@stevendbrewer@wandering.shop

When he went to take another swig, Revin put his hand on Words' arm. "Don't you think you'd better go easy on that stuff?"
A quick flash of annoyance crossed Words' features, but then he made a forced laugh. "Yeah. You're right. How did I get into such a #vein of depression?"

#wss366

Seven years ago, I posted "So-called 'Big Data' is just Taylorization applied to every aspect of human existence and, in the long run, just as destructive to human values."

Via my son, who wanted me to say "the bear said" instead of "he said."

Bebe & Tau had wandered into the tall grass.
"Where is Bebe?" Bebe asked. "Where are the others?"
Tau barked, then stood up on his hind legs to peer over the grass.
"Bebe thinks we're lost," Bebe moaned.
Tau barked angrily.
"OK, OK," Bebe said in a conciliatory tone. "Bebe is lost & Tau has only become separated from the pack."
Suddenly Tau was on #alert & all the fur came up along his back. A bear reared up over the grass.
"Yo. The picnic grounds are back that way," he said, pointing.

#wss366

#PennedPossibilities Your SC is hosting a get-together at home.

"Pardon me, Sir Revin. The Baron has asked me to bring you to his private lounge."
Mystified, Revin followed Terrier who, after many twists and turns, opened a door and held it for him. He entered to find Will and Grip sitting together on a sofa in a comfortable den. The walls were lined with bookshelves and a crackling fire burned in the fireplace. The Baron poured out of a decanter into a snifter, and then extended it to Revin.

Panting, they took refuge under an awning while the rain poured down.
"Oh, no! Look at your dress!" Celene said.
Veronica looked down. The white dress had become nearly transparent.
Celene giggled. "It's more like 'look through your dress'," she laughed.
Embarrassed, Veronica wrapped her arms around herself.

They walked along the boardwalk and then turned left, back in toward town. Mar's Cafe was on a quiet side street off from the main street.
A rumble of thunder broke the silence and then, without warning, rain was pelting down upon them.
"Let's run!" Celene said. They began to #dash toward the cafe, but the rain fell harder and harder.
"Over here!" Veronica said.

#wss366

#WritersCoffeeClub From all your work, who's your favourite character?

It's got to be Bebe of the Better Angels. She has a delightful mix of naivete, insight, honesty, and devilishness. She drives everyone crazy with her need for attention and off-the-wall antics. But she always comes through in the end.

I got publicity photos made for each of the Angels. If you buy a signed copy of Better Angels: Tour de Force you get a 'zine with their photos, vital statistics — and their three measurements.

#WritersCoffeeClub Does your work make you laugh when you read it back?

Sometimes. Especially if it's been a while. A lot of humor is the surprise and it's hard to be surprised when you've seen something too recently.

A challenge I have when reading is trying to get through the emotionally charged sections without getting choked up. I often have to read a passage several times to prepare for a reading so I don't inadvertently get stuck.

The Chief nodded curtly, spoke to the desk sergeant who directed two constables to follow them, and then he gestured for Veronica to lead the way.
They arrived at the parcel of land. It seemed even more desolate than it had the previous day. It was cloudy and blustery.
The Chief and constables stood back. He crossed his arms.
"Now, Ms Bellox, please tell me everything you can see."
She pushed her awareness down and studied the site as carefully as she could.

#wss366 (from The Ground Never Lies)

I didn't reach my "goal" but I had a good experience during #WritingMonth https://stevendbrewer.com/writing-month-wraps-up/ Thank you to @amin for putting together the site! I hope it continues to develop and I look forward to trying again, maybe as soon as January.

Well, I'm calling it a night. For #WritingMonth, I wrote a total of 23,100 words of *The Ground Never Lies*. I had started with about 7000 words so the manuscript is coming together well. I'm still hoping to have the manuscript finished by January.

She directed her awareness to the very end of the line of skeletons and found seven bodies that were much more recent, no more than two or three months old.
She looked up at Rex. "Go get the Chief."
"Yes," he said. "Right now."
He sprinted back toward town.

(from The Ground Never Lies)

She panicked for a moment, but then realized they had been here for a long time — decades at least, given the presence of undisturbed soil horizons above them. She realized this must be a mass grave dating from the #plague of 404. Then she noticed something else that was truly disturbing.

#wss366

Rex began the geomantic assessment, but then turned white.
"What is this? What am I seeing here?" he said, in a strangled whisper.
Veronica pushed her awareness down into the ground. She began to see skeletons — hundreds of skeletons — piled on top of one another in what had been a long trench.

Today is the last day of #WritingMonth. I'm starting the day at 20,418 words. I'm going to see how many more I can get done before the end of day…

#WritersCoffeeClub As of now, how many stories have you written? How many more do you have planned?

It would be too annoying to actually count. I've written stories in a bunch of different universes, including the Mary stories, *Better Angels*, *Revin's Heart* (and associated *Lady Cecelia's Journey*), and Destroyers. I have a new book coming out in January, *A Familiar Problem*. My current WiP is *Ground Never Lies*. I have thought of follow-on stories I could write in most of those.

I noticed recently I reached 1k followers on Mastodon. I am very gratified! What I really value, however, is the *quality* of engagement I find here. Thank you, friends, for coming on this journey with me!

#PennedPossibilities “descriptive”? Sometimes…

Cecelia was in a high room of a grand chateau that was situated along the side of a mountain valley. In the depths, she could see a cascading whitewater river that tumbled over immense boulders. Looking upward, she could see the tips of snow-capped mountains peeking up out of a vast evergreen forest. She opened the window & let the crisp, cool air into the stuffy room. It was scented with a delightful piney smell. She breathed in deeply & smiled.

If you're attending LOSCon this weekend, you can (probably) find my books "Revin's Heart" and "Better Angels: Tour de Force" at the Water Dragon Publishing table in the dealer room. And, of course, many other interesting tales of fantasy and wonder.