Introduction to R.S., Author, Novelist Updated 11/20/24
First, a few words:
"One thing you learn from watching TV, movies, anime, and reading best sellers, to pulp, to fanfic: No story is perfect. There's always hopeful contrivance and caricature in plot or character, a little or a lot... but it works. We like it. It gets bought, published, produced, noticed, sometimes loved despite the warts.
"Authors and playwrights of all levels... take heart. Complete your project and go on to the next. Complete is the superpower you can have, perfect doesn't exist."
Who is R.S.?
I am a formerly published feminist SF author and a prosaist—which is what a poet is to poetry, but for prose.
I write #fiction stories that often address issues of gender at least peripherally. I'm aiming to short list for an Otherwise Award.
My genre tags are #sf, #sff, #sciencefiction, #fantasy, and #romance.
I'm a fan of rhetoric and elocution; I'm a prosaist, remember? Humor makes life and writing tolerable.
My community is #author, #writer, #writingCommunity, and #writersOfMastodon.
I host the #EngenderedWriting hashtag with gender fiction prompts at #EngenderWritingQ.
I post often to various writing hashtags, which are variously called games, prompts, or challenges: #pennedPossibilities, #wordWeavers (which replaced #writingWonders), #writever, and #writerscoffeeclub,
If you become confused about my gender, that's intentional. I write gender fiction, so if I revealed mine, it would add subtext to my stories. If you know or learn it, please keep it to yourself. Thanks!
#ActuallyAutistic, which explains how I can overly focus, seem obtuse, or end up running down rabbit holes. No worries. It's actually a superpower.
Click the following link to see a list of shorter stories I've written to post exclusively on Mastodon (#microfiction #flashfiction #tootfic). I retain the copyright on those stories.
https://eldritch.cafe/@sfwrtr/110470537747067765
I'm trying to build a network of authors by entertaining you, and by sharing what I've learned through decades of doing it the hard way. My motto: There Shall Be Content! I want to help our writing community by helping authors overcome what keeps them from completing stories. I'm learning self-publishing as a business. I want to push back the loneliness that's part and parcel of this solitary profession.
I follow serious authors, which means people diligently writing or working at completing stories or articles or anything containing words with the intent to publish, whether that's #fiction, #nonfiction, #scripts, #comics or #manga, or #games. I will read your profile before following, so I expect to see some content before I follow back.
I boost posts that announce authors' work and publications. This means that I want my followers (largely artists, authors, and photographers) to see your work. We're all creatives here, trying to be/become professionals. Everyone needs to promote their work; I want to help you. Don't repeat too often. Since I follow so many people, my timeline is full. Don't feel bad if I miss something. Private mention @[email protected]!
I'll follow an #artist upon seeing interesting work. This can be #photography or hand drawn/painted #art. I am partial to #charcoals and #pastel, appreciate #sketch art, but love #watercolor (because I can't do that!), or just really good visuals. If wowed, I'll discuss what's great in reply, or #critique if you're really close and I think I can help. I occasionally commission cover and interstitial art. I do fine art photography and have done wedding and event photography (https://sfwrtr.zenfolio.com).
Life and Everything Else: Did you entertain me? Did you make me think? I may follow you even if you're not a creative. You need not courtesy follow in return. I have a weird sense of humor, which follows since many of my characters are snide and cynical.
Favorites: My clicking the favorite button means something caught my attention, was particularly apropos to the idea, was entertaining, or somehow pithy. I work never to click favorite to acknowledge I've simply read a timeline post. If I favorite replies in a conversation, that could be an acknowledgment. If I reply to your post, I've definitely noticed something!
Hot Buttons: Feminist issues are a hot button for me. So are labor issues, where jobs are automated out of existence without figuring out how to provide former employees to support themselves. If you want to use #genAI, #chatGPT, or AI to replace writers or artists, or jobs, you're barking up the wrong tree, buster! I post those road apples under #theComingLaborApocalypse.
I believe Boosting is Sharing, so I sometimes wait a while to provide posts better visibility. I appreciate when people boost my posts when they affect them in return.