The Wordsmith's Forge

 ... is like this.  And no human being deserves to live like this, and many are far worse off than this.

Here is a brilliant essay about sexism in culture and literature, using the extended metaphor of llamas.

From time to time, I mention that I am different from most people, that my mind doesn't work the same way.  And one of the more dramatic examples goes like this.

*movie with cannibalistic scaly llamas*

Me: "This is stupid.  Llamas are fluffy."

Normal person: "No they aren't."

Me: "There is a fluffy llama.  Look, llamas are fluffy."

Normal person: "WTF?  Everyone knows llamas aren't fluffy!"

Me: "Also they hum."

Normal person: "How would you EVEN KNOW THAT?"

Me: "By knowing some damn llamas!"

Normal person: "ZOMGWTFBBQ!  Shut up now!"

Me: *write fluffy llamas*

I'm social teflon.  Everyone saying something that is observably false does not convince me that they are right.  It convinces me that everyone else is crazy.  And of course, they think I'm the crazy one, because when there's a disagreement of claims, I go looking for evidence and I favor factual examples over people's beliefs.  This is really, really unpopular.  It drives many people bugfuck.  

On the other hoof, it's great for crowdfunding.  You want some fluffy llamas?  Bring 'em.  I'll write something.  I'm really good at filling cultural gaps that way.  I enjoy it.  I actively look for this stuff, because it leads to stories that haven't been told a million times.  Fresh stories are often better stories; they hook readers more and harder.  I like that a lot.  I like it as a reader, a writer, a reviewer, an editor, a prompter, a donor ... everything.  I just like it.

And yes, real llamas do hum.  I learned this at the county fair one year when somebody brought llamas.  Because I am a writer and everything is research it never really shuts off.  I am a fountain of random weird trivia like that, and that's where I get the cool concrete details that I drop into my writing.

My partner Doug tipped me to this picture of a red-winged blackbird riding a hawk.  It reminded me of a Native American legend about the birds all collaborating to steal fire from the sun.  They rode up in stages, the last being Hawk carrying Blackbird.  Blackbird succeeded, but his beautiful plumage was burnt to black and you can still see the marks of the two red-hot coals that he carried back on his shoulders.

This fest uses the system of romance described in Homestuck, applied to other fandoms.  I like alternative sexuality so I find the concept intriguing.

 melannen shares some writing exercises about characterization.

May is for finishing open storylines. Update: 7th May talks about goals and a Donor House storyline. Update: 9th May discusses challenges with constructed languages.

Fiction:
The World Walkers: AU Taithmarin: Anna: Stepping Onto Another World (part 3) explores finding a place to stay.
The Fae World: Kalinia: Aeron: The Creation of the Dragons (part 3) suggests a perilous way to get around an oath.
The World Walkers: Athare: Electra: Meeting a Rabbit (part 4) discusses different types of sculptors.
The World Walkers: Quiar: Kaito: The Night of Guises prepares for a holiday.
Pagan: Anna: One Year On explores what may have happened to Charlotte and Anna, and how Anna is adjusting to her situation.
Pagan: Anna: Weather is about Anna's strange feelings on the weather.
The World Walkers: Unknown World: Adara: Raining Mushrooms is a delightfully weird story about a rain of mushrooms.

The World Walkers: Quiar: The Case of the Counterfeit Enchantments (part 8, 22nd continuation) delves into Meriwether's past lives and other worlds.
The World Walkers: Quiar: The Case of the Counterfeit Enchantments (part 8, 23rd continuation) shows the impact of the counterfeiters.

Other Fiction:
Crossover: World Walkers/Deities World: Persephone: Watching Mab with Hecate (part 2)
AU Magi: Marnie: Becoming a Part of the Carne (part 2)
AU Thear: Evelyn: A Planet Outside the Window (part 3)
The Fae World: Earth: Willow: Looking Back
The World Walkers: Unknown World/Aerith: Guinevere: Walking Into A Trap (part 2)