@bschillace
"compulsively readable" sounds good, mostly. Kudos.

@dgar it's the naked truth

#writerscoffeeclub
20. Do you have a blog? Tell us about it and share a link.

Absolutely! I call it "Random Spells." I use it to share updates on forthcoming books, publish flash fiction from various writing adventures, and share tips on caring for miniature monsters. Please visit:
https://klepsis.com/wp/blog/

#writingcommunity
#blog

#writerscoffeeclub
30. What dumb things do people say when you tell them you're a writer?

"Wouldn't you earn more gold by casting spells for people?"

#WizardLife
#author
#WritingCommunity

@pretensesoup Reminds me of the short story "The Attack of the Killer Pencils".

#CampNaNoWriMo2023 is in full swing. I'm revising the text of the long-awaited sequel to Water Against Chaos. Since that is what I've got handy, I've been sharing sneak preview excerpts via my newsletter.
Head to klepsis.com to sign up!

@willelm @Ink_Soul
Sometimes showing is just boring.
Tell it and get on with the interesting stuff.

@Priyajsridhar

An indie author discord group I participate in organized a Black Friday sale that I participated in. I even sold a few books!

#WritePhant

@mcc She always tries to answer my math queries as well.

@CA_Hawthorne Magic magnetism? Sounds pretty realistic.

@knbrindle I love Ramona

#writerscoffeeclub
7. Complete this phrase: I write because…

I can't figure out how to get the books to write themselves. I'm sure there is a spell for that, but nothing has worked yet.

#WritingCommunity
#WizardLife

@Franky47
http://xkcd.com/1989/

#writerscoffeeclub
21. When writing, are you ever distracted thinking about a future project?

I have incredible focus on what I'm writing on at any given moment. The distractions come in before I can get started.

#amNotWriting
#WritingCommunity

@HamonWry the sign on it says 10¢

#PennedPossibilities
167. Who would your SC kiss under the mistletoe?

Well, that's a spoiler for my WIP, so I'm not telling!

@willaful I have noticed that sometimes likes take some time to propagate through the federated network

#writerscoffeeclub
3. How much of your worlds are invented versus real? Give examples.

Nearly all the locations are real, and described based on personal visits there. However, in my WIP there are some locales that are impossible for me to visit because <spoilers>, so I have had to rely on the descriptions of those involved.

#Realism
#Fantasy

Tabaxi are skilled in Purr-ception.
#ttrpg

#writerscoffeeclub
8. Do you think of your books as having a particular length?

Yes, I think of them as costing a certain amount to print, which constrains the page length.

#amWriting

@SuzyShearer @bookstodon I have had my issues with the compiler. Other than that, I totally agree.

It's not too late to get Volumes 1 and 2 of The Cordela Chronicles in eBook form for less than $4 (or 4 of whatever local currency units you use).

Treat yourself to a special winter solstice surprise.

@HeliaXyana @crcollins Only when I add on the Augury.

Klepsis.com has officially launched! Visit today to sign up for the newsletter and catch up on the blog.

#writerscoffeeclub
27. If you write in more than one genre, which is your go to?

I write in what are to me "Contemporary Action/Adventure" and "Historical Fiction," but most of you reading this would consider it all "Fantasy."

#WritingCommunity

@TootOfBob Any piece in chess can participate in a victory.

However, the Big Spoon is generally considered more valuable than the Pepper Mill.

#strategy

@floofpaldi I am thinking: this month, @johnhowesauthor included lots of suggestions from the Mastodon mind. It could be that the person who suggested this prompt was using the term 'retcon' in this other way, that many are answering. Doesn't make it 'right', but at least the prompter got what they were expecting.
🤔

#writerscoffeeclub
27. How does it feel knowing that strangers will read your work?

I don't believe it. I have a hard enough time getting people I know to read their free copy.

#WritingCommunity

TFW your own witnesses keep throwing you under the bus

@ixtlidekami @juliebihn @mathtans Ursula K LeGuin, in her forward to the reissue of Left Hand of Darkness owns up to being a liar who tells the truth. (She says it way better than I can.)
#OnWriting

#WritingWonders 16Aug- Give an example of a popular activity/tradition in your world.

Springtime is shearing season. People come from all over to buy wool. Many activities are planned such as fairs, concerts, and combat tournaments.

@dgar mood

#writerscoffeeclub
7. What's your favourite book? Why?

Xanathar's Guide to Everything.

Every time I open it up I always glean new approaches to spell casting. And his insane wit is super entertaining.

#WizardLife
#fantasy
#ttrgp

One of my agents in your section of the material plane will be talking about The Amulet and the Dragon LIVE with @KitMuse of Epona Author Solutions tomorrow (Wednesday Nov 22) at 7pm Eastern on Twitch https://twitch.tv/EponaAuthor and YouTube https://youtube.com/@EponaAuthorSolutions
I hope you can "tune in"!!

#promo #bookstodon #books #author

@poloniousmonk
It seems that the use of "hash" as a name for '#' goes back to the 1960s, so not very new.

@ixtlidekami
Puppeteers? Weird.

#PennedPossibilities 156 — Is your MC or SC deceptive, or willing to lie or deceive to achieve certain means? Why or why not? (2/2)

Rizo lies sometimes just to stay in practice, or for fun.
Cordela can just about always tell when he's trying to deceive, though.

@CA_Hawthorne I do it all the time. I love to magnetically lock a treasure chest. Gives the would-be lock-picks fits!

What do you get for the prince who has everything?

“I really think I ought to find something more personal, that
he’ll know it’s from me every time he looks at it.”
“I’ve been thinking the same thing,” replied Cordela. “But it
should also be practical.”
There were plenty of things
Willie would like to get as gifts, but then again she wasn’t royalty.

The Amulet and the Dragon, now available.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CN31B35Y

Get ready! Cover reveal for The Amulet and the Dragon is scheduled for October 6.
Follow this account if you don't want to miss out.

Or, if you prefer, sign up for the newsletter and get it in your inbox a few days later.
https://klepsis.com/get-email/

IMHO the artwork is spectacular. I hope you agree.

#author
#WritingCommunity
#CoverReveal
#Amulet&Dragon

#writephant
Q3. Have you made up words for your books? If you have, what’s your favorite one?

My MC often unwittingly coins neologisms. A recent favorite is "satisfactorized".

#writing

#writerscoffeeclub
24. Do your family and friends expect one of your books for Christmas?

They're getting one whether they want it or not!

#ReadOrElse

@pixin this is chilling

#writerscoffeeclub
23. Do you format your own work, or hire someone?

Well, my publisher in your world takes care of that for me, but I understand that he does it all himself to save money.

I hear that he uses Scrivener for that task.

#writerscoffeeclub
29. Some writers hate exclamation marks! How do you feel about them? What about interobangs!?

I am a big fan of punctuation. I'm still searching for a way to tell a whole story with only punctuation.

Exclamation marks are certainly effective, but so far I have only used them in dialog. I have used exactly one interrobang in my published works.

#punctuation
#writing

@RunestoneGrove Welcome!

A limited time remains to take advantage of the Amulet and the Dragon #fantasy #map #giveaway.

Don't wait!

https://klepsis.com/wp/2023/11/10/giveaway/

#writerscoffeeclub
13. Do you write to a specific word count, or do you let the story dictate the length?

My goal is to tell the story. So far, that has always taken 85K words +/- a few thousand. It seems like a good length. My next WIP looks like it might be a lot longer. I guess I will find out how dedicated to that word count I am.

#WritingCommunity

#writerscoffeeclub
29. Describe the saddest moment you’ve written. Share an excerpt.

I had to relate the death of Akaia, a beloved companion, near the end of Water Against Chaos.
"Cordela prepared her most potent healing spell. Before she could lay her hands on the fallen warrior, Akaia held up her arm to keep her away.

'It is too late for me,' she said, her voice barely a whisper. 'Save your magic for others. And please, watch over my halfling.' She placed Rizo's hand in Cordela's...

#WritersCoffeeClub
#EpigraphCoffeeClub

"What you really like the most about me is my smile!" — Rizo Malkin

18. How important is social media in promoting your work?

Probably some sample bias in the answers to this question, given the venue, but oh well.

Yes, social media is the linchpin, the material component if you will, of my entire marketing strategy. I use it to promote book sales (like the one going on right now!), drive visits to my web site, get subscribers to my newsletter, etc.

#writerscoffeeclub
16. What ancillary writing apps do you find the most useful?

I find that the static illusions I place on my windows convince people that I'm not home so I can focus on my writing in peace.

#WizardLife
#WritingCommunity
#AppMagic

#writerscoffeeclub
12. Do you agree with Ray Bradbury, who said, "Quantity produces quality. If you only write a few things you're doomed"?

I would have to sell a lot more books to feel comfortable arguing with Ray Bradbury.

Hey! New blog post!

https://klepsis.com/wp/2023/01/31/the-pen-hadnt-been-worth-stealing/

If that sounds like fun to you, you can get it starting today from your favorite bookseller.

#WritersCoffeeClub
#EpigraphCoffeeClub

"We must allow tomorrow its secrets. They will, after all, soon be yesterday 's news." - Stonefoot the Dwarf

29. Do you share your name with other writers?

Never. Some might call me selfish, but I won't share!

Besides, in some of the worlds I operate in, True Name magic is effective. That's why I just use my initials "R. A." on my books and public profile.

#WizardLife
#amWriting

#WritersCoffeeClub
11. What's your top advice to an aspiring writer?

Find someone who can see into your blind spots and provide cogent critique. This could be a professional editor, fellow writer, or just a smart and erudite reader who can communicate clearly. They will pinpoint for you the problems that you know are there but don't know how to fix because you haven't defined them well enough.

#WritingCommunity #amwriting

@Davidtheeviloverlord @elektra
I mean, in Dragonage the cheese knife is one of the most powerful weapons in the game.

OTOH, apparently cheese sometimes works against dragons in Elden Rings.

@MattMastodon @ChrisMayLA6 @bookstodon Interesting theory. Or, maybe we just blame it on Heinlein.

@Neidfyre @whknott didn't even notice him there at first glance

#writerscoffeeclub
14. Share an example of Chekhov's gun in your work.

I have the opposite. My characters are always finding interesting magical items that they have no use for, and they are never mentioned again.

#WritingCommunity
#fantasy

@writerobscura I'm still trying to figure out why a word processor doesn't just chop up words into little bits 🤔

@elektra okay maybe I don't have that much detail.

"The luscious cream sauce dripped suggestively off of her noodle as she wound it around her fork."

More than I usually share ..

@floofpaldi 🤗

#writerscoffeeclub
29. Have you ever left an autographed copy of your work in a hotel or guest house?

I once left an autographed copy of my first book in the dining room of the King of Sparta.

I heard that he wasn't impressed, but that the Queen enjoyed it very much.

#WritingCommunity
#fantasy

@Beatlesandworms He already played me on the big screen and I hated it.

#pennedpossibilities
177. Does your MC or SC have a love-hate relationship with anyone or anything?

Cordela has a love-hate relationship with her patron Isis. Cordela's service gives her life meaning and she wouldn't leave it for anything. But she has an attitude about most of the actual mission assignments she gets.
🤷‍♂️

#writerscoffeeclub
14. Regardless of the genre you write in, do you bring in ideas from other genres?

At a certain point, all good genre ideas are just good story ideas.

#writing

@QuokkaMocha 5 miles is actually quite far.
If you've ever seen a building or other structure at a distance of 5 miles, you would likely say, "Yes, that is far "

@michaelcoyote @kerouac666 a sanctuary from the rain

@davidtheeviloverlord #WizardLife
#ThatsWhatImSaying

@theropologist I often get lost there because I don't know how to read the sines.

#WritersCoffeeClub
3. Is there one piece of well-known writing advice you ignore?

Probably way more than one, but "kill your darlings" is probably the one I ignore most. I keep scenes that are absolutely irrelevant to plot and character, just because they amuse me.

#WritingCommunity

@sonny but ... dragons can fly?

@jcigut @n1xnx @cstross
I wonder what Gorgon Zola is famous for protesting?

@adaddinsane Only mostly (harmless?)

I just released the middle book of a trilogy. I tried to make it stand on its own to avoid the pitfalls, but I'm sure it is still weaker than book 1. We'll see about #3.

#writerscoffeeclub
28. Table of contents or no table of contents? Discuss.

Table of Contents in a novel? Doesn't seem like much use. Certainly not in my novels, that only have chapter numbers.

#WritingCommunity

#WritersCoffeeClub
19. Do you suffer from imposter syndrome?

Only when I'm using Disguise Self to actually impersonate someone else.

Never in writing, mostly because I spell it "impostor" and I must have a pretty high opinion of myself to 'well actually' @johnhowesauthor like that.

#WizardLife
#WritingCommunity
#UKspellingsGetLost

@stephenwhq I don't mean to blow your mind even more, but not all parts of the sun rotate at the same speed. It goes faster near the equator and slower near the poles.

So it isn't even just the opposite side 2 weeks later. It's a whole different sun.

@DannyStaley I cannot lie ...

#writephant
Q1 Do you own a paper dictionary and thesaurus, or do you prefer digital?

I use dictionaries written on paper, vellum, or parchment, or etched in stone.
But I prefer to conjure word associations out of the aether.

#WizardLife
#writing

#secretscifinetwork #Midjourney #WritingPrompt for 9/26
https://writing.exchange/@ewdocparris/111134387137690847

"Isn't that body a little young for you?"

"It's a bit awkward. I keep thinking I'm able to reach farther than I can. The flameproofing is fun, though."

"Plus, you can fit into the smaller crevices. But why?"

"So I can bring you this." Floatine presented a shiny black swan. It was obsidian, still warm from the internal fires of the planet, frozen in the act of taking off from from his tiny palm.

"You remembered!"

@poloniousmonk But does it have dragons?

#writerscoffeeclub
2. On a scale of pantser to plotter, what are you? Are you flexible?

I started out as a total pantser, but with each new project I'm doing more and more planning, to the point that my next work is going to be plotted to a ridiculous level of detail.

#WritingCommunity
#author

You know, my books are nearly as entertaining as my Mastodon posts, and they are longer than 500 characters!

@luna Heartbreak Hotel?

TIL what an incredibly magical world you inhabit. Apparently, you can get dirty dishes clean just by flipping over a sign. Amazing!

#WizardLife

@RustyBertrand did you move to a new instance? If so, fwiw my follow was moved to the new account

I'm periodically seeing a lot of buzz about a show called "Wicked." I guess it's some kind of candle making epic?

@contrarian ah, the original d20, with numbers 0-9 twice. It was up to the artist/owner to determine how to distinguish 11-20.

#writerscoffeeclub
12. Do you prefer to write on a desktop, laptop, typewriter, pen and paper, quill and parchment, blood and stone?

Parchment (and vellum, too) are way too expensive for drafting. I try to use paper or low-end papyrus.

My favorite nibs are made from manticore quills, but they are hard to come by.

#amwritingfantasy
#WizardLife
#WritingCommunity

@nerdybutcute something might still knock you out the trees.

New blog post: Big book sale.
https://klepsis.com/wp/2023/08/11/indieaugust-sale-is-coming/

@purple @Binder @mr_daemon @Da_Gut @mimarek That must be a CD of James Taylor.

#WritersCoffeeClub
#EpigraphCoffeeClub

"Have you ever heard the sound of your skull crack?" - unnamed thug

30. Are you writing to prove a point to anyone?

A bit. I found Cordela's story to be compelling and a lot of fun, so I'm trying to prove that to anyone who will give the books a chance.

#amWriting #WritingCommunity

#writerscoffeeclub
7. Do you have an epilogue in any of your writing? How do you feel about them?

Most of my books have an epilogue (and a prologue). That is because they have a framing device or narrative that needs to be introduced and concluded separately from the main story.

#writing

#writerscoffeeclub
29. Pick one of the Writers' Coffee Club writers you follow and ask them anything about their work or process.

@elysegrasso Does Colorado make its way into your work? How so?

#Writing

#writerscoffeeclub
2. Do you keep a notebook or digital device by your bed if you have an idea during the night?

No, when I go to bed I pretty much fall asleep right away. On the rare occasions when I don't, I'll get up to write down an idea since I'm not sleeping anyway.

#oversharing
#WritingCommunity

#writerscoffeeclub
15. Describe your perfect writing conditions.

I'm not sure that perfect exists. A quiet evening with a glass of well-aged spirits is about as good as it gets.

#amWriting

#writerscoffeeclub
26. Would you consider recording your own audiobook?

I'd think about it, but that's an awfully large number of Magic Mouth spells and frankly, I've got better things to use my slots on.

#WizardLife
#publishing

@dgar OMG Fish?

@slott56 NICE!!!!!

New blog entry.
Another installment in the Monster Care series.
klepsis.com/wp/2023/05/11/when-your-small-monster-is-under-the-weather/

@lowqualityfacts "AI does not know how to wear a suit" implies that AI does know how to escort a nice non-AI girlfriend to a wedding, I suppose.

@oliphant Since human attention is limited, I think there is a space for providing solutions to the problem of "I follow too many people to keep up with."

But rather than monetizing that service, a platform could (if it wanted to) provide users the tools to build their own idiosyncratic algorithms that surface posts based on their interests. There would be no way to game that system for virality.

Following hashtags is a small step in that direction.

@sylvia I counted the words I wrote in my newsletter toward my NaNoWriMo goal

#writerscoffeeclub
9. Is there any kind of scene you could never write?

Probably lots. I've managed to avoid the necessity of writing many types of scenes, so far.

But I've found that anything boring is absolutely excruciating to write. So, could do it, just really prefer not to.

#WritingCommunity

#pennedpossibilities
175. How cautious is your MC? Are they prone to noticing red flags, or paranoid to the point of refusing to trust others?

Cordela sees red flags where there aren't any, and misses many that are obvious. But she always ends up somehow making the right decisions anyway.

Like trusting me to tell her story.

@Josie It does build character, it's just that character is Gollum.

@libroraptor @Julie Facing the selection of an appropriate hat is a way to acquire wisdom.

Gotta get the right hat.🧙‍♂️

@youseeatortoise Hey, did something go wrong over at BumblePuppy? I can't get to the web site suddenly.

@CA_Hawthorne I mean, ranting is kind of what this platform is for...

@abellware https://pa1.aminoapps.com/5889/8e75428307fcaed82f42cfc9c117bdc4cd6dc3c4_00.gif

There are just a few days left to get Water Against Chaos and The Amulet and the Dragon eBooks for just 0.99 each! Price climbs next month.

#writerscoffeeclub
19. Describe the funniest moment you’ve written lately.

This is more like dramatic irony, but the mysterious stranger that is chasing the MC keeps getting in trouble because of the shenanigans of the MC and her crew, and as a result cannot catch up to her.

#WritingCommunity
#fantasy

#writerscoffeeclub
5. Can you feel the emotions of your characters when you write them?

Well, I definitely feel _something_. It's hard to say whether it's exactly the emotion that they felt at the time...

The giant Narratess sale starts tomorrow! Independent Fantasy & Science Fiction books, Including Water Against Chaos, are 1.99, 0.99, or FREE.
https://promotions.narratess.com August 26-28.
#IndieAugust #fantasy

#writerscoffeeclub
11. How close is your final manuscript to your first draft?

Even when the words don't change very much, I consider that the story has traveled through the winding path of the creative process and has grown and changed because of it.

#WritingCommunity

@sylvia I mean, Kerouac made a whole career out of that kind of writing

@linuxgal I need a second draft of Life

@xkcd Unfortunately, 'tastiness' is also a log scale, and palatability drops off pretty quickly.

@lowqualityfacts
This is skewed because Monday, July 14 1536 was 7234 hours long.

#pennedpossibilities
251. What clothing materials or outfits feel the most comfortable to your MC?

Rizo commented that he had never seen Cordela in anything that was not emerald green.

#writing
#WritingCommunity

@ixtlidekami @NaraMoore
I do the opposite. I control computers with magic!

#WizardLife

#wordweavers
29. If you could go back and change one thing about your writing in your earlier work, what would it be?

That one typo that somehow escaped multiple editing and proofreading passes.

#altEclipseASongOrPoem

But come, thou Goddess fair and free,
In heaven Eclipsed Euphrosyne,
And by men heart-easing Mirth;
Whom lovely Venus, at a birth,
With two sister Graces more,
To ivy-crowned Bacchus bore.

#wordweavers
21. “If a scene is boring, add dragons.” What do you do if a scene is boring?

My question is, "What do you do if your scene already has dragons and is still boring?" to which I say, "Make one of the dragons your MC under the influence of a Polymorph spell."

#fantasy
#WizardLife
#bookstodon
#WritersOfMastodon

@MetalheadDana I didn't realize that rear view mirrors were such a recent invention.

@Pentapod doesn't hold very much?

#writerscoffeeclub
30. What genre(s) are not your thing (without insulting other club members)?

I'll read a primo example of any genre. I don't write them all, because I don't feel I could do them justice and also who has all that time?

Historical sapphic body horror romance? Bring it on!

#writerscoffeeclub
17. Have you taken high school or college courses in Creative Writing? Were the classes useful?

No classes. When it comes to creative writing I'm a complete autodidact.

You could tell, couldn't you?

#Writing

#wordweavers
19. Do you ever use mundane daily tasks to show character or world-build?

Eating, getting dressed, and napping all server character building. However, since I write #fantasy, some daily tasks might seem less mundane: wizards studying their spell books every morning, daily weapon practice, and devotional rituals to patron deities for example.

Also, while "said" sort of fades into the background when reading, it can really be annoying when listening to someone else read.

@gahlearner posted the Wikipedia link in his response to this prompt. After looking at the definition, I think my use of MacGuffins is pretty much textbook.

https://writing.exchange/@gahlearner/111132156525636445

(Thanks, GL!!)

#WritersCoffeeClub
#EpigraphCoffeeClub

“If you fail to plan, you plan to fail”. — Benjamin Franklin (often attributed, but without evidence)

21. Do you agree with Rose Tremain, who says you shouldn't plan a book's ending; it must be earned?

See the epigraph above. Ultimately, resolutions must also be earned as well, so not entirely disagreeing.

#writerscoffeeclub
18. Do you ever use parentheses/brackets in your writing?

I was going to say, "no," but then I did a quick search in Water Against Chaos and I found an embarrassing number of them, including two parenthetical interjections in one sentence!

#WritingCommunity

#writerscoffeeclub
21. Do you know the ending before you start writing?

I generally have a scene in mind, although I'm not always exactly sure how it will play out.

#writing

#writerscoffeeclub
4. How do you write the time? In text or numbers? Both? Why?

I haven't had a need to be that specific about time.

#WritingCommunity

@valkyrie @tinker time crystals are quartz

Didn't get the latest newsletter? The one with the souvenir map included? You must not be subscribed.
klepsis.com/get-email/ to sign up.

@StretchCT that song is a metaforest.

@TheDarkHorse
I like Heidi Priebe on the tube.

@Ethancdavenport @redoak guy from nine inch nails designs digital logic. Trent RezNOR.

#pennedpossibilities
161. Do your characters seek glory and accolades, or do they favor a simpler, more personal life?

Cordela doesn't seek glory, she just expects it. And is often disappointed when people haven't heard of her deeds.

#wordweavers
25. Secondary character POV: You are allowed to play a prank on the MC. What would that be?

Paint a big "L" on her glowing shield.

#fantasy

#pennedpossibilities
197. Do any of your characters have their very own "kryptonite" of sorts?

Cordela is sent on missions by her order without full details of what she is getting into. So, if she has any vulnerability, it is loyalty to her friends and her inner circle.

#writing
#flaws

#writerscoffeeclub
28. How do you approach a fight scene or other high-action scenes?

I always prepare a high-level area-of-effect or damage spell, and make sure I'm using Mage Armor.

Oh, this prompt is probably about #writing.

In that case, I try to make sure I have a very good picture in my head of what the "battlefield" looks like and where the participants are in relation to each other.

In revisions, I look for opportunities to increase the danger and tension.

#fantasy
#WizardLife

@Adam_Cadmon1 like brother London?

It looks like the reddit #fantasy Mega #sale is still going on for a few more hours. Get that eBook you had your eye on, support an indie author, and help out disabled people all at once (Hat Trick!)

https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/18r94ge/over_700_books_free_or_099_more_than_200/

#writerscoffeeclub
24. How often do you ignore your editor/proofreader?

Proofreaders, when I can get them, I always pay attention to.

I don't have an editor. If I did, they would probably be insulted by how much I ignore them.

#writing

Totally not posting on social media to avoid editing my draft manuscript.

@ShadowJonathan So you're saying that we have 30 years of war to look forward to?

@gabe how about Eaters of the Dead ?

@Tim_Eagon @AdamMakesTTRPG
Druid: "What do we do about that giant purple worm?"
Wizard: "Can you wild shape into a mole?"
Druid: "Sure. Why?"
Fighter: "Just do it."
Druid: "Now what?"
Wizard: "Spit."

#writerscoffeeclub
21. Would you ever use emojis in your writing? Why? Why not? 😀

Since my manuscripts are exactly that (latin: hand writing), if I wanted to include a pictogram in my writing, I would just draw it. I would leave it up to my publisher how to represent it in print.

The need or desire to do so has not occurred thus far.

#WritingCommunity

@maryrobinette @nanowrimo looking forward to this

#writerscoffeeclub
15. What's your field of expertise? What are you most skilled at?

I am a wizard. My expertise covers most things Arcane or magical. I have a particular skill at composing — some would call it "discovering" — new spells.

#WizardLife

#writerscoffeeclub
29. What are your grammar rules to live by and grammar rules to break?

I'll never write a sentence fragment. Except when I do.

#WritingCommunity

#writerscoffeeclub
1. What are your writing related New Year Resolutions?

My plan for the immediate future is to assemble a more detailed plan for the sequel too The Amulet and the Dragon.

I also hope to pass along some more excerpts from Lair of Tellenioc, a prior work that I've lost control of in some planes. Publishing the full book in your world is a longer term project that I hope to complete someday.

#writing

#writerscoffeeclub
15. Is it worthwhile buying professional cover art?

If you have a limited budget, you are probably better off spending the money for professional editing.

Of course, I do just the opposite, so maybe my advice isn't worth much? I think the covers look great though, don't you?

#writerscoffeeclub
2. Do you have other artistic leanings? How do these affect your writing?

I occasionally will compose a new spell, although I haven't done so in years. This only effects my writing because my unique spells sometimes get me raw material for new books. Such was the case with Water Against Chaos.

#WizardLife
#writing

@mcc 2 through 10

@hexbatch@mastodon.online Too bad Matthew Perry passed away. I bet he would have been great in it.

#IndieApril Sale now in effect!!
Over 100 titles for 1.99, 0.99, or ABSOLUTELY FREE!
https://indiebook.sale/

Don't forget that you can enter this #giveaway for a full-color reproduction of Cordela's map! AND pick up a copy of The Amulet and the Dragon, both starting tomorrow!

@cafuego the bright spot all the way to the right appears to be the planet Jupiter

@RustyBertrand
That's the GF he's with, not the wife.

#wordweavers
3. Who is your favorite antagonist? Why?

There is this other wizard who always gets undue credit for defeating the dragons. He gets to be the hero, while I'm cast aside despite my crucial role. He's the guy I love to hate.

#WizardLife

#wordweavers
28. Do you target your work to a specific audience?

No, but I would probably do better if I did so.
I certainly try to avoid things that are specifically "adult" — profanity, sex, excessive graphic violence — to make the work widely accessible. But I hope there is enough to appeal to all ages.

My audience is "anyone who likes fun and adventure."

#fantasy

Don't miss this spring's biggest sale on independent Fantasy and Science Fiction, #IndieApril by #Narratess April 13 - 15.

indiebook.sale

My eBook titles only $0.99, £0.99, €0.99, or 0.99 of whatever your local currency is!

Gappy Hanksthiving everyone!

#writerscoffeeclub
12. A game developer wants to base a game on your book. How do you feel about it?

It depends on who they are hiring to play me.

#WizardLife
#fantasy
#WritingCommunity

@ewdocparris how about chocolate eggs?

@KeytarCat Many other respondents mentioned that phenomenon. That's why I mentioned that my epilogues usually don't get heavily revised. 😉

#wordweavers
11. What tools can your MC use?

Pruning shears, trowels, hoes. Anything for gardening. She grew up on a farm.

#fantasy
#writing

@madgeface Do you plan to hand pollinate?

@luna I guess I would too if I had 9 lives

@james So that would be like you're standing on the N2 bridge facing Raflaconnny?

@impactology this requires isomorphic agents

#indieaugust SFF book sale coming soon to https://promotions.narratess.com/
100+ works by your favorite independent authors.

@strangeseawolf @HeliaXyana @SJHoodlet @Firlefanz I have Harry Potter losing to Harry Houdini in the second round

#wordweavers
16. Do you make up words for your books? If so, any tricks you’d care to share?

I don't have to. My MC does that all on her own.

#writing

Here is a #promotion people might be interested in. Pick 10 #fantasy titles, for free.

https://www.authorbrittanywang.com/10freebooks

@jlward it might be the servers where the images are hosted getting overloaded. As soon as someone posts a link or an image, all the federated servers need to go there and make a copy in order to generate the preview for their local users. All those concurrent hits can clog a server.

#writerscoffeeclub
11. Are some genres taken more seriously than others? How does this make you feel?

Without a doubt some genres are taken more seriously. But what really steams my asparagus is that some works aren't considered to be "genre" at all, just because they are set in the "real world" and a "contemporary" time period with "real people" as characters.

@PamPortlandWriter this seems to answer the question the best I've seen so far

@DragonDiaries such a stereotype

@mcc which keyboard is connected to which screen

#writerscoffeeclub
13. What’s the hardest emotion for you to write?

It's really hard to write any emotion. Without feedback from the audience there is no way to tell if the desired emotion is landing at all.

#WritingCommunity

@wendyparciak Casual disregard for careful planning and common sense leads to unpredictable success.

@HeliaXyana @crcollins The fun part is that when I show up in the story, I can switch to first person

@bryanappleywrites @floofpaldi @willelm @michaelthomet @IsobelLynn
I guess anyone can start a Q&A at any time, though.

#writerscoffeeclub
13. Which "unfilmable" novel do you think has worked best on screen?

Due to a lack of cinemas in my world, I don't see many films.

However, I did see an amazing staging of Hamonon's adaptation of the epic "Lycaea," which was thought to be impossible to show as a dramatic presentation. The giant turtle props really brought the climactic battle scene to life.

#Theater #Epic #HistoricalDrama

#itwasadarkandstormymind @HeliaXyana
As the light gradually increased, he took in the absence of giant robots pummeling each other into scrap, the very bird-like behavior of the robins and sparrows as they pecked for grubs in the dirt, and the utter lack of artillery explosions leaving great craters in the earth of the valley outside his window. If the world wasn't going to provide any excitement today, he would have to bring his own chaos.

It seems that we finally have the price drop for Water Against Chaos propagated to most online retailers.

So now you can get the eBooks of BOTH volumes of the Cordela Chronicles for under 4 of your local currency units.

#priceDrop #books #sale

@HeliaXyana @strangeseawolf @SJHoodlet @Firlefanz Happens to me all the time

@lilithsaintcrow
Is that the question?

#CoverReveal
The new #fantasy installment of The Cordela Chronicles _The Amulet and the Dragon_ will be available November 19. I am delighted to share for the first time anywhere the wonderful cover designed by https://www.emilysworldofdesign.com/

#authors #WritingCommunity #book

@welshpixie I guess that's where the sun never shines

@youseeatortoise Arthur C. Clarke never went back to take the Soviet Union out of 2001 or Rendezvous with Rama.

I think you're ok.

13. Do #WritersCoffeeClub, #WordWeavers or #PennedPossibilities inspire you?

I looked over months of my own responses and picked the best for this month's newsletter. Some of them were very inspired. Others not so much.

I appreciate others' responses more for the feeling of community and discussion than as direct inspiration. Keep those answers coming, everyone!

#WritingCommunity

Hey, don't forget that there is a "fill your e-reader" event tomorrow, one day only!
Over 130 #fantasy titles are available.
http://fantasyfreeforall.com

(Fixed link)

@aby will do, if you're serious. I was attempting to be supportive, but if I missed I'll definitely wipe it.

#writerscoffeeclub
25. What's a better (more truthful) name for a famous novel?

There Will Be Bunnies

(Narrator: "There were, in fact, to be no bunnies. Nor mice.")

#writerscoffeeclub
24. Are you a book hoarder, or do you sell them / give them away once read?

I am cursed with an inflated certainty that I will indeed return and reread those books that I loved the first time.

Alas, the poor neglected volumes wait on my shelf, accumulating dust while excreting hope. I should do them the service of passing them onward that they might once again bring joy and enlightenment to another.

#WritersAreReadersToo

#PennedPossibilities
149 — SC POV: When was the last time you felt needed?

Rizo tries hard NOT to be needed. But when Cordela had use for his expertise with large wild creatures ...

@mathtans @ixtlidekami @juliebihn

"I talk about the gods; I am an atheist. But I am an artist too, and therefore a liar. Distrust everything I say. I am telling the truth."
— Ursula K. LeGuin

Link: you should read the whole thing. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/342990/the-left-hand-of-darkness-by-ursula-k-le-guin-with-a-new-foreword-by-david-mitchell-and-a-new-afterword-by-charlie-jane-anders/9780441007318/excerpt

#writerscoffeeclub
2. Do you keep a journal? Would you?

I do keep a journal, but it's more like a lab book. I jot down ideas for spells and magical procedures, and keep track of what works and what doesn't.

#WizardLife

#WritersCoffeeClub
4. What's your beverage and snack of choice when writing?

Scotch or Irish whiskey to drink.
Pistachios to eat.

I put both down while sprinting. Incentives, you know.

#WritingCommunity

@skaeth I just made an author account and suggested the new book. I also tried claiming Book 1 (Water Against Chaos), so they can both appear on my profile.

#writerscoffeeclub
26. How do you ensure that you don't infringe copyright in your work?

Trust me, no one else would write this stuff.

Trademark infringement, on the other hand ...

#WritersCoffeeClub
#EpigraphCoffeeClub

"I don't know whether to have you both killed or to confer upon you even greater honors than you already have." — Prince Prothar

25. Do you add a message from the author to your work?

Yes.

@courtcan @Adam_Cadmon1 annall nathrach ...

@welshpixie Stick out your tongue?

#writerscoffeeclub
3. Should a writer have a face shot on their book cover or within their book?

Really every #author should have a flattering portrait painted in durable oils by a sensitive and competent artist. The portrait should hang in a prominent place in the library devoted to preserving and promoting their works.

#WritingCommunity

#writerscoffeeclub
26. How many drafts do you go through before the final manuscript?

I'm up to three or four. I used to do fewer. Perhaps as I've become a better writer I'm less satisfied with the early drafts.

Pretty big assumption there.

#amWriting
#WritingCommunity

#writerscoffeeclub
19. If you could remove one rule of grammar, which would you choose?

Are you kidding? And lose even one weapon with which to hit other writers over the head? Never!

#GrammarRules
#DontEndWithAPreposition
#WritingCommunity

#writerscoffeeclub
#EpigraphCoffeeClub

"A dragon is a dragon." — Cordono Shent, Cordela's father.

1. OMG! What happened to your MC's parents?

Happy May Day to those who celebrate!

As the epigraph indicates, Cordela's parents are just fine, and not too keen on her plans.

#WritingCommunity

@GrantMeStrength I think many people assume they are just shouting into the void. Nice to know that someone is listening somewhere.

@elysegrasso you will probably want to pick a mail handler to manage newsletter, mailing lists, etc. They are requiring an authenticated domain sender email, which you should get with your domain name but check to be sure.

@Priyajsridhar

I'd love for people to see that I'm giving away #fantasy maps from my new book.

Details here: https://klepsis.com/wp/2023/11/10/giveaway/

To participate, sign up for my newsletter and boost this post. That's it!

#writephant

@AkkalonAS
I tried responding on the post, but the response widget hid the reply button from me for some reason 😞.

Jill Bearup, producer of this series of YouTube shorts (https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLj4N-R1RQxAuAQ4qBpaUbGLb1ZWpWySAz&si=8UeMw3yAO3ZD_6d0) has turned them into a book Just Stab Me Now (https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/book/1144381292?ean=9781739431914) that drops in February.

#writerscoffeeclub
4. Have you ever seen a movie which was better than the book?

Film is not yet available in my particular material plane. However, I have read some books that were better than the real thing.

#WizardLife
#fantasy
#WritingCommunity

#FairyTaleASongOrMovie

Swan, Lake, and Palmer

#WritersCoffeeClub
#EpigraphCoffeeClub

"There's nothing like asparagus when it's fresh from the garden." — The Elder Gods

5. Is there a certain kind of story or arc that is easier for you to write as a short story than others?

I find that limited scope settings fit short stories best. As soon as characters have to start traveling from location to location, things balloon up to novel (or at least novella) length.

#Writing

#PennedPossibilities
158. How has the loss of fallen comrades and / or loved ones affected your MC or SC? Has it taught them anything or given them any new perspectives?

I think Cordela hasn't been affected as much as she should have been by the fall of her associates. She seems to just see it as something that happens, sometimes.

@maryrobinette @nanowrimo
It was great writing with you. I use Scrivener also and I liked seeing what you do with it.

@PaxAsteriae It is the nature of things to get worse over time

@Shogun I wonder what sort of minds discuss Eleanor Roosevelt?

@ewdocparris I mean, it's hard to write an hour worth of sketch comedy every week.

@xkcd I swear he has been replaced by a LLM

@JustFrank they must be said because they are unprintable

@Ethancdavenport @redoak yes that one is extremely niche

#WritersCoffeeClub
12. If you write novels, would you consider a short story, and vice versa?

I often write so-called flash fiction, extremely short works of just a few hundred words. I occasionally include these as special bonuses in my newsletter, or on the blog.

#AmWriting #WritingCommunity #SelfPromo

@magnolia_fox You can only fail #nanowrimo if you give up

@NeanderthalPride It is taxing whenever I need to create a particularly emotional scene. It's really the raw vulnerability I think

#writerscoffeeclub
16. If you've read a book series, was there a weak book in the series? What made it weak?

I've found that the middle books of trilogies tend to be the weakest. There was an image that went around the Internet a while ago that kind of showed why middles of trilogies were so hard to do well. Many examples come to mind.

@ajsadauskas @asklemmy
The Netscape logo at the bottom killed me

@lowqualityfacts or, at least, they were

#pennedpossibilities
162. Does your SC celebrate any holidays? If so, which ones, and how?

The night of the summer solstice is considered an auspicious time for things like weddings.

And everyone in town appreciates the Shearing Festival, a week long celebration of everything related to sheep and wool.

#fantasy
#WritingCommunity
#occasions

#WritersCoffeeClub
24. What are your biggest bugbears with publishing?

Agencies and retailers demand pretty steep discounts on printed books. Including printing costs and shipping, I need to either accept very low margins or price my books much higher than I'm comfortable doing.

Aside, my new soon-to-be released book actually has bugbears in it.

#WritingCommunity
#author
#fantasy

@deidungeon higher lance wins

@ajroach42 This is in all honesty an easy mistake to make.

For one thing, they both sported cool beards.

#writerscoffeeclub
27. How do you find beta readers? Would you beta read yourself?

I'm hoping to get some good ideas from other answers to this prompt. I've been an alpha reader for some very early drafts.

#wordweavers
10. Do your characters eat any unusual food?

Not really unusual, but the town where they live is famous for the wool it produces, and there are a lot of sheep around. So, they eat a lot of sheep. The inn where every adventure starts and ends is renowned for its lamb stew.

#nomnomnom
#fantasy
#amwriting

#writerscoffeeclub
(October!) 2. How often do you write in a typical week? How do you find the time?

I write 2 days a week. I meet with a group of writers and we encourage each other. That is my guaranteed writing time.

During #NaNoWriMo events I write every day. That's when I get most of my work done.

#author
#WritingCommunity

@skaeth @bookstodon @shauna If I own a book, I can take extra time to finish if I need it. Plus, if I bought it I'm much more likely to be into it. Gift books are in between, and depend on how well the gifter knows me.

I don't do any subscriptions.

#writerscoffeeclub
25. Question for unpublished authors.

(Recusing myself for today.)

Q2: Pumpkin spice latte or pumpkin spice coffee:

a) a tasty seasonal treat that you can’t wait for
b) a seasonal treat you can take or leave
c) the devil’s work
d) other–please explain

Inserting the only flavor that makes pumpkin palatable into a beverage that doesn't need it and never asked for it.

#Writephant #WritingCommunity #amwriting #WritersofMastodon #amdrinking #teadrinkersunite #friendsofJuanValdez #hotchocolateseason
#neverpumpkin

#WritersCoffeeClub
14. Have you ever written about an ex-partner and changed their name in your story?

Didn't even bother to change her name.
They say "write what you know." I say "write who you know."

#WritingCommunity

#WritersCoffeeClub
15: Which conjunctions do you use the most? Does it matter?

It turns out that Scrivener has a word frequency tool. In my current WIP, I use the following conjunctions with these frequencies, in descending order:
And 1826
For 798
As 562
But 497
So 260
If 245
Or 228
Where 141
After 130
Who 107
Too 93
Than 93
While 86
Also 81
Only 78
Which 76
Since 72

Many of these words have usages other than as conjunctions, so that may skew the results.

I never expected when I started #EpigraphCoffeeClub that there would actually be quotes relevant to the #WritersCoffeeClub prompt.

Note that no actual sheep were harmed in the making of the books.

#disclaimer

@ixtlidekami already done!

#writerscoffeeclub
7. How would you describe your WIP's core plot?

What do you get for someone who has everything?

#amWriting
#WritingCommunity
#fantasy

@FrostPoem #excerpt from my soon to be released book.

@mathtans It all depends on the initial conditions.

@degroof This is so useful

@luna
The original says "I feel so lonely I could die."
Too obscure, I guess

@dillyd working on it, not quite 100% yet

@gahlearner @crcollins @AlinaLeonova @caronallan I have heard from readers of audiobooks that "said" can be annoyingly repetitive when read aloud.

Water and Amulet are both on sale for 0.99 all week!

@Da_Gut @mimarek @Binder Blu-Ray also has problems. If the player can't get a decryption key from the Internet, it won't play the disk.

#wordweavers
2. Do your characters play any games?

One of my MCs is an expert knife thrower. He wins money in various taverns playing a game similar to modern darts. To win, you have to score 200 exactly.

#amwritingfantasy

#WritersCoffeeClub
#EpigraphCoffeeClub

"If you ask me, it's a load of dragon poo." — Rizo Malkin

26. Do you write stand-alone stories, series or both? Which do you prefer?

I have written two stand-alone stories (one semi-autobiographical) and I'm two books into a series with the third WIP.

I prefer series because I can drop in little references that astute readers of earlier books will notice but others will not, and that understanding is not essential to the story at hand.

#amWriting

@mara #WizardLife

#writerscoffeeclub
8. What does your most productive writing space look like?

It has plenty of ink and nibs around so I don't have to get up and hunt for them when I get into a flow.

Also, I like tea available.

#amwriting
#WizardLife
#WritingCommunity

@Kahlenar That's the one. It tries to appear as a memoir, but it is completely fiction.

Attention #indieAuthor #readers and fans!! The Indie Author Black Friday event is coming to an Internet device near you. Over 100 independently authored and published books are on sale for $0.99 or FREE.

Navigate to https://tabdalla.com/blackfridaysale/ and keep hitting refresh until it goes live. You don't want to miss this.

(Water Against Chaos is available via this sale.)

#fantasy #scifi #romance #books #sale

#writerscoffeeclub
(posting early)
21. How do you write an internal monologue and/or telepathy in your work?

So, I have done both of these. Typically, I write it like dialog, but without the quotation marks, and 'she thought' instead of 'she said.'
Occasionally I put the quotation marks in when it seems too confusing without them.

I'll let others judge how effective this is.

#WritingCommunity
#authors
#WritingStyles

@orionkidder total same

#writerscoffeeclub
31. Does your work include any horror elements?

No, I try to keep everything light and entertaining. My MCs occasionally face classic horror monsters, but that's just the sort of thing that happens around here.

What's the most frightening thing you've written?

Probably some bad pun.

#HorrorsofMastodon
#WritingCommunity
#fantasy
#IsitreallyALLhallowsorjustSome

#wordweavers
20. What’s your antagonists’ soft spot?

I guess he's particularly fond of goat jerky.

#pennedpossibilities
187. Describe your MC or SC's relationship with nature and the natural world.

Cordela grew up on a farm. She has deep knowledge of herbs and most growing things. She also appreciates songbirds. However, she harbors an abiding hatred for squirrels.

@Cefr @theropologist I I guess congruency is a real problem there!

@linuxgal It isn't so much "learning Python" as it is "learning which library to load and how to use it."

@DrOinFLA Na, na, na na na na, na na na na, na na na na na na.

#writerscoffeeclub
19. Do you give your characters mannerisms? How do you do this?

Absolutely! Sometimes they are verbal habits, which come out in dialog. Others are actions, like cocking the head at an odd angle, that I have to describe.

@tofugolem My server is named Zaphod.

#writerscoffeeclub
14. Many writers own cats. Is pet ownership essential for your writing?

Absolutely! I would not have even had the rights to tell the stories in my books if not for my hobby of shrinking and keeping pet monsters.

#WizardLife
#authors
#fantasy

@unclepj I'm not really here. I thought it was Illusion class.

Creating Appropriate Habitats for Small Monsters

https://klepsis.com/wp/2023/01/26/creating-appropriate-habitats-for-small-monsters/

(a blog entry from earlier this year about one of my favorite hobbies)

@floofpaldi Thanks so much! I hope you enjoy. Please leave a review if you can.

@ieure @Ethancdavenport @redoak "nine inch nails guy but his palm is muting his guitar strings"

@dgar Just remember that oil puns and water puns don't mix.

@KitMuse Snark is an art form all its own

#writerscoffeeclub
27. Hollywood has optioned your work for a movie. Do you disown it if they change things?

Still waiting for them to pay me for the story they lifted 40 years ago.
They pay, they can change whatever they want.

#amwritingfantasy
#WritingCommunity

#writerscoffeeclub
1. Does your work include any poetry? Share a snippet.

A riddle:
Warehouse for wisdom,
Chamber for thought,
This thing with gold
Cannot be bought.
This thing once lost
Is what you miss most.
Elders and sages
About it will boast.

There is also reference to a dwarven epic that chronicles the downfall of the old kings. I mercifully omitted that.

#poetry
#Bookstodon
#TuskWords

@poloniousmonk
If you tag your response, more people who follow that tag will see it.

If that's what you want.

@WarnerCrocker
So many dragon eggs in one place is certainly a rare sight

No, I meant 'skillsets,' not 'skillets.'

:-P

I know an author that goes a step further. They include obscure and niche cultural references to a culture on a completely different plane of existence.

"This is nacho beautiful house.
This is nacho beautiful wife."

#mashupsnacksandsongsorpoems
#hashtagGames

#wordweavers
14. Secondary character POV: How would the story be better if you were the MC?

Instead of all the "got to save the world" angst, you get the mushy romantic "looking into his eyes I forgot myself" ♥️♥️♥️

#romance
#fantasy

@klforslund I'm trying to find a way to host my archive on my web site

#writerscoffeeclub
13. Do you like maps? If they feature in your work do you draw them by hand or use an application?

I love maps. The Amulet and the Dragon has one in the frontmatter. I gave away some life size, full color reproductions as a promotion (I have a few left — if you want one, sign up for my newsletter and let me know in an email).

I drew the original map by hand, then paid an artist to make it prettier for publication.

@CA_Hawthorne Good luck!
#NaNoWriMo2023

@hierarchon There for omicron every time...

@PanDaemonium I became an author to avoid this fate.

I blogged about #FantasyFreeForAll, coming October 6: https://klepsis.com/wp/2023/10/02/fantasyfreeforall/

@johnhowesauthor @adaddinsane @degroof Of course, there was the playboy who they called "The Grammarian" because he ended every sentence with a proposition.

#writerscoffeeclub
28. What are your thoughts on using real brand names in your writing?

Since I write for two different worlds, any unexplained references to names or brands would be lost on at least one audience. So I try to avoid them.

#WritingCommunity

Harpies attack!

As they neared the cave mouth, they heard a screech and the rustling of wings. "So much for surprise," Rizo muttered.

"That didn't sound very dragon-like," Cordela said.
They had feathered wings and feet that ended in sharp raptor-like talons, but their heads and upper torsos were humanoid, if rather ugly. They screeched again, showing mouths full of dangerous-looking fangs.

The Amulet and the Dragon

Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CN31B35Y

Barnes & Noble
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/book/1144285435?ean=9798218294144

@qurlyjoe
Possible oldest tech award winner here

@kcdc don't forget "Every Bite You Take"

#HashtagGames

@youseeatortoise looks ok to me

@bryanbeal about 1/3 of the way through book 1

@Ethancdavenport @redoak collab between nine inch nails and happy Mondays. Trent Beznor

#writerscoffeeclub
1. Intro update: Shameless Self Promotion. Tell us about yourself, published work, WIP or anything else people should know.

My blog has tips for taking care of your miniature monsters.

https://klepsis.com/wp/blog/

How you make the monsters small to begin with, I'm afraid you're on your own.

#WizardLife

@juergen_hubert A creature that feeds on fear would leave its victims with less of it, or possibly none.

So, as soon as a Will-o-wisp latches on, the victim would feel a sense of calm come over them as their fear was drained.

That hasn't been my experience with the creatures.

#WizardLife

@floofpaldi YES. Thank you. So many people using this word in non standard ways.

@AlexCorby Check out my blog. I have a whole series of articles on (miniature) monster care. https://klepsis.com/blog/

@nautilebleu @NaraMoore @chikorita157 @nillyrobot Those stats are starting to look like a power law

@jdnicoll I'm not sure it's very responsible making that kind of magic available to the masses.

Only 3 days until the huge sale on independent Fantasy & Science Fiction books.
Remember to visit https://promotions.narratess.com August 26-28.
#IndieAugust #fantasy

#wordweavers
27. At what point during the writing of your WIP do you know what the last line is going to be?

I tend to do the no-no of having an epilogue at the end of my books. Since this is generally written much later than the rest of the book, and technically contains the last line, it usually doesn't get revised much in the editing process.
So, I generally know the last line as soon as I write it, but not before then.

#writing

@nazgul @harmonygritz User-specified selective flagging of posts is pretty much what I'm suggesting here. It might be a pain for the user to keep tweaking the settings until they get exactly what they want, but maybe it's an "expert user" tool and those who don't want to spend the time can just enjoy the "river" as it flows by.

@johnhowesauthor Looking forward to these!

#pennedpossibilities
186. Does your MC believe in magical or cosmic forces, or are they more likely to think that their life is ultimately a matter of their own control?

Cordela used magic on a daily basis, so there's no question there. She also gets communiques from her patron deity on occasion. She certainly does not feel like her life is a matter of her own control. Whether there is any cosmic force behind her goddess, well, maybe she will find out in the next book.

@Fluttermind I had some maps printed on canvas for not too much.

#WritersCoffeeClub
20. What fonts do you use for paperbacks or drafting/digital?

Text is Georgia. Titles in Arial.

#WritingCommunity

I plan to start adding "like this one" to the end of many of my mastodon posts, like this one.

http://xkcd.com/2879/

#writerscoffeeclub
31. Do you work from premise to world or world to premise?

The state of the world is taken as a "given," and then people need to figure it out and decide what to do about it.

@ixtlidekami What do you think I'm doing with #writerscoffeclub ?

@HeliaXyana @crcollins In my case, yes they told me what happened.

Plus I have clairvoyance. I give my readers the inside story.

#WritersCoffeeClub

5. Do you have an intended audience for your writing?

Anyone who likes a #fantasy yarn. Clean and light enough for young readers, fun for all ages.

#WritingCommunity

#WritersCoffeeClub

2. On a scale of pantser to plotter, what are you? Are you flexible?
(tooting early, tomorrow will be very busy)

I started out a chaotic pantser, and gradually migrated toward more planning. My soon to be released WIP was plantsed. For my next book I expect to go full plotter.

#AmWriting #WritingCommunity

@slott56 pegging must have been nuts

#writephant
Links are on my profile About tab.
I'll just use this spot to share the pretty artwork.

@rdm I am not a number...

#writerscoffeeclub
30. How much detail do you put into character descriptions? Discuss?

I would classify it as a median amount. Hair color and style, eye color and shape, height and build are usually covered at least superficially. I pay attention to what people are wearing. The remainder of the character is in patterns of speech, attitudes, and motivations.

And that's a wrap for #November.

@Rhube maybe try an audiobook. There is always a lively discussion about whether that counts as 'reading'.

@impactology It just means that actors need to be able to adapt to available inputs or their responses will be inappropriate.

@LuciaG See my "Featured" for a sample.

#pennedpossibilities
152. MC or SC POV: Describe the work that you do.

Excerpt from The Amulet and the Dragon:

"He [Rizo] didn't mind his life before, which consisted of doing odd surveillance jobs, breaking and entering, light pilfering of targeted valuables, and the occasional heist."

#writerscoffeeclub
19. How do you decide on character names?

Most of my main characters come with names. When a side character that I haven't met personally appears in just a few scenes, I try not to use names of people I know. I find that I'm unconsciously drawn to certain initial letters, so I often have to fight that impulse or all the names will sound similar.

#writing
#WritingCommunity
#NamingThings

@gracefrench How big is 'sizeable' for you? And is it big because of lots of included images, or did you somehow write millions of words?

@desiree I'm the NPC that just wouldn't go away! The PCs ended up trusting me to write their story.

#ttrpg #WizardLife #author

Look, this Kickstarter looks pretty epic!
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/theheirfantasybook/the-erlingue-trilogy-an-epic-fantasy-now-in-hardcover?ref=bt0qbm

(The YA fantasy books look pretty epic as well.)
#fantasy

Danger knocking at the door?

"You may need to get out of the city altogether. I'm not sure my place is going to be safe for long. It's only a matter of time before they come looking here."

As Drax spoke those words, there were three loud thumps on the door. Drax looked wide-eyed at Rizo. Rizo looked at Cordela. Cordela looked at Valory.

The Amulet and the Dragon, available now at booksellers everywhere.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CN31B35Y

#writerscoffeeclub
17. How much of yourself is in your MC, or do you never write this way?

My current MC is nothing like me, but that doesn't mean I don't ever write that way. In an earlier work, the MC was me, since it was semi-autobiographical.

#WritingCommunity

This starting in just a few minutes....

@floofpaldi
I would like people to visit my #blog.
https://klepsis.com/wp/blog/

@taylor_atx keeping a 120000 word document internally consistent is challenging. Even when you're making up the contents.

#WritersCoffeeClub
#EpigraphCoffeeClub

"Travelers like you stay here and share their stories with me.
I've been all over the world, participated in great battles,
hunted dragons, uncovered precious treasures and rare
artifacts, and seen wondrous magic, all without leaving
home." - Willie

27. Have you ever written a section and subconsciously plagiarised another work?

I hope not. I know I have deliberately referenced other works in a non-infringing sort of way.

@bryanappleywrites @floofpaldi @willelm @michaelthomet @IsobelLynn A leader posts questions for others to respond to, and generally answers themselves as well. Usually Monday evenings (US time).

@SJHoodlet You can buy a bundle and save, but make sure you plan to use them. They are not transferrable.

I went through IngramSpark, and their cover template generator made me a bar code so I didn't have to pay bowker anything more.

You WILL need a separate number for each format.

If you have a login for bowker, you can get a listing of all your isbns that you own. You can also enter info about your book there. They claim it makes your book more visible to buyers, but I haven't noticed.

To assist you in your Black Friday rituals, I offer the eBooks of Water Against Chaos and The Amulet and the Dragon for less than 4 of your local currency units for both.

#BlackFriday
#ebook
#sale

#writerscoffeeclub
25. Share anything you like.

Here is an excerpt from The Amulet and the Dragon.

"Willie was scraping some old grease out of one of her saucepans. The noise made it harder for her to hear the sounds made by the musicians that Cordela was auditioning in the common room. Which was just fine with Willie. They were awful. She wasn't sure if the instruments or their voices were more out of tune. Willie thought she might recognize the song they were attempting to play."

#writerscoffeeclub
12. Do you reread things you wrote some time ago? How do they stand up today?

Well, I'm rereading Water Against Chaos (Book 1) as part of my prep for Book 3. I'd say it holds up pretty well.

#amWriting

@strahlenschutz maybe this post should be over on X

If it weren't for the character limits, I might start every #WritersCoffeeClub post with one.

#writerscoffeeclub
5. What's the best thing about being a writer?

The trend seems to be that we're supposed to answer this one sarcastically? Well, here goes.

The best thing about being a writer is so you can "Well, actually" people by saying "I'm a writer, and here's why you're wrong."

#amWriting

I'm going to try out #WordWeavers for Nov.

1. Introduce your story as if it were a high-budget film coming soon.

Two small people ...
[montage of 2 MCs]
One large dragon ...
[silhouette of a dragon, sounds of a thousand out of tune bugles]
A mysterious amulet ...
[close up of a hand holding a ruby amulet, its facets sparkling with light]
What would you give up to get everything you want?
[montage with a couple kissing and someone sinking underwater]

The Amulet and the Dragon. November 19.

#visualwritingprompt for November 21st, 2023
https://mastodon.social/@whknott/111451085705388321

"The future of intermodal transportation" had become, like so many projects before it, the urban blight that people only went to when they had no better options. The olfactory assault was bad enough without the threat of random people falling on you from one of the many unsafe platforms of the levels above. Oh, and Bothamins need to remember to duck when boarding.

#WritingCommunity #SFF #MicroFiction #TootFic #SciFi

#WritersCoffeeClub
#EpigraphCoffeeClub

"This epigraph thing hasn't caught on like I thought it would." -- Klepsis

3. Does your work include pictures, maps or other custom graphics? Share your pics.

The Amulet and The Dragon includes a reproduction of the map that Cordela uses in the story. I tried to give away some full color full size canvas reproductions, but nobody wanted one.

@floofpaldi @strangeseawolf how about Boggle?

@ellenmorrisprewitt that is one gorgeous pool

#PennedPossibilities
231. Has your MC or SC retained any friendships from their childhood or young adulthood?

We meet an old friend of Rizo in The Amulet and the Dragon.

#writerscoffeeclub
31, Will you be writing today?
Just these few toots.

How do you feel about your writing journey over the last year?
Pretty good. I feel like I accomplished a lot. I put it all in a retrospective edition of my newsletter.

What's that you say? You didn't get it? Well, you must not be subscribed. Head to klepsis.com/get-email/ to fix that.

Happy 2024. 💥🥂🕛🗓️

Fan fiction for The Cordela Chronicles!
https://archiveofourown.org/works/53028190/chapters/134157178

#fanfic #fantasy

Get ready for this spring's biggest sale on books from independent authors of fantasy and science fiction.
https://klepsis.com/wp/2024/04/07/narratess-spring-sale/
#indieApril #books #booksale #indieauthors

More Water Against Chaos #fanfic
https://archiveofourown.org/works/53028190/chapters/134620237

#writerscoffeeclub
5. What are your writing project goals?

Current goals are:
* Get The Amulet and the Dragon ready for publication by November 19.
* Scribble down a bunch of scenes for the next book in that series. Maybe a plot will form?

#WritingCommunity
#authors

@SJHoodlet
On one hand, different people often have the same name, it's no big deal.
On the other, if you don't want your readers spinning fan theories about how they are secretly the same person, better change it.
(Readers WILL do this, in preference to thinking about what you actually wrote. So, yeah.)

#writerscoffeeclub
28. How do you format a flashback so the reader knows what's going on?

Flashbacks are always clearly signposted in the text."It all started three years ago when..." Sometimes, in addition I'll use past perfect constructions: "had been", "had said", "had whipped out his dagger before determining that they were a serious threat".

#writing

#CoverReveal coming up in a little over an hour.

#WritersCoffeeClub
21. Have you practised your autograph and your selfie pose for your best seller?

I've practiced by signing a few books, and I got a pro headshot. What do you think?

#WritingCommunity
#amIanAuthorNow?

#wordweavers
18. If your MC were a superhero, based on their strengths, what would their SH name be?

StealthMan

@floofpaldi ☺️

#writerscoffeeclub
30. How do you keep track of your work? Do you have a system?

A summary of each and every scene gets inscribed on a small card with details like POV, who is in the scene, and if it is a key scene (like 'inciting incident').

When I sit down to actually write, I make sure to misplace the card deck so I can't actually use it for writing.

#amWriting

@youseeatortoise Which of Zeno's paradoxes has you in its grip, the one where Achilles can never get ahead of the Tortoise or the one where the arrow never makes it to the target?

#writerscoffeeclub
22. Which actor should play you in the story of your life?

Anyone but Peter MacNicol!
😝

#author
#WritingCommunity

#writerscoffeeclub
7. Write a poem in no more than 500 characters which describes you as a writer.

Sorry, I blew through my server's character limit.

#sonnet
#amWriting
#WritingCommunity

@FrostPoem

"Keep your friends close and your enemies closer."

"What should I do with casual acquaintances?"

"Encase them in wax."

#MicroPrompt

@WisdomExplained Ideas are mined from deep in the earth at great risk and expense.

@Julie hey, don't knock wizard robes

#pennedpossibilities
189. Would the core group of your WIP turn to each other if they ever needed help? MC's, SC's, friends, etc. Are they all close?

The entire action catalyst in The Amulet and the Dragon is when Rizo asks for Cordela's help to research the origins of his mysterious Amulet.

@WagesOf better now?

#writerscoffeeclub It is great to see that writers here have so many goals ahead. Don't give up!

#writerscoffeeclub
20. Is there one writer whom you admire the most?

Hard to come up with just one. I admire writers who take their own premise seriously enough to follow it to whatever conclusions naturally ensue. A few come to mind: Frank Herbert, Douglas Adams, Michael Lewis, Gontmon the Elder.

#WritingCommunity

#writerscoffeeclub
4. Do environmental concerns feature in your work?

Environmental degradation has not been an issue so far. However, the environment helps determine economy, culture, and politics of various places, along with geography, history, and other things.

#WritingCommunity

#writerscoffeeclub
8. Do you ever use discarded story ideas from one project in a different project?

I haven't yet. So far, all of my discarded story ideas have become material for my newsletter.

#WritingCommunity

@Craigp Much like economist and plumber.
Or White House aide and plumber.
Completely different skillsets.

@Drybird227 A couple of respondents mentioned that you can mute the boosts of people you follow. Might only be on some instances. But cures the issue you point out.

@KitMuse no talking heads there!

@michaelthomet To answer your question there from a couple of recent reads:

Use of Weapons (Iain M Banks) tells two related stories, one forward and one backward.

The Fifth Season (N K Jemisin) tells three seemingly unrelated stories that (spoiler)

(Not any great discovery on my part, these are fairly popular)

Fun article. Makes me more forgiving on myself for not following standard structures. Thanks.

#writerscoffeeclub
7. Describe an action moment you’re most proud of. Share an excerpt.

Near the end of Water Against Chaos, Valory is hypnotized by the music of Azathoth. Cordela has to save her.

"Valory was enraptured by the tuneless music, and oblivious to Cordela’s entreaties. Seeing no other option, she guided her vulture to just above Valory, and jumped. The wind threatened to whip her off into the oblivion, but she used her shield as a sail to steer herself."

#Adventure

Attention #fantasy readers! The Amulet and the Dragon releases on November 19, and to celebrate I'm giving away some full color, life size prints of the map the characters use to find their way.
Full details here: https://klepsis.com/wp/2023/11/10/giveaway/

To enter, sign up for my newsletter (klepsis.com/get-email) and either share the blog link above or buy the book.

#giveaway
#bookrelease
#ReleaseTheDragon

#writerscoffeeclub
8. Do you write in the active voice, passive voice or a mixture? Does it matter?

I don't take great pains to avoid the passive voice. It isn't always the strongest choice, but that only matters if it takes the reader out of the story.

I think it matters more for expository writing.

#WritingCommunity

#PennedPossibilities
168. Your MC has to go for a hike in the snow. Do they object?

That is also happening in the current WIP. The answer is "yes, strenuously." But they'll do it anyway.

It isn't too late to enter the Amulet and Dragon #giveaway!
https://klepsis.com/wp/2023/11/10/giveaway/

Just share this message, then subscribe to the newsletter at https://klepsis.com/get-email/

Get a life size full color reproduction of Cordela's map.

#writerscoffeeclub
22. Are there any books which should be banned, or is book banning always wrong?

There was a book that actually devoured the minds of those who read it. I think that one was rightly banned, and utterly destroyed.

Very few others deserve that sort of treatment.

#writerscoffeeclub
27. How do you feel about the use of AI in writing?

The "original" AI content is pretty awful, but not as bad as it was a couple of years ago. If it keeps getting better, who knows? I'll need my own personal AI just to filter all of the AI generated content down to what I'd find worth reading. Eventually the AIs just start writing for other AIs to consume, leaving us humans out of the loop. So, then we're back to humans writing for other humans like the past 6000 years.

@CA_Hawthorne Electromagnetism IS magic. Just because Maxwell could write down some equations to describe it doesn't make it less so.

Of course, when you have the option to treat the equations as rough guides rather than laws, why not use it?

@kmherkes My cover art is by Emily's World of Design (https://www.emilysworldofdesign.com/).

@elysegrasso it's never too early to start!

@lilithsaintcrow @grammargirl https://sfba.social/@sfeq/112225637854282530

#writerscoffeeclub
16. How much do you edit as you write, and how much do you leave until the second draft?

I usually correct spelling errors as I go (using magic to erase the ink, of course). If I have ideas of how to do something better, I will scribble them down as marginalia. Major changes wait until later drafts.

#Writing
#WritingCommunity

@ixtlidekami I have enough battles to engage in with the words, where I *definitely* have some preferences that engender some blowback and dissension in the ranks. Best to stay on good terms with ALL of the letters.

#writerscoffeeclub
10. Did you learn cursive/joined-up writing in elementary/primary school?

Arcane symbols must be carefully and independently written one at a time.

Connecting them can have unexpected and disastrous consequences.

That said, part of the art of wizardry is knowing when you can "cheat".

#WizardLife
#WritingCommunity
#fantasy

Apparently, I am considered a "Literate Writer." What wizardry is this? I just answered a few questions.

pic.twitter.com/8eB6BLg3NW #amwriting
http://bit.ly/1Vb3737

A thing I notice about Mastodon is that tapping "favorite" (like, heart, etc) is great for sending feedback to the original poster, but doesn't do much for improving the visibility of the post, since there is no algorithm in the background that brings posts to people's attention.

If you want to help the OP to reach more people, you really have to use "boost".

@sfwrtr best use of "eschew" on Mastodon today

@sylvia boo

@dgar "Assume a can opener..."

#writerscoffeeclub
30. What POV do you mostly write in? Why?

I tend to write in a slightly deep third person POV. I think it is the strongest story telling method. First person allows more of the character voice to emerge, but to me it seems like a lazy way to get the reader intimate with the character. OTOH, maybe I'm just too lazy to develop good character voices.

Anyhow, there are exceptions. You can see a few in The Amulet and the Dragon.

#writing
#WritingCommunity

New blog post: Big book sale.
https://klepsis.com/wp/2023/08/11/indieaugust-sale-is-coming/

@PaxAsteriae I'm in favor of book socks. For when their little foot notes get cold.

#writerscoffeeclub
6. Would you consider an audiobook of your novel or short story?

I prefer to have itinerant bards travel from town to town reciting my stories while accompanied with string, percussion, and wind instruments.
The original audiobooks.

#WritingCommunity
#amWritingFantasy

@graphite @ShadowJonathan

I hope we skipped right to Westphalia. Every fiefdom can set its own policy, right?

#writerscoffeeclub
12. Share your personal grammar/typography style, if you have one.

I don't indent paragraphs. Instead, I leave a blank space between paragraphs.
This drives my beta readers and publisher insane.

#WritingCommunity

Sarcasm aside, the best thing about being a published author in print is seeing your work as a physical thing in the world. That, however, is the answer to a slightly different question.

@MargaretSefton A treasure, no doubt.

@dgar When I'm alone in the dark, the passive voice is used.

@lolennui Good to know. I may have to stop by for a spell.
#WizardLife

@jsong_author@mastodon.social Deus Ex Luna

#writerscoffeeclub
14. What's the biggest edit You've ever needed to make to your work?

I've shifted POV for whole chapters. But I think the biggest was a detailed description of the MC participating in a battle tournament that I cut out completely because it slowed the pace and didn't add much.

I still have the cut material around. I might share it in a future newsletter (hint — subscribe now if you don't want to miss it).

#WritingCommunity
#writing

@Pxtl @cstross
Can't afford to pay for your air?
Sucks to be you.

#pennedpossibilities
180. New Year's Eve Edition: Does your MC or SC have any family traditions for the New Year?

The Daughters of Isis mark the new year on the day that the star Sirius rises in the East just before dawn. This is usually shortly after the summer solstice. Offerings from the prior year harvest are made. It is considered good luck to see a gull, so food is left out to attract them. Full containers of water are passed around, with little care to keep them from spilling.

@skaeth Thanks! That was quick!

@heatherrosejones @alicemcalicepants This will be good to keep in mind in case anyone ever reviews one of my books.

I'll be helping the local Hobgoblins celebrate Black Friday by casting Darkness on them.

#WizardLife
#BlackFriday

#irishcoffeeclub

I often have to invent new letters that embody arcane concepts unique to spellcasting.
Their sound can be ominous, whimsical, portentous, or brash depending upon the intended results of the spell.

For example, my new fireball uses a character pronounced with an explosive release of air. You need to be very careful not to spit while casting, as it ruins the spell.

#WizardLife
#writerscoffeeclub

@mcc I was notified of this change a month ago by my mailing service. I went through the somewhat painful process of authentication. I am not sure if this will save my newsletter from being bounced. Maybe?

@andrewplord
"I guess that's against the law," I elicited from him.

@strangeseawolf @HeliaXyana @SJHoodlet @Firlefanz is it too late to fill out my brackets?

@SpectacledLangr As inspector Clouseau once said, "Zat is not my chat.'

#wordweavers
7. MC POV: you can change one thing about your life. What will it be?

Cordela wishes her friends would stick around longer.

@federicogazaba baby's first bourne shell

@KitMuse Just got an expired certificate at your web site.

@Sheril I still have a couple of months until my 1 year anniversary.

But I agree it's been great

@PaxAsteriae How about just writing one sentence

@jacksonchen666 I'm right at least twice a day!

#WritersCoffeeClub
#EpigraphCoffeeClub

"This was always so much easier in practice!" — Cordela Shent

17. What genre(s) would you be terrible at writing?

I wrote a sonnet on here last week, for Magic's sake. At this point, I feel like I could write anything.

#amWriting
#WritingCommunity

#WritersCoffeeClub
#EpigraphCoffeeClub

"I often wonder whether it is bravery or stupidity that leads us to do the things we do." — Lord Samtor of Loerhold

20. What genres would your work fall into if you could make up new genres? Fun answers only.

I would so situational magic comedy, where the characters get themselves into comical situations due to misunderstandings and miscommunication, and have to use magic to put things right. The spells always work, but never how you expect them to.

@poloniousmonk A delightful fantasy romp. I'll see if I can get hold of a copy

@whinyjack and for some of the streams, you had to get a family member or friend to hold a piece of metal just right.

@foone This is actually how my toaster works

@crcollins @AlexCorby What a coincidence. I also have both giant dragonflies and giant arachnids in my forthcoming book.

#writerscoffeeclub
11. Does your writing include comedy? How do you add comedic moments?

Some would consider it comedy. It arises completely out of the interactions of the characters and the situations they get into. So it isn't extra work to put it in. I just tell the story, and hope it is entertaining in some way.

#WritingCommunity
#fantasy
#writing

@thewritertype "clock" was what you got when someone hit you on the head with a bone!

#pennedpossibilities
157. Is there anything in life your MC has changed their mind about (due to becoming more educated on the topic or certain experiences), or that they COULD change their mind about in the future?

This is the entire character arc of The Amulet and the Dragon. Simple answer is yes. Longer answer is read the book (link in bio).

#selfpromo
#characterdevelopment

#writerscoffeeclub
#WritersCoffeeClub 13. Do you ever write very short pieces (fifty words, flash fiction etc)?

I certainly do. These pieces show up on my blog from time to time.

#WritingCommunity

@samuteki How do you get people to not be people?

#writerscoffeeclub
3. What skills/qualities do you look for in an editor?

I've never hired an editor, but I suspect that the most important quality would be delivering what was promised, when it was promised.

#pennedpossibilities

163. SC POV: Write a quick "Thank You" note to someone.

"Thank you for this wonderful gift. It will certainly come in handy on our new mission."

#vagueposting
#WIP
#amwritingfantasy

#pennedpossibilities
(Catching up after a server outage)

159. So far, what part of your WIP was the most fun to write?

A mysterious and suspect stranger is pursuing the MCs across the countryside. He is constantly being slowed down in his pursuit due to the aftermath left behind by the hijinks of the MCs.

@lowqualityfacts Trinity Church has an elevator and it's only got one floor

@elizach This has been reported on in various places. I think a drought is being blamed, along with climate change in general

@AlexCorby "dialouge" must be pronounced like "rouge", a popular class for #ttrpg players to adopt.

@tempest Let me know if you find something

@siderea I still use some Android clones of Palm apps and would pay money for someone to keep them running on new versions that will refuse to run abandonware.

@Hawkmoon I guess she isn't his favorite judge anymore

@thraeryn
The lid wouldn't fit tightly enough for the soup to cook properly.

#writerscoffeeclub
6. What have you learned from past projects that you're using in your WIP?

I wrote all my scenes on cards BEFORE writing the first draft rather than having to go back and break up the draft into scenes and get it on cards after the fact.

The cards were very helpful for my structural/developmental edit.

#amwriting

@jaypeach53
Ah, but am I using the right hashtags?

@mathtans Only if it is a surface integral.

@welshpixie
It's a unit of measurement. Equivalent to 50000 words.

#NaNoWriMo

@jayalane @youseeatortoise Props to Orson Scott Card for putting one of his tech hubs in Hyderabad.

#writerscoffeeclub
22. Thoughts on chapter length. Long, short or mixed? What's a chapter?

Personal opinion time. For chapters to have any usefulness at all, they shouldn't be longer than 5000 words.

In my own works, I start a new chapter for every change of POV. That sometimes makes for very short chapters, but rarely for very long ones.

#Writing

#writerscoffeeclub
2. Have you ever based a character on a real person? Do they know?

Cordela is a real person in my world, although since I live in a fantasy world, you might not consider her "real." However, she remains the only person to have not only read the books, but reviewed them on Goodreads.

#WritingCommunity

#PennedPossibilities
172 — Who would your MC kiss under the mistletoe?

This is a tough one, since she hasn't really met anyone that sets her on fire, or even slightly warms her up.

She has lots of friends, though. Any one of them might get a friendly kiss.

#writerscoffeeclub
24. What's the best time of day for you to write?

I really enjoy settling down for an evening of scribbling with a nice fire crackling in the hearth and a glass of spirits handy.

#author
#WritingCommunity

@Rhube Stupid signs.

@TreeVor I think I've visited that world before.

It was nice, but the sunsets were just a little too orange for my taste, and everything smelled like applesauce.

#WizardLife
#PlanarTravel

#WritersCoffeeClub 1. Intro: Shameless Self Promotion. Tell us about yourself, your published work or WIP.

I'm a wizard. I used to have adventures, now I just write about them. I authored Water Against Chaos, and the follow up The Amulet and the Dragon is in final prep, should be released in a few months.
#writingcommunity

@skaeth Just finishing up the sequel!

@wakame @countcol or, two identical sandwiches

@mythopoetica @crcollins Even taking on a new challenge can be daunting. Hats off to you!

@inarticulatequilter Check out Zamst if they are still in business

#WritersCoffeeClub
22. Would you ever consider collaborating on a book?

On a book, absolutely.

On Magic, never. I always enchant alone.

#WizardLife
#WritingCommunity
#fantasy
#author

#writerscoffeeclub

16. How do you feel about an ISBN? Is it important to have them?

I think they need to be longer.
Even 13 digits is not nearly enough to represent the awesomeness of my books.

#writingcommunity

@liebcricket "The Third Umpire" seems like a great title for an epic fantasy.

@sewigget If you share with the hashtag, many people can see your response.

(If you want that)

@aredridel Choosing a certificate escrow holder is just so stressful

@thraeryn right?

@NaraMoore @nautilebleu @chikorita157 @nillyrobot @QuasiTemporal @Gravewyck double your number of daily toots, 1/4 your percentile ranking

@valthonis I approve
#WizardLife

@sunflower@plush.city awwww

#pennedpossibilities
169. If your MC or SC were to receive a present, what would they want?

What Cordela wants more than anything else is an epic ballad relating her heroic deeds.

As always, be careful what you wish for.

#writerscoffeeclub
5. Is it okay to use a preposition at the end of a sentence? Well, is it?

It is okay to use a preposition at the end of a sentence.

It is also true that just because something is okay does not mean that you should do it.

#WritingCommunity

@johnhowesauthor Thanks for collecting and sharing the prompts

I'm not just a #fantasy #author.

I'm also a character!

#WizardLife

@Nazani nice, thanks.

@Bern I do find that pythons can be particularly cooperative for certain tasks, when provided with the right incentives. For example, one must pay close attention to indentations.

@piusbird printing them out comes to mind as a solution that meets the requirements

@WagesOf I guess I'm thinking about all those people that write but don't consider themselves writers because impostor syndrome.

#writerscoffeeclub
4. Do you/will you write under your own name? Do you share a name with another writer?

I won't reveal what the R. and the A. stand for. In some of the worlds in which I operate, True Name magic is effective...

#WizardLife

@lowqualityfacts this is pushing the boundaries of "low quality"

@poloniousmonk There is a list of prompts for each day of the month.

https://johnahowes.blogspot.com/p/mastodon-writers-coffee-club-daily_13.html?m=1

#writerscoffeeclub
Welcome to April, which promises more than its share of rabbits and chickens.
1. What's your favourite easter egg in your own work and/or another work of fiction?

Two brothers run a food stand in the town market. Their names and accents might be familiar to some.

@crcollins There is nothing quite like writing for an audience of one.

@chemoelectric @juc @jimbush Even the brown anoles are being edged out by the Bahamian curly-tailed lizards. They grow much bigger and can be very aggressive.

#writephant
One guy (the napper, in fact) has a nose for a deal. But he won't deal drunk (or even tipsy).

Once the deal is done, it's bottoms up!

@strangeseawolf @HeliaXyana @SJHoodlet @Firlefanz sometimes. I won't take credit for all the voices

@linuxgal you should never delete a toot

A man must relive the same day over and over until he catches the groundhog.

#CloseButWrongMoviePlots
#HashtagGames

#writerscoffeeclub
26. Have you used a MacGuffin in your writing? Be honest.

I tend to use MacGuffins as devices to start the plot in motion, rather than as intermediate or final plot goals. For instance, characters find a powerful artifact, and then have to undertake a quest to find out how it works. The quest then ends up being about something else entirely.

#author #WritingCommunity

#wordweavers
13. When you’re drafting, do you consider comps and marketing?

The main focus is on getting the story told. But I start thinking about things like how readers will identify with characters.

#writerscoffeeclub
5. What genre is your WIP?

My genre is what you would consider Sword and Sorcery Fantasy, inspired by tabletop roleplaying adventures.

I consider it Urban Realism.

#WizardLife
#WritingCommunity

@skaeth @bookstodon
New sequel to Water Against Chaos drops in a few days. It would be great if you can add it to your list.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CN31B35Y

@mithriltabby @rsynnott @cstross
I'd have to find some other way to tunnel into your reality.

@yuki2501 Start with the plow.

#writerscoffeeclub
16. Are there any writing tropes you dislike, without insulting other club members?

Like a lot of other respondents, I think that any trope can be done well, or subverted creatively. Bring 'em on!

#WritingCommunity

#pennedpossibilities
160. Which of these things does your MC prefer the most: music, art, or reading?

Cordela definitely prefers reading. It's a running joke amongst her cohorts that if you are looking for her, check the library first.

#writerscoffeeclub
29. Do you have a favourite letter of the alphabet? How does it feature in your work?

I'm concerned that if I have favorites it might antagonize the other letters and then I'll never be able to get any work out of them.

#amwriting
#WritingCommunity

#wordweavers
15. Do you favor certain senses when writing? If so, are they your dominant sense?

I absolutely favor visual descriptions. I think that is because I tend to stick to well-trodden lingual paths. As I've grown as a writer, I've begun to put in the creative work necessary to bring descriptions of other senses to life, and the final product has benefited greatly.

Still have far to go, though.

#WritersCoffeeClub
#EpigraphCoffeeClub

"You never take me swimming." — Moon (a horse)

2. Have you had an idea halfway or more through a project that requires extensive rewriting of what you've already done?

No, I've been very lucky in that regard. Other than rewriting a few chapters from a different POV, the only major change I've made after first draft is to add an entirely new character and subplot. Since his arc didn't intersect with MC's until the end, I didn't have to rip up anything.

@ZachWeinersmith "The Grendeling"

#writerscoffeeclub
8. Do you have a favourite opening line of a book?

"Do not try any of this at home."

Randall Munroe, _How To_

@Minimus plan to find many opportunities to use 'oculos volvit'

@Ethancdavenport @redoak the guy from nine inch nails sticks his tongue out at you. Trent Razznor

@Susan60 Those were also mainstays of my childhood reading list, but they didn't get opened as often as Wrinkle.

#WritersCoffeeClub
10. What are your thoughts on em dashes?

I think they are very effective as a stronger separator than commas or parentheses. Also great for indicating an abrupt change of subject in dialogue — or internal monologue.

#YesIWentThere
#WritingCommunity

Rizo acquires a companion ...

Rizo caught a hint of movement to his left. Instantly he was up, dagger drawn, to confront the unexpected visitor. In the gloaming, Rizo saw a small black creature sitting on its haunches.

"Meow," it said.

"It's a cat," Rizo observed.

"Isn't he the Familiar you summoned?"

"Maybe." Rizo sheathed his dagger and addressed the cat. "If you are my familiar, how would I know?"

The Amulet and the Dragon, available now.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CN31B35Y

#fantasy #book

#writerscoffeeclub
16. How do you feel about flashbacks? Do you use them?

Flashbacks are great! I've used them when I need to describe a scene from more than one POV.

#authors
#WritingCommunity

@PaxAsteriae Yes! Thank you so so much.

@smartin After being force-fed it for many years by Microsoft, I am accustomed to calibri.

@faho I'm not sure what that means, and I live here!

#writerscoffeeclub
6. Are you self-published or trad-published? How's it going?

I am effectively self-published.
As a means to having my works become real, tangible objects in the Prime Material Plane, this has been a phenomenal experience.

As a path to fame and fortune, I have met with limited results so far.

You, of course, have the power to change that! Just buy some books and let your friends know how great they are.

#WritingCommunity
#fantasy
#authors

#WritersCoffeeClub
23. Do you read your drafts aloud? How does this help?

I meet with a group of writers and we sometimes do writing sprints, and then read out what we have written.

This helps because you get an immediate audience reaction. You can see and hear which emotional beats are landing and which are flopping.

#WritingCommunity
#author

Just sent out this month's #newsletter. This one has a special treat inside - a map of one of the locales in the latest book!
Not a subscriber? It's never too late!
https://klepsis.com/wp/get-email/

#wordweavers
9. Secondary character POV: What do you respect about the MC?

Valory is impressed and just a wee bit jealous that Cordela gets such direct communication from their divine patron.

@elektra
I have a character that loves to nap.
I'm not like that at all.

#writerscoffeeclub
28. Should you avoid running around the Wrekin, beating about the bush, and avoid colloquialisms?

I'm not even sure what most of that means. I use some expressions that are common in my area that might be unfamiliar to some readers. I've had no complaints yet.

#WritingCommunity

#writerscoffeeclub
22. Who do you acknowledge in your work?

I recently acknowledged the Orionid Meteor Shower and Sugar Boy.

#WritingCommunity
#Author

#writerscoffeeclub
23. How important is humour in your work? How do you work it in?

Humor in my work comes out of the interactions and relationships of the characters. But when events get serious, so do the characters.

#WritingCommunity

I'm grateful that I don't need to come up with a title for every root

#writerscoffeeclub
6. What five things do you need to be a writer?

1. The courage to call yourself a writer.

That's it.

#amWriting
#anWritingJustNotRightThisMinute

@ixtlidekami EXACTLY!!!

#writerscoffeeclub
3. "Are dialogue tags flexible?" laughed John.

They are so flexible that they are sometimes invisible. If used creatively, they can overcome the "talking heads" phenomenon and describe characters' entire bodies and their interaction with the environment.

#WritingCommunity
#amwriting
(That's 40 more words toward #nanowrimo2023 goals.)

@rozo314 @waitworry @RickiTarr @Edelruth Showed the image to a local 20-something and got this exact reaction!

@adriabailton I missed the main time slot 😢 I'll have to catch up later

@ChrisJagged Took more than 100 hrs to get through the original Dragonage

#WritersCoffeeClub
9. Have you ever abandoned a writing project that wasn't working? What was wrong?

NOOOO!!! Never give up! Never surrender!!

#Fantasy #WritingCommunity #AmWriting #MovieQuote

@AlinaLeonova you have "unexpected" in there twice.

@HeliaXyana @strangeseawolf @SJHoodlet @Firlefanz I'm usually just offstage at the Theatre of the Mind.

Except when I'm on stage

@elektra @neve Sounds great! Maybe I'll try to make one!

#WizardLife
#MiniatureMonsters

@MeanwhileinCanada
"I don't like you and I wish you would leave, but I've already used my one apple for today so I guess I'll just have to put up with you."

@skaeth @bookstodon Like @shauna , I'm most likely to DNF a borrowed book. Better to pass it on to someone who might enjoy it more.
Reasons for not finishing: poor writing, failure to connect, impatience with the story or characters, the book makes promises and then doesn't keep them.

@skaeth @bookstodon @shauna
I'm a physical book reader. Units I don't want to keep around go to various book recycling efforts, including the local library. But mostly I keep them. #SuuportYourLocalLibrary

@floofpaldi 🙏

#writephant
I am going wild as my book drops in less than a week.
#amPublishing

@bryanbeal I realized that I had way more material than would fit into one book.

#writerscoffeeclub
25. What keeps you striving concerning your writing goals?

I just really want these stories to be told, and no one else is going to tell them.

If I could give the books away I would, as long as people promised to read them. My publisher doesn't like me to do that, though...

#WritingCommunity
#author

#writerscoffeeclub
9. How would you write an online chat or text message conversation in your novel?

In my #fantasy world, messages are conveyed by courier, often a magical bird or construct. Depending on distance, delivery time might be a few days. Conversations can take place, but they cover several chapters and much occurs between messages.

#WritingCommunity

#writerscoffeeclub
5. How are you affected by reviews of your work?

I would love to find out. That requires actually having reviews.

#WritingCommunity

You could start out with some thread, and in a few days you could have enough material for a shirt!

#HashtagGames
#ExplainVintageTechnology

@xiane My newsletter service gives me confirmation when a recipient opens the email. I think my record so far is 50%, typical is 30% or less.

I'm trying to get more engagement with the newsletter by giving away some physical stuff (printed fantasy maps) and that isn't working too well.

Anyhow, feeling this.

#writerscoffeeclub
10. Do you want to write full time or are you happy for it to be a hobby/side hustle?

Since I'm nominally retired, pretty much everything is a hobby to me. I don't even do the wizardry full time anymore. I'm happy writing as a side gig.

#WritingCommunity

@antabaku Oops! I have both, saved off in one doc. Got mixed up.

Thanks!!

@ewdocparris I don't know if she does 3d, but as a cover designer I recommend https://www.emilysworldofdesign.com/

#writerscoffeeclub
Welcome to March!
1. What inspired you to begin writing?

When I was young, I got to do a project with some other students where we actually made books — bound, felt-covered, solid books. Then we had to write something to go in them.

Having words you wrote in a physical form that you can pick up and hold is very inspiring and satisfying. That is what gets me to write.

(I don't denigrate eBooks or audio books. They just don't inspire me the same way.)
#writing
#books

#wordweavers
17. Do you get book cover ideas while you write, and have you ever used those?

I have a great cover artist, and as soon as I learned how she works I began to think about the cover during drafting.
Used those ideas for the new book, beautifully realized by Emily.

@susankayequinn I think it always was. Just most people don't get a choice

#writerscoffeeclub
3. Do you use semicolons? Correctly?

I have been advised to use semicolons sparingly, and never in dialog. I have not successfully heeded that advice despite some effort.

Nevertheless, I believe my usage is stylistically and grammatically correct.

#WritingCommunity

@StefanThinks The first rule of tickle club is everyone talks about tickle club.

#secretscifinetwork
#Midjourney #WritingPrompt for 11/06/23!
https://writing.exchange/@ewdocparris/111366299802629173

The tech was absolutely crazy. Even more upsetting, he seemed to just be using it for his hobby. What a hobby, though.

He collected buildings. No one knew why he picked the ones he did. Some esthetic, no doubt. But he turned sleepy Richardson, VA into the world's most distinctive skyline. Towers from Chicago, Seoul, Taipei, Dubai, Fort Lauderdale, and London all jostled side by side. But why?

@AuthorJMac looks nice

#writephant
I include a lot of detail about what people are eating.

Including what they feed the cat.

#writerscoffeeclub
20. If you read over a quarter of a book and decide you don't like it, do you bail or complete it?

It's rare, but I've DNF'd books at all points, even near the end. But a work has to transgress pretty badly for me to put it down.

#WritingCommunity
#reading

#writerscoffeeclub
21. Do you ever regret killing a character, or the manner of their death?

I've had a few characters that I wish I had killed.

#WritingCommunity

@floofpaldi @monkeyscholes

Followed!

@neve
The Amulet and the Dragon drops November 19th!

@skaeth amazing how that works

@QuokkaMocha I wouldn't say that you have anything you need to apologize you the Fediverse for. You do not owe me words.

Take care.

@juergen_hubert In our area, small farmers are nominal landholders, but rely on the local lord for protection from brigands and monsters. They repay this service with crops mostly.
Things are a bit different near heavily populated cities. Since the cities have well regulated markets and permanent militias, trade and taxation is more the rule.

#irishcoffeeclub
How would your characters attempt to catch a leprechaun?

They would start with an illusion of a field of 4-leafed clovers. When that didn't work (because leprechauns can detect illusions), they would probably try music (a jaunty reel to start). The trap would consist of an enchanted net and a silver-lined locking chest. None of this will work.

#writerscoffeeclub
18. How do you do research for your writing? Do you ask specialists?

I often seek out subject matter specialist, when they are available. Additionally, I travel to the sites where events took place, and even interview people (and others) involved.

#WritingCommunity
#fantasy

Finally starting in on my edits.
Did I write this? Seems pretty good!
#amediting

@floofpaldi
Water Against Chaos (book 1)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578913003/

The Amulet and the Dragon (book 2)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CN31B35Y/

They're also in my bio.

May your winter solstice celebrations be festive and merry.

#VisualWritingPrompt for September 28th, 2023

"Would you look at that!"

He shrugged. "Sure, the big liners look impressive, but every time one comes through it snarls up traffic for hours."

"Still, must be quite a ride."

"Not much fun for people in coach."

https://mastodon.social/@whknott/111145570433871872

@intransitivelie

#writerscoffeeclub
7. Have you ever seen a TV show or movie so close to one of your ideas you wished you'd written it?

I think Disney stole the story of my semi-autobiographical first book. I haven't figured out how to go after them from the #fantasy world in which I live and work.

#WritingCommunity
#author

To celebrate the release of Book 2, The Amulet and the Dragon, and so you can catch up before reading, Water Against Chaos eBook is on sale for just 0.99 of your local currency units.
#BookSale
#promo

@caiocgo London Beat trying to evoke English Beat

@pelielios Well, I'm pleased that you are enjoying my stuff.

@SuzyShearer @bookstodon nice looking corkboard there.

@flux I love the image of a clutch of baby opossum-dragons peeking out of her pouch.

@skaeth @bookstodon @sffbookclub @fantasy
Another gorgeous cover!

#writerscoffeeclub
13. Do you use beta readers? How's it working out?

I have utterly failed to find any beta readers. At this point, the release date is so close that I'd have to ignore them anyway.

#authors
#WriringCommunity

#PennedPossibilities
207. Does your SC’s reputation matter to them?
Rizo prefers to have a reputation for being tough and mean. He finds it leads to less overall violence.

@elysegrasso
Local backup for convenience, off-site backup for security. 👍

#wordweavers
23. Do your characters ever express gratitude to each other?

Infrequently and begrudgingly.

#WhatAreFriendsFor

#writerscoffeeclub
16. Have you ever started a chapter with a quote or poem? How do you feel about the idea?

I never used an epigraph, but I'm not against the notion.

#WritingCommunity
#amWriting

@Firlefanz exactly my thoughts

@michaelthomet @willelm @floofpaldi @IsobelLynn @bryanappleywrites
I'll try to remember to reach you earlier in your day

#writerscoffeeclub
26. What positive things do people say when you tell them you're a writer?

Oh, I never tell anyone I'm a writer. It messes with my wizard mystique.

#WizardLife

@astronomerritt @magnolia_fox Re: Doing It Right. I've done NaNoRevMo, where I spend the month revising a draft from a previous NanoWrimo.
If you are writing, you are Doing It Right.

The Amulet and the Dragon is now available for pre-order.

The Dragon escapes on November 19.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CN31B35Y