Ramblings of a Relatively OK Hobbyist

This was written in response to Rick's prompt Ten Questions with Rick Henry Christopher. Full details below:

What type of writer do you feel you are?

A relatively OK hobbyist with an overactive imagination, poor command of the English language, and a goldfish brain the minute my eyes see the empty page. Next!

What type of writer do you not want to be?

Someone who publishes self-help. I will not expound further on this at this time.

What do you like about yourself as a writer?

That I enjoy it. I don’t really care if stories are successful or not, although success is always nice and appreciated, but I do it because I enjoy it. The nice part about a platform like Vocal is that it provides access and incentives for what I used to do for free in the dark. So, thank you all for all of your support! I hope you continue to enjoy my ramblings and tales.

What do you look for in other writers?

People who are authentic and engaging. In this day and age of AI, I’ll engage more with those who are active members of the community. While I try not to discriminate when it comes to genres, I’ll also more likely hunt out writers who write engaging and experimental/unique poems and fantasy writers, or if it’s a suggestion from someone who I trust. Basically, if you participated in Rick's prompt, I'll read your stuff.

What do you not like about yourself as a writer?

That I don’t have enough time to do it in a sterile setting. My biggest problem is that I write best at my work desk, which, when weekends and days off roll around, I want to be nowhere near. It’s probably my biggest self-induced roadblock to being anything more than a hobbyist–not that there is anything wrong with that.

Which writing genre or category do you feel is your best?

Fantasy. Easy. Next!

Kidding. To expound a bit, it’s my favorite genre, and it’s the one that I know the tropes of best. Plus, history fascinates me, and it’s the best source of inspiration for stories of knights, kings, and dragons. I can conjure a nice classic fantasy character, plot, damn near a whole world at a moment's notice, but for anything else, I really have to sit and think through, outline, and design before even diving into a story.

In which genre or category do you feel the most challenged?

Probably counter-intuitive to those who follow my works, but it’s Historical Fiction. My problem is that I have too much of a background in historical studies. Because of that, self-doubt creeps in at every single turn, and I struggle to tell myself that the audience doesn’t really care about the specific and frankly unnecessary details of the scene.

When did you first start writing?

As long as I can remember. I wrote more about that very topic below that delves deep into the depths of my psyche:

Why do you write?

Like I said above, frankly, because I enjoy it. It was the natural progression of playing games and building legos growing up, during which I would constantly craft my own narratives. Now, I have a healthy and productive outlet to do that, and I feel like a productive member of society, bringing something new and beautiful into the world. As an added bonus, it gives me hope that one day, I might be able to quit my day job and go about creating day in and day out.

This last question is off-topic. If you could be part of any television sitcom family, which one would it be and why?

Hmmmmm, tough one. I think I would have to go with Ted Lasso. For one, I’d get to live in England, and then I’d also have good people around me constantly who are just trying to do the right thing for the betterment of everyone. I had thought about Scrubs (a criminally underrated series), but being a doctor sounds like way, way too much stress. I don’t do stress.

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