#PennedPossibilities 631. What does your antagonist / villain do to relax?

The Fractured King is an odd one, he likes to hang out at the pub he secretly funded and drink a special craft ale that mimics the sacrificial ale offered to him in the distant past. He doodles in an enchanted leather-bound book all the ways he'd like to see Erebus and Damian die!

People just think he is drawing happy trees, when in truth those half brothers are lynched on the foremost tree in the drawing. A vivid outdoor market is really an execution square, featuring the brothers secured in a guillotine.

He loves going to the celebration night that also mimics rites in the distant past, which gives him strength to endure the wicked but powerful curse he put on his limbs...

He's a creature of simple pleasures!

#PennedPossibilities #Writing 631 What does Dear Villain do to relax?

—Relax? I have no time for such things. I used to do some wrestling when I had the the time. It was a truly stress-killing activity. Now I just take a pill and keep on working. I'll "relax" after I finish mi job…

Gen. Torres

#PennedPossibilities 631
What does your antagonist / villain do to relax?

Current WIP:

Mitchel Pinori: go for a run in wolf form
Liam Marley: hangout in his opulent home with a good meal & ale
Eithelwaithe: torture someone, probably

#PennedPossibilities 631 — What does your antagonist / villain do to relax?

My antagonist never relaxes. It's an institution, not an individual, and evil never sleeps.

#PennedPossibilities #Writing 630 Is your MC receptive to warnings and advice given by others?

—Always. It helps to redistribute blame, and, if things end well, to give credit where is due. But somehow people only gives me advice when it's too late, or when there's no time to properly evaluate their recommendations. Then they say I never listen to anyone and do my thing. I won't think about how to improve the kid's notes when we're getting a bullet shower. I'm sorry…

Our Hero

#PennedPossibilities 630
Is your MC receptive to warnings and advice given by others?

Due to her particular affinity, Maggie can't help but recall everything said to her, plus evaluate & correlate with all the evidence she has on hand. Consequently, she will heed those words that appear to have a greater probability of being correct & discount the rest.

#PennedPossibilities 629 — How did you break into publishing? (If you’re already published, of course.)

I opened accounts on #AO3, #PIXIV, and WattPad and started posting. Dropped WattPad as a waste of time, but I have a running streak of weekly posts on the other two running over two years. And more erratically before that. I am prolific if not widely know. #NMPP

#PennedPossibilities How did you break into publishing?

I saw a free street paper and sent them a story. They published it. I framed it.

After that, I aired commentaries on the local NPR station; had stories and essays in lit journals; self-published 3 novels, audio story collection, and a writing how to; and placed an anthology and nonfiction book with small presses.

Twenty years later, a small press is publishing my novel, When We Were Murderous Time-Traveling Women.

#PennedPossibilities #Writing 629 How did you break into publishing?

I played the query a publisher game for a couple of years and kept getting the message my writing wasn't there yet. To fix this I had to hire an editor. Paying for an editor has always been the publishers job. I had become my own publisher and now put my stories out as an indie publisher.

#PennedPossibilities 629. How did you break into publishing? (If you’re already published, of course.)

I queried for a while, but only a couple nibbles. the premise is weird, and honestly, I suspect agents were dubious it could be tackled by a cis/het white male middle class engineer.

So, self-publishing. First Amazon, but as of today I've gone wide via Draft2Digital. (Including Hoopla, so... free.)

https://books2read.com/u/mdx1Jl

#PennedPossibilities 629
How did you break into publishing? (If you’re already published, of course.)

I'm indie, or self-published. I just broke down that wall by myself

@NaraMoore Love of a Konbini Idol, Chapter 6, Fumihiko and Mikawa

This is nice. Just a conversation between two people on a long car journey together, filling in backstories for the reader, strengthening the characters and providing solid backdrop to the story.

1/6

#KonbiniIdol #WordWeavers #PennedPossibilities #reading #bookstodon #fiction #lesbianfiction @bookstodon

https://yuribynaramoore.yoshino.garden/fumihiko-and-mikawa/

#PennedPossibilities 629 — How did you break into publishing? (If you’re already published, of course.)

I was first published by an indie publisher. When things went sideways with the owner (the CEO was wonderful, the owner less so), I pulled my books and decided to create my own tiny company, which is mostly a one person show. Said sweet CEO helped me a lot.

Basically, I'm a self-publisher who helps some others, less technically inclined authors, too.

And here I am.

#PennedPossibilities 629 — How did you break into publishing? (If you’re already published, of course.)

I think I've answered this elsewhere over the few years I've been on Mastodon, but I've more followers now. I burnt out in 2001 and am re-starting my career again now, but I that means had to have broken into publishing once:

I wrote my first SF story, a novella, in 1975, then some short stories. I found I liked writing but knew if I wanted a career, I needed to write novels.. I soon completed two. Not finding success sending out the shorts to magazines (back them a viable intro to breaking into the business), I decided to attend writer events. Back then publishers organized mini-event to promote books, which agents attended. This was in 1980 or 1981. I took my latest ms and managed to peg an agent. He looked at the manuscript and said something to the affect that he saw I could write and complete projects. He gave me his card and told me to send him the next novel I completed.

I completed something soon after (1982) and sent it to him. A week later we met at my house and I signed an agent contract. Two weeks later he sold it to one of the top houses in New York because the editor-in-chief fell in love with the story. Two years later, it was in print (competing against a Marion Zimmer Bradley classic, but it sold well regardless).

[Author retains copyright (c)2025 R.S.]

#BoostingIsSharing

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#writing #writingcommunity #writersOfMastodon #writers
#RSdiscussion

#PennedPossibilities 628
Tell us about the trauma your antagonist / villain has endured.

The Red Wolf watched her family, world--everything she cared about--die. I guess that'd do it.

#PennedPossibilities 626
MC POV: Are you afraid of your capabilities?

Maggie: They insisted I spar, to get a "handle" on things, and I almost killed a friend. So, yeah.

April is election time in Potter's Point. Follow the link to read all about it and subscribe for free.

https://open.substack.com/pub/thereportfrompotterspoint/p/the-report-from-potters-point-april?r=1yz17s&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false

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#PennedPossibilities 625
How physically fit are your characters? Does it factor into your WIP in any way?

It doesn't factor in much except that mages have that ceremony that grows them a new body if they feel they need one. So all mages, on average, are fairly fit at all times. I have characters who engage in training sessions to improve their fighting skills.

#PennedPossibilities In theory, what would be your SC’s weapon of choice?

The Better Angels have David as Master Sergeant and Sisi as Weapons Specialist to help them choose weapons appropriate to the task. Generally, they use railguns, but also sometimes use the Corona-14 plasma rifle, Ublyudok particle rifle, or Mottusuchi pin beam for specialized tasks.