Erik Mercer
@erikmercer
SciFi/fantasy author, translator, language nerd, psychology. Author of "Vagabonds & Bureaucrats". Out there to support fellow writers!
Ergo, in your writing, your stories should be multi-faceted, because life is. The story you choose to present cannot be all that is happening. The more your story is a window suggesting the view extends beyond the frame, the more natural and real it will feel. #WritingCommunity
One of the motivation tricks while writing is to make an decoy of your finished book. So, meet the cast of "Dragon Riders Of Amber": "Scarface" AKA Lt. Jekora, MC Airmate Jana Dagar, Airmate Matis, Airmate Asara, Airship Captain Jepa Jefa, and First Mate Jamee. #amWriting
Writing is akin to painting with words. And sometimes, what we leave out is what lends the unexpected and unusual more impact. #amWriting
Status update: Word count at 120048, aiming at 130k before starting full edits.
I add songs to my books as well! Care to share some of your music? I'm tempted to help out with the voice acting. Been doing radio for 10 years, so the ship of privacy has sailed. This is from my book "Vagabonds And Bureaucrats", meant to resemble a simple folksong. Nothing too fancy, I'm afraid.
Our dog is mischief. Today, I was in the garden, as he pushed the door shut behind me, locking me out. Then scratched at it for good measure. Luckily a bedroom window was still ajar. So, I coax it open, climb on the fence, and lift myself on the window sill, before wiggling in.
Same. I honestly always mess up my timelines during edits, mix up the twins, or forget about details in physical descriptions I included x chapters prior. I might also begin to add chapter references to keep track of where I wrote what about my characters, to help me later.
Your artistic voice changes the feel of your work. In painting it's obvious: Choice of colors, how much detail is provided, do you sketch your characters with as a rough shape or do you go full detail? The same translates to writing, but through other means. #WritingCommunity
While anybody can write, writing in a way that engages readers comes as an instinct for some. The challenge is to convert what some people instinctively grasp into an actionable list of bullet points that anybody can work with. Doing this, however, requires some basic psychology.
Fun fact: The word "Easter" is related to the Germanic term for "dawn", which itself is linked to the Greek and Latin words "Eos" and "Aurora" referring to the same thing. The word also has an Indo-Germanic source which can be used as a verb and means: "to birth the flame".
I found a copy of my 1st attempt at a #LitRPG story. "How to sharpen a cooking pot--tail weapons for dummies" is still in heavy rewrites, adding a ton of new material, alongside the character information typical for the genre. But, a couple of scenes I might just keep.
It's a fictional world. Ergo, there is no program. In its place, I established two pillars to keep him on track: A friend to confide in, and a doctor/partner to control the uncontrollable. To make the breakdown believable, I then eroded one, took away the other, and produced incentive+opportunity.
Editing and got a question. My protagonist isn't aware her best friend is an ex-alcoholic. Oblivious, she begs a favor that causes him to drink again. Caught up in her own issues she doesn't notice his distress. Would this push readers to actively dislike her? #writingCommunity
While writing books in Italian might still be some way off, I will give edits on my German language training book a final push. I have the results of my target group research, so with some final touches, I may proceed to typesetting. #amwriting #writingcommunity
I've learned Italian for two years on #Duolingo. Do I speak Italian? No. That might just be me, but memorization isn't my style of learning, and the app focuses on it exclusively. What it does it does well, but knowing the "what" without the "why" isn't for me.
#ValentinesDay is named after Bishop Valentine of Terni, killed February 14th 269 for illegally marrying young couples. He is believed to have paid the occasional dowry out of his own pocket, and to present newly weds with flowers. St. Valentine's Day was 1st celebrated in 496.
I finally took some time to prepare covers for book 1 to 3. Yes, writing and editing is the priority. However, adding a cover makes it feel more real. Like promise that "yes, we are doing this, and we are doing it now". #amWriting #WritingCommunity
In light of recent events, I decided to update the design of my book #cover. #amWriting #WritingCommunity
Happy #RepublicDay to our friends in India. Enjoy a wonderful and sunny day.
The #kidlit story I'm writing at the moment sees a young witch travel on foot to the Blocksberg for a dance, after she had an accident that left her unable to fly. The actual path taken exists, is 40km long, and can be walked in 10 hours plus breaks. Maybe a bit longer with kids.
The legendary house dragon took the shape of a lindworm. It could fly, and looked like a white streak moving across the sky. When it was returning home laden with gifts, that streak took a thick barrel shape. Wizards would beguile a dragon by leaving an offering at a crossroads.
There are countless legends that fly under the radar. One such is the European "house dragon". I was introduced to this creature at a young age, when my grandmother told me that this particular dragon guarded families and brought great fortune when treated right. #amWriting
The "Bode" river and the valley are both named after the supposed giant. The floods of the river is believed to hold Bodo's golden crown, after he lost it when he attempted to jump across on his horse--and failed. And I got a picture of the hoof imprint of his horse as it jumped.
I'm notoriously bad at drawing, but I have been there and happened to have a photo of the actual place, where legend says Bodo fell from his horse. Using that as a template, made things easier, and at least the background is authentic. Bodo is another story. Never met the guy.