[OT] Writer's Spotlight: bookworm271

Submitted by Say_Im_Ugly t3_10jtllv in WritingPrompts

 

Welcome to Writer’s Spotlight

 

 

Hello! This week we shine the spotlight on u/bookworm271. Bookworm has been writing on the sub for a few years now. Their stories are wonderfully written, they have great pacing skills, and every story is a pleasure to read. They write regularly for some our weekly features like SEUS and FMF and they have a lot of great stories written for our regular prompts too.

You can check out their personal subreddit r/bookwormwrites or check out some of their linked stories below.

Want to congratulate this week's Spotlight recipient? Have questions you're dying to ask them? Please do so below in the comments!

 

#Congrats on your spotlight /u/bookworm271!

 

 

Read u/bookworm271’s most recent story:

 

[CW] Smash 'Em Up Sunday: Bildungsroman

Most upvoted stories:

 

[WP] "Just so you know, you'll be the only person on this flight" the flight attendant said. "Empty plane? Booking error?" You ask. "No, I said you'd be the only person on this flight" she responds.

 

[WP] You wake up in a room with 11 strangers. In the center of the room is a metal box bolted to the floor. On top of the box is a note that reads “Whoever opens this box will die. If no one opens the box in the next 60 minutes, all of you will die.”

 

[WP]It was a simple gesture. You held open a door for a little old lady. The following day you're having lunch at a 5-star restaurant with the local supervillain who wants to repay you for being nice to their mother. And they won’t let you leave until you decide how they can repay you.

 

[WP] "One day," the prince reiterated to the peasant girl. "You're fed and clothed like a princess for a day, we attend the ball and dance together, and we make just enough of a spectacle that my father won't mind so much if I go on to court a 'lower' noble. What do you say?"

 

To view previously spotlit writers visit our Spotlight Archive.

 

To make a nomination please send us a ModMail telling us which user you are nominating. If you’d like to include a reason for your decision we’d love to hear it!

Like features?

  • Try your hand at constrained writing with SEUS

  • Grow as a writer with Talking Tuesday

  • Practice poetry at our monthly feature: Poetry Corner

  • Create a story using the weekly theme for Theme Thursday

  • Collaborate with other writers on Follow Me Friday

  • Chat with other writers with SatChat

Come hang out on our discord. Meet other members from around the globe and chat about anything. We are a friendly bunch and love newcomers. We also have regularly scheduled readings over voice chat!

Love the community and want to take on a more active role? Apply to join the moderation Team!

17

Comments

You must log in or register to comment.

Say_Im_Ugly OP t1_j5mkk9c wrote

Hey u/bookworm271! Congrats on your spotlight. I hope you’ll take the time to answer a few questions

  1. How long have you been writing and why did you start?

  2. What is your favorite genre to play around with?

  3. If you could cook for and have dinner with anyone right now who would it be and what would you make?

7

bookworm271 t1_j5ms2t5 wrote

Thank you! This was a happy surprise. To answer some questions

  1. I've been writing since I was a kid. One of my favorite childhood birthday presents was a "write your own books kit" that consisted of a few blank books and some art supplies. I've also always been a reader, and since I enjoy reading stories I realized I'd enjoy writing them as well.

  2. My favorite genre to write in is fantasy. I love to lose myself in a fictional world for awhile, and get away from reality. While many of my stories tend to be lighter, I also really enjoyed writing the horror prompts for SEUS in October.

  3. If I could have dinner with anyone, I'd probably choose my granny. She passed away 14 years ago, while I was in college, and I'd love the opportunity to have one more meal with with her, now that I'm an actual adult. As for what I'd make, I'm not that innovative of a cook, but I can follow a recipe, so I'd open up her recipe box and attempt a few favorites (which could get interesting as many of those recipes are just a list of ingredients and very minimal instructions).

9

Say_Im_Ugly OP t1_j5mt9bf wrote

Awww, Awesome, thank you for responding! Can’t wait to run into more of your writing!

5

Tomorrow_Is_Today1 t1_j5mkn13 wrote

Congrats on the spotlight, u/bookworm271! Love your stories!

To follow with tradition, I hope you don't mind a few questions:

- What's your favorite setting to write in?
- If you could only write one thing, what would it be?
- Poetry or prose?
- Flash fiction or short story?

5

bookworm271 t1_j5muuse wrote

Thank you!

Usually my favorite place to write is in the comfort of my own home, preferably on the couch. Keeping a cup of tea handy always helps, and if I'm in the mood, I'll listen to instrumental music. Occassionally I'll handwrite a story before typing it up, as it allows for a little more time for the words to flow.

If I could only write one thing, I may need to twist the rules a bit and create an expansive universe with dozens of characters to put in stories. It would likely have a bit of fantasy to really allow for a wide range of possibilities.

I definitely prefer prose to poetry. Poetry is not my strong suit - I feel like it has more "rules" than prose, and I'm a bit unsure as to what makes a poem good. While I haven't attempted to write much poetry, I do like to read the occasional novel in verse.

I prefer short stories over flash fiction. My usual approach towards anything with a word limit is to write, then sigh when I realize how much I need to cut. That being said, I really like the challenge Follow Me Friday presents to tell a portion of a story in limited words.

6

katpoker666 t1_j5onatk wrote

Congrats Bookworm! I’ve really enjoyed your SEUS stuff in particular. You have a lovely and unique voice! Hopefully one day I’ll see you at a campfire to pile on the praise in person :)

In the interim, what do you like to read? Any favorite authors?

4

bookworm271 t1_j5rdidh wrote

Thanks! I've downloaded the discord app, but haven't done much exploring of the community there yet, but hopefully sometime soon.

I read a variety of genres, mostly fiction. I enjoy cozy mysteries (Bailey Cates's Magical Bakery Series being my favorite cozy series), thrillers, historical fiction, magical realism, and fantasy. Some of my favorite authors are Fredrik Backman (for when I want a character driven story), VE Schwab, and Ruth Ware.

3

katpoker666 t1_j5tolwr wrote

Thanks for answering, bookworm—hope to see you about more often then :)

1

London-Roma-1980 t1_j5ovo7l wrote

Congratulations u/bookworm271!

A new pair of questions:

  1. If you could have dinner with any author, past or present, who and why?
  2. Do you have any ideas for a future NaNoWriMo or equivalent, and what story would you tell?
4

bookworm271 t1_j5reol2 wrote

Thank you!

I'd probably choose to have dinner with VE Schwab. I've met her at a book signing, and follow her on Instagram and she seems like such a wonderful, relatable person.

I haven't participated in NaNo for awhile, but I do have thoughts of expanding one of the short stories linked above (the one with the prince and the peasant girl) into a NaNo attempt.

2