theatlantic.com/magazine/2026/…

1/

Reading crisis...

#bookstodon #books #book #novel #fiction #writersofmastodon #writer #writers #writerscoffeeclub #scribesandmakers #wordweavers #author #authors #readers #reading #writing #writingcommunity

Every time we remember something, our brain pieces it back together sometimes filling in gaps without us realizing it.

That’s why two honest people can remember the same moment differently.

#memory #psychology #brain #learning #mind #science #art #arts #artist #artists #writer #writers #writerscoffeeclub #writersofmastodon #content #cartoon

Hello everyone! Time for an #Introduction.

I'm Rochelle Potkar, a writer and poet from Mumbai, India.

I write literary fiction, poetry, haibun, and stories for the screen. My recent novels range from the satirical family comedy 'The D'Costa Family' to the social drama 'The Fabric Goddesses. I'm now back at my desk with bitter coffee and a new literary thriller.

I'm looking forward to meeting curious creative minds here.

#WritersOfMastodon #Bookstodon #PoetsOfMastodon #literaryfiction

#Seattle #Typewriters #Typewriter #WritersOfMastodon

The goodwill on Dearborn has a nice collection of 1910s-20s typewriters, all in nearly impeccable condition and fully working as well (from my testing, at least), all for $25-30

Get ‘em while you can!

(images continue in thread)

thenation.com/article/culture/…

onward and upward #indie #bookstores

#author #indieauthor #writer #writers #authors #bookstores #book #writersofmastodon #bookstodon #amwriting #writerscoffeeclub #wordweavers #scribesandmakers

#WordWeavers May 2: How much longer do you think it’ll take you to finish your WIP?

It won't be done until the end of summer, at the earliest. Based on some of the revisions I'm seeing, I may need the rest of the year.

#Books #Writing #WritersOfMastodon #WritingCommunity #FirstFire

I don't have recommendations for people but perhaps subscribing to some very special hashtags can help you discovering people: #academicChatter #WritersCoffeeClub #PennedPossibilities #writingCommunity #writersCommunity #writersOfMastodon #PhantastikPrompts

and

#bookstodon #MastoArt

More about the weirder hashtags: fedi.tips/fun-and-useful-hasht…

I've been #writing every day for 15 weeks, ~3 months! I thought it was only a month!? Sometimes I might only write a sentence or two in a day, sometimes it's five hours.I've passed 30'000 words now, ~120 pages in standard UK paperback size.

Over-arching plotting is by far the hardest part; actually putting out words -- describing things, capturing moments -- I don't find any difficulty with, but I've been going through a long chunk of what I call Disney-ride exposition: An on-rails section of stopping points to explain things. This bit has been slow going, but I may just have to write it and come back another time to change it. Those who like world-building won't be short for details!

Would anybody be interested in an #ebook / PDF of what I've written so far?

You can read large chunk of it here: oldbytes.space/@Kroc/115895172… but Mastodon scrolling is probably not a good reading experience.

#worldglass #writersofmastodon #writingcommunity

Back to the grind

#worldglass #writing #writersofmastodon #psion #retrocomputing

Currently slumming it on the train…

#psion #retrocomputing #writing #writersofmastodon #worldglass

theguardian.com/business/2026/…

Let's go #indieauthor

#amwriting #writing #writersofmastodon #author #authors #writers #writerscoffeeclub #wordweavers #scribesandmakers #bookstodon #books #book #indie

theconversation.com/should-we-…

I am in a dilemma - ebooks only for environmental reasons Vs paper-books because that is what readers seem to prefer.

#amwriting #writing #writersofmastodon #author #authors #writers #writerscoffeeclub #wordweavers #scribesandmakers #bookstodon #books #book

fastcompany.com/91529634/indep…

Fantastic reversal of a disturbing trend - new bookstores!

#amwriting #writing #writersofmastodon #bookstodon #books #author #authors #writerscoffeeclub #scribesandmakers #wordweavers #book #novel #fiction #nonfiction

So, I need to figure out a *methodology* for creating #ChapterBreaks. I have almost no intuitive sense of them.

I would love you all to tell me how *you* decide where to place chapter breaks?

It is moments of tension?

Does each chapter contain a narrative arc?

It is when you move to a different setting or POV character?

If it's "when it feels right," can you describe that feeling?

#Writing #Writers #WritingCommunity #WritersOfMastodon #AmWriting #Scriberspace

In other news, anybody know how I preserve the hyperlinks for endnotes when converting from docx to epub?
(I'm doing the conversion via Draft2Digital, if that matters.)

I'm trying to fix this for the 2nd edition of APPETITE FOR ANTITHESIS. I've been fighting with it for days now, and no online FAQs or forum posts have gotten me anywhere.

Help me, Fedi-Wan Kenobi. You're my only hope.

#epub
#epubFormatting
#DocxToEpubConversion
#WritingLife
#WritersOfMastodon
#WritersCoffeeClub
#fedisource

It’s been a hot minute since I mentioned anything creative on here, but last week I enjoyed taking the time in the local market square to perform a little bit of poetry to continue to celebrate and explore the power of the oral tradition and written word. This poem - entitled “Poems for Sale,” reflects on the different local estates where streets and roads including the one we live on, are named after poets, artists, writers and birds.

#suffolk #writersofmastodon #poetrycommunity #stowmarkettown

theguardian.com/books/2026/mar…

Since NYT is not immune to #LLM - I asked the free version of Gemini to write a NYT-style book review of "A New Faith" and it was completely unsurprisingly vapid stuff getting some things right and many wrong. And in the quest to keep me hooked, it wrote nice things about the book which do show why it can lead to psychosis. This stuff is just not good!!

#amwriting #bookstodon #books #author #writersofmastodon #writerscoffeeclub #wordweavers #scribesandmakers

theguardian.com/commentisfree/…

Such a weird article from a so-called #writer #author - maybe using #LLM #AI #GenAI has already fried his brain!

#writing #amwriting #writersofmastodon #writerscoffeeclub #scribesandmakers #wordweavers #authors

“I’m just navigating a world that doesn’t quite know how to handle me, and that’s a different truth.”

Wow! I have rarely felt so seen in a blog post. Thank you, @digitalsnow.

#Autism #ADHD #neurodivergent #blog #PikaBlog #WritersOfMastodon

#PennedPossibilities 972 — Do you ever have to deal with “trolls” where your writing is concerned? Do you receive hate?

I rehabilitated myself after I burnt-out by writing fan fiction. Lots. Lots and lots. I remember getting some comments that weren't nice, which I could moderate out of the stream. That didn't bother me much. What did bother me was that when I would post the first chapter of a new story, within a minute I would inevitably get down votes. No way the chapter could have gotten read. Somebody either didn't like the characters I'd picked, or had not picked, or competition, or what. Such behavior could affect whether you got feature boxed so the story remained listed on the front page of the site, or whether it got tagged Hot. This on a show that was all about friendship. Go figure.

Pretty sure I never got hate or repeated harassment.

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

#BoostingIsSharing

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

#PennedPossibilities 967.1 — Bonus Question (Courtesy of @sfwrtr): Pick a character. How do they, or how would they, react to sleep deprivation?

Let’s take Alistair, for instance. He would go out of his mind with frustration and rage. If it was forced sleep deprivation, there might be a murder on the hands of the mortals or immortals once he’s “escaped,” depending on who’s done this to him. If it’s simply insomnia causing it, well… He would be a mess, rather neurotic and emotional, and Fenella would probably step in to *try* and help. Eleanor would as well, to be fair. She’s like a mother to everyone in Dorcha Castle, and that includes our dear Alistair. She’s very sweet.

#WritingCommunity #WritersOfMastodon #WingsOfQuietLonging #ParanormalRomance #Fantasy #Gothic #Victorian #Vampires #Werewolves

#PennedPossibilities 967 — What level of education do your characters have?

Although it’s the tail end of the Victorian era, most of my characters are very, *very* old (and are supernatural beings). Their education is self-taught, if they even have one to begin with. One of my characters, the MMC, is well-read, clever, intelligent, and a published author. It’s all self-taught for Alistair, of course, like I said. With that being said, because they’re all so old, they also have the time to learn anything and everything. At this point, they have nothing *but* time on their hands.

#WritingCommunity #WritersOfMastodon #WingsOfQuietLonging #ParanormalRomance #Fantasy #Gothic #Victorian #Vampires #Werewolves

#PennedPossibilities 966 — SC POV: When was the last time you got lost?

Samuel: About a month ago, on the way home from the pub with the lads. I had far too much to drink… Hati was laughing at me as I stepped into the flat. She immediately knew what happened, and then she put me to bed. I’m such a knobhead.

#WritingCommunity #WritersOfMastodon #WingsOfQuietLonging #ParanormalRomance #Fantasy #Gothic #Victorian #Vampires #Werewolves

#PennedPossibilities 965 — What is your MC’s reaction when someone close to them is sick or injured? How do they behave?

Alistair’s usually a mess, to be fair. He’ll do his best to take care of whoever is injured, to do whatever needs to be done to either save them from a certain rough situation or to keep them safe. There’s a scene that relates to this very prompt and it happens to come rather soon. It’s in an upcoming chapter.

#WritingCommunity #WritersOfMastodon #WingsOfQuietLonging #ParanormalRomance #Fantasy #Gothic #Victorian #Vampires #Werewolves

#PennedPossibilities 964 — MC POV: What area of your life do you tend to enjoy in excess instead of moderation?

Fenella: Murdering useless, evil men.

#WritingCommunity #WritersOfMastodon #WingsOfQuietLonging #ParanormalRomance #Fantasy #Gothic #Victorian #Vampires #Werewolves

#PennedPossibilities 963 — If you use a pen name or certain username on a writing site, what is its significance and how did you arrive at using it?

Credit: @NaraMoore

My username, pen name, or the nom-de-plume I use online is agoodtuckering. “A good Tuckering” has to do with Malcolm Tucker and is in reference to his furious rants. He’s a character that I love writing and have actually written stories for for a long time now. I’m a big Peter Capaldi fan. The username stuck, and I use it for my Tumblr and Archive of Our Own accounts. That’s what everyone knows me by these days, that and floofpaldi as well over on Discord, Fluxer, and here on Mastodon. Again, like I said, Capaldi fan here. It just fit for the communities I was and am in. It means floofy-haired (or fluffy-haired) Capaldi. I thought it was cute, to be fair.

#WritingCommunity #WritersOfMastodon #PeterCapaldi #TheThickOfIt #ArchiveOfOurOwn #AO3 #Tumblr

#PennedPossibilities 962 — If there was ever going to be a film or a series based upon your WIP, what do you imagine the soundtrack would be like? What genre?

Give me a spooky OST, something ornate, complex, and rich with emotional depth. It would be soft and mournful during the sadder moments, then uplifting, inspiring, moving, and emotional at times, and serious, scary, and terrifyingly brash and loud at others. It needs to be rich and dynamic, allowing for expressive contrasts and emotional depth. All classical, of course. In my mind, it would be reminiscent of Hammer Horror as well, which was what started this entire novel (which turned into a series) for me.

#WritingCommunity #WritersOfMastodon #WingsOfQuietLonging #ParanormalRomance #Fantasy #Gothic #Victorian #Vampires #Werewolves

#PennedPossibilities 961 — SC POV: Have you ever spoken up when you saw that something going on was wrong? Were you scared? What was the end result?

Hati: I did. Alistair was in trouble. So was Fenella. I yelled out, and then I shifted into my wolf form and ran to their aid. And yes, I was utterly terrified. The end result was certainly… Well, no, that would require far too much explaining. But I will say this: everything was okay.

(I can't explain too much... Spoilers!)

#WritingCommunity #WritersOfMastodon #WingsOfQuietLonging #ParanormalRomance #Fantasy #Gothic #Victorian #Vampires #Werewolves

#PennedPossibilities 960 — Describe the longest romantic relationship your MC has ever had. (If they’ve had one.)

Alistair’s one and only love was Miss Fenella Ralston (AKA Lady Fenella McKay). They were quite a pair. Random fact, unlike other vampires, they actually enjoyed making love. While she’s had other partners in her long life, he hasn’t. He wasn’t ever interested in a mate until her. He was in love with her for decades before he finally worked up the nerve to tell her, and although they eventually ended things between them, he still loves her. (And guess what? She still loves him as well.)

#WritingCommunity #WritersOfMastodon #WingsOfQuietLonging #ParanormalRomance #Fantasy #Gothic #Victorian #Vampires #Werewolves

#PennedPossibilities 959 — MC POV: Complete this thought: “I wish I had paid more attention when…”

Alistair: I wish I had paid more attention when Caden told me about the coven (more like a cult) that he was in a decade ago. I wish I listened closer. Now I’m having to pore through my old journals for any important pieces of information I might have jotted down about them. Not only is it tiresome but most of it is entirely unhelpful for us.

#WritingCommunity #WritersOfMastodon #WingsOfQuietLonging #ParanormalRomance #Fantasy #Gothic #Victorian #Vampires #Werewolves

#PennedPossibilities 957 — Does your MC have or wear a signature color?

Alistair does, but it’s never done on purpose. He tends to wear deep blues, darker shades, and occasional purples and plums. (Typical vampire lol. At least he doesn’t wear a lot of red, though!)

#WritingCommunity #WritersOfMastodon #WingsOfQuietLonging #ParanormalRomance #Fantasy #Gothic #Victorian #Vampires #Werewolves

#PennedPossibilities 956 — With whom is your SC’s most important relationship?

It’s Hati’s husband, of course. His name is Samuel. She and Sam have been together for years now, and they would be lost without each other. They’re both werewolves.

#WritingCommunity #WritersOfMastodon #WingsOfQuietLonging #ParanormalRomance #Fantasy #Gothic #Victorian #Vampires #Werewolves

#PennedPossibilities 955 — Is your MC keeping any secrets? Can you reveal them to us?

Two of them, actually, but I can’t elaborate on those secrets just yet, so I’ll just list them.

• Alistair’s age... (Shhh.)
• His love for Fenella.

He has very good reasons for keeping both hidden. The very first one is even hidden from the readers for a while.

#WritingCommunity #WritersOfMastodon #WingsOfQuietLonging #ParanormalRomance #Fantasy #Gothic #Victorian #Vampires #Werewolves

#PennedPossibilities 954 — What is your SC’s skill level when it comes to cooking and baking?

Hati is fabulous at both, and Sam appreciates it. She actually *enjoys* cooking and baking.

#WritingCommunity #WritersOfMastodon #WingsOfQuietLonging #ParanormalRomance #Fantasy #Gothic #Victorian #Vampires #Werewolves

#PennedPossibilities 953 — What author(s) did you dislike at first but grew to enjoy reading?

I feel so badly about this, but there's only one I can think of off the top of my head. It's Sarah J. Maas. It took some time for her work to grow on me. She has an amazing style, but there are occasional things that she'll say in books (sentences or phrases) that just strike me as rather odd. That being said, of course, she's a bestselling author for a very good reason. Her stories are terrific, compelling, and fantastically woven, her characters are refreshing, and her worlds are creative, dangerous yet beautiful, and heartbreakingly tragic. I really do enjoy everything of hers these days.

With that in mind, us authors sometimes tend to read books and an oddly worded sentence will strike us. We might think to ourselves, "Gee, I could have written that sentence better," or, "I would've worded that like this, instead." Needless to say, I've had a few moments like that. But don't get me wrong, I *do* love her books.

#WritingCommunity #WritersOfMastodon

#PennedPossibilities 952 — How do you use social media as an author?

For me, it's easy. I promote my stories, no matter how big or how small, right here on Mastodon. I talk about my writing process, characters, ideas, and plots here. I've made friends here as well, and I'm grateful for all of you. As writers, we support the work and check stuff out, boosting, reading for free, or buying from each other. I don't need any other social media sites these days. I've been on here for years now. This is it for me. Mastodon is my forever home.

#WritingCommunity #WritersOfMastodon

#PennedPossibilities 951 — MC POV: Write about something presently in your life that is “worth it.”

Fenella: *He’s* worth it. Alistair is worth all of it and more. Why do you think I’ve ensured it all? And why do you think I eventually came home to Dorcha Castle to seek his protection? Because he will always protect me, I *trust* implicitly, and I will always care deeply for this man. I’ve been in love with him for so long. What an idiot I was to end things between us and leave the safety of our castle for a ridiculous trip to Paris. It’s been nine long years and my feelings have never changed. I thought he grew bored of me back then. As it turns out, I might not have been the only one who thought so. I’m also beginning to think I might not be alone in my affections, either.

#WritingCommunity #WritersOfMastodon #WingsOfQuietLonging #ParanormalRomance #Fantasy #Gothic #Victorian #Vampires #Werewolves

#PennedPossibilities 950 — Can your MC swim? If not, why not? If so, how did they learn?

(New thread for my friends~!)

Alistair can swim. He learned the hard way during a particular war. And no, I won't say which one. I can't. No spoilers here. If I remember correctly, I think it comes up later in a random conversation. (For context, he's an immortal, a vampire. He's seen so many things come to pass during his lifetime.)

#WritingCommunity #WritersOfMastodon #WingsOfQuietLonging #ParanormalRomance #Fantasy #Gothic #Victorian #Vampires #Werewolves

#WordWeavers 2.5 — If you found out that someone had to live your MC’s life, would you change the story?

Every single character is different. No two are the same, so I think everything about the story would change with the new MC. They might make the opposite decisions as Alistair, or take a different path in life. It's rather mind-boggling to think about, honestly.

#WingsOfQuietLonging #ParanormalRomance #Fantasy #Gothic #Vampires #Werewolves #Ghosts #Romance #Victorian #Worldbuilding #WritingCommunity #WritersOfMastodon

#WordWeavers 2.6 — Share an important or fun lesson you’ve learned as a writer.

An important lesson: Not everyone is going to be fan of yours and that's okay. Don't let it get you down.

A fun lesson: You have to enjoy the process. Enjoy writing your story. And it should never feel like work. You'll cease to enjoy it if it does.

#WritingCommunity #WritersOfMastodon

#WordWeavers 2.7 — What’s the most rewarding thing about writing?

This ties in with the last prompt for me. It's enjoying things as I'm writing a story, and it's the good feeling of reading everything over once I've finished, either before or after proofreading and editing.

#WritingCommunity #WritersOfMastodon

#WordWeavers 2.8 — What’s the most frustrating thing about writing?

Again, this ties in with the previous prompt. Hands down, it's proofreading, editing, and rewriting. The tweaking process, and polishing things off.

#WritingCommunity #WritersOfMastodon

#WordWeavers 2.9 — Have you ever talked to a reader of your story? How did it go?

Many times. This prompt is different for someone like me, just because I started off on Fanfic and then Archive of Our Own. I have a lot of readers who also happen to be close friends of mine. A lot of them became friends through my stories. For instance, they would message me, then we started talking and became friends. Very sweet. They're always fun (or helpful, if I'm asking for it) conversations.

#WritingCommunity #WritersOfMastodon

#WordWeavers 2.10 — Have you ever dedicated your work to someone?

Again, same as yesterday, I've done this many times. I've written tons of stories for friends. It's actually one of my favorite things to do as well, whether it's my original work or something for Doctor Who, The Thick of It, The Hour, Star Wars, Sherlock Holmes, etc.

#WritingCommunity #WritersOfMastodon

#WordWeavers 2.11 — MC POV: Sit down, close your eyes and take a few deep breaths. What do you see in your mind’s eye?

Alistair: It's the same thing, the same person, even, I *most likely* see while I'm asleep. I'm willing to chance it. He's the one nightmare I can't free myself of. Aside from Isma, that is, but that's another story entirely.

(Small aside, because he doesn't know but I do, he's right. He *does* dream of Duncan.)

#WritingCommunity #WritersOfMastodon #WingsOfQuietLonging #ParanormalRomance #Fantasy #Gothic #Vampires #Werewolves

#WordWeavers 2.12 — What would you tell a fellow writer who was struggling with self-doubt?

To just keep writing. Never stop. Self-doubt is our greatest enemy.

#WritingCommunity #WritersOfMastodon