I first discovered fanfiction in 2006. The TV show Bones was halfway through its first season and I was obsessed. I was shipping the two main characters without even really knowing what shipping was – I certainly didn’t have the words for it. And I barely had an outlet for this constant daydreaming about wanting two fictional characters to confess their love for each other. Tumblr had yet to be created, YouTube was still in relative infancy (I distinctly remember searching “Fox, Bones” and turning up 16 videos. Sixteen.), and Archive of Our Own was years away. I had few friends as a high schooler and none of them watched this show. What was I to do?

The official show’s website had a message board for fans, but it wasn’t very active. Despite this, I went on it every week, never commenting (I am that specific age of Millennial that is full digital native but was also taught not to talk to people on the internet in my youth), hoping that people would be reacting to episodes the same way I was. And then, one day, someone posted a link to fanfiction.net.

This was it – a community of people who understood this “shipping” thing that I had apparently been doing, and here they were, not only talking about it, but writing it into existence. I devoured so many fics, quickly discovering that it wasn’t just about shipping. Yes, I loved the fics where Booth and Bones finally got together, but I also loved the fics of the whole lab team just hanging out, doing mundane things, the fics that focused on the internal lives of side characters, the case fics that had mysteries as robust as the actual show. Fanfic helped me love the show in a deeper way, and it also started to teach me about narrative construction in new ways. Reading other peoples’ interpretations – over and over again – of the same characters helped me see the scaffolding of character building and storytelling. It taught me to backfill characters’ biographies, to find interesting dynamics in relationships that go beyond the obvious, to imagine characters in simple moments in their lives.

I didn’t realize it at the time, but all these lessons would continue to simmer in the back of my mind over the next decade, preparing me to write my own original stories and put them out in the world (and some fanfiction too). Beyond the fact that fanfic is worthwhile as its own creative endeavor – not to mention, just plain fun – it’s also a wonderful exercise that you can use to stretch your muscles, like making recipes from one of those subscription meal kits to get used to the basic techniques of cooking. The ingredients are already prepped for you and it’s up to you to make a meal out of them.

Part of my writing process involves applying the same kind of obsessive excitement and creative principles to characters that I created wholecloth. I make playlists for them, I write scenes with them that I’ll never use, and I try on every possible ship pairing like testing out different sizes of the same jacket. This doesn’t mean that I’ve explored every single narrative possibility in my stories – I think that might be impossible – but it does keep me open to follow threads of my story that weren’t planned from the beginning. Sometimes I’ll even throw my characters into worlds or situations they’d never exist in, just to see how they’d behave.

At the beginning of this year, I set myself a challenge – to write a single bit of fanfiction every month. No fixed ship or fandom, word count or genre. Just a challenge to explore, a challenge to try something different each month. I fell woefully short – I think I’ve written…maybe three? But it’s been helpful to give myself permission to write just for the joy of it. To write something I know no one will ever read, simply to play out a scenario I dreamed up about my fandom of the moment.

This self-imposed challenge grew out of writing one of the characters in my latest book, Some Faraway Place. Emily is the love interest of the main character, Rose, and writes fanfiction in her spare time. Specifically, Stucky fanfic (the pairing of Steve and Bucky from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, which I may or may not have written myself). Emily wants to be a writer when she graduates from college – a poet in particular – but that’s not why she writes fanfic. She writes it because she loves it. Writing her character amidst trying to meet my deadline during a difficult year and a million other deadlines, reminded me that writing wasn’t just something that paid the bills or gave me anxiety. Writing is something I love. Fanfiction always helps remind me of the power and joy of stories, and why I tell them.

Creativity needs boundaries. In my opinion, if you keep things too open, too expansive, creativity will stagnate before choosing in which direction to blossom. I like playing in a defined sandbox or giving my writing collaborators defined boundaries. Rules help us all thrive. But that doesn’t mean I can never leave the sandbox. Sometimes it feels like my sandbox runs out of sand, and fanfiction can be a grab bag of materials that I can turn, alchemy-like, into new sand. And from there, I can turn that sand into sandcastles of my own imagining.

This metaphor has gotten away from me a bit, but you see what I mean: having a structure on which to place your story – whether it’s a structure you created or one you borrowed – can help your creativity flourish. And even people who make their living from creating their own stories can fall short when coming up with new structures or inventing new worlds. Just like fanfic helped Emily process what was going on in her personal life with Rose in Some Faraway Place, fic is the secret fuel that fans my creative flames.

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The post Read An Excerpt From ‘Some Faraway Place’ by Lauren Shippen appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Want to fall in love with a story because it’s narrated by literal angels with voices so heavenly they make you want to sing? Look no further, people! Dive right into these messy, over-the-top, can’t-stop-won’t-stop, break-your-heart, funny and emotional reads and keep on dreaming about next year’s Pride events where we all will have double the fun, double the enthusiasm, and double the appreciation!

Late to the Party by Kelly Quindlen; read by Piper Goodeve

Seventeen is nothing like Codi Teller imagined.

She’s never crashed a party, never stayed out too late. She’s never even been kissed. And it’s not just because she’s gay. It’s because she and her two best friends, Maritza and JaKory, spend more time in her basement watching Netflix than engaging with the outside world.

So when Maritza and JaKory suggest crashing a party, Codi is highly skeptical. Those parties aren’t for kids like them. They’re for cool kids. Straight kids.

But then Codi stumbles upon one of those cool kids, Ricky, kissing another boy in the dark, and an unexpected friendship is formed. In return for never talking about that kiss, Ricky takes Codi under his wing and draws her into a wild summer filled with late nights, new experiences, and one really cute girl named Lydia. The only problem? Codi never tells Maritza or JaKory about any of it. 

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston; read by Ramon De Ocampo

What happens when America’s First Son falls in love with the Prince of Wales?

When his mother became President, Alex Claremont-Diaz was promptly cast as the American equivalent of a young royal. Handsome, charismatic, genius—his image is pure millennial-marketing gold for the White House. There’s only one problem: Alex has a beef with the actual prince, Henry, across the pond. And when the tabloids get hold of a photo involving an Alex-Henry altercation, U.S./British relations take a turn for the worse.

Heads of family, state, and other handlers devise a plan for damage control: staging a truce between the two rivals. What at first begins as a fake, Instragramable friendship grows deeper, and more dangerous, than either Alex or Henry could have imagined. Soon Alex finds himself hurtling into a secret romance with a surprisingly unstuffy Henry that could derail the campaign and upend two nations and begs the question: Can love save the world after all? Where do we find the courage, and the power, to be the people we are meant to be? And how can we learn to let our true colors shine through? Casey McQuiston’s Red, White & Royal Blue proves: true love isn’t always diplomatic. 

Find Me by André Aciman; read by Michael Stuhlbarg 

No novel in recent memory has spoken more movingly to contemporary readers about the nature of love than André Aciman’s haunting Call Me by Your Name. First published in 2007, it was hailed as “a love letter, an invocation . . . an exceptionally beautiful book” (Stacey D’Erasmo, The New York Times Book Review). Nearly three quarters of a million copies have been sold, and the book became a much-loved, Academy Award–winning film starring Timothée Chalamet as the young Elio and Armie Hammer as Oliver, the graduate student with whom he falls in love.

In Find Me, Aciman shows us Elio’s father, Samuel, on a trip from Florence to Rome to visit Elio, who has become a gifted classical pianist. A chance encounter on the train with a beautiful young woman upends Sami’s plans and changes his life forever.

Elio soon moves to Paris, where he, too, has a consequential affair, while Oliver, now a New England college professor with a family, suddenly finds himself contemplating a return trip across the Atlantic.

Aciman is a master of sensibility, of the intimate details and the emotional nuances that are the substance of passion. Find Me brings us back inside the magic circle of one of our greatest contemporary romances to ask if, in fact, true love ever dies.

The House in The Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune; read by Daniel Henning

Linus Baker is a by-the-book case worker in the Department in Charge of Magical Youth. He’s tasked with determining whether six dangerous magical children are likely to bring about the end of the world.

Arthur Parnassus is the master of the orphanage. He would do anything to keep the children safe, even if it means the world will burn. And his secrets will come to light.

The House in the Cerulean Sea is an enchanting love story, masterfully told, about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place—and realizing that family is yours.

The Infinite Noise by Lauren Shippen; read by Briggon Snow and James Fouhey

Lauren Shippen’s The Infinite Noise is a stunning, original debut based on her wildly popular and award-winning podcast The Bright Sessions.

Caleb Michaels is a sixteen-year-old champion running back. Other than that his life is pretty normal. But when Caleb starts experiencing mood swings that are out of the ordinary for even a teenager, his life moves beyond “typical.”

Caleb is an Atypical, an individual with enhanced abilities. Which sounds pretty cool except Caleb’s ability is extreme empathy—he feels the emotions of everyone around him. Being an empath in high school would be hard enough, but Caleb’s life becomes even more complicated when he keeps getting pulled into the emotional orbit of one of his classmates, Adam. Adam’s feelings are big and all-consuming, but they fit together with Caleb’s feelings in a way that he can’t quite understand.

Caleb’s therapist, Dr. Bright, encourages Caleb to explore this connection by befriending Adam. As he and Adam grow closer, Caleb learns more about his ability, himself, his therapist—who seems to know a lot more than she lets on—and just how dangerous being an Atypical can be.

Only Mostly Devastated by Sophie Gonzales; read by Mark Sanderlin 

Will Tavares is the dream summer fling—he’s fun, affectionate, kind—but just when Ollie thinks he’s found his Happily Ever After, summer vacation ends and Will stops texting Ollie back. Now Ollie is one prince short of his fairytale ending, and to complicate the fairytale further, a family emergency sees Ollie uprooted and enrolled at a new school across the country. Which he minds a little less when he realizes it’s the same school Will goes to…except Ollie finds that the sweet, comfortably queer guy he knew from summer isn’t the same one attending Collinswood High. This Will is a class clown, closeted—and, to be honest, a bit of a jerk.

Ollie has no intention of pining after a guy who clearly isn’t ready for a relationship, especially since this new, bro-y jock version of Will seems to go from hot to cold every other week. But then Will starts “coincidentally” popping up in every area of Ollie’s life, from music class to the lunch table, and Ollie finds his resolve weakening.

The last time he gave Will his heart, Will handed it back to him trampled and battered. Ollie would have to be an idiot to trust him with it again.

Right? Right.

Hold My Hand by Michael Barakiva; read by the author

Alek Khederian thinks about his life B.E. and A.E.: Before Ethan and After Ethan. Before Ethan, Alek was just an average Armenian-American kid with a mess of curly dark hair, grades not nearly good enough for his parents, and no idea of who he was or what he wanted. After he got together with Ethan, Alek was a new man. Stylish. Confident. (And even if he wasn’t quite marching in LGBTQ parades), Gay and Out and Proud.

With their six-month anniversary coming up, Alek and Ethan want to do something special to celebrate. Like, really special. Like, the most special thing two people in love can do with one another. But Alek’s not sure he’s ready for that. And then he learns something about Ethan that may not just change their relationship, but end it.

Alek can’t bear the thought of finding out who he’d be P.E.: Post-Ethan. But he also can’t forgive or forget what Ethan did. Luckily, his best friend Becky and madcap Armenain family are there to help him figure out whether it’s time to just let Ethan go, or reach out and hold his hand.

And that’s it! We hope you enjoy any – or all – of these audiobooks and keep your eyes peeled for more Pride coverage heading your way soon!

Do you have any other recommendations? Tell us in the comments below!

The post #ReadWithPride: Audiobook Recommendations for Pride Month appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

After gaining major success as a creator of the award-winning podcast, The Bright Sessions, Lauren Shippen is ready to bring you back to the thrilling story and twisted universe featuring your favourite Atypicals in her debut novel, The Infinite Noise.

The Infinite Noise follows the story of Caleb Michaels, who had a pretty normal life as a high school footballer, until one day he discovered himself to be an empath, an Atypical who can sense people’s feelings, and suddenly, life was not so normal anymore. Enter Adam Hayes, the bright yet quiet classmate of Caleb, who’s feeling was too big and deep, making Caleb overwhelmed as he found himself helplessly drowning in it. This is a story of self-discovery, a coming-of-age love journey, and maybe, one or two sessions of superhero-only therapy.

I discovered the glorious universe of The Bright Sessions last month, right after reading the synopsis of Shippen’s debut. Looking at all of the exciting commentaries about this upcoming release, which was coming from fans of the original podcasts of course, I started listening to the first episode right that second. I’m glad to tell you that surprisingly, although it was my very first storytelling podcast, I truly had a great time. My initial intention was to listen to the whole podcast before I jump into this book, but unfortunately, I couldn’t do it in time. So, I ended up in the middle of season three when I started reading this book and here how it goes…

Obviously, after listening to the podcast and memorising the voice of the characters to heart now, reading them on paper was so much easier and exciting. The book was following the exact plotline of the podcast, but don’t let this intimidate you because you totally don’t have to listen to the podcast to enjoy this story! However, I’d say listening to the podcast will help you to dissolve quicker in these characters’ inner monologues and struggles.

Unfortunately, as much as I enjoyed the podcast, I couldn’t get the same feeling from this book. Don’t get me wrong, Caleb and Adam were my favourite characters in the podcast and it was exciting to be able to read more of their thoughts in this story, something that does not exist in the podcast.

During the first encounters of both of their point-of-view’s, it was thrilling. For Caleb, I enjoyed how he grows into his superpower. His narrative was fun to read, especially the way he used visualisation to make more sense of how his power works. Meanwhile, for Adam, I’m grateful to see more of his personality through the reflection of his struggles and thoughts. But after the endless back and forth POV’s changes between these two, they started to sound almost similar and even the pace started to feel dragging, especially from the middle towards the end. It was understandable that since both of them are still teenagers and they were having difficulties to communicate with each other, they will need some time to figure things out. Yet, I personally found that it took too long for them to resolve their issues and the sole reason for their conflict was because Caleb keeps shutting his mouth in the middle of a sentence to keep his secret and Adam keep asking stubborn oblivious series of questions that stressing out Caleb.

And remember when I said that the pace started to drag? It was especially because from the beginning until around 80% of the story, it only focused on three main characters (aside from family members and other classmates), and suddenly, it delivers other ‘important’ characters out of nowhere, that also brings other crucial plots along with their appearance. Which of course, will not be a big problem if you’re listening to the podcast already, but even as the podcast listener, I found this addition as too rushed and sudden. It was as if Shippen didn’t consider that there are readers who’re not aware of the podcast and just delivered chunk on important information without a proper warm-up.

Although it was an enjoyable ride, The Infinite Noise was a high-anticipated debut that doesn’t really meet its expectations. Aside from its extraordinary superhero concept and detailed worldbuilding, the character development and their genuine relationship captivated me to keep reading this story until the very last page.

The Infinite Noise is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers.

Will you be picking up The Infinite Noise? Tell us in the comments below!

Synopsis | Goodreads

Lauren Shippen’s The Infinite Noise is a stunning, original debut novel based on her wildly popular and award-winning podcast The Bright Sessions.

Caleb Michaels is a sixteen-year-old champion running back. Other than that his life is pretty normal. But when Caleb starts experiencing mood swings that are out of the ordinary for even a teenager, his life moves beyond “typical.”

Caleb is an Atypical, an individual with enhanced abilities. Which sounds pretty cool except Caleb’s ability is extreme empathy—he feels the emotions of everyone around him. Being an empath in high school would be hard enough, but Caleb’s life becomes even more complicated when he keeps getting pulled into the emotional orbit of one of his classmates, Adam. Adam’s feelings are big and all-consuming, but they fit together with Caleb’s feelings in a way that he can’t quite understand.

Caleb’s therapist, Dr. Bright, encourages Caleb to explore this connection by befriending Adam. As he and Adam grow closer, Caleb learns more about his ability, himself, his therapist—who seems to know a lot more than she lets on—and just how dangerous being an Atypical can be.

The post Review: The Infinite Noise by Lauren Shippen appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Happy September, everyone! Today, we’re bringing you a selection of our most anticipated debut releases for this month, all ready to be added to your TBR! Our list for today is dominated with YA books, specifically everything fantasy and magical! From characters who are confused about their superpowers to the ones who created a secret coven, or the ones who embarked a magical journey, and of course we don’t want to miss out on the one who’s willing to wake up the dragons to save her kingdom!

Dear Haiti, Love Alaine by Maika Moulite and Maritza Moulite
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

This is a story of Alaine Beauparlant and her journey in Tahiti, where she is sent for a volunteering project because she accidentally messed up a school presentation. What she didn’t expect was how this journey turns into a good one, where she met a cute intern and uncovers her family secrets.

Have a Little Faith in Me by Sonia Hartl
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Have a Little Faith in Me is a novel from debut author Sonia Hartl, about CeCe and her goal to get her ex-boyfriend back after she previously gets dumped right after they had sex. During this journey, she is accompanied by her best friend, Paul. What she discovers along the way, might surprise her, because maybe her ex-boyfriend isn’t that nice and maybe, just maybe, she started growing feelings towards Paul.

Frankly in Love by David Yoon
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

When Frank Li stuck with his parents’ strict rule to date Korean only, he meets Joy Song who apparently is facing the very same problem as him. Making a pact to fake date and thinking it as a perfect plan to trick his parents, soon the relationship starts to change into something else. Frankly in Love explores the culture in the Korean community, self-identity, and conflicts within families.

The Infinite Noise by Lauren Shippen
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Based on her award-winning podcast, The Bright Sessions, Lauren Shippen’s debut, The Infinite Noise, is a story of atypical Caleb Michaels who has a power of sensing someone’s feelings. His life is getting way more complicated when he meets Adam with his big and all-consuming feelings. His therapist suggests he explores his connection with Adam, and as Caleb learns more about his ability, he also starts to realise how dangerous an atypical can be.

The Babysitters Coven by Kate Williams
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

When Esme Pearl, a proud babysitter’s club owner meets Cassandra Heaven, an attractive and stylish rebel, she didn’t expect that she would have so much in common with her. Together, they’re solving the mysterious note from Cassandra’s mother and what it truly means to become a babysitter.

SLAY by Brittney Morris
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Seventeen-year-old Kiera Johnson is an honour student by day and a game developer by night. But when the game she developed causes a murder case, Kiera must preserve her secret identity and harness what it means to be unapologetically Black in a world intimidated by Blackness. Can she protect her game without losing herself in the process?

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

In the early 1900s, January Scaller discovers a strange book, that has scent of other worlds and tells a tale of secret doors, and of love, adventure, and danger. Each page turn reveals impossible truths about the world and January discovers a story increasingly entwined with her own.

The Tenth Girl by Sara Faring
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

In this gothic psychological thriller debut, Mavi escapes to an isolated school at the very southern tip of South America. Mavi tries to embrace the strangeness of the place, but when one of the students is missing and the others behave like they’re possessed, Mavi can’t ignore it any longer. In order to survive, she must solve a cosmic mystery—and then fight for her life.

Kingdom of Souls by Rena Barron
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Arrah, a descendant from a long line of the most powerful witch doctors in the land, failed at magic and couldn’t even cast a simple spell, she can’t help but feel disappointed at herself. When children in the kingdom begin to disappear, Arrah undergoes the dangerous and scorned process of selling years of her life for magic, but this borrowed magic is far more dark and dangerous than she could ever imagine.

Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

The witch, Louise le Blanc and the Chasseur, Reid Diggory were never meant to meet each other. But a wicked stunt forces them into an impossible union. Unable to ignore her growing feelings, yet powerless to change what she is, a choice must be made.

There Will Come A Darkness by Katy Rose Pool
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

For generations, the Seven Prophets guided humanity. Using their visions of the future, they ended wars and united nations―until the day, one hundred years ago, when the Prophets disappeared. All they left behind was one final, secret prophecy, foretelling an Age of Darkness and the birth of a new Prophet who could be the world’s salvation… or the cause of its destruction. A prince, a ruthless killer, a once-faithful leader, a reckless gambler, and a dying girl are set on a collision course. Will they save the world or will they destroy it?

Stormrise by Jillian Boehme
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

Disappointed at her colourless future because of her gender, Rain takes a chance by disguising herself as a boy when an army of nomads invades her kingdom, and a draft forces every household to send one man to fight. As war looms and Rain is enlisted into an elite, she begins to realise this dragon tincture may hold the key to her kingdom’s victory.

Will you be picking up any of these debut novels? Tell us in the comments below!

The post 12 Debut Authors To Check Out In September 2019 appeared first on The Nerd Daily.