of King Charles during the 1600s, filled with sex and scandals around Versailles as well.
The Binding by Bridget Collins was a Historical Literary Fantasy featuring a wonderful gay romance (m/m).
Why did I make this Substack?
The short answer is: I have a 3-book battle of my own to see which of 3 books Iâve written will excite readers the most and get published. Stay tuned on that front.âł Thus far, Iâve been writing for 10+ years and had poems published in Academy of the Heart & Mind Online Literary Journal, and my Sci-Fi Comedy short story won a silver honorable mention in the Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest (This story is currently becoming a novel due to reader requests.)
But there are other important reasons too, like:
Supporting libraries because they matter
Studying how the pros write something compelling
And most importantly⊠to Stop reading S.O.S. Books (same old shit, new package)
If I only read what my friends read, or the latest books that just came out, then I am only feeding my brain with basically the same tropes over and over again.
The result = perfect recipe for writing totally boring copycat shit.
Sure, money can be made by riding a book trend or trope wave, but do we remember the authors who based their work on copying like 20 to 50 years ago? Rarely.
***Footnote: Tropes arenât bad, and I feel all authors should know the popular tropes in your genre. Tvtropes.com is a great place to start. The key is to make sure that your book isnât completely overflowing with tropes because your target audience is likely sick of a lot of them by now.***
It stands to reason that if authors like me want to create more original works, then we need to have a bigger and more unique set of influences.
Enter: The Library.
Nowhere else will you get such a random and diverse set of book choices not based on any algorithms at all. By going to multiple libraries, I continuously find books I wouldnât otherwise have ever seen that have been popular longer, or fallen through the cracks by a happy accident into this place.
Letâs talk books. This is about all the fun of reading and learning how to write, together. Please subscribe to vote in the monthly polls.
To find out more about the company that provides the tech for this newsletter, visit Substack.com.
