#WritersCoffeeClub (Sep) 1: Intro: Shameless Self Promotion.
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(For those who don't want to follow links and try to learn to see how those relate to the topic, I'll summarize: those tropes, among many, have to do with audience reactions to characters, and particularly cases where the audience reacts to a character in a way that clearly wasn't what the writer(s) intended.)
Anyway, my *goal* is to have them be at least... 3/4
...somewhat sympathetic, in the sense of, "Crap, if not for X, Y, or Z, *I* could make the same mistakes that led these people to be villains!", in order to get my readers to examine their own actions and try to do good in the world. That's the sort of thing that could fail in either direction; I want to avoid making them too sympathetic, while also keeping them from coming across as completely evil.
I will eventually see how well I do at that. 4/4
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...somewhat sympathetic, in the sense of, "Crap, if not for X, Y, or Z, *I* could make the same mistakes that led these people to be villains!", in order to get my readers to examine their own actions and try to do good in the world. That's the sort of thing that could fail in either direction; I want to avoid making them too sympathetic, while also keeping them from coming across as completely evil.
I will eventually see how well I do at that. 4/4
#WritersCoffeeClub day 6: Talk about a character of yours who you love (or hate).
Honestly, I love most of my characters in one way or another. Yes, even the antagonists. For today, let me talk about Deonte King.
I love how he's just unapologetically living his life, a bisexual Black jazz sax player, with his boyfriend in a house in the Fillmore. He's got a quintet, and they make enough money to support themselves, and Deonte *could* get involved in SF magical politics... 1/2
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#WritersCoffeeClub day 6: Talk about a character of yours who you love (or hate).
Honestly, I love most of my characters in one way or another. Yes, even the antagonists. For today, let me talk about Deonte King.
I love how he's just unapologetically living his life, a bisexual Black jazz sax player, with his boyfriend in a house in the Fillmore. He's got a quintet, and they make enough money to support themselves, and Deonte *could* get involved in SF magical politics... 1/2
...but instead, he just lets one magical group that he cares about have meetings in his house, and otherwise mostly spends his time making himself, his boyfriend, and his listeners happy. 2/2
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...but instead, he just lets one magical group that he cares about have meetings in his house, and otherwise mostly spends his time making himself, his boyfriend, and his listeners happy. 2/2
#WritersCoffeeClub day 7: Show off a bit of text describing a meal.
I thought I had one, in a scene from the first chapter. But no, it's too interspersed with other stuff, and I can't see a good way to edit it together cohesively for just the meal. 1/2
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#WritersCoffeeClub day 7: Show off a bit of text describing a meal.
I thought I had one, in a scene from the first chapter. But no, it's too interspersed with other stuff, and I can't see a good way to edit it together cohesively for just the meal. 1/2
There's another one coming up, in a scene I've just started writing. Angel goes to dinner at Margot's parents' house. Margot's father loves cooking, since he retired, but there's at least one dish of her mother's cooking for old times' sake and coziness. Sadly, all I've written so far is Margot and Angel getting to the front door and being greeted. So... I'm sorry, I haven't got what I need for this prompt yet. If only it came a couple of days later! 2/2
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There's another one coming up, in a scene I've just started writing. Angel goes to dinner at Margot's parents' house. Margot's father loves cooking, since he retired, but there's at least one dish of her mother's cooking for old times' sake and coziness. Sadly, all I've written so far is Margot and Angel getting to the front door and being greeted. So... I'm sorry, I haven't got what I need for this prompt yet. If only it came a couple of days later! 2/2
#WritersCoffeeClub day 8: Have you ever received feedback on a piece that completely missed the mark?
No. I've received fairly little feedback at all; I'm still early in my first draft and haven't shown stuff to beta readers. The major feedback from my alpha reader, on the couple of scenes I've shown them, has been, "Yes, more please!", although they did also point out a place where one character's attempt to console another's just landed completely wrong.
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#WritersCoffeeClub day 8: Have you ever received feedback on a piece that completely missed the mark?
No. I've received fairly little feedback at all; I'm still early in my first draft and haven't shown stuff to beta readers. The major feedback from my alpha reader, on the couple of scenes I've shown them, has been, "Yes, more please!", although they did also point out a place where one character's attempt to console another's just landed completely wrong.
#WritersCoffeeClub day 9: Are there "normal" words you avoid using? Why?
No, and I don't avoid using "normal" punctuation marks — like the em dash — either. I can't imagine why I would avoid using normal words. Or maybe a better way to put it would be: if I thought there were a reason to avoid a certain word, that would take it out of the realm of "normal" and into a "specially marked" category. (Slurs come to mind,)
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#WritersCoffeeClub day 9: Are there "normal" words you avoid using? Why?
No, and I don't avoid using "normal" punctuation marks — like the em dash — either. I can't imagine why I would avoid using normal words. Or maybe a better way to put it would be: if I thought there were a reason to avoid a certain word, that would take it out of the realm of "normal" and into a "specially marked" category. (Slurs come to mind,)
#WritersCoffeeClub day 11: Talk about a time you sat down to write and nothing came out.
Once upon a time, I sat down to write and nothing came out. (Okay, it's happened more than once, but I'm thinking of a particular time.) I looked at the place where I wanted to continue the narrative, and I just wasn't sure what to do.
So I went and looked for other parts of my WIP that I could work on, and wound up fixing this part that I'd previously noted with a "fix this" tag. 1/2
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#WritersCoffeeClub day 11: Talk about a time you sat down to write and nothing came out.
Once upon a time, I sat down to write and nothing came out. (Okay, it's happened more than once, but I'm thinking of a particular time.) I looked at the place where I wanted to continue the narrative, and I just wasn't sure what to do.
So I went and looked for other parts of my WIP that I could work on, and wound up fixing this part that I'd previously noted with a "fix this" tag. 1/2
And I guess the narrative must have percolated in the back of my brain for a while more, because the next time I sat down to write, I *did* find a way to continue. 2/2
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And I guess the narrative must have percolated in the back of my brain for a while more, because the next time I sat down to write, I *did* find a way to continue. 2/2
#WritersCoffeeClub day 12: How much do themes of transience or permanence appear in your work?
Some, though mostly in the background. Cities are constantly changing; ignoring that ever-present background of constant change would be wrong for my story. But it's not front-and-center, more like characters will occasionally, perforce, reference places that have changed or vanished, or the fact that a place is new or newly-renovated.
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#WritersCoffeeClub day 12: How much do themes of transience or permanence appear in your work?
Some, though mostly in the background. Cities are constantly changing; ignoring that ever-present background of constant change would be wrong for my story. But it's not front-and-center, more like characters will occasionally, perforce, reference places that have changed or vanished, or the fact that a place is new or newly-renovated.
#WritersCoffeeClub day 13: How many ‘layers’ of interpretation do you seek to achieve in a piece of writing?
Ideally, at least one?
I don't think that reading another type of applicability into a book is necessarily a "deeper level" of meaning. Like, if we read _The Lord of the Rings_ and see the One Ring as being analogous to nuclear weapons (or to striking a deal with a hostile, greater power, or nowadays some folks are saying that AI is kind of like the One Ring), that doesn't… 1/2
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#WritersCoffeeClub day 13: How many ‘layers’ of interpretation do you seek to achieve in a piece of writing?
Ideally, at least one?
I don't think that reading another type of applicability into a book is necessarily a "deeper level" of meaning. Like, if we read _The Lord of the Rings_ and see the One Ring as being analogous to nuclear weapons (or to striking a deal with a hostile, greater power, or nowadays some folks are saying that AI is kind of like the One Ring), that doesn't… 1/2
…mean that these alternate readings are "deeper" than the preëxisting meaning in the book. They're extra, bonus things.
But those things aren't provided by the author. They're provided by the world. Indeed, nobody used to make that AI comparison to the One Ring. That's new. That's because the world has provided a new thing that has those similarities.
Hell, in some ways, maybe it's better to wish that there'd be *as few* as possible ways to interpret one's books. 2/2
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…mean that these alternate readings are "deeper" than the preëxisting meaning in the book. They're extra, bonus things.
But those things aren't provided by the author. They're provided by the world. Indeed, nobody used to make that AI comparison to the One Ring. That's new. That's because the world has provided a new thing that has those similarities.
Hell, in some ways, maybe it's better to wish that there'd be *as few* as possible ways to interpret one's books. 2/2
#WritersCoffeeClub day 14: What is your favorite emotion to write?
Some aspect of happiness, joy, or delight.
Don't get me wrong, others are fun, too. I'd never want to leave them out. But the most fun for me to write? Yeah, it's when my characters are enjoying themselves.
(That said, I've had *a lot* of fun writing dread lately. I've had a few scenes where folks have the dawning realization that Something Bad is going on, and it's been very fun!)
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#WritersCoffeeClub day 14: What is your favorite emotion to write?
Some aspect of happiness, joy, or delight.
Don't get me wrong, others are fun, too. I'd never want to leave them out. But the most fun for me to write? Yeah, it's when my characters are enjoying themselves.
(That said, I've had *a lot* of fun writing dread lately. I've had a few scenes where folks have the dawning realization that Something Bad is going on, and it's been very fun!)
#WritersCoffeeClub day 17: How much can a reader learn about an author through their works?
That depends on how much of themself the author puts into their works. I think the amount is always more than zero; there's gotta be *some* bit of you going into what you write. But it may not be enough for another human to be able to see through the words and find you behind them, no matter how closely they read. 1/3
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#WritersCoffeeClub day 17: How much can a reader learn about an author through their works?
That depends on how much of themself the author puts into their works. I think the amount is always more than zero; there's gotta be *some* bit of you going into what you write. But it may not be enough for another human to be able to see through the words and find you behind them, no matter how closely they read. 1/3
Some books hew to a formula, or to genre conventions. But then there are books, and writers, who put a lot of themselves on the page, and in very clear ways. And sometimes they're showing excellent qualities of themselves (Sir Terry Pratchett comes to mind here; I really must try reading his stuff sometime, although I have doubts that it will be my cup of tea). 2/3
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Some books hew to a formula, or to genre conventions. But then there are books, and writers, who put a lot of themselves on the page, and in very clear ways. And sometimes they're showing excellent qualities of themselves (Sir Terry Pratchett comes to mind here; I really must try reading his stuff sometime, although I have doubts that it will be my cup of tea). 2/3
While other times, they're "telling on themselves". You can probably think of a few current writers who have shown some truly ugly parts of themselves in their works without me having to get explicit. 3/3
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While other times, they're "telling on themselves". You can probably think of a few current writers who have shown some truly ugly parts of themselves in their works without me having to get explicit. 3/3
#WritersCoffeeClub day 18: Talk about a time your own writing has surprised you.
I'm very much on the plotter side of the plotter-pantser spectrum, so that hasn't happened to me. Yet. I'm trying to shift more toward the center, and looking forward to having my writing surprise me someday.
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#WritersCoffeeClub day 18: Talk about a time your own writing has surprised you.
I'm very much on the plotter side of the plotter-pantser spectrum, so that hasn't happened to me. Yet. I'm trying to shift more toward the center, and looking forward to having my writing surprise me someday.
#WritersCoffeeClub day 19: What is the difference between a writer and a person who writes?
Well, based on the usual guidelines regarding person-first language, I'd say: A person who writes is someone who views writing as an affliction or unwanted condition, and wants people to focus on their humanity rather than their writing. By contrast, a writer would be someone who embraces writing as part of their identity. (Cf. "people with AIDS" vs. "autistic people" or even just "autistics".)
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#WritersCoffeeClub day 19: What is the difference between a writer and a person who writes?
Well, based on the usual guidelines regarding person-first language, I'd say: A person who writes is someone who views writing as an affliction or unwanted condition, and wants people to focus on their humanity rather than their writing. By contrast, a writer would be someone who embraces writing as part of their identity. (Cf. "people with AIDS" vs. "autistic people" or even just "autistics".)
#WritersCoffeeClub day 20: In terms of writing, what are you most thankful for?
Having the time and resources to do it.
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#WritersCoffeeClub day 20: In terms of writing, what are you most thankful for?
Having the time and resources to do it.
#WritersCoffeeClub day 21: What emotions do you avoid writing? Why?
I can't imagine there are any that I'd deliberately *avoid*. There are some that just haven't some up, yet, but maybe they will. But I just went through thoughts of: love, grief, murderous rage, joy, depression, lust, terror, disgust... And yeah, *none* of them are ones that make me think "I don't ever want to depict that in my writing." When they show up in my characters' lives, I want my readers to share them.
Gli ultimi otto messaggi ricevuti dalla Federazione
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@BathysphereHat it says not to eat it! There are so many other things to eat!
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Have you ever eaten silica gel?
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Loops has recently increased the duration limit from 60 seconds to 3 minutes.
Looking at loops.video data, the average duration of a video from the past 2 weeks is 57 seconds!
The average duration of all videos is 30 seconds.
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Ladies and gentlemen... the weekend. (also: you are important and are not alone 🧡)
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@Ulrich (Hubzilla) also have a look here!
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@stefano Where is that hosted?
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Happy Birthday @stefano, thank you for the awesome community building work you keep doing, for all the technical and non technical notes you share, for the inspiration you are and because in a world full of tech bros you keep showing the gentle and smiling side of IT.
