Samuel Poots
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pootsidoodle.bsky.social
Samuel Poots
@pootsidoodle.bsky.social
Writer of fiction, TTRPGs and lost to-do lists. PhD Researcher and Writer in Residence at Ulster University.
Associate Editor at @CastOfWonders.
Published in WFRP, Jim Henson’s Labyrinth RPG, Factor Four and Opulent Syntax
SFWA, OW-NI he/him
Reposted by Samuel Poots
Reposted by Samuel Poots
What's interesting about LLMs and training data theft is how, in spite of all the threats of fire and brimstone on the copyright pages of our books, publishers rolled over.

Despite this, the Anthropic settlement insists that payouts will be given to the publishers too as they are 'legal owners'.
November 18, 2025 at 12:47 PM
A few years ago, I wrote a story about a church having an AI-powered holographic confessional where people could come and talk to a Christ hologram. I never went past the first draft as I didn't think it worked. Now I'm thinking I need to look it over again.
FFS
Personal Jesus

“reach out and text faith”

my god it was right there, who’s in charge of marketing here?!
November 15, 2025 at 6:23 PM
Reposted by Samuel Poots
As of this morning, Starbucks workers across the country are officially ON STRIKE. And we're prepared for this to become the biggest and longest ULP strike in Starbucks history.

Say #NoContractNoCoffee with us: DON'T BUY STARBUCKS for the duration of our open-ended ULP strike! $SBUX
November 13, 2025 at 11:33 AM
Reposted by Samuel Poots
This time last year, @tansyrr.bsky.social gave us her list of the great (male) brutes and villains of the #Discworld...

Read it here (for free!): www.speculativeinsight.com/essays/brutes-villains
November 4, 2025 at 11:20 PM
Reposted by Samuel Poots
Last Year in Marienburg is a noirish Warhammer fanfic that I am sharing on Patreon, with a twist - my community are helping me write it!

Anyone can read it for free and paid supporters can vote on what happens next!

#Warhammer

www.patreon.com/posts/last-y...
November 3, 2025 at 7:25 PM
Reposted by Samuel Poots
I’ve realized!! If you care about medical justice and want to make a direct material difference in my case for totally free, here’s something quick that anyone can do:

Send a brief impact statement to trystanjhawthorne@gmail.com

For both general audiences and fellow creators.
November 3, 2025 at 7:36 PM
Cecile! This collection is fantastic, definitely recommend and a thoroughly well-deserved win.
The winner is Elephants in Bloom by Cecile Cristofari published by Newcon Press.
November 2, 2025 at 7:38 PM
Reposted by Samuel Poots
#Hellweek25

Day 7: Halloween / Free day!

Hell's Kitchen. 👻🍳

#Art #Illustration #DCcomics #Hellblazer #JohnConstantine #Artsky
November 1, 2025 at 1:22 AM
Reposted by Samuel Poots
Hehe.
Cartoon from @skullpizza.bsky.social
November 1, 2025 at 2:32 PM
When You need something vaguely Halloween costumish and end up as budget (and overwhelmed and sleep deprived) third/eleventh Doctor.
October 31, 2025 at 6:32 PM
What Az has faced is horrific. Please, take a second to read this and if you know a way to help, or know someone who might be able to, do what you can.
October 30, 2025 at 8:27 PM
Reposted by Samuel Poots
Call for Lakota and Native American sensitivity readers!!
#HorrorWritersChat I am trying so hard to figure out the best way to present this project.

I'm saving up for a website, hire beta readers, and I still need to find Lakota and other Native American sensitivity readers.

...I need to make a list. IN the meantime, snippets? Maybe? My grammar sucks.
Here's your cue, Horror Writers Chat folks. Shout out your books.

#HorrorWritersChat
October 29, 2025 at 11:26 PM
Reposted by Samuel Poots
Strange Horizons will be open to fiction submissions from Indigenous authors only on November 3rd at 9am UTC!

The window will close after 500 submissions are received.

More information:
strangehorizons.com/wordpress/no...

If you sent us a story in April or June, you CANNOT submit in this window.
October 27, 2025 at 7:14 PM
Reposted by Samuel Poots
Ey folks
Could anyone possibly extend a helping hand of about 20-30 bucks to my venmo so myself, my partner and our two cats can stay another night in the motel we are in? We are ALMOST at a place we can recover from but not quite yet x.x
Username is MxJanusu,
Picture of kitties for algo
October 25, 2025 at 2:01 PM
After four years, the WFRP game I started during the pandemic has finally come to its conclusion. This monthly game with my incredibly talented and funny friends was a gift. I feel so blessed we could tell this story together. And the Slayer survived!
October 23, 2025 at 10:42 PM
Reposted by Samuel Poots
"But soft! What light through yonder window... BRAKES!"
October 19, 2025 at 12:23 PM
Reposted by Samuel Poots
Hey all 👋 my living situation has dramatically changed. I should be fine for a few months, but if you'd like to help me make - significantly increased - rent, then any change would be greatly appreciated.

Patreon: www.patreon.com/spice8rack
Ko-Fi: ko-fi.com/spice8rack
PayPal: spice8rack@gmail.com
Get more from Spice8Rack on Patreon
Creating Magic: the Gathering Adjacent Content
www.patreon.com
October 12, 2025 at 8:01 AM
Reposted by Samuel Poots
Coming soon! Our Banned Books Week stories!
#JoyThatSustains
#BannedBooksWeek
October 5, 2025 at 8:56 PM
Reposted by Samuel Poots
Big news from BFS members (and leaders) @shonak.bsky.social and @davidgreenwriter.bsky.social: A new independent non-profit organisation designed to help creatives thrive in publishing. Here's @divergent-paths.bsky.social

britishfantasysociety.org/divergent-pa...
September 30, 2025 at 1:38 PM
A perfect cup of ADHTea. To make ADHTea, start making a cup of tea, then forget about it for an hour. The third time you do this, you’ve made ADHTea.
September 28, 2025 at 2:31 PM
Reposted by Samuel Poots
Translunar Traveler's Lounge is open for speculative fiction, 5000 words and under. Please check the guidelines before submitting, but other than that, don't self-reject. translunartravelerslounge.com/submissions/
Submissions
Broadly defined, the type of fiction we are looking for is “fun”. [Go to Submissions]
translunartravelerslounge.com
September 28, 2025 at 11:43 AM
Reposted by Samuel Poots
If you're tired and need a hug today, I'd like to offer this story of mine. It's about a haunted house so lonely that it promises it'll behave if anyone will just live in it.
DP FICTION #64A: “Open House on Haunted Hill” by John Wiswell – Diabolical Plots
www.diabolicalplots.com
September 24, 2025 at 7:01 PM
Reposted by Samuel Poots
whoa october is around the corner!

reminder that we'll be open again for novellas soon.

more info here: www.neonhemlock.com/submissions
September 24, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Just gave this a read and it is a wonderfully wicked little flash piece, a glimpse into a future I find too depressingly real with a great sting in its tail.
September 21, 2025 at 7:53 PM