R.E. Brenner
Hi, I'm Ren (they/them)! I'm a 23 year old writer and artist from Maine, currently working my novel The Life You Gave Me--a passion project that's been in progress since January 2021 and in concept since February 2020. As of June 2024 the third (and intended final!) draft is about two-thirds complete. Publishing in 2025-2026 is the tentative goal!
After a storm, young pirate captain Araevin Siannodel (he/they) docks in the small fishing town of Halsron. There he meets street kid Maddy Cecil (he/him), who promptly tries to cause trouble. Out of the kindness of his heart, Araevin hires Cecil into his crew and gives him an opportunity for a new life that he can't pass up. Cecil finds that aboard the ship he can live the life he's always wanted, by the side of someone who cares for him. He starts going by Maddy. Maddy and Araevin soon fall in love.After five years sailing with Araevin's crew, Maddy disappears.In the time that follows, Araevin loses his passion for sailing and abandons his pirate crew, later joining a party of adventurers to try something new. He even gets a new boyfriend. After five years of Maddy's absense, Araevin has slowly pieced his life back together....Until Maddy shows up again.
The Life You Gave Me is a fantasy romance novel exploring the relationship of a noble pirate and a troublemaker as they get to know each other and realize they're not so insufferable to each other as they thought. By the time they get comfortable in their relationship they're separated for five years. Running back into each other only causes tension and mixed feelings. With time and proper communication, can they find their way back to how things used to be? Do they even want to?
The Life You Gave Me
What's the status?
It's been a long and grueling process. Drafts one and two are complete. Draft three, the current and hopefully final draft, has just reached two-thirds completion as of June 2024. After another long writing block I am back on track, hoping to finish up this draft by the end of the year. After this draft is fully written, I will go over and edit it as needed. After that, it should be at the point where I can take it to publishers.Apologies, again, for not updating this site as often as I should. If you want extensive progress tracking that is consistently updated as progress is made, check my draft three log sheet. I promise I'm hard at work!
How long is it?
At its first draft, TLYGM is 30 chapters and 120 thousand words. Trying to convert this to page numbers gives me varying answers so I'm not sure. At its second draft, TLYGM is 32 chapters and around 75 thousand words. The third draft is in progress at 40 thousand words so far, 20 chapters in. By my estimates, the third draft will probably reach around 60-65 thousand. I've done lots of trimming!
Two parts?
My book is split into two parts. Part one, The Life You Gave Me, is written from Maddy's point of view as he joins the crew and falls in love with Araevin. Part two, The Life We Made Together, is written from Araevin's point of view five years after Maddy's disappearance, before, during, and after they run into each other.
Who's it for?
TLYGM is adult fiction. There's a bit of violence and sexual content, and plenty of cursing. Both main characters are trans men--though them being gay and trans is only one part of who they are! Themes of identity are explored some, but not majorly. In any case, the book is for anyone and everyone interested in a love story and character study in a fantasy setting!The book ends with a happy ending, but Araevin and Maddy's lives after the book's events don't necessarily stay that way. Take that as you will. If you want the happy ending, take it, and if you're interested in the tragedy after you read the book, you are welcome to ask about it.
Other things...
Who even are you?
Oh right. Hi! I'm Ren (they/them), I'm 23 years old, and I'm from coastal Maine. I've been writing for as long as I can remember and it's what I love to do more than anything else. Success doesn't matter so much to me as sharing the thing I love with the world!
You're an artist?
That's correct! Art on the front page and summary page is mine, actually. I draw digitally on my laptop with a connecting drawing tablet. Definitely consider this more of a hobby to me than writing, but I have fun with it.I've been asked if I'd do TLYGM as a graphic novel since I draw, but really it works much better in novel-form being as character and narrative driven as it is. I thought about designing the cover and including sketches at the beginning of each chapter, but at this point I think I'm fine not doing these things; what's important to me is the story itself!
Got any other projects?
Oh, for sure. TLYGM may be my first novel, but once it's finished I have a couple other book ideas--both currently untitled. I also have a dystopian short story published on Vocal--titled Family Comes First--that's available for reading now!One of my other book concepts is a series of short stories in a zombie apocalypse setting telling different people's tales of survival and family (be it by birth or found along the way). The goal is to create post-apocalyptic stories that AREN'T focused on gore, death for shock-factor, or "humanity is inherently evil" messages. I want less of the dull and repetitive stuff like, say, for example, The Walking Dead...
Keep me updated?!
Okay, I still have no idea how to set up a newsletter, and have not looked into it yet, but that is something I'm thinking about. In the meantime, go here and submit your email to let me know you'd like updates! I can't guarantee frequency, but I'd be happy to send out progress emails if there's enough interest!
