#writersofmastodon — Public Fediverse posts

#WordWeavers 10/8: Which character is most likely to make a terrible decision for a very good reason?

Oh, yes. Zerika comes to mind. She would do just about anything to save those around her, even strangers. Then again, so would Elric. He's an ancient being, one who's alive for the sole purpose (as he believes) of saving lives. I could see either of them making a terrible decision for the greater good.

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#ScribesAndMakers 10/8: Our next featured creator is a poet, potter, author, and crafter. Do you engage in multiple creative activities or stick to one?

Such a lovely prompt. I do, actually. I always have a few things going on at the same time. I'm a writer, of course, but I'm also a podcaster, gamer, and a game master for long-running TTRPGs. About the latter, I've been playing with the same party since I was in middle school. We go waaaaay back. It's a lot of fun.

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#WritersCoffeeClub 10/8: Tell us about someone who supports you on the sidelines.

Immediately, two people come to mind. Number one, we have my girlfriend, @aperfectsong, as always. Number two, we have one of my besties, @therivercrow. You should follow both of them if you don't already. They're absolutely wonderful gals. :11111:

#WritingCommunity #WritersOfMastodon

#PhantastikPrompts 10/8: Striking, dizzying and other famous words: What do you think of older linguistic gems and would you rejoice in using them yourself?

The wonders of language will always be a form of magic, joy, and curiosity to me. I love using older linguistic gems (which, by the way, was a beautiful way of putting that), and it makes being a writer far more exciting and interesting.

#WritingCommunity #WritersOfMastodon

#PennedPossibilities 1149¾: Bonus Question (Courtesy of @sfwrtr): If your character was ill, who would care for them? Would they provide good care?

If Zerika came down an illness of some sort, Elric would *absolutely* take care of her. He would jump right into "medic mode." He’s a mystic, and with his magick he would make sure she was taken care of. He would keep her home in his Divination Tower, heal her, cook for her, use his magickal abilities and potions, and do whatever was necessary to help her recover. He’s done this all his life. It’s second nature to him now.

#WritingCommunity #WritersOfMastodon #TheScarletMirror #FatedByFire #CozyFantasy #Fantasy #SwordAndSorcery #Romance

I'll publish a story tomorrow, inspired by this place.

#writersofmastodon #photo #WritingCommunity #fairytale

This whole exercise was a moon-shot at trying to make something commercial that could provide for my family. Now my son is in care and my wife, having taken the brunt of caring for a disabled child for 13 years doesn't want to deal with my disabilities any more and wants her life back. I don't blame her, but if the book isn't considered good enough to be printed, then whole point of it has been completely defeated.

Now I'm paralysed waiting for a response and unable to work on it because without a literary agent willing to take it on I don't feel like I can continue writing when the pain of my family breaking up haunts me.

I can't build traction alone. God I've tried but I'm just not a social person.

#writing #writingcommunity #writersofmastodon #worldglass

#WritersCoffeeClub 8/10: Tell us about someone who supports you on the sidelines.
It’s my partner, although ‘on the sidelines’ doesn’t really do her justice. Her contribution to my last non-fiction book was such that I would have liked to put her name on the cover… and A Study in Starlight would not be the same book without all the conversations we had in coffee shops about all the implications of being a compiled person.
#books #writing #writersofmastodon

#WordWeavers 8/10: Which character is most likely to make a terrible decision for a very good reason?
In current WIP, which concludes the series, it has to be Wandell, who’s accepted that his (and his parents’) long pursuit of the Skilthorn estate is baseless and futile… but doesn’t quite know what to put in his place. He needs someone to help him find a new balance.
#books #writing #writersofmastodon

#PennedPossibilities 1149¾: Bonus Question: If your character is ill, who would care for them? Would they provide good care?

Bolt could get great caring healthcare, but she is certain she has to provide her government ID. (It is otherwise free, and it is a plot point in the story.) She's wanted by the constables, but worse, the mobsters whom she is forced to work for would love to learn who her family is, for reasons you might suspect. She's burnt her identification papers.

Surprisingly, plenty of the SCs would take care of her, including one of her mob coworkers.

#imposterToot @floofpaldi Get Well Soon!

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

#BoostingIsSharing

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#cozy #mystery #sf #sff #sciencefiction
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#WordWeavers 2026.10.07 — Share a line of dialogue that tells us everything we need to know about a character's personality.

I rarely write definitive lines of dialogue, though I do recall a building climactic moment where a single riposte shreds the antagonist's whole line of reasoning. Nothing to do with defining everything the reader needs to know about a character. I don't have the time to do a definitive search, but the following few lines speak volumes about how comfortable these two people are with each other, and a bit about their personalities. It's Bolt razzing Blue.

"Didn't sleep well?" I called down to him.

"I was popular last night?" he answered somewhat resentful of lost sleep.

"Ridden much?"

"No." He laughed. "Lots of dancing, late."

"Pity it was only dancing."

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

#BoostingIsSharing

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#Cozy #mystery #sf #sff #sciencefiction
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https://storyoriginapp.com/swaps/01a0fa37-baa3-7827-b25a-35f22540af09
A war for her body and soul...

#romancereaders #bookish #readingcommunity #readerscommunity #kaleidoscoperomance #readersofmastodon #whattoread #bookstoread #readers #books #romancebooks #romancereads #booklover #bookrecs #Bookstodon #romancelandia #writersofmastodon

#ScribesAndMakers 2026.10.07 — <Create a four line rhyming poem that includes the word goose.

Choose
     the loose
          goose🪿
               caboose!

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

#BoostingIsSharing

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photographer chef cooking
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#WritersCoffeeClub #WCC 2026.10.07 — Does your editing process tend towards addition or reduction?

On finer grained scales, I find sometimes I write merely the bare bones of something that needs more sensory detail during revision.

Bolt often visits the Urban Desert, suburban ruins east of Home City abandoned over a century ago when the population fell quickly.

Became this is something I posted today:

Bolt often visits the Urban Desert, suburban ruins of overgrown landscaping, broken cement, and rusted steel, east of Home City abandoned over a century ago when the population fell quickly.

But on the whole I try to write long, to write out all of the idea. I'll often find the same information in multiple sentences, or sentences that say little.

Revision usually nets me a net reduction across large works of around 10%.

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

#BoostingIsSharing

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#PennedPossibilities 1149½: Bonus Question (Courtesy of @AnnaSaultron) Your MC comes across some spooky scary skeletons… What’s next?

Bolt often visits the Urban Desert, suburban ruins of overgrown landscaping, broken cement, and rusted steel, east of Home City abandoned over a century ago when the population fell quickly. Coming across horses is rare, and spotting their migrations at altitude more so, but this herd with a bone-white coat and yellow-ivory spinal plates (think a stegosaur; it's heat radiator anatomy) are unexpectedly flighty, notable. They rear, thrash tails, and whinny with wide eyes when she flies a body length overhead, just out of hoof range. She decides it must be a predator spooking the skeleton palominos and isn't up for that type of adventure. She resolves to tell a park ranger, if she spots one on the way to meet her man friend Blue for something more fun to ride.

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

#BoostingIsSharing

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#cozy #mystery #sf #sff #sciencefiction
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#microfiction #flashfiction #tootfic #smallstory

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https://agbg.leaflet.pub/3mxcw2mudec2r

#PennedPossibilities 1149½: Bonus Question (Courtesy of @AnnaSaultron): Your MC comes across some spooky scary skeletons… What’s next?

Zerika would probably love it, or she'd opt to draw her sword and ready herself for a fight. One or the other. It's too hard to tell really. It also seriously depends on what these spooky scary skeletons are doing, of course. How spooky and scary are they?

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https://books.xenaxion.com/succubus-sins-encounter-one
Lyla snags a single dad...

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Can anyone recommend a UK publisher for a first-time autistic author looking to publish their YA debut novel? My friend has more-or-less finished their manuscript and is looking at taking the next step. Any advice would be appreciated. #writersOfMastodon #BoostsWelcome

#WordWeavers 10/7: Share a line of dialogue that tells us everything we need to know about a character's personality.

Let's hear what Zerika has to say...

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#WordWeavers 10/6: What is considered completely normal in your story's world that would seem bizarre to us?

I have something simple to answer this prompt with. It's the magick in my universe, just in general. It would seem to terrifying, so bizarre and surreal to us.

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#ScribesAndMakers 10/6: On a scale of 0-100, how much conflict (however you personally define it) is necessary for a compelling story?

A compelling story doesn't necessarily *require* conflict. Everyone has a different story in their mind's eye. Some have conflict, some don't. I can't put a put down for that. Then it also depends on the genre as well. They're all so different.

#WritingCommunity #WritersOfMastodon

#PhantastikPrompts 10/7: Do you have some kind of "Captain Happen" character that keeps things moving?

I don't. I strive to steer clear of writing one-dimensional, single-purpose MCs, SCs, or antagonists. I give them main stories, side stories, fulfillment, their own choices, consequences of said choices, and more. I want characters who don't just exist for one purpose and one purpose only. They have lives, dreams, desires, things they hate or dislike, families or reasons why they might not have them, and as always, their own emotions. In my mind, they're people, not stick figures who exist on a page for only one reason. But those are just my own thoughts on it.

#WritingCommunity #WritersOfMastodon

#PhantastikPrompts 10/6: Your protagonist needs money and gets a musical job. Imagine and tell.

Oh, god. Just *imagining* this has me dying of laughter over here. Zerika can neither play an instrument nor sing. Elric might be able to help her out, though. Either that, or people would just feel *so badly* for her that they would drop coins into her hat or can, anyway. Probably the latter...

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#WritersCoffeeClub 10/7: Does your editing process tend towards addition or reduction?

For me, it's usually addition. Then again, it just depends on what I happen to be proofreading and editing. But yes, I lean more towards addition as opposed to reduction.

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#WritersCoffeeClub 10/6: What might an inattentive reader miss in your work?

Hints. Subtext. Maybe even the themes as well, honestly. I don't always spell things out for readers. In fact, I tend not to.

#WritingCommunity #WritersOfMastodon

#EroticMusings 71: Have you ever created characters with desire that persisted beyond death?

Absolutely. Let's talk about my Paranormal Romance Series for a moment. We have #WingsOfQuietLonging here, and the MCs are undead. They're a pair of vampires who *truly* love each other.

But yes, I've also written this in other ways as well. I'm a spooky writer. I love horror, romance, etc. Love persists. Death is of no consequence.

#WritingCommunity #WritersOfMastodon

#EroticMusings 70: Culture: What does arousal mean to you? Share an example from your work of arousal stemming from something other than someone else's physical appearance.

This is a good question. It's a feeling, a state of mind, emotions that wash over you, etc. Inner thoughts are important as well.

Here's an example:

Across the room, Malcolm met her eyes. It was a long look, one that spoke volumes and made the hair on the back of her neck rise. There was a spark of desire there, and she had to take a deep breath. Clearly, Malcolm couldn’t actually hear their conversation, not with how deeply he was enjoying talking to his nieces and catching up, but she found the timing odd. She wanted nothing more than to drag him upstairs right now.

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https://readbooks.kaleidoscoperomance.com/krhauntyourhalloween/jyot97510c
Browse these Halloween reads!

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https://readbooks.kaleidoscoperomance.com/krparanormalromance/pinn1ioo2p
Browse these books!

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Chapters 7 and 8 of The Prince of Dreams are available on The Reader's Well

https://sites.google.com/view/thereaderswell

#amreading #writersofmastodon#writingcommunity #indieauthor #bookcommunity #newrelease #bookstodon #booklovers #ReadingTime

#WordWeavers Oct 7: Share a line of dialogue that tells us everything we need to know about a character's personality.

This is from quite early in my upcoming book 'Management Apologises for the Inconvenience':

#writersofmastodon #author

@AverageS

Epiphyte, from Ancient Greek ἐπιφύτον, epiphúton, one plant that grows upon another plant, from ἐπί, epí, on top of, + φυτόν, phutón, plant, via epi-, above, over, +‎ -phyte, plant.

Meaning: a plant that grows on another, using it for physical support but obtaining no nutrients from it and neither causing damage nor offering benefit (botany); fungus that grows on a plant but does not feed upon it saprotrophically, an epiphytic fungus (biology).

The picture shows a close-up of a gnarled branch densely carpeted in feathery moss and delicate lichen.

This is a form of symbiosis, other forms can be either beneficial or detrimental to the host. An epiphyte is neither of these.

#WritersOfMastodon #TalesFrom… #SecretLife… #HowtoSucceed… #Author #Novel

#WritersCoffeeClub Oct 7
Does your editing process tend towards addition or reduction?

I reckon it balances out.

I tend to find myself trying to shorten dialogue to make it more succinct, but at the same find I’m garnishing descriptive passages to add to the atmosphere.

I guess I also attempt to shorten sentences in general ‘co sometimes I do go on a bit.

#WritersOfMastodon #TalesFrom… #SecretLife… #HowtoSucceed… #Author #Novel

#FantasyCon

I’m just heading up to Glasgow for FantasyCon.

This is a first for me and I’m finding the programme a little overwhelming.
I write urban fantasy, usually involving magic and the supernatural and I'm looking to get traditionally published.

I’d welcome any suggestions on which panels I might find most useful.

Is anybody from Mastodon attending? It would be nice to meet up for a chat if you are.

#WritersOfMastodon #TalesFrom… #SecretLife… #HowtoSucceed… #Author #Novel

#FantasyCon

I’m just heading up to Glasgow for FantasyCon.

This is a first for me and I’m finding the programme a little overwhelming.
I write urban fantasy, usually involving magic and the supernatural and I'm looking to get traditionally published.

I’d welcome any suggestions on which panels I might find most useful.

Is anybody from Mastodon attending? It would be nice to meet up for a chat if you are.

#WritersOfMastodon #TalesFrom… #SecretLife… #HowtoSucceed… #Author #Novel

I’ve just published chapter 5, the third of my short stories from Tales From the Demi-monde, where one of my secondary characters gets to stand centre stage.

You can find it at: https://timhayesauthor.com/serials/tales-from-the-demi-monde/chapter-5-francis-dashwood-practitioner

If you do decide to take a look at it I'd be grateful for any feedback.
Enjoy!

#WritersOfMastodon #TalesFromthe… #SecretLife… #HowtoSucceed… #Author #Novel

I’ve just published chapter 5, the third of my short stories from Tales From the Demi-monde, where one of my secondary characters gets to stand centre stage.

You can find it at: https://timhayesauthor.com/serials/tales-from-the-demi-monde/chapter-5-francis-dashwood-practitioner

If you do decide to take a look at it I'd be grateful for any feedback.
Enjoy!

#WritersOfMastodon #TalesFromthe… #SecretLife… #HowtoSucceed… #Author #Novel

#EroticMusings 2026.10.06 —Week 71 (October 4-10) Characters: Have you ever created characters with desire that persisted beyond death?

Yes. Not big-D Desire as the hashtag might prefer, but little-d immortal desire fitting with the eerie nature of this month's first prompt. The MC is a woman shaman in an SF lost-generation-ship setting. The man was the MC's best friend's bodyguard and man-servant, with a deeper relationship implied. After saving his employer's life, he comes back as the shaman's second guardian whom only the shaman can see—a black leopard being her first. He wants to help the shaman protect her best friend and convincingly talks to his former employer through the shaman as an intermediary, though there are infuriating limitations and things he won't do or say. To the shaman, her guardians exist as if in the room with her—she can see, hear, and physically feel them, but they're ethereal and disappear when they couldn't co-exist or become intransigent.

The reader may grow to question if shaman's guardians are real or whether the woman is delusional but manages her mental illness extremely well. The story touches upon on the psychology of charisma and success as well as the difference between greatness and insanity.

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

#BoostingIsSharing

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#sf #sff #sciencefiction
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#RSstory #RSReluctanceStory

https://featuredreads.kaleidoscoperomance.com/october-2026-featured-reads?ref=0rT7qbJ4YjRg
Check out Extraordinary Fall Festival by Ember Sage in the October Featured Reads!

#romancereaders #bookish #readingcommunity #readerscommunity #kaleidoscoperomance #readersofmastodon #whattoread #bookstoread #readers #books #romancebooks #romancereads #booklover #bookrecs #Bookstodon #romancelandia #writersofmastodon

#ScribesAndMakers 2026.10.06 — <On a scale of 0-100, how much conflict (however you personally define it) is necessary for a compelling story?

A question like this requires a qualitative answer but, forced to answer quantitatively, I would guess approximately 31.4157% +/- 10√2​, which works out to some, enough, not too much, or the opposite of what the experts say.

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

#BoostingIsSharing

#gender #fiction #writer #author
photographer chef cooking
#cozy #mystery #sf #sff #sciencefiction
#writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers
#RSdiscussion

#WritersCoffeeClub #WCC 2026.10.06 — What might an inattentive reader miss in your work?

Amongst the narratives that mention computers, elevators, interstellar travel, lorries, newspapers, photography, rush hour traffic, skyscrapers, and theatres, the inattentive reader might miss that there is no electricity or, by extension, electronics.

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

#BoostingIsSharing

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#cozy #mystery #sf #sff #sciencefiction
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#RSdiscussion
#RSstory #RSReluctanceStory

https://storyoriginapp.com/to/qBvHJN5
Browse this Halloween Book Fair!

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https://storyoriginapp.com/to/B2bmBtI
Browse this book fair!

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https://readbooks.kaleidoscoperomance.com/sept-oct-koboplushighlights/9aspnl3u3g
Read free with Kobo Plus!

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https://readbooks.kaleidoscoperomance.com/krscifialienrom/byfv4of0au
Browse this book fair!

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https://featuredreads.kaleidoscoperomance.com/october-2026-featured-reads?ref=pAFdlXFEHZhj
Check out The Siren and the Drag Queen by Siobhan Muir in the October Featured Reads!

#romancereaders #bookish #readingcommunity #readerscommunity #kaleidoscoperomance #readersofmastodon #whattoread #bookstoread #readers #books #romancebooks #romancereads #booklover #bookrecs #Bookstodon #romancelandia #writersofmastodon

#WordWeavers 2026.10.06 — What is considered completely normal in your story's world that would seem bizarre to us?

Practically everything? I don't want to give away the discovery aspect, so I'll pick something not mundane that's also SFW:

Men typically raise their sisters' children.

Which means their nieces and nephews. It isn't uncommon that boys will raise younger sisters, or cousins of first and second degree. The tradition causes considerable angst in the WIP.

To be clear, this is a normal gender role. Men grow up expecting this.

Blue—One of Bolt's LIs and the man with whom she's most comfortable—is already supervising his teenage sister who is a scatterbrain nerd with little common sense. He's doing this while being trained as a praetorian (a rare and special job), while occasionally working as what looks to our eyes to be a type of (male) geisha. Bizarrely, to our eyes perhaps, he's increasingly certain that were his sister to become pregnant he'd willingly give up his hard-won jobs to raise her children. In his society's terms and in Bolt's eyes, he is a very masculine guy.

In case you forgot: #gender #fiction #writer #author

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

#BoostingIsSharing

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#RSdiscussion
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What is it with Americans and they way they think they can commandeer iconic characters from English literature and assign them a National Day under the American dating system?

According to the Yanks today is National Mad Hatter Day, which is completely incorrect, it should be the 10th of June to reflect the English price tag on his hat showing 10/6 or ten shillings and sixpence.

#WritersOfMastodon #TalesFrom… #SecretLife… #HowtoSucceed… #Author #Novel

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

Oof.
Hope's decision not to take her studies seriously leads to her not being taken seriously, even when she is capable of great deeds..
Justice's decision has a hand in her arrogance and vastly underestimating the danger at hand.

#Writing #AmWriting #WritingCommunity #WritersofMastodon #Story