@stevendbrewer@wandering.shop

Unless it takes place in a single moment, every story is a time-travel story.

Read more about Tau and the other neoboxers in Better Angels: Tour de Force only on the Truck Stop at the Center of the Galaxy. https://truckstop.waterdragonpublishing.com/product/better-angels-tour-de-force/ #books

As Tau reached the hatch, David called. "Just a minute!"
Tau turned, his hackles up.
David walked toward him holding a fightin' ball.
"You left this here," he said.
He pantomimed tossing the ball, but tossed the pill instead.
Tau caught the pill. He went to spit it out, but David grabbed his muzzle & rubbed his throat.
"Down the hatch!" he cried, triumphantly. Tau swallowed.
David offered him the fightin' ball.
Tau snorted indignantly, but finally accepted it and stalked out.

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Tau growled at Zaza.
"#Pill?" she said, innocently. "What pill?"
Tau turned up his nose and headed into the lounge.
Bebe was there wearing a white coat.
"Cap'n Tau!" Bebe said. "Bebe wants to play doctor. Stick out your tongue and say, 'Ah!'"
Tongue lolling, he opened his jaws. Bebe raised her hand up, when Tau saw the pill between her thumb and forefinger. He sprang back.
"Let Bebe give you the pill!" Bebe cried.
Tau barked at her and stalked, stiff-legged toward the hatch.

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A call came into the bridge of Angels' Wings.
"David, here," David said.
"It's that time of the month again," Lusa said.
"Oh," David replied. "OK. We'll try."
"Thank you. You know how he gets."
David sighed.
When Captain Tau arrived on Angels' Wings, the Better Angels had just finished lunch.
"Cap'n Tau! Cap'n Tau!" Zaza cried. "We fixed a Fun Meal for you!" She offered him a sandwich. Slavering, he started to accept it and then, suddenly backed up and clapped his jaws shut.

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#WordWeavers Do you do any writing-adjacent jobs, like editing, librarian, character art, etc.?

I have taught scientific writing at UMass Amherst for more than 20 years. I also perform service for some writing organizations: I'm on the program committee for Straw Dog Writers' Guild and run "Straw Dog Writes," a writing accountability group that meets Wednesday evenings. Oh! And I'm currently a write-in candidate for Secretary of SFWA: If you haven't voted yet, you can still write me in today!

Fresh out of the police academy, the new recruit arrived at the precinct door. Inspecting his reflection, he tugged his jacket down & straightened his cap. He took a deep breath, opened the door, and stepped inside.
Someone came up behind him & flipped his cap forward, exposing his mop of blond hair.
"Blimey!" said a gruff voice, in an atrocious accent. "It's a fair #cop, innit?"
There was raucous laughter.
"C'mon, newbie," a kind voice said. He gently guided him into the staff room.

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#WritersCoffeeClub How do you capture a character's unique voice in dialogue?

Part is technique or just tricks (like using unique terms of endearment or having verbal tics for particular characters). But part is simply magic. When I start writing *Revin's Heart* or *Better Angels* something happens and I begin to hear the characters' voices in my head. And they just *sound* different. At least they sound different to me. Maybe readers don't experience that. But who cares? I do.

#WritersCoffeeClub What's your favourite writing convention to eschew?

I don't know enough about writing conventions to eschew any. I just write so that it sounds the way I want it to.

I have found the Turkey City Lexicon helpful in terms of patterns to recognize and avoid. https://www.sfwa.org/2009/06/18/turkey-city-lexicon-a-primer-for-sf-workshops/

If I really want to, I'll eschew those too.

I finished playing Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom yesterday. It was fun! I enjoyed the puzzle solving and the ways the same simplified the fighting parts so they weren't tediously complex. It was a good game. Recommended.

fantome palaj, funkioj ekforvelkas… same kiel mi / ghostly pale, the hostas wither away… just like me #hajko #haiku #esperanto

Read more about Bebe and Prince Hiccup in *Better Angels: Tour de Force* only on the Truck Stop at the Center of the Galaxy. https://truckstop.waterdragonpublishing.com/product/better-angels-tour-de-force/ #books

Bebe skipped along the Docking Ring of the Truck Stop at the Center of the Galaxy.
"Miss Bebe!" called a voice. A young man wearing a white dress uniform approached her.
"Wah!" she cried. "It's Prince Hiccup!"
"Prince Philip," corrected Philip. "I don't mean to #pry, but does Miss Popo ever talk about me?"
"She had hiccups last night."
"But does she ever talk about me?"
"We talked about how to get rid of hiccups. If you hold your breath they go away."
Bebe started holding her breath.

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Read more about Totemo Isogashii and Lambda in *Better Angels: Tour de Force* only on the Truck Stop at the Center of the Galaxy. https://truckstop.waterdragonpublishing.com/product/better-angels-tour-de-force/ #books

"Sick! Hasn't she gotten her medical nano?"
"Nano!" the man scoffed. "You can't trust those off-worlders! That's how they control you!"
Lambda emitted a low growl and then began to bark.
"Well, I know *that*!" the man said, suddenly on the defensive.
Lamdba barked again, more stridently.
"That's… That's…" the man stammered.
Lambda barked again and snarled, baring her teeth.
"Okay! We'll go! Right now!" the man said fearfully. He carried the girl out.
"Good dog," Totemo said to Lambda.

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Totemo Isogashii & Lambda were investigating illegal dumping. Since contact had been re-established on Holufinia, some companies were skirting environmental rules, thinking that enforcement would be lax on a "backwards" planet, especially in remote places.
They knocked on the door of a run-down house. A man answered the door.
"May we ask you some…" Totemo began. Then she heard the sound of a child coughing.
"What's wrong with her?" she asked.
"Oh, she's just #sick," the man answered.

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Tanuki-chan has learned that she can peek through the crack of the refrigerator door to see if you're getting out something good for her. #DogsOfMastodon

#WritersCoffeeClub Do you agree with Terry Pratchett, who said, "There's no such thing as writer's block."

I learned many years ago that my productivity for any kind of creative work is wildly unpredictable. There are times when I don't feel like writing. When that happens, I just do something else for a while. I don't think of it as "writer's block" or try to force myself to write. I just do something else for a while. When I'm ready, the words will come.

The Contessa appeared on the balcony. The chatter in the masquerade ball went silent as everyone turned. She wore a floor-length gown of dark gray inset with red lace of roses & thorns. Rows of sequins on her mask caught the light & flickered as she descended the stairs. Around her neck was a mink #stole surrounding a necklace with diamonds and rubies that sparkled with multiple points of light from the chandeliers.
Curtiss, in disguise as Lord Bourneweigh, bowed and murmured, "Milady…"

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Curtiss stood with his platoon at graduation. The entire Westland Military Academy, plus many family members, had turned out to witness the ceremony.
Each squad was called forward. When the Commandant called, "Squad Six!" Sergeant Baker led them forward & announced, "Squad Six has met all of the requirements for graduation with distinction!"
The Commandant moved along the line & pinned a single gold bar on each until he reached Curtiss.
"Castleton," he growled.
"Sir!" replied Curtiss.

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