So "you need to have an internally consistent believable world" is only one available choice out of many. It is currently the most fashionable choice, and writers who are using it can fairly be evaluated on how they do with it. But it's not the only choice.

Do you know how much space racism takes up in a Black person's life? How we have to navigate all relationships and experiences with a personal discernment of what is and isn't an aggression worth taxing our energy over? How many authors Black editors publish and just have to hope aren't in the Klan?

This is how I used to use Scrivener. I'd just write in one doc until I couldn't anymore and then later on (when my brain could draft no more) I'd go back and arrange things logically.

There's definitely something to be said for less distraction.

In an attempt to pants less, I created almost every new text file before I started drafting my current WiP. One for each scene. It let me jump forward to write out of order when I just *couldn't* write the next bit and gave me a bunch of digestible tasks vs a huge blank document.

I keep thinking we’ll find the end of male fragility. Like people can only get *so* small, right?

I am forever in your debt, @panic.gay my sire. My keyboard, body, and soul are yours until I skeet my last.

If ever you Skeet for Aid and I fail to assist, may my humble presence be returned to suffer in the wilds of Xeeter from whence you found me.

Is this a line from Snow Crash?

You don’t get to choose these things. I just stole and ate a 2 pound bag of skittles from my coworkers desk. Had to hide the evidence.

Anything to join @scalzi.com in Sin’s Top Ten.

Now I’m at risk for whatever health problems tasting that much of the rainbow will inevitably cause.

thx John

See I mostly just ignore the cast iron because I assume it’s not up to snuff.

I’ve spent a decade getting mine just right, I can’t be slumming it with Randy McRandom’s hot mess.

Everything is research and every mess will maybe inspire a scene some day.

Eventually you’ll look at that still-black spot on your rug and put it in a book and it will be worth that time you ruined it and that decade in which it was just a stained rug.

(Or that’s what I tell myself)

I’m still querying a scifi novel w/ 2 romantic interests but no love triangle, oops.

The tension comes from an interstellar labor revolt, not two people fighting over the MC’s attention. It’s not YA or romance. We

But would it sell better if I could market it as a queer romance in space? Idk

I guess you can learn a lot about a person based on the first Jason they think of.

This was mine.

Like the romance is shoved in to comply with some hidden standard nobody actually wants.

Or writers never even consider letting people just be friends bc “MC’s Love Interest” was a slot they had to fill.

Especially in SFF works about some world/galaxy altering event.

Tomorrow, she will face the Swarm of Plagues, millions will die at her command, and if she’s very, very lucky the rest of the galaxy will not be consumed.

Tonight? She can’t stop wondering if some dude named Jason likes her or not.