#WritersCoffeeClub 20. What's a (maybe silly) hill you're willing to defend?
That the idea that there's only one way to write a story (the hero's journey) is rather silly and should be disregarded.
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Inverse Shadow
@Inverse_Shadow@indieauthors.social
mastodon 4.7.3I'm in the midst of working on an erotic urban fantasy novel series! Links in pinned...
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Joined August 28, 2024
#ScribesAndMakers 28. Does your day job (past or present) influence your creativity?
I arrive like two hours before work starts, and I sit in a quiet place writing for a bit before I get started. Then I write on my my 1 hour break. It's really helped. Too many distractions at home, and I'm just too tried after work.
#WritersCoffeeClub April 28: How magical is your work?
Right. So initially, I wanted my magic stuff to be present, but very "quiet." As my work has progressed, however, it's gotten "louder."
I haven't seen anyone complain about it yet, but I do feel a bit funny about it. I'm still sort of working out a few aspects of the system I'm using, but I do like the idea of referencing real world esotericism to work it out.
A friend of mine has a thing about "energy work" and that's kinda in there too a bit. And things just bet messy when I started actively tossing in stuff involving the fae. o_O
#WritersCoffeeClub Share the first sentence of your WIP.
The first thing the camera showed were Samantha's running shoes, the lens zooming in and out a bit, catching a glimpse of her bare shins, the battery indicator sitting comfortably at ninety-seven percent.
#WordWeavers March 29: How big is your cast of characters?
Okay, I have a one primary mc with two secondary mc's, and 2 primary sc's, one primary antagonist and three secondary antagonists, and it gets messy from there. Lots of secondary and tertiary sc's and a small handful of tertiary antagonists. Honestly, I'll have half the town be named characters at this rate...
#WritersCoffeeClub 11 Apr
What's your most effective method for connecting with readers?
I know several artists and gamers who love the characters they create, and I sometimes borrow them, making them very minor characters with walk on roles and such. I find it makes things more interconnected.
#WritersCoffeeClub – 5th May. Have you ever taken inspiration from something which could have but didn't happen?
Jim and Lily's relationship backstory is an example of this. The little story they told in book 1 is based on something real, but with them, it went way differently.
#WritersCoffeeClub May 4: Is there a scene or a character or even a plot you regret adding to a finished work?
I have regretted adding David in here and there, as he has been a factor I've needed to work around from time to time. But, in the end, I think he's doing his job as a narrative device and such, so yeah. "No regerts." ;)
#ScribesAndMakers 1. How many creative projects do you have going right now?
I have my main project, but I have some smaller stuff on the back burner. Two story ideas that may or may not ever see the light of day. Who can say, really?
I also have an idea for making an animated trailer for my wip, but we'll see...
#EroticMusings 44: Is there an aspect of culture or political stance that shapes most or all of your erotica?
My lawyer has advised me to to answer this question.
#PennedPossibilities 996 — Share some of your favourite lines from your WIP.
"...the camera zoomed in on a large wooden statue of a beautiful woman, her gaze staring defiantly forward, her coiling hair seeming to blow back away from her, the woman proudly and defiantly pushing out her naked chest towards the sea. Below this, however, the carved statue's midriff gave way to a mass of long, coiling, surprisingly well-rendered tentacles that once clung artfully to the prow of the Kraken."
#WordWeavers 24. Do your characters have any “tells” when they are lying?
My character's so seldom lie that I barely think about that. Oddly, I can't recall Lydia -ever- resorting to our right lying. She simply doesn't put out all the facts and generally lets people think whatever they want to without feeling the need to correct them.
Replying to
@paranoiapen@mas.to I follow a number of writing related channels on YouTube, and I hear a lot of complaints from them about writers not following that method. Ive always found it really restrictive personally. I just do what I want to do and do my best to ignore the peer pressure.
Another one is the whole "the main character must be worthless trash at the beginning and a hero by the end." Probably related... there seems to be an obsession with dramatic/drastic "character growth" that I find kind of over rated.
#PennedPossibilities 974 — Does your MC become jealous?
That's a bit complicated. I'd describe Samantha's leaning in this regard more as envy. It's hard to explain without really digging into the plot, but sometimes the actions of Zack and Evan cause a certain longing within Samantha that she knows she'll have to wait for.
#ScribesAndMakers Day 25 Do you use music as a storytelling tool? Give an example.
I have a chapter mostly planned out where the characters get involved in a contest to make a commercial advertising the town to tourists.
They decide to basically make a song/music video type commercial and have a lot of fun doing it.
#WordWeavers May 2. How much longer do you think it’ll take you to finish your WIP?
I started book 3 in April, and spent a while doing research, trying to get things just right. I'm basically in the third act of chapter 1 atm... My issue is that I still have to sort out a lot of things for future chapters and such. At last count I had 17 chapters, but I don't know how it's gonna look in the end yet. I dunno. I'll be optimistic and say a year, but we'll see.
#PennedPossibilities 985 — How long have you been writing or when did you start?
I'm not sure. But I do remember writing some extremely cringe crap when I was a small child that I am deeply thankful will never see the light of day.
#writerscoffeeclub Apr 1: What arrangement of plots do you have?
ATM, I have one really big one. I spoke to someone recently about it and I actually didn't even realize how big it was. o_O But I also have a lot of little ones going on too.
#WordWeavers for 31st March, 2026 Share or tell us about a fun scene you recently wrote.
My characters are offered a little tour of the local sea caves by a mysterious woman who turns out to be a selkie. Upon arrival, she calls some of her relatives in and fun shenanigans ensue! I'm still waiting to hear back from my editor on this one...
#PennedPossibilities 970 MC POV: Have you ever experienced something that couldn’t be logically explained?
Yes. Every Friday afternoon from around 4pm, from September to June.
#PennedPossibilities 1010 — What are any of your characters hiding? (A fantasy, fear, strength, talent, an unpopular or controversial opinion, prejudice, etc.) Why are they hiding it?
Lydia hides her true appearance. Partly due to ego, partly due to not wanting to freak the normies/cause any sort of incident and partly because she's not ready to reveal who/what her father is.
#WordWeavers 9. Are there any unusual societal norms in your world?
Children are taught from an early age to avoid going into the forest. Most of them hear tales about what happens if you do when they're very young, but as they get older they tend to dismiss them.
However, even then some part of them doesn't want to go there. Most people avoid the deeper forest, with the bike path being the only interaction they have with it.
Most people don't even question why that is, it's just something they do. And the Forest People like it that way.
#PennedPossibilities 1009
Do any of your characters wear glasses?
Just Evan, Victoria, Jacob & Maegan atm.
#WordWeavers 6 May
What writing-related challenges have you encountered recently?
I have a pile of book 3 notes. I'm still trying to sort them out and put them all into one place. I also need to slip in some additional plot elements and such. I have a lot of work to do in the background. It will probably take a couple of more weeks, but this book will be better tha it could have been.
So, I have a couple of ideas for short videos related to my novel series...
Replying to
nsfw 18+ sexual explicit content lewd female
Replying to
@steaphan@indieauthors.social @paranoiapen@mas.to True, but Ive never engaged with them. I just watch stuff online and occasionally argue with people about things. But ultimately I'm going to tell the story I want to tell and not care what idiots think.
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@steaphan@indieauthors.social I dont really have propper cover art atm...
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@steaphan@indieauthors.social Well, it's not overly complicated, tbh. It's always been people I've known for a while, so it mostly comes down to getting permission and then asking for any preferred character quirks and such. As well as name. heh.
In my current chapter, my friend was extremely pleased with the outline I gave him for what I'm doing with his selkie-boy, but I'm still desperately waiting for him to read the chapter and give me some more specific input!
Replying to on timeloop.cafe
stardew valley
#wordweavers 2026-03-01 Your opinion on April fools day & do you incorporate the day into your work?
I blame whatever Roman Emperor it was for changing New Years from April 1st to January 1st. Screw that. I say change it back! "April Fools" is stupid and needs to stop being a thing. It literally doesn't exist in my wip.
Replying to on mindly.social
@floofpaldi@mindly.social I glanced at my word count his evening for book 2. It's more than twice that of book 1 and I'm not done proofreading yet. <.< I think I'm going to cry...
Thinking about chapter 3 today. My antagonist Lydia commits a bit of a Covenant violation, requiring a bit of retribution for her error in judgement.
The trick was trying to figure out some kind of punishment that she wouldn't either consider a mild irritation or entirely too fun. Then I noticed it. Her pride is her weakness...
It's going to be very interesting to write this scene. I think it will show people a side of Lydia they never knew existed.
#writing
Replying to
@Taweret@timeloop.cafe "Hey! I'm fucking here!"
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@Louisa@mastodon.xyz I sorta recall that bit in FF7...
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@Taweret@timeloop.cafe Hm. My only concern is that it might appear somewhat mechanical. I think you'd really need actors who were good at emoting.
Way too many .txt files. I really should've gotten a World Anvil account back in the day...
Its a bit of a silly/obvious goal at this stage if the game, but I'm looking to get book 2 "Complicated, Trouble & Correction" done this month! At least get the rough draft this week...
I thought the kid was screaming because there was a guy in with a camera in his room! #monsterdon
I'm convinced my room mate is the antagonist from Little Nightmares. Why else would I have to put up with this constant humming nonsense?
I'm a bit concerned about how much information is being revealed in book 3. It feels weird and anxiety inducing to lay out my cards on the table all at once. Still, we're kinda reaching the climax here, so it's kinda now ot never. I just have to figure out how to explain a few weird esoteric things without it sounding like D&D or something...
#Writings
So, chapter 3 requires me to pull a handful of new side characters out of the ether. I'll probably reference them again very occasionally, but this will be their main chance to shine.
I know it's a bit barmy, but I like the idea of giving people I know the chance to lend me characters they're not really doing anything with. It kind of makes me feel more connect to people, and I think the characters will be more real than if I just slap some literary paint on a 2D cardboard cut out of a character...
I'm just not sure how to ask people about this. I'm so terrible at social stuff. o_O
#writing
Long ago, someone told me that "nobody" would read my books. "Nobody." Last I checked, that meant "zero" people. I'd really like to find that guy and show him this. Yeah, sure, this isn't in the millions, but I'm more than happy to embrace my niche. I don't need normies to inflate my ego. I'd honestly be happy with like ten people reading my stuff. Seriously dude, whoever you are, I hope you're wallowing in our self-inflicted misery.
#writing
As much as I loath "found footage" movies, I actually have an idea for book 3, chapter 3 that is done from a camera's eye view. I think it'd be amusing and fits in with at least two of my character's career paths and such. It also presents some interesting challenges so I think I'll probably go with it. Plus it's just a more interesting idea than what I had originally planned.
#Writing
Right. Monday. Uhg. I should be able to wrap up chapter one in a day or two now that most of my distractions have been cleared away.
Replying to
@steggy@sunny.garden Harley Quin?
#ScribesAndMakers April 14: What's something that's going well with your creativity this month? I'm steadily working on part 3 of chapter 18. The last chapter of book 2. I'm pretty sure I can have it done by Sunday. Although that still leaves parts 4 & 5. They're shorter, though, so I'm still optimistic that I'll be prying another book off of Morpheus' shelf by the end of the month!
Part 2 is proofread. Part three is like 90 pages... It seems I have a mountain to climb in the morning...
A while back we were asked about what genera our wip was in... if you look at mine sideways and squint, I could almost say there's an element of cosmic horror. Although, given how Nytalia is, I think there might be a W in there somewhere... <.<
This chapter is dragging it's ass a bit. It's like my goal is getting further away the closer I get to it.
Still, I wrote a moment in time today that I actually feel weirdly proud of, but at the same time literally had to pause and laugh at. It was art meets absurdity and I love it!
I kind of wish I could draw it. This moment of Kay hanging in the air as she dives off the yacht, Arthur standing there with an amused/shocked look. That arching line that connects the two for a moment in time lasting no more than a heartbeat before gravity does it's thing, glistening in the afternoon sun....
#Writing