Alexander Corby 🇵🇷

Writer, teacher, circus artist, and parent.
Cisgender Male (He/him)

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npub1dh3srm7dujfs5qym0wnmta8smpurmtr73laz2htdxmqa9dwwg85shq6dav

NIP-05 Address

AlexCorby_at_indieauthors.social@mostr.pub

Profile Code

nprofile1qqsxmccpalx7fyc2qzdhhfa47ncds7pa43lgl739t4kndswjkh8yr6gpz4mhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumt0wd68ytnsw43qqxgz9z

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relay.mostr.pub

Author Public Key

npub1dh3srm7dujfs5qym0wnmta8smpurmtr73laz2htdxmqa9dwwg85shq6dav

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Last Notes

2024-09-18 13:06:42

#WritersCoffeeClub 9/18 Do you believe editing is where the magic happens?
No, it happens in the shower.
My HS psych teacher once showed us a riddle at the start of class. Nobody could get it. She shrugged and we continued with the day's lesson. Exactly 30 min later, my friend and I both exclaimed "I got it!" We had both solved the riddle without even thinking about it.
I usually discover something magic about a scene after draft 1 when I'm not even thinking about it, like in the shower.

2024-08-24 13:58:18

#WritersCoffeeClub 8/24 In your writing, what's the worst thing you've done to a reader's state of mind?
Not referring to my fiction work, but I recently just published an article that brought many readers to the floor sobbing.
I made them do math...
MUHAHAHAHAHAAAA!!

2024-08-24 13:42:16

#WordWeavers 8/25 Your MC vanishes mid-story. Which of your SC's take over?
Oh yeah, that's not good.
In my current #WIP if Taliesin fell down a hole or something, the Welsh lose their main intelligence in their campaign against Matholwch. Efnysien, with his ambition and bloodlust, would probably jump on the opportunity to seize power. He'd make life a living hell for the Irish countryside, but would ultimately lose the war. He's just too rash and undisciplined for his own good.

2024-08-20 13:53:49

#WordWeavers 8/20 Have you ever written about a place that was very hot?
Yes! My first published short story was a horror doom scenario for the year 2022. The opening is of a father and daughter adrift on a boat in the arctic circle while it's 90 deg F. The sea ice has completely melted and fish everywhere are dying of extreme temperatures and invasive mold.
It's a quick read available for free on my website, entitled "Dispersal by Sea"
https://corbystories.wordpress.com/dispersal-by-sea/

2024-08-20 11:08:19

First day of classes and I have to get my car to the mechanic's bright and early.
Silver line: I got to hop up on my 36" diameter unicycle and take an early morning uni ride to school. I actually arrived 5 minutes early!
Fresh air, morning exercise, students agog to see their teacher roll up on one wheel. I just might do this more often.

2024-08-20 00:02:38

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@npub1f7p…qvtt Thank you! I aim to please

2024-08-19 18:58:00

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@npub1kr9…m3ye It can also be a Gouda idea.

2024-08-19 18:43:57

#WritersCoffeeClub 8/19 5 things you learned in your writing journey.
1. A good idea is like cheese, give it time to age.
2. Inspiration is like a timid snake, it's easiest to find in the morning.
3. Drafting is like cooking, don't overuse any one element.
4. Writing is like dating, we all want it, we think about it constantly, but when the time comes we freeze up and say we have to clean the house tonight instead.
5. Similes are overrated.

2024-08-19 16:33:58

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@npub1jgd…w59t Look at those freaking dinosaur legs! That guy will run up and punt you like a football!

2024-08-19 16:08:27

#WordWeavers 8/19 Is there dancing in your world?
I’m not finding a ton of hard evidence about dance in post Roman Wales. In my series, it depends whose kingdom we’re in. Gwyddno, while unaffiliated with a specific religion, swings more on the Pagan side and would probably entertain Midsummer feasts and dances. Urien is piously Christian and wouldn’t host such events himself. It hardly appears in the series so far as emphasis is put more on song and storytelling.

2024-08-19 01:45:37

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@npub1fag…c8sz It's true! I'm so much more tempted to eat older people than animals.
(But I kid! I think this year is my 20th year as a vegetarian)

2024-08-18 14:38:29

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@npub1nf4…z0nt We’ve surpassed weird. This is now gross and deranged.

2024-08-17 15:15:38

#WordWeavers 8/17 Are real people you know ever the basis for characters in your work?
That I know personally? Not so much. Some characters have attributes of different public figures for the sake of satire, but they're never carbon copies.
Some characters are certainly reminiscent of people I know. My step-dad apparently thought (incorrectly) that he was the basis of Tali's step-dad Elphin which is a rather self-deprecating comparison, given Elphin's reputation for never doing anything right.

2024-08-17 13:37:15

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@npub1cwy…7n0v "Remember, it is always angry and it hates you!" So wonderfully true!😆

2024-08-17 13:32:27

#WritersCoffeeClub 8/17 Why did/do you choose the past or present tense?
I used to only write in past tense, which served me well enough, but I've tried a few short stories in the present and the result was surprisingly good, so I experiment often now.
Taliesin is set 1400 years in the past so the past tense just seemed like the obvious choice.
Of course, by that logic, any futuristic scifi stuff I write might have to be in the future tense.

2024-08-17 13:14:16

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@npub1knz…c73p Hey, It's not our fault that humanity got stuck using arbitrary units of measurement that needed these insane constants to balance out the equation.

2024-08-16 15:45:51

#WritersCoffeeClub 8/16 short
My phone rang and I snapped. I had just got the class’s attention! I finally got them to look up from their screens, ready to explain how many kids had died to get the cobalt for their damned precious phones. Then my ringtone sliced that thin thread of attention and I snapped. I slammed my rock hammer down 5 times and crushed my phone to bits. The teens stared aghast. They never looked more shocked. Ten minutes later, two iPolice officers came and dragged me away.

2024-08-15 12:46:57

#WritersCoffeeClub 8/15 Have you used "AI" in any form to help create your work? Is there a red line?
Like most, I've used Grammarly and other spellchecks. Then my subscription expired and now the program seems to point out my mistakes without telling me the answers. I'm pretty sure it's doing this out of spite, but I kinda prefer it this way. Now I can think my way through what the mistake is before I change it or, more likely, ignore it.
The red line shows up when it doesn't like something.

2024-08-13 23:45:17

I've been tossing around a few ideas in this vein;
Taliesin-O's: Contains 30% of your daily dose of omniscience.
Captain Enid's Crunch (on the bones of your vanquished foes)
Matholwch's Lucky Charms: They're magically a lot less wholesome than they first appear.
And my favorite:
Raisin Bran the Blessed! Two (literally) giant scoops of fiber!
#WritersCoffeeClub 8/13: Would you ever cerealize your work?

2024-08-13 14:09:28

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@npub1m8g…0nnt Even in our wildest dreams, there is no hope for New Jersey. This map was made by someone in Long Island, wasn’t it?

2024-08-12 17:40:07

#WordWeavers 8/12 What about writing is challenging for you?
I think the 'getting there' parts. Sometimes I struggle finding the right amount of rising and falling action that stitches the more exciting parts of the story together. I certainly don't want the plot to drag and I don't want to just jump from inciting moment to climax without the necessary details. I also can't cram it all full of page turners for fear or exhausting the reader. It's a fine line.

2024-08-12 16:26:26

#WritersCoffeeClub 8/12 Someone asks permission to use "AI" to write a book in your style.
My reaction comes in a series of stages.
1: Stare at the person for a full minute to see if they blink so I know they're not a cyborg/demon.
2. "Really? I'm so flattered! But here, let me give you my good stuff to train on your LLM."
3. Lace training material with hidden commands to have LLM return raunchy versions of Animorphs.
4. "No need to thank me! Seriously, don't credit me on any of this!"

2024-08-11 17:20:47

#WritersCoffeeClub 8/11 Do you consider any of your work unfilmable?
I've had a few people suggest that Taliesin would make a wonderful movie/TV series. I don't think any story can be completely carbon-copied from book to film or vice versa since ultimately they are different mediums meant to be ingested in different ways. You're always going to neglect something.
But seriously if anyone makes a juicy offer, the artsy principles are going straight out the window! I got kids to feed!

2024-08-11 17:08:54

#WordWeavers 8/11 What makes your setting unique?
Writing about medieval Wales/Britain is nothing groundbreaking, but I'm striving to incorporate a mythological kingdom (Cantre'r Gwaelod) with fairly well established historical kingdoms such as Gwynedd and Powys. The result gives me a little more artistic license to stretch facts than I'd have in more "historical" historical fiction.

2024-08-10 13:50:31

Pencil and charcoal drawing of Shane MacGowan. Portrait based off the album cover of The Very Best of the Pogues.
#ThePogues #ShaneMacgowan #IrishMusic #IrishPunk #Art #Pencil #PencilCharcoal #Portrait
https://storage.googleapis.com/indieauthors/media_attachments/files/112/938/011/735/338/371/original/43afd14f3b5de01c.jpg

2024-08-09 16:52:54

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@npub10wj…0axw Gotta say. I'm kinda envious.

2024-08-09 16:25:26

#WordWeavers 8/9 Have you ever written a character that you don't like as a person?
Okay, so while Efnysien is a wonderful addition to the story (adds tension, complexity) he is a downright awful human being! I'm a little ashamed to say that if he were here now, he'd probably be thumping around with the fash-sh!t crowd in the UK. He's unapologetically cruel and has no qualms about dehumanizing his "enemies". It's very debatable if he even ends up helping or hurting his own family by the end.

2024-08-09 11:30:27

#WritersCoffeeClub 8/9 Do you every include sections in other languages?
I drop the occasional Welsh or Irish word/phrase that can usually be easily figured from context. Croeso for Welcome, things like that.
I did manage to write a fun scene where I had two secretive characters speaking Cumbric. I looked up some basic phrases and sneaked them in. The text quickly switches to the English translation.
https://storage.googleapis.com/indieauthors/media_attachments/files/112/931/829/210/152/301/original/aebd7949ebbe8705.png

2024-08-08 16:18:04

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@npub1rke…cq30 Maybe just Albert?

2024-08-08 16:17:12

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@npub1kxk…srpc I was thinking that, his presence in superimposed as both here and not here until I observe my lunch.

2024-08-08 16:13:22

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@npub1y0k…dhyh It’s either Feynman or … catMan?

2024-08-08 16:08:36

Setting up my classroom for the new year when this little vagabond came in. I’m not much of a cat person, but then we got into a lively discussion about special relativity and now he’s my guest lecturer for the semester. Any name suggestions?
#cats #Education #physics
https://storage.googleapis.com/indieauthors/media_attachments/files/112/927/237/322/209/527/original/2c0c74052c379bd4.png

2024-08-08 15:59:27

#WordWeavers 8/8 Is your plot linear?
Each book has a (mostly) linear plot. The series as a whole will have a few change ups. I don't want to reveal too much but B2 focuses on a very long journey of Taliesin's. B3 will focus on other characters and what they've been up to in the meanwhile.

2024-08-07 11:28:42

#WordWeavers 8/7: Influential group from your story and how they affect the plot?
Efnysien, during his four year exile, rounds up of a band of British warriors with grievances against the Saxons and other invaders. He brings this band with him to Ireland to fight alongside his brother Bran. They turn into a cruel and brutal contingent of the Welsh army responsible for many horrors in the war against Matholwch.
Not sure they're "influential" but certainly a force to be reckoned with.

2024-08-06 16:07:36

#WritersCoffeeClub In your writing, what location has inspired you the most?
I know this might shock the pants off some of you, but I drew a lot of inspiration for my story about Welsh history/mythology from Wales.
Truth is, I'm not from Wales. My Gram immigrated to NY after WW2, but I've been back a few times to see the beautiful green hills of 'home'. Even a few times was truly inspiring and part of my goal in writing Welsh mythology is to connect with my family heritage. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

2024-08-05 13:38:06

#WritersCoffeeClub If AI created a genuinely good story, would you read it?
AI and "genuine" is kinda an oxymoron, no?
I would on 2 conditions:
1. The AI develops a sense of "self" in that it can change it's own algorithm based on it's values and even the parameters by which it chooses values, and learns by observation. If that sounds scary, that's bc it is.
2. The AI runs on fully sustainable energy and does not deplete natural resources
Until then, to me it's all sparkling plagiarism.

2024-08-05 01:17:44

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@npub1h3a…f4h8 Those (old person 1 and 2) are bigots.

2024-08-04 19:11:13

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@npub1k24…26zw I'll be sure to save you an extra helping 😊

2024-08-04 14:28:38

#WordWeavers 8/4 MC POV: What do you look for in a romantic partner?
TALIESIN: The life of a bard does not lend itself well to love and romance. But anyone who can ask the stars for their names, who can count beyond the ninth wave of the sea, or who can teach new notes to the harp, that one shall ever carry a piece of my soul.
(Tali can get a little mushy sometimes. He's a poet after all)

2024-08-04 13:18:25

#WritersCoffeeClub 8/4 What competes for your writing time & how do you thwart those demands?
It's August so I have to say goodbye to a relatively open schedule and start planning for my teaching job. It's sad since I really feel I was making great creative strides over the summer.
I write during my 'admin planning' periods at work, but I'm also cutting back on bad habits at home. I'm kicking my late night video game habit and replacing it with drawing time and morning writing sessions.

2024-08-03 23:38:28

Yum yum! It’s Pana season!
https://storage.googleapis.com/indieauthors/media_attachments/files/112/900/707/652/282/813/original/b417143d90331e33.png

2024-08-03 15:50:09

#WritersCoffeeClub 8/3 Do you agree with Orwell when he says never use foreign words, jargon, or over scientific words when plain English will do?
Generally, no. Clarity is certainly important, but one of the joys of reading and writing for me is playing around with the diversity of language. It’s how we expand our literacy instead of re-using the same mundane words to the point that they lose all meaning.
When I tell a reader that their epidermis is showing, that’s very intentional.

2024-08-02 12:30:36

#WordWeavers 8/2 What are you reading now. Is it helping your writing?
I started Animal Farm only ten minutes ago...aaaand just finished!
I had no idea it was that short.
I'm also reading Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud after seeing it promoted here. Both are helping me develop ideas on storytelling. I'm dabbling in illustration these days so McCloud's book is wonderfully enlightening.

2024-08-02 12:18:13

#WritersCoffeeClub 8/2 Person in your life who encouraged you to write?
Plenty of teachers and good friends, but my late stepdad was particularly supportive of my writing.
We had a checkered relationship and he could be fairly pig-headed sometimes. He ended up getting uninvited from my house after a nasty spat with my wife, but he was always happy to read and support my writing when others didn't.
He died tragically last year in a bicycle accident. Ultimately he did his best and I'm grateful.

2024-08-01 18:27:38

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@npub1nqz…838y This is in the same vein as him joking that Puerto Rico was 'throwing our budget out of whack" when thousands of people were dying without water or power after H. Maria.

2024-08-01 18:21:30

My family went to the Bodies exhibit on display in PR. After exiting my wife had the following concise reaction.
"Too. Many. Dicks!"

2024-08-01 16:17:26

#WritersCoffeeClub 8/1 Would you ever use "AI" in your writing?
By Cuchulain's balls, NO!
1. Environmental catastrophe. I'm half convinced this schlock will be the final nail in the coffin for us
2. I can generate more than enough ideas by staring out a window. That's where half my stories come from.
3. My writing, with all it's imperfections and limitations, is still my voice, my soul. Crafting a story is both transformative and humbling. The value is in the process, not the product.

2024-07-31 21:51:49

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@npub14mf…l79q Maybe he could consider leaving politics altogether.

2024-07-31 12:30:45

I made my first comic!
It's choppy, but so is practically every cartoonist's first. Anyway enjoy!
#Comics #Olympics2024 #ClimateCrisis #Covid #ParisOlympics
https://storage.googleapis.com/indieauthors/media_attachments/files/112/881/085/288/555/809/original/65dd1beb9032a822.png

2024-07-30 20:39:40

#WritingCommunity #AmWriting
And that's 50,000 words passed on the ol' #WIP
Hoping to finish an 80-90K draft by year's end!

2024-07-30 20:36:34

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@npub1nn8…8sed In a related study, getting slapped full in the face is wonderful for my circulation!

2024-07-29 14:07:13

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@npub1cd0…0vx7 On the other hand, if she doesn't read your work, she won't see the acknowledgment

2024-07-29 14:03:24

#WordWeavers 7/29 Are your MC's conflicted with their religious beliefs?
Well, I certainly am for Taliesin!
The historical Taliesin seemed to be very Christian. His poetry constantly praises the savior and refers to biblical canon. At the same time, there are a lot of pagan/polytheistic themes, so Tali walks a fine line between Christian and pagan. In my WIP he's at peace with this.
"I have been a multitude of shapes before I assumed a consistent form" ~ Taliesin, Cad Goddeu

2024-07-29 04:01:45

Bill Hicks
#amDrawing #caricature #PencilCharcoal
https://storage.googleapis.com/indieauthors/media_attachments/files/112/867/764/923/712/926/original/6e26925d8a67f386.png

2024-07-28 12:49:07

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@npub1je9…q67u mmmmm....Churros

2024-07-28 00:53:22

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@npub1c2x…w0nm Oh dear, he said the quiet part loud again.

2024-07-27 03:51:43

The Republican Candidate.
#amDrawing #caricature #pencil
https://storage.googleapis.com/indieauthors/media_attachments/files/112/856/398/685/831/898/original/2e48750a91e8eec8.png

2024-07-25 23:54:45

Portrait of the artist, whoever he is.
#amDrawing #selfPortrait #art #charcoalpencil
https://storage.googleapis.com/indieauthors/media_attachments/files/112/849/802/595/605/888/original/ff330f62c979d565.png

2024-07-25 16:58:25

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@npub1mnp…932u "We care about your privacy. By the way, we've noticed it's time for your colonoscopy, Dan Martin of Evergreen Drive, FL"

2024-07-25 15:43:03

#WritersCoffeeClub 7/25 How has your process changed over time?
The only thing I can think of is that I'm learning the value of longer, more focused writing sessions. Before, during a ten minute break from work, I might have typed out a sentence or paragraph because I thought progress was progress.
I guess that's still better than nothing, but when I can set aside a good hour in the morning and really focus, distraction free, it lets a lot more unplanned, inspired ideas rise to the top.

2024-07-25 12:28:00

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@npub18kv…6pnx If you're enjoying it, chances are good there will be plenty of readers who will enjoy it as well. If in doubt, write it twice!

2024-07-24 13:05:03

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@npub1eeu…4aku 😆 😆 😆

2024-07-24 02:04:02

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@npub1hfs…h2f6 soooo… they do want Harris to be president?

2024-07-23 12:39:56

#WritersCoffeeClub 7/23 Subplots?
Taliesin B1, Mererid develops a subplot that ultimately affects that main plot.
In B2, I'm not 100% sure yet. I'm a little afraid my MC, Taliesin, is getting sidelined in his own subplot, as he's mostly observing and advising the other characters so far.
There's another thing going on with Tali's family at home, but that will be it's own story that comes later in the series.

2024-07-23 12:25:35

#WordWeavers 7/23 Philosophy in your writing?
Taliesin is set in a interesting time when history was transitioning from the oral traditions of bards to the written pages of Christian scribes. I explored that change in B1 by writing a debate between two characters. Young and cocky Tudno argues that the written word is superior while Bryn, the older bard, says that written knowledge becomes dry and loses the emotional vitality of live story-telling.
Personally, I agree with both of them.

2024-07-22 16:59:12

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@npub1tel…4v4v Once again, I’m left wondering if I’m reading spot-on satire or face-palm reality.

2024-07-22 13:36:48

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@npub1v2s…mqq5 Well that's very nice of Manchin considering NOBODY F*CKING ASKED HIM!!

2024-07-21 12:28:05

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@npub16n9…h7ee What a flattering notification to wake up to! Thank you for the quote!

2024-07-20 12:30:14

#WordWeavers 7/20 If someone gave your MC flowers, which would they prefer?
I'll go with the obvious choice for Taliesin and just say a bouquet of daffodils.
Might as well throw in some leeks too. 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

2024-07-20 12:20:07

#WritersCoffeeClub 7/20 How is your WIP going at halftime?
I'm about 47K words in, so a little more than halfway, and I'm happy to report I am very satisfied so far!
It's the first draft, there's work to be done, changes to be made but I feel like I've made good, consistent progress so far!
I've had other projects that lost momentum 1/3 of the way (Jib is in limbo right now) I once scrapped an entire full draft bc I felt the whole things just fell off the rails.
Win some, lose some.

2024-07-20 02:58:11

Caricature of Pedro Pierluisi, current governor of Puerto Rico. If I didn’t hate this guy so much, I’d be pretty proud of myself!
#drawing #caricature #puertorico #PNPendejo
https://storage.googleapis.com/indieauthors/media_attachments/files/112/816/550/719/528/289/original/6b4574c3e13af39c.png

2024-07-19 23:15:55

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@npub1kvw…5jv7 Most people can't appreciate that horse center flavor

2024-07-19 13:41:30

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@npub1cpf…5qsn Those gummy vitamins are tasty little buggers!
I get into trouble sneaking a few of them late at night.

2024-07-19 13:09:44

#WordWeavers 7/19 The role of trade in your economy?
Each of the smaller Welsh kingdoms have something to offer by way of trade. Cantre'r Gwaelod, being built on a levied sea bed, is rich in fish, seaweed, cockles and mussels (A-live-a-live-O!)
There are several negotiations that take place in B1 where Gwyddno deals with Maelgwn on who has access to the weirs and hunting grounds in their respective territories. So, yes, trade is definitely an important factor in the medieval economy.

2024-07-19 12:58:15

#WritersCoffeeClub 7/19 First big plot point?
Matholwch's marriage to Branwen.
Ah, how I remember writing this a few months back. Everyone was so genial and happy with each other. Gwyddno was piping out endless servings of meat and mead, Taliesin was rocking the wedding tunes. The bride and groom were head over heels for each other and Bran was beside himself with pride.
Man, did things turn south quick.

2024-07-19 12:52:33

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@npub1vd2…0n6v Cowards and hypocrites, all of them.

2024-07-17 17:41:17

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@npub16dw…lz74 They should be wearing them over their eyes to demonstrate their blind obedience.

2024-07-17 14:35:09

#WordWeavers 7/17 MC's ideal vacation?
I imagine Tali would enjoy a secluded retreat somewhere in the Snowdonia mountains, in a comfortable cottage or small tower, just watching the forest grow around him and gazing at the stars. Nobody pestering him for songs, no bawdy alehouse brigands to deal with, just peaceful solitude and every story in the world playing over again in his head.

2024-07-17 14:28:08

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@npub1yzy…6q8n They are biding their time, waiting for the fall of the humans...

2024-07-12 14:41:45

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@npub1m9a…025m I'm still in my 30's and I frequently confuse the names of my wife, kid, and dogs! By the by, this makes for some very confusing social outings.

2024-06-28 12:46:30

#WritersCoffeeClub 6/28 What audia/visual art had the biggest influence on your writing?
Most definitely the animated films by Tomm Moore. I'm sure I soaked up other ideas from various media, but Moore's storytelling, themes, and astounding animation directly inspired me to delve into Celtic folklore.
The scene in Wolfwalkers when Mama wolf is brought to the public is so well written and directed, I would die fulfilled if I could reach an audience like that scene reaches me.

2024-05-24 16:26:43

#WritersCoffeeClub 5/24: A work of fiction that you could write better?
I'd take a stab at the Book of Revelations. Maybe streamline a few things, like do we need 7 of EVERYTHING? 7 trumpets, 7 bowls, 7 seals! Let's keep it to 2 trumpets and a dozen plates.
Also I'd write it from the viewpoint of the Beast with (you guessed it!) 7 heads and how the lamb of God is actually a conceited jerk.
Oh! And let's put the whole thing in a post-apocalyptic setting!
No, wait...that won't work...

2024-03-31 10:42:36

#WordWeavers 3/31: What kind of swag would you offer with your book?
Never considered it, but some ideas are:
-a bookmark
- a print of original art by the cover artist Anna Semizhonova
- a foot tall bust of my head carved from marble. Perfect to put on the fireplace mantle or in your personal study. Add class and panache to your home with my studious face constantly glaring at you from the walls.
Add glow-in-the-dark paint to the eyes to really freak out guests in the middle of the night!

2024-03-16 13:46:36

#WordWeavers 3/16 How is spring celebrated in your world?
In 6th century Wales, the big date was Calan Mai (May 1st) Bonfires were lit, people put up Hawthorn boughs around their houses, and there was the typical drinking and revelry.
Taliesin always celebrated Calan Mai differently in Cantre'r Gwaelod and later in Rheged, mostly because Calan Mai is his birthday.
Well, more like his getting-found-at-sea-in-a-bag day.

2024-03-15 15:23:23

My friend was killed by the Climate Catastrophe this morning.
I had the honor of traveling with Angelina on a social circus tour in Peru and knew her as one of the sweetest, most caring people in my life.
I am heartbroken today and furious. I am furious at our society that treats the planet as an afterthought, I am furious at the criminal industrialists that lie and kill for profit. I am furious at myself, for not doing more to speak up.
https://balidiscovery.com/two-foreign-tourists-killed-in-landslide/
1/2

2024-03-15 14:40:30

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@npub1gc3…3ldd I'm so sorry for your loss😔

2024-03-15 12:18:11

#WritersCoffeeClub What would one of your stories be like in an AU?
Hmm, which one? Infinity is a big number after all.
AU4078b: Taliesin wields his power like a dark tyrant, expands the Welsh empire to rival Rome.
AU215X: Walrus Taliesin, armed with his enchanted tusks,
must battle an army of Yetis
AU1953: Beatnik Taliesin
AUCheeseball3: Taliesin teams up with Baba Yaga and Anansi spider as the trio discovers the true meaning of Canada Day

2024-03-15 11:56:46

#WordWeavers 3/15: Are any of your MC's a minority ethnicity in their world?
The ethnicities in Jib's world are loosely defined. You have tree people (wealthy, highly stratified society), ground dwellers (simpler, more egalitarian communities) and field nomads (mostly ground dwelling, but mobile)
Jib is a ground dweller from the Ivy Patch, a heavily oppressed, colonized territory. Hardly any tree nation has seen anyone from the Ivy patch, so Jib is a sort of minority.

2024-03-14 15:14:01

#WordWeavers 3.19 What role does ethnicity play in your world?
I’m pretty sure there were isolated instances of people south of the Mediterranean traveling to Wales and Ireland, but the whole region was ver homogeneous by our standards in the 6th century. The big ethnic tension in B2 of Taliesin is between the Irish and the Welsh. The Welsh hate the Irish because of their raids on the Welsh coast, and the Irish believe the Welsh are dark magic workers in a land full of monsters and giants.

2024-03-13 21:58:31

#WordWeavers 3/12 What would the MC hate the most in our world?
We might make some enemies on this one, but Taliesin would hate what he'd call "the proliferation of the written word"
In Tali's world, knowledge was told orally and thus resonated more with the audience. Tali does see the value in books and preserved knowledge, but sees it as second tier to living the experience of a well told/sung story.
"Why can't these fools tell if it's raining or not unless their cursed phone tells them?!"

2023-09-30 11:52:36

#WritersCoffeeClub 9/30 : Dumb things people say when they hear you're a writer?
This is more from people who read my book or attempted to. The chief complaint is "I liked it, but I couldn't get past all those crazy names!"
I know, I know, some people have difficulty with names, but c'mon people! These are 6th century Welsh characters! Did you want me to call the book "Tom, boss of songs, against King Kyle of Wales-ville?"
I GAVE you all a pronunciation guide!!

2023-09-27 19:02:25

#WritersCoffeeClub 9/27 Weirdest research.
Some notable past searches include the following:
1. How hot is bombardier beetle butt juice?
2. How did the medieval Welsh go to the bathroom?
3. How quickly does gangrene set in?
4. What gets you drunk quicker, wine or mead?
5. Places to buy mead near me?
6. What cures a mead hangover?
Full disclaimer, I never said all of these were for my writing.

2023-08-31 15:15:34

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@npub1k74…dmux Don't blame yourself. Dude should have tried therapy before jumping into a marriage.

2023-08-31 15:01:11

#WritingWonders 8/31: Has the MC ever approved of what the antagonist does and vice versa?
Taliesin and Matholwch actually have a great deal of respect for each other. Taliesin, initially, sees Matholwch as a benevolent, neighborly king, and he is until things go sour with Branwen.
Matholwch both respects and fears Taliesin. When somebody can see every one of your past deeds and deepest nightmares, you'd probably treat them with fearful respect too!
#Mythology

2023-08-09 16:52:55

Yeesh! It looks like I pissed off a den of nazis lurking around here. Getting a small bombardment of some seriously messed up shit. I'm tempted to return the vitriol in kind, by why argue with intellectual toddlers? Now, I'm just wishing them luck in dealing with their insecurity issues, conveying my hopes that they find their way out of hate and blocking them and their instances one-by-one.

2023-08-09 14:51:42

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@npub1e8v…s7yy @npub1edk…7seg People of color are not your fucking livestock, there is no such thing as an innocent Nazi, Jews are my friends and family, and you need to grow up and get your head out of your racist, ignorant ass.
Stay well away from me and mine.

2023-08-08 13:39:17

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@npub1edk…7seg That's excellent! I can only imagine the memes concerning giant people snacking on Nazis.

2023-07-16 15:00:35

#WritingWonders 7/16 Are you nervous writing kissy-kissy scenes?
On my first draft, my heart starts to race, my palms get sweaty, and I have no idea what to say. I usually write something weird and then give up and cry while watching anime.
On draft 2, I explain that I was under a lot of stress yesterday. I just got done with a turbulent WIP and I need to write things slow.
Draft 3 is nothing but sloppy hardcore erotica.
Draft 4 I think I'm ready to commit to writing you.
#WritingCommunity