hi everyone!
i'm working on a roleplay (akin to a dnd campaign) for my friends this summer. i won't get into the specifics of the format and structure of it, but it will require a lot of writing between me and my friends who i'm working with to write locations, cutscenes, characters, etc. over the course of the few months it'll run. i'm an avid writer in roleplay contexts, but i'll admit that i haven't read much since middle school, and i really want to hone my writing skills so i can produce work that i'm proud of for this project. of course the best way to get better at writing is to write, but i'd like to pick up some books to read along the way for inspiration and seeing technique and style in action.
the setting of my story revolves around a fictional 80s small town in virginia with a serial killer on the loose for the past five years. our list of broad themes are
- systems of power and authority
- justice and inequity
- the shelter of community/pressure of conformity
- nostalgia vs the present
- ignorance vs truth
while the killer in this instance is a person and in a grounded setting, the story will involve supernatural elements, so i'm open to books with either content.
as an example, i read "the stranger" by stephen king a few months ago and couldn't put the first half of it down! the second act went in a direction i didn't enjoy as much, but the first half was exactly the kind of thriller i was looking for.
i know this is kind of an odd request, but it seemed like the best place to find what i'm looking for.
by vernievernie