I used to love those wooden block sets with marble runs cut in the long bits, and direction changing holes through the blocky bits. (It’s possible that an alternate version of me grew up to be a toy engineer. Which would be awesome.)
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Posts Tagged ‘#365Ways’
Alternate Awesome
Posted in Likes, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, Thoughts, Writers on June 10, 2023| Leave a Comment »
It’s Complicated
Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, #longfreakingday, Thoughts, Writers, writing on June 9, 2023| Leave a Comment »
I have a complicated relationship with Excel. Yes, that Excel. When we first met I was befuddled, confused, even a little repelled, but eventually I was drawn to its mysterious ways, its challenging formulae, and its captivating possibilities.
We became a team, a good team, despite a few hiccups.
Today, though, my sojourn with that uptight paragon of calculation was nothing but hiccups. I’d hoped to get in some writing today but instead I’ve been banging my brain against a wall of day-job data.
I’ll work out my Excel issues soon and we’ll be back to a happy, constructive partnership, but for now?
It’s time for a break.
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Passport to the Future, Canadian Style
Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, creativity, genre fiction, Kickstarter, Writers, writing, yay on June 8, 2023| Leave a Comment »
I belong to SF Canada, Canada’s professional speculative fiction organization for writers and others. A post popped up on the forum from another member, about a Kickstarter he was doing for the Year’s Best Canadian Fantasy and Science Fiction. I particularly liked the fact that this is Volume One.
Yes, please.
Year’s Best Canadian Fantasy and Science Fiction: Volume One by Stephen Kotowych
I backed it. So did a lot of other people, if the fact that the campaign funded in 45 minutes is any indication. It blew through five stretch goals and I imagine the creator is furiously dreaming up new rewards right now.
It’s a good problem to have. Can’t wait to see the results, and I hope that Volume One is the first collection of many.
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Question of the Day
Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, creativity, genre fiction, Thoughts, Writers on June 7, 2023| Leave a Comment »
That Explains It
Posted in Other, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, health, nature on June 6, 2023| 1 Comment »
We woke to hazy, yellow skies and multiple air quality warnings. Putting the trash out was an odd experience. The morning air smelled like a winter’s night by a wood-burning fireplace. In June.
While still dry from the recent heat wave, Ottawa is not on fire but a lot of the areas around us are. Many of those places are upwind.
The internet may be a hive of scum and villainy but I do love that it has a map for everything. Searching for “wildfire smoke map ontario” brought me to this informative site:
Well, that explains it.
Ottawa’s air quality is currently rated a 7, or high risk. What does that mean?
At-Risk Population:
- Avoid strenuous activities outdoors. Children and the elderly should also avoid outdoor physical exertion.
- Find out if you are at risk
General Population:
— Ottawa, Ontario – Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) – Environment Canada
- Reduce or reschedule strenuous activities outdoors, especially if you experience symptoms such as coughing and throat irritation.
In good-ish news, a high-quality mask will provide a reasonable level of protection against smoke and its particulates. As a population, we are much better equipped for such events than we were pre-pandemic so, I guess that’s something?
I also see that the smoke is blowing south to the States. Sorry, family.
Stay healthy, stay safe!
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TANSTAAFL
Posted in Food and..., Funny, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, Thoughts, whoops on June 5, 2023| Leave a Comment »
For those of you unfamiliar with the acronym used as today’s post title, it stands for “there ain’t no such thing as a free lunch.” The exact origins of this phrase are unknown, but I was introduced to it by Robert A. Heinlein in his novel The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress.
The phrase came to mind today as I attempted (emphasis on) a new recipe for a no-knead high hydration baguette recipe. I’ve used this approach for a version of Mark Bittman’s bread recipe with great success, so why not try it here?
This is why not:)
I won’t name the recipe I used because it seemed to work fine for the author, but it in no way shape or globulous form worked for me.
Next!
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Behavioral Science for Creatives
Posted in Favorites, Science!, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, behavioral science, creativity, inspiration, Thoughts, Writers, writing on June 4, 2023| Leave a Comment »
Some days it feels as though all the ideas have been done. We went for a walk today and passed a posse of girls in the park. I did a double take, because it was as if I’d been pulled back in time to the 1980s, at least as far as their outfits went. Are those high-waisted (deeply uncomfortable) stiff denim jeans I see? Check. What’s that, a Madonna-esque bustier? Check. Could that be a pair of Converse sneakers and a fluffy scrunchie? Check and check.
That got me thinking about Ötzi the Ice Man, a Neolithic-era man whose body (with clothing) was discovered in the South Tyrol Alps between Austria and Italy more than 5,000 years after his death.
Ötzi’s equipment is the oldest and best preserved in the world. His Copper Age clothing and weapons were frozen in the ice with him and therefore remained well preserved to this day.
— Ötzi’s New Clothes
If you follow that link, you’ll see that his clothes are surprisingly stylish.
I have no idea exactly why someone murdered Ötzi (not for his excellent goatskin coat, apparently), but it was probably for a reason we would at least recognize, if not condone: love, hate, anger, fear, revenge, greed, justice or security, just to name a few. Human needs, human abilities, human issues haven’t changed all that much in millennia. Even so, it would still be fascinating to know the specifics of Ötzi’s story.
In some ways, it can be the same with story ideas. The ingredients are the same, it’s how you mix them up that matters.
On the Quest for Originality, Recombine the Familiar – By Adam Alter – Behavioral Scientist
Often, the best way to get unstuck on the quest for originality is to combine two old ideas to form a new one, rather than searching for a single, novel creative nugget…. Trying to do something completely new is a recipe for paralysis.
If you’re stuck on a project and looking for a way forward that doesn’t feel like a 5,000 year old retread of the same old same old, this approach might help.
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Fill in the Blanks
Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, creativity, Writers, writing, your turn on June 3, 2023| Leave a Comment »
I have nothing very new to say today, so I thought I’d let you fill in the blanks. Enjoy this “new school meets old school” Typewriter Simulator:
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Firefly or Lightning Bug?
Posted in Science!, Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, characters, linguistics, maps, regions, Writers, writing on June 2, 2023| 1 Comment »
I’m knee-deep in appliance shopping (yes, 1, 2, 3, 4 again), but I ran across a fun dialect survey and thought you, gentle readers, might find it amusing. There are fireflies (or are they lightning bugs?). There are drive-through liquor stores (or not). There are maps!
Word choice is also a useful dimension to consider when developing a character.
Here’s the source that tipped me off:
The Decade-Old Dialect Quiz You Should Take – Now I Know
And here’s a link to the survey:
And here’s a more in-depth look at firefly vs. lightning bug:
Why Some Americans Say ‘Firefly’ and Others Say ‘Lightning Bug’
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You’ve Got Mail
Posted in Writing, tagged #365Ways, #365Ways2023, #wotf39, #WritersOfTheFuture, creativity, genre fiction, inspiration, Thoughts, Writers, writing on June 1, 2023| Leave a Comment »
Two of my fellow Writers of the Future v39 winners have posted blogs about craft, and I wanted to share:
Writing Resilience | by David Hankins
One Writer’s Journey | by Elaine Midcoh
David and Elaine are great writers and terrific people, and both of those traits come through in these posts. Enjoy!
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