I haven't creatively written in a very long time. The seeds of a story never germinate. I see scenes and parts of a whole, but nothing to congeal it. I think the last long form thing I wrote was years ago. Possibly college. Christ, that was almost two decades ago.
At the moment, I am trying to spark something. Not necessarily a written thing, but some thing. I have a book in front of me that I read the first chapter of on Sunday. I picked it up because lately I watch a ton of Youtube videos. Seriously, it is probably my main form of entertainment. I used to listen to podcasts while playing World of Warcraft, but I put aside the game for the time being. I think I was just a bit bored of it.
Anyway, the book was written by the guy who runs the channel and produces the videos. I started watching him because I was approached to participate in a Star Trek role-playing game. Trying to gather inspiration for a character, I discovered a channel that had some short sci-fi lore videos.
After watching a bunch of the videos, I usually feel compelled to contribute something back to the creator. Sometimes, I back them on Patreon if I find myself looking forward to their videos every week, This time, I kept getting his embedded ads for his own novel. Checking it out on Amazon, it was a decent price, and only a few dollars more for a print copy. I personally prefer physical books rather than digital. I have a better chance to read on paper than a screen because a screen can usually be used for videos instead.
Well, after the first chapter, it hasn't grabbed me yet. I liked his brief description of the plot. The concept seemed interesting. When I got the book, the layout looked easily digestible. I will probably attempt to give it more of a go. The first chapter seemed like a slog though. I know it was set up, but parts seemed forced. It will probably pay off later, but I don't think it was handled very well.
I am a big believer in the power of the first sentence. It sets the stage for everything coming after it. The first sentence was weak. It was certainly no, "Call me Ismael." That is hard to top. Even the generic, "Once upon a time," evokes something. It starts with, "In a corner of the Universe, resided a Galaxy." I know it is science fiction, and wants to present that. Still, the whole first chapter is set up, but consist of the end, final strike of a war between two worlds. According to the back of the book description, the rest of the story is about trying to prevent another war. It should have been something about war and not the universe/galaxy thing.
Looking ahead, the second chapter starts better. Maybe there is hope for it. Hell, the first sentence of the Special Thanks in the very beginning was good. "Writing is expected to be a solitary activity."
Well, he ain't wrong.
I specifically didn't name names or throw anyone under a bus because I don't think I can't accurately review a book without reading it. I don't drop the Youtube channel because 1) I don't think anyone is actually reading this, and 2) I don't think anyone will actually care.
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