Hello everyone! For the last few years I've been a pretty avid litRPG reader, and I'm looking for recommendations on what to read next from Kindle Unlimited. The type of stories I like the most are those based on futuristic Full Dive VR, and not those where Gods or Aliens are running things. I also want main characters who are like-able, and I'm totally NOT into harems, bestiality, or sadists! Here's some of the series I've really enjoyed (if you haven't read these I can recommend them) Eden's Gate by Edward Brody The Greystone Chronicles by Dave Willmarth Ascend Online by Luke Chmilenko Euphoria Online by Phil Tucker Crystal Shards Online by Rick Scott World-Tree Trilogy by EA Hooper Second Age of Retha by A. M. Sohma Fayrol by Andrey Vasilyev Mirror World by Alexey Osadchuk Towers of Heaven by Cameron Milan So, any good series you'd recommend? Thanks in advance! Grey
Again, welcome! You can get the first six Tower of Gates (+1 side novel)... https://amzn.to/2vAz2Zg You can also buy them singly ... the series really starts getting good with book 4, imho! Here's another good list to get you started... All Time Best LitRPG — Level Up Publishing
If you are going the futuristic route I'd say to check out litfps. My series starts with https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MJM5D7F but there are a few others like Matt Sylvester's series https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MYUP5YM (should work if not it is called desperate times). If you are looking at Fantasy as a base then Paul has his above (mine isn't a series yet so I wont drop it here). I'd also suggest limitless lands https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07G7GWFFL. The MC is older and like that nice Uncle. it has a different take on the standard class system too which is refreshing. A
Depends how crunchy you like your LitRPG. I skate the edges. The Spacemage Chronicle trilogy (my series 3) is Space Fantasy, but a lot of LitRPG readers loved it, as the main character starts out as a partly trained mage, and works his way up to being a superhero. My first series, The Hunter Legacy, is Space Opera, but the main character is a gamer, and more or less self taught warrior, and for the first few books at least, has a big gamer influence, and maintains his stats as a combat pilot. By the end of book 5, things go beyond what a game would cover, and moves into universe building. Series 2, AI Destiny, is centered on the AI sidekick from series 1, who is forced to lead, and in the first 2 books, more or less fights a war on her own. Series 4, The Hunter Imperium, is the sequel to series 1, but also uses characters from series 3. It starts merging space tech and magic. Books 4 and 5 are a new character leveling up from a physical handicap to become a hero. Series 5, Imperium Spacemage has only book 1 out so far, but is the mage side of being a space pilot, and will continue to merge magic and high tech. So The Hunter Legacy Universe has 30 novels so far, plus a christmas story in series 1, and a few prequel stories. My first GameLit novelette is due out Mar 1, and this is also classified as a prequel story. Across the series, I mix up the genres. Space Opera, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, GameLit, LitRPG, Detective (with a dash of Horror), AI, spiritual under-theme, supernatural overtone, leading into Superhero. But I essentially write Life in Space, with a computer game base.
Thank you all for your replies! @Paul Bellow I book marked your book and checked out the list - thank you - I've already read half of those and they are quite good. @Commisarlestat thanks for a link to your book - I've book marked it! The other links were the same but I did find Matt Sylvester's book - thanks for the tip! I'm also in the middle of Limitless Lands and it's quite good so far - good choice. @HunterLegacyUniverse Thanks - I've read a ton of Space Operas - probably 150 in the last two years alone - so I'll definitely check you books out. Have a great weekend all, Grey PS - Since you are all authors, can you share any links on getting started writing a first book? I have a few good ideas and hope someday to write a book of my own.
Links, no. Just jump straight into it. Assuming its LitRPG, choose the first piece of real action, and start there. Drop your main character in the deep end, and take that to its conclusion. Then if you need to, explain how the story got there. Don't begin with history, world building, or someone else. Dive right into the action, and then keep writing.
I just finished writing my first GameLit and it took me just under 30 days. When it comes to writing a book, do you prefer to be planned and structured, or do you prefer a free-wheeling experience? If you want to talks bout how to get started, we should chat! I have a degree in Creative Writing and it's a passion of mine to connect with people who want to get started writing.
Congrats! To answer the question: I'm a mix of discovery and planning. I plan a lot in terms of constructing the setting, systems, and characters all in service to the theme and with an eye towards making sure they will create the sort of conflict/story/resolution that I want. Beyond that though, I tend to aim for the standard 3-act milestones as I write the first draft. Rather than outlining the whole thing beforehand.
Sounds like what I do too! What're some obstacles you're facing when it comes to writing a book of your own?
My major problem is demanding too much of the reader. When I'm a DM, I'm extremely detail-oriented and I use that to constantly weave traps or setups for my players over the course of very long, very sweeping campaigns. This tactical-technical obsession comes across in my writing but it's not always a good thing. I write in a way where every bit of the description, every word said, every seeming contradiction matters during the conflicts. (I think of it as Chekhov's Arsenal) Sounds great right? Except that no one who reads my rough draft stuff can track it all, they can't figure out what's most important, and they get lost/confused very quickly. Since this is a problem 100% of the time with 100% of the people I ask to read my books....I've admitted that it's a war I'm not going to win. Instead, I've had to learn to cull the density of details flying around in favor of hand-holding the reader a lot more than I would prefer. Every time I get to the edits, I grit my teeth and "dumb down" my book. But if I sound bitter, that's misplaced on my part. Learning to keep the reader in mind is the name of my problem and it has been a hard damn lesson for me to learn. I bet that I will have to keep relearning it for years to come, unfortunately.
