You make a good point.

If it were a coven of power-hungry courtier-type witches, I would hope that things would not be executed in such a bumbling and ham-fisted fashion.

Otherwise, what is the point of making unholy contracts with eldritch otherworldly beings?

"How can you possibly write a storyline with 19 characters and [not] use ChatGPT, I don't even understand."

Use a SPREADSHEET.
Keep NOTES.
Use your brain to organize your thoughts instead of a glorified search engine that steals other people's work to be monetized.

Comic. [Two adults, one with short light hair, walking with a child with spiky hair.] PERSON: Oops, I forgot to say “rabbit rabbit” on January first! CHILD: Why do you do that? PERSON: Just a superstition. CHILD: What’s a superstition? PERSON: It’s a way to train yourself to feel like any bad thing that happens is your fault.

Superstition

xkcd.com/3191/

That might involve torches and pitchforks.

"A politician is a fellow who will lay down your life for his country."
Texas Guinan

Siberian forest cat on his back, laying on couch, either yawning or screaming in reddish light.

Yawn or primal scream. You decide. #BodhiTheFluffButt

No cheating, reskeet with the most recent photo of your pet:

(I mean that jokingly of course, it made me laugh!)

This is just the kind of toxic positivity I need in my life❤️

Try to be positive in 2026!

Instead of waking up and asking "Is he dead yet?" wake up with a smile on your face knowing, either way, we're all one day closer.

"The Human's world ends soon," said the cat.

"Again?" said the dog.

"They are fond of endings and beginnings. Even if nothing changes."

The dog whined.

"Same procedure as last year?" said the cat.

"Please."

The cat lay on the dog's head and purred, muffling the fireworks.
#CrossRepost

This set of observations is produced by my scrolling Reddit and otherwise listening to people talk about "how to write."

A) there is no requirement that any of your characters has any sort of "arc" let alone a redemption.

B) there is also no requirement that your fiction has a plot.

Digital illustration of an anthropomorphic champagne bottle, green glass, yellow label, gold neck ring and gold foil wrapped around the neck. The bottle is down on its little knees. The label is just an insane, furious face, mouth wide in rage and frustration, furious drool running down the bottle below. Is holding its tiny fists aloft as it lands back to howl at the implacable heavens and one fist grips a filled glass champagne flute. A cork is nowhere to be seen as, in its impotent fury, the bottle has blown its top and a frothy gout of sparkling wine is erupting out through the foil wrapped neck. Manic, messy red lettering fills most of the blue background reading ‘Maybe it will happen today’.

How I am walking out of 2025

2025 needs to be staked through the heart, decapitated, and stuffed with garlic bulbs to make sure it doesn’t come back.

I'll be re-reading the series this year.

BREAKING NEWS: Actual facts appear for the first time on "Truth" Social.

I almost spit coffee when I read the "human dignity" part.

"Kids putting their teeth under their pillow is the most occultist shit in the world. Yes, child, put the discarded bone under your pillow. If you are lucky the tiny demon will come and make her purchase. Sell your bones for riches, my child, your youth will be spent soon."

Good morning

A surprise series for sure.

I only heard about it a couple months ago after seven books were already out, and now I'm most of the way through them.

I have had trouble picturing Donut, thanks for this!

I'm glad you at least got out of the former city, and a happy new year to you too!

AI in a nutshell

"I bet we could explore the galaxy if we could stop being dicks for like five minutes."

Good morning

A digital illustration of Yukon Cornelius, a character from the stop-motion Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer animated special. He’s a burly, affable cartoon man with a big red beard and long squiggly mustache. He’s wearing a blue jacket and pants, a red winter beanie, and hiking boots. He has a knife, revolver, and a hammer on his belt and and he’s holding a pickax. Cartoony red lettering above and below reads ‘Maybe it will happen today’.

A few excerpts from Darmok's Christmas Story:

Ralphie and Flick, at the flagpole.

Randy, his arms down.

The Old Man, when the lamp broke.

Santa and Ralphie, on the mountain.

I've been alternating them between the others books in my to be read pile. I usually try not to binge series like this.

Show me how your 2025 went

They will never break me.

I want a tool to replicate complex objects or even rooms that I create MYSELF.

I'm not interested in copy-pasting anyone else's work. Take inspiration, not the work itself. Or commission them.

I do not want anyone else being able to copypasta my work, especially without my consent.