Welcome to the community!

[VRaschke]

I read a little bit of everything. Lately, I’ve been reading a lot about art history as research, more nonfiction and fiction work by black and indigenous authors, and some “popcorn” reads to escape the onslaught of 2020 for a moment or two

If I had a food truck, I’d probably have a fusion teahouse on wheels. I went to culinary school and worked in the food business long enough to know I don’t want to own one, but in an ideal world a mobile teahouse with teas and baked goods from all over the world would be ideal.

The best hour for writing is usually in the afternoon, because I’ve completed all my day-job tasks and I can have three or four hours without interruption.

[JohnHornbeck]

• For pure relaxation and escapism, hard-boiled mysteries and thrillers. For more thoughtful reading, historical fiction (that is true to the history) and narrative non-fiction. When I’m in study mode, solid books on the writing life and classical mythology.

• Street tacos, and other authentic ethnic cuisine

• Best hour for writing is 5:00 AM. I am naturally an early riser. I start the day with about a thirty minute workout to get the creative juices following, and then spend at least a couple of hours writing before anyone else in our house wakes up.

[Quenntis]

• What do you like to read?
• If you owned a food truck, what kind of food would it sell?
• The best hour for writing is ___, because __.

Hi, I’m Quenntis.

I like to read a wide range of things. I like unconventional characters, such as Artemis Fowl, and unusual stories, such as the Glass Books of the Dream Eaters, or The Night Circus. Books that inspire and then surprise me into a state of wonder and awe will always be on my long list of favorites.

I would definitely sell frozen yoghurt with all the best toppings - ranging from crumbled fudge to hot English toffee sauce. And I would (unfortunately?) be my own best customer…

The best time to write is whenever I have energy and solitude and quiet.

[cgbeam]

• Shipwrecked on a desert island with only one author’s books? Terry Pratchett. He keeps finding new ways to make me smile and to make me think. Plan B. Donald Westlake’s Dortmunder novels.
• My food truck serves meat pies and warm pints. Makes your stomach feel like you’re at an English Premier League game.
• The best hour for writing is always the next one, because the world is ablaze with possibilities.

[corbinae]

Introduce yourself here: Hi I’m Amie!

• What do you like to read?

I really like to read epic adventure or travel/journal novels (as well as some natural history). As well as some mystery and older-school sci-fi (think Philip K Dick). One of my favourites is At The Mountain of Madness by Lovecraft, because it reads like a scientific field journal, with both mystery and the horror that Lovecraft always delivers.

• If you owned a food truck, what kind of food would it sell?

I would have a food truck that sold both french toast (with maple syrup of course), and perogies.

• The best hour for writing is ___, because __.

The evening because it feels like the world becomes more quiet and there is space to think.

[Saragflee]

@Alliegal, what do you teach? I teach middle school History. I love to hear about other “teacher-writers.”

[KrysRayne]

Hello my name is Krys, I am unpublished as of yet. A friend from my crit group told me about the plot summit and so that’s how I find my way here.

I enjoy reading most romance novels. My favorite subgenre is romantic suspense. One of my favorite authors are Trisha Wolfe and she writes these dark romantic suspense’s that really pull you in. I also enjoy reading WW2 historical novels. I also enjoy reading research novels, especially research around topics I’m going to write about.

I’ve never thought about running a food truck, but possibly a food truck that has boozy shakes and all adultee types of drinks. That I could really get into LOL. If I was the customer that is.

I try to write whenever I’m not tired. I have an exhausting job where I run around the store for 6 hrs and shop for customers (aka online pickup). Half the time I just want to sleep when I get home so I try to get my writing in on my days off or when I don’t have to work long hours.

[Alliegal]

My degree is in music. I teach private piano as well as classroom music and choir (when things open up in my area again). In addition, I am working with a homeschool co-op teaching a novel writing class (I’ll be doing NaNoWriMo with them this year).

[Patty]

Hello everyone, I’m a painter and a writer. I’m currently editing my thriller novel and hope to start querying soon.

• I enjoy reading thrillers, psychological suspense, murder mysteries (historical a plus), classics, and literary. Good books I recently read: One by One by Ruth Ware, Invisible Girl by Lisa Jewell, Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, and Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton. I also read a lot of non-fiction as research for my novels, and books about art and artists.

• I would sell Arepa sandwiches. It’s a common dish in Colombian and Venezuelan cuisine. The corn flour patties are split and filled with vegetables, meat, cheese, avocado, black beans, sweet plantain, cheese, etc.

• The best hour for writing is between 1pm-midnight, because I don’t do mornings.

[AVLeach]

Hi everyone! Happy to be here.
I read a wide variety of fiction but gravitate towards world literature classics and spiritual, metaphysical books. If I had a food truck it would feature spicy Indian vegetarian entrees. My best time to write is in the late afternoon or the wee hours of the morning. It’s quiet, and if I’m lucky I get out of my mind chatter

[tannislaidlaw]

French toast and perogies? Sounds like my Canadian childhood!

[corbinae]

Raised in Saskatchewan! Perogies are the staple of any good holiday! What about you?

[tannislaidlaw]

Raised in Manitoba! I thought you must be from the prairies! My son-in-law was raised in Kipling in Saskatchewan (I was born in Winnipeg - remembered as Winterpeg!) although he, too, now lives in New Zealand like me. It’s a tad warmer…

[JoHoughton]

Hi, I’m Jo.

Lets see what do I like to read? I read primarily fiction and love intense books that make you question the world when you’re finished. Right now I am enjoying Terry Pratchett and my all time favorite novel is Shogun by James Clavell.

If I ran a food truck I would sell tacos. All kinds of tacos. Of course with a side of rice and beans, and homemade salsas. I like making grilled salsas, where all the ingredients have been charred just slightly with plenty of garlic and fresh lime juice. Tortillas would be made fresh on site. I’d have corn and flour tortillas. For the sweeter side of things, pastries like turnovers. I’d love to perfect a guava and cream cheese turnover.

The best hour for writing? I like to do it in the middle of the day, before my partner gets home and after the bulk of the household chores are done. For me that is 10-2 or 11-3. I like to use the time I spend doing chores getting into the minds of my characters or exploring the world in more detail.

[Tessa]

Hi, I’m Tessa. Well, not really, but for now that’s my pen name.
I didn’t really have time for the summit when it started, but I have the plot pass so I can do it now. I just started going through the videos, but I have no idea how active this sight still is. Despite that, I still want to do this prompt because it looks fun.
My favorite books are a bit all over the place. I have a thing for fairytale rewrites, but I also love Artemis Fowl. In general I try to go for books with lighter moods because I am very susceptible to the mood and style of what I read. Right now, I am going through Sherlock Holmes.
My truck would be a kosher, gluten free bakery truck, because I’m not convinced that exists, but it would be amazing.
For me, the best time for writing is when my siblings are bouncing around and they create my white noise. Then again, I play music through headphones at the same time, but I need my siblings at hand for bouncing ideas off of because I like to write about younger characters and I want the kids who read it someday to relate instead of saying that the author clearly has lost touch with the way kids think.

By the way, my profile picture was randomly chosen by a computer, but it’s a character I created for a sci-fi novel I have abandoned more times than I can count, so I decided to keep it up as motivation to continue that.

[Argent]

We’re still active here. This community consists of more than just folks who joined from the Plot Summit. There are many of Daniel’s students from his various course offerings here too.

[Tessa]

Cool. Thanks for letting me know!

[Lesliearcher1]

I try and read a wide range of fiction and non. Characters that I can love or hate, stories that take me down winding paths and up to the tops of the trees, ideas that I can’t stop thinking about.

Ice cream is the truck I’ll drive and follow anywhere

I write in the morning as soon as I come in from mucking stalls. My thinking space. Not sure what that says about what ends up in my text but it works for me.

[kathleen]

• Hi, firstly the community looks great. My favourite books are The Nightingale and Where the Crawdads Sing and one of my favourite authors is Donal Ryan. Donal Ryan is not someone I would have enjoyed when I was younger. Now I like to read books that don’t always the normal rules of writing. In my youth, it was Stephen King, James Herbert, any murder mystery but now it’s all about the character.
  -All fresh veggies, and fresh coffee and a Rioja!
  -Morning is best time before anyone else gets out of bed - me fresh strong coffee and silence.

[Dess]

Greetings and Good Morning.

Glad to have found this writing community. I’ve been following Daniel David Wallace’s writing email newsletters since the Plot Forrest and have enjoyed them greatly.

The books I most enjoy reading are classic detective mysteries such as Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe detective stories and Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes. I also love the flow and sound of Shakespeare. There’s such a beauty to his work. I like to read his plays and was probably the only student on my campus who read the Shakespeare’s Wordcraft textbook as pleasure reading between classes. It was a happy day when I found the Star Wars series was being written as Shakespeare plays. Honestly, there are so many things I enjoy reading ranging from language reference texts to mystery who-dun-its to classic high fantasy and science fiction has so many branch categories I could go on for a while. Needless to say, my interests are diverse. I’m always down for a an epic adventure with a few plot twists along the way.

As for the food truck…I believe I would go with a menu that had a Japanese flare. I’d want to offer delicious items like yakitori, dango, tempura bites, gyoza, maybe even some fried octopus puffs. Definitely serving some tamagoyaki (egg sushi). I can’t guarantee I wouldn’t be fixing myself breakfast, lunch, and dinner there everyday, but hey - if it’s something you’re passionate for, go for it.

And for the final question, when is my best time to write? It usually ends up being around midnight or at least after the house gets quiet and everyone is in bed. It just happens that’s really the one time I can be quiet and on my own without interruptions. It’s hard to get in the zone for writing during the day unless I’m off by myself. I really do enjoy going out for a cup of coffee to a shop with a cozy atmosphere and listening to music as I write.