"You tryin' to silence your own daughter?" "Not silence... Just... lay a little low, baby. 'Else folks'll talk." "I got news for you, Mama. Them people gonna #murmur whether we gave 'em somethin' to talk about or not." #vss365

While @michaelhobbes.bsky.social was talking in this episode, I unlocked a core memory I haven't thought about in 10+ years: the fact that THREE unrelated men at THREE unrelated points in my life said they didn't like me pushing back on them and I should read How to Win Friends and Influence People

The true secret to my long career: As a midlist writer hanging on to my career one book at a time, I can only control the work I do, not outcomes. So I work: Drafting Novel W while waiting for edit notes on Novel F. When edits & draft are done, I'll return to the half finished & overdue Novel L.

Nobody wants to hear that the secret to an enduring writing career is: "Write another book." 😆

If you write about heirs to various dynasties, that's scions fiction.

"Welcome to the future!" "It's... overwhelming." "First time travel can do that. You want something to take the edge off?" "Yes, I'd love a drink!" "How... 21st century. I meant a little brain zap, not a drink." "You can do that?" "Of course! I'll order a couple headsets for #delivery now." #vss365

Remember how it was in the beginning? I was your #delight then! These days when I'm lucky enough to catch your gaze, there's no sparkle in your eyes. The twitch of your mouth turns the opposite way it once did. At first I thought it was because I'd changed. But now I realize you did. #vss365

I crept forward slowly. I could almost see the creature's glistening black eyes. It shook its snowy mane, and the motion startled me. I stepped back and snapped a twig underfoot. It #spooked the beast. "Damn it!" I howled, as it beat its great white wings and took off into the gloaming. #vss365

"You see, my son is a bit of an #oddball..." "Like he watches weird cartoons?" "I'm pretty sure all kids do that!" "Well, then what do you mean?" "He has... powers." "What kind of powers?" "It's hard to describe... Come to the playground on Friday and see." "Uhhhhh, actually, I'm good..." #vss365

Howl's Moving Castle. The depiction of age (especially in the context of womanhood) and the critique of war were executed so beautifully.

I just do not know what looking at Amazon sales rank is supposed to achieve for authors? Are you going to… rewrite that book you already wrote and published? Don’t look at that stuff. Write the best book you can, move on to the next. Keep going until you don’t want to anymore.

We were #clueless kids back then, but without the foolishness we wouldn't've had nearly half the fun. #vss365

Breaking news isn't a reason to skip alt text. Alt text is MORE important in a crisis. Imagine how disorienting this is, now imagine not being able to see what all these viral posts depict.

2025 was such a humbling year writing-wise. My signature approach to a short story used to be drafting in 1 or 2 marathon sessions (after some period of mental planning). I just checked the metadata on my current story draft and discovered it turned one year old this week :/ (and is < half finished)

Please join me in welcoming to the public domain such works as the 1930 Best Picture All Quiet on the Western Front, Faulkner's As I Lay Dying, several Nancy Drew books, some songs you've heard of (Dream a Little Dream of Me; Georgia on My Mind), and more: blog.archive.org/2026/01/01/w...

New Year New Toad! Our new friend Adhaerobufo wokomungensis was first described as a new species two months ago and is named after the location where they were found on Mount Wokomung in Guyana! (photo by D.B. Means)

while my mom was pregnant with me, she was delivering chinese food on bike in new orleans. i like to think that the music she heard in the streets made me the way i am now. happy new year everyone!

Here's a really easy New Year's Resolution: If you're sick with something contagious, you will stay home if your circumstances allow. If you can't stay home, you will mask around others until there is no possibility you are contagious. By making these choices, you will literally save lives.

I graduated from medical school, completed my residency, and got a job at the local hospital. Dad was so proud. He told everyone: family, friends, neighbors, even strangers on the plane. He always called me "Doctor." But it was his #dream, not mine... So it was doomed to be my nightmare. #vss365

From fine china to model trains, millennials and Gen Xers stand to inherit much more than money.

Conventions, if you use AI do not be surprised if creators turn down your invitations to be guests or even to be on panels. Do not use tools trained on stolen work from creators and then tell them you want to honor or uplift them - that’s not what you’re doing. You’re stealing and being lazy.

another robot highlight for 2025: man wearing humanoid mocap suit kicks himself in the balls

Talking to one of these types at a con who asked how I 'got in' with so many 'famous writers' who I'd been talking to and I said "we made friends before anyone knew who we were decades ago by striking up interesting conversations and enjoying each other's company" and he kept re-asking the question.

Just gonna say this again for games sphere cus we get the same question: Networking doesn't mean schmoozing up to famous people, it means making friends with your peers. Then in 10 years, 20, one of you might be famous? And sure you're still helping each other cus well yeah friends. Make. Friends.

I have not been read this year's Yuletide fics because I've spent the last week or so feeling extremely antisocial but this one is fucking incredible archiveofourown.org/works/73396436

She rose in the #air, hair floating around her shoulders. She pulled a gust through fallen leaves. I clapped, honored she would show me. But then her parents came. Her father yanked her back to the ground by her hair. "A word of this to anyone, and you'll both regret it," her mother hissed. #vss365

Theft is theft, even when it’s laundered. GenAI is laundering stolen labor. I genuinely feel like I’m going insane with organizations that should be against plagiarism excusing plagiarism with LLMs. It’s plagiarism!! What more do you need to hear? Do you accept plagiarized entries? No? Ok then!

SFWA members and general SFF community: In this press release, our Board of Directors apologizes for recent events. Feedback from writers is strongly welcomed in the survey. SFWA Members: Write to [email protected] to support our Emerging Tech Committee. www.sfwa.org/2025/12/22/p...

This is FUCKED UP. As someone who regularly works with people with dementia, it’s utterly unhinged to be manufacturing nonexistent memories for people who struggle with knowing how reliable their recollections are. Like that’s active cruelty, IMO.

I spent a good chunk of my Christmas binging A Philosophy of Thieves by @franwilde.bsky.social! HIGHLY recommend to any lover of great heists, complex families (biological and found), and interesting social questions through the lens of speculative fiction. I couldn't put it down!

Please SHARE! Writers! We want to apologize that we are still processing the recent short story submissions. Uncanny Magazine was hit with a massive volume of submissions due to AI subs. We hope to get through the pile over the next two weeks. Thank you for your patience.

The act of writing is *thinking*. If you do not allow yourself to think thoughts that feel wrong, you will never get a feel for what feels *right*.

The point of writing crap is not that you should barf out anything. It's that you should be aware as you are writing it what the flaws are, and you need to get through it the first time, because the act of doing so informs you what is wrong.

I think about this all the time. Journathan. With alt text.

When you’ve gone to this place, it’s time to just admit your only interest in antisemitism is claiming it doesn’t exist

Even so, notice I say "I agree with this rule" and not "This rule is correct." I'm sure many writing styles center around telling rather than showing (for one thing, it usually takes fewer words). That's just not the style I most enjoy, so I write as much showing and as little telling as I can.

Instead of, "The room was very cold," "A tracing of frost edged the windowpanes." Instead of, "The music was far too loud," "Her wine glass rattled with every downbeat." It's about making people feel/experience things rather than acknowledge them in a distant intellectual way.

This writing advice circulating proves once again that very few people understand what "Show, don't tell," is even supposed to mean. It means don't say, "John became angry." Instead, say, "John punched the wall." This is actually one of the few pieces of writing advice I VEHEMENTLY agree with.

Looking forward to reading submissions again!! Write, write, write! ✍️

Users of AI image generators are offering each other instructions on how to use the tech to alter pictures of women into realistic, revealing deepfakes. www.wired.com/story/google...

"What do you #regret?" "What does that word mean? We don't have it in my language." "Regret? It's like... Wishing you hadn't done something. Or wishing you had." "How silly! There's no way to know how things would have turned out any other way. Why dwell on imagined possibilities?" #vss365

Absolutely right. AI might be able to summarize (poorly) what we currently know, but a major goal of historical research is to find the hidden surprises out there. Let me illustrate …

They're not going to take us without a #fight. Shh, don't cry. I never said we had to be the ones doing the fighting! Yes, of course I still believe the heroes will come... Without them, we might as well just... give up, you know? And I'm not ready to do that yet. And you shouldn't, either. #vss365

I try to have an attitude of #gratitude, you know? So even though the party foiled my grand plot this time, at least they lost a few members on the way. Plus, they unintentionally brought me the cursed amulet I need to make my next plan unstoppable! #vss365

"Today's my last day on the job." "Retirement?" "No, there's been a #recall..." "Damn, sorry man. I wasn't thinking... Sometimes I forget you're a, you know..." "A machine?" "...Well, yeah." "Don't feel bad. I'm programmed not to take offense." #vss365

Holy fucking YIKES

Just a stress #fracture, I tell myself when I can't Do a single thing #haikufeels