#WritersCoffeeClub (Sep) 1: Intro: Shameless Self Promotion.
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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.)
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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.)
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 20: Is there one writer whom you admire the most?
Can't think of one who stands above the others, no.
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 20: Is there one writer whom you admire the most?
Can't think of one who stands above the others, no.
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 21: Do you ever regret killing a character, or the manner of their death?
I haven't killed any characters. Yet.
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 21: Do you ever regret killing a character, or the manner of their death?
I haven't killed any characters. Yet.
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 22: Are there any books which should be banned, or is book banning always wrong?
Even things like _Mein Kampf_ can be (and I understand *are*) useful for historians to get a better idea of how fascism grows (and therefore how we can better stop it). I think things like that should be given proper context and framing, but outright banning doesn't fix the underlying problems.
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 22: Are there any books which should be banned, or is book banning always wrong?
Even things like _Mein Kampf_ can be (and I understand *are*) useful for historians to get a better idea of how fascism grows (and therefore how we can better stop it). I think things like that should be given proper context and framing, but outright banning doesn't fix the underlying problems.
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 23: How important is humour in your work? How do you work it in?
It's important to me to have moments of humor (also light-heartedness and joy) but it's not primarily a humorous work. Folks will crack jokes when appropriate, and observe the humor in situations when it's there; they'll also deliberately seek out and create moments of joy in life, because people do that. Things like parties, lunch w/friends, etc. are part of life, and my folks will enjoy them.
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 23: How important is humour in your work? How do you work it in?
It's important to me to have moments of humor (also light-heartedness and joy) but it's not primarily a humorous work. Folks will crack jokes when appropriate, and observe the humor in situations when it's there; they'll also deliberately seek out and create moments of joy in life, because people do that. Things like parties, lunch w/friends, etc. are part of life, and my folks will enjoy them.
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 24: What websites do you rely on most to help you with your writing?
I couldn't possibly narrow it down. Everything from name sites to Google Maps to places where you can ask questions of (Latines/Chinese people/police officers/etc.) to Wikipedia to websites of innumerable colleges, universities, corporations, restaurants, residential buildings, and whatever else.
Gli ultimi otto messaggi ricevuti dalla Federazione
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I'm feeling FOMO for SFSCON this week and TPAC next week.
One thing about being part of the Fediverse movement is that I have a lot of confidence in friends and colleagues who will be on the ground doing good work.
Thanks for everything you do, ActivityPub allies.
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you, smug: "oh you like $thing? how cute! if you're lucky you'll realize $other_thing is better"
no one: "oh you sound like a pleasant person to be around! please tell me about $other_thing"
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wish more people realized that smugness makes for poor tech evangelism
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@alice thanks for making the Fediverse a better place.
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Current* conditions near Isle Royale NP, MI:
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I have an apology to issue. Yesterday, I called out a few large, open-registration instances (mastodon.social, vivaldi.net, and mas.to).
I was ticked off because (once again) a blatant Nazi troll account sent me (and several other folx) swastika photos and hate-speech.
I'm not apologizing for calling out large, open-signup instances. I stand by every word I said. But there's something I *didn't* say, and that's what I believe I owe an apology for.
When you have as many followers as I do, it's easy to start a dogpile—even unintentionally—and because of this, I always try to include a "be kind, don't attack folx" message when I rant about something. Yesterday I forgot to do that, and some mods and admins caught shit for it. It was my responsibility to anticipate my (sometimes overly) enthusiastic followers' reactions and head that off, and I failed to.
If you were one of the people yesterday who sent reports or messages that attacked *any* of the moderation team members of those servers, I would love it if you'd apologize to them. They're all volunteers, just like me, doing their best with what they've got. It's on all of us to make Fedi a safe space for each other.
To any of the wonderful volunteer moderators of Fedi who got nasty messages yesterday—or don't wake up every day feeling appreciated for their work—I'm sorry 🫂 you deserve better. I appreciate you 💞
Update: two of the three above instances' admin teams have personally reached out to me about my original post—and that's amazing! I hope we can work together to make Fedi a safer, more inclusive space for everyone (except Nazis).
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Avoid 2:00 and 3:00 am cron jobs! | End Point Dev (hint: they will clash twice a year with #daylight_savings_time )
https://www.endpointdev.com/blog/2013/04/avoid-200-and-300-am-cron-jobs/?utm_source=tldrwebdev
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I’m developing lots of new stuff for the #WordPress platform.
Text editors for writers, and news products like..
This page updates when there news for WordPress insiders
I love all the opportunities in the platform!
Please help spread the word. 😀
