@benetnasch@writing.exchange
@benetnasch@writing.exchange avatar

benetnasch

@benetnasch@writing.exchange

Queer indie author of sapphic fantasy and sci-fi. Vampires and shifters are two of my favorite things.

Other loves: (body) horror, sci-fi, visual novels, books, audiodrama, and music.

ADHD, autistic, OCD, Agender

https://en.pronouns.page/@benetnasch#ey/em

#noarchive #nobot #noindex

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Uair, to bookstodon
@Uair@autistics.life avatar

@bookstodon

Idea:

Bookstores should group fantasy with horror instead of scifi. Both fantasy and horror are purely creations of the author's mind; scifi is tethered to factual information.

If you need to group scifi, I'd put it with mysteries and thrillers.

benetnasch,
@benetnasch@writing.exchange avatar

@Uair @bookstodon You have a very narrow idea of those genres...especially of horror.

And shoving sci-fi in mystery and thrillers??

Inigo Montoya from The Princess Bride, looking somewhat bewildered as he states, "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

benetnasch,
@benetnasch@writing.exchange avatar

@Uair @bookstodon What's easier to write differs between authors. I love horror, but find it difficult to write. Sci-fi, less so. I used to think the same of mystery, but that's not the case for me. Your theory is bunk.

dickrubin716, to bookstodon
@dickrubin716@bookstodon.com avatar

I would love to get your thoughts and feedback on my from my latest book, The Challenges of Being Me. Do you like it? Does it capture your attention? Without knowing anything about the book, what genre would you say this cover best fits? @bookstodon

benetnasch,
@benetnasch@writing.exchange avatar

@dickrubin716 @bookstodon It doesn't really do anything for me. I can only assume it's nonfiction, like a memoir. I've been reading those more frequently lately, thanks to recommendations from Depresh Mode and similar podcasts, so covers have been largely irrelevant.

Second best guess would be women's fiction, maybe?

benetnasch,
@benetnasch@writing.exchange avatar

@dickrubin716 @bookstodon Ah...all I know about YA and romance books at the moment is that they tend to favor a more illustrated style. The ones I've seen with real people on the cover are fairly colorful, too.

benetnasch, to random
@benetnasch@writing.exchange avatar

https://www.axios.com/2024/05/06/library-librarians-e-books-license-policies

"Librarians are developing open-source alternatives to Libby and hoopla and testing "experiments with publishers that don't involve restrictive licenses," says Jennie Rose Halperin, director of Library Futures."

Fuck yeah!

benetnasch, to random
@benetnasch@writing.exchange avatar

The thing I thought would make me sleepy did not, in fact, make me sleepy.

benetnasch, to random
@benetnasch@writing.exchange avatar

I'm always so exhausted after work...I can't tell if it's the people or the job itself, though I'm generally fine while working. My coworkers aren't stressing me out and I don't interact with customers much, so idk...

benetnasch,
@benetnasch@writing.exchange avatar

@NaraMoore Yeah, the stocking job. I'm more mentally drained than anything.

LehtoriTuomo, to actuallyautistic
@LehtoriTuomo@mementomori.social avatar

Someone asked whether I ever played Doom. No, not really. I told that I've never liked first person shooters and then it hit me. I never liked them as there's too much going on. In fact, I've never been a big fan of any types of shooters, the only exception being Cannon Fodder. Now, with the new-found autistic perspective, it makes perfect sense. Sensory overdrive all the time equals no fun. How about my fellow autistics, any fans of shooters?

@actuallyautistic

benetnasch,
@benetnasch@writing.exchange avatar

@LehtoriTuomo @actuallyautistic I don't like shooters, not because they're overstimulating, but because they bore me. Also not a fan of guns.

I'm more of a jrpg kinda person, along with point and click, adventure (often with puzzles), and quirky little indie games.

benetnasch, to random
@benetnasch@writing.exchange avatar

5/1—OMG! What happened to your MC's parents?

Most of my MCs are estranged from their parents, but alive and well elsewhere. I have killed off at least one (a father), but I prefer to keep them distant and cold.

benetnasch,
@benetnasch@writing.exchange avatar

5/2—Have you had an idea halfway or more through a project that requires extensive rewriting of what you've already done?

More times than I care to admit...

benetnasch,
@benetnasch@writing.exchange avatar

5/4—What's the worst thing about being a writer?

Watching people's eyes glaze over when you tell them you're a writer. Most people just don't give a shit.

benetnasch,
@benetnasch@writing.exchange avatar

5/5—Is there a certain kind of story or arc that is easier for you to write as a short story than others?

Sure. That's anything that doesn't flow well with my novels, either due to pacing or irrelevancy. There are also just small scenes that work better as their own thing.

benetnasch,
@benetnasch@writing.exchange avatar

5/7—Do you add a copyright statement to your work? How comprehensive is it?

Always. Nothing fancy, just whatever placeholder Atticus uses. I did add an anti AI bit, but that's about it.

benetnasch,
@benetnasch@writing.exchange avatar

5/8—When writing technical or scientific detail, how much is plausible versus imagined?

I love hard sci-fi, but try not to overdue it with the details. I do lean more towards the fantastical for genres outside of sci-fi, mostly with alchemy and the like.

benetnasch,
@benetnasch@writing.exchange avatar

5/11—What character have you written that's the most unlike you?

I have a character like that in my St. Acton series. Her name's Mimi and she has a really bubbly personality. Also loves (and wants) kids. Little trauma to speak of, and has a great relationship with her parents.

I am neither of those things.

benetnasch,
@benetnasch@writing.exchange avatar

5/12—How do you market your work?

Mostly through Bookfunnel and I Heart Sapphfic. I also list my books on sites that catalog other diverse groups, including the full spectrum of the alphabet rainbow, and there's that one site that focuses on autistics (authors and characters).

I dabbled with ads, but can't really afford to run them. I also just hate making them, so...

Marketing in general is tough, but helping a backlog helps drive some passive sales.

benetnasch,
@benetnasch@writing.exchange avatar

5/13—When does "AI" cross the line between helpful tool and problematic tech for writing and publishing?

When people (mostly those who got scammed by "Get Rich Fast" grifters) use "AI" to "write" books for them. Or when the "AI" is used to replace real people, without the assurance that it'll actually be beneficial.

I can't wait for this whole fad to implode, because most of what's being pedaled is little more than a gimmick.

Regina George from Mean Girls: "Stop trying to make 'fetch' happen. It's not going to happen."

benetnasch,
@benetnasch@writing.exchange avatar

5/14—Do you have a sense of how much plot you need for how long a manuscript?

I rarely think that far ahead. There have been times where I came close, but those are the outliers.

benetnasch,
@benetnasch@writing.exchange avatar

5/15—Have you ever attended a writer's fair / festival to promote your work? Would you?

No, and that sounds absolutely miserable.

benetnasch,
@benetnasch@writing.exchange avatar

5/16—What's your target audience? Why?

I don't really expect anyone who isn't queer to enjoy my books, and less so for anyone who whines about the singular "they" pronoun. Or neopronouns, for that matter.

"Sapphic" is one of the terms I use to describe my books, as that's the demographic my MCs and most of the side characters fit in.

My wider audience includes those who like the paranormal, portal fantasy, and weird shit in general.

benetnasch, to random
@benetnasch@writing.exchange avatar

10 Authors, of whose books I've read at least 5:

  • V.C. Andrews
  • Philip K. Dick
  • Junji Ito
  • Brian Jacques
  • Stephen King
  • Ira Levin
  • Chuck Palahniuk
  • Anne Rice
  • Mildred D. Taylor
  • H.G. Wells

This was actually harder than I thought, since I tried not to count books I read as a child (such as Goosebumps), but that couldn't be entirely avoided.

dyani, to actuallyautistic
@dyani@social.coop avatar

Hmm is this an ND thing?

Ever since I can remember, I have strongly disliked pranks and have been against humor at the expense of someone else (making fun of them).

I know nice NT people also feel this way but I've felt this strongly since a very young age. Anyone else?

@actuallyautistic

benetnasch,
@benetnasch@writing.exchange avatar

@dyani @actuallyautistic I like harmless pranks, like placing my gf's plushies in silly positions or giving them props. They get a kick out of that. Vocal pranks are fun too, such as doing little impressions or throwing my voice.

I don't like messy or sticky pranks, tho.

CuriousMagpie, to bookstodon
@CuriousMagpie@wandering.shop avatar

We need to create new, sustainable, author & reader friendly systems.

“… in 2020, only 268 titles sold more than 100,000 copies, and 96 percent of books sold less than 1,000 copies. That’s still the vibe.”
@bookstodon
https://www.elysian.press/p/no-one-buys-books

benetnasch,
@benetnasch@writing.exchange avatar

@CuriousMagpie @bookstodon What an absurd title. I'd be more concerned if this was an actual issue, and not affecting the pocketbooks of major publishing houses.

ChrisMayLA6, to VideoGames
@ChrisMayLA6@zirk.us avatar

While its good to see that books still hold their own (in revenue generating terms) with films & music (they outperform both), the big news is that video games generated more revenue globally than books & music combined.

As someone who has never played a video game, but reads a lot of books, I'm not sure how I feel about this... but it tells us something about where the globe's creative & receptive energies seem to be spent.

#videogames #music #films
@bookstodon

benetnasch,
@benetnasch@writing.exchange avatar

@ChrisMayLA6 @bookstodon A good chunk of those are also visual novels, which have been popular for years. Especially in Japan.

And then there are text heavy games like Harebrained Scheme's Shadowrun games.

Also, a lot of people just don't buy music or books, unfortunately. And I'm not talking about lending from libraries. Looking at sales alone isn't a great indicator.

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