#WritersCoffeeClub (Sep) 1: Intro: Shameless Self Promotion.
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 14: Example of Chekhov's gun in your work?
In an early chapter, my 2 new-to-magic-and-learning-the-ropes MCs will watch a magical contest, sort of a "friendly duel" involving 2 city shamans racing to see who can get to a destination first. (Knowledge of and connection with the City are crucial for this.) Near the climax, one of those MCs has to get a thing from Point A to Point B in a hurry, and will use their improved City skills to do it faster than should be possible.
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 15: If you find you've used a name from a famous novel, do you change it?
That hasn't happened to me yet, but I probably would if I found out in time; I wouldn't want my readers distracted by unintended associations with that other character.
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 15: If you find you've used a name from a famous novel, do you change it?
That hasn't happened to me yet, but I probably would if I found out in time; I wouldn't want my readers distracted by unintended associations with that other character.
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 16: What ancillary writing apps do you find the most useful?
I don't currently use (or even really know of) any ancillary writing apps. (I've heard of something called Scrivener; is that an ancillary writing app? Or something else?)
I'm looking forward to seeing others' responses to this question!
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 16: What ancillary writing apps do you find the most useful?
I don't currently use (or even really know of) any ancillary writing apps. (I've heard of something called Scrivener; is that an ancillary writing app? Or something else?)
I'm looking forward to seeing others' responses to this question!
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 17: Do you draw out maps/floor plans/diagrams/etc for key set pieces in your writing?
I haven't yet hit the point where I'd need to, but I suspect I will. Hit me up in a year, and I bet I'll just say "yes" to this one.
What I *have* done already is look up realtors' floor plans of apartments and houses that I can pretend are some of my MCs' homes. Close enough?
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 17: Do you draw out maps/floor plans/diagrams/etc for key set pieces in your writing?
I haven't yet hit the point where I'd need to, but I suspect I will. Hit me up in a year, and I bet I'll just say "yes" to this one.
What I *have* done already is look up realtors' floor plans of apartments and houses that I can pretend are some of my MCs' homes. Close enough?
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 18: How do you do research for your writing? Do you ask specialists?
Hell yes, if I can find any. I want all the specialists. Or just the people with life experience different from mine. I want to make sure all my details are just right — or at least, if any of them aren't, I want it to be because I *deliberately decided* to deviate from reality to make the story better, not because I didn't know any better.
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 18: How do you do research for your writing? Do you ask specialists?
Hell yes, if I can find any. I want all the specialists. Or just the people with life experience different from mine. I want to make sure all my details are just right — or at least, if any of them aren't, I want it to be because I *deliberately decided* to deviate from reality to make the story better, not because I didn't know any better.
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 20: Do you have an author's website specifically for promoting your writing?
No, but I'll probably whip one up once I hit the point of sending manuscripts out to publishers. But I'll have to figure out how it's going to coexist with my existing website for coding and software development. (And that site needs a complete overhaul, having not been updated in over a dozen years...)
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 20: Do you have an author's website specifically for promoting your writing?
No, but I'll probably whip one up once I hit the point of sending manuscripts out to publishers. But I'll have to figure out how it's going to coexist with my existing website for coding and software development. (And that site needs a complete overhaul, having not been updated in over a dozen years...)
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 21: What things make a good book cover design?
I was tempted to say "heck if I know", seeing as I'm not an artist, designer, or marketer. But no — even though I couldn't *produce* a good cover, that doesn't mean I can't *recognize* what makes one:
It should draw the potential buyer's attention, arouse their interest, and give them some idea of what the book's about or what happens in it. (And that idea should be reasonably accurate, not deceptive!)
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 21: What things make a good book cover design?
I was tempted to say "heck if I know", seeing as I'm not an artist, designer, or marketer. But no — even though I couldn't *produce* a good cover, that doesn't mean I can't *recognize* what makes one:
It should draw the potential buyer's attention, arouse their interest, and give them some idea of what the book's about or what happens in it. (And that idea should be reasonably accurate, not deceptive!)
On the topic of "not deceptive", 2 things come to my mind:
1) Joan D. Vinge's "Cat" novels, _Psion_ and _Catspaw_, make it clear that the protagonist (named Cat) is very dark-skinned, and we'd consider him Black (despite his green eyes, which are a plot point).
Why do covers keep depicting him as blond and definitely-Caucasian? (That's a rhetorical question. The answer, of course, is racism.)
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On the topic of "not deceptive", 2 things come to my mind:
1) Joan D. Vinge's "Cat" novels, _Psion_ and _Catspaw_, make it clear that the protagonist (named Cat) is very dark-skinned, and we'd consider him Black (despite his green eyes, which are a plot point).
Why do covers keep depicting him as blond and definitely-Caucasian? (That's a rhetorical question. The answer, of course, is racism.)
2) Not visual, but the back cover blurb text is part of a book's "cover design". A friend gave me a copy of Niven and Pournelle's _The Mote in God's Eye_ when I was about 12. The back cover said something about "a black hole in space, and a beam of ruby light shining out of it", and also some nonsense about people thinking it meant God was involved.
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2) Not visual, but the back cover blurb text is part of a book's "cover design". A friend gave me a copy of Niven and Pournelle's _The Mote in God's Eye_ when I was about 12. The back cover said something about "a black hole in space, and a beam of ruby light shining out of it", and also some nonsense about people thinking it meant God was involved.
Even at age 12, I knew light *does not* come *out of* black holes, and I wanted sci-fi, not some kind of God-based miracle. I was so annoyed, I didn't read the book for well over a decade... and found out that, no, it's actually just a dark nebula with light shining through, and while people give the phenomenon a picturesque name alluding to God, none of them think there's anything supernatural going on.
That utterly-false blurb kept me away from that classic book for *years*. 😠
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Even at age 12, I knew light *does not* come *out of* black holes, and I wanted sci-fi, not some kind of God-based miracle. I was so annoyed, I didn't read the book for well over a decade... and found out that, no, it's actually just a dark nebula with light shining through, and while people give the phenomenon a picturesque name alluding to God, none of them think there's anything supernatural going on.
That utterly-false blurb kept me away from that classic book for *years*. 😠
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 22: Who do you acknowledge in your work?
Like, who will put in my acknowledgements before or after the main text? I guess I'll keep track as I go, if anyone gives me help that would be good to acknowledge. (Hmmm, a few people on Reddit have given me some useful info, but I'm not sure if it rises to the level that I should put in.)
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 22: Who do you acknowledge in your work?
Like, who will put in my acknowledgements before or after the main text? I guess I'll keep track as I go, if anyone gives me help that would be good to acknowledge. (Hmmm, a few people on Reddit have given me some useful info, but I'm not sure if it rises to the level that I should put in.)
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 23: Will you have any profanity in your work?
* Travis Winter will swear vociferously when things are going wrong
* Donna Kuang probably uses lots of casual profanity behind close doors/with close confidants — in contrast to a much cleaner public image
* I feel like Jessie, David, and Ángel may use some for emphasis at timesAlso, I'm a fan of the Precision F-Strike (https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/PrecisionFStrike) and will doubtless find places to deploy a few.
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 23: Will you have any profanity in your work?
* Travis Winter will swear vociferously when things are going wrong
* Donna Kuang probably uses lots of casual profanity behind close doors/with close confidants — in contrast to a much cleaner public image
* I feel like Jessie, David, and Ángel may use some for emphasis at timesAlso, I'm a fan of the Precision F-Strike (https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/PrecisionFStrike) and will doubtless find places to deploy a few.
More on the likely places for Precision F-Strikes: Margot and Carlos both have small children, and so have trained themselves out of using profanity. (Indeed, I'm not sure Carlos was ever a fan, but I think Margot was in her younger days.) I can definitely see Margot carefully and deliberately deploying just 1 or 2 very momentous F-bombs in the places where they'll do the most good.
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More on the likely places for Precision F-Strikes: Margot and Carlos both have small children, and so have trained themselves out of using profanity. (Indeed, I'm not sure Carlos was ever a fan, but I think Margot was in her younger days.) I can definitely see Margot carefully and deliberately deploying just 1 or 2 very momentous F-bombs in the places where they'll do the most good.
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 24: What's the best time of day for you to write?
Seems to be evening. I'll admit, I've rarely even tried writing in the morning; I'm usually not nearly awake enough for it then. Afternoons, I've tried sometimes on weekends, but I really do get going better once it gets dark outside.
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 24: What's the best time of day for you to write?
Seems to be evening. I'll admit, I've rarely even tried writing in the morning; I'm usually not nearly awake enough for it then. Afternoons, I've tried sometimes on weekends, but I really do get going better once it gets dark outside.
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 25: What's a better (more truthful) name for a famous novel?
Honestly, I've got to throw my lot in with @elysegrasso's "I have enough trouble finding names for my own novels." My WIP has a working title that I *know* won't be the actual title, and while I'm willing to put in the hard work on all the plotting, characterization, and world-building, when it comes to a title, I'm still praying that inspiration will somehow strike before I'm done.
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 25: What's a better (more truthful) name for a famous novel?
Honestly, I've got to throw my lot in with @elysegrasso's "I have enough trouble finding names for my own novels." My WIP has a working title that I *know* won't be the actual title, and while I'm willing to put in the hard work on all the plotting, characterization, and world-building, when it comes to a title, I'm still praying that inspiration will somehow strike before I'm done.
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 26: Have you ever retconned a story post-publishing? Is it OK to retcon?
I *HATE* retcons because "I take it back, that never happened" *nullifies stories* (or parts thereof). If you, the author, aren't willing to let your story stand, to say "yes, that happened" — in short, to *take your story seriously* — then why should the reader?
But I do like when the events don't change, but our interpretation of them does. I don't consider that a "retcon", but a reinterpretation.
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 26: Have you ever retconned a story post-publishing? Is it OK to retcon?
I *HATE* retcons because "I take it back, that never happened" *nullifies stories* (or parts thereof). If you, the author, aren't willing to let your story stand, to say "yes, that happened" — in short, to *take your story seriously* — then why should the reader?
But I do like when the events don't change, but our interpretation of them does. I don't consider that a "retcon", but a reinterpretation.
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 27: Use of AI in writing?
First off, that should be LLMs, not "AI". There's no intelligence there; I don't want to help the hype merchants.
In my own writing? I'm very against it. On the one hand, I want to write. I don't want to have something else do the writing for me. And on the other hand, the question of what incorporating LLM output into my work would mean for my copyrights is one with no clear answer, and many bad possibilities.
Others' writing is up to them.
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 27: Use of AI in writing?
First off, that should be LLMs, not "AI". There's no intelligence there; I don't want to help the hype merchants.
In my own writing? I'm very against it. On the one hand, I want to write. I don't want to have something else do the writing for me. And on the other hand, the question of what incorporating LLM output into my work would mean for my copyrights is one with no clear answer, and many bad possibilities.
Others' writing is up to them.
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 28: How do you approach a fight scene or other high-action scenes?
I'm planning to write close 3rd person, so it will depend a lot on whose viewpoint we're in. Either of my martial artist characters, for example, will describe things in more detail, sometimes using specific terms for particular types of attacks and blocks. Other folks with less combat experience would have a much more chaotic impression of a fight, and that'll be reflected in the narration.
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 28: How do you approach a fight scene or other high-action scenes?
I'm planning to write close 3rd person, so it will depend a lot on whose viewpoint we're in. Either of my martial artist characters, for example, will describe things in more detail, sometimes using specific terms for particular types of attacks and blocks. Other folks with less combat experience would have a much more chaotic impression of a fight, and that'll be reflected in the narration.
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 29: Some writers hate exclamation marks! How do you feel about them? What about interrobangs!?
I absolutely hate exclamation points in narration. Even when I was a pimply-faced teen with bad enough taste to read Piers Anthony, I still (or already) squirmed and cringed at his use of them.
But they're totally fine in dialogue — at least, assuming a character is shouting, or excited, or whatever. Keep 'em between the quotation marks!
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 29: Some writers hate exclamation marks! How do you feel about them? What about interrobangs!?
I absolutely hate exclamation points in narration. Even when I was a pimply-faced teen with bad enough taste to read Piers Anthony, I still (or already) squirmed and cringed at his use of them.
But they're totally fine in dialogue — at least, assuming a character is shouting, or excited, or whatever. Keep 'em between the quotation marks!
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 30: How much detail do you put into character descriptions?
Enough to give the reader an idea of what they look like (hopefully including what race they are, like The Hunger Games' Rue), but not a lot beyond that; I go more for quick thumbnail and vibes than detailed portraiture... except for items the character chooses to express themself. Buttons, pins, statement/graphic tees, those all deliver messages. (And in Ángel's fashionista case, their whole wardrobe qualifies.)
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#WritersCoffeeClub Day 30: How much detail do you put into character descriptions?
Enough to give the reader an idea of what they look like (hopefully including what race they are, like The Hunger Games' Rue), but not a lot beyond that; I go more for quick thumbnail and vibes than detailed portraiture... except for items the character chooses to express themself. Buttons, pins, statement/graphic tees, those all deliver messages. (And in Ángel's fashionista case, their whole wardrobe qualifies.)
#WritersCoffeeClub Day 1: Does your work include any poetry? Share a snippet.
Some might pop up during the writing. I don't have any specific plans for it, but I can imagine a few places it might crop up.
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