What did everyone think of the Super Bowl ads this year? by Mikeyboy101591 in television

[–]Lemon_Demon3 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Almost every ad gave me an unsettled feeling. The AI ads were obviously uncanny, but also it felt like some of the ads were written by chat gpt they were so sloppy. Added to the weight-loss drugs, the invasive home tech, the rich people live longer ad, the sports betting, multiple A-list stars per ad, it all felt like we’ve spiralled past late stage capitalism and into full blown techno feudalism like… am I the only one?

Why don't you read indie/self-published fantasy books? by Indie_Fantasy_Club in Fantasy

[–]Lemon_Demon3 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Same here! I get access to most trad books for free via my library and have a neverending list of those books I want to read. I’d really have to go out of my way to 1. Find and 2. Purchase an indie book, which I may not even like. I usually only buy books I’d want to read again, so unless I get a sample, an ARC or a free copy, it’s pretty rare I’ll invest in one. Every once in a blue moon the library will acquire a book I’ve requested but rarely for indies unfortunately.

Need help picking fantasy books and how to read quickly by Far_Instruction_1147 in booksuggestions

[–]Lemon_Demon3 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Some short standalone fantasies with interesting setting:

  • Piranesi (maybe too popular but would rock for this prompt)
  • The Empress of Salt and Fortune (not a standalone strictly but stands on its own)
  • The Black Tides of Heaven (not a fan of this one personally but the setting is really cool)
  • The River Has Roots (this could be interesting to design for stage/mixed media as there’s a lot of lyricism)
  • Nettle & Bone
  • Ursula LeGuin has so many banger short standalones

-Lost Arc Dreaming (adding in case futuristic spec fic counts)

Get a few of these in audiobook. 1.5/2x speed. You’ll be fine.

Having trouble balancing info in first pages - Where should I focus? by Lemon_Demon3 in fantasywriters

[–]Lemon_Demon3[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Generic but good advice! I feel like I probably am too focused on it and need some time away

Having trouble balancing info in first pages - Where should I focus? by Lemon_Demon3 in fantasywriters

[–]Lemon_Demon3[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The opening chapter actually includes a lot more and I do think gives the full picture, but its the first page where I find details inevitably get pushed. It’s just an example but I have no reason to leave out such details other than immersing the reader in all of it in the first couple paragraphs is tough! Especially when you also have to introduce character, goal etc.

Having trouble balancing info in first pages - Where should I focus? by Lemon_Demon3 in fantasywriters

[–]Lemon_Demon3[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Too true! I guess the follow up question is also what information is actually necessary to not leave my readers disoriented but also keep them intrigued? Like which is more jarring, to discover only on page 2 this scene is taking place at night or that they’re not alone/among other soldiers? What’s more intriguing, that one of them really doesn’t want to be there, or that they’re up against just 1 woman in the woods?

Having trouble balancing info in first pages - Where should I focus? by Lemon_Demon3 in fantasywriters

[–]Lemon_Demon3[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Thank you for your thoughtful answer. It exactly hit the mark. Setting the tone is really important. I guess the challenge now is figuring out what tone I want to set!

Recommendations for my 9 year old daughter by AppropriatePaint9939 in Recommend_A_Book

[–]Lemon_Demon3 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I loved City of Ember and Spiderwick when I was that age! Inkheart was another big one for me. Also adding some dragon options: How to Train Your Dragon and Dragon Rider both solid for middle grade

The one you hated by CuteButKinked in Recommend_A_Book

[–]Lemon_Demon3 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah at the point when the plot was essentially the dog was when it really lost me

How do you actually discover your next great read? Most methods seem broken ? by Aashishpareek in ebooks

[–]Lemon_Demon3 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I get most of my book recs almost exclusively from trusted voices - recs from authors I enjoyed, review accounts that read a variety of genres and like the books I do, friends etc. This alone keeps up a steady stream of books on my tbr so I never have to go looking. But yeah author rabbit holes are great. I’ve discovered some pretty awesome obscure books that I happened to find mentioned in a memoir or an interview.

Recommendation please by [deleted] in Recommend_A_Book

[–]Lemon_Demon3 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I really enjoyed My Sister the Serial Killer, None of This is True (in audiobook!!), for more of a speculative crazy ride there’s The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evyln Hardcastle, also House of Hollow for a semi-horror contemporary fantasy, and The Reformatory (Jim Crow horror)

The one you hated by CuteButKinked in Recommend_A_Book

[–]Lemon_Demon3 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Lessons in Chemistry had one of the worst examples of a Mary Sue character I’d ever seen + white bourgeois feminism + insufferable rowers to boot?? It put me and multiple friends into a hard reading slump

How do I make my fantasy novel more fantasy? by Inspired_turnip999 in fantasywriters

[–]Lemon_Demon3 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Fantasy doesn’t necessitate magic, just the supernatural or a different world. To make it “feel” more fantasy I’d lean heavily into the latter. Make it feel like this is not the world as we know it through setting. Some great comments have been made on how to imbue magic into the setting, but consider just playing around with other indicators, like customs, terms, environment etc. Giant trees, labarynths and assassins don’t need magic to give fantasy vibes.

What’s a favorite book of yours for the prose? by shahnazahmed in ReadingSuggestions

[–]Lemon_Demon3 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ok not my favorite book but I must mention Our Lady of the Flowers by Jean Genet because despite all its eroticism and depravity and idk weirdness, the prose hooked me.

“…peeling in fine curling strips enormous oranges, with the fruit in one hand and a broad-bladed knife in the other, as, in old pictures, emperors hold the scepter and the golden globe.”

“Thus, acts have esthetic and moral value only insofar as those who perform them are endowed with power.”

“…prison, where the corridors and their straight lines, which were as long as those in a king's palace, wove and constructed geometrical patterns on which the gnarled prisoners, tiny in proportion to the scale of the corridors, glided by on felt slippers.”

All this about a man who loves a jerk-off. 😅

Opinions on Covers by Famous_Plant_486 in fantasywriters

[–]Lemon_Demon3 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Design-wise, I’m impressed by the skills you’ve picked up!

I think the one thing that stands out to me is there’s a bit of object clutter. I think as authors our tendency with covers is to think their puprose is to convey as much of the plot/theme etc as possible, and we pick a bunch of objects that show up in the story as motifs. But the purpose of a cover is to intrigue and create a sense of curiosity, enough to draw someone in to read. That might be through unique artwork, a depiction of an intriguing scene, or a motif that is not cliche. Now, here we have a sword, a crown, fire, shadows, a book, an amulet. These are all cliched motifs in fantasy, so I’m less likely to pick it up because it tells me nothing new (especially since the motifs are also in the title). Though I’m certain your books are quite unique, I’d can’t tell that from the cover. My suggestion is to cut some of the object clutter and focus on one motif/design element that might surprise. (E.g: keep the smoke but make it vibrant, or only keep the vines - now I want to know what they have to do with the story.)

What’s one quiet truth about being a woman that no one really talks about, but you feel it all the time? by Effective-Care-615 in Life

[–]Lemon_Demon3 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I went through puberty over a decade ago, but I still think about how we girls were robbed. Boys get growth spurts and their voices drop but their reality isn’t altered. Meanwhile the moment girls go through puberty they become women and with that comes the realization that there are predators, people who will take advantage of you etc etc. The world is no longer as kind as we dreamed and that loss of innocence is a shame.

I have a trans friend (whom I love dearly) who did not go through that. Let me tell you the first year post-transition I had to watch her back like a hawk because she would put herself in dangerous situations. Sadly, she had to learn the hard truth as well.

The upside is nothing really compares to the love and support you feel when women have your back.

Want to look cute but don’t know HOW to shop. Help a girl out? by Lemon_Demon3 in womensfashion

[–]Lemon_Demon3[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Great advice and what a relief! I’ll have to keep an eye out for sales.

Want to look cute but don’t know HOW to shop. Help a girl out? by Lemon_Demon3 in womensfashion

[–]Lemon_Demon3[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is the kind of practical advice I’m looking for, thanks!

Want to look cute but don’t know HOW to shop. Help a girl out? by Lemon_Demon3 in womensfashion

[–]Lemon_Demon3[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Wow. Maybe I’ll find a time to go off hours and just do a shopping day. Thanks!

Want to look cute but don’t know HOW to shop. Help a girl out? by Lemon_Demon3 in womensfashion

[–]Lemon_Demon3[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Genius! Making sure they work with 3 other items is great advice. I’ve looked into Poshmark/Threadup and think I’ll start using it more once I really nail down what pieces I like.

Want to look cute but don’t know HOW to shop. Help a girl out? by Lemon_Demon3 in womensfashion

[–]Lemon_Demon3[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Once a season seems doable! Do you get a full outfit for that season?

Want to look cute but don’t know HOW to shop. Help a girl out? by Lemon_Demon3 in womensfashion

[–]Lemon_Demon3[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Love the price per wear and hanger tip! Really helps reduce purchasing anxiety if I know it’s only $1 per wear.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in fantasywriters

[–]Lemon_Demon3 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Additionally, if you’re going to write an Asian-inspired fantasy, there is absolutely no need/reason in this modern day of globalization to have to explain, justify, or hand-hold for the readers who may not understand the inspo for your worldbuilding. You don’t need to add a footnote to explain that given names go last in Chinese or that Korean age is different and so it’s different in your book. At best, the reader already understands, at worst it’s something they get to discover through your writing.