Could have done without that
Dec. 15th, 2025 10:15 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cornerofmadnessI mean I had a decent day and I'm sitting down to my dinner of crunchy roll sushi and I dropped my plate. It hits my pint glass of water. The water hits and destroys 100$ worth of coupons I would have used, destroys a pile of research articles. Sushi sails everywhere. It gets cat hair on it and I have to pick it out because that's all I have for dinner. Gah.
I got my blood drawn. It was easy and she left no marks. I had time to go to the coffee shop for breakfast and coffee.
Look how cute that is
Went to the school, got the stuff printed that I needed and got my plants into the greenhouse and signed up for my shit new insurance before I forgot.
And then somehow it was dinner.
And then I saw this latest insult from the monster in charge ( cut because not everyone wants to see what Trump tweeted about Rob Reiner )
Music Monday - the prompt this week is A song you like from a movie soundtrack
One of the few things I liked from this movie
Ditto this movie
I got my blood drawn. It was easy and she left no marks. I had time to go to the coffee shop for breakfast and coffee.
Look how cute that is
Went to the school, got the stuff printed that I needed and got my plants into the greenhouse and signed up for my shit new insurance before I forgot.
And then somehow it was dinner.
And then I saw this latest insult from the monster in charge ( cut because not everyone wants to see what Trump tweeted about Rob Reiner )
Music Monday - the prompt this week is A song you like from a movie soundtrack
One of the few things I liked from this movie
Ditto this movie
Stuck Car Day
Dec. 15th, 2025 08:48 pmdays_unfoldingThe local schools are having a remote day tomorrow. Maybe I'll wait until lunchtime to brush off the cars.
Crud. I forgot to order food. I’ll do so after I get up.
Ugh. -3F/-19C with a low of -7F/-22C. Yep, it’s cold.
Woke up a little after 2 AM. I was going to go back to sleep, but I wondered if I woke up because I needed to pee, so I got up and did so.
Woke up a little after 7 AM. Gracie was trying to get me up, and I was pulling the covers over my head. It’s 0F/-18C, and the dogs came in quickly.
Rob Reiner and his wife were killed. That made me gasp. Horrible. That shook me up.
Ugh. I really want to go back to sleep, but I should shower so that I can brush off the cars at lunchtime. I finally did shower and have my Christmas sweatshirt on.
Gracie: Oliver is on your lap!!! Yes, Gracie, I know. He has a right to be there. Oliver is now walking on my keyboard, knocking stuff down, and being annoying.
I think that I'm going to have to be dug out before I can brush off the cars. I'll contact the snow guy. He said that he'll be there shortly. The dogs got out when the guys were done, but they helped me catch them.
Brushed off the Honda. I didn’t get the Kia because my hands were cold.
Busy day at work. I'm just getting started on the things that I need to get done. Meetings otherwise.
My car got stuck trying to get it out. No caroling today. I took the time to brush off the Kia because I’m sitting waiting for AAA. The guy called by AAA was very helpful and pulled me out. He dug around the car so that I can get it out tomorrow. But I’m dubious about going anywhere tomorrow.
I need to let the dogs out (done). Fed us all. I've just about had it with today. I want to go to sleep soon.
Crud. I forgot to order food. I’ll do so after I get up.
Ugh. -3F/-19C with a low of -7F/-22C. Yep, it’s cold.
Woke up a little after 2 AM. I was going to go back to sleep, but I wondered if I woke up because I needed to pee, so I got up and did so.
Woke up a little after 7 AM. Gracie was trying to get me up, and I was pulling the covers over my head. It’s 0F/-18C, and the dogs came in quickly.
Rob Reiner and his wife were killed. That made me gasp. Horrible. That shook me up.
Ugh. I really want to go back to sleep, but I should shower so that I can brush off the cars at lunchtime. I finally did shower and have my Christmas sweatshirt on.
Gracie: Oliver is on your lap!!! Yes, Gracie, I know. He has a right to be there. Oliver is now walking on my keyboard, knocking stuff down, and being annoying.
I think that I'm going to have to be dug out before I can brush off the cars. I'll contact the snow guy. He said that he'll be there shortly. The dogs got out when the guys were done, but they helped me catch them.
Brushed off the Honda. I didn’t get the Kia because my hands were cold.
Busy day at work. I'm just getting started on the things that I need to get done. Meetings otherwise.
My car got stuck trying to get it out. No caroling today. I took the time to brush off the Kia because I’m sitting waiting for AAA. The guy called by AAA was very helpful and pulled me out. He dug around the car so that I can get it out tomorrow. But I’m dubious about going anywhere tomorrow.
I need to let the dogs out (done). Fed us all. I've just about had it with today. I want to go to sleep soon.
Breaking a cycle
Dec. 15th, 2025 06:33 pmceitfiannaI've been stuck in my head lately and this Saturday I went to see the filmed version of Merrily We Roll Along and I lost myself for over two hours in wonderful music. If you enjoy musicals and especially Sondheim, then this is worth a watch, the music is glorious, and the story is good and painful. Its not the classic pro-shot filming, they've tried to make it more film like, which kind of works. Merrily is an odd musical that I'd love other people to watch to talk with them about it.
My first introduction to it was when my high school's ambitious vocal director put it on. I auditioned for it and was terrified since the vocal director had us audition like they do for Broadway, so you stand up on the stage and sing. I didn't get cast as my singing isn't that strong but I first heard that great music. Then a few years ago, I watched that great documentary about Merrily that was on Netflix: The Best Worst Thing That Could Have Ever Happened, worth a watch. Into the Woods is still my favorite Sondheim but Merrily is fascinating and makes me want to read the play its based off of and also watch Company, they feel connected. I ended up having a longer walk than I'd originally planned since the green line was being annoying but the weather was nice.
My Yuletide is pretty much done, I need to give it a good hard edit then post it. I'm still waiting on my car, but the insurance is covering my rental. Today I talked to the repair place and the damage was worse than they thought, so they're hoping by the end of the week. I stressed that at the beginning of next week, I hope to be driving off to see my family for the holidays. Other than one thing from the mail, my shopping is pretty much done. I will have to work next Monday and this Saturday before my long drive but then I'll have a nice chunk of time off.
The snow that fell yesterday has actually stayed, mainly because its far too cold, but getting warmer.
My first introduction to it was when my high school's ambitious vocal director put it on. I auditioned for it and was terrified since the vocal director had us audition like they do for Broadway, so you stand up on the stage and sing. I didn't get cast as my singing isn't that strong but I first heard that great music. Then a few years ago, I watched that great documentary about Merrily that was on Netflix: The Best Worst Thing That Could Have Ever Happened, worth a watch. Into the Woods is still my favorite Sondheim but Merrily is fascinating and makes me want to read the play its based off of and also watch Company, they feel connected. I ended up having a longer walk than I'd originally planned since the green line was being annoying but the weather was nice.
My Yuletide is pretty much done, I need to give it a good hard edit then post it. I'm still waiting on my car, but the insurance is covering my rental. Today I talked to the repair place and the damage was worse than they thought, so they're hoping by the end of the week. I stressed that at the beginning of next week, I hope to be driving off to see my family for the holidays. Other than one thing from the mail, my shopping is pretty much done. I will have to work next Monday and this Saturday before my long drive but then I'll have a nice chunk of time off.
The snow that fell yesterday has actually stayed, mainly because its far too cold, but getting warmer.
I'm a weirdo
Dec. 15th, 2025 02:03 pmsusandennisLast night I started watching a perfectly good show. It met all my criteria, people getting killed, pretty scenery, smart police, interesting outfits... A rich guy gets killed early on. But, does he? And is he really rich? There are all sorts of interesting characters and 3 seasons. And one fatal flaw. The part of the rich guy is played by Alec Baldwin. I have never liked anything he's ever been in. I don't like him. I don't like what I read about him. And I could not gin up the enthusiasm about whether the character he played lived or died or was right or not... simply because it's Alec Baldwin. Ha. My TV standards are weird.
And in other weirdness, I have a flashlight fetish. Especially flashlights that do other things. I own a million. You can hardly be anywhere in my apartment without being in arm's reach of some sort of flashlight. I do not need any more. Does that stop me? Nope.
I bought a pack of motion sensor lights - flashlights for when I walk by a wall. AND another 3 pack of night lights that plug into the wall and can also be motion sensor or not and also can charge up your cellphone and also can be flash lights!! I should take them all back. But, of course, I will not.
I did not vacuum the car. Maybe that's what I'll do tomorrow while the housecleaner cleans.
And in other weirdness, I have a flashlight fetish. Especially flashlights that do other things. I own a million. You can hardly be anywhere in my apartment without being in arm's reach of some sort of flashlight. I do not need any more. Does that stop me? Nope.
I bought a pack of motion sensor lights - flashlights for when I walk by a wall. AND another 3 pack of night lights that plug into the wall and can also be motion sensor or not and also can charge up your cellphone and also can be flash lights!! I should take them all back. But, of course, I will not.
I did not vacuum the car. Maybe that's what I'll do tomorrow while the housecleaner cleans.
Whew! And yay!
Dec. 15th, 2025 01:15 pmsistawendyI just measured my dining area table. It comes as both a disappointment and a relief that I don't have enough space, not even close, for that fabulous dining set by John Kirschbaum. Oh, and I probably can't afford anything by Elizabeth Gahan and still pay surgery-related expenses.
Speaking of expeneses, I do believe I've found a group that I want to camp with at Burning Man, no ambivalence necessary. Yes, I've dug out my packing list of doom.
Speaking of expeneses, I do believe I've found a group that I want to camp with at Burning Man, no ambivalence necessary. Yes, I've dug out my packing list of doom.
Random fashion pondering
Dec. 15th, 2025 12:47 pmcupcake_gothI used to have this skirt by Kambriel. I have since sold it on to sistawendy , and it looks fabulous on her. But I miss the idea of the skirt.
I'm pondering buying yardage of both those fabrics to make myself an ankle-length version. I'd be making it myself, because if I asked the Madwoman in the Attic to make something with both those patterns together, her head would explode.
sistawendy , and it looks fabulous on her. But I miss the idea of the skirt.I'm pondering buying yardage of both those fabrics to make myself an ankle-length version. I'd be making it myself, because if I asked the Madwoman in the Attic to make something with both those patterns together, her head would explode.
Okay, nobody has entered the beaver lodges to check for sewing machines - yet
Dec. 15th, 2025 07:44 pmoursin[F]irst wild beaver spotted in Norfolk in 500 years and Wild beavers may have spread further than we realise:
It is not clear whether the Pensthorpe beaver, whose sex and age is unknown, was illegally released into the reserve by activists using a practice known as beaver bombing. It is possible it wandered of its own accord into the Wensum – an aquifer-fed chalk river whose name is derived from the Old English adjective for “wandering”.
“It could be a naturally dispersing wild beaver,” said Emily Bowen, a spokesperson for the Beaver Trust, a charity that aims to restore beavers to regenerate landscapes. She said that there were established wild populations in eight areas in England at the moment.
Wild beavers have also been spotted in Kent, Hampshire, Somerset, Wiltshire and Hereford, she said. Norfolk has some captive beavers but none have been reported missing.
Maybe it's a sinister beaver underground conspiracy....
And if we are talking aquatic mammals, see also otters: otters’ revival in Britain. Still rare only 20 years ago, the charismatic animals are in almost every UK river and a conservation success story.
White storks to be introduced to, believe it or not, Dagenham.
A rather different story: voyaging owls: Two burrowing owls stowed away on a cruise ship out of Miami, and are now living the high life at a Spanish resort before returning to the US next month. We think they may have been in flight from being a threatened species in Florida....
Crafting tonight
Dec. 15th, 2025 02:14 pmunicorndukeHey all, if you'd like to join the crafting hangout, it is tonight from 6-8pm ET!
Video encouraged but not required!
Topic: Crafting Hangout
Time: Mondays 6:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 973 2674 2763
Dear Body, that wasn't the plan
Dec. 15th, 2025 10:57 amcupcake_gothOriginally, I was supposed to be getting my COVID vax on Friday and thus spend the weekend recovering. (COVID vaccinations hit me hard.) But then other things meant moving things around, and now I'm planning on getting my vaccination on 12/27, which gives me more days to recover.
So we could go do the other things, right? AHAHAHAHAHA Friday night my back decided to ~do the thing~, the thing that sent me to the ER at the end of 2019. This round wasn't quite as bad, but I did need the Stroppy One to help me stand up from any seated position and to escort me up and down stairs in case my left leg randomly decided not to work for a few seconds.
I lost the whole weekend to heavy drugs and being covered in lidocaine patches. Luckily I have a Dr. appointment on Thursday; I will go over all of this with her, say, "I've done all the things that can be done before medical procedures are discussed", and then ask what tests I need to get before I can get steroid shots. (Steroid shots are the next step, with the ultimate step being surgery.) The Stroppy One will be in the appointment with me, because there's a good chance I'll forget to mention something, so having a backup brain is a good idea.
Stupid bodies.
So we could go do the other things, right? AHAHAHAHAHA Friday night my back decided to ~do the thing~, the thing that sent me to the ER at the end of 2019. This round wasn't quite as bad, but I did need the Stroppy One to help me stand up from any seated position and to escort me up and down stairs in case my left leg randomly decided not to work for a few seconds.
I lost the whole weekend to heavy drugs and being covered in lidocaine patches. Luckily I have a Dr. appointment on Thursday; I will go over all of this with her, say, "I've done all the things that can be done before medical procedures are discussed", and then ask what tests I need to get before I can get steroid shots. (Steroid shots are the next step, with the ultimate step being surgery.) The Stroppy One will be in the appointment with me, because there's a good chance I'll forget to mention something, so having a backup brain is a good idea.
Stupid bodies.
Running Out of Dopamine
Dec. 15th, 2025 11:39 ammallorys_camera
Rob Reiner & wife stabbed to death in their Brentwood mansion...
This one made me very sad.
###
Rob Reiner was a mensch. The perfect representative for my particular cultural cohort. His movies had exactly the right blend of sentimentality & snark, his politics exactly the right blend of liberal bonhomie & a kind of Eisenhower presidency wholesomeness.
And he was Jewish. Which means he communicated in an unspoken language I know very intimately. Sigh...
Likely killer is one of their sons, which makes it all the sadder.
I've always had this theory about people who live what appear to be charmed lives, that their lives are kind of a trade-off, that their privelege comes with a karmic price tag. Of course, outcomes that seem obvious today were rarely obvious in the moment. Still. It always seems as though these lives contain at least one episode of catastrophic suffering so the Universe will maintain its implacable balance. As though the absolute value of all the positive things—the money, the fame—is refuted by the absolute value of the one horrifying thing—the pain, betrayal—so you die with a karma balance of zero.
I am picturing that office in Bardo where you sit in front of a blonde wood desk helmed by a reincarnation broker. So, says the broker. There's something opening up in the Orion-Cygnus sector. You'll make movies! You'll have all the freedom a $200 million fortune can buy! But in the last 12 hours of your life, a haploid DNA replicant will slit your throat—very painful—and loom over you, mocking, while you exsanguinate & strangle. Sound good? Should I sign you up?
###
And, too, there was the Bondi Beach massacre. That took place at a Chanukah festival.
Chanukah has been given a lot of attention in recent years. Traditionally, it was a minor holiday, but it's been elevated in prominence so that Jews will have parity with Xtains when it comes to repurposed solstice celebrations. It's a holiday that ostensibly celebrates miracles. What was the miracle here? That a Holocaust survivor died protecting his Holocaust survivor wife?
This one happened in Australia. Where everyone walks around upside down. Horrifying though it was, it had less of a personal impact. But still. I've started wondering again: Which friends will hide me in their attic?
###
I had lots of plans for the weekend, but in the end, I did very little. Motivation is just not there. Nothing seems to matter very much. I could just sit in a corner with my eyes unfocused for hours doing nothing. I wouldn't even get bored.
Is this depression? But I wasn't feeling particularly teary or sad till I read about Rob Reiner this morning.
I wonder if I'm still in some kind of refractory period from the Wellbutrin OD. Wellbutrin is a dopamine reuptake inhibitor; dopamine is the neurotransmitter that signals the brain when a task is worth doing. During the OD, my nervous system was awash and aslosh with excess dopamine! Maybe after something like that happens, you deplete all your dopamine and it takes those little cellular chemical factories a while to work the levels back up to normal.
Or maybe the world sucks, and I'm a Buddhist at last because finally, finally, I get that it's not worth doing anything except detaching.
Who knows?
###
This just in. Trump's response to the Rob Reiner murder:
I can't even...
Biggie watch
Dec. 15th, 2025 08:06 amsusandennisI keep watching waiting for him to crash and burn, but so far, no dice. He just drank a bunch of water and his still peeing. Both he and Julio are gobbling up the new food. I guess they both have gourmet pallets. The Chewy order I placed on Thursday, arrived last night. I got a notice that it was delivered so I grabbed my cart and high tailed it down to security before they had a chance to do anything with it (such as put it in another part of the complex with the, likely, boatload of other deliveries from the weekend). It was a smart move as the box was right there by the door so I don't have to wait until this afternoon or maybe tomorrow afternoon to have it delivered.
He's still looking for his Temptations. I sprinkled about 6 of the new treats over the carpet and he sniffed every one and then walked away. But, not long after that, I noticed they were gone.
My TV streaming consolidation try is over. I killed YouTube.TV and am going back to paying for individual streams. The idea of using Prime to house cheap subscriptions turned out to be a 'get what you pay for' situation. The Max/HBO shows not only have ads, but tons of ads and sliced into places where ads should not go since most of the programming was designed for no ads. PLUS not all of the catalog is available.
So I'll buy annual plans for those I care about and get that Hulo/HBO/Max bundle monthly because they don't offer it annually. And then, probably, do this whole segregation/desegregation thing again next year.
Today is Costco with Bonny. And laundry. And that's about it for plans for the day. Maybe today would be a good day to vacuum the car...
He's still looking for his Temptations. I sprinkled about 6 of the new treats over the carpet and he sniffed every one and then walked away. But, not long after that, I noticed they were gone.
My TV streaming consolidation try is over. I killed YouTube.TV and am going back to paying for individual streams. The idea of using Prime to house cheap subscriptions turned out to be a 'get what you pay for' situation. The Max/HBO shows not only have ads, but tons of ads and sliced into places where ads should not go since most of the programming was designed for no ads. PLUS not all of the catalog is available.
So I'll buy annual plans for those I care about and get that Hulo/HBO/Max bundle monthly because they don't offer it annually. And then, probably, do this whole segregation/desegregation thing again next year.
Today is Costco with Bonny. And laundry. And that's about it for plans for the day. Maybe today would be a good day to vacuum the car...
Attempted socialing and work work
Dec. 15th, 2025 08:03 amunicorndukeI attempted to do social things twice this weekend and neither attempt happened. Saturday was an SCA event, but I looked at the weather and our wood levels and decided that I needed to split wood on Saturday instead. It was the only day that even approached near freezing, it hovered around 30F with only a little wind. In contrast, yesterday was 25F with 10-20 mph winds. Freezing cold, I was displeased, today is also supposed to be windy.
So Saturday, I split wood. I had to chainsaw a lot of the logs as I went since the bobcat can only pick up 16 foot lengths and the logs we had delivered were 32. That warmed me up nicely for sure. Nothing wanted to start and run well since it was so chilly first thing in the morning. Once I did that, I started with our outdoor burner wood, I split big logs into big chunks in the back of the dump trailer. This is probably two weeks of wood. We split this pretty much as big as we can lift, although I like a eight inch diameter log to be split in half for ease of throwing into the burner. Once it gets heavier, it is hard to throw it to the back of the burner.
( cut for more wood info and house renovation fun )
So Saturday, I split wood. I had to chainsaw a lot of the logs as I went since the bobcat can only pick up 16 foot lengths and the logs we had delivered were 32. That warmed me up nicely for sure. Nothing wanted to start and run well since it was so chilly first thing in the morning. Once I did that, I started with our outdoor burner wood, I split big logs into big chunks in the back of the dump trailer. This is probably two weeks of wood. We split this pretty much as big as we can lift, although I like a eight inch diameter log to be split in half for ease of throwing into the burner. Once it gets heavier, it is hard to throw it to the back of the burner.
( cut for more wood info and house renovation fun )
Just one thing: 15 December 2025
Dec. 15th, 2025 06:46 amjazzyjj posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
awesomeersIt's challenge time!
Comment with Just One Thing you've accomplished in the last 24 hours or so. It doesn't have to be a hard thing, or even a thing that you think is particularly awesome. Just a thing that you did.
Feel free to share more than one thing if you're feeling particularly accomplished!
Extra credit: find someone in the comments and give them props for what they achieved!
Nothing is too big, too small, too strange or too cryptic. And in case you'd rather do this in private, anonymous comments are screened. I will only unscreen if you ask me to.
Go!
Comment with Just One Thing you've accomplished in the last 24 hours or so. It doesn't have to be a hard thing, or even a thing that you think is particularly awesome. Just a thing that you did.
Feel free to share more than one thing if you're feeling particularly accomplished!
Extra credit: find someone in the comments and give them props for what they achieved!
Nothing is too big, too small, too strange or too cryptic. And in case you'd rather do this in private, anonymous comments are screened. I will only unscreen if you ask me to.
Go!
Writerly Ways
Dec. 14th, 2025 10:42 pmcornerofmadnessI'm still rather tired out and lacking motivation but as I was wrapping gifts today I was half watching Hudson & Rex which is about all I ever do (Not a mystery show I'm very invested in but it has a cute dog (who is the least realistic police dog ever)) and this episode brings me back to a point I made a while back with prequels.
When you want to do a flashback (or prequel) you need to be sure of what you want to convey and how effective it'll be. In the above mentioned show it tried hard to add tension with Hudson and Rex's first case together with the well the dog's handler is dead so we're most likely going to euthanize the K9 (something the united States stopped doing in the Clinton era, not sure about Canada where this takes place) But here's the thing it's going back and forth between 3 years in the past and the present where Rex IS Hudson's partner so we know for a fact that Rex isn't euthanized.
So there is NO tension and that is something we have to worry about when we're doing a flashback. You can't build tension when the reader/viewer already knows the answer. We need to be given new information or else the flashback feels pointless or at least a partial waste of time. Learning how Hudson and Rex first met = good use of flashback, trying to make me worry that Rex will be put to sleep = waste of my time. I know he isn't. I'm not going to invest in something I already know (Prequels have even bigger issues with this).
For me, a flash back needs to advance the present plot or fill in backstory we need (or at least want to have). Hazbin Hotel did a pretty good job of this with both Alastor (though his backstory was in the old notes but you can't b e sure they'd be considered canon any more) and Vox's (making so many fan theorists happy) Both flashbacks showed us how they ended up where they were and how they are. Yes we know they both end up overlords in hell but seeing how it happened was character building.
So I guess what I'm saying is know what you wnat from a flashback and be careful as to how you attempt it.
OPEN CALL
Space and Time January 2026 Window Science fiction, fantasy, horror, steampunk, magical realism
23rd Annual Triangulation Anthology: Bad RomanceBad Romance
SNAFU: Level Up LitRPG: tales of champions and heroes, villains and monsters, all fighting to beat the other into paste
The Deadlands December 2025 Window. Speculative fiction that concerns itself with death–but also everything death may involve
5 Paying Literary Magazines to Submit to in December 2025
Lamp Lit: Now Seeking Submissions
42 Terrific International Literary Journals.
From Around the Web
The Psychology of Faustian Bargains
THE MORAL GHOST STORY: Reviving a Lost Christmas Tradition I keep saying I'm going to write these kind of stories but so far....
How to Edit (or Revise) a Novel Without Feeling Overwhelmed
Best Book Marketing Campaigns: 12 Proven Examples That Still Work Today
How to Write Horror - With Cynthia Pelayo
How To Build Story Tension by Sharing More (Not Less) with Daniel David Wallace
Do You Suck at Celebrating Your Success? Here's How We Change That, and Why It Matters
Six Sneaky Fails That Can Sink A Manuscript
How to Write a Bestselling Thriller: 7 Expert Tips from Lisa Gardner
How to Apply (and Get In) to Writing Mentorship Programs.
The Art of Not Knowing What You’re Writing Yet.
From Betty
Creating Rites of Passage
The Seven Worldbuilding Sins of Storytellers
How to Pace Your Story
Stakes: Everything Storytellers Need to Know
Tech Tips - How to Organize Your Novel Drafts
4 Ways to Protect Your Energy While Writing About Trauma
Freshen Up Tired Tropes Without Losing What Readers Love
What’s More Important: Storytelling or Writing Craft?
Coping Mechanism Thesaurus: Codependence (Caretaking Aspect)
Understanding the Editing Process: What Every Writer Should Know About Working With Editors
How Writers Can Set Achievable Goals for 2026: A Practical Guide to Planning, Deadlines, and Finishing Your Book Boy do I need this one.
ETA - Holy hell just as I posted I saw Rob & Michele Reiner were found dead today, a suspected homicide.
When you want to do a flashback (or prequel) you need to be sure of what you want to convey and how effective it'll be. In the above mentioned show it tried hard to add tension with Hudson and Rex's first case together with the well the dog's handler is dead so we're most likely going to euthanize the K9 (something the united States stopped doing in the Clinton era, not sure about Canada where this takes place) But here's the thing it's going back and forth between 3 years in the past and the present where Rex IS Hudson's partner so we know for a fact that Rex isn't euthanized.
So there is NO tension and that is something we have to worry about when we're doing a flashback. You can't build tension when the reader/viewer already knows the answer. We need to be given new information or else the flashback feels pointless or at least a partial waste of time. Learning how Hudson and Rex first met = good use of flashback, trying to make me worry that Rex will be put to sleep = waste of my time. I know he isn't. I'm not going to invest in something I already know (Prequels have even bigger issues with this).
For me, a flash back needs to advance the present plot or fill in backstory we need (or at least want to have). Hazbin Hotel did a pretty good job of this with both Alastor (though his backstory was in the old notes but you can't b e sure they'd be considered canon any more) and Vox's (making so many fan theorists happy) Both flashbacks showed us how they ended up where they were and how they are. Yes we know they both end up overlords in hell but seeing how it happened was character building.
So I guess what I'm saying is know what you wnat from a flashback and be careful as to how you attempt it.
OPEN CALL
Space and Time January 2026 Window Science fiction, fantasy, horror, steampunk, magical realism
23rd Annual Triangulation Anthology: Bad RomanceBad Romance
SNAFU: Level Up LitRPG: tales of champions and heroes, villains and monsters, all fighting to beat the other into paste
The Deadlands December 2025 Window. Speculative fiction that concerns itself with death–but also everything death may involve
5 Paying Literary Magazines to Submit to in December 2025
Lamp Lit: Now Seeking Submissions
42 Terrific International Literary Journals.
From Around the Web
The Psychology of Faustian Bargains
THE MORAL GHOST STORY: Reviving a Lost Christmas Tradition I keep saying I'm going to write these kind of stories but so far....
How to Edit (or Revise) a Novel Without Feeling Overwhelmed
Best Book Marketing Campaigns: 12 Proven Examples That Still Work Today
How to Write Horror - With Cynthia Pelayo
How To Build Story Tension by Sharing More (Not Less) with Daniel David Wallace
Do You Suck at Celebrating Your Success? Here's How We Change That, and Why It Matters
Six Sneaky Fails That Can Sink A Manuscript
How to Write a Bestselling Thriller: 7 Expert Tips from Lisa Gardner
How to Apply (and Get In) to Writing Mentorship Programs.
The Art of Not Knowing What You’re Writing Yet.
From Betty
Creating Rites of Passage
The Seven Worldbuilding Sins of Storytellers
How to Pace Your Story
Stakes: Everything Storytellers Need to Know
Tech Tips - How to Organize Your Novel Drafts
4 Ways to Protect Your Energy While Writing About Trauma
Freshen Up Tired Tropes Without Losing What Readers Love
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ETA - Holy hell just as I posted I saw Rob & Michele Reiner were found dead today, a suspected homicide.
COLD Day
Dec. 14th, 2025 08:04 pmdays_unfoldingGot my new sweats. I'm not sure why they delivered it at 9:30 at night, but okay.
The third blanket kept me toasty warm.
Woke up at 7 AM. I was wondering what to do about the dogs and the dangerous wind chill, but both Gracie and Bella peed inside. I’ll let them out in the afternoon. It’s currently-5F/-21C with a wind chill of-11/-23C.
Oliver wants food now! Fed us all.
I’m feeling dubious about Dial-A-Carol later tonight. I guess that I’ll brush off the cars later and go from there.
Gracie was barking at the cats. I told her to shut up. Now she and Bella are wrestling on the bed. Gracie just scratched near my eye. I yelled.
Had a nice nap. The sun is shining on my chair in the kitchen, so it’s warm. I have a dog (Bella) partially in my lap, a cat (Oliver) in my face, and another dog (Gracie) looking at the cat. I’m trying to explain to Oliver that I fed him this morning, and he’s not going to eat right now. He is not convinced.
Now they’re having a severe weather advisory going all day. I’m going to change my Dial-A-Carol signup. I don’t want to go out tonight. I removed my signup for tonight. I didn’t see a time to sign up for later. I’m going to brush off my car tomorrow.
I want to let the dogs out, but I’m worried about my Amazon order arriving while they’re out. Maybe I should stand out with them, but it’s cold. I’ll go put my boots on. Maybe I should start brushing off the car while I’m out with them. Or not. I’d rather stay on my porch. I stayed just inside the door, and tried to bring them back inside in about 15 minutes. Bella came in, but Gracie did not. I waited a few more minutes inside, and then Gracie was on the porch saying that it’s cold outside (Me: No, really?) and came in. Whew.
I’m thawing a little, and then I’ll take my shower. I’ll wear my new sweats because I’m not going out.
I bought a blue topaz ring that says “Fuck it and begin again” on the inside. A good sentiment.
The cold bathroom is COLD. I felt like an icicle before I got the hot water on. Now I’m cozy in sweats and wool socks. I’m making soup to make my insides as warm as my outsides.
Oliver: maybe if I get in Mom’s face, she’ll feed me early. Dream on, cat.
Oh crap. My Christmas cards are now arriving on Tuesday. They’re going to be late.
Had my soup. I got dizzy when I took it out of the microwave and spilled some of it. The dogs were happy about that. I think that I’m going to lie down for a little while.
Had a nice nap. The dogs came in on the first try. Cold out there, isn’t it. Fed us all. I need to go measure the laptop and order a sleeve for it while I’m thinking of it (done and ordered).
Oh crap. The laptop that I was going to take with me on the trip is not turning on. I’ll have to take the “new” laptop. The sleeve that I just ordered will fit it though. Heck. I’m wondering if I should order another small travel laptop. I saw one for $265 that would get here on time. What to do. Okay, I got it. I travel enough that it’s worth it. I need to get rid of the old one.
It's a nice night for some tea (steeping). I think that I'll go to bed early because I want to get up early and brush the snow off of the cars.
The third blanket kept me toasty warm.
Woke up at 7 AM. I was wondering what to do about the dogs and the dangerous wind chill, but both Gracie and Bella peed inside. I’ll let them out in the afternoon. It’s currently-5F/-21C with a wind chill of-11/-23C.
Oliver wants food now! Fed us all.
I’m feeling dubious about Dial-A-Carol later tonight. I guess that I’ll brush off the cars later and go from there.
Gracie was barking at the cats. I told her to shut up. Now she and Bella are wrestling on the bed. Gracie just scratched near my eye. I yelled.
Had a nice nap. The sun is shining on my chair in the kitchen, so it’s warm. I have a dog (Bella) partially in my lap, a cat (Oliver) in my face, and another dog (Gracie) looking at the cat. I’m trying to explain to Oliver that I fed him this morning, and he’s not going to eat right now. He is not convinced.
Now they’re having a severe weather advisory going all day. I’m going to change my Dial-A-Carol signup. I don’t want to go out tonight. I removed my signup for tonight. I didn’t see a time to sign up for later. I’m going to brush off my car tomorrow.
I want to let the dogs out, but I’m worried about my Amazon order arriving while they’re out. Maybe I should stand out with them, but it’s cold. I’ll go put my boots on. Maybe I should start brushing off the car while I’m out with them. Or not. I’d rather stay on my porch. I stayed just inside the door, and tried to bring them back inside in about 15 minutes. Bella came in, but Gracie did not. I waited a few more minutes inside, and then Gracie was on the porch saying that it’s cold outside (Me: No, really?) and came in. Whew.
I’m thawing a little, and then I’ll take my shower. I’ll wear my new sweats because I’m not going out.
I bought a blue topaz ring that says “Fuck it and begin again” on the inside. A good sentiment.
The cold bathroom is COLD. I felt like an icicle before I got the hot water on. Now I’m cozy in sweats and wool socks. I’m making soup to make my insides as warm as my outsides.
Oliver: maybe if I get in Mom’s face, she’ll feed me early. Dream on, cat.
Oh crap. My Christmas cards are now arriving on Tuesday. They’re going to be late.
Had my soup. I got dizzy when I took it out of the microwave and spilled some of it. The dogs were happy about that. I think that I’m going to lie down for a little while.
Had a nice nap. The dogs came in on the first try. Cold out there, isn’t it. Fed us all. I need to go measure the laptop and order a sleeve for it while I’m thinking of it (done and ordered).
Oh crap. The laptop that I was going to take with me on the trip is not turning on. I’ll have to take the “new” laptop. The sleeve that I just ordered will fit it though. Heck. I’m wondering if I should order another small travel laptop. I saw one for $265 that would get here on time. What to do. Okay, I got it. I travel enough that it’s worth it. I need to get rid of the old one.
It's a nice night for some tea (steeping). I think that I'll go to bed early because I want to get up early and brush the snow off of the cars.