#WritersCoffeeClub (Sep) 1: Intro: Shameless Self Promotion.
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 28: Should you avoid running around the Wrekin, beating about the bush and avoid colloquialisms?
In narration, yeah, I think so. Even in close 3rd, where the narration can (and I think *should*) pick up a little of the character's voice and style, it should still be only *a little*, and I think really noticeable colloquialisms like that would be *a lot*, not a little.
In dialogue, of course, it can help delineate your character; do it! (Maybe don't go overboard, though.)
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 1: What inspired you to begin writing?
I'm honestly beginning to think it was leaving behind a job that had been progressively worse and worse for me. I think getting that weight off my psyche was what freed up the creative energy I needed to start writing.
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 1: What inspired you to begin writing?
I'm honestly beginning to think it was leaving behind a job that had been progressively worse and worse for me. I think getting that weight off my psyche was what freed up the creative energy I needed to start writing.
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 2: Have you ever based a character on a real person? Do they know?
All of my characters have at least teensy bits of real people in them, but usually more than one person, and also they're *mostly* stuff I've created myself. The bits of real people are just to lend a little bit of verisimilitude.
There is one character in my WIP who's 100% based on a dear friend who died a couple of years ago. If there is an afterlife, then he knows.
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 2: Have you ever based a character on a real person? Do they know?
All of my characters have at least teensy bits of real people in them, but usually more than one person, and also they're *mostly* stuff I've created myself. The bits of real people are just to lend a little bit of verisimilitude.
There is one character in my WIP who's 100% based on a dear friend who died a couple of years ago. If there is an afterlife, then he knows.
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 3: How much of your worlds are invented versus real? Give examples.
The setting and basic backdrop is modern-day San Francisco, to as high a degree of accuracy as I can do. The magic, and the things that spring from it (like the various groups and orders magicians have formed) are all invented by me.
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 3: How much of your worlds are invented versus real? Give examples.
The setting and basic backdrop is modern-day San Francisco, to as high a degree of accuracy as I can do. The magic, and the things that spring from it (like the various groups and orders magicians have formed) are all invented by me.
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 4: Do environmental concerns feature in your work?
Only in a very backdrop way. The world is undergoing global warming, and my characters will notice and comment on the weather at least once or twice. But it's not their main concern; their issues are more local.
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 4: Do environmental concerns feature in your work?
Only in a very backdrop way. The world is undergoing global warming, and my characters will notice and comment on the weather at least once or twice. But it's not their main concern; their issues are more local.
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 5: Where do you see the future of publishing in ten years' time?
I truly have no idea. I don't know enough about where it's been to predict where it's going.
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 5: Where do you see the future of publishing in ten years' time?
I truly have no idea. I don't know enough about where it's been to predict where it's going.
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 6: What five things do you need to be a writer?
1) A good command of the language you write in
2) A story to tell
3) Some way of recording your words and sending them out to others (whether that be to publishers or posting on AO3 or whatever)That's it.
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 6: What five things do you need to be a writer?
1) A good command of the language you write in
2) A story to tell
3) Some way of recording your words and sending them out to others (whether that be to publishers or posting on AO3 or whatever)That's it.
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 7: Describe an action moment you’re most proud of. Share an excerpt.
I'm sorry, I haven't written any action scenes yet.
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 7: Describe an action moment you’re most proud of. Share an excerpt.
I'm sorry, I haven't written any action scenes yet.
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 8: Do you have a favourite opening line of a book?
I don't tend to do "single, above-all favorite" items, but I have a soft spot for "It was a dark and stormy night", partly because I have a soft spot for _A Wrinkle in Time_.
(Also, shout-out to the variations on "Death came for him/her [in some kind of way]" in Steve Perry's _Matador_ series: "Death came for him through the trees", "…for her from behind a child's game", "…in the form of a trusted friend", etc.)
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 8: Do you have a favourite opening line of a book?
I don't tend to do "single, above-all favorite" items, but I have a soft spot for "It was a dark and stormy night", partly because I have a soft spot for _A Wrinkle in Time_.
(Also, shout-out to the variations on "Death came for him/her [in some kind of way]" in Steve Perry's _Matador_ series: "Death came for him through the trees", "…for her from behind a child's game", "…in the form of a trusted friend", etc.)
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 9: Do you invent places in your work? Are any based on real locations?
I plan to invent at least one bar/café/restaurant that's frequented by city shamans (and owned by one), but aside from that, I'm keeping it as real as I can (aside from things like characters' individual dwelling places — but even for those, I'm trying to base them very much on actual San Francisco homes).
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 9: Do you invent places in your work? Are any based on real locations?
I plan to invent at least one bar/café/restaurant that's frequented by city shamans (and owned by one), but aside from that, I'm keeping it as real as I can (aside from things like characters' individual dwelling places — but even for those, I'm trying to base them very much on actual San Francisco homes).
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 10: Do you want to write full time or are you happy for it to be a hobby/side hustle?
I am okay with it being a hobby, and continuing my career as a web developer. I would also be fine with dropping web development and becoming a full-time writer, but only if my books started making as much money for me as I'm currently earning. That seems extremely unlikely.
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 10: Do you want to write full time or are you happy for it to be a hobby/side hustle?
I am okay with it being a hobby, and continuing my career as a web developer. I would also be fine with dropping web development and becoming a full-time writer, but only if my books started making as much money for me as I'm currently earning. That seems extremely unlikely.
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 11: Do you ever imagine scenes in your work as if they were scenes in a movie or TV show?
Yes, definitely! It seems perfectly natural to do so. But, that being said? I should probably stop that. I'm not writing a screenplay; I'm writing a *novel*, and the storytelling modes are different.
(But I will absolutely keep putting myself inside the scene, in my characters' skins.)
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 11: Do you ever imagine scenes in your work as if they were scenes in a movie or TV show?
Yes, definitely! It seems perfectly natural to do so. But, that being said? I should probably stop that. I'm not writing a screenplay; I'm writing a *novel*, and the storytelling modes are different.
(But I will absolutely keep putting myself inside the scene, in my characters' skins.)
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 12: Do you agree with Ray Bradbury, who said, "Quantity produces quality. If you only write a few things you're doomed"?
I agree there's a positive correlation, but I don't think it's as strong a correlation as Bradbury makes it sound like.
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 12: Do you agree with Ray Bradbury, who said, "Quantity produces quality. If you only write a few things you're doomed"?
I agree there's a positive correlation, but I don't think it's as strong a correlation as Bradbury makes it sound like.
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 13: Do #WritersCoffeeClub, #WordWeavers or #PennedPossibilities inspire you?
Yes, actually! Just a few weeks ago there was a prompt that spurred me to really buckle down and finalize what tattoos Margo Chu has, and that got me thinking a little more about her history and her personal feelings about getting married and having kids. I know there have been a few other ones that made me think more deeply about certain aspects of my work, and made it deeper and richer thereby.
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 13: Do #WritersCoffeeClub, #WordWeavers or #PennedPossibilities inspire you?
Yes, actually! Just a few weeks ago there was a prompt that spurred me to really buckle down and finalize what tattoos Margo Chu has, and that got me thinking a little more about her history and her personal feelings about getting married and having kids. I know there have been a few other ones that made me think more deeply about certain aspects of my work, and made it deeper and richer thereby.
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 14: Should you avoid sentence fragments? Or, should you. Simply not care?
They're fine. When used in moderation. Not too much.
In fiction, anyway. Not in formal or academic writing!
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 14: Should you avoid sentence fragments? Or, should you. Simply not care?
They're fine. When used in moderation. Not too much.
In fiction, anyway. Not in formal or academic writing!
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 15: What would one of your stories be like in an alternative universe? E.g. A Sci-Fi written as a rom-com etc.
The urban fantasy novel I'm writing actually could become a political thriller with not too much work. But another option is, I could almost see turning it into a murder mystery.
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 15: What would one of your stories be like in an alternative universe? E.g. A Sci-Fi written as a rom-com etc.
The urban fantasy novel I'm writing actually could become a political thriller with not too much work. But another option is, I could almost see turning it into a murder mystery.
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 16: How much do you edit as you write, and how much do you leave until the second draft?
I'm not sure yet. I'll find out when I start writing. So far, the one scene (and a couple of extra "bits") I've written were things I didn't intend to go back and revise, so I mostly focused on editing as I wrote, with just 1 or 2 cases of "Okay, I'll fill this bit in later." But when I write in earnest, I expect I'll leave *a lot* more FIX_THIS and FIND_BETTER_WORD tags for myself.
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 16: How much do you edit as you write, and how much do you leave until the second draft?
I'm not sure yet. I'll find out when I start writing. So far, the one scene (and a couple of extra "bits") I've written were things I didn't intend to go back and revise, so I mostly focused on editing as I wrote, with just 1 or 2 cases of "Okay, I'll fill this bit in later." But when I write in earnest, I expect I'll leave *a lot* more FIX_THIS and FIND_BETTER_WORD tags for myself.
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 17: Have you taken high school or college courses in Creative Writing? Were the classes useful?
I took a poetry workshop in college, and I think it was useful. It made me produce stuff, and it gave me experience in both giving and receiving critique. (And the critiques in that class *were* constructive, not people trying to tear each other down or anything like that.)
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 17: Have you taken high school or college courses in Creative Writing? Were the classes useful?
I took a poetry workshop in college, and I think it was useful. It made me produce stuff, and it gave me experience in both giving and receiving critique. (And the critiques in that class *were* constructive, not people trying to tear each other down or anything like that.)
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 18: Do you ever use parentheses/brackets in your writing?
Parentheses? Absolutely. If left to my own devices, I'd nest them three or even four levels deep — and in fact, I used to do so, but came to realize most people had trouble following that kind of logic. (In retrospect, I was already thinking like a programmer.) So now I try to keep them to a minimum, and not nest them.
Brackets, whether square or curly? Not in writing, just coding.
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 18: Do you ever use parentheses/brackets in your writing?
Parentheses? Absolutely. If left to my own devices, I'd nest them three or even four levels deep — and in fact, I used to do so, but came to realize most people had trouble following that kind of logic. (In retrospect, I was already thinking like a programmer.) So now I try to keep them to a minimum, and not nest them.
Brackets, whether square or curly? Not in writing, just coding.
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 19: What do you put into your coffee? Or tea? Is this a vital part of your writing routine?
My morning starts with tea, generally Irish breakfast with moderate amounts of sugar and half-and-half. But my writing doesn't start until later, after the caffeine's kicked in and I'm fully awake.
(When I have coffee, it's with hazelnut syrup and lots of half-and-half — basically a hazelnut café au lait (or if I go to a coffeeshop or café, I'll just order a hazelnut cappuccino).)
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 19: What do you put into your coffee? Or tea? Is this a vital part of your writing routine?
My morning starts with tea, generally Irish breakfast with moderate amounts of sugar and half-and-half. But my writing doesn't start until later, after the caffeine's kicked in and I'm fully awake.
(When I have coffee, it's with hazelnut syrup and lots of half-and-half — basically a hazelnut café au lait (or if I go to a coffeeshop or café, I'll just order a hazelnut cappuccino).)
Special bonus! Last post is an example of the kind of nested parentheses I talked about in the post it's a reply to! (And which I'm making sure not to do in my writing anymore.)
Gli ultimi otto messaggi ricevuti dalla Federazione
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@BathysphereHat NOT UNTIL NOW
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@burnoutqueen how so?
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@tarix29 interesting. So, for the open web, how does a cooperative ecosystem work?
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#Mattarella a favore delle #spesemilitari e del #riarmo
"La spesa per dotarsi di efficaci strumenti che garantiscano la sicurezza collettiva è sempre stata comprensibilmente poco popolare. Anche quando, come in questo caso, si perseguono finalità di tutela della sicurezza e della pace, nel quadro di una politica rispettosa del diritto internazionale. E tuttavia, poche volte come ora, è necessario".
Sergio Mattarella
Presidente della Repubblica
19 dicembre 2025
https://www.quirinale.it/elementi/146590
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@jalefkowit poor Nissan really has been going through it for quite a long time.
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@evan competition is a lie
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