Twitch Writing Community Member The Unique Lee

Today we’re going to spend some time chatting with The Unique Lee, a fun twitch writing streamer! Hope you enjoy the interview.

Here’s a bit about the Unique Lee:

The Unique Lee is a mid-twenties half-black queer goth maybe vampire and full-time freelancer. They focus on slice-of-life and romance-driven stories with queer multiracial (sometimes goth) characters living their best lives in a fantasy or urban fantasy setting. Many of these numerous stories have been posted across the far reaches of the internet on various social media platforms.

When not writing their stories they’re drawing them through cartoon illustrations of their fantastical worlds or telling the story in outlandish comics.

They may sometimes be heard yelling in the cornfields of Ohio where they dwell or cry out for help under the mountain of countless lists they continue to produce.

What do you stream? (or write in what genre)

I am a creative variety streamer focusing on digital art and creative writing. I enjoy writing a number of different genres usually focusing on LGBTQ+ themes, romance, and slice-of-life while using multiple forms of storytelling ranging from comics to novellas to games.

What is your streaming location?

http://twitch/tv/theuniquelee

How long have you been streaming?

I’ve been a Twitch Affiliate since March of 2019

What is your favorite thing about streaming?

I love being able to chat and share my work with others and streaming allows me to do that in real-time. The chat and I get to have meaningful discussions about stories or the nature of the writing world or just talk tropes we’re tired of. Being able to bounce ideas off so many wonderful people is motivating and invigorating for my creative process.

How do you keep your viewers engaged?I keep viewers engaged with both meaningful and everyday conversations and with fun channel point games. Conversations that involve dissecting a trope or popular plot device help keep everyone talking about something they feel strongly about while the fun and relaxing channel point games allow viewers to easily engage with me, the streamer, in a less mentally taxing way. I also maintain a relaxing environment in my chat which allows viewers to feel at peace when talking in chat. Having a relaxed and calming environment allows everyone a chance to work with ease and without pressure.

Where can people find you?

I’m most active on twitter at (twitter.com/theuniquelee) but all of my social media are listed on my carrd (https://theuniquelee.carrd.co)

Twitch Writing Streamer Feature! Cryssalia

Tells us a little about you:

There is nothing to be told about me. Even I have nothing to say about myself if I were to be honest. Although perhaps, I could start with introducing myself. My name is Cryssalia, a college student of English Major that resides in Malaysia who aspires to be a writer. A Non-binary bisexual, so yes, I am an LGBTQIA+ ally.

I’ve always been passionate with storytelling, built from the love of books since I was only six years old and I dreamed of creating stories that could either reach the shelves or tv. I picked up writing when I was nine, but only became more passionate in the craft when I was fourteen.

I honed my craft from Fanfiction, and in 2018, I begun to pursue original works. It was a struggle, as I was too focus in making my draft perfect, compared myself to other writers and envy them when they are published. It was my biggest mistake, and I lost the joy of storytelling because of my own negativity.

However this year, I have found the perfect writing family and one of them once told me, “It doesn’t matter if it’s self indulgent, just write it!” and it kickstarted my love to write once more. It was my initial drive to write, because I thought it was fun. Now, I’m looking forward to create more stories that I can enjoy with others.

I know when I’ve caught your streams they are always fun. What do you stream? (or write in what genre)

I stream worldbuilding, art, and writing. The genres I’ve written in so far are Dystopian Sci-Fi and Magipunk Fantasy

How long have you been streaming?
Since July 2020 at HTTP://twitch.tv/Cryssalia

How do you keep your viewers engaged?

Talk with the viewers or put up pomodoro writing sprints for them.

What is your favorite thing about streaming?

Able to interact with viewers, gain new ideas, learn about cultures and religions and make a community.

Where can people find you?

People can find me on Twitter or join my Discord server:

https://twitter.com/cryssalia

https://discord.gg/jUpvmpx

It’s fantastic that you’re a part of the Twitch Writing Community. Your streams are fun and I am thrilled to be able to share your stream with so many others!

A Short Story a Day Challenge

We’re declaring January Short Story Creation Month

The energetic start to the year is intended to foster a fun, creative beginning and forward momentum to launch 2021 forward together!

To add to the fun of it all there are several Twitch Writing Streamers who will be joining the challenge. We’ll be streaming writing, chatting, and conversation about writing. We are going to make this a fun, active month together!

For the month of January the goal is to create a short story every single day for the entire month. Much like creating a consistent creative flow in November, we’ll be doing that in January. Each short story will need to be between 1000 and 15, 000 words on any genre.

You will be able to visit:

http://twitch.tv/CoffeeQuills

http://twitch.tv/TheLadyWrites

And many others to enjoy the conversation and encouragement as we grow our short story backlist.

Would you like to join us?

You can either visit the streams or sign up here if you want to be more involved!

Watch this space for writing prompts, a guide book, and how to use your short stories to build your author career!

31 Short Stories 31 Days – Jan and Aug 2021

We’ve done it before and we’re doing it again.

Starting the year off with energy and momentum is a great way to set your year on the right path. This isn’t a planned ‘New Years Resolution’. It’s a goal setting exercise for starting off the year strong. Let’s do it together!

challenge word in transparent glass shapes

As the Twitch Writers Community continues to grow and thrive, challenges are common. We’ve opted to give life to a challenge we’ve done before.

Join us in January to start the year off with 31 Short Stories – A Short Story a day is a huge boost in creative expression, back list growth, and new worlds to play in.

If you don’t hit 31 short stories, but you’ve been writing daily towards that goal you will end up with more stories than you began with.

Our general guide is

*1000 words to 15k words

*Short story in any genre

For myself, I will be aiming for 5000 to 10,000 words in each story daily. They become great fodder for collections, short story releases, and bonus stories.

1000 word short stories are GREAT for patreon supporters, book collections, bonus stories, and newsletter reader magnets.

Watch this space for an upcoming guide, book of writing prompts, and more!

Dale L. Roberts, our first Author Interview!

We are going to begin conducting Author Interviews and expanding our horizons! Check out our first one with Dale L. Roberts!
He is an expert in both Fitness and Self-publishing.

With a portfolio that is more than 40 books long, his passion for healthy living is visible in each creation. Now, he turns his passion for helping others toward fellow self publishers with the Self Publishing with Dale Brand. His thriving business is now redirecting to supporting his fellow authors and helping them develop their brand.

Check out his interview below.

Why I write – 2010 version

Writing is something that people do for many reasons, for me it’s simply one of my passions. I started to create my own creative stories while I was still a child. These stories often held onto me and pulled me into the creation process with an intensity I’d not experienced prior. The enjoyable expression and creation process dragged me along until I finished my first of many short stories. What’s terrible is that it wasn’t enough. I had to keep writing and I wanted to be writing about anything and everything. I did for all of my formative years and into young adulthood.

Unfortunately for me, I had a long hiatus from writing when I first got married. The ex husband had it in his head that I should only aspire to ‘tangible’ things. School was acceptable until we couldn’t afford it for us both. Work was okay, as long as I punched a clock at some store or call center, or it was acceptable if I dropped all of my clothing on display for other men. Now, to put that last part in proper context, I met the man right after I had been raped. Although he made me feel safe, for a while, he did nothing to help me sort through the insanity of emotions ebbing and flowing through me at any point. In the eyes of the local crisis counselor, I was fine because I didn’t blame the world for the faults of one person. The dancing, which is typical of many rape victims, as I learned by doing so, was in many respects like a therapy for me. This doesn’t mean this was the best choice I could have made under the circumstances. Once I got my head straight enough to focus on my marriage, that’s what I wanted to do. He wanted the money I made by being on display for other men and pushed me to re-enter a business I no longer wanted, needed or felt was healthy for our marriage. In the end, this became an issue that finally quieted and is now a fantastic reflection point.

Anyway, moving on… That was a lifetime ago. I find it’s incredible and wonderful fodder for books, articles and information yet to come. When I had my first child, he struggled for 9 months in the hospital before he came home to me. I had to stop working outside of the home because he was home on oxygen and a feeding tube. Yes, they sent nurses home with us for the first three months, but knowing I had HELLP syndrome, and had become pregnant with my second, the nurses were still called away. I managed the home, the children and my health on my own. Yes, the ex paid the bills but that really was it. He didn’t even comprehend the monitors involved with our prince, let alone stick around the house long enough to find out. That’s when I decided that I needed to be writing again and I started to seek out jobs doing this.

At the time, it seemed the easiest was to create online web content that would draw people into the function of the site. Sounds wonderful, but the work was mediocre at best. Among my first jobs included 500 words for a dollar and an expectation of 5 to 10 a day at that rate. Somehow, I learned to do this with two children, one still on oxygen at night and the other typically in my arms because the baby had to be quiet for the house to sleep. I took the jobs and plugged along, and started to place ads. As I learned the trade and the skills needed to market myself, my clients and rate of pay increased. For a while, I had more than enough work to contract out to others. The team that started to work with me was incredible and I unintentionally became a manager. This unacceptable course of action, in the eyes of the ex, made things very hard for me and ultimately for my kids. The summer I was doing best and nearly matched his income, he took a baseball bat to the house, and computer because I had asked him to help our eldest get to sleep. My fault, of course, I should have known that he’d not had enough sleep to be a dad that day… silly me. Well, in his mind anyway. Both of my kids spent the evening screaming until I was able to calm them. That night and I knew that this wasn’t going to last. He diligently found ways to make my work hard if not impossible on me and I had to rebuild my reputation. With time, it is possible. I trudged through my days trying to find time to write and time to create new content and places to sell that content.

Then the ex started to get promoted at his job so naturally, the moving forced my business to suffer and rebuilding my business began again. I was incredibly happy for him and willingly followed him anywhere, but I knew I was sticking with writing because writing was what I know and knew I could do well. I had learned from the brief kiss of success that this is where I belong. My children beside me and my computer in front of me, I found a way to keep bringing in some kind of income, even as we moved repeatedly. Through the process, he often worked or went out on his own, leaving me with the children, my business and the home.

Then I had the straw the broke the camel’s back and threw me into a tail spin unlike he’d ever caused before. Had this one event never happened, I would have remained, regardless of my own personal discomfort. My son had been showing signs of an autism spectrum disorder called asbergers. I researched it relentlessly. I should have been writing on what I learned but was so focused on helping my son, obviously that wasn’t my priority. The ex couldn’t believe his ‘now healthy’ son had this disorder. His mind of autism was strictly that of a classic autistic kid. This being the child who rocks themselves randomly or persistently. The adorable kid who couldn’t or wouldn’t talk to anyone ever. The one most people hear about but avoid getting to know because they are not ‘normal’ enough. That’s not my son. Asbergers is a disorder where the child can communicate. They are very verbal about things they enjoy and are focused on. These children, do, however have significant difficulties with social settings. They are uncomfortable having to confront daily situations that most would embrace with ease. In most cases, my son included, they have multiple issues that need addressed. For my son, he has a sensory disorder that is directly related to sounds. A new sound that is loud instantly puts him into a state of fear and he clings to me intently, even at seven years old. He also has severe ADHD, for this we are treating him with medicine. I am striving not to make that a lifelong answer. It is possible for children like my son to live normal, full lives, but it takes giving them resources and support until they have the skills to do so. As you can see, this clearly requires a different approach from what other children may experience. My ex didn’t comprehend this and as such, his deemed him an incorrigible child and took to severely disciplining him with every offense. The last time was when he made son strip down to his underwear and beat him with a belt until his leg bled. Obviously, I left that week. My son needed our help, not beaten into submission or having his spirit broken in order to control him.

Needless to say, I write because I have amazing children. I write because writing is as much my passion as my children. Today, I focus on teaching others, learning more about the skills needed and expressing the information in a way that will support and encourage. I also still write freelance, build websites
and promote clients. I am also striving to complete a series of science fiction novels, a book about healthy weight gain and I’m working with Ethics Trading on the production of the With Love charity series. I encourage writers, support my children’s strengths and hope to one day see the business I’m building now, become the stability of our future.

So that’s why I write … what’s your story?