writerobscura

writerobscura, 1 month ago to Writers

1/5 Got tagged by @madikonrad over at Tumblr for the 'Questions For Your OC'!! – answer 3 questions as your main OC(s) – since we’re #writers, we can write this as a narrative, first-person, or RPG style - anyway we wish.

When done, provide 3 new questions to pass on to the next creator. (you then tag others with 3 new questions)

My main OC’s are Aedan the Ancalite and Lucius Scipio Servius, and the following questions are from sapphic author, Madeline Konrad.

#WritersCoffeeClub #writerdons

writerobscura, 2 months ago to random

#WritersCoffeeClub April 8
Do you think of your books as having a particular length? <-- catching up.

The only time I consider the length of my books is after they're written. Then, I check to see what qualifies as a #novel or #novella.

Since jumping into the #webnovel arena, one platform has demanded chapters be no greater than 15k characters—this is because of the fiction-on-phone readership's alleged 'short attention span'. rolls eyes

writerobscura, 3 months ago to Writers

Hey, #writersofmastodon, how do you stay physically fit?

I bought a Garmin watch that tells me when to move around (I also use it to track my heart and when I swim laps or run).

After a long time at my desk, it tells me to MOVE. I do these pilates things until the 'move bar' clears. I have friend with an Apple watch that does the same - she keeps her Bona-pad mop near her desk, and has the cleanest floors, ever.

#writers #WritersCoffeeClub #writingcommunity

writerobscura, 1 month ago to random

I love seeing all these new fedi's show up in #writerscoffeeclub - but then I get jealous because most have unlimited character restrictions. 0__0

writerobscura, 1 month ago to random

#WritersCoffeeClub May 9
What's the minimum time you can work on your writing? Do you need a long, clear period?

I've done quick writing sprints but they're never satisfying. I must have my uninterrupted 4 hours every day or I get a bad case of NWS (not-writing syndrome) and get cranky.

writerobscura, 4 months ago to random

Related to today's #WritersCoffeeClub

Does anyone else change the font of their manuscript when proofing?

After my third revision pass, I proofread. I change the font because it helps me catch mistakes that my narrative-blind brain misses from reading the material too many times.

writerobscura, 4 months ago to random

#KnowYourAuthors 4: In four words, describe how you feel about your current WIP.

Getting horny writing this.

writerobscura, 4 months ago to random

Today's Writers Coffee Club got me rolling.

Some of you are out here trying to say you write flash fic when you tap out entire novellas every time you answer a #writerscoffeeclub question.

I love you guys. ( ˘ ³˘)♥

writerobscura, 3 months ago to random

Today's #WritersCoffeeClub - my personal thoughts on blurbs - and I'm saying this as a queer and technically intersex reader...

If your blurb says things like - gay lead, girl lead, 'this that and the other' lead - I likely won't read it. Just give me the plot.

I get that some readers want rep or want to exclusively read things in their worldview--but I care more about a story. (´･_･`)

writerobscura, 2 months ago to random

I will legit bookmark posts like this because knowing every gemstone's name and color is important shit to a #writer even if they never write a story about gemstones. #writerdons #writingcommunity #writerscoffeeclub

https://www.tumblr.com/blueboxbeagle/746211981672988672/list-of-brown-gemstones?source=share

List of purple gems
List of green gemstones
List of red gemstones

writerobscura, 2 months ago to random

Got me another email #WritersCoffeeClub #writersofmastodon

writerobscura, 22 days ago to random

#WritersCoffeeClub May 24 Is there any work of fiction you could have written better? Don't be shy.

I'm assuming we're talking about my own body of work - because I ain't trying rewrite someone else's story (fanfiction doesn't count, that's transformative).

My answer is - pretty much any prose I wrote between 1981 and 1998 + a few after that, give or take.

writerobscura, 4 months ago to writing

In my defense, #Grammarly has a problem with commas (the Oxford in particular), and it chokes on #screenplay format - ALSO, using it in Final Draft is nearly impossible. #writing #editing #selfediting

writerobscura, 1 month ago to random

#writerscoffeeclub Apr 20: What genres would your work fall into if you could make up new genres? Fun answers only.

Cock Comedy
Clit Lit

*did you really expect anything less from me?

writerobscura, 2 months ago to Writers

Relating to today's #WritersCoffeeClub

In the age of digital, how many #writers go back and make substantive edits to #ebooks?

I don't. To me, a posted manuscript is like an illustration and should reflect how my skills have developed.

Readers don't subscribe to this idea - hilarious as they will allow illustrators to 'get better' but not writers... >_>

writerobscura, 6 months ago to writing

I'm not much for #writingmemes but as a serial comma abuser, this one is hilarious.

#commas #writing #WritingCommunity

writerobscura, 2 months ago to random

#WritersCoffeeClub 10: Do you have favourite words you like to use? One word that always makes it into anything I write is 'countered' because it's my go-to in any adversarial or argumentative discussion.

sfwrtr, 1 month ago (edited 1 month ago) to ai

#WritersCoffeeClub Ch 9 Nbr 12 — When does AI cross the line between helpful tool and problematic tech for writing and publishing? CW: Some sarcasm and cynicism.

When? That happened a few years ago. All over the web. Whether you realize it or not, writers are being supplanted in most all minor writing jobs on lots of lesser and not so minor websites. Have you noticed that some stories are circular, seem to be written by authors of questionable fluency, miss a glaring argument or get a fact wrong, and in the end really make no good points or teach you anything? They seem to regurgitate what you've seen elsewhere?

Yep. AI written.

AI's a free tool! Managers love free. Let those freelancers go; just write some good prompts. So many good articles (likely AI written) to teach you how! All we need is good clickbait headlines, anyway. Feed the search engines! Serve up those display ads nobody clicks. Get us those micro-cents per page view.

Riiiight.

Sheesh. This Rubicon... Has... Been crossed. Mostly. Some have tripped. Many have drowned.

What I'd really like is for AI enhanced software to notice little things like misusing led and lead, finding missing words, pointing out when I leave out the 'nt in wouldn't changing the meaning of everything I wrote, even capitalizing based on context when dictating... thus and such. Yeah. Too difficult.

I won't repeat what everyone else is saying. Yep. True all that. It's all wrong headed at the moment and if you don't know how to write OR you could do it yourself if you weren't soooo lazy, #AI's just going to make you into a fool.

You get to make yourself into a fool in front of a publisher only once.

[Author retains copyright (c)2024 R.S.]

#BoostingIsSharing and #CommentingIsCool

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

writerobscura, 3 months ago to Writers

Regarding yesterday's #WritersCoffeeClub - so many #writers that don't or haven't read anything in years. 0_0

I heard that when RuPaul released his first book, someone asked 'how did you get to be such a good writer?' Being in character during the interview, she said: 'First, I learned how to read, bitch.'

writerobscura, 1 month ago to books

This is so depressingly true:

+It used to be ‘I read something i shouldn’t have’

+Now its ‘you wrote something you shouldn’t have’

#fanthropology #reading #writing #writerdons #fiction #creativewriting #WritersCoffeeClub

Tumblr user RainyStudios also speaks on the subject of reader advisories and readers reaction to them: | remember when things were like this, the author/creator was really a non-issue. If | stepped on a content landmine, | wasn't looking to see who made something to engage with them, | was focused on getting out of there. Seeing or reading something upsetting to me was like *I knew there were holes in the woods and | fell into one this time". It wasn't personal, and | didn't even consider it being the author's specific fault. Whereas now the go to is *I fell into a hole, burn down the whole forest into a dead, bare, charred wasteland so | and no one else can ever fall into a hole again. This kind of experience was honestly more liberating because | never took the experience personally. The focus was "how can | make myself feel better?' and not some kind of vengeance going "how can | make them pay?'

writerobscura, 1 month ago to random

#WritersCoffeeClub May14 Do you have a sense of how much plot you need for how long a manuscript?

After working in episodic tv, I thought I did. Then I began writing prose (not scripts) and realized I had no idea what I was doing.

The first book I found helpful was YOU Can Write a Novel - then I got my hands on this one: Story Structure Architect.

/infomercial.

The book Story Structure Architect by Victoria Lynn Schmidt.

writerobscura, 29 days ago to random

#WritersCoffeeClub 5/17 -- Other than writing, what's your go-to creative outlet?

Cooking.
(via my Insta)

L: Pulled Pork on 7 -Cheese Macaroni R: Pasta Fagioli
4 Dishes I've made - 1 - Food & Wine cover dish 2 - Chicken/Mushroom Ramen with corn 3 - Open face turkey 4 - Pan Pizza
Birthday cakes I made for my adult kids - L - Xenomorph layer cake R - Hello Kitty flower cake

writerobscura, 17 days ago to random

#WritersCoffeeClub Day 29: What's the average time to complete a writing project between the idea and publishing/making it available?

Michael Bolton not having it. (Office Space)

writerobscura, 12 days ago to random

#WritersCoffeeClub should books come with content warnings (CW)?

I grew up in the 70s/80s, and there was a wealth of shit I shouldn't have read ^_^, but that's not why I put warnings at the start of my books.

Landmines are a problem. These readers decry problematic themes and make finding them a personal issue. They don't comprehend the notion of 'I shouldn't read this' and process their exposure as: 'You shouldn't write this,' so my warnings are solely for them.

Warning that shows up in every platform preview for the novella, Sonata 9.

writerobscura, 9 days ago to writing

#WritersCoffeeClub #Writing 06 Have you queried agents for traditional publishing? How did it go?

Nope, my agent didn't deal with indie comics and so I queried small publishers and was published by them. For a time, I had an agent I got through networking (never querying), but once I was hired as an in-house writer, we parted ways. :)