@stevendbrewer@wandering.shop

Vlactor Puban took the elevator up to the rooftop, flanked by his security detail. He looked dismissively out over the endless city of Volpex One that extended to the horizons in every direction as he walked to where his Makasete SkyStretch waited. A guard opened the door and he took his seat in the back.
"Take me to the #Park," he said to the driver.
"That's as good a place to dispose of a body as any," said David. He engaged the controls and the SkyStretch rose smoothly into the air.

#wss366

#WordWeavers Has your enjoyment of reading changed since starting to write? How?

I wouldn't say that my *enjoyment* has changed, but a lot of my writing time has come at the expense of my reading time. So I just read less than I used to. Oh. And there's this… https://www.bunicomic.com/comic/buni-1789/

I launched Straw Dog Writes one year ago this week. https://stevendbrewer.com/one-year-of-straw-dog-writes/ #writing #WritingCommunity

I'm drinking a #beer and watching the penultimate Cardinals game of the season with my mom and @philipbrewer who's joining us from a sports bar in Illinois.

Wow. There's a line to pick up #beer at Treehouse. But, mission accomplished!

Bebe peeked into David's cabin. He was working at his desk. He tried carefully to not look up.
"David?" whispered Bebe. "Daaaaaavid?"
David sighed & looked up.
"What is it?"
"Bebe wants a treat!"
"Didn't you just have a Fun Meal for lunch?"
"But now Bebe wants a treat!"
"What kind of treat?"
"Bebe wants a Fun Cake!"
"A funk ache?"
"No! Bebe wants a Fun Cake!"
"Is that how you ask for something?"
Bebe sighed, put her hands behind her back, & said, "#May Bebe have a Fun Cake?"
"Maybebe…"

#wss366

#WritersCoffeeClub When beginning a story, which do you have a clearer idea of first, the characters or the plot? Both?

It really varies. I usually have the characters and/or the setting first. I frequently write quite a bit before the plot comes into view. And, sometimes, not until the end. And then I go back and add a beginning that puts the pieces in place for the ending.

But not always. *A Familiar Problem* was different. I had the idea first and the characters and setting came later.

I say, "only at the Truck Stop" but, in fact, you can get *Better Angels: Tour de Force* at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, Smashwords, Google Books — and, of course, you can always buy signed editions directly from Water Dragon Publishing. And, if you do buy a signed edition, you'll also get a free copy of the Better Angels 'zine that has photos and vital statistics (including the three measurements!) of each of the Better Angels. https://water-dragon-publishing.square.site/product/better-angels-tour-de-force/354

You can read more about Captain Racy Reckless in *The Better Angels and the Complicated Camping Catastrophe* in *Better Angels: Tour de Force*, only at the Truck Stop at the Center of the Galaxy. https://truckstop.waterdragonpublishing.com/product/better-angels-tour-de-force/ #books

"Haven't you had enough?"
"Nah," she scoffed, refilling her glass.
"What's the occasion?"
"Who needs a reason to have a party?" she said, with forced cheer. Then she suddenly started bawling.
David sat next to her and she buried her face in his shoulder.
"He dumped me, David. I thought this time, it would work out. But he dumped me. By hologram."
David patted her back. Racy began to #lean on him and then started to snore.
David sighed, picked her up, and carried her back to her ship.

#wss366

David decided to visit the Select Club to escape the manic energy of the Better Angels.
"Welcome back, Master Sergeant," the Chamberlain said.
David nodded and headed into the lounge. At first, he looked for an empty table, but then the bartender caught his eye. David noticed that Racy was seated at the bar with a half-full bottle in front of her.
"Good evening, Captain Reckless," he said.
"David!" she slurred, slopping some whiskey out her shot glass. "Good ol' David!"

#wss366 #microfiction

Hubert Kaszuba and 5 other people viewed my profile on LinkedIn.

LinkedIn also thinks I should use "AI" to "strengthen" my profile. Do you think AI can help me have a chin?

#WritersCoffeeClub What's the elevator pitch for your current WIP?

A young man desperately wants a strong magical familiar but, instead, is captured and made the familiar of a powerful demon that intends to train him up for something. But what?

*A Familiar Problem*: Coming January from Water Dragon Publishing!

David French says that MAGA supporters "love making decent people angry."

There's a word for that, you know: deplorable.

Zsazsa walked over to Booboo, then slipped under the covers with her and pressed up against her back.
"What's wrong, sweetheart?" she asked.
"I don't know," Booboo said, with a quaver in her voice. "I'm just feeling #blue, for some reason."
Zsazsa kissed her on the back of the neck.
"You'd better watch out," she giggled. "Or people will start to call you Blueblue."
Booboo giggled too.
"Come on," Zsazsa said. "Let's get cookin'!"

#wss366

The Butter Angels were prepping to open Mama-sans. Zsazsa looked around to ask Booboo a question and didn't see her. She walked through both the front and back looking for her, but couldn't find her anywhere.
"Has anyone seen Booboo?"
"I'm not sure she came downstairs," Susan said.
Zsazsa climbed the stairs quietly and peeked in the door into the room where the Butter Angels slept. Booboo was curled up on her futon.

#wss366

A friend shared this article about writing success: https://www.wsj.com/arts-culture/books/slow-horses-mick-herron-apple-tv-spy-fiction-05fd1dc5?st=577ZEa&reflink=article_email_share

Here are the two money quotes:

“Be lucky,” he says. “You can have everything else going for you. But without a stroke of luck along the way, you might never really make it.”

“The main lesson I’ve taken away from this is that if you’re only going to be successful in one half of your career, make it the second half,” Herron said. “If it’s the first half, that’s a tragedy. But the second half is a happy ending.”

#WritersCoffeeClub Are there any celebrations or festivals in your work?

Occasionally.

In *The End of His Rope*, part five of *Revin's Heart*, the pirates have a big celebration in honor of Revin's promotion and they succeed in getting him drunk.

In the omake story I'm writing for *Lady Cecelia's Journey*, the events occur around the celebration of the Queen's birthday.

Sisi is one of the Better Angels. Read more in *Better Angels: Tour de Force* at the Truck Stop at the Center of the Galaxy! https://truckstop.waterdragonpublishing.com/product/better-angels-tour-de-force/

Sssindy and Sisi were relaxing together in the lounge of Angels' Wings.
"How many times do you think you could wind around me?" Sisi asked.
"I'm not sssure," Sssindy said. "Let'sss find out!"
Sisi stood up and Sssindy slithered over. She #wound around Sisi one, two, three, four times, until just her head was poking up out of Sssindy's coils.
"It looksss like four timesss," Sssindy said. She took a deep breath and Sisi's eyes bulged out of her head.
"Oh! I'm sssorry!" Sssindy said.

#wss366