#pennedpossibilities — Public Fediverse posts

#PennedPossibilities 1149

Think of a choice your MC made. How did it lead to where and who they are now?

Well, without revealing too much I can say that Kessy made the choice to kill, and now she's coping with that for the rest of the story.

#PennedPossibilities 1149: Think of a choice your MC made. How did it lead to where and who they are now?

I've talked about Bolt's series of stupid decisions that led to her being involuntarily employed by the mob. A dozen years later, the story starts with her photographing something incredibly newsworthy. A "cub" reporter at the scene, with a broken camera, asks her if she'll sell her photographs. Even though he uses the day angel equivalent of calling her the n-word to get her attention when she ignores him in the crowd, she chooses to sell.

The entire novel is predicated on that yes. If we consider "now" the last chapters, the "how did it lead to where and who they are" is her dealing with the fallout of becoming a famous photographer, helping (and protecting) new friends she meets, juggling multiple identities, and knowing "interesting" people on both sides of the law who are interested in those on the "opposite" side, and having no choice but to become involved when she knows better.

For Bolt, it's a real mess…

[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]

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#PennedPossibilities 1149: Think of a choice your MC made. How did it lead to where and who they are now?

It was the choice to seek out the man she had been dreaming of and to learn why it was happening. Zerika is learning how to become a better person now, not just a skilled "huntress" (AKA a monster killer for hire). Every single day she’s changing and softening a little more, but all in a good way. She’s growing into a woman with friends, with a found family, a home, and finding her very own happiness. Oh, and she’s found her soulmate.

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#PennedPossibilities 1148 Is your favorite genre to read also your favorite one to write?

No. I read mostly lightweight fantasy or fantasy comedy. So lightweight it's really as if the author has only taken it on a train past a fantasy factory.

The Big Novel... is historical fantasy? Fantastical history? Fabulism? Magical Realism?
I don't know how to classify it. Which will be a problem. For later.

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#PennedPossibilities 1148: Is your favorite genre to read also your favorite one to write?

I write in a genre adjacent to what I prefer to read. This wasn't always so.

I used to read and write fantasy adventures, used to enjoy the thrill of a new book.

These day, I don't deal well with thrill and tension anymore. So I read mostly romantasy, where a happy ending is guaranteed.

It seems that my writing is also slowly moving in that direction, at least with my Wolves.

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#PennedPossibilities 1148: Is your favorite genre to read also your favorite one to write?

I spent easily fifteen minutes threading the needle on this one in order to say no, but it's ridiculous. Looking at what I've read since 2015 I have to admit it's fantasy, and what I've written is also fantasy, though I write it as if I were writing science fiction. Limits. Rules. No mysticism. I dislike Tolkien-style fantasy, so it is never that. And that’s what I've been enjoying reading. If the main character(s) are female, all the better.

[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]

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#PennedPossibilities 1148: Is your favorite genre to read also your favorite one to write?

It actually is. I devour fantasy tales with the same ferocity and love as when I write them. And it’s also my favorite genre of games to play, or a film and series genre to watch. I’m easy. But I will add that I really do love all genres, especially when you add a bit of romance. I’m not picky.

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#PennedPossibilities 1147: How does your SC feel about those around them?

The devil-girl rarely gives away her thoughts, often cynical and snide, but she has them about every one around her in Home City, for example, about Forge (as in Red Hot…). She's the school bully. When the devil-girl, fighting off a PTSD episode that this young woman triggered, accidentally demonstrates she is much more capable than all her new upper school classmates, it becomes as if she has gained a puppy. Forge cajoles and wheedles, nagging her to distraction, campaigning for some private tutoring. No, not that kind! What the devil-girl thinks after finally having agreed to teach—only to have her instructions ignored—could melt lead. But Forge will never know as the devil-girl rarely gives away her thoughts; murder might result and that's never good.

[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]

#BoostingIsSharing

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#sf #sff #sciencefiction
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#RSdiscussion
#RSstory #RSReluctanceStory

#PennedPossibilities 1147. How does your SC feel about those around them?

Patterico likes Steven but also seems to understand his limitations as a friend. Over the course of the book, he becomes worried about him a bit. Danny Rials tends to be transactional in his relationships. If he does something for you, be prepared for him to call in that chit. Annie Appleton is pretty dismissive of people she regards as less talented or less intelligent than herself.

#PennedPossibilities 1146: Does romance ever feature in your work?

Offstage? Absolutely, as reported by the characters.

#PennedPossibilities 1147: How does your SC feel about those around them?

Damir cares about his friends, even if he never says the words aloud. Rather, he shows it, instead. As for everyone else around him, he couldn’t give less of a shit. He usually seems emotionless, unfazed, and cold to most. People assume this of necromancers. Some, meaning the special individuals and the sort who genuinely care about others, they can see the heart inside of him, the one he keeps hidden away. Damir does feel. He feels deeply.

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#PennedPossibilities 1146: Does romance ever feature in your work?

Sure, kinda. Cantata Deeps is one giant love story. But it is the love between Sonata and her brothers and between Pettrie and his partner Anselm that interests me more. Sonata feeding broth to her dying brother. Pettrie fretting about Anselm's safety.

So yes, romance sometimes, but usually friendship, family

#PennedPossibilities 1146: Does romance ever feature in your work?

Sometimes. First Fantasy has a cute little love story between Ruby and Shen; Cain has an unrequited crush on Bud, but ends up growing as a person because Bud is patient with him. None of this is steamy.

Renard and Carmen end up as a "will they or won't they" and we'll just say in the context of game 1, they don't. The ending is very bittersweet in many ways; happiness is relative; sometimes life is complicated.

In Grey Coded, the answer is kind of the opposite. There's a point where Wheeler sees Maya all dolled up for a date and he's positively floored, but it's because he didn't realize who he was looking at for a second. He will always see her like a sister and drives her to her date, telling the lucky mister that if he hurts her, they'll never find his body. XD

#PennedPossibilities 1146: Does romance ever feature in your work?

Regularly, but not as a main component. People often fall in love along the way, but it's not usually what the story is about.

#PennedPossibilities 1146: Does romance ever feature in your work?

A broad question. All my novels feature it to some extent or other. Often it is unsuccessful or problematic, as it is in Ophelia Hook's romance with Jeffrey Downdale in Ophelia in the Bathtub. Remarkably, Darroll and Vanessa's relationship in The Psychopath Club proves remarkably durable, considering what a jaundiced view of humans and human relationships both of them have.

#PennedPossibilities 1146 Does romance ever feature in your work?

Yes, it does come up in various stories.

#PennedPossibilities 1146
Does romance ever feature in your work?

There're subplots with side characters as well as one with the MC. I enjoy interpersonal relationships in general--my work includes many family and friend storylines too--but romantic relationships are particularly interesting to delve into for character development. However, I don't write "romance," per se. The adventure plot is always at the forefront, though often heavily interconnected with character relationships.

#PennedPossibilities 1146: "Does romance ever feature in your work?"

Often, yes. Not always.

Some stories are too short for true romance. But in most of my novels there is some.

And of course, my Wolves are Romance, with a big helping of adventure.

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#PennedPossibilities 1146 Does romance ever feature in your work?

I am, lightly said, not a big fan of romance. So, I would never write a romance story for the sake of it. When romance features in my stories, it's just one of many layers. It never happens as fan service and it needs to serve the plot. I absolutely hate the "boy gets girl" in adventure movies or the "true love" trope in fairy tales where the prince never actually met her

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#PennedPossibilities 1146: "Does romance ever feature in your work?"

Yes, in the sense of characters falling in love with each other, but their love stories don't always follow a classic romance scheme, and I admit I enjoy exploring what happens once they have become a couple even more than that initial romantic phase.

#PennedPossibilities 1146 Does romance ever feature in your work?

There have been numerous references to sex and romance over the course of the 6 books in the series.

8 characters have paired up so far, Nathan and Vicky, Esther and Frank, Lucy and Bruce, and Cassie and Dex.

You could argue there’re actually 5 pairings if you included Bruce and his mentor, Thompson, given the way they bicker like a married couple.

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1146. Does romance ever feature in your work?

Always. Apart from my drabbles I haven't written anything without romance being an important part of the story. I've always been a romantic.

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#PennedPossibilities 1146 Does romance ever feature in your work?

Not in my WIP, how'd that even work? We're inside a brain in my WIP.

In other stories, I do write about romance. It's usually a part of the human condition, to be infatuated, enamoured, becharmed, or smitten by someone. But it is also a part of the human experience to be rejected, ignored, or forgotten.

It's simply to fertile grounds for friction and tension to leave out.

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Does romance ever feature in your work?

Love does, rather than romance. Love is always here and always vitally important to life.

#PennedPossibilities 1146: Does romance ever feature in your work?

:blobcatgiggle: Yes. The bulk of what I write on these pens is erotic romance leaning romance.