#rsdiscussion — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #rsdiscussion, aggregated by home.social.
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#PennedPossibilities 1097: Do you boost or share work from other creative individuals on Mastodon?
Take note: I boost author publication posts (not publisher posts) when I see them in my feed, as detailed in my introductory post. I boost interesting or masterful artwork and photo posts by the original artist or photographer (not their proxies) when I see them, usually but not always after favoriting them. Since I value my followers, I may choose not to boost if you are flooding the zone, posting nonsense, or posting something hurtful.
[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]
#gender #fiction #writer #author
#writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers
#RSdiscussion -
#PennedPossibilities 1097: Do you boost or share work from other creative individuals on Mastodon?
Take note: I boost author publication posts (not publisher posts) when I see them in my feed, as detailed in my introductory post. I boost interesting or masterful artwork and photo posts by the original artist or photographer (not their proxies) when I see them, usually but not always after favoriting them. Since I value my followers, I may choose not to boost if you are flooding the zone, posting nonsense, or posting something hurtful.
[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]
#gender #fiction #writer #author
#writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers
#RSdiscussion -
#WordWeavers 2026.08.11 — Which shelved project are you itching to get back to?
Not scratching any itches, ignoring them best I can to concentrate on what's needful and necessary.
[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]
#gender #fiction #writer #author
#writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers
#RSdiscussion -
#WordWeavers 2026.08.11 — Which shelved project are you itching to get back to?
Not scratching any itches, ignoring them best I can to concentrate on what's needful and necessary.
[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]
#gender #fiction #writer #author
#writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers
#RSdiscussion -
#WritersCoffeeClub #WCC 2026.08.11 — When were you last a student?
Twenty years ago. I took two semesters of Japanese in 2006 in preparation for touring Japan before the 2007 WorldCon in Tokyo.
[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]
#BoostingIsSharing
#gender #fiction #writer #author
#writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers
#RSdiscussion
#RSstory #RSInklingsStory #RSReluctanceStory -
#WritersCoffeeClub #WCC 2026.08.11 — When were you last a student?
Twenty years ago. I took two semesters of Japanese in 2006 in preparation for touring Japan before the 2007 WorldCon in Tokyo.
[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]
#BoostingIsSharing
#gender #fiction #writer #author
#writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers
#RSdiscussion
#RSstory #RSInklingsStory #RSReluctanceStory -
#ScribesAndMakers »2026.08.11 — Do you feel like a different person when you're doing your creative work?
I'm an author, a prosaist, a literary shaman. When it is all working, I become the character, experience the sweat bead on their skin, see an alien world through their eyes, feel their head throb, breathe their air, speak their words, and narrate their hell and heaven as they live it. I channel spirits of the who-could-have-been. I gets lost in them. Can't become more of a different person than that!
[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]
#BoostingIsSharing
#gender #fiction #writer #author
photographer chef cooking
#writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers
#RSdiscussion -
#ScribesAndMakers »2026.08.11 — Do you feel like a different person when you're doing your creative work?
I'm an author, a prosaist, a literary shaman. When it is all working, I become the character, experience the sweat bead on their skin, see an alien world through their eyes, feel their head throb, breathe their air, speak their words, and narrate their hell and heaven as they live it. I channel spirits of the who-could-have-been. I gets lost in them. Can't become more of a different person than that!
[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]
#BoostingIsSharing
#gender #fiction #writer #author
photographer chef cooking
#writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers
#RSdiscussion -
#PennedPossibilities 1096: MC POV: When was the last time you got lost?
Kinda hard when you have these babies since I can fly anywhere above the city. [Bolt flexes her blue-feathered wings, inadvertently knocking a box off a high shelf in her teeny-tiny aerie apartment.] Anyway… When? Probably taking the metro midcity where it's all underground, but I only take it when my companion can't fly cross town with me. When he gets lost… [Scratches the back of her neck, glancing away with a sheepish grin.]
[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]
#gender #fiction #writer #author
#cozy #mystery #sf #sff #sciencefiction
#writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers
#RSdiscussion
#RSstory #RSReluctanceStory
#microfiction #flashfiction #tootfic #smallstory -
#PennedPossibilities 1096: MC POV: When was the last time you got lost?
Kinda hard when you have these babies since I can fly anywhere above the city. [Bolt flexes her blue-feathered wings, inadvertently knocking a box off a high shelf in her teeny-tiny aerie apartment.] Anyway… When? Probably taking the metro midcity where it's all underground, but I only take it when my companion can't fly cross town with me. When he gets lost… [Scratches the back of her neck, glancing away with a sheepish grin.]
[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]
#gender #fiction #writer #author
#cozy #mystery #sf #sff #sciencefiction
#writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers
#RSdiscussion
#RSstory #RSReluctanceStory
#microfiction #flashfiction #tootfic #smallstory -
#EroticMusings 2026.08.10 —Week 63 (August 9-15) Setting: Do you create cultures, ethnicities, or even sentient species for your work? How do you go about it?
It shouldn't be surprising that I answer "yes" and "all of the above" since I write #sf and #sff stories. That they are spicy at times is important to the story, not an end in itself. That sex ends up being important is that, for most humans, it's important either personally or politically. I like making it a feature, with the above caveat, that readers will enjoy. That gives a clue as how I develop these things.
I generally want to point out gender inequities. In stories, as well as in photography, extremes in contrast often highlight specifics. I once created an alien species where the death of one gender was part of the natural life cycle, but humans marooned on the the planet quickly saw a technological solution, to save friends they'd met, unthinkable to the equally but differently technological sentients, disrupting every level of the alien and human societies. This singular detail let me address religious hypocrisy, morals, ethics, gender, overcomplicating sex, and violence against women. The story came together neatly, and it's another case where one of my stories inadvertently predicted something mostly below the radar at the time (1990s): artificial meat. Impossible Burger, anybody?
In a sense, what you want to show—act as a foil for what you want to say, or make possible to happen—gives clues to the culture or ethnicity you want to create. I wanted to depict a culture where patriarchy never existed. To a large extent, I made this work by making it impossible to inherit property, or power since it usually requires property. This implied family would be predicated primarily on who your mother is, and who her siblings were. In a pre-gene savvy world, it's a failsafe method that doesn't require one gender sequestering and oppressing the other. Doesn't create a utopia—humans don't work that way—but it does change perceptions, significance, and emotions tied up with gender, sex, and engaging in sex. Dramatically. Throws a monkey wrench into concepts tied to fidelity. Turns out culture and ethnicity write themselves when you posit something like this.
[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]
#gender #fiction #writer #author
#writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers #writingAdvice
#RSdiscussion -
#EroticMusings 2026.08.10 —Week 63 (August 9-15) Setting: Do you create cultures, ethnicities, or even sentient species for your work? How do you go about it?
It shouldn't be surprising that I answer "yes" and "all of the above" since I write #sf and #sff stories. That they are spicy at times is important to the story, not an end in itself. That sex ends up being important is that, for most humans, it's important either personally or politically. I like making it a feature, with the above caveat, that readers will enjoy. That gives a clue as how I develop these things.
I generally want to point out gender inequities. In stories, as well as in photography, extremes in contrast often highlight specifics. I once created an alien species where the death of one gender was part of the natural life cycle, but humans marooned on the the planet quickly saw a technological solution, to save friends they'd met, unthinkable to the equally but differently technological sentients, disrupting every level of the alien and human societies. This singular detail let me address religious hypocrisy, morals, ethics, gender, overcomplicating sex, and violence against women. The story came together neatly, and it's another case where one of my stories inadvertently predicted something mostly below the radar at the time (1990s): artificial meat. Impossible Burger, anybody?
In a sense, what you want to show—act as a foil for what you want to say, or make possible to happen—gives clues to the culture or ethnicity you want to create. I wanted to depict a culture where patriarchy never existed. To a large extent, I made this work by making it impossible to inherit property, or power since it usually requires property. This implied family would be predicated primarily on who your mother is, and who her siblings were. In a pre-gene savvy world, it's a failsafe method that doesn't require one gender sequestering and oppressing the other. Doesn't create a utopia—humans don't work that way—but it does change perceptions, significance, and emotions tied up with gender, sex, and engaging in sex. Dramatically. Throws a monkey wrench into concepts tied to fidelity. Turns out culture and ethnicity write themselves when you posit something like this.
[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]
#gender #fiction #writer #author
#writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers #writingAdvice
#RSdiscussion -
#Writephant 2026.0810 — A4. For the Americans, aye or nay on s’mores? For international peeps, what outdoor treat do you like best?
I say YAY!
The photo was from Kings Canyon National Park in June. It's where I learned that starting and maintaining a campfire is relatively easy if you have the right kindling. Keeping it blazing (fiery not smoldery), however, takes constant vigilance and work. I appreciate my kitchen appliances that much more, now. Tasty s'more, btw.
[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]
#gender #fiction #writer #author
#writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers
#RSdiscussion -
#Writephant 2026.0810 — A4. For the Americans, aye or nay on s’mores? For international peeps, what outdoor treat do you like best?
I say YAY!
The photo was from Kings Canyon National Park in June. It's where I learned that starting and maintaining a campfire is relatively easy if you have the right kindling. Keeping it blazing (fiery not smoldery), however, takes constant vigilance and work. I appreciate my kitchen appliances that much more, now. Tasty s'more, btw.
[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]
#gender #fiction #writer #author
#writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers
#RSdiscussion -
#Writephant 2026.0810 — A3. Some literary classics show protagonist adapting well to nature, like Robinson Crusoe or My Side of the Mountain. Others show the survival becoming horrific, like in Lord of the Flies or Hatchet. Which side of the adaptability spectrum do you prefer?
This answer is self-evident. I come out of the side of good story.
[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]
#gender #fiction #writer #author
#writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers
#RSdiscussion -
#Writephant 2026.0810 — A3. Some literary classics show protagonist adapting well to nature, like Robinson Crusoe or My Side of the Mountain. Others show the survival becoming horrific, like in Lord of the Flies or Hatchet. Which side of the adaptability spectrum do you prefer?
This answer is self-evident. I come out of the side of good story.
[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]
#gender #fiction #writer #author
#writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers
#RSdiscussion -
#Writephant 2026.0810 — A2. What books featuring nature or the great outdoors come to mind? And yes, they can include extremely inaccurate ones..
The question and tag imply fiction titles, and whilst almost anything I read that isn't space opera or urban fantasy includes nature (though not necessarily the great outdoors), nothing exemplary comes to mind on such short notice. As for non-fiction, I brought back Death Valley Rocks! from our trip (the fellow mentioned in Q1 and I) to… wait for it… Death Valley National Park. Stayed overnight two days in Panamint Springs. I recommend the restaurant (there's only one).
The photo is the sand dunes near Furnace Springs back in 2023, not this year.
[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]
#gender #fiction #writer #author
#writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers
#RSdiscussion -
#Writephant 2026.0810 — A2. What books featuring nature or the great outdoors come to mind? And yes, they can include extremely inaccurate ones..
The question and tag imply fiction titles, and whilst almost anything I read that isn't space opera or urban fantasy includes nature (though not necessarily the great outdoors), nothing exemplary comes to mind on such short notice. As for non-fiction, I brought back Death Valley Rocks! from our trip (the fellow mentioned in Q1 and I) to… wait for it… Death Valley National Park. Stayed overnight two days in Panamint Springs. I recommend the restaurant (there's only one).
The photo is the sand dunes near Furnace Springs back in 2023, not this year.
[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]
#gender #fiction #writer #author
#writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers
#RSdiscussion -
#Writephant 2026.0810 — A1 . Do you like spending time outdoors in nature? Why or why not?
Yes, I like spending time in nature. I like hiking, but nothing strenuous. The spouse is the opposite, so there's the "why not." A guy we know reminds me of the Marlboro Man. He's the one I go with on excursions.
[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]
#gender #fiction #writer #author
#writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers
#RSdiscussion -
#Writephant 2026.0810 — A1 . Do you like spending time outdoors in nature? Why or why not?
Yes, I like spending time in nature. I like hiking, but nothing strenuous. The spouse is the opposite, so there's the "why not." A guy we know reminds me of the Marlboro Man. He's the one I go with on excursions.
[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]
#gender #fiction #writer #author
#writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers
#RSdiscussion -
#ScribesAndMakers »2026.08.10 — How willing are you to take risks with your creative work?
These days almost anything I write will be subliminally subversive, mildly uncomfortable for some, yet without a doubt thought provoking. I use SF and SFF to cause social and gender issues to subtly creep into the forefront of the reader's consciousness—though foremost, I ensure it's thanks to a compelling uplifting tale. If my work got banned in some places, I'd not be surprised—only disappointed.
[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]
#BoostingIsSharing
#gender #fiction #writer #author
photographer chef cooking
#writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers
#RSdiscussion -
#ScribesAndMakers »2026.08.10 — How willing are you to take risks with your creative work?
These days almost anything I write will be subliminally subversive, mildly uncomfortable for some, yet without a doubt thought provoking. I use SF and SFF to cause social and gender issues to subtly creep into the forefront of the reader's consciousness—though foremost, I ensure it's thanks to a compelling uplifting tale. If my work got banned in some places, I'd not be surprised—only disappointed.
[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]
#BoostingIsSharing
#gender #fiction #writer #author
photographer chef cooking
#writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers
#RSdiscussion -
#WritersCoffeeClub #WCC 2026.08.10 — Do you reuse characters?
Strictly speaking, only in sequels and stories in a series. Currently, I'm reusing characters I developed elsewhere. It could be thought of as having prototyped them elsewhere, but as is true in real life, people are shaped by their environment. They've mostly different names, different talents, and to an extent different agendas, plugged into differing plots because I develop plots around the direction characters give me, but they share the same DNA. Sisters and brothers in all but blood. To say I've also written totally unique one-shot characters is almost a lie. All my characters are products of my interests, emotions, imagination, and the messages I want to communicate. As such, readers might be able to detect similarities in characters between stories within a series or in standalone ones.
[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]
#BoostingIsSharing
#gender #fiction #writer #author
#writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers
#RSdiscussion -
#WritersCoffeeClub #WCC 2026.08.10 — Do you reuse characters?
Strictly speaking, only in sequels and stories in a series. Currently, I'm reusing characters I developed elsewhere. It could be thought of as having prototyped them elsewhere, but as is true in real life, people are shaped by their environment. They've mostly different names, different talents, and to an extent different agendas, plugged into differing plots because I develop plots around the direction characters give me, but they share the same DNA. Sisters and brothers in all but blood. To say I've also written totally unique one-shot characters is almost a lie. All my characters are products of my interests, emotions, imagination, and the messages I want to communicate. As such, readers might be able to detect similarities in characters between stories within a series or in standalone ones.
[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]
#BoostingIsSharing
#gender #fiction #writer #author
#writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers
#RSdiscussion -
#ScribesAndMakers »2026.08.09 — Have you ever switched perspective (1st, 2nd, 3rd person, 3rd close, cinematic, etc) mid-chapter/story? Was it successful in your opinion?
My biggest headache as a 3rd person close POV author was keeping truly solely in the character's perspective. C.J. Cherryh is the master of this. I failed way too often. I switched to 1st person. It limits the perspective identically, comes with a built-in narrator, includes superior error-checking, and is familiar as this is how we naturally tell stories about our experiences. I rarely fall out of POV these days.
[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]
#BoostingIsSharing
#gender #fiction #writer #author
photographer chef cooking
#cozy #mystery #thriller #romance #fantasy #sf #sff #sciencefiction
#writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers
#RSdiscussion
#RSstory #RSInklingsStory #RSReluctanceStory
#microfiction #flashfiction #tootfic #smallstory -
#ScribesAndMakers »2026.08.09 — Have you ever switched perspective (1st, 2nd, 3rd person, 3rd close, cinematic, etc) mid-chapter/story? Was it successful in your opinion?
My biggest headache as a 3rd person close POV author was keeping truly solely in the character's perspective. C.J. Cherryh is the master of this. I failed way too often. I switched to 1st person. It limits the perspective identically, comes with a built-in narrator, includes superior error-checking, and is familiar as this is how we naturally tell stories about our experiences. I rarely fall out of POV these days.
[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]
#BoostingIsSharing
#gender #fiction #writer #author
photographer chef cooking
#cozy #mystery #thriller #romance #fantasy #sf #sff #sciencefiction
#writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers
#RSdiscussion
#RSstory #RSInklingsStory #RSReluctanceStory
#microfiction #flashfiction #tootfic #smallstory -
#WordWeavers 2026.08.09 — What's the smallest detail you've researched for a story?
Since word choice matters, I was going to say finding the proper word to use for a train whistle (toot), but then I remembered my on again off again quest for a single correct word. For reasons I won't go into, the types of people in the story have the names of Abrahamic subdieties, except for one. I've written various stories and over a hundred-thousand words with a placeholder name first of Rook and later Knight. They're often pejoratively referred to as horsemen, thus the placeholder (and you can use your imagination to guess why). Mostly it's about stature because even their women are exceptionally tall. Then, searching the other week, I encountered the word nilphilim. Bingo! You're welcome to look the word up and explore the rabbit hole for yourself.
[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]
#gender #fiction #writer #author
#Cozy #mystery #sf #sff #sciencefiction
#writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers
#RSdiscussion
#RSstory #RSReluctanceStory -
#WordWeavers 2026.08.09 — What's the smallest detail you've researched for a story?
Since word choice matters, I was going to say finding the proper word to use for a train whistle (toot), but then I remembered my on again off again quest for a single correct word. For reasons I won't go into, the types of people in the story have the names of Abrahamic subdieties, except for one. I've written various stories and over a hundred-thousand words with a placeholder name first of Rook and later Knight. They're often pejoratively referred to as horsemen, thus the placeholder (and you can use your imagination to guess why). Mostly it's about stature because even their women are exceptionally tall. Then, searching the other week, I encountered the word nilphilim. Bingo! You're welcome to look the word up and explore the rabbit hole for yourself.
[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]
#gender #fiction #writer #author
#Cozy #mystery #sf #sff #sciencefiction
#writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers
#RSdiscussion
#RSstory #RSReluctanceStory -
#PennedPossibilities 1095: Are any of your characters named after colors, food, or objects?
For verisimilitude, no names from our world are allowed in the Reluctance series. That kinds of people (chromatypes) are called angels, daemons, nilphilim, etc. are a different mystery. The day angel MC named herself Lightning Bolt. She's an exceptionally talented flier. Names are descriptive and there's no specific rules, except their barer usually chose them. Other names in the story are Rainy Days, Night Terror, Mead Flows Swiftly, Night on Fire, and Pigeon. The last one is a day angel who has feathers the color of a pigeon's neck and growing up got bullied with the name until he fought back by keeping it.
NB: If you examine the etymology of most names, even in English, you will find represent concepts, sentiments, places, and things. This is especially true in Japanese.
[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]
#gender #fiction #writer #author
#cozy #mystery #sf #sff #sciencefiction
#writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers
#RSdiscussion
#RSstory #RSReluctanceStory -
#PennedPossibilities 1095: Are any of your characters named after colors, food, or objects?
For verisimilitude, no names from our world are allowed in the Reluctance series. That kinds of people (chromatypes) are called angels, daemons, nilphilim, etc. are a different mystery. The day angel MC named herself Lightning Bolt. She's an exceptionally talented flier. Names are descriptive and there's no specific rules, except their barer usually chose them. Other names in the story are Rainy Days, Night Terror, Mead Flows Swiftly, Night on Fire, and Pigeon. The last one is a day angel who has feathers the color of a pigeon's neck and growing up got bullied with the name until he fought back by keeping it.
NB: If you examine the etymology of most names, even in English, you will find represent concepts, sentiments, places, and things. This is especially true in Japanese.
[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]
#gender #fiction #writer #author
#cozy #mystery #sf #sff #sciencefiction
#writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers
#RSdiscussion
#RSstory #RSReluctanceStory -
#PennedPossibilities 1094: Saturday Word Edition: Share something from your WIP pertaining to the word “sorrow.” (For @thatwriterellie.)
Maybe if I write how the chapter will end, I'll finally write the rest of the stalled chapter! 🤞Here goes! The POV, Bolt, is a day angel, a human with wings. Warning: 1st draft. #excerpt
We watched the daemon float Molt's last box of books into the baggage compartment of the train in silence, me helping prop Molt up as he was still groggy from having his broken arm mended.
Companionable? Was silence that? Unsaid words felt awkward.
I flipped the porter a silver as my departing neighbor had been so desperate to leave town he hadn't thought of the coin necessary for fare let alone crate space. Another sign he wasn't thinking. He'd been assaulted. Arm broken. Covered in purpling bruises. I imagined not safe repeating over and over in his head.
He reached and wiped a tear from my cheek. Green eyes met mine as he said, "Not your fault," refuting my worry of having earned his hate and resentment.
He was a good man making a mistake. "You're giving up a scholarship—"
"And a friend." He coughed, looked away, maybe afraid of also losing his resolve. "Friends at school, and a neighbor who taught me to apply theory to real life. But…"
"…you must." The toot of train whistle stopped me from begging again, as did the hiss of steam.
He said firmly, "I must… Bolt?"
I was gazing reflexively at a passenger car not him, unaccustomed to my emotion flooding out toward a man. When I looked, he immediately held my chin with his good hand and swiftly kissed me, deeply, like that first time when we'd both given into the fever we felt.
Another toot. A bell, clang-clang-clang.
He said, "You've got to quit that job or run away from whatever crazy you've got yourself messed up with… before it kills you."
My mouth, lips still moist, dropped open as he rushed to the boarding steps where a conductor who I'd earlier discreetly given coin reached and helped him climb, shoes clanking on steel once, twice, thrice.
I didn't see him through the windows. I blinked too much, and it was blurry so not happening, before I stumbled turning away, thumping a few times before realizing I could glide away. I fled the length of the wood platform, not looking back, soon out of sight, breathing hard.
I had been blackmailed to work for the mob. I'd kept that secret. Details, at least.
Today hadn't gone as I'd hoped. Soon silver-sided aerodynamic cars accelerated and whizzed by. Arrow trains lived up to their name. Where I squatted atop the roof of the station, the trailing red lights were lost half a league away in the time I could have held my breath, were I not sobbing.
When I finally found the strength to fly, I flew swiftly home, exhausted already lightheaded from lack of sleep. Nearly a day had passed since I'd returned home anticipating his happy smiles. Now, when I entered my aerie, the first thing I saw was shiny magical gift I'd bought, for him, for us to share, wrapped in green satin, scented with thyme oil, tied with red ribbon, laying on the floor under the desk where I'd tossed it hearing him injured.
I collapsed to my knees. A word popped into my mind from a dodecade ago. I might have previously applied it to myself. Erroneously. All the mistakes I'd made to get myself to Molt being assaulted. Me living blackmailed. That feeling of being inflicted. But. I realized. Then. I could not feel this word, this emotion, unless I could apply it also, at the same time, to another: That would be Molt and myself. I pounded a fist on my sternum.
Is this sorrow?
[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]
#gender #fiction #writer #author
#cozy #mystery #sf #sff #sciencefiction
#writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers
#RSdiscussion
#RSstory #RSReluctanceStory
#microfiction #flashfiction #tootfic #smallstory -
#PennedPossibilities 1094: Saturday Word Edition: Share something from your WIP pertaining to the word “sorrow.” (For @thatwriterellie.)
Maybe if I write how the chapter will end, I'll finally write the rest of the stalled chapter! 🤞Here goes! The POV, Bolt, is a day angel, a human with wings. Warning: 1st draft. #excerpt
We watched the daemon float Molt's last box of books into the baggage compartment of the train in silence, me helping prop Molt up as he was still groggy from having his broken arm mended.
Companionable? Was silence that? Unsaid words felt awkward.
I flipped the porter a silver as my departing neighbor had been so desperate to leave town he hadn't thought of the coin necessary for fare let alone crate space. Another sign he wasn't thinking. He'd been assaulted. Arm broken. Covered in purpling bruises. I imagined not safe repeating over and over in his head.
He reached and wiped a tear from my cheek. Green eyes met mine as he said, "Not your fault," refuting my worry of having earned his hate and resentment.
He was a good man making a mistake. "You're giving up a scholarship—"
"And a friend." He coughed, looked away, maybe afraid of also losing his resolve. "Friends at school, and a neighbor who taught me to apply theory to real life. But…"
"…you must." The toot of train whistle stopped me from begging again, as did the hiss of steam.
He said firmly, "I must… Bolt?"
I was gazing reflexively at a passenger car not him, unaccustomed to my emotion flooding out toward a man. When I looked, he immediately held my chin with his good hand and swiftly kissed me, deeply, like that first time when we'd both given into the fever we felt.
Another toot. A bell, clang-clang-clang.
He said, "You've got to quit that job or run away from whatever crazy you've got yourself messed up with… before it kills you."
My mouth, lips still moist, dropped open as he rushed to the boarding steps where a conductor who I'd earlier discreetly given coin reached and helped him climb, shoes clanking on steel once, twice, thrice.
I didn't see him through the windows. I blinked too much, and it was blurry so not happening, before I stumbled turning away, thumping a few times before realizing I could glide away. I fled the length of the wood platform, not looking back, soon out of sight, breathing hard.
I had been blackmailed to work for the mob. I'd kept that secret. Details, at least.
Today hadn't gone as I'd hoped. Soon silver-sided aerodynamic cars accelerated and whizzed by. Arrow trains lived up to their name. Where I squatted atop the roof of the station, the trailing red lights were lost half a league away in the time I could have held my breath, were I not sobbing.
When I finally found the strength to fly, I flew swiftly home, exhausted already lightheaded from lack of sleep. Nearly a day had passed since I'd returned home anticipating his happy smiles. Now, when I entered my aerie, the first thing I saw was shiny magical gift I'd bought, for him, for us to share, wrapped in green satin, scented with thyme oil, tied with red ribbon, laying on the floor under the desk where I'd tossed it hearing him injured.
I collapsed to my knees. A word popped into my mind from a dodecade ago. I might have previously applied it to myself. Erroneously. All the mistakes I'd made to get myself to Molt being assaulted. Me living blackmailed. That feeling of being inflicted. But. I realized. Then. I could not feel this word, this emotion, unless I could apply it also, at the same time, to another: That would be Molt and myself. I pounded a fist on my sternum.
Is this sorrow?
[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]
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#WordWeavers 2026.08.08 — Which character would survive a zombie apocalypse, and why?
First best less interesting answer is all would since neither the paranormal nor the supernatural are even a concept, let alone existing in the Reluctance Series. Thus, no zombie apocalypse. That out of the way, a congruent disaster would have to be a natural disaster or a human-made one, and things like that are fathomable and actionable, especially with a normal sized population. Furthermore, for reasons I can't state, the zombies can't be human. Some bad actor that kills off the already dwindling human population except for a few individuals and turns all creatures rabid with a poison bite (not infectious for reasons I can't state) would indeed be the closest disaster that would require fighting an irrational invading force. Depending on the mix of characters, they'd survive indefinitely, building up defenses with minimal losses. Fighting rabid mice and rats, or possibly poisonous insects that want to bite you, would be an interesting problem that would pick off even characters who can fly. It's especially bad for enabling long term food production to continue without loss of crops. Reluctance provides many tools, but eventually the then contemporary humans would die over decades as they wouldn't be able to reproduce fast enough.
[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]
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#WordWeavers 2026.08.08 — Which character would survive a zombie apocalypse, and why?
First best less interesting answer is all would since neither the paranormal nor the supernatural are even a concept, let alone existing in the Reluctance Series. Thus, no zombie apocalypse. That out of the way, a congruent disaster would have to be a natural disaster or a human-made one, and things like that are fathomable and actionable, especially with a normal sized population. Furthermore, for reasons I can't state, the zombies can't be human. Some bad actor that kills off the already dwindling human population except for a few individuals and turns all creatures rabid with a poison bite (not infectious for reasons I can't state) would indeed be the closest disaster that would require fighting an irrational invading force. Depending on the mix of characters, they'd survive indefinitely, building up defenses with minimal losses. Fighting rabid mice and rats, or possibly poisonous insects that want to bite you, would be an interesting problem that would pick off even characters who can fly. It's especially bad for enabling long term food production to continue without loss of crops. Reluctance provides many tools, but eventually the then contemporary humans would die over decades as they wouldn't be able to reproduce fast enough.
[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]
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#Cozy #mystery #sf #sff #sciencefiction
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#WritersCoffeeClub #WCC 2026.08.08 — In your works, when the subaltern speaks, who listens?
I will admit that the Subaltern etal. is beyond my pay grade philosophically, but I'll take a stab at it. The oppressed in our world are voiced and heard in theirs, but still nobody is happy or truly not oppressed because everyone is taught that our little prisons are safer than thinking and deciding for ourselves, because it's obvious those that those grown powerful will become like those supplanted. That's human nature. Getting the reader to see what we do to ourselves from a foreign perspective with plenty of contrast is what I strive for philosophically. Awareness might break cycles of history.
[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]
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#WritersCoffeeClub #WCC 2026.08.08 — In your works, when the subaltern speaks, who listens?
I will admit that the Subaltern etal. is beyond my pay grade philosophically, but I'll take a stab at it. The oppressed in our world are voiced and heard in theirs, but still nobody is happy or truly not oppressed because everyone is taught that our little prisons are safer than thinking and deciding for ourselves, because it's obvious those that those grown powerful will become like those supplanted. That's human nature. Getting the reader to see what we do to ourselves from a foreign perspective with plenty of contrast is what I strive for philosophically. Awareness might break cycles of history.
[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]
#BoostingIsSharing
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#cozy #mystery ##sf #sff #sciencefiction
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#RSdiscussion
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#WritersCoffeeClub #WCC 2026.08.07 — What subcultures exist in your work?
There's plenty of hints that Bolt lives as a minority in Home City. There's plenty of words day angels can say about and amongst themselves that others will get punched for saying. There is discrimination. There are not nice neighborhoods, and day angels are relegated to live in upper floors and attics of buildings with lots of stairs (they can fly up, of course). Some non-angelic claim to be allergic to feather dander and say they can "smell those people." Prejudice is visible but I don't delve deeply in this story.
Instead, we see day angel food culture. Unlike the primarily vegetarian population of home city, day angels need to eat fish. They have their own markets and restaurants, mostly in red popup tents on roof tops because tent space is cheap and portable. There's grills, friers, smokers and more, with plenty of noodle soups. And celebrity chefs. Festivals. Contests. Beer and fun smokes. Plenty. Food sections sell newspapers and zines to feather folk, with recipes, critics, and biographies. Rooftops with the scent of fried foods cloaked in tasty grill smoke where people with wings gather and those people without wings… typically have to climb ten flight of stairs or more.
[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]
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#WritersCoffeeClub #WCC 2026.08.07 — What subcultures exist in your work?
There's plenty of hints that Bolt lives as a minority in Home City. There's plenty of words day angels can say about and amongst themselves that others will get punched for saying. There is discrimination. There are not nice neighborhoods, and day angels are relegated to live in upper floors and attics of buildings with lots of stairs (they can fly up, of course). Some non-angelic claim to be allergic to feather dander and say they can "smell those people." Prejudice is visible but I don't delve deeply in this story.
Instead, we see day angel food culture. Unlike the primarily vegetarian population of home city, day angels need to eat fish. They have their own markets and restaurants, mostly in red popup tents on roof tops because tent space is cheap and portable. There's grills, friers, smokers and more, with plenty of noodle soups. And celebrity chefs. Festivals. Contests. Beer and fun smokes. Plenty. Food sections sell newspapers and zines to feather folk, with recipes, critics, and biographies. Rooftops with the scent of fried foods cloaked in tasty grill smoke where people with wings gather and those people without wings… typically have to climb ten flight of stairs or more.
[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]
#BoostingIsSharing
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#PennedPossibilities 1093 — Name something you love about your MC.
Bolt's life might NOT be great and she's certainly not free to do as she pleases, but when she gets a chance to enjoy her life she knows how to do so with abandon.
[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]
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#PennedPossibilities 1093 — Name something you love about your MC.
Bolt's life might NOT be great and she's certainly not free to do as she pleases, but when she gets a chance to enjoy her life she knows how to do so with abandon.
[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]
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#PennedPossibilities 1092½ #ImposterToot: Quality time! Your MC/MCs has a day off tomorrow; what do they do?
Bolt's Day Off
May be considered vaguely NSWF.
Bolt has far more time off than you'd expect; it's just not scheduled or reliable. She couriers anonymous sealed blue envelopes around town that display only an address—which makes her part of a criminal conspiracy even if she doesn't know if they contain orders to commit crimes, threats, or past due notices for protection rackets. She prides herself on her stealth and her "sneaky." Nobody has killed the messenger, yet.
Recently her street photography hobby has left her jangling with coin, so Bolt's Day Off will start after sleeping in with a spicy red fish stew ramen bowl at a rooftop day angel food court, then after a nice flight across the city, continue at her gym for a sweaty workout. Afterwards, she would spend midday at the bathhouse, paying a bath attendant for a good scrub to remove said sweat, then enjoying all the baths: cool, hot and sulfury, carbonated, mineralized, and salt, ending with the warm one with lapping waves. Drinking a cold fruit juice, she'd enjoy a good preen and oiling of her feathers—with an attendant, of course, hopefully a nice looking guy!—because when she has coin she knows to spend it before it's taken from her.
Since Shugh is always maniacally working at the newspaper and Molt is now no longer available, smelling of thyme oil she would fly to the Strand Association to see if she can find her friend Blue to spend the end of the day. She's realistic, though. As a newly hired praetorian, he's rarely free, and when released from duty for a few days, he always helps support the association he's lived in for years. He is something like, yet not like, what we might term a geisha; Bolt gets no discounts, sadly. Likely he's training or paid for this night, so she'd end Bolt's Day Off admiring the hunky scenery in the night club and dance casino part of the complex, if or until she finds someone who catches her eye.
[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]
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#PennedPossibilities 1092½ #ImposterToot: Quality time! Your MC/MCs has a day off tomorrow; what do they do?
Bolt's Day Off
May be considered vaguely NSWF.
Bolt has far more time off than you'd expect; it's just not scheduled or reliable. She couriers anonymous sealed blue envelopes around town that display only an address—which makes her part of a criminal conspiracy even if she doesn't know if they contain orders to commit crimes, threats, or past due notices for protection rackets. She prides herself on her stealth and her "sneaky." Nobody has killed the messenger, yet.
Recently her street photography hobby has left her jangling with coin, so Bolt's Day Off will start after sleeping in with a spicy red fish stew ramen bowl at a rooftop day angel food court, then after a nice flight across the city, continue at her gym for a sweaty workout. Afterwards, she would spend midday at the bathhouse, paying a bath attendant for a good scrub to remove said sweat, then enjoying all the baths: cool, hot and sulfury, carbonated, mineralized, and salt, ending with the warm one with lapping waves. Drinking a cold fruit juice, she'd enjoy a good preen and oiling of her feathers—with an attendant, of course, hopefully a nice looking guy!—because when she has coin she knows to spend it before it's taken from her.
Since Shugh is always maniacally working at the newspaper and Molt is now no longer available, smelling of thyme oil she would fly to the Strand Association to see if she can find her friend Blue to spend the end of the day. She's realistic, though. As a newly hired praetorian, he's rarely free, and when released from duty for a few days, he always helps support the association he's lived in for years. He is something like, yet not like, what we might term a geisha; Bolt gets no discounts, sadly. Likely he's training or paid for this night, so she'd end Bolt's Day Off admiring the hunky scenery in the night club and dance casino part of the complex, if or until she finds someone who catches her eye.
[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]
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#cozy #mystery #sf #sff #sciencefiction
#writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers
#RSdiscussion
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#microfiction #flashfiction #tootfic #smallstory -
#PennedPossibilities 1092 — Do others get frightened when your SC is angry?
Those that know her (that she knows), other than reflexively, no, because they understand she'll have their back in a fight or will teach them how to avoid what they did wrong. She doesn't do arbitrary (often).
Those that don't know her ought run.
[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]
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#PennedPossibilities 1092 — Do others get frightened when your SC is angry?
Those that know her (that she knows), other than reflexively, no, because they understand she'll have their back in a fight or will teach them how to avoid what they did wrong. She doesn't do arbitrary (often).
Those that don't know her ought run.
[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]
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#WordWeavers 2026.08.06 — If your villain had to spend a day with your hero, what would happen?
Word choice matters, so I'll assume the opposites villain and hero were chosen intentionally. I like this definition from Wikipedia:
A villain (masculine), or villainess (feminine), also bad guy, baddy or baddie (sometimes known as a "black hat"), is a stock character, whether based on a historical narrative or one of literary fiction. Random House Unabridged Dictionary defines such a character as "a cruelly malicious person who is involved in or devoted to wickedness or crime; scoundrel; or a character in a play, novel, or the like, who constitutes an important evil agency in the plot". The antonym of a villain is a hero.
I don't write stories with villains (or heroes), only antagonists (and the reluctantly heroic). I see villains as inexplicable and lacking in nuance, often used for stories where the effects of the fight upon people are more important than what is fought, or the reasons to fight beyond survival.
My answer to "protagonist spending a night[sic] with the antagonist," which happens in the current story, would be far more entertaining.
[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]
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#WordWeavers 2026.08.06 — If your villain had to spend a day with your hero, what would happen?
Word choice matters, so I'll assume the opposites villain and hero were chosen intentionally. I like this definition from Wikipedia:
A villain (masculine), or villainess (feminine), also bad guy, baddy or baddie (sometimes known as a "black hat"), is a stock character, whether based on a historical narrative or one of literary fiction. Random House Unabridged Dictionary defines such a character as "a cruelly malicious person who is involved in or devoted to wickedness or crime; scoundrel; or a character in a play, novel, or the like, who constitutes an important evil agency in the plot". The antonym of a villain is a hero.
I don't write stories with villains (or heroes), only antagonists (and the reluctantly heroic). I see villains as inexplicable and lacking in nuance, often used for stories where the effects of the fight upon people are more important than what is fought, or the reasons to fight beyond survival.
My answer to "protagonist spending a night[sic] with the antagonist," which happens in the current story, would be far more entertaining.
[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]
#gender #fiction #writer #author
#writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers
#RSdiscussion -
#WritersCoffeeClub #WCC 2026.08.06 — What sort of collectives appear in your work?
There's a lot of words I use for ease of understanding because I don't want to overburden my readers with too many invented words. I use guild to signify a collective of professionals. Most act more like a union than an organization for training members and keeping trade secrets. They can be frustratingly exclusive. Bolt failed to qualify for one she wanted entrance into because she was the wrong gender. Bolt was super pleased when her photography hobby brought her professional sales leading to membership in the Shadowplayer guild, although it wasn't the guild she aimed for. Yes, she knows it had become a personal prestige thing.
The Thousand Eyes syndicate qualifies as a collective, too. Bolt is not happy being a member. It was once simply three street gangs that agreed upon territories and businesses, but has evolved into a mutual aid collective of smaller entities that works under a directorate for efficiency sake to minimize constabulary involvement (i.e. control violence as a tool) and maximize smoothness of operations and profit. Boss Mead (the primary antagonist) is the agreed upon director as he has a talent for convincing people.
[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]
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#WritersCoffeeClub #WCC 2026.08.06 — What sort of collectives appear in your work?
There's a lot of words I use for ease of understanding because I don't want to overburden my readers with too many invented words. I use guild to signify a collective of professionals. Most act more like a union than an organization for training members and keeping trade secrets. They can be frustratingly exclusive. Bolt failed to qualify for one she wanted entrance into because she was the wrong gender. Bolt was super pleased when her photography hobby brought her professional sales leading to membership in the Shadowplayer guild, although it wasn't the guild she aimed for. Yes, she knows it had become a personal prestige thing.
The Thousand Eyes syndicate qualifies as a collective, too. Bolt is not happy being a member. It was once simply three street gangs that agreed upon territories and businesses, but has evolved into a mutual aid collective of smaller entities that works under a directorate for efficiency sake to minimize constabulary involvement (i.e. control violence as a tool) and maximize smoothness of operations and profit. Boss Mead (the primary antagonist) is the agreed upon director as he has a talent for convincing people.
[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]
#BoostingIsSharing
#gender #fiction #writer #author
#cozy #mystery #sf #sff #sciencefiction
#writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers
#RSdiscussion
#RSstory #RSReluctanceStory -
#WritersCoffeeClub #WCC 2026.08.05 — Share a small selection of something you wrote recently that you're proud of.
Wanna #excerpt? How's 'bout this? The antagonist, Pigeon the Pilferer, and the narrator, Bolt, are day angels. They have wings. Teri (short for Night Terror) is the mob's new enforcer.
I looked up, reflexively flaring my wings as she'd led us into a narrow alley, feeling claustrophobic, tapping feathers to the brick on either side, unable to fully extend. I let the two continue ahead. After two steps, the woman faced him.
Hands on her hips, Teri insisted, "You should apologize."
"What?"
"Apologize."
"Why?"
"Do you think Boss Idiot doesn't know? That he won't use it against you? Do it for team cohesion purposes, if for no other reason."
"Or you're going to tattle?" He sneered.
"Interesting diction there, tattle. Oh! Are you attempting to belittle me? No. That's right, you're a featherbrain. You lack the vocabulary to state that I might discuss your counterproductive behavior with your employer—"
He swung on her.
Her shoe splashed in the water running down the center of the alley as she sidestepped. Slightly. Enough. Her cloak rustled as knuckles whizzed by her shoulder. He swung twice more, then grabbed fruitlessly for hanging fabric.
The heel of her hand hit him square on his sternum. It stopped there, barely impacting. Enough that he coughed. Surprised for a heartbeat, he grabbed for her arm, but she plowed forward switching hands. He jerked his hand back. She leaned in, her face looming into his since she was that tall and he somewhat short for a man. He reflexively backpedaled. When he grabbed for her cloak, she jumped back.
"You're flapping me!" he shouted, charging, his wings flaring out.
They thwacked the alley walls like striking sticks.
That hurt.
His attack fell short as she backpedaled, not even looking back because she'd mentally mapped the alley. When he stopped, bewildered that his results didn't match what he'd thought was going to happen, she threw herself at him, caught his arm-shoulder and pulled him to her.
She kissed him…
[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]
#BoostingIsSharing
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#RSdiscussion
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#microfiction #flashfiction #tootfic #smallstory -
#WritersCoffeeClub #WCC 2026.08.05 — Share a small selection of something you wrote recently that you're proud of.
Wanna #excerpt? How's 'bout this? The antagonist, Pigeon the Pilferer, and the narrator, Bolt, are day angels. They have wings. Teri (short for Night Terror) is the mob's new enforcer.
I looked up, reflexively flaring my wings as she'd led us into a narrow alley, feeling claustrophobic, tapping feathers to the brick on either side, unable to fully extend. I let the two continue ahead. After two steps, the woman faced him.
Hands on her hips, Teri insisted, "You should apologize."
"What?"
"Apologize."
"Why?"
"Do you think Boss Idiot doesn't know? That he won't use it against you? Do it for team cohesion purposes, if for no other reason."
"Or you're going to tattle?" He sneered.
"Interesting diction there, tattle. Oh! Are you attempting to belittle me? No. That's right, you're a featherbrain. You lack the vocabulary to state that I might discuss your counterproductive behavior with your employer—"
He swung on her.
Her shoe splashed in the water running down the center of the alley as she sidestepped. Slightly. Enough. Her cloak rustled as knuckles whizzed by her shoulder. He swung twice more, then grabbed fruitlessly for hanging fabric.
The heel of her hand hit him square on his sternum. It stopped there, barely impacting. Enough that he coughed. Surprised for a heartbeat, he grabbed for her arm, but she plowed forward switching hands. He jerked his hand back. She leaned in, her face looming into his since she was that tall and he somewhat short for a man. He reflexively backpedaled. When he grabbed for her cloak, she jumped back.
"You're flapping me!" he shouted, charging, his wings flaring out.
They thwacked the alley walls like striking sticks.
That hurt.
His attack fell short as she backpedaled, not even looking back because she'd mentally mapped the alley. When he stopped, bewildered that his results didn't match what he'd thought was going to happen, she threw herself at him, caught his arm-shoulder and pulled him to her.
She kissed him…
[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]
#BoostingIsSharing
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#cozy #mystery #sf #sff #sciencefiction
#writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers
#RSdiscussion
#RSstory #RSReluctanceStory
#microfiction #flashfiction #tootfic #smallstory -
#WordWeavers 2026.08.05 — What object in your story has more significance than readers realize?
Amongst other things, the story is a mystery. Sorry. No freebies. That would be spoilers.
[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]
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#WordWeavers 2026.08.05 — What object in your story has more significance than readers realize?
Amongst other things, the story is a mystery. Sorry. No freebies. That would be spoilers.
[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]
#gender #fiction #writer #author
#Cozy #mystery #sf #sff #sciencefiction
#writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers
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#PennedPossibilities 1091 — When not in person, how do people communicate? How has this method of communication affected the society in your world?
A little bit of deep background here, assembled thanks to this question, @floofpaldi, by examining the implications of what I've already written and deducing what might follow. Keep in mind that my day angel MC, Bolt, has wings and is a "private" air courier. Her dream, which was crushed, involved air freight delivery.
From the beginning, or at least since the Singularity, mail allowed people to communicate long distances as well as cross-town. Paper, the printing press, and books had to be re-invented, but that happened early on, well before Rainy Day's birth. (She's the main series antagonist.) Since roughly a third of the population has wings, cross-continental air mail during times of peace has been a thing since the beginning, with delivery within a week possible most anywhere in most eras (think Pony Express without need of horses). While I won't explain how, air delivery of freight exists, too. As a result, cities and regions on Home have never been completely insular or isolated—especially if you are born with wings because angelic humans can fly wherever they want whenever they want—though humans, being human, always find a way to be regional and distrustful.
In more recent times, railroads have increased communication and allowed populations to travel and intermingle. Stuff grown and manufactured soon found more distant markets. Though the civilization depicted in the Reluctance Series doesn't rely on electricity, they have had telegraphy for over five centuries—it developed with the railroads—which provides instant communication when needed and was pointed out as helping start and end a war in one story. Mail, communication, and population and information flow stabilized and enabled persistent laws and made mandatory education possible.
Surprisingly, with the advent of interstellar travel two centuries ago, it wasn't the exploration of new worlds or their colonization that benefited the world most. Instead, it benefited postal delivery. It became quickly obvious that the technology involved made the delivery of mail and small packages between major cities that have ports less expensive than rail. Freight still relies on rail service and lorries. Air mail is more important in more isolated areas, for rural delivery, and for suburban distribution.
[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]
#gender #fiction #writer #author
#cozy #mystery #sf #sff #sciencefiction
#writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers
#RSdiscussion
#RSstory #RSReluctanceStory
#microfiction #flashfiction #tootfic #smallstory -
#PennedPossibilities 1091 — When not in person, how do people communicate? How has this method of communication affected the society in your world?
A little bit of deep background here, assembled thanks to this question, @floofpaldi, by examining the implications of what I've already written and deducing what might follow. Keep in mind that my day angel MC, Bolt, has wings and is a "private" air courier. Her dream, which was crushed, involved air freight delivery.
From the beginning, or at least since the Singularity, mail allowed people to communicate long distances as well as cross-town. Paper, the printing press, and books had to be re-invented, but that happened early on, well before Rainy Day's birth. (She's the main series antagonist.) Since roughly a third of the population has wings, cross-continental air mail during times of peace has been a thing since the beginning, with delivery within a week possible most anywhere in most eras (think Pony Express without need of horses). While I won't explain how, air delivery of freight exists, too. As a result, cities and regions on Home have never been completely insular or isolated—especially if you are born with wings because angelic humans can fly wherever they want whenever they want—though humans, being human, always find a way to be regional and distrustful.
In more recent times, railroads have increased communication and allowed populations to travel and intermingle. Stuff grown and manufactured soon found more distant markets. Though the civilization depicted in the Reluctance Series doesn't rely on electricity, they have had telegraphy for over five centuries—it developed with the railroads—which provides instant communication when needed and was pointed out as helping start and end a war in one story. Mail, communication, and population and information flow stabilized and enabled persistent laws and made mandatory education possible.
Surprisingly, with the advent of interstellar travel two centuries ago, it wasn't the exploration of new worlds or their colonization that benefited the world most. Instead, it benefited postal delivery. It became quickly obvious that the technology involved made the delivery of mail and small packages between major cities that have ports less expensive than rail. Freight still relies on rail service and lorries. Air mail is more important in more isolated areas, for rural delivery, and for suburban distribution.
[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]
#gender #fiction #writer #author
#cozy #mystery #sf #sff #sciencefiction
#writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers
#RSdiscussion
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#microfiction #flashfiction #tootfic #smallstory -
#ScribesAndMakers »2026.08.03 — Are you more comfortable communicating verbally (or signing/ other non-written) or in writing?
This isn't to say that I can't do a dramatic reading or give a speech, perhaps participate in a lively panel discussion—but I'm quite shy. It'll depend on the day, and possibly somebody revving up my mood, preferably with the proper application of caffeine. My vocabulary, elocution, and clarity are reliably much better in print.
Like now 😋.
[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]
#BoostingIsSharing
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photographer chef cooking
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#ScribesAndMakers »2026.08.03 — Are you more comfortable communicating verbally (or signing/ other non-written) or in writing?
This isn't to say that I can't do a dramatic reading or give a speech, perhaps participate in a lively panel discussion—but I'm quite shy. It'll depend on the day, and possibly somebody revving up my mood, preferably with the proper application of caffeine. My vocabulary, elocution, and clarity are reliably much better in print.
Like now 😋.
[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]
#BoostingIsSharing
#gender #fiction #writer #author
photographer chef cooking
#writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers
#RSdiscussion -
#ScribesAndMakers »2026.08.04 — What's the first thing you think of when you hear the word troll?
What is For Whom the Bell—?
[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]
#BoostingIsSharing
#gender #fiction #writer #author
photographer chef cooking
#writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers
#RSdiscussion -
#ScribesAndMakers »2026.08.04 — What's the first thing you think of when you hear the word troll?
What is For Whom the Bell—?
[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]
#BoostingIsSharing
#gender #fiction #writer #author
photographer chef cooking
#writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers
#RSdiscussion