Stephen Monteith, World's Greatest Secret Author
@stephens.website
Self-published author, mostly sci-fi and fantasy with occasional forays into other fields. I also offer editing and beta-reading services. If you share A.I.-generated content, I'll Mute you; if you *create* it, I'll Block you. #ActuallyAutistic He/Him/His
Pinned
I've been thinking of how to say this, how to explain my choice of how to move forward. I've tried anger; it doesn't work for me. I believe it's important and useful and even effective, and I won't suppress or ignore it when there's reason to feel it; nor will I stand in the way of anyone...
So, they're admitting that A.I. is antithetical to privacy.
Artificial intelligence companies are threatening to shun Illinois and build their most advanced data centers in Wisconsin and Indiana if the state doesn’t dilute its privacy law, the toughest in the country.
Amid chaotic data center debates, industry warns Illinois will miss out unless privacy law weakened
Residents already have demands about jobs and the environment. Now data center operators want Illinois to reduce its biometric protections.
trib.al
February 9, 2026 at 1:29 AM
So, they're admitting that A.I. is antithetical to privacy.
Super Bowl should be on Saturday so fewer people have to get up early the next morning.
February 9, 2026 at 1:05 AM
Super Bowl should be on Saturday so fewer people have to get up early the next morning.
If you see this, post a character whose name starts with the letter H.
February 9, 2026 at 12:03 AM
If you see this, post a character whose name starts with the letter H.
I've thought about it, but it doesn't come naturally to me, you might say. Unreliable narrators and plot twists are in the same family, and I don't make much use of either. My writing is pretty straightforward. I may do it, some day, perhaps as a writing exercise.
Do you ever use unreliable narrators? What do they bring to your WIP that reliable ones don’t? #writingq #WritingCommunity
February 8, 2026 at 11:21 PM
I've thought about it, but it doesn't come naturally to me, you might say. Unreliable narrators and plot twists are in the same family, and I don't make much use of either. My writing is pretty straightforward. I may do it, some day, perhaps as a writing exercise.
Reposted by Stephen Monteith, World's Greatest Secret Author
Happy #SuperbOwl 🦉 Sunday to all who celebrate.
February 8, 2026 at 11:39 AM
Happy #SuperbOwl 🦉 Sunday to all who celebrate.
I still say, if shooting can be in the #Olympics, then so can tankery. (It's a year-round event.) #GirlsUndPanzer
youtu.be/3rkn-xqhSDc?...
youtu.be/3rkn-xqhSDc?...
Girls und Panzer - Katyusha
YouTube video by Nikolaos Pinnikas
youtu.be
February 8, 2026 at 9:48 PM
I still say, if shooting can be in the #Olympics, then so can tankery. (It's a year-round event.) #GirlsUndPanzer
youtu.be/3rkn-xqhSDc?...
youtu.be/3rkn-xqhSDc?...
Reposted by Stephen Monteith, World's Greatest Secret Author
Of all the easy things you can do to help the environment, conserve water for communities not corporations, not perpetuate scams, support the labor and rights of creators... *not* using generative AI is the fucking easiest. You absolutely deserve to be shamed for using it for image and text creation
February 6, 2026 at 10:18 PM
Of all the easy things you can do to help the environment, conserve water for communities not corporations, not perpetuate scams, support the labor and rights of creators... *not* using generative AI is the fucking easiest. You absolutely deserve to be shamed for using it for image and text creation
February 8, 2026 at 8:11 PM
Reposted by Stephen Monteith, World's Greatest Secret Author
Thus the Barrister dreamed, while the bellowing seemed
To grow every moment more clear:
Till he woke to the knell of a furious bell,
Which the Bellman rang close at his ear.
To grow every moment more clear:
Till he woke to the knell of a furious bell,
Which the Bellman rang close at his ear.
February 8, 2026 at 8:08 PM
Thus the Barrister dreamed, while the bellowing seemed
To grow every moment more clear:
Till he woke to the knell of a furious bell,
Which the Bellman rang close at his ear.
To grow every moment more clear:
Till he woke to the knell of a furious bell,
Which the Bellman rang close at his ear.
Reposted by Stephen Monteith, World's Greatest Secret Author
Everything's had to be profitable or "important" or tiktok-worthy or some other metric that centered society's reception of it in a fundamentally broken society. The act of creation has been categorized as drudgery on the way to a product. Which is why people turn to AI. No "drudgery," all product.
February 8, 2026 at 7:01 PM
Everything's had to be profitable or "important" or tiktok-worthy or some other metric that centered society's reception of it in a fundamentally broken society. The act of creation has been categorized as drudgery on the way to a product. Which is why people turn to AI. No "drudgery," all product.
Just a reminder, the big game starts in half an hour. I'm talking about the Puppy Bowl, of course. *smiles*
February 8, 2026 at 6:27 PM
Just a reminder, the big game starts in half an hour. I'm talking about the Puppy Bowl, of course. *smiles*
Read the thread to see why.
I'm going to win.
February 8, 2026 at 6:15 PM
Read the thread to see why.
I'm Stephen Monteith, a fantasy author who occasionally writes in other genres. My main focus right now is editing my "Trials" series of novellas so I can republish them, but reading over the prompts for #FantasyIndiesFebruary, I think my much less-developed "Talismans" trilogy is probably more...
💕 #FantasyIndiesFebruary 💕
All genres welcome! You can use the prompts for WIPs or published books.
Feel free to ask the hosts questions!
Love,
Faeries at Fantasy Indies
@lvrussell.bsky.social @chesneyinfalt.bsky.social
All genres welcome! You can use the prompts for WIPs or published books.
Feel free to ask the hosts questions!
Love,
Faeries at Fantasy Indies
@lvrussell.bsky.social @chesneyinfalt.bsky.social
February 8, 2026 at 11:34 AM
I'm Stephen Monteith, a fantasy author who occasionally writes in other genres. My main focus right now is editing my "Trials" series of novellas so I can republish them, but reading over the prompts for #FantasyIndiesFebruary, I think my much less-developed "Talismans" trilogy is probably more...
Here are my answers to the first week of #FebruaryWorldbuilders prompts. They pertain to my "Trials" fantasy series, which is currently undergoing revisions.
There is no name for this world (yet). I have another fantasy series that I thought about combining with this one, the world for which...
There is no name for this world (yet). I have another fantasy series that I thought about combining with this one, the world for which...
I've had a hell of a week (or two) but I'm recovering. I hope to spend some time with your posts in the coming few days!
For now, here's #FebruaryWorldbuilders! This marks the second birthday of the Monthly Worldbuilders prompts, started on Twitter, but getting traction here now. Enjoy!
For now, here's #FebruaryWorldbuilders! This marks the second birthday of the Monthly Worldbuilders prompts, started on Twitter, but getting traction here now. Enjoy!
February 8, 2026 at 11:29 AM
Here are my answers to the first week of #FebruaryWorldbuilders prompts. They pertain to my "Trials" fantasy series, which is currently undergoing revisions.
There is no name for this world (yet). I have another fantasy series that I thought about combining with this one, the world for which...
There is no name for this world (yet). I have another fantasy series that I thought about combining with this one, the world for which...
My name is Stephen Monteith, and I'm working on revisions for the first three novellas in my "Trials" fantasy series. I like to answer these prompts a week at a time, so here's the first week's answers for #Febchantment:
It's difficult to say how hard or soft the magic system is. I've never...
It's difficult to say how hard or soft the magic system is. I've never...
Hey #writingcommunity!
I hope y'all will join me starting in a week for #Febchantment, a prompt game focused on worldbuilding magic systems!
You can use this to yap about a magic system you already have or build a new one. And oh yeah, feel free to define "magic system" as broadly as you want 😊
I hope y'all will join me starting in a week for #Febchantment, a prompt game focused on worldbuilding magic systems!
You can use this to yap about a magic system you already have or build a new one. And oh yeah, feel free to define "magic system" as broadly as you want 😊
February 8, 2026 at 11:21 AM
My name is Stephen Monteith, and I'm working on revisions for the first three novellas in my "Trials" fantasy series. I like to answer these prompts a week at a time, so here's the first week's answers for #Febchantment:
It's difficult to say how hard or soft the magic system is. I've never...
It's difficult to say how hard or soft the magic system is. I've never...
Reposted by Stephen Monteith, World's Greatest Secret Author
“And I’m sure I can’t be Mabel, for I know all sorts of things, and she, oh! she knows such a very little!”
February 8, 2026 at 4:08 AM
“And I’m sure I can’t be Mabel, for I know all sorts of things, and she, oh! she knows such a very little!”
Reposted by Stephen Monteith, World's Greatest Secret Author
I’m not arguing with no account defending AI. My grandmother lives in an area being environmentally compromised currently by an ai data center. I remember the color of the lake before they built it and the sludge I see in it when I go to see her. Shut the fuck up about “the benefits of AI” forever.
February 7, 2026 at 3:46 PM
I’m not arguing with no account defending AI. My grandmother lives in an area being environmentally compromised currently by an ai data center. I remember the color of the lake before they built it and the sludge I see in it when I go to see her. Shut the fuck up about “the benefits of AI” forever.
Reposted by Stephen Monteith, World's Greatest Secret Author
Art by Iranian cartoonist Mana Neyestami | www.instagram.com/neyestanimana
February 7, 2026 at 12:58 PM
Art by Iranian cartoonist Mana Neyestami | www.instagram.com/neyestanimana
Don't tease me. (Also, I have that book. It's an excellent read.)
Gillian Anderson via IG (the video)
February 8, 2026 at 8:51 AM
Don't tease me. (Also, I have that book. It's an excellent read.)
Sounds (and looks) lovely.
February 8, 2026 at 8:49 AM
Sounds (and looks) lovely.
Reposted by Stephen Monteith, World's Greatest Secret Author
Fortunately, she was just in time to see it pop down a large rabbit-hole under the hedge. In another moment, down went Alice after it, never once considering how in the world she was to get out again.
February 8, 2026 at 8:08 AM
Fortunately, she was just in time to see it pop down a large rabbit-hole under the hedge. In another moment, down went Alice after it, never once considering how in the world she was to get out again.
Six seasons of this, fine, whatever. But how about more than *one* season of WataOshi, MagiRevo, Yuri Is My Job, and about a dozen other great series?
The anime Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? is back for a sixth season!
Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Anime Gets 6th Season
Announced at "Aedes Vesta" event on Saturday
www.animenewsnetwork.com
February 8, 2026 at 2:01 AM
Six seasons of this, fine, whatever. But how about more than *one* season of WataOshi, MagiRevo, Yuri Is My Job, and about a dozen other great series?
Reposted by Stephen Monteith, World's Greatest Secret Author
It's come to my attention that not everyone knows that storyoriginapp is all in on AI. All the promo images, the banners, etc are AI. They sent out a whole big email touting how you can use AI to do whatever BS
So if you're using that service, you should switch, cos it's bad & makes you look bad
So if you're using that service, you should switch, cos it's bad & makes you look bad
February 8, 2026 at 1:38 AM
It's come to my attention that not everyone knows that storyoriginapp is all in on AI. All the promo images, the banners, etc are AI. They sent out a whole big email touting how you can use AI to do whatever BS
So if you're using that service, you should switch, cos it's bad & makes you look bad
So if you're using that service, you should switch, cos it's bad & makes you look bad
Okay, *some* worldbuilding is strictly a vanity project, like learning the medieval equivalent of a modern invention or procedure so you can write it out in one scene in a hundred thousand-word story just to demonstrate to your readers that you know what they did "back then". That can be unhealthy.
February 8, 2026 at 1:40 AM
Okay, *some* worldbuilding is strictly a vanity project, like learning the medieval equivalent of a modern invention or procedure so you can write it out in one scene in a hundred thousand-word story just to demonstrate to your readers that you know what they did "back then". That can be unhealthy.
So, we all know the "Big Game" is tomorrow (by which, of course, I mean the Puppy Bowl). But if you don't have Animal Planet, then how do you watch it?
February 8, 2026 at 1:26 AM
So, we all know the "Big Game" is tomorrow (by which, of course, I mean the Puppy Bowl). But if you don't have Animal Planet, then how do you watch it?