@stevendbrewer@wandering.shop

#WritersCoffeeClub Do you go to fan conventions or similar?

I have attended or been a participant at several face-to-face conventions (Arisia, Boskone, Readercon, WorldCon, BayCon, & ComicCon). All but ComicCon were "masks required". When I went to ComicCon, I got a respiratory virus (not COVID) that ended up putting me in the hospital. Now that the US has decided the pandemic is over, there are few masks-required conventions. I'm signed up for Arisia in January which still requires masks.

malhela ĉambro kaj malgaja sinteno… plena akordo #senjruo #esperanto

#WordWeavers How money-savvy is your MC?

Lady Cecelia, as an aristocrat, basically never had to think about money. Kasseh, on the other hand, grew up as a commoner and helped her mother run a restaurant, so she is very savvy about money. At the same time, Cecelia is totally unfazed by vast wealth whereas Kasseh sometimes has a hard time seeing beyond the coins in her purse.

Curtiss came to attention, turned smartly, and left his father's office. Once he reached the hallway, he paused to wipe tears from his eyes and regain his composure.
Head down, he started walking toward the #stable to get a coach to the aerodrome, in prompt obedience to his father's orders. But he found his way blocked. He looked up and his eyes were captured by an older, gray-haired woman.
"Nana," he said, nodding. 
"He's a fool," she said.

#wss366

"Hey, look!" the elephant said, nudging its companion with its trunk. "It's the Better Angels!"
"The Better Angels!" the other elephant cried. It raised its trunk up & began trumpeting. The other elephants all looked up, dropped their burdens, & came over.
The first elephant walked over. "Can I give Bebe a ride?"
"Yay!" she shrieked.
The elephant knelt down & David helped Bebe scramble up on its shoulders. She raised her arms up exultantly.
In the end, all the Angels got to ride.

#wss366

The Better Angels watched, enthralled as workers directed elephants to carry huge poles to assemble the big top for a #circus.
"Bebe wants to ride on an elephant!" Bebe said.
"I'm sorry," David said. "The elephants aren't for riding."
"Aw!"
"Do you want to ride on my shoulders?" David asked, solicitously.
Bebe squealed and raised her arms up.
"Hey! What about me!" Zaza said.
"Yeah! What about us!" the rest of the Angels cried, surrounding David.
One of the elephants looked over.

#wss366

#WordWeavers Line Day: Share a description of a place in your WIP.

Revin watched as the small, walled city hove into view. It stood on a rocky prominence near the ocean. The landing field, a short distance inland, showed evidence of past glory. There were beautiful stone buildings with elaborate facades, but they were weathered and run down. Two older hangars had lost their roofs and stood abandoned. Untidy grass and weeds grew up between the paving stones.

#WritersCoffeeClub Have you ever tried to write something set in a culture other than your own? How did it go?

Nearly all of my writing is set in a culture other than my own. I have written stories set in present day or the near future. But most of what I write is set in a parallel dimension or the far future.

I tend to not write stories set in some other known culture due to concerns of cultural appropriation. One exception is my forthcoming book which has some chapters set in Japan.

Revin sat at the seaside bar in the town of Balarae in Southbury with Will and Grip watching the sunset over the giant Belleriand airship factory and the mountains behind.
"How's the refit going?" Revin asked.
"They've taken the Queen down to her frame and tightened everything. They'll replace the gasbags next and then the #envelope."
"How are the hands holding up?"
Sounds of revelry from the boardwalk reached them.
"They're… managing," Will admitted. "I'm more worried about Balarae."

#wss366

#WritersCoffeeClub Which of the different marketing tactics you may have tried has been most successful?

Making pitches at the dealer table at conventions has been effective. But only at a small scale (ie, one person at a time). https://stevendbrewer.com/making-pitches-to-sell-books/

#WordWeavers Do you make any effort to make or avoid alliteration?

In Tour de Force the titles are like The Better Angels and the:
Super Sticky Situation
Really Rapid Rescue
Monomaniacal Menageriste
Repugnant Rampant Rumor
Nighty-Night Nurses
Military Morale Mishegoss
Complicated Camping Catastrophe
Totally Topsy-Turvy Tournament
Absolutely Apropos Arrangement
Persistent Proposals of Prince Philip
Giddy Genial Gag
Parable of the Prodigal Pirate
Insidiously Intolerable Invasion

So you tell me…

After the rain, the lichens are vividly colored. #lichensubscribe

Read more about Revin, Momo, and Lidja in *Revin's Heart*, a steampunky fantasy adventure with pirates and airships and a trans protagonist. You can find it anywhere books are sold online: https://waterdragonpublishing.com/product/revins-heart/

Momo extracted it through the collar of her dress and they exchanged them.
For several minutes, they each read each other's letter. While she read, Momo snuck glances at Lidja to enjoy her smiles and subtle changes of expression as she devoured Revin's letter.
"Do you suppose he knows we let each other read his letters?" Lidja asked finally.
"I think he must," Momo replied. "Because he always writes different things in each."
After a hug, Lidja departed.
"Next!" the Queen called.

#wss366

Queen Momoire spent the morning in her audience chamber meeting with subjects one after another. And they all wanted something. Normally Revin would vet people first so she only had to meet with the most important but, with him away, she was having to do the work herself. She hated it.
"Next!" she called. Then Lidja walked in.
"What are you doing here?" Momo asked.
"I got a #letter from Revin," she said. She pulled it out and offered it to Momo.
Momo smiled. "I got one too."

#wss366

"Looks like you struck out again," Bob said, leaving the bar with Alan.
"Yeah," he sighed. "Some gay wingman you are!"
"You were the one who kept talking about that weird video game."
"Well, excuse me for being honest!"
"Well," Bob said. "I guess you'll just need to visit Rosie."
"Rosie?"
"Rosie Palm & her Five Little Helpers."
Alan was silent for a moment. "I have an idea."
"Oh?"
Alan gulped. "Why don't we just… do it."
"You & me? Are you sure?"
"Why not?"
"Oh, Al! Now you're talkin'!"

#wss366

From *Always a Destroyer* in *Romancing the Rainbow*. More than 80% of the proceeds (including all of my royalties) go to support the family of LJ Hachmeister, an SFF editor who passed away recently. https://knightwritingpress.com/romancing-the-rainbow-2/

A burst of hail hammered me. I tried to shield my head, but was pounded everywhere with hammer blows of ice. The hail began to bend & break my feathers. Between blinding sheets of rain, I spotted a tiny, rocky island below & spiraled down to a beach, where I huddled against the base of a #palm. Hail punched through the palm fronds, scattering fragments of leaves. Bits of vegetation clung to me, as the wind rose to a crescendo. Waves blew in from the sea, drenching me with a salty spray.

#wss366

#WritersCoffeeClub Has anything you've written made you cry, either when writing it or on a re-read?

All the time. I'm very sappy. If I'm going to do a reading of one of the emotional scenes, I frequently have to read the passage several times beforehand so I don't get choked up while reading.

Ponies!