3D Thursday: An Upcoming Book Expo!

Fiction Fountain is joining with 3DWebWorldz.com to bring readers and writers our first virtual book expo in April!  The cosponsored event will be held in a perfect place for social distancing: a virtual 3D world!  This post has a sneak peek of the 3D work as well as what is planned for the event–so let’s get started!

The Build

Holy smokes!  Evie did a beautiful speed build on our Expo Meeting Center, complete with a vendor room, guestbook, and reading room for the upcoming Author Meet & Greet scheduled during the event.  She created the building from scratch, using a single prim for the walls, bookcases, and bench seats.  The furniture in the reading room was created by: https://www.cgtrader.com/nevermoregraphics.

The Content

With the building and furniture put in place, the rest of the bits and pieces can come together.  Participating authors are busily working on audio files, custom table displays, and signage for their booths–all of which you’ll be able to experience in 3D at the event. There will also be a demo for the new Active Creator Toolbox (ACTS3) software, an all-in-one solution for writers!

Live Book Readings & Author Q&A

The Expo is for both readers and writers.  You’ll be able to meet with our participating fiction authors and preview their current books, new books on the market, and some exciting works that will be available in the near future.  Have you been curious about what goes on in the mind of an author? Ask them live during the Expo!

There’s Even a Giveaway!

A signed book drawing will be held at the end of the event!  We’ll have 2 ebooks and 2 physical books up for grabs.  You can earn entries by:
  • Sharing the Expo on Social Media
  • Resharing & Liking one of our authors’ Social Media posts about the Expo
  • Attending the Expo
  • Bringing a Friend

The Book Expo will be held on April 4th 2020 at 6:30pm ET/3:30pm PT.

Get a head start and sign up for 3DWebWorldz.com today – registration is FREE.  Learn how to move around and even customize your avatar so you can arrive in style.
-Dani

Fiction Friday Prompt #1

On Fridays the team at Fiction Fountain either posts a writing prompt or the responses to a prompt from a previous week.  Our writers will take the prompt below and do writerly things with it.  And next week, you’ll get to see what they come up with!

Want to write along? Please do!  You’re welcome to post your response to today’s prompt in the comments or, if you’d like to be considered for a highlight on the blog, let us know on Discord!

The prompt for January 24th is the photo seen below, plus the phraaaase:

hollow-sounding stone in the wall

 

 

PS:  To our Aussie friends–may there be enough gentle rains in the near future to help get those blazes down–and keep them down. <3

 

 

Photo by Zarak Khan on Unsplash

Two Question Tuesday

It’s Two Question Tuesday, the day of the week where we ask our Fiction Fountain team of writers some fun or difficult questions about writing, reading, and generally being.  Let’s see what our word artists have to say this week!

Pick One: Series, Novel, Novella, or Short Story?

We’ve asked 4 authors this week’s Pick One question. Will they choose a series, a novel, a novella, or a short story?

Torn MacAlester

As a reader, I like the Novella format. They are generally as sophisticated as a novel, but you can read it in a single sitting.

Yvonne DeBandi

As a reader, I love them all, but tend to read more novels or series than the other. Perhaps for no other reason than I want to be truly immersed in the created worlds.  A novel and a series of novels gives me longer opportunity to do so.

As a writer, novels seem to be my thing.  Even though the six published works are all connected in the same universe with cameo appearances by other characters…they all stand on their own.  The story within the cover is complete. That doesn’t mean, however, that the same characters will not continue with a new story later on. To be continued…

Jess Walzak

A novel is preferable to me and what I would read. Not too short and not too long.

Cera Daniels (Dani)

Yes! Oh. I can’t have them all?  I prefer to write and read shared world series with interconnected characters running through each other’s stories.  As a reader, there’s more for me to devour in the same galaxy/world/city!  In my own writing work I create big big worlds that I just can’t get enough of and want to spend more time hanging out in while I’m at the keyboard.


 

What inspired you to write your current book?

We asked the same 4 writers our tough question to find out what inspired them to write the book they’re currently working on. Check out their answers below!

Torn MacAlester

Thunder Moon Tussle resulted in another novel that is in progress, Mask of the Widow’s Moon, needed a better backstory. The story began as an exploration between two very contrasting characters and evolved into as strong Romance and Action Adventure story. My inspiration for the story background had been the now defunct Constellation program. One of the requirements for the missions to be done in two launches instead of one meant access to the lunar poles. The story assumes a system that does not have access to the poles and results in the construction of a road to reach the lunar north pole. The adventure takes place on this road twenty years after it was abandoned.

Yvonne DeBandi

Currently polishing up a new novel – Behind Green Door: The Magic of Mystic May
When Mystic May enters the haunted orphanage attic, she begins a magical journey foretold by a four-hundred-year-old prophecy, one that leads to the strange little town of HollyVale. Surrounded by lies and flooded by late seventeenth century dreams about Wizard Holly and Seer Vale, 17-year-old Mystic is forced to unravel many HollyVale secrets. Can she unveil the unique circumstances surrounding her birth in time to close the dark magic doorways? Or will the sinister gates created with her first breath be opened, ending all peace on earth?

Inspired by catching the ancestry bug and learning about our family in Ipswich (just outside of Salem) in the late 1600’s.

Jess Walzak

It is the final ‘book’ in my Troupe Quadrilogy.  It is taking place during the summer months, so it is supposed to have this big Summer event feel to it, gladiator fights, spy intrigue, a musical sequence.  This is close to the characters’ development mostly for the fallen knight turned fighter, what happens when what he is comes to light, and how the troupe helps him.

 

Cera Daniels (Dani)

The original draft of Truth Spark was the result of a few 60-80 hour work weeks at the office during storm season…the no-sleep delirium & frequent power outages had me wondering what would happen if the thunderstorm outside were caused by hunky electrical heroes & dastardly villains fighting to control powerlines in the area.

 


Want to know more about these writers? Check them out, and the rest of the team, via the About page links on the top menu. 

Okay lovely readers, your turn!  What is your favorite: series, novel, novella, or short story?

And visiting writers, hey–tell us about YOUR inspirations!

Tell us all about it in the comments, or come join us on Discord!

 

 

Photo credit: Unsplash

Fiction Fountain 2020 Format

Happy New Year, writers and readers and explorers of words!  Our blog has arrived!

In the coming weeks and months you’ll get to see:

  • Q & A – Writers to Readers
  • Q & A – Writers to Writers
  • Video interviews with our writers
  • 3D experiences galore
  • Writing prompts
  • Short stories and other bonus words from our writers
  • And much, much more…including our first Fiction Fountain Reader Symposium, a new event to celebrate our readers on 3DWebWorldz!

Excited?  So are we!  Let’s talk real quick about some changes to the weekly schedule for our events this year:

Mondays – Writers in the Reading Room
6:00 – 8:30 PM PT/9:00 – 11:30 PM ET

On Mondays, readers are welcome to pop in at the Library and Bookstore on 3DWebWorldz for a visit or a reading session!  Some of our Fiction Fountain writers will be on 3DWW at this time, working on preparations for our weekly critique session.

Beta readers are currently in demand, so if you have an interest in reading early chapters and helping some authors out with your feedback, please stop by and let us know.

Tuesdays – Writer Critique Night
6:00 – 8:30 PM PT/9:00 – 11:30 PM ET

Tuesdays wrap up with the Fiction Fountain writers taking a field trip to OpenSim where they hold their weekly critique session of prepared pages.  Grids visited vary weekly.

Wednesdays – Writer Workshop
6:00 – 8:30 PM PT/9:00 – 11:30 PM ET

Wednesday Writer’s Workshops are held at the Library and Bookstore on 3DWebWorldz and each workshop will focus on a different aspect of the writing process and various writing exercises to strengthen the stories we tell.


 

Do you have a writing event to host?
Is your book club in need of a room?
Are you looking to start a critique group?
Let us know on Discord. We’ll get you set up–and help you get the word out!

Fiction Fountain is part of 3DWebWorldz.  3DWW provides walk-in websites where you can host events in a 3D space with voice chat, text chat, and fully customizable avatars.  Registration is free!