This week’s Writer of the Week title is a bit special because it goes to a group of writers who mastered the art of fear on t2. They're the authors of many stories you might have read on t/Horror. Sheeban, Ruy, Mehdi, and Jean, or The Horror Cabal.
How did you meet?
I was hanging out on Orb, where I saw someone’s post, saying something like “Lens doesn’t have many magazines, like Bons AI etc” and Ruy commented “oh yeah, let’s create one lmao” or some response in that line. I sent him a DM asking him if he really wanted to do this, and we started working. He then invited Jean who was immediately on board, and I invited Mehdi. Then we started working on the first issue of The Pamphlet, iterating and iterating again!
What are you working on now?
As a group, we are still working on the shape of The Pamphlet’s second issue. To be fair, the magazine form was a little bit more than we could chew. While I would not mind going back to it at a later date, we are now figuring out how we could ship a lot faster and simply focusing on generating better value for the reader!
What are some of the works you want us to share for their group project?
And here, let’s get to know some of the writers individually as well ❤️‍🔥
A brief introduction of yourself.
Sheeban: I am Sheeban, your local witchy writer! 24, queer, huge nerd.
Mehdi: I am... let's say at a crossroads... I feel stuck in my job as a developer in a large company, just another employee among many, and I realize that I crave creativity, autonomy, and sovereignty. Writing gives me a true sense of accomplishment, and the more I learn about Web3 and blockchain, the more I envision a fairer future for creators and readers.
What topics and genres do you write about?
S: I write mostly about horror and mystery.
M: Horror! It's my favorite genre, and the type of stories that come naturally to me. It's the perfect universe to explore the fears we all have deep inside: loneliness, the repetition of family patterns, the loss of control… There is so much to explore… It's a way to face these fears and truly measure the horror while staying safe on the other side of the book.
What inspires you to write?
S: In my case, writing was always a crucial need. Whether I was fully aware of it or not. Without writing there is no Sheeban. Consuming or crafting stories is like eating lunch or drinking water: simply the reason I am still roaming this Earth.
M: Usually, it's topics that are on my mind and that I want to put on paper. Ideas or my own fears that I need to express and explore. I get a lot of inspiration from real phenomena or stories because reality often is stranger than fiction!
What's your goal as a writer?
S: I want to live off my writings! I mean, who wouldn't, right? Also, making a living by selling my stories will allow me to experiment a lot more with my art, and not just write “stories” or “books”, but even deeper, more engaging reading experiences.
M: To share a story that could touch a reader and leave a small trace of creativity behind me.
How do you see technology impacting writing and publishing?
S: I love it! For years the community has been wondering when and how writers will be able to get directly involved with their communities. We’ve seen it with the self-publishing movement, Kickstarters, Patreons etc... But technology allows us to transcend that paradigm and truly shift the power structures in place. The next few years will be golden.
M: I think we are at a turning point in the field of writing; the tools are here, or almost here, and all that's left is to take the plunge. For me, technology has been a great help in my journey:
· AI: Generative AI has been my favorite research assistant to keep details realistic! Additionally, it greatly helped me translate my story into English since I write in my native language, French. Instead of spending months carefully translating or paying a hefty sum to a translator, I was able to handle this task independently. Lastly, I used AI to generate illustrations for my story: similarly, this is a service that would have cost me money to hire an artist, but for a small pet project like mine, it allowed me to give an aesthetic to my universe, and it was a very interesting experience.
· Blockchain: To me, it's another major tool that allows us to no longer depend on publishing houses to hope to be read and compensated. For now, all of this is still new, but I can't wait to see what it will bring: NFT sales, tips on Web3 social networks, etc. In a world where new writers can feel intimidated by rejections from publishing houses seeking profitability and avoiding risks at all costs, or with Web2 platforms seeking monopolies and claiming most of the gains, a permissionless, neutral, and intermediary-free ecosystem can, in my opinion, completely change the game.
What are you writing now? What project are you currently working on?
S: I am writing a horror novella called “What Happens After The End”. It portrays a group of gifted students discovering the weird phenomena taking place in their summer camp. As a group, we are working on the second issue of The Pamphlet, as well as some fun concepts that may see the light of day soon!
M: Last year I finished my first book, and I learned a lot about writing and story building. For the past few months, I've started a new novel – a kind of sequel, if you will. I drew many conclusions from my first adventure as an author, and I'm eager to prove to myself that I have evolved and improved! I'm trying to find time to write outside of work, but it's not always easy! I hope to present something at Friends Who Write S3!
What makes you write on t2?
S: I feel like the community (myself included), have been waiting for such a platform for a long time. Whether you were a Reddit or Wattpad child, t2 will speak to your soul.
M: My initial reason was FWW S2!! But I will continue writing on this platform because I like that my texts are on a decentralized platform and not on servers. They are accessible on multiple supports, all linked with Lens and blockchain. I'm a big fan of open source, and I want to live in a world where access to information and entertainment is free and guaranteed, and have a more community-based system, and maybe a volunteer-based compensation (I'm still thinking of a concept for that). I also love the UX, the ease, and simplicity of publishing.
What’s your favorite feature on t2?
S: The Territories! As t/Horror admin, I take huge pride in my Territory. It’s a great way to gather tight communities around their beloved subjects. It’s home for your inner self!
M: Time Points are really nice; they give a better representation of the impact of the text on the readers!
Use one sentence to describe the writing communities on t2.
S: Absolute nerds (in the best way possible)!
M: A family of explorers! Sailing out to discover Web3 and new writing topics, creating outposts in the wilderness of the decentralized web, and serving as beacons that inspire us to keep adventuring further.
