The Wordsmith's Forge

This is a post for aces, singles, and other folks who need a refuge from all the kissy stuff today.  You can talk about the asexuality spectrum, single lifestyle, nonsexual intimacies, or whatever else floats your boat.  Recommend resources on these topics, favorite stories or movies, share the platonic love!

If you want to explore some of my writing on this topic, try browsing:
My QUILTBAG Characters
Sexual Orientations in My Characters
Romantic Orientations in My Characters

Asexuality in Fiction
Asexuals Writing Asexuals

These series have asexual characters and/or minimal sex/romance:
An Army of One
Clay of Life
Kung Fu Robots
The Origami Mage
Path of the Paladins
Polychrome Heroics: Dr. Infanta
Polychrome Heroics: Shiv

These series have characters who are unmarried, with or without interest in relationships:
Fiorenza the Wisewoman
P.I.E.
Polychrome Heroics: Calliope
Polychrome Heroics: Cassandra
Polychrome Heroics: Danso and Family
The Steamsmith
Tripping into the Future

A friend tipped me to this excellent discussion about gossip in Judaism, when it is or is not permissible and why.  While gentiles are not bound by Jewish law as Jews are, it remains a very useful set of guidelines, and following them -- even if you cherrypick your favorites -- would prevent a lot of headaches.

Voting is now open for the 2019 Rose & Bay Awards.  Thank you for nominating projects and patrons.  Please go vote for your favorites now.  Review the nomination posts for more information about the nominees if you need it.

Art: ysabetwordsmith Nominate art! Vote for art!
Fiction: ysabetwordsmith Nominate fiction! Vote for fiction!
Poetry: ysabetwordsmith Nominate poetry! Vote for poetry!
Webcomic: ysabetwordsmith Nominate webcomics! Vote for webcomics!
Other Project: ysabetwordsmith Nominate other projects! Vote for other projects!
Patron: ysabetwordsmith Nominate patrons! Vote for patrons!

In today's fragmented world, people can improve it by reaching out to each other. Here are some ideas for building community in your neighborhood.

Be respectful of your neighbors. Don’t be that guy. Clean up after your dog and keep him leashed when out walking. Be aware of any disturbing noise levels that you are creating. Maintain your property and respect property boundaries.

The Poetry Fishbowl is now CLOSED.  Thank you for your time and assistance.  Please keep an eye on this page as I am still writing.

Starting now, the bonus Poetry Fishbowl is open!  This is the perk for the Poetry Fishbowl meeting the $250 goal three times.  Today's theme is "Polychrome Heroics: Shiv: the Christmas Thread."  I will be checking this page periodically throughout the day. When people make suggestions, I'll pick some and weave them together into a poem ... and then another ... and so on. I'm hoping to get a lot of ideas and a lot of poems.


Advance Preparations:
I highly recommend viewing the advance announcement for today's fishbowl, where I laid out the start of the thread and some ideas on where it's going.  If you already have a prompt on the list of carryovers from January 8, you're covered and don't need to leave more prompts today.  I'll write as many as I can.

I have sketched out a little of the storyline. If anyone else wants to write about this, and you need references to make sure you don't step on what I'm doing, let me know who or where and I'll send you the relevant notes.  Just make sure I get a copy and a link so I can connect things. Also, I'm trying to date entries more carefully, so do that too. See the 2015 calendar.


Stacking:
You can prompt for characters, settings, events, or whatever you want to see. I've listed a lot of the scenes that I already know about. Anyone can request those straight from advance announcement post, or second someone else's prompts, if you don't want to write out your own. I will write as many poems as I can, but I may not get to everyone this time if complex prompts (like X and Y in Location plus hassles) spread out over a lot of long plotty poems that don't combine well. Prompts that get seconded by more people are more likely to get written.

Brief generic prompts (like "traumatic stress" or "touch aversion") are easy to stack with other prompts and may get used repeatedly. If you're stuck for ideas, grab any of the prompts off the list of suggestions above, or use either of the emotion lists from the Bingo Card Generator to produce a single prompt. This is a good option for anyone who feels overwhelmed by information or choices.


Characters:
Drafting new characters takes time. The more of that I need to do, the slower the writing goes. So if you want to make it go faster, focusing on established characters is one way to do that.  I already have a lot of characters statted up for Blues Moon and related environs.


What Is a Poetry Fishbowl?

Writing is usually considered a solitary pursuit. One exception to this is a fascinating exercise called a "fishbowl." This has various forms, but all of them basically involve some kind of writing in public, usually with interaction between author and audience. A famous example is Harlan Ellison's series of "stories under glass" in which he sits in a bookstore window and writes a new story based on an idea that someone gives him. Writing classes sometimes include a version where students watch each other write, often with students calling out suggestions which are chalked up on the blackboard for those writing to use as inspiration.

In this online version of a Poetry Fishbowl, I begin by setting a theme; today's theme is "Polychrome Heroics: Shiv: the Christmas Thread."  I invite people to suggest characters, settings, and other things relating to that theme. Then I use those prompts as inspiration for writing poems.


Cyberfunded Creativity

I'm practicing cyberfunded creativity. If you enjoy what I'm doing and want to see more of it, please feed the Bard. The following options are currently available:

1) Sponsor the Fishbowl -- Here is a PayPal button for donations. There is no specific requirement, but $1 is the minimum recommended size for PayPal transactions since they take a cut from every one. You can also donate via check or money order sent by postal mail. If you make a donation and tell me about it, I promise to use one of your prompts. Anonymous donations are perfectly welcome, just won't get that perk. General donations will be tallied, and at the end of the fishbowl I’ll post a list of eligible poems based on the total funding; then the audience can vote on which they want to see posted.

2)  Swim, Fishie, Swim! -- A feature in conjunction with fishbowl sponsorship is this progress meter showing the amount donated.



3)  Buy It Now! -- Gakked from various e-auction sites, this feature allows you to sponsor a specific poem. If you don't want to wait for some editor to buy and publish my poem so you can read it, well, now you don't have to. Sponsoring a poem means that I will immediately post it on my blog for everyone to see, with the name of the sponsor (or another dedicate) if you wish; plus you get a nonexclusive publication right, so you can post it on your own blog or elsewhere as long as you keep the credits intact. You'll need to tell me the title of the poem you want to sponsor. I'm basing the prices on length, and they're comparable to what I typically make selling poetry to magazines (semi-pro rates according to Duotrope's Digest).

0-10 lines: $5
11-25 lines: $10
26-40 lines: $15
41-60 lines: $20
Poems over 60 lines, or with very intricate structure, fall into custom pricing.

4) Commission a scrapbook page. I can render a chosen poem in hardcopy format, on colorful paper, using archival materials for background and any embellishments. This will be suitable for framing or for adding to a scrapbook. Commission details are here.  See latest photos of sample scrapbooked poems: "Sample Scrapbooked Poems 1-24-11"

5) Spread the word. Echo or link to this post on your LiveJournal, other blog, Twitter, Facebook, Digg, StumbleUpon, or any other social network.  Useful Twitter hashtags include #poetryfishbowl and #promptcall.  Encourage people to come here and participate in the fishbowl.  If you have room for it, including your own prompt will give your readers an idea of what the prompts should look like; ideally, update later to include the thumbnail of the poem I write, and a link to the poem if it gets published.  If there is at least one new prompter or donor, I will post an extra freebie poem.


Additional Notes

1) I customarily post replies to prompt posts telling people which of their prompts I'm using, with a brief description of the resulting poem(s). If you want to know what's available, watch for those "thumbnails."

2) You don't have to pay me to see a poem based on a prompt that you gave me. I try to send copies of poems to people, mostly using the LJ message function.  (Anonymous prompters will miss this perk unless you give me your eddress.)  These are for-your-eyes-only, though, not for sharing.

3) Sponsors of the Poetry Fishbowl in general, or of specific poems, will gain access to an extra post in appreciation of their generosity.  While you're on the Donors list, you can view all of the custom-locked posts in that category.  Click the "donors" tag to read the archive of those.  I've also posted a list of other donor perks there.  I customarily leave donor names on the list for two months, so you'll get to see the perk-post from this month and next.

4) After the Poetry Fishbowl concludes, I will post a list of unsold poems and their prices, to make it easier for folks to see what they might want to sponsor.


Feed the Fish!
Now's your chance to participate in the creative process by posting ideas for me to write about. Today's theme is "Polychrome Heroics: Shiv: the Christmas Thread."  I'll be soliciting ideas for Shiv and company, superheroes, supervillains, gray capes, blue-plate specials, naries, first responders, citizen responders, hapless victims, traveling, taking cover, counseling, troubleshooting, discovering problems, finding creative solutions, asking questions, learning what you can do, upstanding, Blues Moon, Simon and Tolli's home, the Finn house in California, Soup to Nuts, the Omaha Personal Repair Center, inner space, the subconscious, sex crimes, touch aversion, attachment damage, unforseen circumstances, emergency tools and supplies, physical first aid, emotional first aid, self-help, personal growth, different schools of therapy, therapeutic tools, trauma, fear, grief, horror, helplessness, traumatic stress, platonic relationships, and poetic forms in particular.  But anything is welcome, really. If you manage to recommend a form that I don't recognize, I will probably pounce on it and ask you for its rules. I do have the first edition of Lewis Turco's The Book of Forms which covers most common and many obscure forms.

I'll post at least one of the fishbowl poems here so you-all can enjoy it. (Remember, you get an extra freebie poem if someone new posts a prompt or makes a donation.) The rest of the poems will go into my archive for later use.

This poem came out of the January 8, 2019 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by a prompt from technoshaman. It also fills a square in my 12-31-18 card for the Untranslatable Words Bingo fest: "Fernweh (German): Feeling homesick for a place you have never been to." This poem has been sponsored by janetmiles. It is meta for the series Polychrome Heroics.

( Read more... )

Day 15

Talk about why you participated in Snowflake &/or what you got out of it. Leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

My reasons include but are not necessarily limited to:

* It's fun. I find the prompts amusing to write about myself and entertaining to read in other people's posts.

* For networking. I usually pick up a handful of new readers each year, and I subscribe to a bunch of new blogs. Almost all of those will go dormant by the end of January -- there are scads of journals with nothing but the Snowflake on them. That's okay. At least one or two new contacts tend to stick.

* New reading material. Unlike the fast die-off of blogging activity, the rec others, rec your own, and post new work challenges give me goodies to savor for weeks to come. \o/

* Daily activity. I try to post at least one new thing per day. Some days I have things scheduled, others not. I like having a topical fest feeding me prompts for a couple weeks.

* The discussions. Almost invariably, one or more of the posts will spark a big discussion. This year it happened when I mentioned that some people were being obnoxious in the Snowflake, which I hadn't encountered before. The depth of that discussion, and some ideas for future action, greatly outweighed the momentary irritation of finding a few jerks online. It's like sitting on burrs, you know? You pull them off your butt, drop them in the trash, and move on. I fly my freak flag proudly, and I was warmed by the reminder that my fans love me just the way I am. Be yourselves, beautiful people. Nobody else can be you-er than you.


These are all my Snowflake posts this year ...
Snowflake Challenge Day 14: Future
Snowflake Challenge Day 13: Set Goals
Snowflake Challenge Day 12: Own Challenge: Tikkun Olam
Snowflake Challenge Day 11: Creative Process
Snowflake Challenge Day 10: Create a Fanwork
Snowflake Challenge Day 9: Acts of Kindness
Snowflake Challenge Day 8: Self-Recommendations
Snowflake Challenge Day 7: Something New
Snowflake Challenge Day 6: Fannish Wishlist
Snowflake Challenge Day 5: Promote Others
Snowflake Challenge Day 4: Interact
Snowflake Challenge Day 3: Favorite Piece of Canon
Snowflake Challenge Day 2: Rec Fanworks by Someone Else
Snowflake Challenge Day 1: Happy Place

I hope to see you here next year.

Day 9

Commit an Act of Kindness. In your own space, share what you’ve done, talk about what you’ve done, or simply leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

Gods know, the world needs more kindness in it, so here are my recent activities: 

* I compiled some resources on kindness to fulfill a Snowflake wish.

* The Cuddle Party is open today!  Come be excellent to each other.  I host this every third Wednesday for people who need contact comfort.  In between are Good News and Hard Things posts.  These social posts help folks get the support they need to get by in a world of fraying bonds.

* Be kind to animals too.  I stock birdfeeders (a small metal tray feeder, a suet cage, a hopper feeder, and a fly-through feeder) here at Fieldhaven.  They're loving it.

* The biggest thing is one I can't talk about openly, because privacy maintains, but I've been working on it for a while and it came to a peak over the last week or so.  Just remember that kindness is essential.


Practice random acts of kindness and senseless beauty!  What have you done recently?

Day 5

In your own space, promote three communities, challenges, blogs, pages, Twitters, Tumblrs or platforms and explain why you love them. Leave a comment in this post saying you did it. Include a link to your post if you feel comfortable doing so.

allbingo hosts a fest every month with a different theme.  Some are specifically for fanfic, like last year's Winteriron Bingo Adventure; others are general, like the currently running Untranslatable Words fest.  You may use the public card or make your own.  You can also use bingo cards from another fest, old cards, or things you make entirely on your own.  All types of fills are welcome, fannish or original.  Fills don't have to be posted to claim them, although if you're calling bingo, it's polite to have at least one item posted where viewers can find it.  Come join the fun!

crowdfunding connects creators and fans of writing, art, music, and other material.  You can boost your projects there, talk about projects you've sponsored, or find new ones to support.  The third weekend of each month (except December, when everyone is busy with holiday stuff) we hold a Creative Jam.  Come give us prompts to make stuff, or claim prompts for your own inspiration.  Currently running, the Rose and Bay Awards recognize excellence in crowdfunding; come nominate your favorite projects and patrons from 2018.

dialecticdreamer writes mostly fantasy, some science fiction, using a crowdfunded model.  Ask for what you want to read and get it!   Sponsor to let everyone see it, and there are perks if donations reach a certain goal.  The two regular projects are Magpie Monday with a rotating theme, and Feathering the Nest about nonsexual intimacies.  If you're into cottoncandy fic or acepr0n, here it is, although there's very serious stuff in the mix also.  In today's age of McFantasy, I have walked out of bookstores with empty hands to come home and dig into this stuff instead. dialecticdreamer is also one of the folks who regularly writes in my settings, so if you want more of that, look here, and this is on the list of projects I support.

siliconshaman writes science fiction and some fantasy, with a particular knack for getting the science details right, including some pretty advanced stuff like nuclear physics and aerodynamics.  It's a little darker and edgier, too.  He only does occasional prompt calls, but it's totally worth watching to see whatever comes up.  I always look forward to seeing something new here.  siliconshaman is another person who often writes in my settings, and this is on the list of projects I support.

bairnsidhe writes poetry and fiction about a range of topics, often including QUILTBAG issues and superheroes.  Currently running is a prompt call about Personal Loss.  This is another project that I support, and you scroll down a bit you'll find "Chaos Out of Order" which I sponsored last year.

Science News Daily is where I go when I want inspiration about the world around me -- or when I'm too fried even to read fanfic and I just want something neutral to roll my eyeballs over.  You can browse by topic or just read the current feed of everything in order.

Soothing Things is a post listing lots of places to relax online.  There's probably something for everyone on here.  I always keep a stock of things to cheer up myself or my friends, like the meeping otters video which never fails to make me smile.  It's good to find new ones now and then.