@21149f3e @66e742bb My all-time favorite sci-fi series was the Hyperion series by Dan Simmons. Not sure if I'd read it now, but I enjoyed it then. I even pay homage to one of the books in Torment Surfacing. 😃 

 @b7ab5d68 I agree that, when examining any of my stories, it's a weave, that it's all "intertwined," as you say. Maybe more than that, to the reader it should feel like a weave they want to wear, a comfortable fit where they can't imagine it separated into parts. 😃 

 @66e742bb Oh yes. There's no way I could recall all the details. I don't want to have to choose between consistency and having to dig through past novels to see what I said before. Besides, there are rules that govern the world just as there are for this one. 😃 

 @66e742bb @21149f3e My claim to hard sci-fi fame is reading the Foundation series by Asimov. I'll acknowledge the brilliance, but I wasn't all that into it. His robot novels, on the other hand, influenced my writing. I really loved how they examined humanity. 😃 

 @21149f3e @66e742bb Oh my gosh, yes, I cycle through a variety of genres. They can be tough to find, but I love a romance with a good plot...probably why I like romantic suspense. I'm in awe of those who write good historical novels, but then I've always had a keen interest in history. 😃 

You make an excellent point about how our tastes change. Mine sure have evolved over time. I used to read more soft sci-fi than I do now. 🤔 

 @21149f3e As I say, it's subjective, and that's a good thing. Otherwise, we'd all be writing the same books for the same people. I revere Tolkien (I have gorgeous editions of LOTR on my shelf), but don't believe his work perfect, no work ever is, and certainly not mine. I've also drifted away from epic fantasy. Again, that's just me & my tastes, nothing more. 😃 

 @568cb1e6 @5a43dd67 I agree. In the instance you shared, I'd have done the exact same thing. In all the books I've written, there are actually few, if any, instances where I use numbers. Characters, mostly, don't think in precise terms. Something is old or its hundreds of years old, or it's seven-hundred-years-old. Too, as you say, that has a poetic feel that numbers cannot capture. 

 @66e742bb @21149f3e Hard science fiction. Eeek, not a fan. It's the genre that makes it clear to me that we're all wired differently. 😆 

 @d73175df The plot is inseparable. I think in terms of a play where a bunch of actors are all looking at one another and wondering what to do. 😆 

 @66e742bb Engaging is a good word for the plots I like. I WANT to be pulled in, I WANT that the twists completely surprise me (while making sense). I have to have characters I enjoy, but without a plot full of conflict and tension, they're just a bunch of nice people doing nice things. 😃 

 @5a43dd67 Thank you! 😊 

 @5a43dd67 I agree. That's awful, I wouldn't want to read that. We have numbers for a reason. My style guide, as I recall, says to write it out only when it's short (they provide specific instances), but to use numbers otherwise. 

 @6cdb3630 Exactly! Just because it provides us excellent ideas and suggestions, doesn't mean we start tossing in what doesn't make sense for our story. That's how thesauri get a bad name, people—unlike you—who use them incorrectly. 

 @66e742bb An excellent balance. 😃 👍 

 @66e742bb That's an absolutely gorgeous cover! I love it. I also love the font. It's unique, but still legible. 😃 

 @6cdb3630 That thesaurus is on the shelf right behind my left shoulder. it's fantastic. I also have a couple of others they published. 😃 

 @2433bcdf As someone over sixty myself, I think you look like someone who's been around long enough to have experienced a lot, yet look great, if for no other reason than you can still exhibit the brightness that comes with a smile. You also don't shy away from color. Good for you! 👏 😃 

 @21149f3e 🤣 I agree, all the more so because I write in a deep POV. I believe he spends most of his time in Florida now so pounding sand should be an easy task for him. 😆 

 @66e742bb The questions can be frustrating when they want us to address a big topic with minimal space to do so. I therefore, usually, give my generalized answer and ignore all the exceptions. 😃 

 @66e742bb Since I write in a Deep POV I was more thinking of the POV character. Yes, I do allow my POV character to draw conclusions about someone else, even if they aren't always right. She can also flat tell someone, "I'm angry at you right now." There are always exceptions. 😃 

 @d6beca36 Love this. Hiding your appearance would sure make those signings awkward. 😆 

 @66e742bb Ah, yes, subtext. Great point. 😃 

 @ce78dee8 Excellent. I like your approach. 😃 👍 

 @ce78dee8 I agree, but we seem to be in the minority here. Yet, 9 out of 10 books I read have a picture. When it's absent, I wonder why they don't want to be associated with their work. Even painters do self-portraits.

It was how I was mentored, to be approachable, to welcome the reader in, offer a cup of tea beside the fire, and tell them a tale. That's what I'll continue to do. Others can do as they please. 😃 

 @21149f3e Adverbs, it's always the evil adverbs. Is it a coincidence they start with the same letter as antagonists? I think not. 🤣 

 @5a43dd67 To me, it says you're proud of your accomplishment. 😃 

 @66e742bb My writing schedule is perfect. Let me see, I know I have it here somewhere. Shoot, I lost it again! 😆 

 @da5013b0 Oh yes, the blessing and curse that is lots of ideas. Luckily, I can easily write them all before my 247th birthday. 🤣 

 @b2ab0244 I like to think that telling them you have someone watching their house helps with straightening your side of the argument. A little intimidation goes a long way. 🤣 

Or maybe not. Okay, disregard the above. 😆 

 @b2ab0244 Ease into the process, take your time, let yourself digest the suggestions. You can always have a talk about any changes you disagree with. 😺 

 @66e742bb I hope that you do. That's seven days per week and I'm more than happy to put in the time. The only time I watch the clock is to growl at it because I need to go to bed. 🤣 

 @66e742bb Thank you. Most of the secrets of her past are revealed by Book 4, though one minor shocker pops up in Book 6. 😃 

 @66e742bb I think you're onto something there, procrastinating on work projects by writing fiction. That's genius! 😃 

 @b2ab0244 Whatever you have to do for yourself is always a good choice. Hope life calms down for you soon. 😃 

 @da5013b0 There's a lot to be said for "keeping your head in the book."  I'd imagine that doing all you do makes it easier to write when you finally have the opportunity to work directly on the story. That's great! 

 @21149f3e Given all you were going through & how you were being treated, you should be proud of the changes you made. Many people would've drudged on for years all the way to old age.

Over the course of my life, writing has helped me cope with so much. It's been the beacon lighting the way when I was lost or hiding. When there was no one else, there was writing, the honest voice in contrast to the lies depression told. 😃 

 @efa7d71c Oh my gosh, how intriguing. Looking down that entry I have goosebumps, tingling all over. The mysterious places of the world make my breath quicken. I find such places here, but they require some imagination, which I don't mind supplying. 

 @2ee95d3f My first year, 2014, I was climbing out of a depressive episode & someone suggested NaNo so I decided to give it a go—30 minutes before it started. I had nothing ready & barely an idea. I wrote a terrible book & limped to 60K, but had a great time.

In contrast, in 2018, I drafted a bloated novel that finished at 180K (now about 135K). I barely finished in time & was exhausted. I loved it. When I finish early, I often finish with novellas or short stories (which I did last December). 

 @21149f3e @2b1fdc7f You made your decision quickly. Good for you being so decisive! 👏 😃 

 @efa7d71c I love that about the cats and your knee. Typical! 😆 

Oh my gosh, standing stones! I go crazy about those (they appear in my series). The countryside there is astonishing beautiful, so peaceful. I can see why you moved there. The opportunity to explore such places would be more than worth the drive. I love history.

It's easy to see where you've made some excellent choices for yourself (knee injury aside 😃). 

 @d73175df Thank you! I'll admit to being a little lonely at times, but otherwise my life is so rich right now that, in many ways, this is the best time of my life. My gratitude knows no bounds, truly.

It's beautiful here, the walking path virtually outside my door, mountains all around. There are 5 rivers near, 4 joining the Clark Fork that flows to the Columbia. We have seasons &, for the most part, the weather is mild. I take issue with the state gov't, but the city is great. 😃 

 @2ee95d3f I still have my planning process—and then I go freaking insane, usually finishing in a few weeks.

I'll decide within the next week, or sooner. Odd that I wrote in my journal yesterday that I was wavering on not doing it, that the drafting hunger was building like werewolf venom during a full moon. If I do, I'll announce under these hashtags. I've never participated while here on Mastodon. 

 @d73175df Thank you! 😃 

 @2ee95d3f 🤣 Oh my gosh, I can't believe how obsessed I always was with earning the badges—and then never look at them after. The sheer madness of writing so many words in a month is a high that's difficult to replicate.

I haven't decided if I'd do it again this year. I have a number of projects waiting in the wings with short narratives written, but that's all I have right now. 🤔 

 @efa7d71c I understand, too, what you mean about relationships that aren't working. Fortunately, the cats recognized which relationship they thought was working. 😆 

Be careful with that knee. Take it slow. Your body will thank you both mentally and physically. I also started yoga during lockdown in 2020 and still do it every day.

Though I live in a small city, I'm fortunate that I have a walking path outside my door and nature but a short distance away.

https://cdn.masto.host/writing/media_attachments/files/111/165/788/719/432/608/original/7a6c8b1e771943a9.png 

 @3b678e16 I do the same! By expanding my definition of "billable hours," I then do all the little parts that go into a novel that I'd skimp on otherwise because they wouldn't "count." Thus, like you, I'm always engaged, but benefit from having a variety of tasks to do. 

 @21149f3e For all the extensive worldbuilding I've done over +20 years, I still want a plot that engages me or I'm bored. Personally, I wouldn't read a so-so plotted book for its amazing worldbuilding. Not the first time I disagreed with Sanderson, but I will acknowledge his sales. 😆 

 @21149f3e @a3976b27 I like it when others express their opinions, whether I reconsider my own opinions or not. It was feeding off other ideas and works that helped make me the writer I am.

Tolkien inspired my massive worldbuilding, yet it was countless mystery, romantic suspense, & women's fiction writers who more inspired my stories. 😃 

 @a3976b27 It is difficult to tease them all apart. These conversations have felt a bit strange trying to do that because I feel like I come across as that's what I do. I don't. My basic worldbuilding is set in place, but specific locations evolve with the characters and plot. It is fascinating, though, to see the other approaches. 😃 

 @2a9a6bfb Ah, yes, the joys and benefits of retirement. 😃 

 @b2ab0244 At least you're keeping your toe in the writing lake, and certainly a lot more than that when those edits come back. 😃 

 @a3976b27 @21149f3e I agree. If the characters are awful there's a good chance I won't finish the book. If the plot is awful I'll •probably• stick around to see how it finishes, but not read another book by that author—unless I later believe something dramatic has changed. 😃 

 @efa7d71c I've heard about those white horses. The pagan ritual sounds fascinating. Your surroundings sound much like certain threads in a few of my stories, especially Book 7 of Kovenlore Chronicles, the final book.

5,000 years would be humbling, yet uplifting all the same.