Mark
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markmakesmarkmarks.bsky.social
Mark
@markmakesmarkmarks.bsky.social
28 followers 20 following 140 posts
I dreamed that characters of my unfinished stories begged me to finish those tales, otherwise their worlds would be destroyed.

So for them, I write.
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markmakesmarkmarks.bsky.social
Fable - long-hauler, storyteller, and heart of the Break Room crew - wakes from standby at the edge of another deserted station.

#WIPSnips #WritingCommunity
Chapter 11: Fable; I wish we’d found something. I hope he tells them what we saw. Fable came out of standby following a gentle ping from her Bin. She took a moment to orient herself. Not much had changed since she went into standby. The flat, rocky plane stretched in every direction. Eight-Six still pressed forward at full speed with the last load of crates on his back. The sun was behind her now, so they must have been moving most of the day. Looking forward, Fable saw why Bin had woken her up. Station GD-2 grew on the horizon.
November 21, 2025 at 4:02 PM
markmakesmarkmarks.bsky.social
I don't have the creative energy to dive into revisions yet. Instead I'm focusing on other levers I can adjust.

I used the manuscript to generate a word cloud. This is an easy way for me to find words I'm overusing so I know where to start throwing a thesaurus.

#WritingCommunity #WriteSky
A world cloud with the following word, listed from largest to smallest: marigold cyan fable back doc sunflower one dobbes ballad just hand asked slate time know away reclaimer something azure bin turned first door behind midnight red reclaimers looked head see left need central voice long even forward right metal around saw crowd every work rail knew black place hands shoulder
November 20, 2025 at 3:34 PM
markmakesmarkmarks.bsky.social
Their oppressors have a weakness, locked in the memories of a fallen friend. Now they're forced to smuggle him - corpse and frozen mind - to keep hope alive.

#WIPSnips #WritingCommunity #WriteSky
Sunflower hunched over a tall black anvil, working orange steel into a slender crescent. The blacksmith was consumed by her task, not looking up to greet the newcomer. She hammered the glowing pick, removing an imperfection only she would ever notice, before setting it into a tall bucket with a frenzied sizzle that sent a pillar of steam curling toward the ceiling. Sunflower peered through the cloud, her eyes pausing on the crates before meeting Fable’s. “Three?” she asked, her voice warm to those who knew her. “Special order from Assembly.”
November 20, 2025 at 3:19 PM
markmakesmarkmarks.bsky.social
The memory's spark has caught. Uprising flares into revolution.

#WIPSnips #WritingCommunity #WriteSky
Fable was lifted to her feet and spun around, face-to-face with a matte black with the cold, soulless Reclaimer. It gripped her collar once more, pulling back its free arm. Steel fingers locked around my collar like a vice. “Do not resist.” Red’s Bin echoed in her ear: Resist. Fable seized the Reclaimer’s wrist, finding the thin rod connecting to it, and twisted. The metal in her hand screamed and the machine’s grip loosened. She clenched her other hand and hammered the wrist. Again. On the third blow the joint broke apart with a sharp crack. The machine reeled back, releasing her.
November 19, 2025 at 3:38 PM
markmakesmarkmarks.bsky.social
#WIPSnips

The Reclaimed

Chapter 1: init;
optical systems... online A hard gray landscape of crags and stone blinked into existence. Jagged rocks jutted out of the earth to form a wall of carnivorous teeth against the setting sun. A gust of wind brought a flurry of gray dust to my eyes. A signal told me that this stung, and the signal said I should recoil to protect myself. motor systems... online
September 22, 2025 at 11:09 PM
markmakesmarkmarks.bsky.social
#WIPSnips
“I don’t know,” she told Slate. Marigold felt her shoulders sag. She shot up, forcing herself to hold her composure. A grin snuck into Slate’s brow. “What did you call him?” he asked, his edge softening. “Crimson? Cardinal?” Cardinal. Damn, that would’ve been a good one. “Red,” she answered. “Just Red.” “We’re very interested in finding Red, Marigold. Him, and his partner. They actions put us all at risk. We’d appreciate any help you can give us.”
September 18, 2025 at 11:59 AM
markmakesmarkmarks.bsky.social
Rest stop in Sterling, CO
“I am grout” written in the grout between wall tiles
August 20, 2025 at 6:38 PM
markmakesmarkmarks.bsky.social
Moving is a lot, but Jax seems to be having a good time.
Jax at the Colorado River, part one Jax st the Colorado River, part 2 Jax doing his best Doge impression
August 20, 2025 at 2:54 AM
markmakesmarkmarks.bsky.social
When the worse person you know makes a point.

#WIPSnips
“My point is that is the point. That’s why they stuck us in these things! We’re supposed to break and get fixed and be sent back to work. It’s cheaper or safer or makes it someone else’s problem. I don’t know. I don’t even care anymore. All I do know is we’re dying, all of us. It’s a slow death and everyone’s fine just watching it happen.”
August 13, 2025 at 10:21 PM
markmakesmarkmarks.bsky.social
An unlikely alliance with the person everyone told you stay away from.

What could go wrong?

#WIPSnips #WritingCommunity
I didn’t know what to say. I hadn’t planned this far ahead. I only knew that I needed to do something, and so far Dobbes was the only person doing anything. Sitting across from him now, I wasn’t so sure. I think he picked up on my uncertainty. “I’m not going to apologize for that,” he said, pointing at my cracked visor. Callie jabbed him with her elbow. She raised her wiper-brows as if to say Be good. “I won’t apologize for keeping you alive,” I clipped back. Dobbes shifted. He started to say something, but decided against it when he noticed Callie looking at him.
July 27, 2025 at 7:15 PM
markmakesmarkmarks.bsky.social
The community used to break down their fallen, recycling parts that keep them alive. But now, the brutal Reclaimers take the terminated RAILs back to Central Office and salvaging the dead is punishable by death.

Decay is inevitable.

#WIPSnips #WritingCommunity
Chapter 7: Reclamation; A swarm of RAILs crowded around Doc’s house. They clambered over each other as the doorway and pulled themselves up to peek through the tiny windows, anything to catch a glimpse inside. Their whispered rumors filled the street with a speculative hum that threatened to burst. “Move aside!” Marigold yelled, gripping my wrist. “Let me through!”
July 24, 2025 at 6:21 PM
markmakesmarkmarks.bsky.social
Took Jax for a late walk and was reminded how bright the moon is in the desert.

HDR is doing a lot of lifting to make this middle of the night shot look like it’s the middle of the day, though.
A nearly full moon illuminates a rural desert road.
July 9, 2025 at 4:29 AM
markmakesmarkmarks.bsky.social
Happy Prime Day to all who celebrate!
Optimus Prime
July 8, 2025 at 3:46 PM
markmakesmarkmarks.bsky.social
Call of the Void, Chapter 3 - The Queen
“My friend,” Rel said, “yesterday is what led us to today. Today is what leads us to tomorrow. Our days are much like people. If you look at them together, all at once, all you will see is all of them together. But take the time to look at each individually, one at a time, and you will see the value they hold. Each day holds value, my friend, even the next.”
July 2, 2025 at 2:41 PM
markmakesmarkmarks.bsky.social
My banjo journey is taking me across The Great Sea
May 27, 2025 at 10:11 PM
markmakesmarkmarks.bsky.social
Alt text matters
A still from the Nickleback’s “Photograph.” The image in the photograph is replaced with the broken image icon.
May 24, 2025 at 12:15 AM
markmakesmarkmarks.bsky.social
The Tooth Fairy allowed an exception this one time.
A handwritten child’s note that says “I’m sorry that I lost me tooth”
May 15, 2025 at 4:33 PM
markmakesmarkmarks.bsky.social
STOP THE COUNT!!!
A screenshot of Cavs versus Pacers score. The Cavs are up 3 to 0
May 9, 2025 at 11:48 PM
markmakesmarkmarks.bsky.social
She ain’t no follow back gurrrl
Screenshot of Gwen Stefani’s Twitter showing 2.5 million followers but only 1138 following. It’s b a n a n a s
January 11, 2025 at 7:35 AM
markmakesmarkmarks.bsky.social
This is a fitting post-NaNoWriMo reward
Wind and Truth by Brandon Sanderson
December 6, 2024 at 8:17 PM
markmakesmarkmarks.bsky.social
New baby pics just dropped.
A banjo hanging on a wall. A bass guitar, hollow body electric guitar, and amplifier are sneaking into the frame.
December 3, 2024 at 11:16 PM
markmakesmarkmarks.bsky.social
Streetlight Manifesto, August 2024 at the Crystal Ballroom in Portland, Oregon. I went with our 11 and 13 year old boys and there’s so much ska in the house now.

Everyone else stayed home. It was just The Three of Us. 🎺🎷🎸
Streetlight Manifesto performing at the Crystal Ballroom in Portland, Oregon Streetlight Manifesto performing at the Crystal Ballroom in Portland, Oregon
November 30, 2024 at 3:43 PM
markmakesmarkmarks.bsky.social
I started going to concerts again. August 2023 was my third time seeing Less Than Jake. They played all of Hello Rockview, and it was like I was a kid playing Tony Hawk all over again.
Less Than Jake playing in front of a crowd at Revolution Hall.
November 25, 2024 at 3:15 AM