@ashtardeza@mas.to
@ashtardeza@mas.to avatar

ashtardeza

@ashtardeza@mas.to

Fiction author (speculative fiction with a sinister bent), software dev, armchair philosopher.

I enjoy writing articles about things that interest me. General geekiness is implied.

Neurodivergent, living polyamourously and active in the kink community. #AuDHD

Discord: AshtarDeza

Header: library shelves with lightbulbs which cast a warm light. Photo by Janko Ferlič on Unsplash.

Profile picture: Ash in thought. A white man with a bald head and a beard, wearing a white shirt.

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ashtardeza, to random
@ashtardeza@mas.to avatar

23Jan- Who do you publish through/aim to publish with? How's it going?

I self-published my debut novella, and I'm trying to get some short stories published in various magazines.

As to how it's going: I'm still in the hole on the book (but that's OK), and had 1 story accepted, and 1 rejected. Looking for more places to submit stuff to now.

ashtardeza, to Horror
@ashtardeza@mas.to avatar

I've just posted a new chapter of my novella... things are nearing the conclusion! If you like it, please consider buying the book!

Only the Living Feel Remorse: A Ghost Story - Chapter 18

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 online now:

https://ashtardeza.com/fiction/only-the-living-ch18/

#writingcommunity #horror #haunting #ghosts

ashtardeza, to random
@ashtardeza@mas.to avatar

201 — Have you ever considered writing under a pseudonym or pen name? Why or why not?

Well yes, Ash Deza is not what it says on my passport. My day job is IT related, and considering the type of subjects I write about, I didn't want it to come up when a potential client does a Google search on my name.

Beyond that, I'm not very secretive... that is my face in my profile pic.

KitMuse, to sciencefiction
@KitMuse@eponaauthor.social avatar

I need your help . One of the classes I'm taking at the graduate level this semester is Religion & Science Fiction. I read more fantasy, and would like to do my research paper on something that's not obvious (like ST/BS5/Matrix/etc.) & I'd love to use more modern sf rather than the golden age classics.

Anyone have any interesting ideas for my research paper on regarding the intersection of religion and science fiction?

@bookstodon

ashtardeza,
@ashtardeza@mas.to avatar

@dsawilson @KitMuse @bookstodon

Honestly, if you're going to go with Stephenson then I'd pick Anathem, with literal monks in convents in a Sci fi setting.

Binder, to random
@Binder@petrous.vislae.town avatar

Going to take a chance on a writer that I’ve only read in collaboration w/ other writers. Hope it’s a good read.

ashtardeza,
@ashtardeza@mas.to avatar

@Binder Terry Prattchett is absolutely amazing, but when I started reading the Discworld novels again, I noticed that the early ones are nowhere near as good as the later ones.

If you find this one disappointing, skip ahead a bit. Even Terry himself later said to disregard the first few books.

ashtardeza, to random
@ashtardeza@mas.to avatar

01-20. Do you have a blog? Tell us about it and share a link.

I do. In fact, I was blogging before I was writing fiction. I've written a lot of articles over the years, mostly about poly and mental health. That was my gateway into taking up fiction again.

It's here: https://ashtardeza.com

And yes, it has RSS 😁

ashtardeza, to random
@ashtardeza@mas.to avatar

I'm still planning to make ashdeza.com into a proper author site and to integrate with my blog... so I'm looking at every author site I can find to steal... ahem.. get inspired by their ideas. 😅

ashtardeza, to random
@ashtardeza@mas.to avatar

1/19. How do you decide on character names?

My character names are often boring, since a lot of my work takes place in our world. So, I just use common names.

ashtardeza, to random
@ashtardeza@mas.to avatar

179. Is your MC or SC athletic? Does it come naturally to them, or have they had to work for their physique and / or skill?

Most of my MCs aren't too athletic, often because they lead lifestyles that aren't too healthy.

ashtardeza, to random
@ashtardeza@mas.to avatar
  1. What's the nationality of your MC?

I actually very deliberately kept that vague in my novella. There are some clues in there that it doesn't take place in the US, but I didn't want to alienate international audiences too much.

Since I based it on real places I've lived, that makes my MC Dutch too.

ashtardeza, to random
@ashtardeza@mas.to avatar

Something I've noticed a few times now, where an e-book will say that it is published without DRM, yet the Kobo listing will show DRM, and I'm pretty sure the Amazon version has DRM too.

So, how does this work?

ashtardeza, to random
@ashtardeza@mas.to avatar

Jan 17: Do you think about your WIP every waking moment?

I have periods like that, where my WIP becomes my hyperfocus. That can easily become obsessive, so I try to avoid it.

Generally, it's in the back of my mind and when I let my mind wander ideas will pop up.

ashtardeza, to Blog
@ashtardeza@mas.to avatar

New blog post: The Long Dark

Where I talk about the effect that the combination of SAD and post-covid is having on my brain and work.

https://ashtardeza.com/blog/long-dark/

ashtardeza, to random
@ashtardeza@mas.to avatar

Thinking about my earlier post that I feel my current work doesn't measure up: that's actually OK.

Flowers grow on manure, and I can always update them when my brain feels better. Better to write and fix later than to not write.

ashtardeza, to random
@ashtardeza@mas.to avatar

16. How do you feel about an ISBN? Is it important to have them?

I paid for an ISBN through the printing service for the A5 version, all the other platforms I used the provided ones.

I wanted the option of selling the paperback version through bookstores, though I haven't taken any further action on that so far.

ashtardeza, to random
@ashtardeza@mas.to avatar

Today's question made me wonder whether I should consider changing the cover for my novella for the second edition.

I originally did it myself because I had no idea if anybody was even remotely interested in my work.

Now that I got some validation from readers, it might be worth spending the money, even though I'll probably never recoup it.

ashtardeza, to random
@ashtardeza@mas.to avatar

15Jan- Do you write dysfunctional relationships?

I only write dysfunctional people, so any relationship between them is a hot mess by definition 😅

ashtardeza, to random
@ashtardeza@mas.to avatar

15 Jan
Is it worth paying for professional cover art?

Considering that the cover is often what gets people to look at your book in the first place, I'd say yes.

That being said: I designed the cover for my novella myself, taking some inspiration from an example on Canva.

For my next book, I hope to hire both a professional editor and a cover artist.

ashtardeza, to Horror
@ashtardeza@mas.to avatar

I've just posted a new chapter of my novella... things are nearing the conclusion! If you like it, please consider buying the book!

Only the Living Feel Remorse: A Ghost Story - Chapter 17

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 online now:

https://ashtardeza.com/fiction/only-the-living-ch17/

#writingcommunity #horror #haunting #ghosts

ashtardeza, to random
@ashtardeza@mas.to avatar

Was having a hard time deciding on what to read next yesterday... in the end I just grabbed a Discworld book for some comfort reading.

Still, any tips for good thought provoking horror with some emotional depth?

ashtardeza, to random
@ashtardeza@mas.to avatar

12 Jan You're at a coffee shop table at the end of the universe, what 3 writers are you chatting with?

I'd be nerding out about Doctor Who with Douglas Adams, talking to Terry Prattchett about the state of the world, and telling Tanith Lee how her books messed me up from a young age 😅

ashtardeza, to random
@ashtardeza@mas.to avatar

A few days ago, I got hit with an Instagram ad trying to get me to sell AI-generated books, and offering a course on how to do so. I reported it as a scam, but I'm still kind of fuming.

ashtardeza, to random
@ashtardeza@mas.to avatar

  1. Did you realise what writing was going to be like when you started?

I thought I did... and boy, was I wrong 😅

The thing I underestimated most, was just vulnerable it feels to put your work out there into the world, for all to critique it.

I've mostly gotten over that now, but it took a while.

ashtardeza, to Horror
@ashtardeza@mas.to avatar

Jan 10 Why is your MC the way they are?

Oh, I love this one. He was shaped by an abusive alcoholic father, a rough rural environment and well... patriarchy.

He got dealt a bad hand, and he let himself be overcome by bitterness and envy. It made him angry and resentful. This all culminates in him murdering his best friend, who proceeds to haunt him.

Only the Living Feel Remorse: A Ghost Story

dilmandila, to books
@dilmandila@mograph.social avatar

Oh my God! Oh fck! I wake up to this big news and all I can say is fck! I went to bed having read something about Philip K Dick Awards (I can't even remember what I read about it!) and I wake up to learn that my book, Where Rivers Go To Die, has been nominated for this and its a big deal to me and all I can day is f*ck! What a way to start the year!

https://www.norwescon.org/2024/01/09/2024-philip-k-dick-award-nominees-announced/

@bookstodon

ashtardeza,
@ashtardeza@mas.to avatar

@dilmandila @bookstodon that's awesome news!

Congratulations!

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