Tag: #writingcommunity
#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
Sep 1, 2023, 12:19:08 PM [original]
#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
Sep 1, 2023, 11:00:42 PM [original]
#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
Sep 3, 2023, 6:06:28 AM [original]
#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
Sep 4, 2023, 1:27:36 AM [original]
#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
Sep 5, 2023, 10:49:41 AM [original]
#WritersCoffeeClub
6. Do you hide easter eggs in your work? Give some examples?
My forthcoming book features a Cat named Iko-Iko. He answers to "Hey Now!"
So, yeah.
#WritingCommunity
Sep 7, 2023, 12:07:54 AM [original]
#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
Sep 8, 2023, 8:37:08 PM [original]
#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
Sep 10, 2023, 6:34:58 AM [original]
#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
Sep 11, 2023, 12:23:51 PM [original]
#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
Sep 12, 2023, 3:07:08 AM [original]
#WritersCoffeeClub
13. Do you derive joy from writing? In what way?
No. I get joy from sharing what I write with others, and from seeing what I wrote in a physical embodiment in the world.
I don't mind the actual writing, although sometimes it is a slog. But it is a means to an end.
#WritingCommunity #AmIaRealWriter?
Sep 14, 2023, 1:12:34 AM [original]
#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
Sep 14, 2023, 11:58:14 PM [original]
#WritersCoffeeClub
Catching up on a few days.
16. Do you have prologues in any of your writing? How do you feel about them?
I have prologues that set up a framing narrative. I don't have an opinion in general.
#WritingCommunity
Sep 18, 2023, 9:11:39 PM [original]
#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
Sep 19, 2023, 2:25:58 AM [original]
#WritersCoffeeClub
20. What fonts do you use for paperbacks or drafting/digital?
Text is Georgia. Titles in Arial.
#WritingCommunity
Sep 20, 2023, 1:30:07 AM [original]
#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?
Sep 21, 2023, 11:02:22 AM [original]
#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
Sep 21, 2023, 11:25:37 PM [original]
#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
Sep 22, 2023, 8:26:20 PM [original]
#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
Sep 24, 2023, 3:54:36 AM [original]
#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
Sep 24, 2023, 8:19:30 PM [original]
#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
Sep 26, 2023, 6:22:43 PM [original]
#writerscoffeeclub
27. What's the strangest research you've done for your writing?
I needed to know the diet of the Blue Crab.
#WritingCommunity
#author
#fantasy
Sep 27, 2023, 2:55:34 AM [original]
#writerscoffeeclub
28. Do you practice "kill your darlings" in your work?
I have very few darlings, but I go to great lengths to save them. I make them absolutely integral to the plot so that they are impossible to cut and still have a narrative.
Take that, #WritingAdvice !
#author
#WritingCommunity
Sep 28, 2023, 10:49:26 AM [original]
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
Sep 28, 2023, 1:19:39 PM [original]
#writerscoffeeclub
29. How do you format scene breaks in your writing?
A scene break is almost always a new chapter. Occasionally I'll have more than one scene in a chapter, and when that happens I just try to write a nice transition with no special formatting and no shift of POV.
Very rarely I'll have more than one POV in a chapter. In those cases I use a full width horizontal line.
#author
#WritingCommunity
Sep 29, 2023, 3:07:42 AM [original]
#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
Oct 2, 2023, 12:34:42 AM [original]
#writerscoffeeclub
1. Intro: Shameless self-promotion. What's your WIP? What's it about?
The exciting and long-awaited sequel to Water Against Chaos is The Amulet and the Dragon! Cordela and Rizo undertake a quest to solve the mystery of Rizo's amulet and get way more than they expect.
Cover reveal in 5 days. Released across all planes of existence November 19.
#WritingCommunity
#SelfPromo
#author
Oct 2, 2023, 12:39:57 AM [original]
#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
Oct 2, 2023, 3:15:19 AM [original]
#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
Oct 2, 2023, 3:29:36 AM [original]
#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
Oct 3, 2023, 1:49:17 AM [original]
#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
Oct 4, 2023, 2:45:06 AM [original]
#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
Oct 5, 2023, 1:33:55 AM [original]
Don't forget, I'll be showing off the cover of The Amulet and the Dragon for the first time anywhere TOMORROW (October 6).
You can also sign up for the newsletter and get it in your inbox a few days later.
https://klepsis.com/get-email/
#author
#WritingCommunity
#CoverReveal
#AmuletandDragon
Oct 5, 2023, 6:54:52 PM [original]
According to the Banach-Tarski editing theorem, the Axiom of Choice means that you can cut enough material from your WIP to make another novel of equal length.
#amwriting
#authors
#WritingCommunity
Oct 6, 2023, 1:12:40 AM [original]
#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
Oct 6, 2023, 1:56:57 AM [original]
#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
Oct 6, 2023, 5:30:42 PM [original]
#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
Oct 6, 2023, 8:40:16 PM [original]
#writerscoffeeclub
8. Rough, complete or not at all. How do you plan your writing?
I write scenes on index cards. Then I use a beat sheet to figure out which scenes are which beats. Then I write the scenes.
#WritingCommunity
#authors
Oct 9, 2023, 12:52:13 AM [original]
#writerscoffeeclub
9. Is there a recurring theme in your body of work?
Probably using #magic to solve problems even when it isn't the best or most appropriate means of solving them.
#WizardLife
#author
#WritingCommunity
#fantasy
Oct 9, 2023, 9:46:17 PM [original]
#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
Oct 10, 2023, 4:02:24 PM [original]
#writerscoffeeclub
11. What sounds are present when you're writing?
Sometimes my Gryphon squawks when it hasn't been fed. And now and then a group of adventurers will arrive at my door.
#WizardLife
#WritingCommunity
Oct 11, 2023, 5:13:49 PM [original]
#writerscoffeeclub
12. How do you research real-world locations? Do you visit them?
Since writing is a second career for me, I tend to rely on my personal experience of places I saw as an adventuring wizard in my previous life.
For everything else, I have astral projection.
#WizardLife
#WritingCommunity
#fantasy
Oct 12, 2023, 6:05:09 PM [original]
#writerscoffeeclub
15. Should writers be honest about their politics online or keep quiet to avoid controversy?
I don't see why authors specifically should not get to participate in the important debates of their particular time and place.
For myself, since I live in a very different time and place than the vast majority of online people, comments on my local politics would be meaningless to my followers.
#WritingCommunity
#fantasy
#authors
Oct 15, 2023, 3:09:04 PM [original]
#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
Oct 16, 2023, 12:14:59 AM [original]
#writerscoffeeclub
17. What is the biggest inspiration for your writing?
It's the very real people behind my main characters. They are the ones that bring adventure to life every day.
#WritingCommunity
Oct 17, 2023, 7:37:03 PM [original]
#writerscoffeeclub
18. How do you combat writer's block?
I have not experienced this dreaded impediment. I hope I never do. Taking notes from other respondents #justincase
#WritingCommunity
Oct 18, 2023, 3:56:29 AM [original]
#writerscoffeeclub
19. As a writer, do you always apply the three-act structure? Why/why not?
I assiduously apply the three-act structure to my writing.
I just apply it incorrectly.
I always conceive of adventures in three parts, they just don't fit the modern classical trichotomy of setup, rising action, conclusion. Instead, acts conclude because an objective was obtained and now it's time to do something else.
#WritingCommunity
Oct 19, 2023, 2:40:08 AM [original]
#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
Oct 20, 2023, 2:18:59 AM [original]
#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
Oct 20, 2023, 6:29:17 PM [original]
#writerscoffeeclub
22. Which actor should play you in the story of your life?
Anyone but Peter MacNicol!
😝
#author
#WritingCommunity
Oct 22, 2023, 1:53:13 AM [original]
#writerscoffeeclub
23. Is it okay to use short-form conversational text, i.e. contractions, in a novel?
Ne'er would I commit such a litr'ry travesty!
(In truth, I've no issue with contractions if they're called for.)
#WritingCommunity
Oct 23, 2023, 2:29:14 AM [original]
#writerscoffeeclub
25. Oxford comma, no Oxford comma, or I don't live in Oxford?
To me, Oxford is a legendary, magical place in a parallel universe, where commas grow wild among the daffodils, and people often pause, unhurried, to pick some for a bouquet or just to appreciate their soft curves and plump, round, bulbous tops.
#WritingCommunity
Oct 25, 2023, 1:33:11 PM [original]
#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
Oct 26, 2023, 2:38:15 AM [original]
#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
Oct 27, 2023, 3:18:25 AM [original]
#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
Oct 29, 2023, 12:02:13 AM [original]
#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
Oct 29, 2023, 5:30:36 AM [original]
#writerscoffeeclub
30. Did the education system inspire you or put you off writing?
Back when I went to school, the first spell we had to learn was "Write".
I haven't ever stopped.
#WizardLife
#WritingCommunity
Oct 30, 2023, 8:15:59 PM [original]
#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
Oct 31, 2023, 3:27:36 AM [original]
#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
Nov 2, 2023, 1:26:57 AM [original]
#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.)
Nov 3, 2023, 1:22:37 PM [original]
#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
Nov 3, 2023, 8:14:11 PM [original]
#writerscoffeeclub
5. How are you affected by reviews of your work?
I would love to find out. That requires actually having reviews.
#WritingCommunity
Nov 5, 2023, 3:25:59 AM [original]
#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
Nov 6, 2023, 3:45:37 AM [original]
#writerscoffeeclub
7. How would you describe your WIP's core plot?
What do you get for someone who has everything?
#amWriting
#WritingCommunity
#fantasy
Nov 7, 2023, 2:31:54 AM [original]
#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
Nov 8, 2023, 3:48:24 AM [original]
#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
Nov 9, 2023, 3:59:11 AM [original]
#writerscoffeeclub
10. What's the biggest mistake you've made in your writing journey?
I would say that my biggest mistake was not getting professional editing. It's really the single thing that could improve the final product the most.
And I just made that same mistake again. Some people just don't learn.
#WritingCommunity
Nov 10, 2023, 2:29:37 AM [original]
#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
Nov 10, 2023, 8:40:16 PM [original]
#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
Nov 12, 2023, 6:18:17 AM [original]
#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
Nov 13, 2023, 4:26:34 PM [original]
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
Nov 14, 2023, 1:35:30 AM [original]
#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
Nov 14, 2023, 7:56:21 PM [original]
#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
Nov 16, 2023, 5:55:30 PM [original]
#writerscoffeeclub
17. Do you draw out maps/floorplans/diagrams/etc for key set pieces in your writing?
Of course. If they are available, sometimes I will purchase them. On rare occasions I'll have to visit the locale and sketch things out to make sure I have it right.
I've been sharing some of those sketches in my newsletter. You can go sign up if you're interested.
#fantasy
#WritingCommunity
Nov 17, 2023, 5:06:53 AM [original]
#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
Nov 19, 2023, 12:14:29 AM [original]
#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
Nov 19, 2023, 7:12:19 AM [original]
#writerscoffeeclub
20. Do you have an author's website specifically for promoting your writing?
Promotion, blogging, newsletter signups, and social media contacts.
Klepsis.com
#WritingCommunity
#promo
Nov 20, 2023, 1:58:37 AM [original]
#writerscoffeeclub
21. What things make a good book cover design?
I think the cover ought to set a reasonable expectation about what one will find inside.
Other than that, I think there are really no rules.
#WritingCommunity
#bookstodon
Nov 21, 2023, 2:16:00 AM [original]
#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
Nov 21, 2023, 11:51:59 PM [original]
#writerscoffeeclub
22. Who do you acknowledge in your work?
I recently acknowledged the Orionid Meteor Shower and Sugar Boy.
#WritingCommunity
#Author
Nov 22, 2023, 5:28:03 AM [original]
#writerscoffeeclub
23. Do you have any profanity in your work?
**** you, I want an answer!
Well, since you put it that way ...
No, those words you would consider profane do not exist in my world. However, certain persons will utter vile curses in various languages on occasion.
#Author #WritingCommunity #bleep
Nov 23, 2023, 5:46:49 AM [original]
#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
Nov 24, 2023, 4:42:56 AM [original]
#PennedPossibilities
151. Are you proud of your MC? Have they accomplished anything worthy of that pride and satisfaction?
I think saving the world from being turned into chaotic sludge is plenty to be proud of.
#fantasy
#writingcommunity
#writing
Dec 3, 2023, 10:50:11 PM [original]
#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
Dec 5, 2023, 10:59:18 PM [original]
#writerscoffeeclub
6. Is it the reader's/critic's interpretation of a work or the author's? Would you fight an author's opinion?
I see a lot of responses to this prompt that mention "death of the author." Maybe I'll just avoid the question by becoming an immortal lich.
And rather than fighting, it would be much cleaner and only slightly less ethical to just use magic to change the author's mind.
#WizardLife
#WritingCommunity
Dec 6, 2023, 5:02:25 AM [original]
#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
Dec 8, 2023, 7:05:53 PM [original]
#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
Dec 10, 2023, 12:24:44 AM [original]
#writerscoffeeclub
10. What aspect of your work are you most proud of? Don't be shy.
I think the way the relationship between my two MCs develops and lives is really great.
#WritingCommunity
Dec 11, 2023, 4:02:34 AM [original]
#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
Dec 12, 2023, 4:55:54 AM [original]
#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
Dec 12, 2023, 4:58:05 AM [original]
#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
Dec 14, 2023, 12:26:12 AM [original]
#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
Dec 14, 2023, 4:58:27 AM [original]
#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
Dec 15, 2023, 1:34:47 AM [original]
#writerscoffeeclub
(humming Beatles tune as I write this)
15. Question for paperback writers. What trim sizes are you published in?
I use exclusively 5.5" x 8.5". Looks nice on the shelf, the cover art is large enough to appreciate, and the page count is reasonable.
#PaperbackWriter
#DearSirorMadam
#WritingCommunity
Dec 15, 2023, 3:51:14 AM [original]
#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
Dec 17, 2023, 12:40:14 AM [original]
#writerscoffeeclub
18. Do you intend to read a book over the holidays? What will you choose?
I'm reading an early draft of a WIP by a fellow author.
And perhaps I shall finish up Death of Chaos, which I've been working on for a few months now.
#BookHoliday
#WritingCommunity
Dec 18, 2023, 5:08:01 AM [original]
#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
Dec 19, 2023, 6:38:14 PM [original]
#writerscoffeeclub
20. Do you name or number chapters?
Numbers, numbers.
It's hard enough for me to decide on a name for the whole book. I should go through that trauma 60 to 70 times more?
#WritingCommunity
Dec 20, 2023, 12:03:03 PM [original]
#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
Dec 22, 2023, 3:29:49 AM [original]
#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
Dec 27, 2023, 2:38:36 AM [original]
#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
Dec 29, 2023, 2:06:33 AM [original]
#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
Dec 29, 2023, 7:32:56 PM [original]
#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
Dec 29, 2023, 7:41:22 PM [original]
#writerscoffeeclub
3. What's your writing routine? If you have one.
When I sit down to write, I typically have a glass of spirits and an hourglass. I'll write until the sand runs out, take a few sips, and flip the hourglass and start over.
#writing
#WritingCommunity
Jan 3, 2024, 6:32:05 PM [original]
#writerscoffeeclub
4. What aspects of your current or former profession do you bring into your writing?
As has been mentioned by others (you know who you are), being an actual wizard gives me tremendous insight into the magic used and encountered by my characters.
Being a participant in the events that they view as history is also helpful. As is having personally encountered many of the creature types they meet.
#WizardLife
#WritingCommunity
Jan 4, 2024, 5:25:43 PM [original]
#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
Jan 5, 2024, 3:54:30 AM [original]
#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
Jan 8, 2024, 7:02:32 PM [original]
#writerscoffeeclub
9. Do you avoid or embrace adverbs? He said provocatively.
I stand firmly and staunchly at the "adverbs are words" position and I refuse to be provoked.
#WritingCommunity
#words
Jan 9, 2024, 4:54:56 AM [original]
#writerscoffeeclub
10. Have you ever given a talk about your work?
Not unless you consider the discourse I gave to the guests who were here for tea (and who were eyeing the exit the whole time) a "talk."
Would you?
Certainly. Perhaps if I heavily edit it ahead of time, and manage to stay on script, people might actually enjoy it.
#writingCommunity
#writing
Jan 10, 2024, 3:42:55 AM [original]
#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
Jan 16, 2024, 12:13:52 PM [original]
#writerscoffeeclub
18. Does your work feature on BookTok? How do you feel about the platform?
I have yet to forge an interplanar link with the Book Tok service. It's hard enough keeping my tunnel to X up and running since they keep changing their API (Arcane Programming Interface). As such, I have no particular feelings about it.
#WritingCommunity
#WizardLife
#InterplanarInternet
Jan 18, 2024, 9:41:07 PM [original]
#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
Jan 19, 2024, 4:31:26 PM [original]
#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
Jan 19, 2024, 9:15:26 PM [original]
#writerscoffeeclub
22. Have you ever used storyboarding? When and how?
The most I have done is to create a card deck with one card per scene. I can then add, delete, or move around scenes. No visuals, though, just words.
#writingCommunity
Jan 22, 2024, 8:07:17 PM [original]
#PennedPossibilities
203. How does your MC view the world: as a cruel and unforgiving place, a land full of wonders, or something in-between?
Cordela views the world as a place that has its problems, but on the whole is worth saving. Which is why she does so again and again.
#WritingCommunity
#writing
Jan 25, 2024, 2:23:35 AM [original]
#writerscoffeeclub
2. Do you agree with Jodi Picoult who says you should finish writing a book even if you think it might be garbage?
I don't know Jodi Picoult, so I'm not sure if there is any hazard in disagreeing with her.
My take is that if you are passionate about a project, even if you KNOW it will turn out to be garbage, you should see it through.
(Note: if your "project" involves murder, this advice does not apply too you.)
#WritingCommunity
Feb 2, 2024, 9:50:06 PM [original]
#writerscoffeeclub
6. If you were to write a sequel centred on one of your SCs, which would you pick?
Rizo has had some amazing adventures on his own. I might write about them someday.
Maybe he wouldn't hurl that book into the ocean.
#WritingCommunity
Feb 6, 2024, 11:51:33 AM [original]
#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
Feb 7, 2024, 3:13:38 AM [original]
#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
Feb 12, 2024, 2:44:01 PM [original]
#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
Feb 13, 2024, 11:54:35 PM [original]
#writerscoffeeclub
14. Does your work feature on Good Reads? How do you feel about the platform?
I posted some reviews there when Amazon wouldn't let me post them to the book listing because they couldn't authenticate that I had actually purchased the book.
(Not a big surprise since I live in a fantasy world.)
My own works are listed, but interestingly have only been reviewed by people from my own world.
So, yay, I guess?
#amwritingfantasy
#WritingCommunity
Feb 14, 2024, 5:30:37 PM [original]
#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
Feb 18, 2024, 7:33:22 AM [original]
#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
Feb 22, 2024, 2:43:08 AM [original]
#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
Feb 28, 2024, 12:04:55 PM [original]
#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
Mar 3, 2024, 12:28:23 AM [original]
#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
Mar 4, 2024, 4:14:08 AM [original]
#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
Mar 10, 2024, 8:22:18 PM [original]
#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
Mar 12, 2024, 10:20:52 AM [original]
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
Mar 13, 2024, 11:14:14 AM [original]
#writerscoffeeclub
14. Should you avoid sentence fragments? Or, should you. Simply not care?
Probably best to avoid them unless you really know what you're doing. There are always exceptional situations where they are the right choice.
What you really want to avoid is spell fragments, which can have unpredictable results. I had an apprentice once who tried casting Find Familiar, and a long-lost brother showed up.
#WizardLife
#WritingCommunity
Mar 14, 2024, 4:12:19 AM [original]
#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
Mar 15, 2024, 11:09:07 PM [original]
#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
Mar 18, 2024, 2:13:57 AM [original]
#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
Mar 20, 2024, 11:35:17 AM [original]
#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
Mar 21, 2024, 2:28:52 AM [original]
#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
Mar 22, 2024, 9:53:13 PM [original]
#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
Mar 27, 2024, 1:27:13 PM [original]
#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
Mar 29, 2024, 1:27:01 PM [original]
#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
Apr 3, 2024, 3:39:24 AM [original]
#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
Apr 7, 2024, 5:13:30 PM [original]
#Writephant Q4.
How do libraries appear in your writing? #National Library Week #RightToReadDay
Very early in The Amulet and the Dragon, the two characters search a #library for clues about the mysterious Amulet.
#WritersofMastodon #WritingCommunity #AmWriting
Apr 9, 2024, 1:15:38 AM [original]
#Writephant Q6.
What celestial events have you incorporated into your stories & writing?
In Water Against Chaos, the heroes visit the Moon. Does that count?
#WritersofMastodon #WritingCommunity #AmWriting
Apr 9, 2024, 1:21:08 AM [original]
#writerscoffeeclub
10. Do you have favourite words you like to use?
I try not to play favorites. All the other words get upset and then I can never get any work out of them.
#amWriting
#WritingCommunity
#words
Apr 10, 2024, 1:05:25 PM [original]
#writerscoffeeclub
14. Do you keep a log of incidental characters (e.g. shop assistants) or forget them once they've featured?
I don't have to. Cordela (my MC) keeps a list of everyone she's met throughout her adventures.
#amWriting
#WritingCommunity
Apr 14, 2024, 3:39:49 AM [original]
#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
Apr 17, 2024, 12:32:22 AM [original]
#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
Apr 17, 2024, 2:36:26 AM [original]
#WritersCoffeeClub
#EpigraphCoffeeClub
"Everything's going according to the prophecy." — @ixtlidekami
19. Does weather play an essential role in your writing? In what way?
Weather is one thing of many that can influence the plot. In Water Against Chaos, Cordela has to deal with torrential rains, and the resulting outbreak of sniffles.
In The Amulet and the Dragon, the weather clears up just in time for Rizo to cast his (out of doors) summoning spell.
#WritingCommunity
#amWriting
Apr 19, 2024, 1:47:17 AM [original]
#WritersCoffeeClub
#EpigraphCoffeeClub
"Monks hold many secrets. They also make a decent snack." — The Sphinx
23. What's your strangest source of writing inspiration?
Really, there is nothing more outré than Cordela and the adventures she gets up to.
#amWriting
#WritingCommunity
Apr 22, 2024, 7:20:09 PM [original]
#WritersCoffeeClub
#EpigraphCoffeeClub
"The ideal spell to use depends upon the situation. Don't always just cast the most powerful one at your disposal." — Lanthanum
24. When older novels use outdated or racist language, should they be edited for the modern world or left alone and viewed in context?
Who has time to go back and edit old books? Don't we have enough to do just getting the new ones edited and published?
#WritingCommunity
Apr 25, 2024, 1:23:18 AM [original]
#WritersCoffeeClub
#EpigraphCoffeeClub
"High seas piracy ain't as fun or as glamorous as it might appear." — Captain Kenna Aylson
28. Do you ever picture a character as someone from real life? E.g. an actor, etc.
Well, since I've met most of my characters, or at least the people they were based on, it's hard not to.
#WritingCommunity
#amWriting
Apr 28, 2024, 2:55:05 PM [original]
#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
May 1, 2024, 1:41:59 AM [original]
#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
May 1, 2024, 8:44:46 PM [original]
#WritersCoffeeClub
#EpigraphCoffeeClub
"Where was I"? — Cordela
"Rizo was about to get you into trouble." — Willie
"That doesn't narrow it down." — Cordela
4. What's the worst thing about being a writer?
Having lots of great ideas but no time to write them.
Second worst is when you do write them and they aren't nearly as great on the page as they were in your head.
#amWriting
#Writing
#WritingCommunity
May 5, 2024, 1:03:12 AM [original]
