SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion

Just wanted to introduce myself. I am here to find fellowship, support, and new fresh leads on books in this genre. I am an author, he said as if making a declaration at an AA meeting. I like my books but it is more important to know what other readers enjoy which will, in turn, affect my future efforts.

Hi Calvin. Welcome to the group. Write what you enjoy writing - it's more fun that way!

Thanks. I do write as I am inspired, my first novel coming from a dream I experienced. I do NOT write for a genre; my books having elements of Sci-Fi, action / adventure, and fantasy in them... whatever I feel tells the story in my head best. One can be inspired by their surroundings however.

Calvin wrote: "Thanks. I do write as I am inspired, my first novel coming from a dream I experienced. I do NOT write for a genre; my books having elements of Sci-Fi, action / adventure, and fantasy in them... wha..."

You are so lucky, remembering your dreams. I have the most fantastic dreams but am remarkably successful in forgetting every single one as I awake, being left only with that awful sensation of having lost a valuable idea! I awoke the other morning determined not to forget a vivid and lifelike dream which involved vampires (NOT NOT NOT my genre!)but with such a poignant thread that I wanted to use it. Alas, it's gone.

SF is such an awful genre to classify. Just because something's set in say the near future, or perhaps a slightly different past, is it SF? My longest novel (the Fence) is set in the near future but is really an action mystery with character study. The gadgets - except the main character - are just futuristic enough to show times have moved on, but no aliens or weird spacecraft, in fact nothing that's probably not on someone's drawing board right now. And yet it's SF. If I called it a different main genre I'd probably get readers complaining.

Like you, I write what comes to mind. I have a file of one-line story ideas, sometimes just titles that sound good, which is constantly added to. When I've finished a story I look at the file and decide which next story best suits the mood I'm in.

They say you should start out with a beginning, middle and end. I'm ok with the beginning bit, but after that my characters don't let me have much of a say. Occasionally, when they're not looking, I'll nudge the tiller slightly, but apart from that I'm as intrigued as anyone where the story will go! Take my second novel, for example (the Day Uncle Jimmy Learned to Fly) - all I started with was the title and the knowledge that it should be humorous and the flying didn't involve aircraft. I ended up with a comedy/fantasy/SF that turned out to have a logical (if incredible) ending, suitable for ages 10 to 100.

Having recently been dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century, I have been reading quite a few Amazon Kindle ebooks. I stick to indie authors because I feel we should support our own - BUT! The quality of grammar, punctuation and writing is often quite awful. I have given up on several books; even though the story line is good I just can't bear to read more bad English. Perhaps it's just the author/editor in me - I pick up typos even in printed bestsellers these days whereas years ago I'd just read straight past them without grating my teeth. Have you had similar experiences? (Your first page looks ok, by the way !!!)

Great book covers, by the way, and intriguing stories! What's coming next?

Calvin wrote: "Just wanted to introduce myself. I am here to find fellowship, support, and new fresh leads on books in this genre. I am an author, he said as if making a declaration at an AA meeting. I like my bo..."

Welcome! It's always great to have another writer around. As they say, misery loves company. J/K. My opinion is to write the story the way it needs to be written. If it need Sci-Fi, throw that in there. If it needs fantasy, put some in.

Calvin, I'm not an author, so I don't know from anything, but I note that when I get click on your picture I am not taken to an author's profile. Maybe you've not claimed yours? As I understand it, it's a good idea to do so, here on GR.

Cheryl in CC NV wrote: "Calvin, I'm not an author, so I don't know from anything, but I note that when I get click on your picture I am not taken to an author's profile. Maybe you've not claimed yours? As I understand i..."

It worked ok for me.

I got an ordinary member's profile for Calvin, from his picture on this thread. :shrug: