Alara Rogers
@alarajrogers.bsky.social
Writer, IT consultant, and frazzled mom
Yeah, honestly, a lived-in universe was treated to Chekhov's Land Mines. They're all over the place. Some of them might go off. You're not going to know which one until it does. You need some level of verbosity for that.
Just to pick up on this:
One reason my mates and i loved playing Star Wars as kids was BECAUSE it threw out all these references to events that weren't explained.
We were used to adults around us doing that IRL about WW2 or whatever. So it didn't feel weird. It made the universe feel REAL.
One reason my mates and i loved playing Star Wars as kids was BECAUSE it threw out all these references to events that weren't explained.
We were used to adults around us doing that IRL about WW2 or whatever. So it didn't feel weird. It made the universe feel REAL.
A good story is as long as it needs to be. We don’t need to expand every detail, uncover every facet, some things can be left as mystery. A battle can be a sentence, a romance can be a look, a tragedy a word.
Brevity is as useful a technique as verbosity.
Brevity is as useful a technique as verbosity.
November 16, 2025 at 11:59 PM
Yeah, honestly, a lived-in universe was treated to Chekhov's Land Mines. They're all over the place. Some of them might go off. You're not going to know which one until it does. You need some level of verbosity for that.
Reposted by Alara Rogers
GOOD NEWS! A groundbreaking study in MORE THAN 1,000 people reveals that cancer patients who received a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine within 100 days of starting immunotherapy lived dramatically LONGER than those who didn’t. In some cases, their survival rate was DOUBLED.
November 14, 2025 at 5:00 PM
GOOD NEWS! A groundbreaking study in MORE THAN 1,000 people reveals that cancer patients who received a COVID-19 mRNA vaccine within 100 days of starting immunotherapy lived dramatically LONGER than those who didn’t. In some cases, their survival rate was DOUBLED.
Reposted by Alara Rogers
This week, Adelita Grijalva was finally sworn in, setting up a vote on the Epstein files, Democrats continued to turn out victories across the country, and Trump’s approval dropped to new lows. Not too shabby! Check out the week’s top wins. thinkbigpicture.substack.com/p/week-progr...
Our Wins Of The Week
On Wednesday, after a 50-day delay, Adelita Grijalva was finally sworn into office to cheers from her fellow House Democrats.
thinkbigpicture.substack.com
November 16, 2025 at 8:00 PM
This week, Adelita Grijalva was finally sworn in, setting up a vote on the Epstein files, Democrats continued to turn out victories across the country, and Trump’s approval dropped to new lows. Not too shabby! Check out the week’s top wins. thinkbigpicture.substack.com/p/week-progr...
Reposted by Alara Rogers
Told you she was (and is) the most important SF/F writer of our generation
✨ Please join SFWA in celebrating the announcement of our latest Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award: N. K. Jemisin. ✨
Learn more here about @nkjemisin.bsky.social, the Grand Master Award, and how the work goes on after the accolades for all we've already done:
www.sfwa.org/2025/11/16/p...
Learn more here about @nkjemisin.bsky.social, the Grand Master Award, and how the work goes on after the accolades for all we've already done:
www.sfwa.org/2025/11/16/p...
November 16, 2025 at 11:30 PM
Told you she was (and is) the most important SF/F writer of our generation
That feel when you complete a 300 word story at only 391 words and you feel pretty good because you can surely cut out 91 words and then you discover it was supposed to be a drabble
November 16, 2025 at 11:51 PM
That feel when you complete a 300 word story at only 391 words and you feel pretty good because you can surely cut out 91 words and then you discover it was supposed to be a drabble
Galacticow
She hungers for planets to devour
But she also makes so much milk you can make a planet out of it, so it kind of evens out
She hungers for planets to devour
But she also makes so much milk you can make a planet out of it, so it kind of evens out
If the moon is made of cheese, then the cow it came from must be enormous
November 15, 2025 at 1:05 AM
Galacticow
She hungers for planets to devour
But she also makes so much milk you can make a planet out of it, so it kind of evens out
She hungers for planets to devour
But she also makes so much milk you can make a planet out of it, so it kind of evens out
Well, this isn't what I wanted to talk about, my first post when back after months, but this is bullshit... Open AI censors CSA survivors from being able to talk to ChatGPT about their experiences. Been saying for years, this kind of censorship silences survivors.
November 15, 2025 at 12:57 AM
Well, this isn't what I wanted to talk about, my first post when back after months, but this is bullshit... Open AI censors CSA survivors from being able to talk to ChatGPT about their experiences. Been saying for years, this kind of censorship silences survivors.
Seems like an author could get around this with an assortment of pen names.
Yeah, even if I could write a new book every six weeks, there's an upper limit to demand. I average a book a year (some years none, some years two, it works out) and that seems to be the sweet spot for me and my audience. And it allows me time for other projects (and sleep!), which makes me happy.
This is the first time I've heard the term "commercial carrying capacity.". I kind of wish some other authors had heard of it - there's one I've burned out on because they have a new book every 6 weeks.
March 16, 2025 at 10:13 PM
Seems like an author could get around this with an assortment of pen names.
Like, Batman can't kill -- not even the Joker -- because if he does, that's the last barrier that prevents The Bat from entirely consuming Bruce Wayne and doing whatever it wants, soaking Gotham in blood, etc.
Yeah, this is basically Venom, the Punisher, etc. I'd lean into the whole "is Batman supernatural" trope that he's trying to push. Or, go another way -- Bruce Wayne has been possessed by a spirit of vengeance since his parents died and he is *barely restraining* this thing in him.
-make him more violent and vengeful. Remove his restraint. But that really feels to me like you'd just be Blood-and-Honey-ing him into an edgy evilguy with none of the character traits that make him cool or interesting.
Maybe I ought to look into the history of Spring Heeled Jack.
Maybe I ought to look into the history of Spring Heeled Jack.
March 15, 2025 at 11:30 PM
Like, Batman can't kill -- not even the Joker -- because if he does, that's the last barrier that prevents The Bat from entirely consuming Bruce Wayne and doing whatever it wants, soaking Gotham in blood, etc.
Yeah, this is basically Venom, the Punisher, etc. I'd lean into the whole "is Batman supernatural" trope that he's trying to push. Or, go another way -- Bruce Wayne has been possessed by a spirit of vengeance since his parents died and he is *barely restraining* this thing in him.
-make him more violent and vengeful. Remove his restraint. But that really feels to me like you'd just be Blood-and-Honey-ing him into an edgy evilguy with none of the character traits that make him cool or interesting.
Maybe I ought to look into the history of Spring Heeled Jack.
Maybe I ought to look into the history of Spring Heeled Jack.
March 15, 2025 at 11:29 PM
Yeah, this is basically Venom, the Punisher, etc. I'd lean into the whole "is Batman supernatural" trope that he's trying to push. Or, go another way -- Bruce Wayne has been possessed by a spirit of vengeance since his parents died and he is *barely restraining* this thing in him.
Persistence predator him. "Protagonist" is a white collar criminal, a good job, wife and kids. Is Batman his own guilt over his embezzlement eating him alive? Or is Batman really there? And if Batman is there, when does the other shoe drop? When will Batman attack?
I've been thinking a lot about how one would handle transferring Batman into a horror type setting. On principle it already works, as Batman is supposed to be feared by criminals, but the issue is that he's inherently heroic, which makes it hard for an audience to fear him. Now, one could simply-
March 15, 2025 at 11:27 PM
Persistence predator him. "Protagonist" is a white collar criminal, a good job, wife and kids. Is Batman his own guilt over his embezzlement eating him alive? Or is Batman really there? And if Batman is there, when does the other shoe drop? When will Batman attack?
All soups are breakfast soup, if you're brave enough.
June 30, 2024 at 1:31 AM
All soups are breakfast soup, if you're brave enough.
I have had ideas I want to put into stories about tech I think would be great if it existed, and then I realize, it's not a story without conflict, and if it's just "guy decides to divorce his wife while working on solar farm", what's the solar farm even in the story for?
True story: I was commissioned to write some SF flash for a tech comms company. I quickly realised the brief was impossible, because this 👇
They wanted me to describe a future world where tech was lovely and great and nothing remotely challenging ever happened. That's not what SF *is*
They wanted me to describe a future world where tech was lovely and great and nothing remotely challenging ever happened. That's not what SF *is*
Can someone explain to the most powerful people on earth that science fiction is meant to be an allegorical discussion about the present, not an instruction manual / catalogue for the products we will / must have in the future?
I blame all those deck plans books and endpaper maps.
I blame all those deck plans books and endpaper maps.
June 29, 2024 at 5:28 AM
I have had ideas I want to put into stories about tech I think would be great if it existed, and then I realize, it's not a story without conflict, and if it's just "guy decides to divorce his wife while working on solar farm", what's the solar farm even in the story for?
Reposted by Alara Rogers
"Peace was never an option"
(🧑🎨: Smallmicroraptor, DeviantArt)
(🧑🎨: Smallmicroraptor, DeviantArt)
June 26, 2024 at 10:13 PM
"Peace was never an option"
(🧑🎨: Smallmicroraptor, DeviantArt)
(🧑🎨: Smallmicroraptor, DeviantArt)
Reposted by Alara Rogers
What about the convicted felon, folks? The noted fraud? The rapist? The classified document thief? Should he be standing down? No? Illuminating. Not at all good, but illuminating.
June 29, 2024 at 2:36 AM
What about the convicted felon, folks? The noted fraud? The rapist? The classified document thief? Should he be standing down? No? Illuminating. Not at all good, but illuminating.
Getting serious now... I submitted a short story to BSFS's Amateur Short Story contest June 15th, and today got together the nerve to send an agent a query for my kids' book. (About an anthro kitten princess superhero. Come on, guys, it should sell itself. :-))
June 29, 2024 at 5:03 AM
Getting serious now... I submitted a short story to BSFS's Amateur Short Story contest June 15th, and today got together the nerve to send an agent a query for my kids' book. (About an anthro kitten princess superhero. Come on, guys, it should sell itself. :-))
Reposted by Alara Rogers
I had one book at 114k, which was not a problem, and another at 135k, which was also not a problem because that book was already designed to be a special case (it was originally done as a series of 13 short stories and then compiled). Everything else is mostly between 80k and 100k.
Have you had any cases where you were significantly over? I am curious about the factors that would tilt it from “just kept it as is”, or if there is a tipping point where it would go from “we need to edit this down” becomes “You need to write more and make this two books”?
March 1, 2024 at 9:30 PM
I had one book at 114k, which was not a problem, and another at 135k, which was also not a problem because that book was already designed to be a special case (it was originally done as a series of 13 short stories and then compiled). Everything else is mostly between 80k and 100k.
Posted two stories and two backstages to my Patreon (www.patreon.com/alarajrogers) today, a 52 project story and an incomplete where I'm trying to mimic the style of a light novel. Both stories are free.
March 6, 2024 at 7:04 PM
Posted two stories and two backstages to my Patreon (www.patreon.com/alarajrogers) today, a 52 project story and an incomplete where I'm trying to mimic the style of a light novel. Both stories are free.
Reposted by Alara Rogers
Dr. Mensah: deadline.com/2024/03/noma...
Noma Dumezweni Joins Alexander Skarsgård In Apple Sci-Fi Series ‘Murderbot’
Noma Dumezwani (The Little Mermaid) is set as a lead opposite Alexander Skarsgård, in Apple TV+'s sci-fi drama series Murderbot.
deadline.com
March 1, 2024 at 10:31 PM
Dr. Mensah: deadline.com/2024/03/noma...
Reposted by Alara Rogers
WE BUILT THIS CITY ON CRABS THAT ROLL!
Help! Our city is unstable!
*crabs roll around helplessly*
🦀
Help! Our city is unstable!
*crabs roll around helplessly*
🦀
March 2, 2024 at 12:38 AM
WE BUILT THIS CITY ON CRABS THAT ROLL!
Help! Our city is unstable!
*crabs roll around helplessly*
🦀
Help! Our city is unstable!
*crabs roll around helplessly*
🦀
Reposted by Alara Rogers
How long does it take to draw a comic book page? Let me show you it. open.substack.com/pub/colleend...
How Long Does it Take to Draw a Comic Book Page?
It takes what it takes, bro, but we can measure that.
open.substack.com
March 2, 2024 at 1:57 PM
How long does it take to draw a comic book page? Let me show you it. open.substack.com/pub/colleend...
Reposted by Alara Rogers
An instant classic 😹
March 2, 2024 at 2:46 PM
An instant classic 😹
Reposted by Alara Rogers
Liminal corridor
March 2, 2024 at 8:01 PM
Liminal corridor
Reposted by Alara Rogers
“Why did you write this book!”
because I think my daydreams are better than other people’s and I want everyone to know about them
because I think my daydreams are better than other people’s and I want everyone to know about them
“Why did you write this book?”
“Because I really wanted to write that one scene on pg 213.”
“Because I really wanted to write that one scene on pg 213.”
Author note time:
"Why did you write this book?"
"Because I am bad at office jobs."
"Why did you write this book?"
"I was violently mad, but bad at violence."
"Why did you write this book?"
"I needed to do something instead of the laundry."
"Why did you write this book?"
"Because I have no shame."
"Why did you write this book?"
"Because I am bad at office jobs."
"Why did you write this book?"
"I was violently mad, but bad at violence."
"Why did you write this book?"
"I needed to do something instead of the laundry."
"Why did you write this book?"
"Because I have no shame."
March 2, 2024 at 8:13 PM
“Why did you write this book!”
because I think my daydreams are better than other people’s and I want everyone to know about them
because I think my daydreams are better than other people’s and I want everyone to know about them
Reposted by Alara Rogers
The CDC also says you should eat that pork chop you found in the parking lot of the abandoned bowling alley on the edge of town.
March 3, 2024 at 12:55 AM
The CDC also says you should eat that pork chop you found in the parking lot of the abandoned bowling alley on the edge of town.