There are no words

https://www.reddit.com/r/PublicFreakout/comments/vi51mn/so_louisiana_is_just_going_to_adopt_taliban_law/

Methinks #chicom8 has some experience with internet denizens, gamers and Scifi fans 😂

"Behavior that will be considered harassment includes:
Attempts to weaponize this Code of Conduct"

In all honesty I'm a borderline recluse anyways so I'll likely not talk to people out of habit. I'm also known for being good at reading people but I can't read minds.

That doesn't change that the impetus to know if someone else is silently offended lay with the speaker. That seems an impossible task. Am I expected to know the details of every religion and culture so as not to silently offend?

Well, I signed up for #chicom8 and am planning on attending all days.

A line in the code of conduct struck me as odd:

"If someone tells you no or asks you to leave them alone, you are expected to cease your interaction"

Of course, makes perfect sense. Followed by:

Because people may feel uncomfortable saying no or asking you to leave them alone, the absence of no is not sufficient to assume consent

?? How will I know? I should talk to no one, in case?

I'm of the firm belief that the only secret you can keep is the one you never tell anyone. That being said, what about pen names? I'll have to inform an agent or publisher should I strike gold and get either. How close to the vest do you hold your pen name? #writers #writing #cosowriting

I have a manuscript I want to do something with and I'm considering attending Chicon8. Mostly to learn about publishers/editors/agents/other authors/etc in the area I write in. It could also be great fun though ;-) Historically, I avoid crowds or I'd have gone sooner.
Thoughts? Are such things good for new writers looking to learn about the industry?

I'm already signing up so don't think you'll influence me to not go ;-)

#writing #writers #cosowriting

In defense of MacGuffins, I do have a story that is almost entirely MacGuffins, even the main character (in a sense). It has the potential to be a symphony of chaos and mind bending nonsense. MacGuffins can be ridiculously fun (for me >.> ) when not used as a cheap trick to rush creativity. I'm not writing on a schedule though... #writing

I've been dancing around the ending for a very long time. I know what will happen but I've been struggling with the choreography. Most is written except the penultimate portion for fear of being misdirected by filler for some duty to call it done. Finally it hit me, that magical something that brings all of them together. Not a MacGuffin (they drive me insane) but something sitting in front of the reader (and the writer) the whole time. I won't write it now though, not yet #writing

It's my fault. I should have quit. Over and over again they threw money at me because I have outstanding troubleshooting skills. I wish I'd been experienced enough to see why that was so important to them.

I was ok with it when we were a little company and it was all for one and one for all, struggling to keep the plates spinning. That was years ago though, now I'm paying for someone else's yacht with my sleepless nights.

I think I'm done. +13 years and the chaos has only grown. More than a week vaca and the night before I return to work is sleepless in anxiety of the chaos I will inevitably step into only to find it's worse than even I expected. And I'm powerless to stop it. Tired of endless bandaids because the actual work required is constantly blocked. Tired of being told, year after year, that it will get better but just getting worse.

Unfortunately, I have a +full time job so with vaca ending, the rewrites slow.

I'm not quite sure how, but I am a couple of months away from seeking a development editor. I have 2.5 rewrites to complete and a third took a week so I'd guess 2 months, 3-4 if I'm honest about my normal schedule. I've been forever in rewrites but previously lacked technique and a strategy. I'm honestly surprised how productive rewrites are with a valid focus. #ICanDoIt! #writing

If you should stumble upon a great and seemingly perfect title, would you reveal it before publication/release or zealously guard it? How about if you cannot find the phrase used anywhere?

#writing

What is a good way to distinguish forms of communication such as verbal vs telepathic or digital. There are perhaps style guides which cover this? I've been using italics for non-verbal communication and I fear that it is obtuse and hard to read, particularly in exchanges including both verbal and non-verbal comms. I'm also toying with using 'sent' instead of 'said' but that is a bit clunky too, though easier to read. Is there a more standardized methodology?

#writing #writers

I was doing dishes and listening to my work as I do and found I actually kinda like my characters. After I was finished, I lay on the couch and listened, finding parts I liked but had forgotten about. Then I fell asleep and no #writing was done.