Random thing you love right now that doesn't deserve its own thread

WizKid wrote:
Kurrelgyre wrote:
WizKid wrote:

Is there an Ad blocking one?

Firefox Focus can also act as a Content Blocker when installed.

On iOS?

Yes. It can be enabled in the Safari system settings.

<-- Stanta is here! Yay!

You're welcome.

Skrewball Peanut Butter Whiskey. I was introduced to this stuff a week ago at a Halloween get together with a few of my wife's friends from work (only fully vaccinated people were invited). I'm not a whiskey purest by any means (my go to is Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey), but the host had some of this and I was giving him a hard time for hit and he let me try a little bit of it and it was delicious. I am now sipping it on the rocks with a little bit of bitters added to cut the sweetness and some water to cut the syrup like consistency a little bit.

I sold my first ever short story to an SF magazine! Ahhhhhhhhh.

I’ve been writing since my teens and really taking it seriously the past few years (especially since Jan of 2020) and this is such a huge milestone for me. It’s really my first external validation that what I’m writing is any good (aside from the lovely people in my writing group, who I trust, but who are naturally very lovely and encouraging people).

Really don’t know what to do with myself to be honest. I was busily crushing any hopes I had because I’m also querying a novel so I’m getting a lot of rejections. Didn’t want to get my hopes up. But it sold, for pro rates, and to an online magazine with a really impressive audience. And I’m going to get a couple of print copies. Wooooo.

Fantastic Dave! Keep at it and let us know what issue to buy.

Congrats!

Congrats, Dave!

I gave up on that dream years ago. My attempts at short stories and novels reminded me of why I went into marketing... My concepts are great so long as I can conclude them within a minute.

I've known for a long time I can't imagine other people's inner lives very well. My written talents lie towards the explanatory and the descriptive (in a precise, technical sense, not like an artist). If I ever write a book, it will *about* something concrete, not fiction. Unless I, I dunno, build a world for someone and have them do the characters and story? Doesn't seem likely, even though I'd love to try.

Dave, that's amazing!

Congratulations, Dave!

Thank you all!

Robear wrote:

Fantastic Dave! Keep at it and let us know what issue to buy. :-)

It will actually be free online to read, and as a podcast! You can buy print issues too though, if that's your jam

kuddles wrote:

Congrats, Dave!

I gave up on that dream years ago. My attempts at short stories and novels reminded me of why I went into marketing... My concepts are great so long as I can conclude them within a minute. :)

Haha, I stopped working in marketing because writing stuff and building websites all day (and the hours) left me very little energy for doing the writing. I work in IT now and do visual design and it's a much better foundation to do creative work on, because my writing brain is fresh and I'm not exhausted from work.

Happy Dave wrote:

Thank you all!

Robear wrote:

Fantastic Dave! Keep at it and let us know what issue to buy. :-)

It will actually be free online to read, and as a podcast! You can buy print issues too though, if that's your jam

Congrats! Be sure to post the necessary links. Is the author reading your piece, or are they flying in LeVar Burton to do it?

UpToIsomorphism wrote:

Congrats! Be sure to post the necessary links. Is the author reading your piece, or are they flying in LeVar Burton to do it? ;)

That’d be sweet, but they have a dedicated podcast person who reads all the stories. Still going to be an absolute trip hearing someone else reading out my words.

Oh boy, I am having A Week - now I have a call scheduled with an agent about my novel, this Thursday. Everything’s happening at once!

NICE!

Happy Dave wrote:

Oh boy, I am having A Week - now I have a call scheduled with an agent about my novel, this Thursday. Everything’s happening at once!

I want a signed first edition!

Wow! Dude! Could it be the magazine folks called the agent?

Are we talking to the next Ian Banks?

Happy Dave wrote:

Oh boy, I am having A Week - now I have a call scheduled with an agent about my novel, this Thursday. Everything’s happening at once!

That's huge!

Thanks again everyone, I did not sleep well at all last night, but I feel amazing!

Robear wrote:

Wow! Dude! Could it be the magazine folks called the agent?

No, this was an agent I queried a couple of months ago, who asked for the full manuscript a couple of weeks back. It’s really promising that he read it so quickly. I am absolutely beside myself.

Robear wrote:

Are we talking to the next Ian Banks?

Haha, wow, I wish. Although Iain (M) Banks is one of my biggest inspirations and a model for the kind of career I dream about. Aim for the stars I guess

Well, I like both his types of work so I just used the simplest name lol. He was amazing and I’m lucky I still have a few of his books left to read.

Good luck!

PC Gamer has been rerunning Richard Cobbett’s Crapshoot articles. This was a good one:

Looking back at Plumbers Don't Wear Ties and equally baffling games

I forget where on this forum there was that big discussion of They Might Be Giants recently, but fans of them would probably enjoy this episode of Bullseye, the NPR interview show:

https://maximumfun.org/episodes/bull...

Super fans of TMBG or people who like silly comedy shows with no real point or direction might enjoy this episode of Jordan, Jesse, Go with John Flansburgh. They talk a bit about NYC and art school and other random topics.

https://maximumfun.org/episodes/jord...

Happy Dave wrote:

Oh boy, I am having A Week - now I have a call scheduled with an agent about my novel, this Thursday. Everything’s happening at once!

I signed with an agent!! I have had pizza and ice cream to celebrate. I feel a bit surreal right now.

Awesome Dave!

Signed! First! Edition!!!

Congratulations Dave.

Thanks guys, still high as a kite.

Wish we could take you out for a few.

Happy Dave wrote:

Thanks guys, still high as a kite.

Write down any novel ideas!