haha even though I’ve also dabbled in the genre, I hate the word ‘dramedy,’ but I don’t think my calling them “absurd dramas” is catching on though. I’m currently planning on adapting a screenplay I wrote into a novel that I hope to come out with sometime in the next year or so.
What’s the title of your first novel? Is it available anywhere? I’d love to check it out.
I’ve written a ‘Star Trek’ spin-off - new ship, new crew - in a humorous way, sort of along the lines of “The Trouble With Tribbles” or “I, Mudd”: serious people trying to do a serious job, but finding themselves in situations so absurd that you can’t help but laugh at the goings on. The timeframe for the setting is roughly six months after the DS9 Dominion War’s end (so basically six months after the DS9 finale). It’s meant to be a family-friendly novel so any age could read it. (I’d love to see it made into a film (maybe a pilot for a possible series - or even a fan film would be nice), but thanks to CBS/Paramount’s draconian rules on fan films - rules which they themselves do not follow - I doubt that will ever happen. Also I don’t have the money for such a thing, even if it was possible to use James Cawley’s existing ‘Star Trek: New Voyages’ or Vic Mignogna’s ‘Star Trek Continues’ sets because some modifications need to be made on those sets, with some new sets added. I know I could get help with some of that because I know Larry Nemecek who worked on both of those productions, and I think he would be more than willing to give me a hand if I asked him. But because this novel would run longer than 30 minutes as a fan film, those draconian rules have it doomed from the start.)
So now I’m trying to create my own universe for this starship’s setting: ship’s design, weapons, uniforms, races, etc., and it’s not easy. Even once that’s done and the rewrites are finished, I’ve still got to find a reputable agent to represent me because no publisher will accept “unsolicited” manuscripts.
And while working on that, because I’ve got a touch of ADD, I’m also working on some nautical fiction novels, set in the late 1800s. (These are intended for the mature reader: 18+.) Again, once I’ve got those ironed out I have to find an agent that handles that genre as it appears in my research that there doesn’t seem to be a “one agent does all genres” out there. There are agents that handle science fiction, others handle drama, others handle horror, others handle historical fiction, etc. So the dilemma is having to find two agents. (And yes, I would also love to see my nautical fiction work adapted to film - something like the STARZ ‘Black Sails’ series, but without the “flinch factor” of some gory scenes.)
Still have to finish ironing out the proofreading on all of it, but still, it’s nice to have a dream… something to reach for. I might not reach it, but it gives me purpose to try!
Dino.
I’ve written comics, mostly licensed books. A bunch of Uncle Scrooge and Duck Tales translations, some Pixar, a lot of Disney Princesses. But I got to write for the Muppets, so come what may I can die happy.
I’ve also written some indie micro budget movies, a few plays, and ballpark a thousand articles for various websites and magazines.
Right now working on two separate themed short story collections, and rotating a few screenplays through loose first drafts.
I’m kind of a writer! I mean I do write, but I’m terrible at it, haha. I don’t intend to try to publish anything, it’s more just me wanting to get all the random stories and things that rattle around in my head written down or typed up somewhere. I do NaNo projects most years, and that helps with motivation even though I hardly ever hit the goals. I’ve been picking away at the same universe since… 2007 or so? I get distracted a lot. 
In a past life I was a copyeditor, mainly within academia. I also run a small writing Meetup with the occasional critique session, or members ask me for feedback, so there’s that. I thought about branching into developmental/fiction editing for a while, and maybe would have gotten over my imposter syndrome and taken the leap into that field if I hadn’t moved into translation instead. While I enjoy writing and am slowly plugging away at a weird, meta little epistolary novel (just realized now that I’m writing a book that riffs itself! must go ponder that one), I think I like futzing with other people’s words – whether as editor or translator – more than writing my own.
My 1st novel is not available. I’m sorry to say, I received some angry feedback from folks I admire. I panicked and halted publishing. I learned some hard lessons about seeking approval from the wrong people. However, the key is, I LEARNED my lesson. My 2nd novel is much better. And this time, I understand that my book is available for critique, but my heart/soul/character is not.
Anywho. Keep adapting that screenplay, and keep us posted! I love a good ‘absurd drama’.
I’ve been a professional writer for the past 25 years, namely biographies about music and movies. Earlier this year I signed a deal for two more books for Applause; one to be completed by the end of the year and another next year, both of them movie-related.
Here are the covers for my others. I’m proud to say that six of them are in the collection at the Library of Congress. Most are still available through various online bookstores as well as through Kindle.
I’m an aspiring fiction author, mostly short stories that I don’t think are good enough to submit. I did used to write on a comic strip called Twisted ToyFare Theatre, back in the 00s, though.
@Dasgoot I’m (apparently) a big fan of yours! TTFT was the best! Can you share any of the strips you wrote?
Oh, I started contributing jokes to the strips starting in 2002 (issue #61, I think), then became a full writer on it around 2004, after Matt Senreich, Doug Goldstein and Tom Root left to start Robot Chicken. Around 2007, I also started storyboarding it, and stayed on as a full writer until the magazine folded in 2011.
There were usually three of us ToyFare editors writing it together at any given time. (I was the Price Guide Editor.)
Brave heart, Dasgoot! I’ve been to conventions where authors have been panel guests, and every one of them has said the same thing! (One author who I’ve sadly lost touch with is Christie Golden; she said that in an email and yet look at how many books she’s got published!)
As the saying goes “You are always your own worst critic”… and I know there is also a saying that you should always listen to your gut, but at times like this, I think it’s safe to say ignore the gut, try to get published, and make a little money while others make the call on whether or not your work is good enough. Heck, look at how many rejection letters J.K. Rowling received before her ‘Harry Potter’ series of books got published (and look at how many publishers are sitting with egg on their faces because they didn’t think her work was good enough).
Keep at it; find that publisher that’s willing to take a chance on you, and who knows where that could lead? (Oh, and welcome to the forum! 
)
Dino.
@Dasgoot So You we’re one of the guys that created Golden Age Spider-Man and The Purple Avengers? Wow! I’m a big fan!
The Lizard screaming “Not my Kisssssssssser!” Still makes me laugh out loud.
Seriously, you’re a great writer. Don’t sell yourself short!
Aw, thanks! I was always proud of Golden Age Spider-Man, as I was the one who first pitched him as a character, although a lot of his best old-timey nonsense (“You look like a square potato in a round pot!”) was pure Justin Aclin. I can take credit for the line “I’ll take care of him with my trusty webshooters! BLAM! BLAM! In my day, ‘webs’ were what we called bullets.” which I’m still proud of.
You should be. He’s a great character.
That moment is amazing. I love when light hearted silliness suddenly becomes very dark comedy and that bit where you realize just how crazy Golden Age Spider-Man was pure beauty.
Man, TTFT was phenomenal. You should look into getting that stuff published. I’d read it in a heartbeat. Seriously. Amazing work.
I’ve written two historical novels, ebooks (free) available at GirlEbooks.com, and print editions at Amazon (not free, because Amazon)
Oh, yeah, better tell you my name, huh? It’s Kate Halleron
Wow look at all the writers in this thread!
I wrote Exploring Roguelike Games, available through CRC Press, and a number of other ebooks that were released through Storybundle, some of which can be seen on itch.io. And I do Q&As with indie gamedevs for Gamasutra.
If I may ask, as an interested consumer, why is the book so pricey? $55 for hard or soft copy and $45 for an e-book?
It’s the publisher’s decision, it’s out of my hands. In fact, the hardcover has come down a lot, it was originally like $100. I suspect it’s because it’s 500+ pages. (The index took me two weeks to build, and I wrote custom indexing software in Python to help me do it!)
I haven’t written a book and I wouldn’t call myself an author. I am a writer and critic, however. I wrote some bad fan fiction 20 years ago and a few comic scripts, but nothing published.
Mostly I write commentary, news and reviews.
www.mygeekygeekyways.com collects all my old work and links to my current stuff. I currently work for Screen Rant, No Flying No Tights and am the Editor in Chief of Kabooooom.
Twisted ToyFare Theater was terrific! I think of Robot Chicken as being an inferior version of it.
