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"Then he struck up an exciting new romance. That explains the sudden change in his work at that time."
"How do you know all that?" Rory asked.
There was a long pause. (2/3) #wss366

"What does this passage refer to?" Rory asked, indicating a paragraph in his homework. They were currently reading a famous poem in his ancient literature class. Tseluna looked over his shoulder.
"Oh! He was suffering from depression after the untimely death of his wife," she said. (1/3) #wss366

“In my opinion Orcs are the bad guys. I am not proud that the company I enjoy so much working for is part of this,” a Barad-dûr worker said in the thread discussing the operation in Osgiliath. “Thinking pragmatically: is the reputational damage we’re taking for being associated with them worth it? What if the next administration will be Elven and they cut all the contracts with us?”

#WordWeavers Is it difficult for you if your partner or closest friends don't enjoy books?

My wife reads a lot (more than I do), but she won't read any of my fiction. (She will sometimes be willing to help edit my non-fiction posts, however.) My mom, brother, and younger son all read most of what I write in manuscript form and offer unqualified praise, insightful commentary, and biting mockery respectively (and respectfully). Two friends are currently reading *A Familiar Problem*. I'm lucky.

That much gold would enable her to take a #caravan, rather than walking across the desolate mesas. Against her better judgment, she nodded.
"Alright." (4/4) #wss366 from Tablelands

He felt a sense of warmth spread through him.
"I haven't had that since…" He trailed off. He took a mouthful, closed his eyes, chewed, and swallowed. "Oh! It's so good."
"I thought we needed… a little something."
"Thank you," he said. "Thank you so much." (4/4) #wss366

She went back to the kitchen and returned with two plates.
He looked at the plate and realized what he'd been smelling. It was a plate with minced meat and diced potatoes and… What was that?
"Is that? No… That's…"
"It's red #flannel hash," she said. (3/4) #wss366

Coffee and… something else. He arrived at the dining room table where his wife met him with a cup of coffee.
"Rough night?" she said, with a smile.
"Yeah," he admitted.
He took a sip of the coffee.
"I woke up a little early and couldn't sleep," she said. "So I made us something." (2/4) #wss366

He woke up, rolled over, and checked the time. Late. What a shitty night. He felt like he'd barely slept. He'd kept waking up and bad thoughts made it hard to get back to sleep. And now he was late. He got up and threw on some clothes.
As he went downstairs, he smelled something. (1/4) #wss366

I finally got myself to set up FreshRSS. https://stevendbrewer.com/finally-set-up-freshrss/

On a chilly, snowy day, a big pot of New England clam chowder seemed like the way to go.

RE: https://mastodon.social/@rexsin/115955457641287022

Become ungovernable.

He swaggered into the bedroom, naked, with a bowlegged gait and his hands at his hips in imaginary holsters.
"Ahm declarin' marshal law," he said. "Rule number one: Anything I say goes."
His wife looked up from her book and said, "It's spelled 'martial' with a 'T,' moron."
"Rule number two: the letter T doesn't exist."
She licked her lips lasciviously, "But then I wouldn't be able to *tease* him… Are you sure you'd like that?"
"Ahm declarin' the end of marshal law!" #wss366

#FensterFreitag

It clanked and jingled when she shook it. Tucking it in her bag, she then stumbled back down the hill into town. (3/3) #wss366 from Uplands

She looked around to orient herself and consulted the map in the dim light of the setting moon.
She followed the directions to a planter in the garden where the X seemed to indicate a rock. She turned the rock over and dug down a few inches in the soil where she uncovered a small jar. (2/3) #wss366

She came out at the side of the mansion. The #grounds were silent and the grass was covered in dew in the early hours of the morning. The full moon was low in the sky to the west in the pre-dawn hours of Market Day. (1/3) #wss366

#WritersCoffeeClub There’s satisfaction in crafting a good sentence. What satisfies your writer's ear?

One of my final steps in writing is to read the text out loud. It helps me identify sentences that are too long, too cumbersome, or that reuse words in close proximity. It also lets me hear how the sentences sound, and to gauge the rhythm of the language. Many writers strive for lyrical, almost poetic prose. I prefer simpler, more prosaic prose. Hearing myself read it helps me achieve that.

I have met my self-imposed deadline to publish my course website one week before the beginning of the class. Typically, only one or two students look at the website early, but you never know… I'm using this image for my course thumbnail:

I received my hardback author's copies of *A Familiar Problem*. Order a signed copy today! https://waterdragonpublishing.com/product/familiar-problem/