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After a long day in the field collecting ecological data, Totemo Isogashii & Lambda returned home to her small apartment. She closed the door, went into her bedroom, & took off her sodden field clothes, caked with mud from the swamp they'd had to wade through. Then she took a quick shower.
Much refreshed, she went out to the kitchen, thinking about what to punch up on the replicator. Then she smelled something.
She sniffed the air & eventually zeroed in on Lambda.
"Ugh! You stink!"

#wss366 1/3

I just saw the post by @belehaa for labor day last year. I was struck by the quote "**I'd rather have a union than tenure**". Hear, hear! http://bethhaas.me/blog/2023/9/academic-freedom-for-all #proflife

#WritersCoffeeClub What would you pick if you were forced to write in a genre outside of your specialty?

Forced? You mean, like at gunpoint or something? Is this some kind of *Misery* plotline where a crazy fan is going to smash my knees with a hammer?

I don't really put much stock in genres in the first place. I just write whatever I feel like. Pretty much everything I write is cross-genre: steampunky romantasy, fluffy military space opera. And I write literary fiction and poetry. Whatever.

#WordWeavers Would your MC give up their goal to help someone else achieve theirs?

This is literally the theme of *Lady Cecelia's Journey* where the aristocratic young lady gives up her life to pursue romance with her beloved commoner girlfriend who dreams of becoming a jeweler. The series is a road story as they travel from their backward town to the capital where they hope they can live openly together.

Just finished a new manuscript: Who Do I Have to Kill for a Promotion (2400 words). A Biogeneer story. I had hoped to get it finished before the semester starts.

#pennedpossibilities Have any of your characters ever pranked someone?

In *Revin's Heart*, the airship pirates take great pleasure in gently hazing the new guy. And Revin is a particularly good target because he's so naive and good spirited. In one case, the pirates trick him into going around the camp collecting animal dung as a "wild animal check" and to take the bag of dung to give to the captain. https://waterdragonpublishing.com/product/revins-heart/

#WordWeavers What's something you've always wanted to share about your story?

In *A Familiar Problem*, demons are magical creatures that arise spontaneously in high-magic dimensions. They self-organize in magic, sort of like a hurricane self-organizing above warm water. Most fall apart or die early. But a few become self-aware. This means that demons are sexless, do not reproduce, & have neither parents nor relatives. To act on the physical plane, they can create physical body. But few do.

#WritersCoffeeClub Would you consider using AI for a book cover design or an audiobook?

No.

"What is that?" the man asked, as Totemo Isogashii reached into the replicator.
"It's a raw steak," she said.
"Oh! I never figured you for the house-wife type that would learn to cook!" the man said. "You always seemed all business & efficiency, to me."
She gave him a withering stare.
"The most important thing about cooking a steak is that you need to #sear it first, to seal in the juices!"
Totemo rolled her eyes & tossed the steak to Lambda, who carried it off to the corner, tail high.

#wss366

Someone — but not everyone — is very happy with their new hole. #DogsOfMastodon

#WordWeavers How much does your SC's goal align with your MC's goal?

I can best answer this with my #wss366 Better Angels #microfiction https://wandering.shop/@stevendbrewer/113045041541651072

It's #461 in Fantasy Anthologies and #1,955 in Short Stories Anthologies and #7,283 in Paranormal & Urban Fantasy (Books)!

"Bebe is ready for more!" Bebe announced.
The other Angels groaned. They had spent all morning with Tau at the carnival & come back to Angels' Wings for Fun Meals for lunch. Now they were sprawled on couches & cushions in the lounge.
"I want to take a nap," Lala said.
"Bebe & Tau will just go ourselves!" Bebe said. She went to get up, but Tau sprang onto the couch & flopped down on her chest, trapping her on the sofa.
"Tau! Let's go!" Bebe said.
Tau yawned & closed his eyes.
"Tau! Tau!"

#wss366

Come get the ball! I won't suddenly snatch it up! Trust me! #DogsOfMastodon

I'm increasingly inclined to block anyone who posts imagery created by generative AI. If you want an image, make it yourself or pay an artist.

The Zestars are ripe at the Park Hill Orchard! (And other kinds of apples too — but who cares about them…) #WesternMass

This fragment is from *The Better Angels and the Military Morale Mishegoss* in *Better Angels: Tour de Force* from the Truck Stop at the Center of the Galaxy. https://truckstop.waterdragonpublishing.com/product/better-angels-tour-de-force/

#WordWeavers What’s your MC’s everyday fear (not worst fear)?

Revin is trans and fears being misgendered.

#WritersCoffeeClub Do you incorporate poems, songs, or letters in your work? How do you format them?

The Better Angels stories frequently have songs that the Angels perform. Some are my own creation and some are adaptations. They often include Japanese lyrics as a nod to K-pop and J-pop songs. The lyrics are usually formatted as an italicized block quote.

"Cap'n Tau!" David said. "I'm glad to see you! We have a new mission that might be pretty hairy. Do you think maybe you could pilot for us again?"
Tau barked.
"Ooh!" Zaza said. "So Lambda is coming to visit again. Well, you wouldn't want to miss that!"
Tau's tongue lolled.
"We'll be sorry to not have you," David said, then continued with a wink. "But you'll probably be 'otherwise engaged.'"
"Bebe wants to know what they're going to do!" Bebe said, curiously.
Mumu gestured silently.

#wss366