Sheity Williams

Hello there! I know I'm late, but here's another non-native who writes in English. I had to say something in here, because I know the struggles you're going through. Until I came here, I actually thought there were very few people who did this thing, but I am incredibly grateful to know it's not true. Allow me to tell you a bit about my personal experience. I have a deep love for English. Almost to the obsessive point xD. I no longer watch TV or movies in my native language (I don't go to the cinema unless I can watch the movie in English). Same with books. I even manage to speak English sometimes with my friends even if they're also non-natives. The point is my free time is spent entirely around English, so you can say I'm quite committed to writing in English as well. I've been learning English for nine long years. Nine. Ever since I started in school and until today. I've never gone abroad. I don't have any bilingual family members. I don't have any kind of special talent or something to make me special. But I still write in English. No hesitation. The last four of those nine years, I've spent writing in English and extensively improving it, so let me give you the first piece of advice, the first secret: it's exhausting and very discouraging. Why? Here's some examples: - You see ads and posters announcing a writer workshop near where you live, but it's not in English. Sure, maybe you can still gain some knowledge to use if they're talking about character development, for example, but it's... not quite the same. I have gone to several workshops, and believe me when I tell you it's not the same. - You hear about a contest in your town or province (or whatever similar), for fiction novels. You want to participate but oh... you can't, because you aren't a native writer. - Sending your manuscript to publishers in your country is out of the question, because they're not going to even regard a story written in other language, even if they have contact with English publishers. - You can't hire or consult with any editors or professionals in your country, because they don't work with English, and even if they do, it's still not quite the same. - If you find a native English speaking editor, they're probably not in your country, so meetings can be quite tricky and annoying if they have to be done through Skype. - Sending your manuscripts abroad can be quite expensive, not always, but sometimes I haven't been able to efford an entry to a contest. I haven't tried with publishers yet, so I can't speak for that. - And probably more cons I am forgetting about right now xD. So after all this... why do I keep writing in English? It's been four long years, I'm not about to give up at this point xD. I've put so much effort into making my writing better each day. It's hard to know if you're succeeding, simply because few people around you can read and critique you (and with critique I mean long and extensive ones). The internet helps with this, true, but I will repeat myself, it's not the same, and even then it's rare to find someone you can trust 250%. However, you can still find some help through forums and whatnot. This thing we do, writing in English as non-natives, is incredibly hard. To crack 1000 words we need a lot more time than a native needs. But it's okay. You're learning, you're practicing, that's the whole point. I can tell you without a hint of a doubt that it gets better, but you need to put a lot of effort into it, otherwise, you don't improve. If I compare my writing to the one I did a couple of years ago, there is a huge difference. I write a lot faster than I used to, and a lot better. Since last year, it's starting to come more natural, without the need for any translations. I still use the dictionary, but I'm starting to use it less and for synonyms rather than translations. You don't need to move abroad. You don't need special classes. If you surround yourself with English, if you practice, improvement comes. If you don't, then maybe you do need classes or moving abroad. I've needed years of practice to get where I am, but if you're committed to the cause, if you're passionate, you won't mind. I certainly don't. I'd say that you have to ask yourself an important question: is it worth it? Are you willing to spend years practicing? If you are, it comes with important rewards. Publishing in English is always better than any other language, you will reach a wider audience, no matter if you self-publish or not. In the end, that's what we, authors, want, to reach as many people as possible so they can experience the same journey we did while writing. Personally, I've experienced this first hand. I have translated into my native language some of my English short stories. The English versions ALWAYS got more comments and views than the Spanish ones. I know this got too long xD. The point I was trying to make is: you can improve at writing in English, no doubt about it, but you need time and MASSIVE amounts of reading in English. Once you've gotten used to it, it gets easier and rewarding. If I've done it, anyone can. Go for it!

I discovered this one a few months ago and it immediately became my favorite: "I am tormented with an everlasting itch for things remote. I love to sail forbidden seas, and land on barbarous coasts" (From Moby Dick) And I have to add this one just because it's hilarious, it's from Jim Butcher's Dresden Files: "I put the ick in magic"

@Draginon That's just nuts! I am blown away by your collection, specially your leatherbounds (so pretty!). I could get lost in there, I swear. Can I move to your house? My collection is not that impressive, since I've started it not too long ago and I don't have much space for bookshelves so they're all arranged where I can possibly fit them. It's not pretty. I'm hoping some day I'll move out of here, where I can proudly display them, but until then, it's all shame for me xD.

Right now I'm treating myself with some tracks from the Command and Conquer Red Alert 2 soundtrack. Soooo gooooood! It brings back awesome memories.

It cannot be denied there are stories purely violent or sexual. I do not enjoy those, simply because it gets boring once you've gone through the first pages or minutes. However, there are certain times when sex or violence is used for character or plot development. Not just because it's realistic and a part of our lives, but because it IS a way of making a character change, or even the plot, for better or worse. In addition, I've read books where torture is a vital part of character development. There are many degrees of torture. An example would be A Court of Thorns and Roses. It's not very violent, it does not rely solely on physical pain, but it's still torture, and it still changes the main character greatly. If you skip it, you'd be missing a big chunk of the story. Personally, I believe there are certain instances where sex and violence contributes to the plot. But the thin line between contribution and mere gibberish is complicated to handle and very blurry to distinguish sometimes, since it can be left to personal interpretation. If it does contribute, I don't think anyone should skip it, simply because you're missing a point the author is trying to make. About the point of people trying to get away from real life... I'd say that's half true and half not. I have taken shelter inside books for years and I still have enjoyed violent and/or slightly sexual books. Because I know it's fiction. It tries to be as realistic as possible, but it's still fiction. If you cannot have that in mind when you read, let's say, dark fantasy or military, then maybe you should avoid that genre entirely, because it's bound to have the kind of content you don't like, unless someone specifically tells you 'this book doesn't have it'. There is also another issue on how explicit the author wishes to be with their sexual or violent content, but sometimes you can also associate this with the type of story the author wants to tell (and I mean this in those cases where this content is not just gibberish). If you read dark fantasy, you can expect explicit violence. It's not always there, but chances are high, because explicit violence contributes to the whole feeling of a story where the world is truly messed up. Again, I will repeat that it's not 100% necessary, BUT it still is a valid method for authors to use. Not all stories use the same methods and tools. To sum this up... I do not shy away from content like this, because I understand it may be useful and provide input about the story and characters. I do, however, tend to avoid stories where it is overused. PS: I'm new to this community so I can't say whether this one's the best or not, but so far everyone's been so nice! xD

That's just plain evil, dude. You ruined my experience

Pre-ordered a UK cover copy and for some reason it doesn't arrive home until the 27th of november... So I'll probably have to forfeit all contact with social media until I can read it. I would hate to spoil even the slightest word. When it arrives, there will probably be several sleepless nights ahead of me. No regrets. I'm afraid I cannot take this kind of thing slowly. The hype gets to me, and knowing I have easy access to what happens next, I am never able to slow down.

I'm currently watching the last season of House of Cards. I don't usually like shows like this one, but for some reason it got to me. I should probably also catch up with Arrow (just for a few laughs. It got really bad after a couple of seasons), Vikings and The Blacklist. I guess I'll do it eventually xD

Thank you for the heartwarming welcome, everyone. You're all so nice! Another Spaniard, color me surprised! Glad to know I'm not the only one from here. I'm from Madrid, thankfully, because I cannot stand how hot it is in Andalucia. Seriously, how do you do it? xD. I'll be sure to message you sometime! Oh boy, everyone offering cookies and now you're telling me they're bad. What am I missing? xD Thank you! Yup, Stormlight is still my all-time favorite as well, even after reading several of his books. It's just so gooooood! Uuuuuh, is that another long book? I'll admit I have yet to go through many classic books. I'll be sure to add that one to my TBR list. Unfortunately, nowadays it's hard to find good books over a thousand pages. If you have any other recommendations, I'd love to hear them. Thank you for the compliment! Indeed, it is cliche, but I still appreciate it xD. I've been going at it for nine years and counting. Some skill had to come out of that xD. As much as I would love to take your cookie and start gaining supernatural powers and whatnot, I'm gonna have to decline xDDDD. (Do you always give out hazardous cookies? Because it's awesome) I didn't know Warbreaker was available for free. Thank you for telling me, I'll make sure to pick it up. And I'll also make sure to get into it ASAP, what you just said about secrets got my hype to spike sky high. Yes, I have read the second Era and I still have a hard time deciding whether it's as good as the first one or even better. I am somewhat disappointed about the lack of full mistborn individuals. It would have been so cool! Even more, I mean. Also, since I read the second Era, I read Secret History, and it was soooo gooooooood! One of the reasons Arcanum Unbounded blew my mind. I'll take you up on that suggestion of reading the Archive again. Just a few more months for Oathbringer, though. Too long! I knoooow! 2000 pages of WoR would have been a dream come true, but I'm told it's very hard to have books that thick due to publishers having equipment problems. Nice to meet another writer! I love dark fantasy, so if you do publish, I'll gladly purchase your book! I would also love to publish myself and I'm hoping to start sending my novel everywhere once I've finished editing it. Such a tedious process. I'd say it's the worst part of it all! Also, glad to know I'm not the only non-native writing in English! I've always thought I was the odd one out. Keep writing and you'll finish before you know it! Sports, ah yes, a lot of people assumes I like watching soccer, since I'm Spanish, but I don't like it that much xD I prefer to play it among friends. How cool that you want to come here! I'm sure you'll like the experience. If I had to choose a team, I'd say Real Madrid, (Sorry xDDDDD. I'm told we must now be enemies to death because of that xD), simply because I'm from Madrid, but I really do not care much for it. I actually prefer basketball and keep up to date with the latest NBA news. I'm a Toronto Raptors fan. I know, I know, never won playoffs... but we will someday xD. Should I eat the cookies? I have mixed feelings by now xD Thank you! I only read the beginning of White Sands, so I still have to get to it, too.

Well, my journey through these books is not really exciting... The first one I read was The Way of Kings, and I first heard about it when a dear friend of mine started reading it. And I was like: meh, I'll just put it down my TBR list. I had no idea about what it was, other than fantasy, so it did not grab my attention all that much. Then, my friend finished with the first one, she kept insisting I HAD to read it, that I needed to put aside anything else I was doing and dive straight into WoK. She was a huge fan of Game of Thrones, but she sold me WoK as being as good or even better than Game of Thrones. Since it was summer, in the end, I surrendered, because I actually did not have much else to do. Reading the Way of Kings was a life-changing moment. Seriously. I had not enjoyed a book before as much as I had enjoyed that one. I'm not kidding! I am now a bookwork thanks to WoK, it rekindled my love for fiction and books. I remember that summer vividly; my dear friend and I spent entire nights commenting what we had read that day. And the rest is history. I read through Words of Radiance in two days. You read right. Two days. True, I spent the whole day reading, but oh it was so worth it. Then came Mistborn, which I went through really fast, too, and now, I am the one telling my dear friend she HAS to read Mistborn. Things change. As of right now, I'm missing a few books to read, like Warbreaker or Rithmatist, but I'll get to them once I've relaxed from the Brandon Sanderson frenzy I was in xD. I am also trying to build my hardcover collection of Brandon Sanderson books, since I usually buy Kindle copies, but those books I love, I like to have hardcover copies. There's nothing like the feel and smell of a new book, after all.

Hi! How are you all doing? As you may be able to tell, I'm a newbie, but incredibly excited to get started here. I've been lurking around for a few days, being overwhelmed by the sheer size of this place before I decided I HAD to give it a try and sign up. I've been in a few forums before, but none as big as this one! There are just so many things to do and talk and post! I don't know where to go first. Any advice? Anyway, I'll talk a bit about myself, since I was supposed to do that from the beginning. I am a 20-year-old, Spaniard, still a student, I'm afraid, but I also work in a lab, which is awesome. I discovered Brandon Sanderson last year and fell in love with his books. The first one I read was the Stormlight Archive (btw, am I the only one who LOVES books that long? The longer the better. Yup. I just said that.), followed by Mistborn, Reckoners and Elantris. I gotta say, Arcanum Unbounded blew my mind; those moments when you see some small dots connect... best thing ever. I still have a few of his books to read, but I decided to take a break for a while (I read only Brandon Sanderson for... months, so yeah... xD). Outside of this, my favorite book genres are fantasy and sci-fi, but I read almost anything thrown my way. I play videogames, too, ever since I was little. I am a writer, not a professional one, though. I write in English, even though I am a native from Spain (which sucks, because I've gotten better at my English than my Spanish. Somehow. And here in Spain you can hardly find anyone who speaks good enough English). I would love to learn drawing. I love sports but I'm horrible at them all. Aaaaand that's pretty much it. Hopefully I'll see you all around!