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1000 results for “empathe”

  1. its rare to have a year where a film meant so much to me that i'd call it my all time favorite.this was such year. Tumbling Doll of Flesh is a film that i adore so much i have trouble articulating. i've watched so many faux snuff films since and the middle section of tdof is unlike anything else. some of the most daring, empathetic and bravura filmmaking i have ever seen.

    also most importantly its got #oreos

    #horrordon #cinemastodon #snuff

  2. Bellamy found freedom, and his reaction is so touching. Thank you, thegentlebarn (IG), for giving this sweet cow the chance at a decent life. 🙌🐮 This January, sign up for Veganuary and discover the best of an empathetic diet. 👉 bit.ly/Veganuary26  #cow #happycows #freedom #happiness #cuteanimals

  3. Krótki film o miłości | A Short Film About Love (Krzysztof Kieślowski, 1988) I've always been wary of Kieślowski but I decided to watch this at the cinema as voyeurism is one of the fundamental themes of cinema. I was pleasantly surprised by this calm and sad tale of a young man who spies on his beautiful but unhappy neighbour. Observed in a distant yet empathetic manner eschewing the thriller element and overt moralism. A very elegant film.
    #cinamastodon #film
    boxd.it/c5155j

  4. Krótki film o miłości | A Short Film About Love (Krzysztof Kieślowski, 1988) I've always been wary of Kieślowski but I decided to watch this at the cinema as voyeurism is one of the fundamental themes of cinema. I was pleasantly surprised by this calm and sad tale of a young man who spies on his beautiful but unhappy neighbour. Observed in a distant yet empathetic manner eschewing the thriller element and overt moralism. A very elegant film.
    #cinamastodon #film
    boxd.it/c5155j

  5. Krótki film o miłości | A Short Film About Love (Krzysztof Kieślowski, 1988) I've always been wary of Kieślowski but I decided to watch this at the cinema as voyeurism is one of the fundamental themes of cinema. I was pleasantly surprised by this calm and sad tale of a young man who spies on his beautiful but unhappy neighbour. Observed in a distant yet empathetic manner eschewing the thriller element and overt moralism. A very elegant film.
    #cinamastodon #film
    boxd.it/c5155j

  6. Krótki film o miłości | A Short Film About Love (Krzysztof Kieślowski, 1988) I've always been wary of Kieślowski but I decided to watch this at the cinema as voyeurism is one of the fundamental themes of cinema. I was pleasantly surprised by this calm and sad tale of a young man who spies on his beautiful but unhappy neighbour. Observed in a distant yet empathetic manner eschewing the thriller element and overt moralism. A very elegant film.
    #cinamastodon #film
    boxd.it/c5155j

  7. Krótki film o miłości | A Short Film About Love (Krzysztof Kieślowski, 1988) I've always been wary of Kieślowski but I decided to watch this at the cinema as voyeurism is one of the fundamental themes of cinema. I was pleasantly surprised by this calm and sad tale of a young man who spies on his beautiful but unhappy neighbour. Observed in a distant yet empathetic manner eschewing the thriller element and overt moralism. A very elegant film.
    #cinamastodon #film
    boxd.it/c5155j

  8. In case anyone else out there wants to make tools for neurodivergent folk...

    #theshitpostsarestructural is not just shitposting

    It's real understanding of how minds like mine work

    Because I have one 🌀🧠

    All of my own 🤷🏻‍♀️🎩🤷🏻‍♂️

    And I spend a lot of time in it 💭🔄

    So I've learned how to drive it real good 🏎️

    Make it fun. Make it composable. Make it empathetic.

    I do this thing where I find the intent behind the projections.

    #wanderland ==fun=> attentive
    #wanderland ==composable=> creative
    #wanderland ==empathetic=> fluid

    What could someone like me do with a system that was composable enough to power creative thought, but empathetic enough to carry me through the system rather than fight my natural instincts to explore.

    And if it could be fun enough to hold my attention?

    Anyone want to find out?

    Anyone else want play?

    #autism #neurodivergent #engineering #programming #anyoneelseneedtohearthis #humantools

  9. [😱 Young Teen Explains What’s Wrong With Our Leaders (Epstein Files Edition) 😡]
    Hello, ​😊
    If you care about:
    ● accountability,
    ● protecting victims instead of predators,
    ● and getting more honest, brave, empathetic people into politics,
    then I hope this little speech bring some positivity to your day. 🙂
    Please help spread the word by giving it a like and maybe subscribing to my channel. 😘
    youtu.be/s7l2am_GL9o
    #DumpTrump#AntiAuthoritarianism#YouthVoices
    #Solidarity#Resist

  10. This runtime is gaslighting me.

    The Rescuers Down Under clocks in at 1hr 17min and somehow feels twice as long.

    Bernard lost the ring. I lost my will to finish.

    It’s got mice, it’s got heart, it’s got adventure… allegedly. But none of it is clicking.

    Ratatouille did the “empathetic rodent protagonist” miles better, and with food.

    #AnimationFatigue #DisneyRenaissance #RescuersDownUnder #MouseFatigue

  11. Legendary Actor/Author/Activist George Takei Named Honorary Chair of Banned Books Week 2025

    Here’s the Full Text of Today’s Announcement From the American Library Association (ALA):

    Pioneering actor, author, and activist George Takei has been named honorary chair of Banned Books Week, which will take place October 5 – 11, 2025. Takei will be joined in leading the annual event by youth honorary chair Iris Mogul.

    “Books are an essential foundation of democracy,” said Mr. Takei. “Our ‘government of the people, by the people, for the people’ depends on a public that is informed and empathetic, and books teach us both information and empathy. Yet the right to read is now under attack from school boards and politicians across America. I’m proud to serve as honorary chair of Banned Books Week, because I remember all too well the lack of access to books and media that I needed growing up. First as a child in a barbed-wire prison camp, then as a gay young man in the closet, I felt confused and hungry for understanding about myself and the world around me. Now, as an author, I share my own stories so that new generations will be better informed about their history and themselves. Please stand with me in opposing censorship, so that we all can find ourselves — and each other — in books.”

    Mr. Takei is recognized as an award-winning actor, outspoken civil rights activist, social media icon, and New York Times–bestselling author. He has leveraged his popularity as a star of the Star Trek franchise and a social media influencer to advocate for several causes, including the rights of Japanese Americans and LGBTQIA+ individuals.

    His award-winning New York Times bestseller “They Called Us Enemy” (Top Shelf Productions, 2019) uses both words and images to depict Mr. Takei’s childhood as one of 125,000 Japanese Americans imprisoned in concentration camps by the U.S. government during World War II. This graphic memoir has been targeted by censors multiple times since publication, most recently in Monroe County School District in Tennessee, where it was among nearly 600 titles removed in an attempt to comply with the state’s vaguely-worded Age-Appropriate Materials Act.

    Mr. Takei’s latest acclaimed graphic memoir “It Rhymes With Takei” (Top Shelf Productions, 2025), which Publishers Weekly described in its starred review as challenging “Americans to look to how past humanitarian injustices speak to current political debates,” has not appeared on banned books lists yet. But the memoir’s depiction of Mr. Takei’s life as a closeted gay man and decision to come out at the age of 68 will likely meet resistance in places where state and local laws target the inclusion of LGBTQIA+ materials in schools and libraries.
    In addition to Mr. Takei, youth honorary chair Iris Mogul will also raise awareness about censorship threats throughout Banned Books Week. Ms. Mogul is a Florida teen who started a banned books club in her community after the state implemented laws that resulted in the removal of hundreds of books about race, history, and sexuality from schools. Ms. Mogul continued her advocacy work as a student leader in the National Coalition Against Censorship’s Student Advocates for Speech and received an honorable mention from the Miami Herald Silver Knight Awards in May 2025..

    Since 2021, the American Library Association and PEN America have tracked a sharp escalation in the attempts to ban books, with thousands of unique titles targeted annually. Books by or about LGBTQIA+ individuals and people of color make up nearly half of those titles. The majority of book censorship attempts now originate from organized movements. According to ALA, pressure groups and government entities that include elected officials, board members, and administrators initiated 72% of demands to censor books in school and public libraries in 2024.

    Since it was founded in 1982, Banned Books Week has drawn attention to attempts to remove books and other materials from libraries, schools, and bookstores. Now in its 43rd year, the theme for Banned Books Week 2025 is “Censorship is so 1984. Read for Your Rights.” George Orwell’s cautionary tale 1984 serves a prescient warning about the dangers of censorship, and this year’s theme reminds us that the right to read belongs to all of us, that censorship has no place in contemporary society, and that we must defend our rights.

    Let Freedom Read Day, a day of action, will be observed on October 11. Everyone is encouraged to take at least one action to fight censorship — all you need is 5 minutes! For information about ways to participate and resources, visit bit.ly/LetFreedomReadDay.

    Visit BannedBooksWeek.org for information about events, ways to participate, and promotional materials. Follow Banned Books Week on social media (@BannedBooksWeek on Bluesky, Facebook, and X, @banned_books_week on Instagram) for the latest updates.

    About George Takei

    George Takei is a civil rights activist, social media superstar, Grammy-nominated recording artist, New York Times bestselling author, and pioneering actor whose career has spanned six decades. He has appeared in more than 40 feature films and hundreds of television roles, most famously as Hikaru Sulu in Star Trek. He has used his success as a platform to fight for justice on a wide range of issues, particularly those facing the Japanese American and LGBTQIA+ communities. His advocacy is personal: during World War II, Takei spent his childhood unjustly imprisoned in United States incarceration camps along with 125,000 other Japanese Americans. He also spent the first 68 years of his life closeted, finally coming out as gay in 2005 to become a tireless advocate for marriage equality. His books include the autobiography To the Stars, the award-winning graphic memoir They Called Us Enemy, and the children’s picture book My Lost Freedom: A Japanese American World War II Story. In 2025, he reunited with the team behind They Called Us Enemy for a new graphic memoir reflecting on his life on both sides of the closet door, titled It Rhymes With Takei.

    About Iris Mogul

    Originally from Miami, Florida, Iris Mogul is determined to resist censorship from her state’s legislators and around the country. As a high schooler, Iris started a banned books club in her community after the state passed laws to remove hundreds of books about race, history, and sexuality from schools. She continued her advocacy work as a student leader in the National Coalition Against Censorship’s Student Advocates for Speech where she spoke and wrote about topics like book banning, political censorship in AP US History curriculum, and the failing humanities education in Florida. Last Banned Books Week, she joined the Miami bookstore Books & Books for their musical Sing for Freadom event!

    Now a freshman at the University of California Santa Cruz, Iris finds joy in music, reading, writing, and learning. She envisions a life of working towards collective liberation for all people through the vehicle of fighting mass incarceration and criminalization.

    Read original article: Read More

    Original article: View source

    Tags: ALA, American Library Association, Banned Books, Banned Books Week, Books, Censorship, democracy, Freedom of Speech, George Takei, Honorary Chair
    #ALA #AmericanLibraryAssociation #BannedBooks #BannedBooksWeek #Books #Censorship #democracy #FreedomOfSpeech #GeorgeTakei #HonoraryChair
  12. Legendary Actor/Author/Activist George Takei Named Honorary Chair of Banned Books Week 2025

    Here’s the Full Text of Today’s Announcement From the American Library Association (ALA):

    Pioneering actor, author, and activist George Takei has been named honorary chair of Banned Books Week, which will take place October 5 – 11, 2025. Takei will be joined in leading the annual event by youth honorary chair Iris Mogul.

    “Books are an essential foundation of democracy,” said Mr. Takei. “Our ‘government of the people, by the people, for the people’ depends on a public that is informed and empathetic, and books teach us both information and empathy. Yet the right to read is now under attack from school boards and politicians across America. I’m proud to serve as honorary chair of Banned Books Week, because I remember all too well the lack of access to books and media that I needed growing up. First as a child in a barbed-wire prison camp, then as a gay young man in the closet, I felt confused and hungry for understanding about myself and the world around me. Now, as an author, I share my own stories so that new generations will be better informed about their history and themselves. Please stand with me in opposing censorship, so that we all can find ourselves — and each other — in books.”

    Mr. Takei is recognized as an award-winning actor, outspoken civil rights activist, social media icon, and New York Times–bestselling author. He has leveraged his popularity as a star of the Star Trek franchise and a social media influencer to advocate for several causes, including the rights of Japanese Americans and LGBTQIA+ individuals.

    His award-winning New York Times bestseller “They Called Us Enemy” (Top Shelf Productions, 2019) uses both words and images to depict Mr. Takei’s childhood as one of 125,000 Japanese Americans imprisoned in concentration camps by the U.S. government during World War II. This graphic memoir has been targeted by censors multiple times since publication, most recently in Monroe County School District in Tennessee, where it was among nearly 600 titles removed in an attempt to comply with the state’s vaguely-worded Age-Appropriate Materials Act.

    Mr. Takei’s latest acclaimed graphic memoir “It Rhymes With Takei” (Top Shelf Productions, 2025), which Publishers Weekly described in its starred review as challenging “Americans to look to how past humanitarian injustices speak to current political debates,” has not appeared on banned books lists yet. But the memoir’s depiction of Mr. Takei’s life as a closeted gay man and decision to come out at the age of 68 will likely meet resistance in places where state and local laws target the inclusion of LGBTQIA+ materials in schools and libraries.
    In addition to Mr. Takei, youth honorary chair Iris Mogul will also raise awareness about censorship threats throughout Banned Books Week. Ms. Mogul is a Florida teen who started a banned books club in her community after the state implemented laws that resulted in the removal of hundreds of books about race, history, and sexuality from schools. Ms. Mogul continued her advocacy work as a student leader in the National Coalition Against Censorship’s Student Advocates for Speech and received an honorable mention from the Miami Herald Silver Knight Awards in May 2025..

    Since 2021, the American Library Association and PEN America have tracked a sharp escalation in the attempts to ban books, with thousands of unique titles targeted annually. Books by or about LGBTQIA+ individuals and people of color make up nearly half of those titles. The majority of book censorship attempts now originate from organized movements. According to ALA, pressure groups and government entities that include elected officials, board members, and administrators initiated 72% of demands to censor books in school and public libraries in 2024.

    Since it was founded in 1982, Banned Books Week has drawn attention to attempts to remove books and other materials from libraries, schools, and bookstores. Now in its 43rd year, the theme for Banned Books Week 2025 is “Censorship is so 1984. Read for Your Rights.” George Orwell’s cautionary tale 1984 serves a prescient warning about the dangers of censorship, and this year’s theme reminds us that the right to read belongs to all of us, that censorship has no place in contemporary society, and that we must defend our rights.

    Let Freedom Read Day, a day of action, will be observed on October 11. Everyone is encouraged to take at least one action to fight censorship — all you need is 5 minutes! For information about ways to participate and resources, visit bit.ly/LetFreedomReadDay.

    Visit BannedBooksWeek.org for information about events, ways to participate, and promotional materials. Follow Banned Books Week on social media (@BannedBooksWeek on Bluesky, Facebook, and X, @banned_books_week on Instagram) for the latest updates.

    About George Takei

    George Takei is a civil rights activist, social media superstar, Grammy-nominated recording artist, New York Times bestselling author, and pioneering actor whose career has spanned six decades. He has appeared in more than 40 feature films and hundreds of television roles, most famously as Hikaru Sulu in Star Trek. He has used his success as a platform to fight for justice on a wide range of issues, particularly those facing the Japanese American and LGBTQIA+ communities. His advocacy is personal: during World War II, Takei spent his childhood unjustly imprisoned in United States incarceration camps along with 125,000 other Japanese Americans. He also spent the first 68 years of his life closeted, finally coming out as gay in 2005 to become a tireless advocate for marriage equality. His books include the autobiography To the Stars, the award-winning graphic memoir They Called Us Enemy, and the children’s picture book My Lost Freedom: A Japanese American World War II Story. In 2025, he reunited with the team behind They Called Us Enemy for a new graphic memoir reflecting on his life on both sides of the closet door, titled It Rhymes With Takei.

    About Iris Mogul

    Originally from Miami, Florida, Iris Mogul is determined to resist censorship from her state’s legislators and around the country. As a high schooler, Iris started a banned books club in her community after the state passed laws to remove hundreds of books about race, history, and sexuality from schools. She continued her advocacy work as a student leader in the National Coalition Against Censorship’s Student Advocates for Speech where she spoke and wrote about topics like book banning, political censorship in AP US History curriculum, and the failing humanities education in Florida. Last Banned Books Week, she joined the Miami bookstore Books & Books for their musical Sing for Freadom event!

    Now a freshman at the University of California Santa Cruz, Iris finds joy in music, reading, writing, and learning. She envisions a life of working towards collective liberation for all people through the vehicle of fighting mass incarceration and criminalization.

    Read original article: Read More

    #ALA #AmericanLibraryAssociation #BannedBooks #BannedBooksWeek #Books #Censorship #democracy #FreedomOfSpeech #GeorgeTakei #HonoraryChair

  13. Legendary Actor/Author/Activist George Takei Named Honorary Chair of Banned Books Week 2025

    Here’s the Full Text of Today’s Announcement From the American Library Association (ALA):

    Pioneering actor, author, and activist George Takei has been named honorary chair of Banned Books Week, which will take place October 5 – 11, 2025. Takei will be joined in leading the annual event by youth honorary chair Iris Mogul.

    “Books are an essential foundation of democracy,” said Mr. Takei. “Our ‘government of the people, by the people, for the people’ depends on a public that is informed and empathetic, and books teach us both information and empathy. Yet the right to read is now under attack from school boards and politicians across America. I’m proud to serve as honorary chair of Banned Books Week, because I remember all too well the lack of access to books and media that I needed growing up. First as a child in a barbed-wire prison camp, then as a gay young man in the closet, I felt confused and hungry for understanding about myself and the world around me. Now, as an author, I share my own stories so that new generations will be better informed about their history and themselves. Please stand with me in opposing censorship, so that we all can find ourselves — and each other — in books.”

    Mr. Takei is recognized as an award-winning actor, outspoken civil rights activist, social media icon, and New York Times–bestselling author. He has leveraged his popularity as a star of the Star Trek franchise and a social media influencer to advocate for several causes, including the rights of Japanese Americans and LGBTQIA+ individuals.

    His award-winning New York Times bestseller “They Called Us Enemy” (Top Shelf Productions, 2019) uses both words and images to depict Mr. Takei’s childhood as one of 125,000 Japanese Americans imprisoned in concentration camps by the U.S. government during World War II. This graphic memoir has been targeted by censors multiple times since publication, most recently in Monroe County School District in Tennessee, where it was among nearly 600 titles removed in an attempt to comply with the state’s vaguely-worded Age-Appropriate Materials Act.

    Mr. Takei’s latest acclaimed graphic memoir “It Rhymes With Takei” (Top Shelf Productions, 2025), which Publishers Weekly described in its starred review as challenging “Americans to look to how past humanitarian injustices speak to current political debates,” has not appeared on banned books lists yet. But the memoir’s depiction of Mr. Takei’s life as a closeted gay man and decision to come out at the age of 68 will likely meet resistance in places where state and local laws target the inclusion of LGBTQIA+ materials in schools and libraries.
    In addition to Mr. Takei, youth honorary chair Iris Mogul will also raise awareness about censorship threats throughout Banned Books Week. Ms. Mogul is a Florida teen who started a banned books club in her community after the state implemented laws that resulted in the removal of hundreds of books about race, history, and sexuality from schools. Ms. Mogul continued her advocacy work as a student leader in the National Coalition Against Censorship’s Student Advocates for Speech and received an honorable mention from the Miami Herald Silver Knight Awards in May 2025..

    Since 2021, the American Library Association and PEN America have tracked a sharp escalation in the attempts to ban books, with thousands of unique titles targeted annually. Books by or about LGBTQIA+ individuals and people of color make up nearly half of those titles. The majority of book censorship attempts now originate from organized movements. According to ALA, pressure groups and government entities that include elected officials, board members, and administrators initiated 72% of demands to censor books in school and public libraries in 2024.

    Since it was founded in 1982, Banned Books Week has drawn attention to attempts to remove books and other materials from libraries, schools, and bookstores. Now in its 43rd year, the theme for Banned Books Week 2025 is “Censorship is so 1984. Read for Your Rights.” George Orwell’s cautionary tale 1984 serves a prescient warning about the dangers of censorship, and this year’s theme reminds us that the right to read belongs to all of us, that censorship has no place in contemporary society, and that we must defend our rights.

    Let Freedom Read Day, a day of action, will be observed on October 11. Everyone is encouraged to take at least one action to fight censorship — all you need is 5 minutes! For information about ways to participate and resources, visit bit.ly/LetFreedomReadDay.

    Visit BannedBooksWeek.org for information about events, ways to participate, and promotional materials. Follow Banned Books Week on social media (@BannedBooksWeek on Bluesky, Facebook, and X, @banned_books_week on Instagram) for the latest updates.

    About George Takei

    George Takei is a civil rights activist, social media superstar, Grammy-nominated recording artist, New York Times bestselling author, and pioneering actor whose career has spanned six decades. He has appeared in more than 40 feature films and hundreds of television roles, most famously as Hikaru Sulu in Star Trek. He has used his success as a platform to fight for justice on a wide range of issues, particularly those facing the Japanese American and LGBTQIA+ communities. His advocacy is personal: during World War II, Takei spent his childhood unjustly imprisoned in United States incarceration camps along with 125,000 other Japanese Americans. He also spent the first 68 years of his life closeted, finally coming out as gay in 2005 to become a tireless advocate for marriage equality. His books include the autobiography To the Stars, the award-winning graphic memoir They Called Us Enemy, and the children’s picture book My Lost Freedom: A Japanese American World War II Story. In 2025, he reunited with the team behind They Called Us Enemy for a new graphic memoir reflecting on his life on both sides of the closet door, titled It Rhymes With Takei.

    About Iris Mogul

    Originally from Miami, Florida, Iris Mogul is determined to resist censorship from her state’s legislators and around the country. As a high schooler, Iris started a banned books club in her community after the state passed laws to remove hundreds of books about race, history, and sexuality from schools. She continued her advocacy work as a student leader in the National Coalition Against Censorship’s Student Advocates for Speech where she spoke and wrote about topics like book banning, political censorship in AP US History curriculum, and the failing humanities education in Florida. Last Banned Books Week, she joined the Miami bookstore Books & Books for their musical Sing for Freadom event!

    Now a freshman at the University of California Santa Cruz, Iris finds joy in music, reading, writing, and learning. She envisions a life of working towards collective liberation for all people through the vehicle of fighting mass incarceration and criminalization.

    Read original article: Read More

    #ALA #AmericanLibraryAssociation #BannedBooks #BannedBooksWeek #Books #Censorship #democracy #FreedomOfSpeech #GeorgeTakei #HonoraryChair

  14. #Books and #stories for #AugustReads. | Tag to mute: #BokBooks

    Eleven novels:
    ●●●○○ The Secret of ZI - Kenneth Bulmer
    ●●●◐○ Times of Trouble {New John Connor Chronicles 3} - Russell Blackford
    ●●●◐○ Case of the Murdered Mayor {Miles Grant 02} - Jack Dearborn
    ●●●○○ Stock Car Race {Behold: Humanity! 15} - Ralts Bloodthorne #HFY
    ●●●◐○ Army of the Undead {Invaders 3} - Rafe Bernard
    ●●◐○○ Case of the Sullied Songstress {Miles Grant 03} - Jack Dearborn
    ●●●●◐ Head On {Lock In 2} - John Scalzi
    ●●●○○ The Empathetic Life of Rebecca Wright {Middle Falls 10} - Shawn Inmon
    ●●○○○ The Timothy File {Miles Grant 04} - Jack Dearborn
    ●●◐○○ The City {Aestus 1} - S. Z. Attwell #CliFi
    ●●●◐○ Case of the Phantom Phaeton {Miles Grant 05} - Jack Dearborn

    Two novellas:
    ●●●○○ Beyond the Vanishing Point - Ray Cummings
    ●●●◐○ Born in the Wrong Body - Martin Brant #trans

    Two novelettes:
    ●●●●○ Betty Knox and Dictionary Jones in The Mystery of the Missing Teenage Anachronisms - Jack Campbell
    ●●●●◐ Murder by Memory - Olivia Waite #queer

    Twenty-six short stories:
    ●●○○○ A Day Among the Liars - Edward Page Mitchell
    ●●●◐○ Where Does a Circle Begin? - Jack Campbell
    ●●○○○ Natural - Peter Cawdron
    ●●●○○ Master - Ursula K. Le Guin
    ●●◐○○ An Extraordinary Wedding - Edward Page Mitchell
    ●●●○○ The Great Naked Adventure - P.A. Choi
    ●●●○○ Living Eggs Project {Agent Adams 02} - Tim Tolbert
    ●●◐○○ King of the Hill - James Blish
    ●●◐○○ Nothing Happens to Lefty Feep {Lefty Feep 11} - Robert Bloch
    ●◐○○○ End as a World - F. L. Wallace
    ●●○○○ Yellow Streak Hero - Harlan Ellison
    ●●●○○ Son of a Witch {Lefty Feep 6} - Robert Bloch
    ●●○○○ Entangled Vision {Agent Adams 03} - Tim Tolbert
    ●●●◐○ Concerns of the Second Sex - Pavarti K. Tyler
    ●●●●○ The Soul Buyer - Keith Laumer
    ●●○○○ Jerk the Giant Killer {Lefty Feep 7} - Robert Bloch
    ●●◐○○ Last Cruise of the Judas Iscariot - Edward Page Mitchell
    ●●●○○ Unnatural - Ann Christy
    ●●●●○ These Are the Times - Jack Campbell
    ●●●◐○ The Sun Never Sets - Anthea Sharp
    ●●○○○ Sunspot - Hal Clement
    ●●◐○○ Rocket to Limbo - Margaret St. Clair
    ●◐○○○ Echoed Life Foundation {Agent Adams 04} - Tim Tolbert
    ●●○○○ The Witness - Leona Celestia
    ●●●○○ Lefty Feep and the Racing Robot {Lefty Feep 13} - Robert Bloch
    ●●●○○ The Devilish Rat - Edward Page Mitchell

    ━━━━━━━━━━━
    2025-08: 26 ss | 02 nvt | 02 nva | 11 nov
    2025-07: 24 ss | 01 nvt | 01 nva | 13 nov
    2025-06: 26 ss | 03 nvt | 00 nva | 12 nov
    2025-05: 24 ss | 06 nvt | 01 nva | 13 nov
    ━━━━━━━━━━━

    One very long, very slow novel knocked my reading down, but since I was reading three shorter novels each full week, not by much.

  15. #Books and #stories for #AugustReads. | Tag to mute: #BokBooks

    Eleven novels:
    ●●●○○ The Secret of ZI - Kenneth Bulmer
    ●●●◐○ Times of Trouble {New John Connor Chronicles 3} - Russell Blackford
    ●●●◐○ Case of the Murdered Mayor {Miles Grant 02} - Jack Dearborn
    ●●●○○ Stock Car Race {Behold: Humanity! 15} - Ralts Bloodthorne #HFY
    ●●●◐○ Army of the Undead {Invaders 3} - Rafe Bernard
    ●●◐○○ Case of the Sullied Songstress {Miles Grant 03} - Jack Dearborn
    ●●●●◐ Head On {Lock In 2} - John Scalzi
    ●●●○○ The Empathetic Life of Rebecca Wright {Middle Falls 10} - Shawn Inmon
    ●●○○○ The Timothy File {Miles Grant 04} - Jack Dearborn
    ●●◐○○ The City {Aestus 1} - S. Z. Attwell #CliFi
    ●●●◐○ Case of the Phantom Phaeton {Miles Grant 05} - Jack Dearborn

    Two novellas:
    ●●●○○ Beyond the Vanishing Point - Ray Cummings
    ●●●◐○ Born in the Wrong Body - Martin Brant #trans

    Two novelettes:
    ●●●●○ Betty Knox and Dictionary Jones in The Mystery of the Missing Teenage Anachronisms - Jack Campbell
    ●●●●◐ Murder by Memory - Olivia Waite #queer

    Twenty-six short stories:
    ●●○○○ A Day Among the Liars - Edward Page Mitchell
    ●●●◐○ Where Does a Circle Begin? - Jack Campbell
    ●●○○○ Natural - Peter Cawdron
    ●●●○○ Master - Ursula K. Le Guin
    ●●◐○○ An Extraordinary Wedding - Edward Page Mitchell
    ●●●○○ The Great Naked Adventure - P.A. Choi
    ●●●○○ Living Eggs Project {Agent Adams 02} - Tim Tolbert
    ●●◐○○ King of the Hill - James Blish
    ●●◐○○ Nothing Happens to Lefty Feep {Lefty Feep 11} - Robert Bloch
    ●◐○○○ End as a World - F. L. Wallace
    ●●○○○ Yellow Streak Hero - Harlan Ellison
    ●●●○○ Son of a Witch {Lefty Feep 6} - Robert Bloch
    ●●○○○ Entangled Vision {Agent Adams 03} - Tim Tolbert
    ●●●◐○ Concerns of the Second Sex - Pavarti K. Tyler
    ●●●●○ The Soul Buyer - Keith Laumer
    ●●○○○ Jerk the Giant Killer {Lefty Feep 7} - Robert Bloch
    ●●◐○○ Last Cruise of the Judas Iscariot - Edward Page Mitchell
    ●●●○○ Unnatural - Ann Christy
    ●●●●○ These Are the Times - Jack Campbell
    ●●●◐○ The Sun Never Sets - Anthea Sharp
    ●●○○○ Sunspot - Hal Clement
    ●●◐○○ Rocket to Limbo - Margaret St. Clair
    ●◐○○○ Echoed Life Foundation {Agent Adams 04} - Tim Tolbert
    ●●○○○ The Witness - Leona Celestia
    ●●●○○ Lefty Feep and the Racing Robot {Lefty Feep 13} - Robert Bloch
    ●●●○○ The Devilish Rat - Edward Page Mitchell

    ━━━━━━━━━━━
    2025-08: 26 ss | 02 nvt | 02 nva | 11 nov
    2025-07: 24 ss | 01 nvt | 01 nva | 13 nov
    2025-06: 26 ss | 03 nvt | 00 nva | 12 nov
    2025-05: 24 ss | 06 nvt | 01 nva | 13 nov
    ━━━━━━━━━━━

    One very long, very slow novel knocked my reading down, but since I was reading three shorter novels each full week, not by much.

  16. #Books and #stories for #AugustReads. | Tag to mute: #BokBooks

    Eleven novels:
    ●●●○○ The Secret of ZI - Kenneth Bulmer
    ●●●◐○ Times of Trouble {New John Connor Chronicles 3} - Russell Blackford
    ●●●◐○ Case of the Murdered Mayor {Miles Grant 02} - Jack Dearborn
    ●●●○○ Stock Car Race {Behold: Humanity! 15} - Ralts Bloodthorne #HFY
    ●●●◐○ Army of the Undead {Invaders 3} - Rafe Bernard
    ●●◐○○ Case of the Sullied Songstress {Miles Grant 03} - Jack Dearborn
    ●●●●◐ Head On {Lock In 2} - John Scalzi
    ●●●○○ The Empathetic Life of Rebecca Wright {Middle Falls 10} - Shawn Inmon
    ●●○○○ The Timothy File {Miles Grant 04} - Jack Dearborn
    ●●◐○○ The City {Aestus 1} - S. Z. Attwell #CliFi
    ●●●◐○ Case of the Phantom Phaeton {Miles Grant 05} - Jack Dearborn

    Two novellas:
    ●●●○○ Beyond the Vanishing Point - Ray Cummings
    ●●●◐○ Born in the Wrong Body - Martin Brant #trans

    Two novelettes:
    ●●●●○ Betty Knox and Dictionary Jones in The Mystery of the Missing Teenage Anachronisms - Jack Campbell
    ●●●●◐ Murder by Memory - Olivia Waite #queer

    Twenty-six short stories:
    ●●○○○ A Day Among the Liars - Edward Page Mitchell
    ●●●◐○ Where Does a Circle Begin? - Jack Campbell
    ●●○○○ Natural - Peter Cawdron
    ●●●○○ Master - Ursula K. Le Guin
    ●●◐○○ An Extraordinary Wedding - Edward Page Mitchell
    ●●●○○ The Great Naked Adventure - P.A. Choi
    ●●●○○ Living Eggs Project {Agent Adams 02} - Tim Tolbert
    ●●◐○○ King of the Hill - James Blish
    ●●◐○○ Nothing Happens to Lefty Feep {Lefty Feep 11} - Robert Bloch
    ●◐○○○ End as a World - F. L. Wallace
    ●●○○○ Yellow Streak Hero - Harlan Ellison
    ●●●○○ Son of a Witch {Lefty Feep 6} - Robert Bloch
    ●●○○○ Entangled Vision {Agent Adams 03} - Tim Tolbert
    ●●●◐○ Concerns of the Second Sex - Pavarti K. Tyler
    ●●●●○ The Soul Buyer - Keith Laumer
    ●●○○○ Jerk the Giant Killer {Lefty Feep 7} - Robert Bloch
    ●●◐○○ Last Cruise of the Judas Iscariot - Edward Page Mitchell
    ●●●○○ Unnatural - Ann Christy
    ●●●●○ These Are the Times - Jack Campbell
    ●●●◐○ The Sun Never Sets - Anthea Sharp
    ●●○○○ Sunspot - Hal Clement
    ●●◐○○ Rocket to Limbo - Margaret St. Clair
    ●◐○○○ Echoed Life Foundation {Agent Adams 04} - Tim Tolbert
    ●●○○○ The Witness - Leona Celestia
    ●●●○○ Lefty Feep and the Racing Robot {Lefty Feep 13} - Robert Bloch
    ●●●○○ The Devilish Rat - Edward Page Mitchell

    ━━━━━━━━━━━
    2025-08: 26 ss | 02 nvt | 02 nva | 11 nov
    2025-07: 24 ss | 01 nvt | 01 nva | 13 nov
    2025-06: 26 ss | 03 nvt | 00 nva | 12 nov
    2025-05: 24 ss | 06 nvt | 01 nva | 13 nov
    ━━━━━━━━━━━

    One very long, very slow novel knocked my reading down, but since I was reading three shorter novels each full week, not by much.

  17. #Books and #stories for #AugustReads. | Tag to mute: #BokBooks

    Eleven novels:
    ●●●○○ The Secret of ZI - Kenneth Bulmer
    ●●●◐○ Times of Trouble {New John Connor Chronicles 3} - Russell Blackford
    ●●●◐○ Case of the Murdered Mayor {Miles Grant 02} - Jack Dearborn
    ●●●○○ Stock Car Race {Behold: Humanity! 15} - Ralts Bloodthorne #HFY
    ●●●◐○ Army of the Undead {Invaders 3} - Rafe Bernard
    ●●◐○○ Case of the Sullied Songstress {Miles Grant 03} - Jack Dearborn
    ●●●●◐ Head On {Lock In 2} - John Scalzi
    ●●●○○ The Empathetic Life of Rebecca Wright {Middle Falls 10} - Shawn Inmon
    ●●○○○ The Timothy File {Miles Grant 04} - Jack Dearborn
    ●●◐○○ The City {Aestus 1} - S. Z. Attwell #CliFi
    ●●●◐○ Case of the Phantom Phaeton {Miles Grant 05} - Jack Dearborn

    Two novellas:
    ●●●○○ Beyond the Vanishing Point - Ray Cummings
    ●●●◐○ Born in the Wrong Body - Martin Brant #trans

    Two novelettes:
    ●●●●○ Betty Knox and Dictionary Jones in The Mystery of the Missing Teenage Anachronisms - Jack Campbell
    ●●●●◐ Murder by Memory - Olivia Waite #queer

    Twenty-six short stories:
    ●●○○○ A Day Among the Liars - Edward Page Mitchell
    ●●●◐○ Where Does a Circle Begin? - Jack Campbell
    ●●○○○ Natural - Peter Cawdron
    ●●●○○ Master - Ursula K. Le Guin
    ●●◐○○ An Extraordinary Wedding - Edward Page Mitchell
    ●●●○○ The Great Naked Adventure - P.A. Choi
    ●●●○○ Living Eggs Project {Agent Adams 02} - Tim Tolbert
    ●●◐○○ King of the Hill - James Blish
    ●●◐○○ Nothing Happens to Lefty Feep {Lefty Feep 11} - Robert Bloch
    ●◐○○○ End as a World - F. L. Wallace
    ●●○○○ Yellow Streak Hero - Harlan Ellison
    ●●●○○ Son of a Witch {Lefty Feep 6} - Robert Bloch
    ●●○○○ Entangled Vision {Agent Adams 03} - Tim Tolbert
    ●●●◐○ Concerns of the Second Sex - Pavarti K. Tyler
    ●●●●○ The Soul Buyer - Keith Laumer
    ●●○○○ Jerk the Giant Killer {Lefty Feep 7} - Robert Bloch
    ●●◐○○ Last Cruise of the Judas Iscariot - Edward Page Mitchell
    ●●●○○ Unnatural - Ann Christy
    ●●●●○ These Are the Times - Jack Campbell
    ●●●◐○ The Sun Never Sets - Anthea Sharp
    ●●○○○ Sunspot - Hal Clement
    ●●◐○○ Rocket to Limbo - Margaret St. Clair
    ●◐○○○ Echoed Life Foundation {Agent Adams 04} - Tim Tolbert
    ●●○○○ The Witness - Leona Celestia
    ●●●○○ Lefty Feep and the Racing Robot {Lefty Feep 13} - Robert Bloch
    ●●●○○ The Devilish Rat - Edward Page Mitchell

    ━━━━━━━━━━━
    2025-08: 26 ss | 02 nvt | 02 nva | 11 nov
    2025-07: 24 ss | 01 nvt | 01 nva | 13 nov
    2025-06: 26 ss | 03 nvt | 00 nva | 12 nov
    2025-05: 24 ss | 06 nvt | 01 nva | 13 nov
    ━━━━━━━━━━━

    One very long, very slow novel knocked my reading down, but since I was reading three shorter novels each full week, not by much.

  18. #Books and #stories for #AugustReads. | Tag to mute: #BokBooks

    Eleven novels:
    ●●●○○ The Secret of ZI - Kenneth Bulmer
    ●●●◐○ Times of Trouble {New John Connor Chronicles 3} - Russell Blackford
    ●●●◐○ Case of the Murdered Mayor {Miles Grant 02} - Jack Dearborn
    ●●●○○ Stock Car Race {Behold: Humanity! 15} - Ralts Bloodthorne #HFY
    ●●●◐○ Army of the Undead {Invaders 3} - Rafe Bernard
    ●●◐○○ Case of the Sullied Songstress {Miles Grant 03} - Jack Dearborn
    ●●●●◐ Head On {Lock In 2} - John Scalzi
    ●●●○○ The Empathetic Life of Rebecca Wright {Middle Falls 10} - Shawn Inmon
    ●●○○○ The Timothy File {Miles Grant 04} - Jack Dearborn
    ●●◐○○ The City {Aestus 1} - S. Z. Attwell #CliFi
    ●●●◐○ Case of the Phantom Phaeton {Miles Grant 05} - Jack Dearborn

    Two novellas:
    ●●●○○ Beyond the Vanishing Point - Ray Cummings
    ●●●◐○ Born in the Wrong Body - Martin Brant #trans

    Two novelettes:
    ●●●●○ Betty Knox and Dictionary Jones in The Mystery of the Missing Teenage Anachronisms - Jack Campbell
    ●●●●◐ Murder by Memory - Olivia Waite #queer

    Twenty-six short stories:
    ●●○○○ A Day Among the Liars - Edward Page Mitchell
    ●●●◐○ Where Does a Circle Begin? - Jack Campbell
    ●●○○○ Natural - Peter Cawdron
    ●●●○○ Master - Ursula K. Le Guin
    ●●◐○○ An Extraordinary Wedding - Edward Page Mitchell
    ●●●○○ The Great Naked Adventure - P.A. Choi
    ●●●○○ Living Eggs Project {Agent Adams 02} - Tim Tolbert
    ●●◐○○ King of the Hill - James Blish
    ●●◐○○ Nothing Happens to Lefty Feep {Lefty Feep 11} - Robert Bloch
    ●◐○○○ End as a World - F. L. Wallace
    ●●○○○ Yellow Streak Hero - Harlan Ellison
    ●●●○○ Son of a Witch {Lefty Feep 6} - Robert Bloch
    ●●○○○ Entangled Vision {Agent Adams 03} - Tim Tolbert
    ●●●◐○ Concerns of the Second Sex - Pavarti K. Tyler
    ●●●●○ The Soul Buyer - Keith Laumer
    ●●○○○ Jerk the Giant Killer {Lefty Feep 7} - Robert Bloch
    ●●◐○○ Last Cruise of the Judas Iscariot - Edward Page Mitchell
    ●●●○○ Unnatural - Ann Christy
    ●●●●○ These Are the Times - Jack Campbell
    ●●●◐○ The Sun Never Sets - Anthea Sharp
    ●●○○○ Sunspot - Hal Clement
    ●●◐○○ Rocket to Limbo - Margaret St. Clair
    ●◐○○○ Echoed Life Foundation {Agent Adams 04} - Tim Tolbert
    ●●○○○ The Witness - Leona Celestia
    ●●●○○ Lefty Feep and the Racing Robot {Lefty Feep 13} - Robert Bloch
    ●●●○○ The Devilish Rat - Edward Page Mitchell

    ━━━━━━━━━━━
    2025-08: 26 ss | 02 nvt | 02 nva | 11 nov
    2025-07: 24 ss | 01 nvt | 01 nva | 13 nov
    2025-06: 26 ss | 03 nvt | 00 nva | 12 nov
    2025-05: 24 ss | 06 nvt | 01 nva | 13 nov
    ━━━━━━━━━━━

    One very long, very slow novel knocked my reading down, but since I was reading three shorter novels each full week, not by much.

  19. Confidence in National led coalition plummeting

    In addition to Labour leading in 3 of the top 5 issues, it leads in all but four of the remaining issues (RNZ).

    It’s a damning chart. The National Party, not even two years into its first term of office is trailing the left-leaning parties Labour, Greens and Te Pati Maori on all but three issues across a range of separate policy areas.

    But nor is it surprising. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon from Day 1 has shown none of the charisma, people friendly persona of any of his recent predecessors. Even former Prime Minister Bill English, whom many thought was dour and boring in the one year he was Prime Minister seemed to be more empathetic with the broader population.

    Nor has Mr Luxon, his Minister of Finance Nicola Willis or any of his lieutenants – Minister of Housing Chris Bishop, Attorney General Paul Goldschmidt, Minister of Health Simeon Brown or Minister of Education Erica Stanford, among all the others – have shown significant ability to understand the mood of the population. Are they even trying?

    And it gets worse still, Minister for Regulation, David Seymour is starting to attract negative attention from – of all organizations – the Taxpayers Union. Having initially actively applauded his efforts to cut what they considered to be unnecessary spending on the public service through ruthless slash and burning of jobs and roles at various agencies, they have been less than impressed to find out about the inefficiencies that some of the policies that the Government he is a part of are causing. Maybe it was not such a great idea after all.

    The other party in the coalition, New Zealand First, remains steady in the polls, but how much longer can Winston Peters genuinely remain in Parliament before his health gives up or the public make it clear to him, his time is done? How much longer are the mainstream prepared to listen to Shane Jones attacking the tourism industry, to the other minions attacking our valued ethnic communities and in particular, our rainbow community – such negativity and hatred can only last so long.

    Of the ones that National still lead on, all are considered – for reasons I will never quite understand – to be conservative strong points, namely economics, defence, and justice. In a country waking up to the failure of privatized prisons, and developing a wariness for overseas entanglements alongside increasingly questionable allies even these might be in question if National are unable to sell their policies better than they currently are.

    But are any of these are the real reasons for the public discontent?

    New Zealanders wanted an end to what many thought was “rampant wokism”, a general disgruntlement with anything left leaning. They wanted Labour, the Greens and Te Pati Maori gone, but seemed to have not seriously thought about the rather odious messaging from the right about how they would achieve lower living costs, lower crime rates and a better economy.

    Violent crime is continuing, even though ram raids may have dropped. The cost of basic foodstuffs at the supermarket is skyrocketing despite the Government talking about making it easier to build supermarkets. The economy is in the doldrums with an exodus in progress to Australia across all sectors of the economy.

    Not exactly encouraging stuff is it?

    In the meantime, Labour are promising that their tax policy will be released before Christmas and add that broader policy will flow after that. The timing, which seems a bit odd to me over a year out from the election, when election policy is normally all done in the few months prior to the election date, may backfire on Labour, as people might have started to forget what it was that they dis/like by the time the election rolls around.

    It seems likely now that Labour are going to stick with Chris Hipkins as Leader, at least until the election – which he will be desperate to win, as Leaders of the Opposition who lose generally leave Parliament within months, if not immediately resigning on the night. Will he have greater confidence than the 2023 edition of him, who had no policy platform whatsoever and led Labour and the left-wing of N.Z. politics to one of their heavier defeats in the M.M.P. era? Labour will certainly hope so, but whether or not New Zealand agrees with them will not be known until the election.

    But given the increasingly poor performance of the worst Government I have ever seen in this country, they could do worse.

    #NewZealand #Nzeconomy #Nzpol #Nzsociety

  20. #FantasticPromptsEnglish August 30: To plot or not to plot? What's your path?

    I've begun to question my path with the current WiP. My usual course is to have an idea that I follow to a predetermined probable end. So too it was to be with Bolt's story, Reluctant Courier. I knew she'd been blackmailed and that her life was difficult and lonely, as depicted from the outside as an empathetic supporting character in another completed story. However, I wanted to approach her POV of those times as more of a cozy mystery SF tale, as slice-of-life rather than adventure. I know how the parallel stories tie together in half-a-year—a ticking clock if you will—but I chose different earlier endpoints for Bolt so my series main character doesn't overshadow her new friend.

    So, to the point. I've been imagining as I write the story various "beats" along the way. Really, it's more like I am writing parts of the story in my head as they occur to me, never quite in order. The mob boss will do X. The devil-girl will do Y. The neighbor will do Z. Mentally, I am left with a saw blade full of missing teeth. Some scenes I've written immediately, some remain vague as things I will write.

    When I think of the process of writing what was visualized as a novella but is already around 25K half-written, it feels like I am plotting out the story! I am creating the chapters in my head, writing them non-linearly, but as I decide I like this or that, it fills in her life and leads to elucidating the main mystery in her story.

    What do you think? Am I plotting?

    Certainly I am NOT writing an outline!

    [Author retains copyright (c)2025 R.S.]

    #BoostingIsSharing

    #gender #fiction #writer #author
    #cozy #mystery #sf #sff #sciencefiction
    #writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers
    #RSdiscussion
    #RSstory #RSReluctanceStory

  21. #FantasticPromptsEnglish August 30: To plot or not to plot? What's your path?

    I've begun to question my path with the current WiP. My usual course is to have an idea that I follow to a predetermined probable end. So too it was to be with Bolt's story, Reluctant Courier. I knew she'd been blackmailed and that her life was difficult and lonely, as depicted from the outside as an empathetic supporting character in another completed story. However, I wanted to approach her POV of those times as more of a cozy mystery SF tale, as slice-of-life rather than adventure. I know how the parallel stories tie together in half-a-year—a ticking clock if you will—but I chose different earlier endpoints for Bolt so my series main character doesn't overshadow her new friend.

    So, to the point. I've been imagining as I write the story various "beats" along the way. Really, it's more like I am writing parts of the story in my head as they occur to me, never quite in order. The mob boss will do X. The devil-girl will do Y. The neighbor will do Z. Mentally, I am left with a saw blade full of missing teeth. Some scenes I've written immediately, some remain vague as things I will write.

    When I think of the process of writing what was visualized as a novella but is already around 25K half-written, it feels like I am plotting out the story! I am creating the chapters in my head, writing them non-linearly, but as I decide I like this or that, it fills in her life and leads to elucidating the main mystery in her story.

    What do you think? Am I plotting?

    Certainly I am NOT writing an outline!

    [Author retains copyright (c)2025 R.S.]

    #BoostingIsSharing

    #gender #fiction #writer #author
    #cozy #mystery #sf #sff #sciencefiction
    #writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers
    #RSdiscussion
    #RSstory #RSReluctanceStory

  22. #FantasticPromptsEnglish August 30: To plot or not to plot? What's your path?

    I've begun to question my path with the current WiP. My usual course is to have an idea that I follow to a predetermined probable end. So too it was to be with Bolt's story, Reluctant Courier. I knew she'd been blackmailed and that her life was difficult and lonely, as depicted from the outside as an empathetic supporting character in another completed story. However, I wanted to approach her POV of those times as more of a cozy mystery SF tale, as slice-of-life rather than adventure. I know how the parallel stories tie together in half-a-year—a ticking clock if you will—but I chose different earlier endpoints for Bolt so my series main character doesn't overshadow her new friend.

    So, to the point. I've been imagining as I write the story various "beats" along the way. Really, it's more like I am writing parts of the story in my head as they occur to me, never quite in order. The mob boss will do X. The devil-girl will do Y. The neighbor will do Z. Mentally, I am left with a saw blade full of missing teeth. Some scenes I've written immediately, some remain vague as things I will write.

    When I think of the process of writing what was visualized as a novella but is already around 25K half-written, it feels like I am plotting out the story! I am creating the chapters in my head, writing them non-linearly, but as I decide I like this or that, it fills in her life and leads to elucidating the main mystery in her story.

    What do you think? Am I plotting?

    Certainly I am NOT writing an outline!

    [Author retains copyright (c)2025 R.S.]

    #BoostingIsSharing

    #gender #fiction #writer #author
    #cozy #mystery #sf #sff #sciencefiction
    #writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers
    #RSdiscussion
    #RSstory #RSReluctanceStory

  23. #FantasticPromptsEnglish August 30: To plot or not to plot? What's your path?

    I've begun to question my path with the current WiP. My usual course is to have an idea that I follow to a predetermined probable end. So too it was to be with Bolt's story, Reluctant Courier. I knew she'd been blackmailed and that her life was difficult and lonely, as depicted from the outside as an empathetic supporting character in another completed story. However, I wanted to approach her POV of those times as more of a cozy mystery SF tale, as slice-of-life rather than adventure. I know how the parallel stories tie together in half-a-year—a ticking clock if you will—but I chose different earlier endpoints for Bolt so my series main character doesn't overshadow her new friend.

    So, to the point. I've been imagining as I write the story various "beats" along the way. Really, it's more like I am writing parts of the story in my head as they occur to me, never quite in order. The mob boss will do X. The devil-girl will do Y. The neighbor will do Z. Mentally, I am left with a saw blade full of missing teeth. Some scenes I've written immediately, some remain vague as things I will write.

    When I think of the process of writing what was visualized as a novella but is already around 25K half-written, it feels like I am plotting out the story! I am creating the chapters in my head, writing them non-linearly, but as I decide I like this or that, it fills in her life and leads to elucidating the main mystery in her story.

    What do you think? Am I plotting?

    Certainly I am NOT writing an outline!

    [Author retains copyright (c)2025 R.S.]

    #BoostingIsSharing

    #gender #fiction #writer #author
    #cozy #mystery #sf #sff #sciencefiction
    #writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers
    #RSdiscussion
    #RSstory #RSReluctanceStory

  24. #FantasticPromptsEnglish August 30: To plot or not to plot? What's your path?

    I've begun to question my path with the current WiP. My usual course is to have an idea that I follow to a predetermined probable end. So too it was to be with Bolt's story, Reluctant Courier. I knew she'd been blackmailed and that her life was difficult and lonely, as depicted from the outside as an empathetic supporting character in another completed story. However, I wanted to approach her POV of those times as more of a cozy mystery SF tale, as slice-of-life rather than adventure. I know how the parallel stories tie together in half-a-year—a ticking clock if you will—but I chose different earlier endpoints for Bolt so my series main character doesn't overshadow her new friend.

    So, to the point. I've been imagining as I write the story various "beats" along the way. Really, it's more like I am writing parts of the story in my head as they occur to me, never quite in order. The mob boss will do X. The devil-girl will do Y. The neighbor will do Z. Mentally, I am left with a saw blade full of missing teeth. Some scenes I've written immediately, some remain vague as things I will write.

    When I think of the process of writing what was visualized as a novella but is already around 25K half-written, it feels like I am plotting out the story! I am creating the chapters in my head, writing them non-linearly, but as I decide I like this or that, it fills in her life and leads to elucidating the main mystery in her story.

    What do you think? Am I plotting?

    Certainly I am NOT writing an outline!

    [Author retains copyright (c)2025 R.S.]

    #BoostingIsSharing

    #gender #fiction #writer #author
    #cozy #mystery #sf #sff #sciencefiction
    #writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers
    #RSdiscussion
    #RSstory #RSReluctanceStory

  25. #WordWeavers 2025.08.19 — Could you imagine a story in the same world where your MC is the antagonist?

    Yes. Of course. Antagonists don't need to be evil or villainous, and few of mine are. Also, my MCs can be dangerous (however you wish to classify that), and for those SCs who deal with them, they are often antagonists already. In the current WIP, the MC and SC roles are switched from another story. MC finds our former heroine mysterious, frightening, and very challenging to deal with.

    The main series antagonist has appeared as the MC in a few stories. I'd argue she's as empathetic a character playing MC role as the antagonist role. She's always very challenging, even when weak and vulnerable.

    [Author retains copyright (c)2025 R.S.]

    #BoostingIsSharing

    #gender #fiction #writer #author
    #mystery #thriller #romance #fantasy #sf #sff #sciencefiction
    #writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers
    #RSdiscussion
    #RSstory #RSInklingsStory #RSReluctanceStory
    #microfiction #flashfiction #tootfic #smallstory

  26. So #neuroatypical people now need a translator to communicate with others?
    Perhaps it would be easier if we just accepted each other as we are. Neurotypicals would not assume bad intentions and overinterpret messages. That would help a lot.

    reuters.com/lifestyle/its-most

    @actuallyautistic

    #autistic
    #neurodivergent
    #ActuallyAutistic
    #ADHD

  27. South Asian visitors from Blacktown staying at one of our cottages just called us asking where the nearest butcher for fresh goat or lamb is. I had to disappoint them; this is a rural locale and stuff closes at lunchtime. She was both surprised and disappointed. Not sure whether to feel empathetic or amused at the disconnect between city and rural expectations.

    #bushlife #BedAndBreakfast

  28. 9 ways to deal with a #newmanager at work
    1. Observe and listen
    2. Seek Clarity and Ask Questions
    3. Communicate Openly
    4. Build Relationships
    5. Show Initiative
    6. Be Supportive
    7. Empathetic
    8. Manage Expectations
    9. Seek feedback

  29. 9 ways to deal with a at work
    1. Observe and listen
    2. Seek Clarity and Ask Questions
    3. Communicate Openly
    4. Build Relationships
    5. Show Initiative
    6. Be Supportive
    7. Empathetic
    8. Manage Expectations
    9. Seek feedback

  30. 9 ways to deal with a #newmanager at work
    1. Observe and listen
    2. Seek Clarity and Ask Questions
    3. Communicate Openly
    4. Build Relationships
    5. Show Initiative
    6. Be Supportive
    7. Empathetic
    8. Manage Expectations
    9. Seek feedback