J.D. Popham
@jdpopham.substack.com
Compulsive scribbler. Teller of small stories. Believes in whimsy, the written word, and fierce, dark coffee.
Pinned
J.D. Popham
@jdpopham.substack.com
· Oct 22
In a cynical and cutting world, to be kind and sincere is to be subversive.
I always cringe when writers dumb down the other characters in a work in order to make the protagonist(s) appear smart or badass. Not only is it lazy writing, it makes characters feel sad and underappreciated. Be kind to your secondary characters. It's hard work, but worth it in the end. #writing
November 21, 2025 at 3:45 PM
I always cringe when writers dumb down the other characters in a work in order to make the protagonist(s) appear smart or badass. Not only is it lazy writing, it makes characters feel sad and underappreciated. Be kind to your secondary characters. It's hard work, but worth it in the end. #writing
Reposted by J.D. Popham
Can’t believe the whole country has to suffer through the return of Dickensian childhood diseases because the worst, most ignorant attention-demanders decided other people’s expertise makes them feel bad
November 20, 2025 at 4:19 AM
Can’t believe the whole country has to suffer through the return of Dickensian childhood diseases because the worst, most ignorant attention-demanders decided other people’s expertise makes them feel bad
Love me some cursive.
November 19, 2025 at 8:15 PM
Love me some cursive.
Wondering what the best time of year is to see the skaldic manuscripts in Iceland. 🤔
Looks at @hildur.bsky.social
Looks at @hildur.bsky.social
November 15, 2025 at 10:47 PM
Wondering what the best time of year is to see the skaldic manuscripts in Iceland. 🤔
Looks at @hildur.bsky.social
Looks at @hildur.bsky.social
Some days writing is like making stir-fry, all sharp edges and high heat. Other days it's like making a proper Bolognese ragu, where the flavors of the prose needs low heat and patience to merge. #AmWriting
November 12, 2025 at 8:41 PM
Some days writing is like making stir-fry, all sharp edges and high heat. Other days it's like making a proper Bolognese ragu, where the flavors of the prose needs low heat and patience to merge. #AmWriting
Reposted by J.D. Popham
In 2013, I wrote an article for Boing Boing about who owned OMNI magazine—the rights, that is. boingboing.net/2013/07/09/w... Cutting to the chase, per @datlow.bsky.social & @pamelaweintraub.bsky.social, nobody owns those rights in place. Artists & authors’ contracts were for limited reproduction.
Who Owns Omni?
Glenn Fleishman on the legendary science and science fiction magazine's murky proprietorship.
boingboing.net
November 11, 2025 at 11:12 PM
In 2013, I wrote an article for Boing Boing about who owned OMNI magazine—the rights, that is. boingboing.net/2013/07/09/w... Cutting to the chase, per @datlow.bsky.social & @pamelaweintraub.bsky.social, nobody owns those rights in place. Artists & authors’ contracts were for limited reproduction.
Puffins need no excuse.
November 11, 2025 at 8:38 PM
Puffins need no excuse.
Need to find a good wool toque/beanie that's big enough to pull down over my ears when the wind bites. #WinterIsComing
Suggestions?
Suggestions?
November 8, 2025 at 9:39 PM
Need to find a good wool toque/beanie that's big enough to pull down over my ears when the wind bites. #WinterIsComing
Suggestions?
Suggestions?
I'm not sure I need more efficiency when it comes to making foolish choices.🤔
Dating apps are betting that AI can restore their appeal. But the technology risks turning even more users off
Will AI make dating apps better—or even worse?
Tinder, Hinge and Bumble are betting big on the technology
econ.st
November 8, 2025 at 3:36 PM
I'm not sure I need more efficiency when it comes to making foolish choices.🤔
Science fiction WIP is moving toward the finish line. Hope to be in revisions before Thanksgiving. Finally settled on the title "Laws of Salvage.
(For some reason the my titles occur to me late in the writing process.)
(For some reason the my titles occur to me late in the writing process.)
November 6, 2025 at 10:46 PM
Science fiction WIP is moving toward the finish line. Hope to be in revisions before Thanksgiving. Finally settled on the title "Laws of Salvage.
(For some reason the my titles occur to me late in the writing process.)
(For some reason the my titles occur to me late in the writing process.)
“When masked federal agents conceal their identity and authority as a practice, anyone can don a mask and a gun and not be expected or required to verify their authority,”
www.wired.com/story/fbi-wa...
www.wired.com/story/fbi-wa...
FBI Warns of Criminals Posing as ICE, Urges Agents to ID Themselves
In a bulletin to law enforcement agencies, the FBI said criminal impersonators are exploiting ICE’s image and urged nationwide coordination to distinguish real operations from fakes.
www.wired.com
November 5, 2025 at 2:36 PM
“When masked federal agents conceal their identity and authority as a practice, anyone can don a mask and a gun and not be expected or required to verify their authority,”
www.wired.com/story/fbi-wa...
www.wired.com/story/fbi-wa...
Lewis never had a chance. 😥
Finished The Necessary Death of Lewis Winter (well, I was kinda rooting for poor Lewis Winter but I guess it was inevitable if it was in the title). It's great, but it just ends so abruptly you obviously have to get book 2 straight away! So I did. Not so much a trilogy though as a book in 3 parts..
November 5, 2025 at 1:33 AM
Lewis never had a chance. 😥
On a roll today. About the half-way done with a WIP. Love me some productivity. #AmWriting
November 4, 2025 at 8:56 PM
On a roll today. About the half-way done with a WIP. Love me some productivity. #AmWriting
“The center is harder to defend, because you’re being attacked from both sides.”
- Margret Atwood
- Margret Atwood
November 3, 2025 at 5:00 PM
“The center is harder to defend, because you’re being attacked from both sides.”
- Margret Atwood
- Margret Atwood
In fairness the general public are far more likely to trust someone wearing a tweed jacket accessorized with an air of genial erudition.
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
A strange brew: the case of the man behind an audacious Scottish tea fraud
A charismatic, tweed-wearing grower from Perthshire falsely claimed to be able to create thriving tea plantations in Scotland. His elaborate deception took in luxury hotels, media outlets and tea grow...
www.theguardian.com
November 2, 2025 at 10:01 PM
In fairness the general public are far more likely to trust someone wearing a tweed jacket accessorized with an air of genial erudition.
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...
Apple spice cake in progress.
November 2, 2025 at 1:51 AM
Apple spice cake in progress.
Reposted by J.D. Popham
A horrific mass murder is unfolding in Sudan, where no one can see it. The RSF are murdering civilians in El Fasher, having finally defeated the Sudanese army forces holding out in the city. The BBC has managed to speak to some who escaped
www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7fC...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7fC...
Sudanese survivors of el-Fasher siege tell the BBC about RSF brutality | BBC News
YouTube video by BBC News
www.youtube.com
November 1, 2025 at 7:14 AM
A horrific mass murder is unfolding in Sudan, where no one can see it. The RSF are murdering civilians in El Fasher, having finally defeated the Sudanese army forces holding out in the city. The BBC has managed to speak to some who escaped
www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7fC...
www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7fC...
It's worth the visit.
Sometimes you just need to escape for a little while. Short stories are great for that.
Visitors welcome. Subscriptions are good too.
clarkesworldmagazine.com
Visitors welcome. Subscriptions are good too.
clarkesworldmagazine.com
October 29, 2025 at 1:45 AM
It's worth the visit.
Saw them going by and noticed they weren't the usual fly-over.
About those LOUD Fighter Jets Everyone Heard – It was the Blue Angels www.popville.com/2025/10/blue...
About those LOUD Fighter Jets Everyone Heard – It was the Blue Angels - PoPville
At 10:30 this morning we tried to alert folks about this anticipated 11:15/11:30am flyover. While we were told it was coming over the Mall, it was heard and seen from ALL OVER DC and was quite loud. A...
www.popville.com
October 29, 2025 at 12:26 AM
Saw them going by and noticed they weren't the usual fly-over.
😄
I understand why they had to stop him but I don’t agree with imprisoning him in the phantom zone
October 26, 2025 at 8:34 PM
😄