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Ben Cass @bencass.bsky.social · 8h

#wipsnips
“Mom, Mr. Velossy is terrifying! They call him The Velociraptor for a reason!”

Mom laughed. “He’s a very nice man, Pep.”

“I doubt it,” I muttered. “Did you know there’s a sign on his classroom door that says ‘Welcome to the Dungeon’?”

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Ben Cass @bencass.bsky.social · 1d

#wipsnips
"It's perfectly safe to have dinner with them," Dad said. "They're vampires."

According to him, vampires were nothing like the fiction books we'd all read. Those stories were apparently a giant PR campaign by the vampires themselves to get humans to leave them alone.

I get that.

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Ben Cass @bencass.bsky.social · 4d

I mean, honestly, if I didn't find bird feet creepy, I'd totally have a bird on my shoulder while I teach. And I'd totally train it to stare menacingly at the kids if they speak.

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Ben Cass @bencass.bsky.social · 4d

#wipsnips
"I've always hated dress hunting," Ada said, eyeing the racks next to her. "Especially for school dances. The restrictions make it nearly impossible to find a dress you like and look cute in. No skin, no metal spikes, no raven perched on your shoulder, ready to attack your enemies."

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Ben Cass @bencass.bsky.social · 8d

👋

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Ben Cass @bencass.bsky.social · 9d

#FantasyIndiesSeptember 29
I'm 100% an introvert. Social interaction drives me crazy. (And I'm a teacher; go figure.) I will happily take a self-checkout line over having to talk to another human.

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Ben Cass @bencass.bsky.social · 10d

#FantasyIndiesSeptember 28

Very early drafting stages. I wrote the first book in the series in only 13 days, then spent a month editing and polishing before I published it after six weeks. I started this one immediately after, but have only managed a few chapters after almost two months.

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Ben Cass @bencass.bsky.social · 10d

#wipsnips #writesky #fantasy

She sniffed the paper. “Mmm. Standard twenty-pound paper. HP 12A laser toner. Very tasty. Much easier to digest than inkjet ink.”

Rowan looked at me, her eyebrows up. “Book dragon,” I said, as if that explained everything.

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Ben Cass @bencass.bsky.social · 11d

#FantasyIndiesSeptember 27
“I’ll let you get back to work,” Rowan said. She kissed me again. “See you tonight.”

Sharian watched her go with that smirk still plastered on her face. “You got something to say, Sharian?” I asked.

“Yes," the elf said. "I believe the human phrase is 'get a room'.”

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Ben Cass @bencass.bsky.social · 12d

#FantasyIndiesSeptember 26

I'm looking forward---and simultaneously dreading--attending my first book festival and comic convention as a vendor. I've been publishing for 7 years, but have never tried to put myself out there to sell my books. I'm an introvert who can't stand talking to strangers.

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Ben Cass @bencass.bsky.social · 13d

#FantasyIndiesSeptember 25

Archie has a Ph.D. in mathematics and spent nearly two decades as a math professor before becoming a library associate. Safe to say math was his favorite subject.

Rowan wasn't the best student until college, when she figured out what she liked, which was criminology.

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Ben Cass @bencass.bsky.social · 14d

#FantasyIndiesSeptember 24

All the mythical fantasy races in the fantasy novels live amongst humans, and have for millennia. Some of them (like vampires) are alien refugees, while others are from Earth. Most humans didn't know about them until fairly recently.

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Ben Cass @bencass.bsky.social · 15d

#FantasyIndiesSeptember 23
None, really. I'm pretty good with grammar. I try to write with everyday language, not the style you'd see in "classics", though, so I don't necessarily have to worry about grammar rules.

The one rule I will always break is "1 space after a period". It is 2, not 1.

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Ben Cass @bencass.bsky.social · 16d

#FantasyIndiesSeptember 22
Archie would definitely write some kind of "Math for dummies" book. Rowan, even though she's a detective, would be writing something dealing with comic books, as she's a huge comic nerd.

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Ben Cass @bencass.bsky.social · 17d

#FantasyIndiesSeptember 21
My advice is to seek out your people. who will mesh with you and support you on your journey. I had a couple of amazing critique partners on my first 2 books, but covid happened and they kinda vanished, which is totally understandable. I managed to find some more, though.

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Ben Cass @bencass.bsky.social · 18d

Thank you!

It was spent dealing with 6th graders all day with the only break from students being lunch, so it went about as expected. LOL.

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Ben Cass @bencass.bsky.social · 18d

#FantasyIndiesSeptember 20
"Sure," you say to yourself when you happen up a sword stuck in a stone in the middle of a hiking trail. "I'll grab the sword and take a picture. What could go wrong?"

As it turns out...a whole lot.

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Ben Cass @bencass.bsky.social · 19d

#FantasyIndiesSeptember 19
Since it's free Friday, I'll just wish myself a Happy Birthday! One year away to the big 5-0!

🤯

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Ben Cass @bencass.bsky.social · 20d

#FantasyIndiesSeptember 18

I don't really have any power-hungry characters in this series. The "bad guys" aren't traditional bad guys. Their vendettas, for lack of a better word, are based in what you could call xenophobia or racism. (Not the best term for fantasy races, maybe.)

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Ben Cass @bencass.bsky.social · 21d

#FantasyIndiesSeptember 17
I need to read the two most recent Pendergast novels. (Excluding the newest, which is a prequel and therefore of zero interest to me.)

I also plan to reread the Percy Jackson books, and give the Trials of Apollo series another shot. I found Apollo too annoying to read.

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Ben Cass @bencass.bsky.social · 22d

Hey, that's me! #writesky #booksky

Novel 90 Writing Challenge: Your Story, Your Way @novel90challenge.bsky.social · 22d

Congratulations to TEAM PANTSER! Here's your Shortlist:

One Town, One War, Two Boys, Skip Nichols
The Christmas Tree Massacre, Penny Royal
The Elf Who Knows A Guy, Ben Cass

Well done, all!!! #novel90 #teampantser #shortlisted #writingchallenge #Writersky @autocrit.bsky.social @bencass.bsky.social

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Ben Cass @bencass.bsky.social · 22d

#FantasyIndiesSeptember 16
Marketing advice? As In advice I have to give? I hope not, because I haven't really done much marketing in the 7 yrs I've been publishing. My wife is pushing me to start, though, so I'll be going to my first book festival in November and my first convention in January.

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Ben Cass @bencass.bsky.social · 23d

#FantasyIndiesSeptember 15

Archie's not really the adventurous sort. He's much happier staying at home and not venturing much of anywhere.

Rowan, however, would love to go to Comic-Con in San Diego. And I'm sure she would totally be cosplaying.

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Ben Cass @bencass.bsky.social · 24d

None at all. I've published 4 books and couldn't tell you the complete backstory of any character because it's not important. I just start writing and see how they shape themselves, then create whatever backstory I need as I write.

Hiria Dunning @hiriadunning.bsky.social · 26d

Hello #pretendpanel! Today I can't wait to find out...

September 12th: How much work do you put into forming your characters before you start writing them?

#WritingCommunity #Writers #Authors #WritingPrompts

#pretendpanel
a daily prompt tag hosted by @hiriadunning.bsky.social
September 12th: How much work do you put into forming your characters before you start writing them?
Please support your fellow #pretentpanel posters with replies, likes and reposts
New #pretendpanel questions every Friday and Saturday. Hop in any time!

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Ben Cass @bencass.bsky.social · 24d

#wipsnips #writesky
"If there was an award for the densest brain, you'd win it," Bode said. "I cannot understand how a man with a Pd.D. in Math--a guy who had higher grades in the program than I did--can't catch hints from a woman."

I shrugged. "We both know math rules are easier to understand."

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