sfwrtr

streetartutopia, 4 hours ago to random

5 Photos Of Mural by Cosimo Cheone Caiffa in Milano, Italy: https://streetartutopia.com/2024/04/29/mural-by-cosimo-cheone-caiffa-in-milano-italy/

jendefer, 6 hours ago to tisseksplayspace

Today's episode of #ttrpg #ActualPlay #AlphaCentauri: Chronicles of Chiron wraps up the arc.

Data Haven enacts its plans to slow down Morgan’s Planetary Security Force.

https://diceystories.com/ds287-alpha-centauri-chronicles-of-chiron-reformatting-data-haven-part-5-of-5/

In #podcast or #novelization form.

#DiceyStories #genesys #genesysrpg #scifi #writing

1/2

CurlyParakeet, 8 hours ago to crochet

I was having a bit of a clear out and found one of Littlest’s jumpers that I’d kept for a memory box.

I thought “You know what? I could crochet a bear and have it wear the jumper. Wouldn’t that be cute?”

Let me tell you that no, it would not be “cute”. It would be a human child sized rat-bear that looks like it should be in Coraline. I know this because it lives with us now.

#crochet #parenting #bears #craft

A dark green crocheted creature that looks like a cross between a rat and a bear. It has big black shiny eyes and is wearing a red and navy striped jumper. The whole body is visible and it is sitting in a grey recliner. It’s the size of a 5year old child.

caointeoireacht, 17 hours ago to random

#writerscoffeeclub 24-05-19. Do you agree with Hillary Mantell, who said the best qualities for writing are self-confidence and a little arrogance?

"The most helpful quality a writer can cultivate is self-confidence - arrogance, if you can manage it. You write to impose yourself on the world, and you have to believe in your own ability when the world shows no sign of agreeing with you."

A little arrogance is ok, be mindful to not become a petunia of pretensionous

She also said something I think is even more fundamental.
"Write a book you'd like to read. If you wouldn't read it, why would anybody else? Don't write for a perceived audience or market. It may well have vanished by the time your book's ready."

Glastomichelle, 14 hours ago to random

There was magic in the air this morning on Glastonbury Tor, Avalonian Magic. Taken shortly after sunrise.

sfwrtr, 18 hours ago (edited 16 hours ago) to 13thFloor

#WordWeavers 2405.19 — How did you settle on your MC’s appearance?

Historically, I wrote my characters such that I found them attractive. I don't do that anymore.

Sometimes I don't have control, except for hair styles and clothes, or the lack thereof. The story or character may have certain in-the-moment requirement, like when the MC needed to train in an almost all-male fight gym as a prizefighter (she'd later win a championship). Of course she had tailored pink and black gym wear made of technical fabric that outlined every curve—which proved interesting.

These days I do the best not to assign an appearance at all, instead keeping things vague and sticking to describing only what's absolutely necessary. My experiences with publishers is that'll they'll ignore your descriptions for cover art and promotion anyway. In any case, doing this allows the reader to imagine someone they would find attractive(†). The MC in the current WiP is described physically only as tall, shy, so beautiful that both sexes fall for her, and that she has "winter eyes," whatever that is. In the other story, the only thing I'm settled on is described by the devil-girl something like this:

"Take two finger length pieces of rusty rebar, sharpen one end, bend it ninety degree, and stick one above each temple, pointing backwards. Makes wearing hats problematic. Yeah. Gets messy when they try to grab you by the head in a fight, especially if it sticks in..."

She's also describes her very olive complexion; she's mentioned green eyes in a mirror and red hair everywhere. It could easily change in revision.

(†) A recent writer's prompt asked about my target audience. Can I say "imaginative?"

[Author retains copyright (c)2024 R..S.]

#BoostingIsSharing and #CommentingIsCool

#fiction #fantasy #sf #sff #sciencefiction #writing #writer #writers #author #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon
#RSdiscussion
#RSstory #RSInklingsStory #RSReluctanceStory

moonfox, 19 hours ago to permaculture

Newly turned pile. First turning. I didn't have any manure when I built it a few weeks ago but judging by the insides it still built up a bit of heat. Added chicken manure in layers when I turned it. Should work out OK, I will turn it again in a few weeks and a few weeks after that it should be ready to go. #permaculture #compost #gardening

ellenmorrisprewitt, 1 day ago to random

#WordWeavers What kind of dragon (behavior or looks) would your MC be?

She would be Puff, the dragon that exists only in the time when they felt love, that cannot escape that time, that will end this pitiful song not by slinking into her cave but, because she is a she Puff, will rip through the autumn mist of Honalee and stomp howling, crashing free.

When We Were Murderous Time-Traveling Women

ScribblingSandy, 1 day ago to random

#WordWeavers Day 18 - What kind of dragon (behavior or looks) would your MC be?

Alfie would be very much an Elliot (from Pete's Dragon).

And John would like to point out that they already have a crocodile greataunt with a basilisk glare in the story, so they really don't need any dragon, thank you very much.

Alfie, brightening up: We've got a statue of St. George and the dragon in the maze at home.

John: Are you talking about the house with the sheep bone terrace?

Alfie, beaming: Yep ☺️

NaraMoore, 1 day ago to writing

#PennedPossibilities #Writing 318 What do you need in your writing space to help you stay focused?

I fear it will require a new brain. Amoung my many gifts is ADHD. I made it work for me, but prolonged focus is usually beyond me. A good juicy piece of narrative is good. Until I need to look up something. And then we are in for 5+, usually +, of chasing shiny objects around.

SmallWondersSFF, 1 day ago to random

It's just one story. How much could it cost?

If you haven't yet read "Incense" by Megan Chee, you should check it out today in our Issue 5:

https://smallwondersmag.com/piece/incense/

OETearmann, 1 day ago to random

#PennedPossibilities 318
What do you need in your writing space to help you stay focused?

*noise cancelling headphones
*tea
*a muted phone
*a project-appropriate playlist

dailyhaikuprompt, 1 day ago to random

Our haiku prompts for May 18-25.

As always, feel free to use any variation or even not use the word at all.

Please take some time to read, favorite, boost, and comment on each other's work if the mood strikes you

05/18 Fragrant
05/19 Porch
05/20 Waterfall
05/21 Shade
05/22 Thunder
05/23 Cicada
05/24 Bamboo Shoots
05/25 Cool

frozen
in the birdbath
a leaf
---Jack Kerouac

#DailyHaikuPrompt

klepsydra, 1 day ago to random

#PennedPossibilities 318
What do you need in your writing space to help you stay focused?

Someone who sounds genuine to pop in every couple of hours and validate me and my writing.

I don't expect to obtain this any time soon.

grahamefleming, 1 day ago to random

#WritersCoffeeClub May 18 - Have you written sections where the action occurs against the clock? How did you do it?

Not so far, but the thought of my characters trying to achieve something as the shadow on a sundial slowly turns, could be quite funny. You might get that in a future book. 😀

grahamefleming, 1 day ago to random

#WordWeavers May18 - What kind of dragon would your MC be?

Far too close to the TBOTB2 plot for me to comment.

sfwrtr, 1 day ago to 13thFloor

#WritersCoffeeClub Ch 9 Nbr 18 — Have you written sections where the action occurs against the clock? How did you do it?

My current story segment in serialization takes place over a very short time period, after the last third of the previous story taking place between dusk and dawn. The other story I am working on is a three act story, each act taking place over very few hours.

Writing stories in compressed time isn't much different than writing stories that take place more episodically over longer periods of time. In both cases, I write about what is important for the character and how they deal with events. An example may help.

In the serialization (obviously spoilers if you know which story I'm referring to), the MC realizes that though the leader has left on a military adventure to handle a "guerrilla insurgency," she sees evidence that same foe may attack the capital city. In theory, she's politically second in command. In practice, she has no real power. How she spends that day scheming and conniving with only a title to get a single frigate on patrol drives the story and the clock. It starts with a PTSD episode where she realizes she may be responsible again for innumerable deaths without the power to prevent them, then her working every contact she knows, butting heads with the generals who discount her experience running a crime syndicate (briefly), convincing a discriminated against officer who wants to accept discharge to instead command a museum-piece frigate, getting into a bloody fight with the XO, avoiding what the reader will see as assassination attempts, and it just gets worse with her love interests (plural!) pulling at her heart.

All in 12 hours. Tick-tock! That's one day of three days of escalating existential threats. The fourth day's events take place over one hour, which is about the time it would take to read.

It's no different than writing any other novel.

[Author retains copyright (c)2024 R.S.]

#BoostingIsSharing and #CommentingIsCool

#fiction #fantasy #sf #sff #sciencefiction #writing #writer #writers #author #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon
#RSdiscussion

writerobscura, 1 day ago to random

#WritersCoffeeClub 5/17 -- Other than writing, what's your go-to creative outlet?

Cooking.
(via my Insta)

L: Pulled Pork on 7 -Cheese Macaroni R: Pasta Fagioli
4 Dishes I've made - 1 - Food & Wine cover dish 2 - Chicken/Mushroom Ramen with corn 3 - Open face turkey 4 - Pan Pizza
Birthday cakes I made for my adult kids - L - Xenomorph layer cake R - Hello Kitty flower cake

KPED, 2 days ago to random

#WritersCoffeeClub 5/17 -- Other than writing, what's your go-to creative outlet?

Painting. I enjoy it because it's one thing I don't have to be good at. But that mostly only happens in the winter.

starbreaker, 2 days ago to random

#WordWeavers 2024-05-17 Have you ever written for other age groups?

I don't write for children, but preventing children from reading my stuff isn't my problem; that's their parents' job.

Besides, when I was 10 my idea of light reading was Stephen King, Anne Rice, Michael Moorcock, and Clive Barker. I sure as hell wasn't reading what passed for #YA fiction in the 1980s and 1990s; once you got past Judy Blume & Beverly Cleary YA was nothing but the print equivalent of ABC AfterSchool Specials. 🤮

orionkidder, 16 days ago to writing

#PennedPossibilities 301: What are some of your MC's other (lesser) fears?

Getting lost in the bus system. Her brother getting mad at her. Her dad making a kind of chilli she doesn't like.

Am I doing this right?

#Writing #Writers #WritingCommunity #WritersOfMastodon #AmWriting #AmWritingSF #AmWritingFantasy #AmWritingSFF #Scriberspace

orionkidder, 18 days ago to writing

#WritersCoffeeClub May 1: OMG! What happened to your MC's parents?

They're at home, wondering how they could possibly have let their little girl die like that, even though she's very much alive, trapped, a long long way away...

#Writing #Writers #WritingCommunity #WritersOfMastodon #AmWriting #AmWritingSF #AmWritingFantasy #AmWritingSFF #Scriberspace

AlinaLeonova, 18 days ago to random

May #WordWeavers — all the questions are in the thread below 😊

Start anytime, answer any questions you want, skip as many as you feel like. Use the #, talk to other writers and have fun!

The only rules: be respectful to others and use CWs (content warnings) when necessary.

Everyone is welcome to participate 🧡

Created by @BranwenOShea and me.

#WordWeaversQs — this # is only to find questions. Don't use it in your answers. Use space (# WordWeaversQs) when sharing to keep it tidy 🙏

QuasiTemporal, 1 month ago to random

#WritersCoffeeClub 1: Fave Easter Egg?

That would be my King family. Mostly featuring Lee, but there is a part where we meet his younger siblings: Faye, Sing and Soh.

I'll give you a moment.

(I never put their first and last names together on the page, the way I do with Chartreuse Vermilion and Peaches Nancy Creme.)