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Having a salad for lunch.

I wrote a brief update on how querying is going so far: https://stevendbrewer.com/my-querying-journey/

"First," said the troll. "I'm gonna tear off your arms."
The Hero stood resolute.
"Then I'm gonna tear off your head."
The Hero said nothing.
"Then I'm gonna shit down yer neck," the troll jeered finally.
"Thinking about that gives you a #boner?" asked the Hero gesturing.
"What? No!" the troll said. He looked down and clutched his genitals.
The Hero sprang forward and struck the troll in the forehead with the pommel of his sword.
The troll made a grunt and fell backward onto his seat. #wss366

The NYT wants you to know they're doing their part to keep AI in the headlines so the bubble will keep inflating.

TheGuardian has a nice article up today about #Esperanto https://www.theguardian.com/news/ng-interactive/2026/jul/28/nudists-peaceniks-freeloading-travellers-esperanto

"C'mon, Bro. Just let me launch this IPO and cash out, Bro. Just a few more months, Bro..." https://www.businessinsider.com/sam-altman-openai-the-singularity-agi-prediction-anthropic-nvidia-2026-7

I knew a guy one time who couldn't have a conversation. When you spoke to him, he would ask questions until he found something he could argue with you about, and then would spend the rest of the time arguing. I'll have to use him in a story sometime, but only as as secondary character. It would be very tedious to have someone like that as the protagonist.

"Open the gate!" it cried again.
No response.
"I'll huff! And I'll puff!"
Nothing.
But then something flew over the wall, struck the hobgoblin, and smashed it to the ground.
It laboriously dragged itself out from under the body of a griffon.
"I'll just come back later then," the hobgoblin yelled, as it limped back to the forest. (2/2) #wss366

A #hobgoblin stalked out of the forest. Carrying a long, wicked blade and chuckling maniacally, it approached the city gate.
The gate was closed.
"Open up!" the hobgoblin yelled, flexing its muscles.
There was no response. The hobgoblin listened and could hear distant yells and screams. (1/2) #wss366

"Blimey!" the troll asked. "Aren't you even going to say anything?
"Like what?"
"Like 'You cannot pass!' or 'We don't want any adventures here, thank you!'"
"Would that work?" asked the Hero.
"Garn! Couldn't hurt."
"Fly you fool!" said the Hero.
"Ooh! Ouch!" said the troll. "Wow. That one really did hurt." (2/2) #wss366

"Now there's a #troll at the #north gate!" shouted the Captain.
The knights blanched.
"I'm busy with the griphons!" said one.
"I'm still trying to round up these steers," said another.
"I'll take care of it," said the Hero and sprinted away.
The Hero arrived at the gate just as the great doors were wrenched off their hinges. An immense figure, bulging with muscle, began to force itself through the gate, but then stepped back.
The Hero stood in the opening with his sword drawn. (1/2) #wss366

"Madagascar purple bicycle whispers to the ceiling."

Maybe don't let AI think for you.

https://news.slashdot.org/story/26/07/25/2114259/32-of-35-students-caught-using-hilariously-wrong-ai-generated-answers-for-professors-midterm

#WritersCoffeeClub What are your techniques for getting out of having written yourself into a corner?

I used to worry I would write myself into a corner, but it almost never happens. When it does, I take a walk and a solution usually presents itself.

What is way more likely is that, because I find tension stressful, I try to solve problems too early in the story rather than letting the tension build. In that case, I go back, stick in a few line breaks, and then start writing again.

Bread and butter! https://stevendbrewer.com/bread-and-butter/

The Amherst Summer Concert this week is "Jazz in July" with participants from the UMass Music Program. #WesternMass

The gryphons swooped low over a field screaming. Terrified cattle stampeded, burst through the gate, and charged down Market Street. Vendors scattered as the herd came through.
"Watch out for the bulls!" yelled one knight.
"These are oxen," yelled another.
"I think they're young enough to be considered steers," said a third.
"How can you tell?"
"Oh, it's not so much what they look like, but that's old-man Jenkin's field and he has working steers that…"
"Get to work!" bellowed the Captain #wss366

*The Spy in the Archive* is sketchy in places, but offers what is known about the enigmatic KGB defector Vasili Mitrokhin who revealed a vast number of Cold-War Soviet secrets. https://stevendbrewer.com/review-the-spy-in-the-archive/

Kasseh made a deep inward struggle, then she looked at Cecelia with the utmost gravity.
"Promise me something."
"What? Anything!"
"Look me in the eyes," Kasseh said. 
Mystified, Cecelia met her gaze.
"Promise me that you'll never ever tell anyone what you see next."
"I promise!"

#LesFicFri from Lady Cecelia's Flowers, Part 1 of Lady Cecelia's Journey

The Favala Jazz Quartet performs as part of the Sunset Thursdays for Summer at the Carle Museum. I know Michael Favala from the Straw Dog Writers Guild. #WesternMass

Boxer dogs are the best, because of course they are! https://stevendbrewer.com/boxer-dogs-are-the-best/ #DogsOfMastodon