@stevendbrewer@wandering.shop

#WritersCoffeeClub How arbitrary are the names in your work?

I rarely use names that have symbolic meanings, with a few exceptions. Most of the names I use are ordinaryish, but often with small tweaks to make them distinctive. Some names are ordinary with a single character substitution. Secondary characters often just have ordinary names. But, as I say, there are exceptions. In Better Angels, the villain's names are frequently mashups of real-life villains, e.g. Jeon Besk.

No! She couldn't do it! Staff meeting or not! She went to jump back onto the SkyJumper before it departed. But then froze. There! The owl was there! The owl was standing in the door of the SkyJumper.
"Going so soon?" Forrest said.
Melly screamed and ran for the office.
Forrest chuckled. (5/5) #wss366

A question occurred to her. Had that cup been there before? She hadn't noticed it when she was looking around. She started to look around again when a piece of paper blew onto her face. She clutched at the paper and sticky residue from the cup splashed over her hands and face. (4/5) #wss366

She looked around, oriented herself, and started to walk to Ranger's office. She took a step and felt something crunch underfoot. She looked down and saw she was standing on a paper cup. Panting, she bent over and snatched it up. If that owl thought she'd dropped it, she was dead. (3/5) #wss366

She couldn't shake a foreboding sense of #danger. The Ranger was great and she got along fine with that bear. But the owl. She couldn't stand that owl. He hated her and seemed to take pleasure in terrorizing her. (2/5) #wss366

A SkyJumper landed at the Volpex Picnic Park. After all the other passengers, Melly stepped off, her skin prickling with fear. To her horror, she had received an invitation to a staff meeting here today. Why did it have to be here? (1/5) #wss366

"The doctor said you're supposed to drink three liters of #water per day," she said.
He held up a six pack of beer. "Done!" he said.
"Beer doesn't count," she snapped.
"Then why does it come in a *six* pack? Hmm?" #wss366

Tau barked.
"Thirsty?" Bebe said. "Let Bebe! Bebe will do it!" She ran to one of the drinking fountains conveniently placed throughout the desert and pressed the button. Water spurted up.
Tau stood by panting, then ruffed.
"Just a minute!" Bebe said. "Bebe is waiting for it to get cold!" (2/2) #wss366

Bebe and Tau were in *La Valle de Los Muertos*, a barren, desert landscape devoid of vegetation. They hiked in brief stretches, then sheltered in the shade of boulders. Tau panted in the heat.
"Ooh!" Bebe said, pointing upward. "Pretty!"
Buzzards wheeled, circling overhead. (1/2) #wss366

I'm getting to hang out with @philipbrewer's 'Terrifier'.

I'm back under the portico at the Paradise Inn. I was watching the sunrise, as usual, but dark clouds from the approaching storm choked it right out. But this is also a great spot to watch trains. This is the City of New Orleans.

I got an email purportedly from a New York Times Bestselling Author who emailed me from her gmail account to tell me she'd just finished reading my book. Yaknow? I really wouldn't mind receiving the scammy emails if they *did* actually buy a copy of my book. Sigh…

"What's that?" she asked.
Tau barked.
"Life support? Is that important?"
Tau barked again.
"Asphyxiation? Like #auto-erotic asphyxiation?"
Tau snorted.
"Oh," Bebe said.
Tau pushed the throttle all the way forward and the Cherub streaked forward. (2/2) #wss366

The Cherub was making a leisurely descent from Columbine Station to Necrostad. A red light began to flash on the control panel and a klaxon sounded.
Tau pawed the console, disabling the klaxon, but the red light continued to flash.
Bebe cocked her head over to the side. (1/2) #wss366

I attended the 2026 Nebula Conference with @philipbrewer and had a great time: https://stevendbrewer.com/fantastic-2026-worldbuilding-worldbreaking-nebulas/

At 8pm CDT, you can watch the @SFWA Nebula Awards ceremony live. If you look carefully, you might see me hobbling around with a stick leading presenters to the stage. https://www.youtube.com/live/nmAxXj7-xxA

He brushed himself off, extinguishing the sparks. The young man, abashed, apologized sincerely.
"And let me escort you to the ball, Milady," the bear said to Brunhilde.
Brunhilde curtsied and suffered him to guide her back to her family. (4/4) #wss366

Just then, the young man poked his coals and a cloud of sparks flew up. Caught in the breeze, they sailed toward Brunhilde's dress.
She squeaked with terror, shrinking back.
The bear sprang forward and interposed himself, catching the sparks in his fur. (3/4) #wss366

The bear looked her up and down.
"Is that a #new dress?" he asked.
She beamed and did a pirouette. Her white, billowy ball gown belled out around her waist.
"It *is*!" she gushed. "It's the newest style. My mother and I replicated it this morning!" (2/4) #wss366

The bear was helping a young man start his charcoal grill at the Volpex Picnic Park when Brunhilde flounced up. She waited impatiently, shifting from foot to foot, while he finished explaining something. When he was done, he turned to her.
"Hey! Hey!" she said, looking at him expectantly. (1/4) #wss366