#WritersCoffeeClub (Sep) 1: Intro: Shameless Self Promotion.
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 20: Do you agree with Terry Pratchett, who said, "There's no such thing as writer's block. That was invented by people in California who couldn't write."
WTF?
I generally have a good impression of Sir Pterry (despite not having read anything of his except whichever is the half of _Good Omens_ that he wrote), so I'm wondering if maybe this was just a line that one of his character said, and he doesn't believe it himself? 1/2
Or is it misleadingly out-of-context in some other way, as so many of these quotes have been?
Whatever. Basically, the slur against California isn't landing very well over here, in this San Franciscan's mind and heart. 2/2
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Or is it misleadingly out-of-context in some other way, as so many of these quotes have been?
Whatever. Basically, the slur against California isn't landing very well over here, in this San Franciscan's mind and heart. 2/2
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 21: If you write adult fiction, would you consider children's stories and vice versa? Do you write both? How's it going?
I don't have any real desire to write children's stories. I think I'd be okay at it if an idea hit me that would work well in that genre, but... that's not the kind of thing I usually think about and care about, so that seems unlikely.
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 21: If you write adult fiction, would you consider children's stories and vice versa? Do you write both? How's it going?
I don't have any real desire to write children's stories. I think I'd be okay at it if an idea hit me that would work well in that genre, but... that's not the kind of thing I usually think about and care about, so that seems unlikely.
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 22: What's your favourite writing convention to eschew?
"Writing *convention*" doesn't sound to me like "faux, overly-prescriptive grammar 'rule'", so I don't need to mention things like splitting infinitives or the fact that prepositions are perfectly legitimate things to end sentences with. So let me see, what are some writing conventions? 🤔 1/3
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 22: What's your favourite writing convention to eschew?
"Writing *convention*" doesn't sound to me like "faux, overly-prescriptive grammar 'rule'", so I don't need to mention things like splitting infinitives or the fact that prepositions are perfectly legitimate things to end sentences with. So let me see, what are some writing conventions? 🤔 1/3
To a fair degree, I'm *not* writing what I know. I am writing from the POVs of a lot of people who have lived experiences that are very different from my own. Women, enbies, Black people, Asian-Americans and Hispanics, people who grew up poor... Okay, also a few rich and powerful people.
I'm kind of diving into the deep end here, but there's no way I can tell the story without doing that. I'm being as careful and conscientious about it as I can. I'm doing my best. 2/3
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To a fair degree, I'm *not* writing what I know. I am writing from the POVs of a lot of people who have lived experiences that are very different from my own. Women, enbies, Black people, Asian-Americans and Hispanics, people who grew up poor... Okay, also a few rich and powerful people.
I'm kind of diving into the deep end here, but there's no way I can tell the story without doing that. I'm being as careful and conscientious about it as I can. I'm doing my best. 2/3
Additionally, I'm writing a multi-POV, ensemble story as my first book. I think most people would have advised me to start with a single MC. But again, this story requires multiple POVs and MCs.
A few months ago, I'd have added that I'm starting with a full novel, when there's lots of (good!) advice to write shorter things first. But I've recently realized that's what my vignettes are for. So, yay, I'm at least doing one thing that's not utterly foolish! 😄 3/3
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Additionally, I'm writing a multi-POV, ensemble story as my first book. I think most people would have advised me to start with a single MC. But again, this story requires multiple POVs and MCs.
A few months ago, I'd have added that I'm starting with a full novel, when there's lots of (good!) advice to write shorter things first. But I've recently realized that's what my vignettes are for. So, yay, I'm at least doing one thing that's not utterly foolish! 😄 3/3
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 23: How do you capture a character's unique voice in dialogue?
For the most part, things like word choice and tone. That tone might occasionally be indicated by dialogue tags, though I'm of the opinion that roughly 90% of dialogue tags should just be "said" (or "asked" if that's the case). The time to use variant ones is when it will give the reader extra information — such as a character's unique voice!
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 23: How do you capture a character's unique voice in dialogue?
For the most part, things like word choice and tone. That tone might occasionally be indicated by dialogue tags, though I'm of the opinion that roughly 90% of dialogue tags should just be "said" (or "asked" if that's the case). The time to use variant ones is when it will give the reader extra information — such as a character's unique voice!
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 24: Do you criticize other writers? Who and in what way?
I mostly criticize things writers *say*, not the writers themselves. Like Stephen King's thing about not using adverbs, or Raymond Chandler's advice on having someone come through the door with a gun if you're not sure what to do next, which can easily result in a very tangled plotline full of threads with no clear antecedents. (In essence, a forest of _diaboli ex machini_.) 1/3
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 24: Do you criticize other writers? Who and in what way?
I mostly criticize things writers *say*, not the writers themselves. Like Stephen King's thing about not using adverbs, or Raymond Chandler's advice on having someone come through the door with a gun if you're not sure what to do next, which can easily result in a very tangled plotline full of threads with no clear antecedents. (In essence, a forest of _diaboli ex machini_.) 1/3
A major exception is JK Rowling. Not only do I criticize her world-building (which falls apart the moment you give it more than a passing glance, and is a perfect example of the kind of shoddy world-building I'm determined to avoid), I also criticize her as a person. Calling her a TERF would be a misnomer, since the F stands for "feminist", and she doesn't stand up for women — not even herself, as exemplified by her bowing to pressure to use initials instead of her feminine given name. 2/3
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A major exception is JK Rowling. Not only do I criticize her world-building (which falls apart the moment you give it more than a passing glance, and is a perfect example of the kind of shoddy world-building I'm determined to avoid), I also criticize her as a person. Calling her a TERF would be a misnomer, since the F stands for "feminist", and she doesn't stand up for women — not even herself, as exemplified by her bowing to pressure to use initials instead of her feminine given name. 2/3
This piece is an insightful (and honestly kind of heartbreaking) study in what she might have done and written if she *had* been a feminist: https://globalcomment.com/in-praise-of-hermione-granger-series/ I wish I could read *that* series; it sounds pretty damn good. 3/3
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This piece is an insightful (and honestly kind of heartbreaking) study in what she might have done and written if she *had* been a feminist: https://globalcomment.com/in-praise-of-hermione-granger-series/ I wish I could read *that* series; it sounds pretty damn good. 3/3
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 25: How long is the shortest story you've ever written? Can you link to it?
I guess I can consider my vignettes to be stories. The shortest one is the one where Jessie Nakamura comes out to her older brother, George; it's 956 words.
I haven't put it up anywhere public. (Yet. Maybe someday. After the actual book is published.)
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 25: How long is the shortest story you've ever written? Can you link to it?
I guess I can consider my vignettes to be stories. The shortest one is the one where Jessie Nakamura comes out to her older brother, George; it's 956 words.
I haven't put it up anywhere public. (Yet. Maybe someday. After the actual book is published.)
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 26: Have you entered any contests? Which would you recommend?
I haven't, and I don't know nearly enough about any to recommend any.
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 26: Have you entered any contests? Which would you recommend?
I haven't, and I don't know nearly enough about any to recommend any.
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 27: What's been a key non-fiction book for researching your current/recent writing project?
I can't think of any non-fiction books that I've used for research on this project. Lots of non-fiction online sources, but no books.
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 27: What's been a key non-fiction book for researching your current/recent writing project?
I can't think of any non-fiction books that I've used for research on this project. Lots of non-fiction online sources, but no books.
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 28: Do you make any of your work available for free? Would you?
Not yet, but once I get the book into print and set up a website for my writing (as opposed to my web development), I do plan to make some supplemental material available on that site. That will probably include some of the vignettes I've been writing for practice — some of them may get elevated to "canon" status. (As alluded to in https://wandering.shop/@kagan/113368727324413693.)
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 28: Do you make any of your work available for free? Would you?
Not yet, but once I get the book into print and set up a website for my writing (as opposed to my web development), I do plan to make some supplemental material available on that site. That will probably include some of the vignettes I've been writing for practice — some of them may get elevated to "canon" status. (As alluded to in https://wandering.shop/@kagan/113368727324413693.)
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 29: What is your editing process? How do you know it is done?
First, let something sit for at least a week or two. Maybe more. Then, either open it up in my text editor, or actually print it out. Either way, start reading through it and seeing what feels awkward. What snags, or catches badly on my mind.
If I'm working with a soft copy, I'll generally edit that immediately, on the spot. But... 1/3
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 29: What is your editing process? How do you know it is done?
First, let something sit for at least a week or two. Maybe more. Then, either open it up in my text editor, or actually print it out. Either way, start reading through it and seeing what feels awkward. What snags, or catches badly on my mind.
If I'm working with a soft copy, I'll generally edit that immediately, on the spot. But... 1/3
...I'm getting more attracted to the printed-out, hard-copy editing, where I'll write my notes on it with one of those four-color ballpoint pens. Red for things that need to go. Blue for things I'm not sure about, or that could maybe stand a little improvement, or that just make me go, "Hmmm." Green for things that I actually like. (And no black, because that's the color that the existing, printed draft is in.) 2/3
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...I'm getting more attracted to the printed-out, hard-copy editing, where I'll write my notes on it with one of those four-color ballpoint pens. Red for things that need to go. Blue for things I'm not sure about, or that could maybe stand a little improvement, or that just make me go, "Hmmm." Green for things that I actually like. (And no black, because that's the color that the existing, printed draft is in.) 2/3
The only way I can think of it as "done" is when I do an editing pass and I don't change anything. I've done that with a couple of vignettes and sent them to my alpha reader, and they came back with a bunch of notes about things I hadn't even seen.
With the colored pens, it'll probably be "when there's no more red ink on it", and maybe no blue, either. 3/3
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The only way I can think of it as "done" is when I do an editing pass and I don't change anything. I've done that with a couple of vignettes and sent them to my alpha reader, and they came back with a bunch of notes about things I hadn't even seen.
With the colored pens, it'll probably be "when there's no more red ink on it", and maybe no blue, either. 3/3
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 30: How much world-building do you do before starting your first draft (if any)?
Hahahahaha 💀
Even people who have simply seen my answers on this hashtag, never mind ones who actually follow me, have probably noticed that I did *huge* amounts of world-building... and I haven't started that first draft yet!
(And this is for a work set in San Francisco in 2024. Imagine how much I'll do for a multi-species, parsecs-spanning space opera someday...)
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 30: How much world-building do you do before starting your first draft (if any)?
Hahahahaha 💀
Even people who have simply seen my answers on this hashtag, never mind ones who actually follow me, have probably noticed that I did *huge* amounts of world-building... and I haven't started that first draft yet!
(And this is for a work set in San Francisco in 2024. Imagine how much I'll do for a multi-species, parsecs-spanning space opera someday...)
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 31: What's your tip for getting into a writing groove?
It's not something I can always force to occur, but: find something that hooks your interest. It might be writing a new scene; it might be editing an existing scene; it might be doing revisions or just one of those things you left yourself a note about, weeks ago, saying "do this sometime."
Just get started. Then try to build momentum.
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 31: What's your tip for getting into a writing groove?
It's not something I can always force to occur, but: find something that hooks your interest. It might be writing a new scene; it might be editing an existing scene; it might be doing revisions or just one of those things you left yourself a note about, weeks ago, saying "do this sometime."
Just get started. Then try to build momentum.
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 1: Introduce yourself in the third person, as if you're a world-famous author.
And now I'd like to introduce a man whose books have thrilled, entranced, and inspired millions of people around the globe. 1/2
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 1: Introduce yourself in the third person, as if you're a world-famous author.
And now I'd like to introduce a man whose books have thrilled, entranced, and inspired millions of people around the globe. 1/2
From his start in urban fantasy, writing about city wizards, to his more recent hopepunk sci-fi, and his space opera exploring different minds and different languages, his works of imagination are only exceeded by their heart and compassion. Of course, I'm talking about the inimitable, the incredible Kagan MacTane. Please give him a warm round of applause! 2/2
Gli ultimi otto messaggi ricevuti dalla Federazione
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@versodiverso @ulisse62 @politica
> personaggi di sinistra...che partono da proprie idee (non dati di fatto) e pretendono che siano dogmi, se controbatti ti denigrano e se chiedi spiegazioni si sbocciano e ti bloccano
Questi tipini (io li chiamo gli adepti) sono esattamente il carburante preferito dai capi e capetti dei partitini di sinistra: i capi offrono un ambiente in cui l'adepto ha sempre ragione, e in cambio ottengono quel minimo di sostegno che garantisce ai capi la sopravvivenza
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Par🇮🇹le n°1356 4/6
⬛🟨⬛🟨⬛
🟩⬛⬛⬛🟩
🟩⬛⬛🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
https://pietroppeter.github.io/wordle-it/
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@dexter @lw depends how one defines "desktop systems".
I have a Talos II dual socket which hangs out around head height a few feet from my desk in one of the racks, which idles quieter than most gaming boxes. I only bring that up for comparison purposes because 144 cores of power9 doesn't limit its use to the datacenter — it requires a good understanding of airflow requirements and case design.
So, on that I will stand behind the statement that at least the scale-out series of IBM LC922 2U servers could be repurposed into a quiet enough 4U chassis with multiple 120-140mm 1.6-2K RPM PWM fans — ideally a supermicro case since IBM already contracted them to make the LC922, so the SMBus and PMbus connections would not need conversion — substantially simplifying the effort for desk use.
There are occasions when one finds them on eBay, sometimes even a few. Otherwise, I've only seen Raptor.
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@ulisse62 @informapirata @politica Secondo me, no. Il problema sono personaggi di sinistra che spesso incontro anche qui, che partono da proprie idee (non dati di fatto) e pretendono che siano dogmi, se controbatti ti denigrano e se chiedi spiegazioni si sbocciano e ti bloccano.
Queste persone esistono anche nel mondo reale ma sarà sempre impossibile dialogare, perché o è come dicono loro o nulla.
Servirebbe un pochino più di umiltà a sinistra.
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@memeorandum wtf
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Trump Justice Dept. Closed Investigation Into Tom Homan for Accepting Bag of Cash (New York Times)
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/20/us/politics/tom-homan-fbi-trump.html
http://www.memeorandum.com/250920/p71#a250920p71
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Even if the two of us are torn apart
I swear that I will change the world
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E ricomincia l'attesa...
