mathtans

mathtans, 3 months ago

@courtcan Ouch about Data, but at least the Picard sequel does something with that. Eventually. Will you be trying to fit in the animated series? ^.-

mathtans, 4 months ago

#WritersCoffeeClub 2: Finish writing a book - if bad?

Depends on where you're coming from. If you're not the type to finish, absolutely you should push to do it regardless. Have that experience (and maybe you write good endings?). If you've already finished books, and a new one is blocked, sure, set it aside for a while if you have another idea.

I wonder about quotes out of context too. A Jodi Picoult quote search also turns up "you can always edit a bad page".

mathtans, 4 months ago

#WritersCoffeeClub 3: Skills/Qualities in an editor?

Beats me. Likes my work? The only two editors I've had occasion to work with enjoyed the genre I was writing. In both cases, they were being paid by someone other than me. (Not being paid to say they liked my work, to be clear.)

This is still a side gig for me, I haven't been shopping around.

mathtans, 4 months ago

@Ink_Soul So do the lesbians have anything particularly "big" to show off in an excerpt today? (Yes, I do feel bad for how my mind went right into the gutter.)

mathtans, 4 months ago

#WritersCoffeeClub 4: Software used to write?

Plain text. Yeah, I'm incredibly old school, but file size is under 100 KB and it's easy to paste into these posts. I can still search, and it still tries to autocorrect.

I do use MS Word for my 275k word #WIP because there IS a text limit, though even there I split it into a new file every 20k words or so.

I do not like the cloud. I want to be able to work without wifi.

mathtans, 4 months ago

#WritersCoffeeClub 5: Feel emotions of characters when writing?

No. Well, pretty sure no, as I compartmentalize a lot and don't always feel my OWN emotions.

My own writing can make me laugh and cry, but it's more an overall sensation I get from the scenes, not tied to a character(s) in particular.

I don't hear them either. Though I'm trying to work on that, sounds useful. Maybe there's a connection? Seems like there are some others out there like this too.

mathtans, 4 months ago

#WritersCoffeeClub 6: Sequel for a SC?

Probably Luci. Or if you mean a sequel to this current sequel (where Luci has a couple cameos), probably Peaches.

There's something about female characters who don't fit into norms that I enjoy, so maybe others would too. (Luci was the youngest and smartest, but emotionally vulnerable. Peaches is hypersexual and doesn't understand intimacy, but tries to.)

Honourable mention to Chartreuse, who did appear in an Epsilon crossover serial.

mathtans, 4 months ago

#WritersCoffeeClub 7: "I write because..."

I want to share my crazy ideas with the world. And hopefully find that some of you out there enjoy them too.

Perhaps that's why I can go weeks without writing (I don't "have" to write, as some have said) and why I get so disheartened by consistently terrible page views (small world after all). But who knows.

mathtans, 4 months ago

#WritersCoffeeClub 8: Overused words?

I tend to overuse "again", and people's names (as opposed to pronouns), including in dialogue.

In fact, I tend to use too many words generally, like "He stood up" ('up' isn't needed) or "He came back home" ('back' isn't needed). I don't always catch it in edits. There's probably more such things... heck, has anyone noticed anything in just my posts?

mathtans, 4 months ago

#WritersCoffeeClub 9: Describing ethnicities?

Mostly a passing reference to skin tone or origin, then I try not to hammer the point. A bit harder with the POV character but I tend to shift POVs. My descriptions aren't hugely detailed in the first place beyond the first encounter. Overall I just hope I get it right.

mathtans, 4 months ago

#WritersCoffeeClub 10: Say to people who are frustrated writers?

I say I shouldn't be so hard on myself. Despite regular output for a decade and still having several 0 pageview days, there are some who have reviewed my serial work, some even enjoyed it. Also, I need to stop talking to myself.

Wait, you meant other people saying it to me? I don't think that's happened. But if so, I could point them to my many author updates that discuss the above.

mathtans, 4 months ago

#WritersCoffeeClub 11: Genres taken more seriously?

Others have summed this up better than I could, but in brief, yes, and it's baseless.

Some of it's time sensitive; decades years ago superhero stories were fringe, now there's arguably oversaturation. (Isekai has flooded the market of late too.) Some is pushed to the side by societal "norms" instead.

I don't really think about it myself, except to sigh, and avoid the debates.

mathtans, 4 months ago

#WritersCoffeeClub 12: Personal grammar/type style?

What. I don't know. I tend to overuse exclamation marks then fix it in editing? I tend to write in plain text? I'm not even sure what "style" is meant here, sorry.

mathtans, 3 months ago

#WritersCoffeeClub 13: Ever write very short pieces?

I have done. It tends to take more mental energy than I'm willing to expend, as the writing and editing and posting usually need to take place near simultaneously (for prompt of the day, or I'd forget to do it otherwise, whatever). No idea if it's any good either.

mathtans, 3 months ago

#WritersCoffeeClub 14: On Goodreads?

I don't think our short story anthology is there (at least, I just did a quick search, it didn't turn up). I do have an account from when I joined a discussion group there, years ago. Never had time for it. I still get email updates.

It's out there. I hear not great things. But I don't know enough to have an opinion.

mathtans, 3 months ago

#WritersCoffeeClub 15: Field of expertise?

I'm a high school mathematics teacher. The government seems to think this makes me a psychologist and mental health expert too, which is debatable. Also, my degree says I can teach computer science, yet my knowledge hasn't progressed much there beyond the 3 1/2" floppy disk.

I like to think I'm skilled at seeing a path forwards against overwhelming odds, which may be why I write as well.

I'm also a father, but no expert there.

mathtans, 3 months ago

#WritersCoffeeClub 16: Weak book in a series?

Very subjective, and I don't read many series'. My issue tends to be when a series goes too long.

Asimov's Foundation Trilogy was great. The later sequels I read didn't grab me so much. Piers Anthony's Incarnations of Immortality was an influential five book set I enjoyed in my youth, still good extended to the sixth, the seventh less so, such that I never read the eighth.

YMMV. (Haven't even seen these series brought up yet.)

mathtans, 3 months ago

#WritersCoffeeClub 17: How much self in MC?

Both my current MCs are lesbians. ... So yeah, there's a whole psychological evaluation we could get into here.

More seriously, there's aspects (enjoys a run, overanalyzes, does improv) and definite nos (enjoys parties, comfortable around weapons). Maybe 40% of me is in MCs, 60% if we remove my societal filters, perhaps more if we also add wish fulfillment. Just ballparking.

mathtans, 3 months ago

#WritersCoffeeClub 18: Physically suffer for art?

I'm lucky enough not to have chronic pain. (Used to have lower back issues, less so these days.) And if I wasn't writing on the computer, I'd still be using it for something else (gaming or reading serials), so moot point there.

But I'm currently getting physio for what used to be a constant arm pain last month, and they've called me out on my terrible posture. So I do have to work on that, or else 50 yr old me will have bigger issues.

mathtans, 3 months ago

#WritersCoffeeClub 19: Character mannerisms?

I tend to give a quirk that manifests when a character is experiencing an emotion common to them. Carrie tugs at her hair a lot, for stress or concern. Jenny nibbles a lip when nervous or uncertain.

Definitely not the best way to do it, came from wanting mannerisms to break up long dialogue scenes. Maybe I'm not alone in this but there's probably better techniques.

mathtans, 4 months ago

#WritersCoffeeClub 26: Ensure you don't infringe copyright?

I mean, I did a search on my serial title before I used it. (My original plan of "Time Trippers" was taken, hence "Time & Tied".) If that's the issue.

In terms of content, if I'm using a brand name wrong or something, presumably an editor would see if I inadvertently erred? We all do our best out here.

mathtans, 4 months ago

#WritersCoffeeClub 27: Hollywood film. Which actors?

I often cast my Roleplay characters, some of whom end up in Epsilon. I don't cast my serial characters in general though; I have commissioned art drawn instead.

That said, Brie Larson (Captain Marvel) is a sensible choice for Carrie, if her hair were grown out longer.

Karen Gillan (Amy Pond, Dr Who) as plausible Jenny and Trevor Jackson (Kevin Blake, Eureka) for Sherlock, except they've aged too much since those roles, so idk.

mathtans, 4 months ago

#WritersCoffeeClub 28: Format a flashback?

If it's a long flashback, I will usually separate it as I do a POV shift, using the reliable *** scene break stars. Prefaced with some words to indicate a flashback is coming.

The only time I've used shorter flashbacks was in "Marmalade Mercury", a fusion fic, which loved reminding you of a couple lines of dialogue before moving forwards. In those cases I used ~~~ instead of stars. I suppose italics was an option but I write in text only.