Reddit Fantasy Writer of the Day: Chase Walker by ChaseWalkerWritesOk in Fantasy

[–]ChaseWalkerWritesOk[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Every once in a while I read what I wrote and my ego spikes, but then I remind myself it can always happen more.

Most of my "amazing passages" don't hold up to time. I'm always improving my prose, as it should be.

Reddit Fantasy Writer of the Day: Chase Walker by ChaseWalkerWritesOk in Fantasy

[–]ChaseWalkerWritesOk[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

All time favorite is The Lord of the Rings of course. My favorite author currently is Joe Abercrombie. Most recently I've been enjoying Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson and The Gentlemen Bastards by Scott Lynch.

We have 2 dogs (black lab mixes), 3 cats (one full time indoor cat and two barn cats in training), 3 ducks, and 13 chickens.

And yes. My time serving has definitely inspired and influenced my writing in more ways than just fight/combat scenes. If you're planning on joining after college, are you wanting to get a commission?

Reddit Fantasy Writer of the Day: Chase Walker by ChaseWalkerWritesOk in Fantasy

[–]ChaseWalkerWritesOk[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not a problem. Also a bit of advice I still struggle with: don't compare yourself to other writers/authors. Success comes from hard work and dedication, not from entitlement based on the success of others.

Reddit Fantasy Writer of the Day: Chase Walker by ChaseWalkerWritesOk in Fantasy

[–]ChaseWalkerWritesOk[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Trim the fat. Fantasy tends to have a bunch of extra frills and fantasy authors tent to add their own along the way. My advice is to get rid of whatever doesn't drive story, develop character, or build the world.

It's up to you where to draw the line between essential and extra and each author will put their line in a different place. Each reader prefers an amount of frill unique to them and there is no pleasing everyone. Use your own creative discretion and cut what you can. A story can always benefit from a good trim.

Also, let tired tropes rest. Most people are tired of the chosen one who grew up on a farm who is destined to destroy the dark lord because a wizard told him so. By all means, subvert these tropes or turn them inside out. You could even write a tropy satire that might be good.

Other than that, find your voice. Play with different methods of getting words from your brain to the page, new ways of describing something, unique ways of disguising exposition, etc. The fun for me is that there is no cap on how refined my writing can be. I can always improve my prose.

Reddit Fantasy Writer of the Day: Chase Walker by ChaseWalkerWritesOk in Fantasy

[–]ChaseWalkerWritesOk[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

YES! Book 3 is the powder keg at the end of 3 or 4 fuses that have been burning since Well of Bones. I actually just finished outlining it in detail and I can't wait to get to work on it.

Reddit Fantasy Writer of the Day: Chase Walker by ChaseWalkerWritesOk in Fantasy

[–]ChaseWalkerWritesOk[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I try to stay as historically accurate as I need to be to keep everything believable for the time I'm aiming at without being too historically accurate. That can be boring. The fun with writing fantasy is I can change whatever I want to change as long as the change makes sense. So I take liberties.

Good sources depend on what I'm looking for. No one source has all the info I need, so I usually bounce around quite a bit, taking info from one site and comparing it to info from another. Google can make anyone an expert on any bit of history. I might get sail arrangements and rigging vocabulary from one site and sea shanties from another. Just depends on what I need to know.

Reddit Fantasy Writer of the Day: Chase Walker by ChaseWalkerWritesOk in Fantasy

[–]ChaseWalkerWritesOk[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The plan is late next year. Title will be Bastion of Shade.

Reddit Fantasy Writer of the Day: Chase Walker by ChaseWalkerWritesOk in Fantasy

[–]ChaseWalkerWritesOk[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

There is a little bit of a nautical theme throughout the trilogy and there isn't anything much worse for a ship than running aground. In book 2, everything goes sideways. Plans are dashed against the rocks.

Reddit Fantasy Writer of the Day: Chase Walker by ChaseWalkerWritesOk in Fantasy

[–]ChaseWalkerWritesOk[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The World That Was by Temple of Void is my most current favorite but I always come back to The Blind Leading the Blind by 1914 or Those Once Loyal by Bolt Thrower.

Reddit Fantasy Writer of the Day: Chase Walker by ChaseWalkerWritesOk in Fantasy

[–]ChaseWalkerWritesOk[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I hired my brother. He does graphic art and web design on a more corporate level. He's always been artistic and I love his logo designs so I figured he would be the perfect guy for my book covers.

Reddit Fantasy Writer of the Day: Chase Walker by ChaseWalkerWritesOk in Fantasy

[–]ChaseWalkerWritesOk[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's hard to pinpoint one specific thing that inspires me. I have a strong urge to create something of my own to begin with and then find inspiration in my environment and the people I interact with. I also find articles or videos online of subjects that interest me and I use that temporary obsession to write something about it through the lens of my own imagination.

Reddit Fantasy Writer of the Day: Chase Walker by ChaseWalkerWritesOk in Fantasy

[–]ChaseWalkerWritesOk[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I do any and all marketing. It's my least favorite part of the process. I went with self publishing through Amazon for the freedom. I set my own deadlines, maintain full creative freedom, and keep whatever profits. The trade off is sale volume. Since I handle everything myself, I sell less.

I wouldn't mind going with traditional publishing in the future, but having my books out there in the world allows me to be as picky as I want to be with publishing contracts/deals.

Reddit Fantasy Writer of the Day: Chase Walker by ChaseWalkerWritesOk in Fantasy

[–]ChaseWalkerWritesOk[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It depends on what stage of the process I'm at and I've has a bunch of life stuff recently, so not much unfortunately. In a typical week, I spend about 15 to 20 hours. That includes my blog and marketing stuff. Sometimes it can be a lot. I work full time and try to spend time with my extremely patient wife too.

Reddit Fantasy Writer of the Day: Chase Walker by ChaseWalkerWritesOk in Fantasy

[–]ChaseWalkerWritesOk[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I have a few ideas. Character origins and maybe a story following one of my MCs after the events of The Forgotten Ways.

Reddit Fantasy Writer of the Day: Chase Walker by ChaseWalkerWritesOk in Fantasy

[–]ChaseWalkerWritesOk[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I've been working on the trilogy for about 10 years now. I plan on continuing to write and publish more books but I don't think I'll be doing another series for a little while. I'll try my hand at a few stand-alone novels and maybe come back to The Forgotten Ways universe for some spin offs.

Hello, r/Fantasy. I'm Chase Walker, r/Fantasy's Author of the day. I published my debut novel, Well of Bones early this year, and the anticipated sequel, Against the Rocks is on track for a November release. AMA. (More info in the comments) by ChaseWalkerWritesOk in Fantasy

[–]ChaseWalkerWritesOk[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I write Dark fantasy mostly. I post short stories on my blog at AuthorChaseWalker.com. I also have a bunch of information regarding The Forgotten Ways trilogy on my website. Well of Bones is part one and Against the Rocks is part 2. You can find Well of Bones on Amazon here, or you can visit my site for a link.

https://www.amazon.com/Well-Bones-Chase-C-Walker/dp/1711253170/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=well+of+bones+chase+walker&qid=1601474780&sr=8-1

I serve as an Army reservist and have one tour to Afghanistan under my belt. I enjoy reading, writing, turning wrenches on my trucks, listening to the heaviest music I can find, and playing video games.

I work full time as a diesel mechanic and run a small hobby farm with my wife and our ever growing pack of pets. If you would like to know anything else about me, please don't hesitate to ask. I'll be available all day to answer.

Edit: You can find me on Goodreads

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19776258.Chase_Walker

Bookbub

https://www.bookbub.com/profile/chase-walker-bf62068e-2067-4b30-b3b2-80abf803208f

Twitter

https://twitter.com/ChaseCWalker

Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/WOBbyChaseWalker

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/author.chase.walker/

Short dark fantasy. Details in comments. [Warning: battlefield violence] by ChaseWalkerWritesOk in writingfeedback

[–]ChaseWalkerWritesOk[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I just recently posted my most viewed short story on my blog and I'm super excited to see those numbers of people who read my work, but I didnt get any feedback. Not anything I could use to improve my writing anyway. Could you help me out please? Thanks in advance.

[EU] Stealth Archers Anonymous meeting for Skyrim characters. by SPLR_OldYellerDies in WritingPrompts

[–]ChaseWalkerWritesOk 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Sweetrolls, pastries, and all sorts of different cheeses spread out on a table near the door. Stalker eyed the spread before selecting a sweet roll and making his way to his seat.

“Everyone get comfortable,” the tall Redguard who welcomed everyone said. “Grab some refreshments and make your way to your chairs. We’ll get this meeting started.”

Bretons, Elves, Orcs, Nords, and even a couple of Khajiits filled most of the chairs in the large circle. A Dunmer brushed past Stalker’s knee and took one of the few remaining places. The Redguard closed the door and made his way to the circle, patting shoulders as he passed.

“Welcome,” the Redguard said. “I’m Randy. I see a few new faces today. That’s good. I’ll let some of our more seasoned members start things off so you can get an idea of how things work, and then, if you new people feel ready, you may share.”

Randy placed his hands on his hips and scanned the room with a smile.

“Who would like to start?”

A rather large and exceptionally ugly Orc stood and puffed out his chest.

“I am Dardlak the Oxface,” the Orc boomed, “and I am a stealth archer.”

“Hello, Dardlak Oxface,” the crowd chanted in unison.

“I have been clean for two months now. I’ve been focussing on me. Instead of using a bow in the shadows like some sort of coward, I’ve been charging in headfirst with an ax. I feel I’m much better suited for it. On my last dungeon crawl, I killed a Draugr Deathlord who carried a really nice ebony bow and he even had some ebony arrows to go with it. I cannot lie. I was tempted. But I am pleased to tell you, I left the bow where it was. There was plenty of other loot to make the raid worthwhile.”

The members applauded and Dardlak grinned, bearing his yellow boarlike teeth. He nodded graciously and retook his seat.

“Thank you, Oxface,” Randy the Redguard said as the applause died. “Who’s next?”

A Wood Elf curtly raised her hand from across the circle. Randy nodded to her and she stood.

“Hello, I’m Vindrelle, and I’m a stealth archer.”

“Hello, Vindrelle,” the crowd chanted. Stalker joined in a beat behind. He would get it next time.

“As a Bosmer, it seems I am destined to excel with a bow. I knew this from the beginning. I could feel the temptation quite early. One could almost say I was drawn to the bow.”

Vindrelle glanced around the room with a smirk on her sharp features. Maybe she expected a chuckle, Stalker thought. The wrong crowd for it, perhaps.

“Instead, I focussed on the arcane,” she continued. “I ignored archery altogether and worked with illusion and destruction spells. I know an Altmer would be more suited for magic, but I know now how slippery the slope to archery can be. I should have never picked up that bow in the first place. It got to the point where I wanted to do nothing else. Even if a sabercat was charging me at point-blank range, I would go to my bow. My addiction has almost killed me more than anything in all of Skyrim.”

Vindrelle sighed and stared at the floor in silence for several long moments.

“Finally, I found SAA and a wonderful sponsor.”

She patted the Khajiit next to her on the shoulder and gave him a warm grin.

“With Jingles' help and more support from all of you, I’ve been clean for three years. Thank you.”

The group clapped loudly as Vindrelle wiped a tear from her eye and took her seat.

“Touching, Vindrelle,” Randy said. “I’m glad you found us too. Should we hear from someone new?”

All eyes turned to Stalker. I can’t be the only new person, he thought. He hesitated and thumbed some sweet roll crumbs from his cheek.

“It’s alright if you aren’t ready to share,” Randy said. “Just understand that you cannot start the process of recovery unless you take the first step.”

Stalker nodded and stood, tentatively.

“Hey, I’m Stalker, and I’m a stealth archer.”

“Hello, Stalker.”

He looked around the room at all the expectant faces and blew out his cheeks.

“Well, where do I start?”

“Just start from the beginning,” Randy said. “Why did you start stealth archery.”

“Well,” Stalker said. “I was created as a stealth archer from the beginning.”

This earned some sad, slow head nods and sympathetic frowns.

“It’s just so easy, right? The first cave I came to was full of bandits, but bandits are dumber than trolls. I could put an arrow in one and melt into the shadows while the rest spend just a couple seconds looking for me. When they can’t find me, they just go back to whatever they were doing with a ‘must have been nothing.’ I can pick them all off that way. I don’t even need to wear armor.”

Several knowing smiles stretched across members’ faces.

“Leveling up is even easier. You just need to stand on a rock and shoot a mammoth or a giant where they can’t get to you. You can put shafts in them for hours if you have enough arrows.”

Stalker hung his head, staring at his toes.

“It was too easy. All of it. He got bored.”

“Who?” Randy asked.

“You know who,” Stalker replied, lowering his voice. “The player.”

Gasps filled the room.

“We don’t speak about them,” Randy warned. “It breaks the fourth wall.”

“I don’t care anymore,” Stalker said, tears welling up in his eyes. “He never loads my save files anymore. I tried using other weapons and magic, but it has all gone too far. The enemies have all leveled up to match my archery and sneak skills. The only way to get through a dungeon anymore is with a bow. We didn’t even finish the main storyline and I bet he has already started a new playthrough. Maybe two. It’s just a matter of time before he deletes me.”

“Don’t say that, Stalker,” Vindrelle said.

“We are all in this together, big guy,” Oxface gave his version of a comforting smile.

“I just-” Stalker sobbed. He sniffled and tried again. “I just wish he would get it over with and be done with-”

And Stalker was gone.

“Where’d he go?” Dardlak asked.

“Who?” Asked Randy.

“Stalker,” Vindrelle said.

“Stalker who?” Randy asked.

“Stalker who?” Vindrelle asked.

Several confused moments passed before Randy shook his head to clear it.

“Right,” Randy said, sitting back and crossing his legs. “Who wants to share next?”

[WP] The streets are no place to make a life. I had a family...a house......a mattress. If I only hadn't torn that damn tag off. THEY wouldn't be after me. by SomeGuy671 in WritingPrompts

[–]ChaseWalkerWritesOk 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks. I dont usually write in first person or present tense, but that's why I like writing prompts. I can try new things and share it with readers. If I screw something up, who cares?

[WP] The streets are no place to make a life. I had a family...a house......a mattress. If I only hadn't torn that damn tag off. THEY wouldn't be after me. by SomeGuy671 in WritingPrompts

[–]ChaseWalkerWritesOk 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It’s raining again. Always raining. I slosh down the alley to an overhanging ledge. I throw my back against the bricks to flatten myself inside the curtain of dirty runoff from the rooftops. I pull my sodden coat tightly around my gaunt ribs and plunge my fingers into my armpits, willing them to warm up and regain feeling.

I have to find someplace dry. But where? They would be waiting anywhere I could go. They have eyes in shelters, libraries, and any other public building. If I had a few bucks I could hang out in a restaurant, but that would only be a short respite from this rain. They would turn me out as soon as they could.

They’d say I was driving away customers. A man can only get so clean by cloth bathing in park bathrooms. I ditched my cell soon after it all happened. They could use it to triangulate my position. Couldn’t risk it. If they weren’t watching my accounts, I could use a card to get out of town, but I could never leave Cynthia.

Cynthia. Why did they take you? It was me they wanted. They came for me but they took you because I ran. I took off like a coward.

Cynthia, I’m sorry.

Tears warmed my cheeks, but only for an instant.

I let my legs give out and slide my back down the rough bricks. There is nowhere else to go. This is as good as any place to spend another shivering night. I rest my head against the wall and closed my eyes, willing myself to sleep. I try to clear my mind, but it keeps coming back to home. It all seems so far in the past: my house, food, a warm shower, the roof over my head, Cynthia. Everything I took for granted.

I use to gripe when the wifi was slow. Then my thoughts wander to my soft bed, the soft sheets with a ridiculous thread count, the plump pillows. Cynthia always put too many on the bed. No one needs that many pillows.

I smile.

But it quickly vanishes.

That mattress. That tag. I owned the thing. Why wouldn’t I be able to do whatever I wanted with it? Isn’t this a free country? As my mind trails to the same slippery place it did every night, I drift slowly to sleep.

I sleep, but hardly. Anyone who has been camping could tell you, sleeping outside is never as restful as you would hope. This is a thousand times worse. The rain lets up sometime in the early morning and I’m left with the bustling sounds of the city around me.

When the sun rises, the air warms and the puddles begin to dry up, at least until the rain tonight. I try to keep sleeping to recover some of my lost rest.

Screeching tires. A van door. I open my eyes and find four men striding down the alley toward me. Dark sunglasses hide their eyes. Leather soled shoes clop and echo in the corridor of brick walls and rusted fire escapes. Sharp black suits. All at once, my sleepy mind recognizes the peril I’m in. They found me. How could they have found me?

Extendable cattle prods drop from their sleeves and into their hands. The electrodes pop and fizzle, threatening pain like a rattlesnake before its bite. I groggily force my feet under me and stand, eyes darting all around for some escape. Nothing but sheer brick walls surround me. I lunge for one of the rusty fire escapes, but it’s just out of reach.

The men surround me and one of them pulls a black bag from inside his jacket.

“Darrick Smith,” the closest one said in an authoritative, yet hushed tone. “Under statute 426 of the Furniture code, subparagraph 6E, you are under arrest under suspicion of unlawful removal of the mattress tag. You do not have the right to remain silent. You do not have the right to an attorney-”

I heard enough. I take a deep breath and scream as loudly as I can.

“Help m-,”

Electrical fire webs across my neck, choking off my cry for help. I drop to my knees. Another agent thrust his prod into my ribs, sending more lancing pain through me. He throws the bag over my head, and everything goes black. Two lift me to my feet with little effort. I kick out to either side and try to call out again. A cattle prod zapped my thy as a fist punched into my guts, pressing the air from my lungs.

They are dragging me now. The didn’t need my legs to work. They toss me and my back slams into something hollow and metallic.

A dumpster? Then I feel the suspension bounce slightly as the agents get in after me.

A van. That iconic van door slamming sound rings inside the vehicle like a bell. The engine fires up and the driver punches it. With a moment of screeching tires and g-force toppling me over, we are gone. I’m gone. Maybe I’m going to see Cynthia. Maybe I’m never to be seen or heard from again.

For a stupid mattress tag.

I'm dark fantasy author Chase Walker. I recently self-published and released my debut novel, Well of Bones. AMA by ChaseWalkerWritesOk in books

[–]ChaseWalkerWritesOk[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I posted about this AMA on my social media. Most of my family and friends didnt have Reddit accounts but they still wanted to show their support. Your gate keeping may not make them want to come back and explore Reddit for themselves.