#WritersCoffeeClub (Sep) 1: Intro: Shameless Self Promotion.
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There's one (non-spoilery) scene in particular that's always stuck with me, and that I'm sure was entirely intentional on Cooper's part. Will's learned that a magical artifact he has with him reacts to evil influences in the vicinity by growing cold, and if it feels warm, that's a good sign. One evening in his family's living room, as people prep for Christmas and enjoy each other's company, it winds up feeling actually _hot_. 3/7
His parents explain that away as being from him having been near the fireplace, but the import is clear: the loving environment of his family is a *good* one.
The movie throws that all away.
I understand the movie makers said they wanted to give Will more of an "outsider" feel. They say that's why they made him and his family Americans living in England for some reason. (Dad's job? I forget.) Anyway... suuuuure, we all believe that load of shit. 🙄 4/7
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His parents explain that away as being from him having been near the fireplace, but the import is clear: the loving environment of his family is a *good* one.
The movie throws that all away.
I understand the movie makers said they wanted to give Will more of an "outsider" feel. They say that's why they made him and his family Americans living in England for some reason. (Dad's job? I forget.) Anyway... suuuuure, we all believe that load of shit. 🙄 4/7
But that's nothing compared to what they did to his family life. There's no warmth. His older brothers range from dismissing and ostracizing him to outright bullying him. It's a stark and disgusting contrast to the way his brother Paul treats him kindly in the book when he's terrified by a Dark attack.
Aside from that, the magic in the book feels mystical, special, and numinous. In the movie? It's just random comic-book superpowers. The sense of connection to English mythos is totally lost. 5/7
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But that's nothing compared to what they did to his family life. There's no warmth. His older brothers range from dismissing and ostracizing him to outright bullying him. It's a stark and disgusting contrast to the way his brother Paul treats him kindly in the book when he's terrified by a Dark attack.
Aside from that, the magic in the book feels mystical, special, and numinous. In the movie? It's just random comic-book superpowers. The sense of connection to English mythos is totally lost. 5/7
The movie had not the ghost of an idea of what made the book so special and beloved. It trampled on many things that were at the heart of the story.
It was awful in every way, and not even "so bad it's good"; it was just bad. Honestly, even if you don't know the book, I think it would just feel like a lackluster, formulaic modern fantasy movie with nothing special about it.
But if you *do* know the book, you can see just how awful a travesty it is. 6/7
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The movie had not the ghost of an idea of what made the book so special and beloved. It trampled on many things that were at the heart of the story.
It was awful in every way, and not even "so bad it's good"; it was just bad. Honestly, even if you don't know the book, I think it would just feel like a lackluster, formulaic modern fantasy movie with nothing special about it.
But if you *do* know the book, you can see just how awful a travesty it is. 6/7
I whole-heartedly recommend the book¹. The movie deserves to be consigned to the pits of anonymity and utterly forgotten.
1. And the series it's part of. _The Dark is Rising_, the book I've been talking about, is actually #2 in a 5-book series. You can start with it, then go back and pick up the 1st, called _Over Sea, Under Stone_, or just read straight through from the beginning. Just get #1 and #2 under your belt before you go for #3. 7/7
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I whole-heartedly recommend the book¹. The movie deserves to be consigned to the pits of anonymity and utterly forgotten.
1. And the series it's part of. _The Dark is Rising_, the book I've been talking about, is actually #2 in a 5-book series. You can start with it, then go back and pick up the 1st, called _Over Sea, Under Stone_, or just read straight through from the beginning. Just get #1 and #2 under your belt before you go for #3. 7/7
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 14: Is it OK for a book to be purely entertainment, or must it have meaning or a lesson?
I personally like my own works to have some kind of meaning, but I adamantly defend the rights of stories to exist purely for entertainment. Hell, I'll even enjoy reading them! Just because I want to write Thing X doesn't mean I want *everything* to be like that, and I enjoy reading Things Y and Z.
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 14: Is it OK for a book to be purely entertainment, or must it have meaning or a lesson?
I personally like my own works to have some kind of meaning, but I adamantly defend the rights of stories to exist purely for entertainment. Hell, I'll even enjoy reading them! Just because I want to write Thing X doesn't mean I want *everything* to be like that, and I enjoy reading Things Y and Z.
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 15: Do some readers over-interpret your work? Do they get messages you weren't sending?
Nobody's had the chance to yet! 🤣
(Okay, my alpha reader conceivably could've with the few vignettes and the one scene they've read. But if they were inclined to do that kind of thing, I wouldn't trust them as my alpha reader.)
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 15: Do some readers over-interpret your work? Do they get messages you weren't sending?
Nobody's had the chance to yet! 🤣
(Okay, my alpha reader conceivably could've with the few vignettes and the one scene they've read. But if they were inclined to do that kind of thing, I wouldn't trust them as my alpha reader.)
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 16: What would be the best writing-related Solstice present someone could give you?
I haven't the faintest clue.
I don't use things like Scrivener or Grammarly, so a subscription to them wouldn't help me any. Ditto for pens or notebooks; I'm digital-only, as writing by hand makes my hand cramp very quickly and my handwriting is atrocious.
I suppose maybe a good book on writing? But I never seem to finish reading those; I always wind up writing instead…
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 16: What would be the best writing-related Solstice present someone could give you?
I haven't the faintest clue.
I don't use things like Scrivener or Grammarly, so a subscription to them wouldn't help me any. Ditto for pens or notebooks; I'm digital-only, as writing by hand makes my hand cramp very quickly and my handwriting is atrocious.
I suppose maybe a good book on writing? But I never seem to finish reading those; I always wind up writing instead…
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 17: Which writing conventions do you ignore, if any?
I've written before in this hashtag (and WordWeavers) about my utter contempt for prescriptive "grammar rules" based on Latin, but I don't think most other writers follow those, either, so I wouldn't grant them the status of "writing conventions" at all.
In that case, I think I'm mostly following conventions. No real boundary-breaking, convention-defying stuff going on in my work. And that's okay.
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 17: Which writing conventions do you ignore, if any?
I've written before in this hashtag (and WordWeavers) about my utter contempt for prescriptive "grammar rules" based on Latin, but I don't think most other writers follow those, either, so I wouldn't grant them the status of "writing conventions" at all.
In that case, I think I'm mostly following conventions. No real boundary-breaking, convention-defying stuff going on in my work. And that's okay.
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 18: What are your biggest turnoffs or turn-ons when reading?
One huge turn-off for me is exclamatory comments in the narrative voice. (Of the myriad things that were horrible about Piers Anthony's writing, those were the first one I picked up on.)
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 18: What are your biggest turnoffs or turn-ons when reading?
One huge turn-off for me is exclamatory comments in the narrative voice. (Of the myriad things that were horrible about Piers Anthony's writing, those were the first one I picked up on.)
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 19: Do any of your stories occur in Winter? What do you take from the season?
My WIP is my first work, and it runs from early spring to mid-autumn. Just to contrast with that, I plan to make sure to have the next one cover winter for at least part of its duration, but I have no idea when it'll start or end, or what will happen.
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 19: Do any of your stories occur in Winter? What do you take from the season?
My WIP is my first work, and it runs from early spring to mid-autumn. Just to contrast with that, I plan to make sure to have the next one cover winter for at least part of its duration, but I have no idea when it'll start or end, or what will happen.
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 20: Is anyone getting a copy of your latest book for Solstice?
No, there's nothing ready to give as a gift.
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 20: Is anyone getting a copy of your latest book for Solstice?
No, there's nothing ready to give as a gift.
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 21: Disney is making a musical animation of one of your stories. How well does that go?
O_o Wow. That's an... interesting concept. I have no idea. I mean, they'd have to get over the queerness of my story and cast to even start on this, but if I assume they must have done so (according to the parameters of the question), then... I'd be incredibly curious to see what they did with it. 1/3
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 21: Disney is making a musical animation of one of your stories. How well does that go?
O_o Wow. That's an... interesting concept. I have no idea. I mean, they'd have to get over the queerness of my story and cast to even start on this, but if I assume they must have done so (according to the parameters of the question), then... I'd be incredibly curious to see what they did with it. 1/3
Like, could Idina Menzel sing Jessie Nakamura's magical awakening, à la "Let it Go" or "Into the Unknown"? That could be kind of mind-blowing.
Look, I'm a sucker for musicals. I *looove* the way music can convey emotion, and pairing that with storytelling just hits me in so many places in my psyche. Disney has so very many problems, but... 2/3
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Like, could Idina Menzel sing Jessie Nakamura's magical awakening, à la "Let it Go" or "Into the Unknown"? That could be kind of mind-blowing.
Look, I'm a sucker for musicals. I *looove* the way music can convey emotion, and pairing that with storytelling just hits me in so many places in my psyche. Disney has so very many problems, but... 2/3
...they're also *good at* musical storytelling. *IF* they kept my stuff queer, and also didn't mess with the anti-cop parts, then I'd be willing to see what else they made out of it.
But we all know each of those "if"s is a complete non-starter on its own, and the pair together is beyond imagination. 3/3
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...they're also *good at* musical storytelling. *IF* they kept my stuff queer, and also didn't mess with the anti-cop parts, then I'd be willing to see what else they made out of it.
But we all know each of those "if"s is a complete non-starter on its own, and the pair together is beyond imagination. 3/3
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 22: How would you describe the tone of your WIP? Hopeful, dark, funny, emotional etc?
I think it's a juxtaposition of angry and bitter, wonder-filled, and hopeful.
(I was not planning to have anger or bitterness in it, but I'm afraid they will be unavoidable after both Trump's re-election and the past few years of response to Covid.)
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 22: How would you describe the tone of your WIP? Hopeful, dark, funny, emotional etc?
I think it's a juxtaposition of angry and bitter, wonder-filled, and hopeful.
(I was not planning to have anger or bitterness in it, but I'm afraid they will be unavoidable after both Trump's re-election and the past few years of response to Covid.)
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 23: What holiday treat will you enjoy while writing over the holidays?
I've been having sugar cookies as a wintertime treat, and had a little eggnog last night. With rum. (And sadly, just a teeny bit too much nutmeg. But it was seasonal!)
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 23: What holiday treat will you enjoy while writing over the holidays?
I've been having sugar cookies as a wintertime treat, and had a little eggnog last night. With rum. (And sadly, just a teeny bit too much nutmeg. But it was seasonal!)
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 24: The elves have granted you one writing wish. What do you wish for?
For my first novel to be a smashing success.
Once that happens, I'm sure I can keep going on the momentum that will start me off with.
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 24: The elves have granted you one writing wish. What do you wish for?
For my first novel to be a smashing success.
Once that happens, I'm sure I can keep going on the momentum that will start me off with.
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 25: Merry Christmas. Are you having a writing-free day or sneaking in a few paragraphs?
I celebrate the Winter Solstice, not Christmas.
Since I have Christmas as a work-free day, I'll be trying to get more writing done than I usually do on workdays (i.e., treating it as a regular weekend day).
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 25: Merry Christmas. Are you having a writing-free day or sneaking in a few paragraphs?
I celebrate the Winter Solstice, not Christmas.
Since I have Christmas as a work-free day, I'll be trying to get more writing done than I usually do on workdays (i.e., treating it as a regular weekend day).
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 26: Do real-life events inspire your writing? Share an example.
Not exactly "inspire", but since my WIP is set in the current day, I am keeping track of ways that current events might crop up in my characters' lives. One example is the solar eclipse that happened on April 8th of this year, although it wasn't very noticeable at all in San Francisco.
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 26: Do real-life events inspire your writing? Share an example.
Not exactly "inspire", but since my WIP is set in the current day, I am keeping track of ways that current events might crop up in my characters' lives. One example is the solar eclipse that happened on April 8th of this year, although it wasn't very noticeable at all in San Francisco.
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 27: How consistent are you with your writing? Daily? Weekly? Whenever you get the chance in your already overloaded life?
Pretty much daily, although I occasionally skip a day. According to my progress logs, that's happened 14 times in the past six months: on July 17th, 18th, and 22nd; August 28th; September 4th and the 18th through 21st (when I'd just started my new job and my whole routine was disrupted); October 3rd and 18th; and November 2nd, 26th and 27th. 1/3
Gli ultimi otto messaggi ricevuti dalla Federazione
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I learned a technique to avoid spending too much time in front of the computer after dinner. Basically, I decided that as soon as I need to go pee, I shut it down. It works. Except then I turn it back on because “just one more thing…”
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@petergleick ... and entirely unexpected too... 😠
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@Freddure @giuglionasi
è un classico, è una delle mie preferite insieme a "badrone badagaribaldi"
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@AdriBel no e ho evitato pure le olimpiadi sciupio di miei soldi ...mangiatoia
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@cR0w everyone going on about supply chain attacks (and some trying to add dystopian af shit to the internet to 'prevent them' .. )
while just letting ai walk right in
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"hey we let china fuck around like this so we could write a blogpost about it, you should give us money for tokens so you can try to assemble a barely working defensive capability to defend yourself from this barely working chinese apt group!"
and in the end everyone just shovels out money for tokens but nobody gets anywhere
its a casino
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Bologna, primavera all'idrogeno (blu) con 127 bus di Tper - Vaielettrico
https://www.vaielettrico.it/bologna-primavera-allidrogeno-blu-con-127-bus-di-tper/
> Da maggio circoleranno a Bologna i primi bus a idrogeno di Tper. Sono classificati a zero emissioni perchè alimentati con idrogeno blu
