#WritersCoffeeClub (Sep) 1: Intro: Shameless Self Promotion.
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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
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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
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 2: Do you write to music? If so, do you feel it influences your story?
I have two types of music I write to:
First, my general writing playlist, which is a mix of stuff that varies in atmosphere, but is generally mid-tempo. It's intended to keep me going, keep my mind in a focused-but-loose state where I can play with possibilities, write stuff down, etc. 1/3
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 2: Do you write to music? If so, do you feel it influences your story?
I have two types of music I write to:
First, my general writing playlist, which is a mix of stuff that varies in atmosphere, but is generally mid-tempo. It's intended to keep me going, keep my mind in a focused-but-loose state where I can play with possibilities, write stuff down, etc. 1/3
Anytime it doesn't mesh with what I'm doing, I bump it to the next track (on shuffle, natch). I can do that with a single keystroke-chord, so it doesn't even interrupt my flow.
So if that one influences my story, something's wrong. It's really not supposed to. 2/3
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Anytime it doesn't mesh with what I'm doing, I bump it to the next track (on shuffle, natch). I can do that with a single keystroke-chord, so it doesn't even interrupt my flow.
So if that one influences my story, something's wrong. It's really not supposed to. 2/3
But second is the whole bunch of playlists I've put together for various characters. There are even a couple that are for specific scenes! And those very much *are intended* to influence the writing. They're to get me specifically in the mood of that character. That's their job. 3/3
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But second is the whole bunch of playlists I've put together for various characters. There are even a couple that are for specific scenes! And those very much *are intended* to influence the writing. They're to get me specifically in the mood of that character. That's their job. 3/3
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 3: What's the best money you ever spent as a writer?
I can't think of a single thing. I can't recall anything I've spent money on specifically as a writer or for writing, except for the four-color ballpoint pen I got a few weeks back for hard-copy editing. That was something like $3.99. Can I really count something like that? 🤷🏻 Really, I got nothin', here.
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 3: What's the best money you ever spent as a writer?
I can't think of a single thing. I can't recall anything I've spent money on specifically as a writer or for writing, except for the four-color ballpoint pen I got a few weeks back for hard-copy editing. That was something like $3.99. Can I really count something like that? 🤷🏻 Really, I got nothin', here.
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 4: Do you find your writing skills or writer's instinct useful in other walks of life?
Not that I've noticed.
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 4: Do you find your writing skills or writer's instinct useful in other walks of life?
Not that I've noticed.
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 5: Share a snippet of what you've most recently written.
It's not what I'd normally choose to share, but what the hell. Here's the opening of my latest vignette. It's just setting the scene and giving me some practice at things like descriptions (and it also forced me to figure out some side characters and background stuff), but it's not something that'll go into the book itself. Also it's 1st-draft (a natural consequence of asking for "most recently written" material).
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 5: Share a snippet of what you've most recently written.
It's not what I'd normally choose to share, but what the hell. Here's the opening of my latest vignette. It's just setting the scene and giving me some practice at things like descriptions (and it also forced me to figure out some side characters and background stuff), but it's not something that'll go into the book itself. Also it's 1st-draft (a natural consequence of asking for "most recently written" material).
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 6: Do you ever move characters between stories (if, for example, they don't fit into one plot), or are they intrinsic to their story?
They're intrinsic to their stories.
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 6: Do you ever move characters between stories (if, for example, they don't fit into one plot), or are they intrinsic to their story?
They're intrinsic to their stories.
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 7: Is there one genre or subgenre you would never write?
I find Westerns boring and annoying. I'm not much into military SF, either, and I wouldn't be very good at it, having a generally anti-military mindset. I wouldn't write either of those (sub-)genres.
[Edit: Oh that's right, I keep forgetting "Christian" is also a genre. That's one I'd *seriously* never write, and I can't imagine any of that genre's fans would enjoy what I'd produce if I did.]
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 7: Is there one genre or subgenre you would never write?
I find Westerns boring and annoying. I'm not much into military SF, either, and I wouldn't be very good at it, having a generally anti-military mindset. I wouldn't write either of those (sub-)genres.
[Edit: Oh that's right, I keep forgetting "Christian" is also a genre. That's one I'd *seriously* never write, and I can't imagine any of that genre's fans would enjoy what I'd produce if I did.]
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 8: Where do you get your books?
These days, largely from the Brooklyn Public Library.
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 8: Where do you get your books?
These days, largely from the Brooklyn Public Library.
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 9: Do you ever use particular punctuation characters like [, ], {, }, <, >, #, _, *? How do you use them?
I haven't yet had cause to use those in my *writing* (as opposed to my day job of coding...), with 2 exceptions that only apply in drafts, not the finished product: 1/5
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 9: Do you ever use particular punctuation characters like [, ], {, }, <, >, #, _, *? How do you use them?
I haven't yet had cause to use those in my *writing* (as opposed to my day job of coding...), with 2 exceptions that only apply in drafts, not the finished product: 1/5
1) If I have to leave a note for myself to fix or fill in something later, I do it in ALL_CAPS_WITH_UNDERSCORES_INSTEAD_OF_SPACES. The all-caps ensure I can *really* spot it later, and the underscores mean I can highlight the whole thing with a simple double-click, as they mean the computer considers it to be a single word. Then it's easy to type over and replace when the time comes. 2/5
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@memoire2cite Magirus-Deutz “Rundhauber”.
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the housing market isn't actually broken. it is working exactly as designed by the people who own the houses.
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All these moves to lighter and lighter switches to (unfortunately) avoid too many complaints at office. 😒
So, I thought about those silent things because they are heavy enough so possibly being not so... "mushy", as I do feel the Red-like/linear switches.
But I really dislike linear switches, so I'm really unsure what to do.
Ideas? Hints?
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#MechanicalKeyboards friends, I need your help!
#askFedi_Question_: what do you think about the Bokeh Ambients Silent switches?
I am thinking of buying the Piantor Pro BT from https://www.keebart.com/products/piantor-wireless
_Background_:
1. I had an IBM Model M #keeb for 20+ years
2. I moved to a Filco Majestouch 2 TKL with #Cherry MX Blues
3. I also had a GMMK 1 #MechanicalKeyboard with #Gateron Blues
4. Then I moved to an ErgoDash with #Kailh Whites Box (current daily driver).
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@beandev That's awesome to hear!
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@joel 😄 yes, similar experience.
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@evan is that the greenhouse gas part of a lifecycle analysis? 🤔
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This is so important!
