@stevendbrewer@wandering.shop

#WritersCoffeeClub Have you ever attended a writers fair/festival to promote your work? Would you?

I've now attended many science fiction conventions (Arisia, BayCon, Boskone, Watch City, WorldCon, etc.) to serve on panels, offer readings, & help operate a vendor table for my publisher where my books are for sale. It appears to me that this kind of activity is *de rigueur* for anyone who wants their writing to be discovered. It's easy to write a book — it's hard to get people to buy your books.

Cecelia was still hovering in the background, trying to look inconspicuous, when Kelli ran back and grabbed her hand.
"Come!" she ordered. "Come see!" She dragged Cecelia out into the crowd and led her across the square to a pen that had a dark, shaggy #pony in it.
"Look! Isn't he adorable?"
Cecelia smiled and reached her hand out toward the pony when it suddenly snapped at her. She jerked her hand back.
"Ponies are cute," Kelli warned. "But they bite."

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#WritersCoffeeClub Do you have a sense of how much plot you need for how long a manuscript?

Somewhat. Although, I tend to just write stories as long as they need to be. And, frequently, the stories end up being longer, or shorter, than I initially anticipate. But, its certainly true, that the more I write, the better my sense is for how long a manuscript is likely to turn out.

The family arrived at the town square & found a empty spot to set up. Everyone piled out of the wagon and, with long-practiced routine, quickly assembled vendor tables and laid out their produce & products for sale. Once everything was set up, the children scattered to see the rest of the market while the parents & older sister stayed to sell their wares.
Cecelia pulled her hood up, but couldn't stop trembling.
"I'm so scared!" she whispered to Kasseh.
"Courage!" Kasseh whispered back.

#wss366

#WordWeavers What role do other writers have in your writing life?

My brother & younger son are writers & are two of my closest confidantes when it comes to my writing, reading and commenting on early drafts. My publisher runs a virtual writing group where a bunch of authors get together to discuss writing & to organize promoting & selling our books. I also belong to the Straw Dog Writers' Guild, serve on the program committee, & run a writing group "Straw Dog Writes" on Wednesdays. So, a lot.

Buttercups in bloom in my amazingly diverse yard. #bloomscrolling #WesternMass

#WordWeavers Describe a place that has a special significance in your story.

The Truck Stop at the Center of the Galaxy is a fully-functional space station abandoned by an alien race for centuries. Now a thriving hub for interstellar commerce and tourism, the station is where the Better Angels maintain a permanent berth for their starship *Angels' Wings*. The Truck Stop has three giant rings: docking, main, and habitat. It simulates gravity "old-style", by rotation. https://truckstop.waterdragonpublishing.com/

#PennedPossibilities Is your MC or SC one to confess romantic feelings early on?

Lidja sat down next to Revin and then edged herself up against him.
"Revin," she said. "I think… I think I love you."
"Lidja, I… I… " 
"Is there someone else?" she asked.
"No," Revin said, nodding. "Wait! Yes? Maybe? I don't know. I'm so confused."
She wrapped her arms around him.
"Then let's not think about that tonight and just have a nice time."

(from *Crossing the Streams*, Part Four of *Revin's Heart*)

The guards ran over.
The children had tucked the straw under the kerchief on Kelli's head. She stood up in the wagon & posed provocatively.
"I am Lady Cecelia. Save me!" she declaimed. The children all snickered then started laughing openly.
Disgusted, the guards turned away & went to the next wagon, while the family rolled on into the market.
Cecelia turned to Kelli, tears in her eyes.
"Thank you!"
"Are you really that Lady?" she asked.
Cecelia nodded.
"Well, you're safe with us." 3/3

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The guards held up a drawing. "Lady Cecelia has white hair. There's a reward! She's being held captive & we're trying to rescue her."
Cecelia shrank back into the shadows, whispering to Kasseh, "By the skies! How long are they going to #hound me?"
Kelli looked at Cecelia, eyes widening. Then she whispered with the other children. They pulled out a kerchief & one grabbed some handfuls of straw from the back of the wagon.
"Hey! Hey!" they shouted. "Over here! We'll take that reward." 2/3

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Cecelia and Kasseh rode with the family to the market on Saturday. The kids were excited & Kelli chattered the whole way about all of the wonderful sights and smells and sounds. And tastes! She described in glowing terms the array of pastries, candies, and sweets that she would have to choose from to spend the single bit she was given as allowance. As they approached, however, they saw the wagons being stopped by a cordon of guards at the edge of town.
"Have you seen Lady Cecelia?" 1/3

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Cairns on the way up to the Peace Pagoda in Leverett, MA. #SilentSunday

We had a great time and sold a fair number of books at the Watch City Steampunk Festival. https://stevendbrewer.com/spbu-at-watch-city/

Since his mother passed away, Rory had gotten badly out of shape. He struggled with Tseluna's interval training.
"Get ready…" she called. "Go!"
She stood at the top of a small hill & made him run up. He sprinted up, then stood panting.
"Just three more times."
He looked at her with horror. As usual, the demon was naked & so he looked down.
"I just need to take a #breast," he said. "No! Wait! Rest! Rest!"
"Aw, Sugar," she laughed. "You can have a breast. Just sprint up three more times."

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Today was the Watch City Steampunk Festival in Waltham. We did pretty well! Revin's Heart was the best seller — again.

At the end of the dinner, they bought in a gigantic cake.
"Blow out the candles, Philip!" everyone called.
When he did, the cake suddenly popped open and Popo sprang out. His face was transformed with wonder and excitement.
"Happy birthday, Philip!" she called with a flourish. Then the other Better Angels appeared among the crowd and they all sang Happy Birthday to him.
"Thanks, Miss Popo. Thanks everybody!" he said, with tears in his eyes. "This is the best birthday ever!" 2/2

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On the planet of Chevalio, the Prince's birthday was the culminating event of a week-long holiday. Each day, there were grander festivals and parades. But everyone noticed his melancholy as he went through the motions, barely enjoying himself.
Servants whispered quietly to each other, "Is he just going to #pine away?"
At his birthday celebration, he seemed particularly downcast, hardly tasting the food of his birthday dinner. 1/2

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Join @jscottcoatsworth on June 15 at 1pm Eastern for a Straw Dog Writers' Guild zoom presentation about promoting your work as an indie author. https://strawdogwriters.org/post/promoting-your-work-as-an-indie-author #books #writing

Once the anchors were set, ropes were tied down, and the remmers dropped their towlines.
One of the men turned and took a few steps into the field, scouting around. Then he screamed. Everyone looked on in horror as etheric lines of force erupted from the ground and tore the man to pieces, cutting off his screams.
"By the skies," whispered Grip into the sudden silence. "What was that?"
"Some kind of eternite #mine," the Professor said. "We must exercise caution." 2/2

#wss366

With two gasbags holed, *Queen of Belleriand* came down hard in an open field. Revin held onto the railing as she slammed into the ground.
"Remmers hold her down!" Will called. "Grip! Mack! Lead men to build tiedowns!"
Grip and Mack grabbed augers, crossbars, and rope, then led teams of airmen fore and aft.
"Heave!" they cried as the men used the crossbars to crank the augers into the ground to serve as anchors to tie down the airship. 1/2

#wss366