@stevendbrewer@wandering.shop

I've been using Mozilla products since forever. But their monomaniacal fixation on AI may finally drive me away. I kept hoping they'd wake up. Sigh…

If anyone is wondering, I've finished my rough draft of the Toasterella story, tentatively entitled, "What's For Breakfast, Toasterella?"

He set out his own meal first, a bento. Then, for Forrest, he set out a tray with several dead squirrels, small rabbits, pheasants, and quail. For the bear, he dragged out a huge salmon, a dozen pints each of blueberries and raspberries, and a bushel of apples. (2/2) #wss366 from Bearly Believable

"Let's have a welcome party! What would you like, Forrest?"
"Just the usual for me."
The Ranger punched in orders for himself and Forrest. Then, with his tongue out, he began punching in an order for the bear. While the replicator was running he spread a large tarpaulin over the floor. (1/2) #wss366

Ooh! You can now order a signed edition of *A Familiar Problem*! https://water-dragon-publishing.square.site/product/a-familiar-problem/BRPMUUBXP35JQ3TAAXN4GXIU?cs=true&cst=custom

For #writephant, I'll pitch my new book, *A Familiar Problem*, a cozy, dark fantasy out last week from Water Dragon Publishing. A young man, who is supposed to get his familiar, instead is captured as the familiar of a powerful demon who trains him up to enter him in an illegal familiar-fighting contest. https://waterdragonpublishing.com/product/familiar-problem/

#Writephant A3. How does practicing journaling affect your writing practice?

Undoubtedly, the 15 years of writing I did on my blog contributed to the writing skills that I was able to bring to my fiction. It also simply gave me an excuse to reflect on experiences and work through ideas that have all been grist for the mill.

#Writephant A1. Many writers are also journalers. Does this describe you? How long have you been journaling?

I started blogging in 2002. I recorded my thoughts in a wiki which I was able to export to a static site at some point. http://revo.bierfaristo.com/phpwiki/BrewerJournalArchive.html

Exactly 20 years ago today, I switched to using a Drupal site: https://blog.bierfaristo.com/

When I started trying to get published in English, I created an author website that I still use today: https://stevendbrewer.com/

He went around collecting all the books he'd been meaning to read. Some were in his study. Others were in his nightstand. Some were in the bathroom. There were even a couple in the kitchen. He'd been studying them when he was developing the spell to form the contract with Toasterella. (3/3) #wss366

Once, he would have needed to go out for a job. But since he'd perfected and licensed his contracting spell, he'd been able to live off the #proceeds and dedicate his time to research. Well̛… When he got around to it. It's not like he was rich, but he was comfortably well off. (2/3) #wss366

"You can't survive for a month without going out!"
"Watch me."
"But what will you eat?" Dre was grinning, as if he'd scored a point.
"Did you forget about Toasterella?" Roge said.
Dre looked like he'd been slapped.
Roge closed the door and grinned to himself. A month! All to himself! (1/3) #wss366

Ooh! On Friday, it's supposed to get into the high 40s! At 4am. While it's raining. And by the time it stops raining, it will already be at freezing. Thanks a lot, weather lords.

Kindle’s New Gen AI-Powered “Ask This Book” Feature Raises Rights Concerns https://writerbeware.blog/2025/12/12/kindles-new-gen-ai-powered-ask-this-book-feature-raises-rights-concerns/

I read an excerpt from *A Familiar Problem* at the Second Sunday open mic for Straw Dog Writers Guild. It's fun to read for an appreciative audience. https://waterdragonpublishing.com/product/familiar-problem/

After changing clothes, he went to the front door and opened it. Dre was standing on the sidewalk waving at him. He stepped out through the door. There was a loud Pop! and he found himself stepping back inside. He tried again with the same result. Dre was in hysterics on the sidewalk. (3/3) #wss366

Roge picked up his quill and wrote a quick reply. "Good 'morrow! OMW."
Before he stood up, he addressed the empty room.
"Thank you very much, Toasterella, for the delicious breakfast!"
"I hope you choke on it and die," she said, which he chose to interpret as, "You're welcome." (2/3) #wss366

Roge was sipping his coffee when his magic tablet started making the scritch-scritch-scritch sound it made when it was receiving a message. He slid it over. The unmistakable script of his brother Dre appeared across the surface: "G'Morning! Are you ready?"
"Oh, right!" Roge thought. (1/3) #wss366

#WritersCoffeeClub Share how you tackle a first round of revisions

My first draft is usually sketchy: just the bones of the story, with dialog and the events briefly described. When I finish it, I usually get my beta readers (my brother and younger son) to read the manuscript and comment about story structure: Is there a problem? Is the pacing good? Is there rising action? Is the problem solved? Is the resolution satisfying? If there are problems, I fix the structure, then flesh out the story.

#SilentSunday

Last spring, @philipbrewer and I set up identical Synology devices to back up our home networks and then provide off-site back-ups for each other: https://stevendbrewer.com/new-backup-strategy/

It's worked very well and has provided great peace of mind.