Orcadia | Grant Alba is Writing Orcadia by Grant Alba is Writing on Patreon. Join Grant Alba is Writing's community for exclusive content and updates.

#booksky #fantasy #agency

Come read my free short fantasy story about orcs and elves on Patreon.

I guarantee you'll like it (or your money back!)

www.patreon.com/posts/150363...

Orcadia | Grant Alba is Writing Orcadia by Grant Alba is Writing on Patreon. Join Grant Alba is Writing's community for exclusive content and updates.

#amwriting #patreon
A new short story, free to read.
A subversive fantasy. It's Orcs and Elves but through a different lens.

I hope you enjoy it.

www.patreon.com/posts/150363...

I've yet to pay more than €2 for a cup of freshly made black coffee (south of France: Allongé is a small americano, more or less). Hell it's hard to find a cappuccino (café crème) for more than €2.

The US consumer gets ripped off every day in every way

I guess certain Hungarians will suddenly become eligible for special fasttrack visas to the US...

Destiny: How Structure Serves Theme | Grant Alba is Writing Get more from Grant Alba is Writing on Patreon

#amwriting #patreon

The plot's great, the story compelling, the characters are real... But it's still landing flat?

Yup.

Been there. Here's how I get out of done that and why a different structure might work better for your themes.

www.patreon.com/posts/152141...

On that basis I "speak" seven languages... Of course I can only have a basic conversation in three of them... And only a decent (beyond basic transactions) conversation in one.

But, hey!

What is happy or content?

I'm content, and I'm generally happy, because I have so many fulfilling things that fill my days.

But... I loathe the narrow conventionality demanded of us to engage socially. I don't mean being polite. I mean having a conversation about absolutely nothing meaningful.

It's like there's a huge chasm... On this side it's shallow small talk and full of people seemingly having a good time. You can clearly see the other side, way fewer people, also having a good time but without meaningless small talk.

There's no bridge and it's too far to jump.

I hear you. I wish I could say it gets better.
I'm 63 and have had many acquaintances. No friends.

I have lots of well practiced social skills... But I know I'm being fake which makes connection beyond a surface level really hard. So far I've never found how to progress.

I wish you success

We gave up friends we've had for 30 years, since we first came to the states. They voted for him the first time and we argued...they said they didn't vote for him but he was their party's choice, so...
Then they voted for him the second time. That was 💯 their choice
So we cut them off completely.

There are renewable technologies in place, like water power both for storage and immediate demand, that EVERY generation technology requires. The fact that we generated more than we used has nothing to do with the availability of storage and distribution solutions.
Stop trying to downplay this.

And yet Scotland pays more for electricity than almost everywhere in England.

The net tariff is rather biased and everything is priced based on distance from London... Despite the generation happening locally.

Setting lower bounds is an important step. Makes subsequent endeavors realize the desired outcomes more quickly.

You are doing stalwart work.

Carry on!

Isn't this a little late? Like 5 days late?

That's a nice rioja. Good choice.

Not shaming the kink, but who the fuck names their kid "Bryon"

It's the parents who are to blame!

No.. it's the law. It's enshrined in the law that unconstitutional orders are illegal. Ordering the removal of people with from promotion lists, without any rationale other than them not being white males is discriminatory against protected classes.

Nope. They're imposing their dogma. Not standing up for anything.

If they were standing up for what they believe is right they would argue the merits and persuade others. They don't. They simply impose.
That's NOT right.

Groundhog day, but every day gets progressively worse

How to Write an Alien (And Why You're Probably Doing It Wrong) | Grant Alba is Writing Get more from Grant Alba is Writing on Patreon

#amwritimg
Let's be honest, most aliens in SF are either people in funny suits, or they're monsters from our mythologies wrapped up in tech. They usually think exactly like us.
But they're ALIEN!
My latest craft essay on Patreon talks about this and my latest aliens.
www.patreon.com/posts/152061...

That's a great title!
"Almost Right (but not quite there)"

The Date What do you want to know about me? I won't bother with the stuff that's obvious. Gorgeous, check. Black, check. Smart, check. Treated like a bimbo? double check. Yep. I've spent my whole damn life being "that cute girl", "the one with the tits n ass", when all I ever wanted was to get the hell out of that shitty ass one school town and get to college. I never wanted to be a cashier at the Piggly Wiggly. I wanted more. I’m a damn good researcher. I can find connections that you, in your thousand dollar suit and Italian leather shoes, couldn’t find if they were signposted. I love the intellectual challenge of weaving those seemingly disconnected facts into a seamless whole. What? Boring? If you think smart is boring then you can just get the check and start walking, because there’s nothing other than boredom waiting for you at this here stop. But that is not all that I am. I am not some one-dimensional TBP you can use to pretend that you have a black friend. You know my name. And you now know I’m smart. So, tell me more? What else have you learned about that cute girl April? Right. You do not know anything more, because you haven’t asked one damn question! Yes, I’m crying! My emotions are more than just a part of me. I’ll laugh and cry at the simplest things, which are the most truthful things. I cry at beauty and I cry at sadness because they’re just two sides of the same damn coin! I laugh at myself and I laugh at others, because we’re all fucked up in our own special way, and if we didn’t laugh we’d just never stop crying from all the damn hurt! Am I gonna eat that? Of course I’m not eating that! I’m vegan. I ordered a vegan meal. You ordered a goddam charcuterie plate. >>> continued in the next image!

>>> CONTIUED from previous image! No, it’s not a fucking fad! I’ve been vegan since before it was a thing, not just because of the animals, though that’s for real. I started ‘cos I wanted to get as far away from shitty-ass plastic microwave meals as I could. I bet you never had to eat shit like that in your life. Asking who made this dress is so fucking lame. Did you learn that conversational gambit in your MBA? Anyway, no. It’s not fucking couture. At best it’s fast fashion. This black girl does not get the salary that her skills deserve, so off the rack at TJ Max is all there is. Who made it? Probably some 12 year old called Mei working her ass off in a sweat shop. Do I like that I’m supporting that? Fuck no. But I sure ain’t walking around naked for the likes of you to ogle. You make the choices that you can afford and live with the consequences. You’ve never actually been down that path, have you Brad? Consequences. That’s for the poors, right?

#amwriting #patreon #FLASHFICTION

I use a lot of prompted exercises to 'grow my craft' (pretentious phrasing meaning 'rite moar')

An early example (THE DATE) is in the ALT text.
www.patreon.com/posts/writin...

What do you want to know about me? I won't bother with the stuff that's obvious...

Oh hell yeah. I "wish" I had the sheer effrontery of one of my MCs... She is quite simply bad ass and politically astute.

.and I'm really not

Go April!

You seem lacking in comprehension. Where did I avow fealty to a politician?

Nowhere

Don't insert your own biases into my words.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Make no mistake the aggressor is responsible for the consequences of their aggression.

Don't berate the dog for biting you when you have beaten it with a stick.

Think on it. You'll get it eventually.

You seem confused by attribution.
Democrats in general do NOT support or condone or "go along with" any of the dumpster-fuhrer's plans.

Those who DO... are NAZIS.
Those who DON'T... Are NOT.

It's pretty simple.
Agree with/ accept /support/promote the naranja-narcissist? You're a Nazi.

He uses it for himself. Not the war. Not the people.. and it's still pocket change compared to the costs.

Coffers are not troops, and coffers are not factories.

Their ability to wage ware has been vastly weakened by the past five years. They need the money just to survive, not to expand.