#WritersCoffeeClub (Sep) 1: Intro: Shameless Self Promotion.
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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.
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#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.
#WritersCoffeeClub day 22: Do you write your characters’ thoughts, or let their actions speak for themselves? Why?
I definitely write my characters' thoughts, because not all thoughts lead to actions. Everyone has thoughts that result in, at the very most, a tiny flicker of expression, and maybe not even that — but which would reveal a great deal about our character to anyone who could read that thought. 1/3
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#WritersCoffeeClub day 22: Do you write your characters’ thoughts, or let their actions speak for themselves? Why?
I definitely write my characters' thoughts, because not all thoughts lead to actions. Everyone has thoughts that result in, at the very most, a tiny flicker of expression, and maybe not even that — but which would reveal a great deal about our character to anyone who could read that thought. 1/3
Here's one of the more innocent examples. This is from a vignette I wrote, just a day in the life of Angel Castillo. They've just done a major presentation for a client at work, which they were pretty nervous about. When it's done, their boss, Maxine, takes them and their co-worker who also helped present into a conference room to debrief: 2/3
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Here's one of the more innocent examples. This is from a vignette I wrote, just a day in the life of Angel Castillo. They've just done a major presentation for a client at work, which they were pretty nervous about. When it's done, their boss, Maxine, takes them and their co-worker who also helped present into a conference room to debrief: 2/3
Not an earth-shaking revelation about their deepest inner workings, sure. But I couldn't have shown their nervousness (and relief!) in their actions — not without making them unprofessional. Instead, by showing their thoughts, I get to have them be professional on the outside, but let the reader share their emotions.
That's a pretty nice tool. It'd be a shame not to use it. 3/3
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Not an earth-shaking revelation about their deepest inner workings, sure. But I couldn't have shown their nervousness (and relief!) in their actions — not without making them unprofessional. Instead, by showing their thoughts, I get to have them be professional on the outside, but let the reader share their emotions.
That's a pretty nice tool. It'd be a shame not to use it. 3/3
#WritersCoffeeClub day 23: Share a description you're proud of.
I don't have any yet that I'm _proud of_. Just ones that I think are serviceable. I'm still trying to get better at them.
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#WritersCoffeeClub day 23: Share a description you're proud of.
I don't have any yet that I'm _proud of_. Just ones that I think are serviceable. I'm still trying to get better at them.
#WritersCoffeeClub day 24: Have you ever written stream of consciousness?
No, definitely not. I mean, what even is stream of consciousness? Does it count if I just dive into a character's thoughts for a bit? Heck, when they learn things about magic, I have some bits where I go *very* internal, and very much follow along with the POV character's inner sensations.
I want to give some of the sensation of what it really *feels like* to do magic, you know? And I think I'm going to...1/3
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#WritersCoffeeClub day 24: Have you ever written stream of consciousness?
No, definitely not. I mean, what even is stream of consciousness? Does it count if I just dive into a character's thoughts for a bit? Heck, when they learn things about magic, I have some bits where I go *very* internal, and very much follow along with the POV character's inner sensations.
I want to give some of the sensation of what it really *feels like* to do magic, you know? And I think I'm going to...1/3
...a reasonable depth, there. It's not the same as the scenes where the mentor characters are teaching the learners; in those, I think I maybe go too hard on just what the parameters of magic are, and what a given spell can and can't do. I want to avoid going too Brandon Sanderson, there, but I also want to make sure that I lay out the dramatic rules well enough that readers can get a sense of what people can and can't do, and not have anyone feel like...2/3
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...a reasonable depth, there. It's not the same as the scenes where the mentor characters are teaching the learners; in those, I think I maybe go too hard on just what the parameters of magic are, and what a given spell can and can't do. I want to avoid going too Brandon Sanderson, there, but I also want to make sure that I lay out the dramatic rules well enough that readers can get a sense of what people can and can't do, and not have anyone feel like...2/3
...I've surprised them later on. Or done a rug-pull, or anything like that. Does that make sense?
Anyway, you can probably see how those things are in tension with, in opposition to each other... oh. Shit.
Fine, I guess *now* I've written some stream of consciousness, huh?
😏
3/3
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...I've surprised them later on. Or done a rug-pull, or anything like that. Does that make sense?
Anyway, you can probably see how those things are in tension with, in opposition to each other... oh. Shit.
Fine, I guess *now* I've written some stream of consciousness, huh?
😏
3/3
#WritersCoffeeClub day 25: Do you ever hinge plots on a misunderstanding?
I haven't yet, and I have no plans to do so.
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#WritersCoffeeClub day 25: Do you ever hinge plots on a misunderstanding?
I haven't yet, and I have no plans to do so.
#WritersCoffeeClub day 27: How does your social class influence what you write?
Well, I'm middle-class, and so are all of my protagonists...
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#WritersCoffeeClub day 27: How does your social class influence what you write?
Well, I'm middle-class, and so are all of my protagonists...
#WritersCoffeeClub day 28: How do you write sensory experiences that fall beyond the the usual five? Give an example.
I'm routinely describing how it feels to deal with magical energy. How to raise it, absorb it, store and then access it, focus it, and fire it... as well as just sensing it.
I use metaphors, and loaded language like "sizzling", "ecstatic", "crackling", "sparkling", and so on, that give the impression of energy and also some amount of beauty and delight.
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#WritersCoffeeClub day 28: How do you write sensory experiences that fall beyond the the usual five? Give an example.
I'm routinely describing how it feels to deal with magical energy. How to raise it, absorb it, store and then access it, focus it, and fire it... as well as just sensing it.
I use metaphors, and loaded language like "sizzling", "ecstatic", "crackling", "sparkling", and so on, that give the impression of energy and also some amount of beauty and delight.
#WritersCoffeeClub day 29: How happy or bittersweet are your endings?
I haven't written any endings yet. I want to make my endings happy, but the WIP focuses on liberal and progressive people in the US, and the story ends right before Election Day 2024, so... that ending is going to turn out bittersweet, even if the events between the covers look like a 100% happy ending. I'm not super happy with that, but... 🤷🏻 it is what it is. Might as well learn to work with it.
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#WritersCoffeeClub day 29: How happy or bittersweet are your endings?
I haven't written any endings yet. I want to make my endings happy, but the WIP focuses on liberal and progressive people in the US, and the story ends right before Election Day 2024, so... that ending is going to turn out bittersweet, even if the events between the covers look like a 100% happy ending. I'm not super happy with that, but... 🤷🏻 it is what it is. Might as well learn to work with it.
#WritersCoffeeClub day 30: What single book had the greatest impact on your writing?
There's no single book that stands out in my mind for this.
And I'm not sure there should be, either. That sounds like taking too much inspiration from just one source, instead of from a diversity of them. Even if that source is a book on how to write, I still think one should learn from *many* of those.
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#WritersCoffeeClub day 30: What single book had the greatest impact on your writing?
There's no single book that stands out in my mind for this.
And I'm not sure there should be, either. That sounds like taking too much inspiration from just one source, instead of from a diversity of them. Even if that source is a book on how to write, I still think one should learn from *many* of those.
#WritersCoffeeClub day 31: What is your greatest strength as a writer?
I haven't the foggiest clue.
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#WritersCoffeeClub day 31: What is your greatest strength as a writer?
I haven't the foggiest clue.
#WritersCoffeeClub day 1: Why are you writing your current work?
Because I want to. Because I have things I want to say, people and ideas I want the world to get to know.
Gli ultimi otto messaggi ricevuti dalla Federazione
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@FraEmme Purtroppo in sanità, ad esempio, 10 anni fa era così. O cambiavi regione o ti facevi sfruttare per 10-15 € l'ora a partita iva dagli studi privati.
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I liked this slide
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@przmk I think so 😭
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@Gina Did you take the wrong exit at the station by misfortune and end up at *that* street?
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@mnot is now talking about the background and context. Interesting!
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@Kierkegaanks probably not, with the state of that area.
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@dwarf A BIT GRIM?!?! I've felt safer in favelas than this area. I had someone follow me for a while until I walked by the railway police. Drug dealers on every corner, groups of men everywhere, junkies laying on the streets. What the F is up with this area??
On the upside, my hotel gave me an upgrade when they heard I came from station Brussels North. 🙂 itssomething.jpg
