#introduction

Primarily I write #ScienceFiction and #humor, but I've also written darkly comic stuff, fabulist satire, and some literary fiction. Once I blogged squibs, screeds and other drivel (some pure & some quite tainted with meaning.)

My cats keep me sane(ish).

If you want to understand my rich inner life, I recommend this #book: Alpha Max.

https://geni.us/AlphaMax

Occasionally pimp some of the others.

Co-host at:
https://re-creative.ca

#SFF #humor #writing #writingcommunity

Adept at touch typing? Want to go insane? Try the latest toggle switch "keyboard."

#typing #writing #writingcommunity #humor #humour

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge: My Thoughts on the Mystery Genre
#WritingCommunity #WriterCommunity #BloggingCommunity #BloggerCommunity #WednesdayWeeklyBloggingChallenge #Challenge #Wednesday #blog #Mystery #Genre #Poirot

http://georgelthomas.com/2024/11/13/wednesday-weekly-blogging-challenge-my-thoughts-on-the-mystery-genre/

Hey #writingcommunity what font and font size are you picking for your paperbacks?

My latest response to a First Line Fiction prompt. Best described by paraphrasing Melvin Udall, "But, a lot of people, that’s their story. Good times, noodle salad....Just no one in this car."
https://medium.com/first-line-fiction/my-hat-has-three-corners-f7b29f1a72e1 #fiction #WritingCommunity #readingcommunity #writer #Israel

This week on Re-Creative:
Author Peter Darbyshire joins the lads to champion the classic Roger Zelazny fantasy series, The Chronicles of Amber.

https://re-creative.ca/the-chronicles-of-amber/

#writing #writingcommunity #amber #RogerZelazny #peterDarbyshire #podcast #podcasts

Wednesday Weekly Blogging Challenge: Things I've Learned From Another WWBC Blogger
#WritingCommunity #WriterCommunity #BloggingCommunity #BloggerCommunity #WednesdayWeeklyBloggingChallenge #Challenge #Wednesday #blog #ThingsIHaveLearned

http://georgelthomas.com/2024/11/06/wednesday-weekly-blogging-challenge-things-ive-learned-from-another-wwbc-blogger/

#psa If you use #Dropbox and are a #writer or #author, do you know about the Offline Files Access changes in Dropbox? It affects Basic Plan (free) users only.

Empirically, Dropbox Basic syncs any changes you make anywhere to the cloud, but only indicates a sync occurred on devices (phones, tablets). In the Files app on iPhone, I see a ghost image with a down arrow in a cloud symbol beside files changed elsewhere. I have to open them to get them to sync locally. If I have no data access at my moment of need, the local file either doesn't exist yet or is out-of-date. For some reason, my Mac always syncs and downloads, at least if it is open. It's my iPhone (likely my iPad, too) that don't.

What cued me is the notifications in the Dropbox app.

I've attached a screenshot. The notifications imply this is a new monetization feature. Sadly, a good one from Dropbox's company standpoint as it may get many more people to pay a minimum of $120 a year. (BTW, #Apple #iCloud now offers Keep Downloaded even in their free 5 GB plan, though I'm still testing to see if I trust this always works.)

#Scrivener uses an API, which seems to cause my Mac to sync file last changed on iPhone or iPad when I turn on my Mac... However, sometimes I need to pause Dropbox syncing and resume it on my Mac to get the Scrivener files to sync. Could this be the cause of those intermittent sync errors I've been getting lately, because I'm not paying $10/m for offline access? I can't definitively say.

In any case, we Scrivener users know you need online access when opening Scrivener on iPad or iPhone to get the latest files, consistent with the issue. There's no auto-download feature in Scrivener for iPhone and iPad, and on the Mac it's the Dropbox app controlling the syncing... oh, my.

All this seems to imply that without a paid subscription, Basic Plan Dropbox isn't good for disaster recovery after all data access disappears (hurricane, earthquake, black out). Of course, if data is important to us, the retort is "Pay for your f***ing security!"

Has anyone looked into this?

Linked is the May 20, 2024 Dropbox FAQ on this, and it's somewhat inscrutable. The image is of the notifications I've received that imply some change.

Anyone want to analyze this?

Please boost so we might some who can discuss this. #boostingIsSharing

#backup #sync #cloud #writers #journalism #journalist #writingCommunity #writersOfMastodon #FreeSoftware

https://help.dropbox.com/sync/access-files-offline#How-to-keep-your-offline-files-and-folders-updated-on-the-Dropbox-mobile-app

Signed it.

https://www.aitrainingstatement.org

#AI #training #creative #creativity #writing #writingcommunity #bookstodon #books #book

Writing advice that won't work anymore, but I still like the sentiment!

#writing #writingcommunity #humor #humour #MarkTwain

Shepherd is a nifty book discovery site that you should check out if you're a reader!

Each year they hold a three fave reads extravaganza, which eventually produces a books of 2024 list.

Here are my three:
https://shepherd.com/bboy/2024/f/mark-a-rayner

#book #books #bookstodon #writing #writingcommunity #reading #readers

Their going crazy, me bet.

#grammar #proofreading #writing #writingcommunity #bookstodon #humor #humour

Cover reveal!

This is always an exciting time in the life of a book. The title of the collection is one that I’ve always had in mind for one of my projects. It comes from The Odyssey. -->quote below

It's being published by Donovan Street Press, probably mid-to-late November, owned by @ilanderz

And while you're waiting for it, I've got lots of other fiction available:

https://www.amazon.com/Mark-A-Rayner/e/B003ZPDIF6

#writing #writingcommunity #coverart #bookstodon #shortfiction

Brilliant advertising

#writing #writingcommunity #humor #humour #editing

I bet they ruined almost every meeting of the Inklings.

#writing #writingcommunity #humor #humour #jrrtolkien #CSLewis

Friendly reminder for all my writing tootsies.

#writing #writingcommunity #writers #writerslife #humor #humour #quotes #quote #kafka

Tag yourself! I was Lawful Evil when I wrote on a typewriter (yes, I'm impossibly old). I changed alignment to Chaotic Good when I got a word processing program with multiple typefaces.

#writing #writingcommunity #typography #font #fonts #humor #humour #dnd #dnd5e #alignment

When people ask me where I get my ideas from I like to show them this picture.

#writing #writingcommunity #amwriting #weirdbrain #fiction #sff #AmWritingSFF

Savage, but funny!

[Stolen from @ilanderz on FB.]

#writing #writingcommunity #humor #humour #PieChart #Infographic #AmWriting #bookstodon

I once asked a writer friend why she wrote, and she replied, with total sincerity: "For revenge."

#amwriting #writing #WritingCommunity #humor #humour

When you're writing a masterpiece, but you really need a nap.

#cat #cats #catstodon #catsofmastodon #writing #writingcommunity #WIP #humor #humour

Typography: it matters!

#typography #italics #design #graphicdesign #writing #humor #humour #writingcommunity

I mean, would it kill you to let Cathy tell you about her ferrets?

#library #libraries #reader #readers #books #book #writingcommunity #ferrets #humor #humour

Remind me to NEVER go to this restaurant.

Proofreading: it matters!

#signs #weird #editing #proofreading #writing #writingcommunity #humor #humour

Typography: it matters!

(Still, that seems like a good deal on mice.)

#typography #proofreading #writing #writingcommunity #humor #humour

That feeling when you really don't know what happens next in the story.

#caturday #cat #cats #catstodon #catsofmastodon #humor #humour #writing #wip #writingcommunity

I'm so confused right now.

#typography #semicolon #humor #humour #writing #writingcommunity #art #ReneMagritte

As an indie writer, I can assure you, I am most aware.

#writingcommunity #writing #humor #humour #bookstodon #books #fiction

Ironically, their sign was designed by the Society for Workable Simplicity.

#humor #humour #writing #writingcommunity #typography #signs

But I don't want to be shopping bags!

#writing #writingcommunity #editing #editor #proofreading #humor #humour

Proofreading: it matters!

#writing #writinglife #proofreading #editing #humor #humour #writingcommunity #weird #signs

This is how I like to think of writing.

#writingcommunity #writing #books #book #writinglife #WIP #creativity

Typography: it matters!

#typography #font #fonts #fontchoice #humor #humour #proofreading #writingcommunity