@HeliaXyana You'd think he would, but testosterone wins that day and he winds up dragging up that old feud with Heimdall...the god of the rainbow, for cryin' out loud. The boys should have settled things back when they were playing selkie, but no.

Angrboda stops over to have a cup with the only member of her idiot family smart enough to stay home. Hel brews up a fresh pot, knowing she's gonna have LOTS to do soon enough.

@HeliaXyana

I'm fascinated by who/what survives.

A human couple hiding inside a giant tree. Repopulation and all that.
A few younger generation gods, all of them dudes. Asgard renamed "Grindr-heim"
The sun...also a younger generation (at least it's a daughter)
A corpse-eating, root-gnawing serpent

Who never gets mentioned? *Any* of the goddesses. So when Ragnarök is firing up, Freyja pulls up the van and tells the rest of the goddesses to hop in; they're going on a road trip.

@petealexharris @diabolicalplots

Definitely an asset!

Only today have I read the FAQ section that includes "Yes, we have heard the jokes..."

@pentup LOL same! My winning entry was the one for which I immediately asked myself "why have I NOT done this?"

@HeliaXyana 2012 was exactly the last year that I was visited by JW missionaries.

They came to talk about the Mayan calendar version of the end, and how their version was better.

I pointed out a few inconsistencies in their version, then went on to discuss the philosophy of Ragnarök and how so many "end-of-the-world" myths might well be allegories for the seasonal cycles of nature.

It took well over an hour. I suspect I've been redlined ever since.

@petealexharris @diabolicalplots

Submission Grinder is an excellent resource.

I have, however, learned to be careful how I phrase things. Simply stating out loud "Yeah, I use Grinder" or "I submitted a bunch of times via Grinder" has earned me some rather odd reactions 😅

#WritersCoffeeClub 17 Dec
Give a shout-out to a resource or site you think more writers should know.

@diabolicalplots 's Submission Grinder

https://thegrinder.diabolicalplots.com/

Without that I'd have sold and placed less than half as many short stories, not having any similar way to find who might want them.

#ScribesAndMakers 17
Reveal the answer to yesterday's poll.

In my 30's, I started attending large Pagan festivals at a clothing-optional site. Dancing naked before a raging bonfire is delightfully primal.

I joined the djembe players at the Shabbat held before my storytelling commencement.

Ornaments needing repair tend to get a special touch (ref pic).

I had however NOT yet written an ad for the cannibal catering service. That's in progress today 🍖

@saposcat I do aim for making these challenging 😉

And following on to your comment, I have written many ads, but none of them for products or services that, as far as I know, actually exist.

#ScribesAndMakers 16
Create a poll describing three creative projects you've worked on and one you haven't. Ask people to guess the one you haven't.

@saposcat "Uff da" tends to show up in areas where there's a strong Norwegian influence. I spent a chunk of time amongst "yoopers" back in the early days of my career and picked up a lot of the dialect that the movie "Fargo" pokes fun at.

#WordWeavers 15
How much profanity do you include in your story, and why?

In developing dialogue, I strive to make it realistic. So looking at real life:

Culturally: A 70-something from Green Bay is more likely to drop an "Uff da!" than a city kid from Brooklyn.

Situationally: I tend not to use profanity in spiritual settings, but plumbing and car mechanics require extensive use.

Someone I know won't read any of my work because of the "f-bombs." Lovely person, but she's not my audience.

#WritersCoffeeClub 15
What’s a non-literary artistic tradition which inspires you?

I can be inspired by painting/sculpting, but more often than not, I need to stand before the original work to truly gain the full sense of it, even pieces for which I've seen countless images (Starry Night, looking at you). That requires special trips.

For everyday inspiration, it's music. Energy, mood, tension, texture: these things can deeply affect what appears on my pages. Music's always at my fingertips.

Sinister Minutes 2:20 Open Market - The Box

In the strongest communities, each of us pitch in and do what's best for one another. Sometimes that requires a little sacrifice. Sometimes the sacrifice isn't so little.

https://www.sinisterminutes.com/episodes-season-2 or wherever you grab your podcasts.

Written by Brett R. Scott, narrated by @KurtHohmann (me), music by Tim Parker.

#writing
#writingCommunity
#podcast
#podcasts
#Podcaster
#Podcasting
#fiction
#horror
#AudioDrama

#WordWeavers 12
Are bodily functions omitted or discussed in your stories?

They sometimes serve as useful plot devices. If, for example, my cast has just arrived at the scary cabin in the woods, needing to pee is an excellent reason for one or two of them to go back outside in the dark. After all, the outhouse is *right over there.*

@HeliaXyana But...people don't always react the same way, even to the same stimulus! They're too complex! How can we write algorithms when we can't predict every response?

People are much more interesting to engage with 🤪

@pentup @saposcat

Same - in fact I suspect @saposcat and I arrived in Masto-land around the same time, and "met" via one hashtag game or another. Good and interesting social interaction.

I know there are similar games happening on BlueSky, but I also know that if I play all the games I want to play, I won't have any time left for any other creative pursuits. Thus my BlueSky account looks a bit like what @pentup describes for their personal account here :)

Todays' #ScribesAndMakers prompt, about engagement, reminds me how amazing our #writingcommunity hashtag hosts are.

@floofpaldi @AlinaLeonova @BranwenOShea @paris @solarbranka @saposcat @gahlearner @willelm @juliebihn @pentup @NaraMoore
And everyone who contributes.

You're all genuinely incredible!
Thank you all so much for all the work you put in, and the authentic engagement it nurtures.

#pennedPossibilities #wordweavers #writerscoffeeClub #timeTravelAuthors #eroticMusings #WebAuthorsCafe

#WritersCoffeeClub 10
Is it ethical to base characters on real people? What is the limit?

If the choice comes down to basing a character on a real person and then throttling them on the page, or doing so in real life, I suspect most writers choose the former option.

Not only is it arguably the more ethical choice, it is also less likely to result in physical injuries to the hands and fingers that might make typing difficult.

@saposcat @VampiresAndRobots @pentup @willelm

I had to go back and look up the correct lyrics (as usual) for that pie.

I know which way I'm singing it from now on.