Science educator, biologist, technology guru, and award-winning author of Esperanto-language haiku, haibun, and prose. he/his
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@stevendbrewer@wandering.shop
<p>The young woman came out of the
The young woman came out of the flower shop.
"How delightful!" the passerby said.
"What?"
"Your nosegay!"
She scowled. "My what-did-you-say?"
"Your tussie-mussie!"
Her expression darkened further. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"Your posy! Your bouquet!"
"What are you? A thesaurus?"
<p><a href="https://wandering.shop/tags
#WritersCoffeeClub What prompted you to begin writing?
"You'll never be a writer," Mrs Frost sneered, handing back my 10th grade paper covered with red marks. "Your plot is full of holes! Your characters have no character! You can't tell a predicament from a predicate!"
"I'll show you!" I swore. "You'll see! One day, I'll be a published author!"
"Over my dead body!" she laughed.
Forty years later, I published my first book and returned. But, true to her word, she had died many years before.
<p>Tanuki-chan did not understand why
Tanuki-chan did not understand why she couldn't play DoggyMup Pack Attack too. #DogsOfMastodon
<p>After looking carefully for traps,
After looking carefully for traps, they stepped inside the enormous turret. Light snapped on providing illumination inside the dark interior.
"#Watch out!" Will said, spinning and looking around for the sources of the light. There were strange, small fixtures set around the spiral staircase illuminating the way down deep into the ground.
"These aren't gas lights," Revin observed.
"No. I've never seen anything like this before," Will said. "But they don't seem dangerous. Let's go down."
<p>A manga chapter I read this morning
A manga chapter I read this morning (from オトメの帝国) is about zettai ryōiki (the "absolute territory" or the amount of skin exposed above high socks and below a skirt). That's one of things I love about reading Japanese manga: both seeing zettai ryōiki and knowing that there is such an expression in the language.
<p>Now that the dark days are upon us,
Now that the dark days are upon us, I shared this a few weeks ago: https://stevendbrewer.com/strategy-for-dark-days-ahead/
The tl;dr is: (1) Try not to react to what they *say* they're going to do. They're going to say a lot. Stay focused on what they can actually do and push back against that. (2) Don't let them divide us. (3) Work together.
<p>I only attended a single day at
I only attended a single day at Arisia this year, but I participated in four panels and had a good time. https://stevendbrewer.com/there-and-back-again-an-arisia-story/
<p>Read more about Tseluna and the
Read more about Tseluna and the others in *A Familiar Problem*, a dark, cozy fantasy coming out from Water Dragon Publishing later this spring. If you subscribe to my monthly mailing list, you can receive updates when it appears. https://author-sdbrewer.micro.blog/subscribe/
<p>"You can make one in a
"You can make one in a dimension that has different physical rules."
"That doesn't make any sense! How is that possible? How can it exist here?"
She shrugged.
"Who c-c-cares!" Lord DarkSoul barked. "G-g-gimme that die so I c-c-can roll!" (4/4)
#wss366
<p>"You can't have a 15-sided
"You can't have a 15-sided die. It's not possible. The number of edges, faces, and vertices don't add up."
"Sure you can," Tseluna said. "Here!"
She tossed him a weirdly shaped die.
"Wait! What?" he said, genuinely puzzled. "How does it even work?" He began counting faces. (3/4)
<p>"Aww," she purred.
"Aww," she purred. "I'm sorry then. I guess you can't do it."
"B-b-but my dexterity is 16!"
"You still have to roll."
"C-c-can't I just use a 20-sided d-d-die?" he said, exasperated.
"Oh, no. It has to be a 15-sided die."
"Hey!" said Lord FrostFire, scribbling on a piece of paper. (2/4)
<p>"I will t-t-try to p-p-p-pick
"I will t-t-try to p-p-p-pick the l-lock on the chest," said Lord DarkSoul.
"Alright," Tseluna said. "Roll a 15-sided #die."
Lord DarkSoul reached toward the dice, then drew his hand back.
"What?"
"You need to roll under your dexterity with a 15-sided die."
"B-b-but we d-don't have one." (1/4)
<p>I have returned safely home, through
I have returned safely home, through the teeth of a winter storm, after a full day at Arisia.
<p>I'm half way through my panels
I'm half way through my panels at Arisia. Everything's been good so far. Two more panels and then a loooong drive home through the snow.
<p>John Connor: But I had to get you
John Connor: But I had to get you out of there! That AI — it was going to sell you a whole series of AI-generated imagery!
Sarah Connor: I wasn't going to buy any! Just use a few fun ones, to make Internet memes.
John Connor: But that's how they HOOK you!
<p><a href="https://wandering.shop/tags
#WritersCoffeeClub What are your biggest fears for the writing world in 2025?
I'm most concerned about the collapse of traditional publishing. There are only 4-5 publishers left. And they keep pushing more of the work and the risk onto authors. People that write do so as a hobby, or some kind of compulsion, rather than a legitimate path of professional endeavor.
Horrifyingly, the re-intermediation that has destroyed the Internet may perversely help. Heaven help us for praying for *that*.
<p>I've posted my platform
I've posted my platform statement for running for re-election as Secretary of SFWA: https://stevendbrewer.com/running-for-re-election-as-secretary-of-sfwa/
<p><a href="https://wandering.shop/tags
#WordWeavers Do you prefer long or short works? What’s your sweet spot?
I think the story know how long it needs to be. But, personally, I like telling novelette-length stories. And I like writing serials. But I enjoy everything from microfiction to novels.
<p>Tanuki-chan is baffled by the
Tanuki-chan is baffled by the mystery of the squeaker. #DogsOfMastodon