This is the kind of story that makes newspaper editors shout, "Stop the presses! Rip out the front page! This is *real news!"

The devil's in the details. Or is it the devil's fixated on the default settings?

Thanks!

One last before my brain shuts down. I found an article about NaNo's demise that mentions some alternatives. I'll check them out before next year. storyempire.com/2025/04/28/n...

Also, if you really want to be depressed, watch her video about why writers can't write anymore because no one can read: youtu.be/8ynCVmw5AWk?... This was my intro to her channel, and it messed with my head big time. You know it's bad when someone makes you glad you're old.

She makes a compelling and chilling argument. And this was all new to me, as I'm fanfic OG, having written most of my stories 1988-2000, with my recent return for a TV show that has an audience almost exclusively women over 50. (That's pretty remarkable for a Western.) I was totally out of touch.

Giant spider don't care who won the Super Bowl.

I also had to cogitate on my life choices when I watched (most of) a video that fan fiction ruins everything. youtu.be/x3NPxraALq0?... I'm an old-style fanfic writer, because I try to tell good stories true to the characters; I also don't use a pseud. I had defended fanfic. Now ... yikes.

A few weeks ago, I had a ponder session & concluded a) it's unlikely I'll ever make much money from my fiction, & b) I'm okay with that. I don't need fame, the riches go to only a handful of writers, & my real joy is telling the story well. That lifts a lot of pressure so I can write what I want.

It can be a lot of fun to pants when you're more of a plotter. It's good for the writing muscles when you crosstrain.

Noooo kidding about predicting the future.

Did you know JMS has a Patreon channel now? $10/mo gets you the scoop from him on what he's doing now and retrospective stuff.

Go find easy targets. And excess of snark is clinically associated with high blood pressure.

Silly me....

Greetings, fellow Bab-o-phile! (Is there an official nickname for us?)

Kids today just don't know how to suspend disbelief! (Reality check: I didn't know how, either, when I was a kid.)

And he's wearing authentic '70s gear!