#PennedPossibilities 0.044 — What is the most altruistic thing your MC has ever done?

May Ri is neither altruistic nor is she transactional. For a woman who is always fighting against the paternalistic rules placed upon her, she pretty much does what she is told (but not always!). Her choice of friends and her prior decisions shaped her actions, which greatly helped the initial generations of native martians. She's great at engineering design and is especially talented at reverse engineering tech if given plenty of electronic and optical scopes, and other tools.What she did for Mars will be noted as foundational as much as it was politically ancillary, except for the last thing. She often volunteered in the crèche domes taking care of 3-6 year olds, but she liked that. Having been oppressed and mistrusted as a girl, she let her five daughters make their own choices, which is arguably how they grew up to be a force in their own right. She mentored and apprenticed hundreds of young martian women (and a few boys) in engineering and design.

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

#BoostingIsSharing

#gender #fiction #writer #author
#sf #sff #sciencefiction
#writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers
#RSdiscussion
#RSstory #RSMarsNeededWomen

So how deeply does this person sleep?

When I woke, I looked at my iPhone on its recharging stand. I quickly took a screenshot. Look at the time marker.

This makes a blaring noise when it occurs.

Very?

#BoostingIsSharing and more in #AltText

Si te gusta escribir, esto puede interesarte:
Se encuentra abierta la undécima edición del mundial de escritura, un concurso de escritura que se desarrolla en línea, ¡Y gratis!
Puedes anotarte con un equipo formado por ti, o de manera individual. Cuando se cierran las inscripciones, la misma plataforma se encarga de asignarte un equipo si no cuentas con uno.
Tienes tiempo hasta el 23 de abril para inscribirte.
¡Buena suerte!
#MundialDeEscritura #literaverso #escritura #escritoresdemastodon #WritersOfMastodon

https://www.chascoclub.com/mundial-de-escritura?s=08

Here is another installment of my regular author temperature gauge survey on the use of AI for the author business.

If there were 5 choices, the first would be "Use for nothing at all". If that is your answer, please reply to the survey with that.

@indieauthors #Author #Authors #Writing #Writers #WritersOfMastodon #AmWriting #WritingCommunity

I currently use or am willing to use AI for:

We're counting the days until the next Writing the Occult, so figured it's time we do a little relics roll call - a way to introduce you to some of the weird objects from history that are venerated or feared. And why not start with the literal head of Saint John the Baptist?

#WordWeavers 14/4: Who is your kindest character and how do they show it?
The obvious answer is Railu. She shows it all the time in her vocation as a healer, and in willingly taking on a step-daughter (at the conclusion of Book 4).
Another I’d mention is Hedric, though in his case an even better word would be ‘modest’.
#books #writing #writersofmastodon

#WritersCoffeeClub 14/4: What’s the funniest thing you’ve ever read?
The laugh-out-loud moment I remember is from Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis, when Jim has to give a lecture while very drunk. But I don’t know now if I’d still like it, and I do know it’s very reminiscent of a moment from P G Wodehouse.
For consistent chuckles, if not guffaws, you can’t beat Terry Pratchett. I’d suggest Witches Abroad as his funniest.
#books #writing #writersofmastodon

In celebration of 900 followers, I've created a new masthead for my profile. The photo is one I took of Catalina Harbor, showing the town, the Casino, the docks, and a cruise ship.

Thank you everyone for following. I'll work to keep on providing interesting and entertaining writing related content!

#BoostingIsSharing

#PennedPossibilities 642 — How old are some of your characters?

I'm glad this isn't just MCs or SCs. I'll go with the last written story point or idea that isn't written.

Devil-girl: ~19
Bolt/Streak: 27
Streak and Thorn: 18
Emeraline: 31
Marigold: 26
Triplets Cloud Dancer, Meadow Dancer, and Fire Dancer: 35
The Hawk: 26
Chrome: 31
Rainy Days: > 3,000

May Ri: 45
Mari: 22
Manette: 19
Twins Miriam and Maurine 17
Moria: 13
Reina Īto: 35
Randy: 55

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

#BoostingIsSharing

#gender #fiction #writer #author
#sf #sff #sciencefiction
#writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers
#RSdiscussion
#RSstory #RSReluctanceStory #RSMarsNeededWomen
#microfiction #flashfiction #tootfic #smallstory

#WritersCoffeeClub #WCC 2504.14 — International Moment of Laughter Day! What’s the funniest thing you’ve ever written? Read?

Offhand, there was that time were a serious MC came down with singing and dancing mania. It's a real thing, by the way. Look it up. Nevertheless, very embarrassing! If I remember something else, I'll post a part two.

I've read a lot of Terry Pratchett's books. I'd certainly vote him number one. Jack Vance also comes to mind, but heck if I remember why…

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

#BoostingIsSharing

#gender #fiction #writer #author
#writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers
#RSdiscussion

#WordWeavers 2504.13 — How dangerous is your MC? CW: Definite Background Spoilers.

The Reluctance Series stories MCs by danger score least to most:

• 0: Devil-girl — Give her a book and leave her alone.
• 1: Streak — He's a sweetie. He'll have your back if you are mobbed by bullies. His danger score is multiplied by Thorn's as he's protective of her. He did charm the pants off of Rainy Days, so there's that wild card.
• 2: Thorn Rose — She's capable, just not very antagonistic. Pushed into a corner, watch out. Her danger score is divided by Streak's because she realizes he has more common sense than she does and listens to him when he's around to advise her. She loves him.
• 3: Rainy Days — She's a lot less capable then most people think, but she has experience. Her inclination is to fight for others. First it was family, then it was for women. After millennia of bearing children, all of humanity is related to her—except the dragons. She's very sweet, caring, supportive, and she'll teach you lessons if she thinks you'll benefit from it. You don't want to cross her, however. She's lived through the fall of two civilizations, and ended up being rebuilt from parts at the end of the last fall. She's technologically immortal and always 24 years old.
• 4: Devil-girl — Told you to give her a book and leave her alone, didn't I? Nobody listens! She's very capable (unlike Rainy Days) and self-taught. People keep using her as their sharp tool. She'll try the dangerous, impossible, and taboo things anyway because, Well, that's Interesting! The character was conceived as a study in how evil isn't born but is created through interaction with others and their environment. Each story is, Which side of the knife edge will she tumble? Will she end up saving people or suddenly be so frustrated she ceases to give a damn? Recently she discovered love, and got that used against her—not by her lovers, thank goodness! Well, we'll see.

BTW: Streak and Thorn live 200 years before the Devil-girl. Roughly 1960 vs 2160.

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

#BoostingIsSharing

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

Where there's relics, there's cultures conquered - especially when it comes to the European "age of discovery". Who better to tackle the horror from colonialism than Mexican-American writer V. Castro? She's joined the crew for Writing the Occult: Relics. Meet her

#Kabuki masks. I think this is a Kitsune, but I'm not sure. Can anyone identify it? Extra points if you can't also identify the anime.

One of the interesting things about watching media from other countries that have a different culture than your own, is sometimes you miss very important cultural references. If this is a fox not a lion or a dog, it has meaning for the anime.

#BoostingIsSharing