David Blackwood
@ghostforest.bsky.social
Whimsical nihilist. Passionately apathetic. Humanist misanthrope.
Pinned
While yet a boy I sought for ghosts, and sped
Thro’ many a listening chamber, cave and ruin,
And starlight wood, with fearful steps pursuing
Hopes of high talk with the departed dead.
—Percy Bysshe Shelley
Thro’ many a listening chamber, cave and ruin,
And starlight wood, with fearful steps pursuing
Hopes of high talk with the departed dead.
—Percy Bysshe Shelley
One of my many vague worries is writing a character that’s highly autobiographical and then having to see people on goodreads talking about how unlikable that character is.
A critic, calling me out as a lefty propagandist, said I’d tried to prejudice readers against a businessman character by drawing him so fat and ugly that people would hate him. I had used myself as the model for the character, accurately copying photos that I’d posed for.
What's an insult you'll never forget?
December 26, 2025 at 12:40 PM
One of my many vague worries is writing a character that’s highly autobiographical and then having to see people on goodreads talking about how unlikable that character is.
Reposted by David Blackwood
Happy holidays to all
December 25, 2025 at 11:04 PM
Happy holidays to all
Reposted by David Blackwood
Poe Walking on the High Bridge
~ Bernard Jacob Rosenmeyer (circa 1900)
~ Bernard Jacob Rosenmeyer (circa 1900)
December 26, 2025 at 12:58 AM
Poe Walking on the High Bridge
~ Bernard Jacob Rosenmeyer (circa 1900)
~ Bernard Jacob Rosenmeyer (circa 1900)
Reposted by David Blackwood
Reposted by David Blackwood
Garden of Earthly Delights
December 25, 2025 at 1:55 PM
Garden of Earthly Delights
Reposted by David Blackwood
Merry Merry🎄
メリークリスマスですっ☆
メリークリスマスですっ☆
December 25, 2025 at 11:58 AM
Merry Merry🎄
メリークリスマスですっ☆
メリークリスマスですっ☆
"I said to a friend the other day that something not everyone knows about novelists is how much time we spend amusing ourselves."
-Emma Straub.
(Earlier tonight I wrote about a character driving a certain car, as a joke that I can almost guarantee no one else will ever get).
-Emma Straub.
(Earlier tonight I wrote about a character driving a certain car, as a joke that I can almost guarantee no one else will ever get).
December 25, 2025 at 9:35 AM
"I said to a friend the other day that something not everyone knows about novelists is how much time we spend amusing ourselves."
-Emma Straub.
(Earlier tonight I wrote about a character driving a certain car, as a joke that I can almost guarantee no one else will ever get).
-Emma Straub.
(Earlier tonight I wrote about a character driving a certain car, as a joke that I can almost guarantee no one else will ever get).
Reposted by David Blackwood
You can find meanness in the least of creatures, but when God made Tiny Tim, who did NOT die, the devil was at his elbow. A creature that can do anything. Make a machine. And a machine to make the machine. And evil that can run itself a thousand years, no need to tend it.
And Tiny Tim, who did NOT die, floated on a soft and dirgelike main. The unharming sharks, they glided by as if with padlocks on their mouths; the savage sea-hawks sailed with sheathed beaks. On the second day, a sail drew near, nearer, and picked him up at last.
And Tiny Tim, who did NOT die, found himself in the bowels of a Vogon constructor ship, nursing a terrible transmaterial hangover, made only all the worse by the incessant poetry piped out over the ships loudspeaker, and his startling lack of any available towels
December 24, 2025 at 8:48 PM
You can find meanness in the least of creatures, but when God made Tiny Tim, who did NOT die, the devil was at his elbow. A creature that can do anything. Make a machine. And a machine to make the machine. And evil that can run itself a thousand years, no need to tend it.
A guy once told me that he wanted to take a picture of my hair to show his barber because it was exactly the way he wanted it cut.
(If you saw me now you wouldn't believe it, but there was a time when I gave a shit what my hair looked like).
(If you saw me now you wouldn't believe it, but there was a time when I gave a shit what my hair looked like).
What's a compliment you'll never forget?
What's an insult you'll never forget?
December 25, 2025 at 4:57 AM
A guy once told me that he wanted to take a picture of my hair to show his barber because it was exactly the way he wanted it cut.
(If you saw me now you wouldn't believe it, but there was a time when I gave a shit what my hair looked like).
(If you saw me now you wouldn't believe it, but there was a time when I gave a shit what my hair looked like).
“I’m praying to you! Look in your heart! I’m praying to you! Look in your heart!”
December 24, 2025 at 12:32 PM
“I’m praying to you! Look in your heart! I’m praying to you! Look in your heart!”
Reposted by David Blackwood
Have you ever thought about the fact that tears are the only bodily fluid that people don't consider disgusting?
December 24, 2025 at 9:24 AM
Have you ever thought about the fact that tears are the only bodily fluid that people don't consider disgusting?
Reposted by David Blackwood
December 23, 2025 at 5:29 PM
Hey, you guys wanna hear the absolute darkest Christmas song I've ever heard in my life?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6EN...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6EN...
Scratches On The Door
YouTube video by Freakwater - Topic
www.youtube.com
December 24, 2025 at 6:11 AM
Hey, you guys wanna hear the absolute darkest Christmas song I've ever heard in my life?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6EN...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6EN...
Reposted by David Blackwood
December 24, 2025 at 1:47 AM
So it turns out that every year you get beyond the age of 40, the less surprised you are when people your age die.
Years ago, a very beloved and popular co-worker died suddenly and unexpectedly. This was at a place that employed everyone from teenagers just out of high school to people who...
Years ago, a very beloved and popular co-worker died suddenly and unexpectedly. This was at a place that employed everyone from teenagers just out of high school to people who...
December 24, 2025 at 4:35 AM
So it turns out that every year you get beyond the age of 40, the less surprised you are when people your age die.
Years ago, a very beloved and popular co-worker died suddenly and unexpectedly. This was at a place that employed everyone from teenagers just out of high school to people who...
Years ago, a very beloved and popular co-worker died suddenly and unexpectedly. This was at a place that employed everyone from teenagers just out of high school to people who...
The SFWA has always sucked. But it’s nice to see them shoot themselves in the foot so badly that even the people who normally defend them are now telling them they suck. Love to see it.
December 23, 2025 at 2:44 PM
The SFWA has always sucked. But it’s nice to see them shoot themselves in the foot so badly that even the people who normally defend them are now telling them they suck. Love to see it.
Reposted by David Blackwood
people always laugh when bears run away from housecats because they're so much bigger but like. imagine you were in the woods & you ran into a weird little guy that looks kinda like you but like 1/5th the size & his head is shaped weird & he is running toward you full tilt yelling. what would you do
December 22, 2025 at 7:27 PM
people always laugh when bears run away from housecats because they're so much bigger but like. imagine you were in the woods & you ran into a weird little guy that looks kinda like you but like 1/5th the size & his head is shaped weird & he is running toward you full tilt yelling. what would you do
The coldest temperature I've ever experienced was -13F and it was physically painful. I can't even wrap my head around -67.
I used to work with a guy from Minnesota who moved here (Oregon) for the warmer weather.
I used to work with a guy from Minnesota who moved here (Oregon) for the warmer weather.
Europe up to this point has been experiencing once of its mildest Decembers on record.
In contrast to North America parts of NW Canada are experiencing a historically cold December….
This morning Braeburn, Yukon fell to 🥶🌡️-55.2°C (-67F) the lowest Canadian temperatures since 1999.
In contrast to North America parts of NW Canada are experiencing a historically cold December….
This morning Braeburn, Yukon fell to 🥶🌡️-55.2°C (-67F) the lowest Canadian temperatures since 1999.
December 23, 2025 at 7:44 AM
The coldest temperature I've ever experienced was -13F and it was physically painful. I can't even wrap my head around -67.
I used to work with a guy from Minnesota who moved here (Oregon) for the warmer weather.
I used to work with a guy from Minnesota who moved here (Oregon) for the warmer weather.
Although, the benefit of this actually being shown on regular 60 Minutes is that it would have reached a lot of Boomers who live in a bubble and choose not to know what's going on.
I'm as cynical as anyone about the internet (wasted potential and the way it's used to manipulate people). But damn, this really demonstrates how much harder it is to cover things up now.
The full spiked 60 Minutes CECOT package, clean & subtitled. 1/5
December 23, 2025 at 7:20 AM
Although, the benefit of this actually being shown on regular 60 Minutes is that it would have reached a lot of Boomers who live in a bubble and choose not to know what's going on.
I'm as cynical as anyone about the internet (wasted potential and the way it's used to manipulate people). But damn, this really demonstrates how much harder it is to cover things up now.
December 23, 2025 at 7:19 AM
I'm as cynical as anyone about the internet (wasted potential and the way it's used to manipulate people). But damn, this really demonstrates how much harder it is to cover things up now.
I've had this idea of trying to dispense with dialogue tags altogether and just writing the character's name before their dialogue, like a screenplay. I feel like it would move things along faster, but I also suspect that readers might absolutely hate it.
December 23, 2025 at 4:38 AM
I've had this idea of trying to dispense with dialogue tags altogether and just writing the character's name before their dialogue, like a screenplay. I feel like it would move things along faster, but I also suspect that readers might absolutely hate it.
"The guy who murdered a busload of children won't return our calls, so we're not going to run a story on him, because maybe they started it."
we can't run the story on the torture prison until we also hear from the torture guards about how the torture is actually good
December 23, 2025 at 4:08 AM
"The guy who murdered a busload of children won't return our calls, so we're not going to run a story on him, because maybe they started it."