@stevendbrewer@wandering.shop

#PennedPossibilities What goes bump in the night in your story?

"So what are these ghosts people keep talking about?" Rory asked.
"People have this idea," Tseluna explained, "that they have some kind of spirit or soul that exists separately from their body & persists after death."
"But they don't?"
"That's right. You *are* your body & after you die, that's it."
"Does it make people sad when you tell them?"
"Maybe. I figured out how to pretend to be a ghost, though. That was pretty funny."

#WordWeavers If your MC had a themed vehicle (Batmobile, Popemobile, Mystery Machine) what would it be?

Heh. We know the answer to that because you can see *Pamela's Panties" on the cover of *Then They Fight You*." https://waterdragonpublishing.com/product/then-they-fight-you/

#WritersCoffeeClub How much worldbuilding do you do before the first draft?

Hmm. This is a tough question to answer. I guess "lots and none at all."

I generally start with a setting or a couple of characters, start writing, and just see what happens.

That said, I rarely just start writing a "first draft." I usually write a number of individual scenes or pilots before I actually start working on a "first draft". And all of those minor essays represent my efforts to do world building.

"It’s as if the manufacturers of the phones *want* to rat you out to every business with a phone app." — @philipbrewer https://www.philipbrewer.net/2024/10/30/wanted-sandbox-for-commercial-apps/

This year, November is Writing Month! https://stevendbrewer.com/this-year-november-is-writing-month/ #WritingCommunity #WritingMonth

I have been elected Secretary of the Science Fiction And Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA). Ganbarimasu! https://www.sfwa.org/2024/10/29/2024-sfwa-special-election-results/

Veronica received the note from the messenger boy & gave him a chen.
He tugged his forelock & ran off.
She tore open the note & read it. The chief was calling her to a crime scene. Then she glanced at the address, and paled. It was Sophie's house.
"Oh, no!" she gasped.
Shaking, she turned to her client. "I… I need to…"
"Go!" he said. "We can finish later."
She spun & began to run. Her mind whirled. What if… She shook her head, blinking away tears. How could things turn out this #way?

#wss366

I was watching a Sistar video that had the line "Is this a fight or a date?" I shared it with my wife who asked, "Why can't it be both?" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbXV2R_Yd1E

#WordWeavers Has your protagonist ever faced discrimination?

Revin grew up in a backward community that oppresses women. Girls are married off as soon as they enter puberty and are expected to keep house and rear children. Revin escapes first by cross-dressing and then transitioning to male. In the *Revin's Heart* stories, he has already transitioned. But the story of his escape and transition is included as a side story in the collected volume. https://waterdragonpublishing.com/product/revins-heart/

"What should I write about for #wss366?"
"I dunno. What's the prompt?"
"#Bake."
"Hmm. Maybe something about the Butter Angels. Maybe they're trying to make *castella*…"
"That's a thought. But I'd have to look up the *castella* recipe again. And what would be the hook?"
"Good point. Any other ideas?"
"I could write a Mary story. Someone could say she's a *bakemono*."
"Who would say that?"
"I dunno. Maybe I should just punt."
"Sounds like a plan. Maybe just write some pointless dialog."
"Done!"

#WritersCoffeeClub Do you make any of your work available for free? Would you?

I often use the microfiction I write for @wss366 as promotional pieces for my books. But I don't make my own work available for free. I might submit to non-paying publishers, but generally don't.

#PennedPossibilities On average, how many times per week do you write?

I write something every day (email, text messages, social media posts, etc). I write fiction very nearly every day (doing @wss366 prompts, if nothing else). But my actual productivity is really highly variable, such that an average doesn't mean very much. Right now, I'm outlining a new novel and I've been adding two or three scenes per day for the past few days. But I sometimes go a week with no progress. It just varies.

She walked, feeling the weight of men's eyes on her. And not just on her, but on her breasts — as though she were a mere #object for their entertainment. Each step she took caused her breasts to bounce & jiggle. It was infuriating. She dreamed of burning their eyes out of their heads. She waited for the inevitable whistles & catcalls.
A young man approached her, blushing. Her temper grew, anticipating some rude comment.
"Pardon me, miss," he mumbled. "I'm afraid you've lost a button."

#wss366

The labyrinth at Silver Bay in Hague, New York. #SilentSunday

"We need to get you some local clothes," Tseluna said to Rory.
She led him into a boutique & picked out a stylish outfit.
"Try this on!"
After inspecting him, she spoke to the clerk in Japanese. They went to the register & she extracted eight 10,000 #yen bills to pay.
After she paid, Rory asked, "Where did that money come from?"
"I'm rich, you know," she said, archly.
"But did you have that money before?"
"No," she admitted. "I just made it with magic. It's way more convenient."

#wss366

I've been thinking… So both the LATimes and WaPo killed their endorsements of Harris, right? But the fact that it came out publicly that they HAD endorsed her and that the endorsements were killed has perhaps focused even more public attention on the endorsements than they would have gotten if the endorsements had simply run. So I wonder if this is the billionaires having their cake and eating it too. "Oh, no, Mr. Trump. We killed those endorsements because We Support You."

Cecelia helped Helia back across the stream and then they ran over the grass of the pasture. Helia stepped in a cowpie and slipped, falling flat on her face. She yelped when she lost her balance and a cry went from the treeline as the soldiers became aware of them.
"Get up! Get up!" Cecelia said, breathlessly, pulling her back up. They ran hand-in-hand.
Cecelia heard a crossbow bolt whiz past. Then another.

#LesFicFri "Cry" from *Lady Cecelia's Temptation*

It's telling that billionaires are not afraid of Trump winning the election, but they're scared shitless of being identified as having raised even the tiniest objection to Trump winning the election. #uspol

As Rory got ready to leave for his training run one Wednesday morning, Tseluna teleported herself outside and rang the doorbell, as usual, but Rory's dad got to the door first.
"Good morning, Mrs. T," he said, opening the door. "Do you have a second?"
For a moment, Rory was filled with hope that they could #skip the run.
"Certainly," she said, then turning to Rory. "You go ahead on your run." She patted him and pretended she was unaware of the stream of curses running through his mind.

#wss366

#WritersCoffeeClub How long is the shortest story you've ever written? Can you link to it?

I write 500 character #microfiction all the time for @wss366. I used to write for #vss365 back when I used birdchan and those stories were even shorter. I wrote a post about wandering shop stories that includes the earliest of those stories I could find: https://stevendbrewer.com/wandering-shop-stories/

My shortest *published* story (at 300 words) is *The Better Angels and the Giddy Genial Gag* in *Better Angels: Tour de Force*.