Meet Niki, our resident fantasy lover and all-around dreamer.
About Niki Rhys
As a fantasy writer, I've had my head in the clouds longer than I can remember. While I get paid to write, it's rarely about dragons or sword-wielding heroines. But whether I'm writing for work or writing for fun, a love of language is at the core of what I do. Linguistics is about so much more than where to place that comma -- it's about exploring the way real people talk and the history of communication. Storytelling has been at the core of humanity since early times, and I have always been fascinated with myths and legends.
For me, going to renaissance faire is like getting lost in my favorite stories, but nothing beats curling up in bed with a book and using my imagination to venture to new worlds. And writing allows me to create my own and explore people, places and ideas the real world could never offer.
When I’m not creating layouts in my bullet journal, watching television or playing video games, you might find me trying — poorly — to pick up new hobbies. I’ve dabbled in archery, painting, sewing, embroidery and more. I tried a swordfighting lesson once and I was terrible — it’s even harder than it looks — but that was one of the coolest moments of my life.
Connect with me on Twitter at @nikirhyswrites.
Niki's feedback style
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a fiction writer in possession of a first draft, must be in want of feedback. No writer is perfect. We are always finding ways to improve and deepen our craft, and the best way to take those steps forward is through beta readers. I am incredibly thankful for everyone who has taken a look at my writing and given me *constructive* feedback. We’ve all had a bad beta reader or two, and that’s made me want even more so to help other writers and offer the most specific advice I can, all with the aim of helping them build up their wonderful ideas into a solid finished product.
My favorite thing about being a writer is when different plot lines or ideas converge and everything clicks together, and I get a similar thrill helping other people put their jigsaw puzzles together. I also love digging deep into wording and sentence structure and grammar and looking at how that supports the overall concept of a work.
My current "book crushes" include:
Chime by Franny Billingsley
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
Game of Thrones by George RR Martin
The Marked Princess by EP Stavs
For this competition, I'm looking for:
Categories: YA, NA
Genres: fantasy, science fiction, space opera, romance, magical realism, urban fantasy
If you're a horror writer, I won't be a good fit for you. I also am not looking for hollow female characters or anything bordering on literary fiction.
I'm primarily looking for fantasy, though I do enjoy other genres too. Any kind of magic system, as long as it's consistent, can win me over, whether the story is set in our world or another. Feel free to send me dragons and wizards and curses, as well as stories with more unique worldbuilding. I'm looking for strong female characters; their strength doesn't have to be of the physical kind though it can be. I love romances and romance subplots in other genres, especially if it's not a love at first sight. Platonic love is also something I enjoy reading, as well.
Read with Rhys Book Club
Can't get enough of Niki? Join her monthly book club! It meets on the last Saturday of every month on Twitter. Get all the details here.
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