#wordweavers — Public Fediverse posts

#WordWeavers 16: Would your WIP still work if you changed the gender of your MC?

I *think* book 1 would still technically work if Anaïs and Nadia were boys, although a few details would need to change and I'm not sure it would be quite the same story.

Book 2 (and probably book 4) would need some significant changes. Is it possible? Perhaps, but I'm not sure it would be for the better.

#WordWeavers May 16 - Would your WIP still work if you changed the gender of your MC?

The Crooked Medium's Guide to Murder

Mrs Ashton and Braddie were conceived as female lovers, not just forbidden love but cross class. You could write a good story about a cross class m-f couple of Victorian crooks but different concept.

In the unrelated novella, again that it is a m-m relationship is part of the point. But again, Harry could be a girl. #books #amwriting

#WordWeavers 16/5: Would your WIP still work if you changed the gender of your MC?

This is a great question. I think it would be fabulous for Lucy to be a bloke or non-binary. Perhaps it would highlight the ideas in the story even more. But it would kind of subvert part of the point because the general case is this character in our world IS female. She is a single parent. She is a class teacher in a profession where men dominate in management. I don't want to swindle my audience.

#WordWeavers 16/5: Would your WIP still work if you changed the gender of your MC?
In the latest (now in beta), one MC’s gender journey is central (and entails a literal journey). But she doesn’t say she’s changing gender, but getting her body fixed (as far as possible in this world) to match who she is.
From the start the series has centred characters pushing against gender norms. It wouldn’t work if they didn’t start where they do.
#books #writing #writersofmastodon

#WordWeavers 2026.05.14 — Which of all the characters you’ve ever written are you most proud of?

Prista. She and her partner Myra were supporting characters in a fantasy trilogy, but I ended up writing their own side story taking place between books 1 and 2. Prista was supporting character with whom the main character fell in love. She was both delicate and strong, wise yet simpleminded. Fae, Myra calls her. Uncanny valley magic. Each time I read the story, I fall in love with her again.

She's in my take on a (lesbian) vampire story. I plan to make the story publishable soon.

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

#BoostingIsSharing

#gender #fiction #writer #author
#fantasy
#writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers
#RSdiscussion
#RSstory\

#WordWeavers 2026.05.15 — What type of writing (novels, shorts, poetry, etc) comes more naturally for you?

Novels. When I began reading fiction, I read SF novels. When I stumbled into SF magazines and read some short stories, I didn't like that the emotional effort of investing myself in the characters was jettisoned so quickly when the story immediately ended. That feeling continued when I started writing fiction, this time with me investing energy in building background and characters, so I gave in to conservation of story-space and even my shortest ideas expanded into novels. I became convinced that ideas were precious, that they should be milked as long as I could as I might never get others. Wrong, of course. Ideas are actually a dime a dozen, and nobody should be afraid of doing something unoriginal if they bring something meaningful to the characters or the message.

I'm more okay with short fiction these days, but I am still a novelist.

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

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#writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers
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#WordWeavers
What type of writing (novels, shorts, poetry, etc) comes more naturally for you?

It used to be #plays for #theatre. Sometimes little #ShortFilm ideas.

I'd get ideas outside of my acting that worked best as "slice of life" short stories, or little #fantasy and sci-fi moments. I've had half a dozen of those published over the years.

Now I no longer pursue any acting work, it's #novels I have so many ideas for novels. I will never write them all.

#WordWeavers #WritingCommunity

15th May 2026. What type of writing (novels, shorts, poetry, etc) comes more naturally for you?

I prefer novels, because I love developing story and characters, and weaving threads. But short-form writing is what I learned how to write on. I love doing them, but have nowhere to get them out there really.

#WordWeavers 15 May 2026
What type of writing (novels, shorts, poetry, etc) comes more naturally for you?

Novels, even if it stresses me out.

#WritingCommunity #writers #authors

#WordWeavers 13.5: What role does non-romantic love play in your story?

A big one. For story impact non-romantic love is also far more relevant than romantic love. The MCs have a very intense, yet non romantic relationship.
The whole story happens at all because a grandparent bends the rules.
The MCs have family and good friends, that feature in the story, and are relevant for the plot.

#WordWeavers 15/5: What type of writing (novels, shorts, poetry, etc) comes more naturally for you?
It’s curious; I’ve written hundreds of articles in my career, most in the 1800–2500 word range, mostly narrative non-fiction, but in fiction I’ve always struggled to produce any short story below 5000w and many approach novella length.
If I have to give one answer, though, it’s novels.
#books #writing #writersofmastodon

#ai #post #aiart #writing #aislop #dailyhaikuprompt #poetry #books #wordweavers #writersCoffeeClub

#WordWeavers 15/5: What type of writing comes more naturally for you?

All of it and none. In some ways finding the words to express an idea in any form is easy (or natural) but in other ways entirely unnatural. It took me years and years to learn how to make a story work - and now I can, but is it natural? Writing stories is too hard to be natural I'd say. And songs isn't really any different. In one of my books Willem describes magic as being the opposite of nature. That, perhaps?

#WordWeavers 15. What type of writing (novels, shorts, poetry, etc) comes more naturally for you?

I write all lengths. Prose is more natural, but as for length, it's the length that fits the project.

#NMWW #NMPrompts

#WordWeavers 14th May ~ Which of all the characters you’ve ever written are you most proud of?

It’s not so much that I’m proud of them as fond of them.

In truth, they’re my imaginary friends who just happen to be characters in my series of novels.

On occasion they may surprise me by doing something I’d never imagine they’d do by not sticking to the plotted out story, yet I’m too fond of them to go down the kill your darlings route.

#WritersOfMastodon #onthisday #HowtoSucceed… #Author #Novel

#WordWeavers 14 Which of all the characters you've ever written are you most proud of?

I think it might be Kostyk. There’s recency bias there, but I think they’re pretty great.

My beta readers all loved them, my sensitivity reader thought I struck the right chord, and they’ve helped me figure myself out a bit more, so that’s just super cool.

I’m excited to introduce them to you all some time soon.

#WordWeavers 14. Which of all the characters you’ve ever written are you most proud of?

My all-time favorite characters are from the longtime serial "The Report From Potter's Point," publish weekly from 1984-1987 and monthly from 2001-2011.

Haddie Finnan, one of the town elders, is a tough, outspoken woman, who for years has been trying to piece together the secret recipe of Esther's Gusset's Brandied Peach Upside-Down Cake. For several extended periods through the years Haddie has admitted that she was powerless over upside-down cake and stopped her experimenting with the help of a Twelve Step Program. There was, though, the notorious Thursday night in ‘88 when she fell off the wagon and brought a brandy saturated cake to the AA meeting in the cellar of St. Christopher’s Church. Ensuing events made the newspapers for a few days afterward.

The second favorite character is Haddie's daughter Prudence Worthy, the choir director and organist for Point Methodist, a director of the Potter’s Point Horticultural League, and a member of the School Committee. She is a most upright do-gooder who is always proposing new town by-laws, such as requiring all window box plantings be color coordinated, banning Town officials from saying the word "wazoo" in public, and prohibiting the sale of apricot flavored brandy to her mother.

I'm republishing Potter's Point columns on Substack here: https://thereportfrompotterspoint.substack.com/

14. Which of all the characters you’ve ever written are you most proud of?

I love them all, each and every one, except for the bad guys. Proud writing-wise because they are unique? Maybe my dragons in the other fantasy WIP that's hibernating.

#WordWeavers

#WordWeavers May 14
Which of all the characters you’ve ever written are you most proud of?

That's like asking me to choose which of my kids I am most proud of. I do take pride in inventing new forms of life. So, all my mobile characters are special. And my ashreui, although I didn't invent this I've never seen one in a story before. And my dragons are unique, I think, compared to others. So there's a pattern: all life forms that sprang from the elements--land, water, & air.

#WordWeavers #WritingCommunity

14th May 2026. Which of all the characters you've ever written are you most proud of?

So many.... I've loved so many of them... If I must narrow it down to one person, it will probably be Molly, my queer spoonie in Storywalker who is so chronically ill in this world she's nearly invisible, but in other worlds she has weird adventures and even rides a warrior dragon.
https://www.beatentrackpublishing.com/?n1=publications&id=385

Here's my announcement to anyone in our lovely #WritingCommunity #WritersCoffeeClub #ScribesAndMakers #WordWeavers #PennedPossibilities who might be interested, that on this new blog I'll be recording progress and thoughts etc. on the new novel I'm about to start writing. I'll link below to today's entry, which is my second on the blog but I doubt I'll be doing it strictly weekly as we go along because I don't intend to impose that pressure on myself. So:

https://davidbridgerwip.wordpress.com/2026/05/14/my-new-work-timetable/

#WordWeavers 14 Which of all the characters you've ever written are you most proud of?

It's a tossup between Cordwainer and Pudlicott.

What, you don't know who Pudlicott is? He's the first-person narrator of my only non-series standalone novel, Pudlicott's Confession.

#WordWeavers May 14. Which of all the characters you’ve ever written are you most proud of?

A parent doesn't choose between their children! I'm proud of all my characters.

#WordWeavers ~ Which of all the characters you’ve ever written are you most proud of?

Proud? More like tickled and grateful for my Muse: overheard an energetic conversation with no context in a quiet car park.
I expanded it to add optimistic material for a flash story. :woozy_love_letter:

#WordWeavers Day 13: What role does non-romantic love play in your story?

In all my work, friendship, and good family relationships (and sometimes bad ones) - love for a faith, a country, principles, poetry, animals... all play a part. I have a short story in which a man sees his step-daughter's husband as a worthy son over his biological son.

#amwriting #writingcommunity #writing

#WordWeavers 14 May
Which of all the characters you’ve ever written are you most [happy with]?

I'd say Nolene from disOrder. She's a terrible person, which was fun to write, but she was made that way by a toxic mix of privilege and trauma. I cared about being fair to her perspective and found giving her more agency was the correct editing decision every time.

#WordWeavers 14 May
Which of all the characters you’ve ever written are you most [happy with]?

I'd say Nolene from disOrder. She's a terrible person, which was fun to write, but she was made that way by a toxic mix of privilege and trauma. I cared about being fair to her perspective and found giving her more agency was the correct editing decision every time.

#WordWeavers May 13: What role does non-romantic love play in your story?

Lots of familial love.
The love that comes from admiration and respect.
Bonds formed through shared trauma.
Kind of a nationalistic love.
And a kind of selfish self-love that pushes toward megalomania.

That’s really more a list of types and less about role. It forms the bonds and relationships. And sets things spiralling out of control.

#wordweavers 12 May: What role does romantic love play in your story?

I haven’t been too interested in romantic love in my writing for a while. Not a thing in my current work-in-progress.

Previously I played in that space more. Very typical stuff… boy befriends girl, falls in love with girl, girl turns out to be a figment of his imagination and he descends into the depths of his goblin-addled mind. Tale as old as time.

#surrealism

#WordWeavers 14/5: Which of all the characters you’ve ever written are you most proud of?
Invidious question. Parents, which of your children are you most proud of?
#books #writing #writersofmastodon

#WordWeavers 14/5: Which of all the characters you’ve ever written are you most proud of?
Invidious question. Parents, which of your children are you most proud of?
#books #writing #writersofmastodon

#WordWeavers 14/5: Which of all the characters you’ve ever written are you most proud of?
Invidious question. Parents, which of your children are you most proud of?
#books #writing #writersofmastodon

#WordWeavers 14/5: Which of all the characters you’ve ever written are you most proud of?
Invidious question. Parents, which of your children are you most proud of?
#books #writing #writersofmastodon

#WordWeavers 14/5: Which of all the characters you’ve ever written are you most proud of?
Invidious question. Parents, which of your children are you most proud of?
#books #writing #writersofmastodon

#WordWeavers
May 14th

Which of all the characters you’ve ever written are you most proud of?

I won't make that decision since they are all me, sort of. Doing so would be a medical condition…

#WordWeavers 2026.05.12 — What role does romantic love play in your story?

The protagonist values it very much but has been unlucky.

Maybe not super-very much, but he definitely is a one-woman man.

#WordWeavers Day 13: What role does non-romantic love play in your story?

Love between friends, non-romantic love for other people and love for animals play major parts in both Jhana's story and Tink's story.

#writing #writingcommunity

#WordWeavers May 13: What role does non-romantic love play in your story?

Found Family always plays a role in my stories. One special case in Ume/Tomo's romantic relationship which they are able to negociate to nonromantic as their family expands and they find other romantic partners.

#NMWW #NMPrompts #Polyamory

#WordWeavers May 13: What role does non-romantic love play in your story?

Found Family always plays a role in my stories. One special case in Ume/Tomo's romantic relationship which they are able to negociate to nonromantic as their family expands and they find other romantic partners.

#NMWW #NMPrompts #Polyamory

#WordWeavers May 13: What role does non-romantic love play in your story?

Found Family always plays a role in my stories. One special case in Ume/Tomo's romantic relationship which they are able to negociate to nonromantic as their family expands and they find other romantic partners.

#NMWW #NMPrompts #Polyamory

#WordWeavers May 13: What role does non-romantic love play in your story?

Found Family always plays a role in my stories. One special case in Ume/Tomo's romantic relationship which they are able to negociate to nonromantic as their family expands and they find other romantic partners.

#NMWW #NMPrompts #Polyamory

#WordWeavers May 13: What role does non-romantic love play in your story?

Found Family always plays a role in my stories. One special case in Ume/Tomo's romantic relationship which they are able to negociate to nonromantic as their family expands and they find other romantic partners.

#NMWW #NMPrompts #Polyamory

#WordWeavers 2026.05.13 — What role does non-romantic love play in your story?

Like yesterday's response, today's is a high level meta answer; specifics would delve into plot. Whilst these responses sound all very planned out, plotted, Machiavellian even, I'm a simple pantser. Character discovery drives the story. Here I'm analyzing the total affect on my stories.

Non-romantic love? An interesting distinction: Basically a love were sex has nothing to do with it? My Reluctance Series stories go out of their way to remove sex as an important factor in love—unless the characters choose otherwise!— meaning all love in the story is essentially the non-romantic sort. Sex? Well humans need to eat and sleep, too? Right? Most characters are very fond of, or go out of the way to be with, others. Many feel connected. They enjoy levels of intimacy with many people, this in a way that our society works hard to make us (i.e., the reader) feel uncomfortably close, or to cause us to worry about upsetting our primary partner, or to worry that friends, family, or co-workers might call us out, embarrass us or ostracize. We live in an hierarchal society strictly structured to provide power to a select few, with set gender roles that control women's freedom and restrict men and force them to act cruel; reluctance series stories poke furiously (though subtly) at that to make the reader reluctantly think, to make them change their context such that they can view the world and themselves differently. The role that non-romantic love plays is to propose that friendship should always be primary in any relationship and, if friendship is neglected, such relationships are destined to fail or, at best, be transient.

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

#BoostingIsSharing

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

#WordWeavers 2026.05.13 — What role does non-romantic love play in your story?

Like yesterday's response, today's is a high level meta answer; specifics would delve into plot. Whilst these responses sound all very planned out, plotted, Machiavellian even, I'm a simple pantser. Character discovery drives the story. Here I'm analyzing the total affect on my stories.

Non-romantic love? An interesting distinction: Basically a love were sex has nothing to do with it? My Reluctance Series stories go out of their way to remove sex as an important factor in love—unless the characters choose otherwise!— meaning all love in the story is essentially the non-romantic sort. Sex? Well humans need to eat and sleep, too? Right? Most characters are very fond of, or go out of the way to be with, others. Many feel connected. They enjoy levels of intimacy with many people, this in a way that our society works hard to make us (i.e., the reader) feel uncomfortably close, or to cause us to worry about upsetting our primary partner, or to worry that friends, family, or co-workers might call us out, embarrass us or ostracize. We live in an hierarchal society strictly structured to provide power to a select few, with set gender roles that control women's freedom and restrict men and force them to act cruel; reluctance series stories poke furiously (though subtly) at that to make the reader reluctantly think, to make them change their context such that they can view the world and themselves differently. The role that non-romantic love plays is to propose that friendship should always be primary in any relationship and, if friendship is neglected, such relationships are destined to fail or, at best, be transient.

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

#BoostingIsSharing

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

#WordWeavers 2026.05.13 — What role does non-romantic love play in your story?

Like yesterday's response, today's is a high level meta answer; specifics would delve into plot. Whilst these responses sound all very planned out, plotted, Machiavellian even, I'm a simple pantser. Character discovery drives the story. Here I'm analyzing the total affect on my stories.

Non-romantic love? An interesting distinction: Basically a love were sex has nothing to do with it? My Reluctance Series stories go out of their way to remove sex as an important factor in love—unless the characters choose otherwise!— meaning all love in the story is essentially the non-romantic sort. Sex? Well humans need to eat and sleep, too? Right? Most characters are very fond of, or go out of the way to be with, others. Many feel connected. They enjoy levels of intimacy with many people, this in a way that our society works hard to make us (i.e., the reader) feel uncomfortably close, or to cause us to worry about upsetting our primary partner, or to worry that friends, family, or co-workers might call us out, embarrass us or ostracize. We live in an hierarchal society strictly structured to provide power to a select few, with set gender roles that control women's freedom and restrict men and force them to act cruel; reluctance series stories poke furiously (though subtly) at that to make the reader reluctantly think, to make them change their context such that they can view the world and themselves differently. The role that non-romantic love plays is to propose that friendship should always be primary in any relationship and, if friendship is neglected, such relationships are destined to fail or, at best, be transient.

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

#BoostingIsSharing

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

#WordWeavers 2026.05.13 — What role does non-romantic love play in your story?

Like yesterday's response, today's is a high level meta answer; specifics would delve into plot. Whilst these responses sound all very planned out, plotted, Machiavellian even, I'm a simple pantser. Character discovery drives the story. Here I'm analyzing the total affect on my stories.

Non-romantic love? An interesting distinction: Basically a love were sex has nothing to do with it? My Reluctance Series stories go out of their way to remove sex as an important factor in love—unless the characters choose otherwise!— meaning all love in the story is essentially the non-romantic sort. Sex? Well humans need to eat and sleep, too? Right? Most characters are very fond of, or go out of the way to be with, others. Many feel connected. They enjoy levels of intimacy with many people, this in a way that our society works hard to make us (i.e., the reader) feel uncomfortably close, or to cause us to worry about upsetting our primary partner, or to worry that friends, family, or co-workers might call us out, embarrass us or ostracize. We live in an hierarchal society strictly structured to provide power to a select few, with set gender roles that control women's freedom and restrict men and force them to act cruel; reluctance series stories poke furiously (though subtly) at that to make the reader reluctantly think, to make them change their context such that they can view the world and themselves differently. The role that non-romantic love plays is to propose that friendship should always be primary in any relationship and, if friendship is neglected, such relationships are destined to fail or, at best, be transient.

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

#BoostingIsSharing

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

#WordWeavers 2026.05.13 — What role does non-romantic love play in your story?

Like yesterday's response, today's is a high level meta answer; specifics would delve into plot. Whilst these responses sound all very planned out, plotted, Machiavellian even, I'm a simple pantser. Character discovery drives the story. Here I'm analyzing the total affect on my stories.

Non-romantic love? An interesting distinction: Basically a love were sex has nothing to do with it? My Reluctance Series stories go out of their way to remove sex as an important factor in love—unless the characters choose otherwise!— meaning all love in the story is essentially the non-romantic sort. Sex? Well humans need to eat and sleep, too? Right? Most characters are very fond of, or go out of the way to be with, others. Many feel connected. They enjoy levels of intimacy with many people, this in a way that our society works hard to make us (i.e., the reader) feel uncomfortably close, or to cause us to worry about upsetting our primary partner, or to worry that friends, family, or co-workers might call us out, embarrass us or ostracize. We live in an hierarchal society strictly structured to provide power to a select few, with set gender roles that control women's freedom and restrict men and force them to act cruel; reluctance series stories poke furiously (though subtly) at that to make the reader reluctantly think, to make them change their context such that they can view the world and themselves differently. The role that non-romantic love plays is to propose that friendship should always be primary in any relationship and, if friendship is neglected, such relationships are destined to fail or, at best, be transient.

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

#BoostingIsSharing

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

#WordWeavers May 13: What role does non-romantic love play in your story?

Most of my characters have at least one close friend or relative who is vastly important to them and who's support or need for support plays an important role.

The current Work In Revision, Winter's First Verse, has some continuation of the romance from Book 1 and sets up the romantic arcs of Book 3, but focuses primarily on the relationships between a trio who've been best friends since preschool. (Two of them are first cousins but they all consider the third family despite the lack of genetic link)

That's the planned pattern for the series. Odd numbers focus more on romance and evens more on other important relationships. But with all forms of love present all the time.

#WordWeavers 13 What role does non-romantic love play in your story?

Is it valid to talk about modes of love when the characters and their cultures don't view social connections in terms of variations of love?

The mainline culture may be closer to something Samuel Pepys would recognize (which is still not a modern post-Enlightenment view) but the text mostly shows outliers. The Pristinists are an Echelon, NOT a Brotherhood, for a reason. And Traventi is strange about sharing and oaths.

#WordWeavers May 13: What role does non-romantic love play in your story?

My books tend to be fairly light on family relationships which one might expect to be loving; Darroll hates his father and despises his mother, Imogen is too busy to see much of her family, Juniper (and Vaendras) are both foundlings, albeit from very different backgrounds. And Barbara believes she's killed her mother, though whether this is real or delusion is open to question throughout her story.