2026-10-21T03:44:36Z https://nostr.now Ruby Jones https://nostr.now/npub16e6fhcr4qj003wu8xujygkz5j33mcdgz067a24dceywct2s0nm4ss64ds5 https://stockroom.wandering.shop/accounts/avatars/115/102/029/462/547/907/original/a8d64963f401b2cc.jpg https://stockroom.wandering.shop/accounts/avatars/115/102/029/462/547/907/original/a8d64963f401b2cc.jpg https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsr44wgff82s5dlk7vxyxnj298u6ja2dg0zvha9vwahtktnqgnyygszyrt8fxlqw5zfa79msumjg3zc2j2x80p4qfltm424hry3mpd2p70wkx6twml #WritersCoffeeClub 26 Sept: How does your faith feature in your works?<br/><br/>Why have you assumed I have a faith? I don&#39;t. 2026-09-26T09:08:43Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsp9zjxaclkn4urncagnp8zpvjjqpfqnqzm7fddfune3gzudyj5qxszyrt8fxlqw5zfa79msumjg3zc2j2x80p4qfltm424hry3mpd2p70wktclagw #ScribesAndMakers 25 Sept: Do you use different accounts for different creative purposes?<br/><br/>Yes, this is my spicy romance and erotica penname and has its own account. My other fiction is written as Ro Smith (<span itemprop="mentions" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/Person"><a itemprop="url" href="/npub1cgj5f0u2n2vjyv5q6znyvur86wjf3qlnakrevsnn0tezrhyfxxyqmywlgt" class="bg-lavender dark:prose:text-neutral-50 dark:text-neutral-50 dark:bg-garnet px-1"><span>Dr Ro Smith</span> (<span class="italic">npub1cgj…wlgt</span>)</a></span> ).<br/><br/>When I first started writing spicy things I kept them entirely separate. Now it looks increasingly unlikely I&#39;ll be able to work a conventional job again it&#39;s harder to care about an employer finding out I&#39;ve written tentacle porn. 2026-09-25T12:08:26Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsvp53gs6vu6zwhfmjqrvv9ccajgd59xr52prcqe3w5fpkexz5zpkszyrt8fxlqw5zfa79msumjg3zc2j2x80p4qfltm424hry3mpd2p70wkhzcuef #WordWeavers 25 Sept: Do illicit drugs or alcohol play a role in your story?<br/><br/>Not in Synthetic Agency. There&#39;s a computer virus that functions a bit like a drug in Too Hot to Handle, I guess. 2026-09-25T12:05:09Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs8s946veem8ja6g3r8ueervw7nckaglzwk5hscj9emm6m75nx5gdszyrt8fxlqw5zfa79msumjg3zc2j2x80p4qfltm424hry3mpd2p70wkdrz6pk #ScribesAndMakers 24 Sept: Have you ever put proceeds from sales towards a cause you believe in?<br/><br/>Sure, my continued survival on planet Earth. I am not so financially stable to be able to give away the crumbs I make from writing.<br/><br/>Which is not to say that I&#39;ve never donated, and even now, I still do when I think it&#39;s important. I&#39;ve also raised significant sums of money doing stuff like running charitable writing auctions, but I&#39;m not going to be giving away the 40p&gt; 2026-09-24T11:32:59Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsfn86hkq33h28tvsx7uwdxzsdyvut9eawp3s8umjxfgzurrndzr6szyrt8fxlqw5zfa79msumjg3zc2j2x80p4qfltm424hry3mpd2p70wk7l6fyt #WordWeavers 23 Sept: Have your characters&#39; journeys affected your own life? If so, how?<br/><br/>Well, I frequently notice that I&#39;m working out some personal trauma in the themes, so I hope that lessens the burden in some way, but it&#39;s not something I could easily quantify. 2026-09-23T06:20:02Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsrk8t76unk5xsxxxxhtp9f4tadzhx0ax8lu7wshp5sgt0745a8hlszyrt8fxlqw5zfa79msumjg3zc2j2x80p4qfltm424hry3mpd2p70wkj8l589 #ScribesAndMakers - 23 Sept: Choose a noun that is representative of you as a creative person.<br/><br/>Swamp. 2026-09-23T06:14:43Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsy0esfzgu6yuhjyew4jk696yg7x58p27yv9edrhwue4e8gwll33pczyrt8fxlqw5zfa79msumjg3zc2j2x80p4qfltm424hry3mpd2p70wk0jcpm9 #ScribesAndMakers September 22: Promotion day. Self or someone else. Or both.<br/><br/>It would mean the world to me if you&#39;d check out some of my hot and angsty stories. There&#39;s a lot of me in them.<br/><br/>Smashwords <a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/RubyJones6742">https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/RubyJones6742</a><br/><br/>Amazon <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Ruby-Jones/author/B08LCGKQPC">https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/Ruby-Jones/author/B08LCGKQPC</a><br/><br/>I don&#39;t have the spoons today to do this properly 😭 but they&#39;re very good I promise!<br/> <img src="https://stockroom.wandering.shop/media_attachments/files/117/316/230/622/342/744/original/71b7075dba815361.jpg"> <br/> 2026-09-22T19:03:03Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs9yjmkwvk62a28wjzeuh7mq0k0ad32snk0j45dqjqg44y2vxxxy2szyrt8fxlqw5zfa79msumjg3zc2j2x80p4qfltm424hry3mpd2p70wk4fl8uy #WordWeavers Sep 22: If you wrote a memoir on your writing journey so far, what would it be called?<br/><br/>Not anything I could think up in my current (high-symptom) state, but that&#39;s a boring answer, so here&#39;s what&#39;s in my head: No Story But What We Tell For Ourselves. 2026-09-22T18:49:37Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsgmggx0qr0khp00jyrgghdfc23n59rak40r9ykytvpmgljpvm6usszyrt8fxlqw5zfa79msumjg3zc2j2x80p4qfltm424hry3mpd2p70wkpkzeka #ScribesAndMakers 18. Change one word in the title of a famous book, a movie, a song, and a play to create four new titles. <br/><br/>All Systems Fine<br/>The Mediocre Escape<br/>Everything I Poo (I Poo it for You)<br/>Waiting for Playdough 2026-09-18T11:29:20Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsp49pwduv0nzrqrew2qsrj8qjcs5uc0ykdjqfzuscwe0aykr47ssgzyrt8fxlqw5zfa79msumjg3zc2j2x80p4qfltm424hry3mpd2p70wkkjh502 #WordWeavers for 17/9: By the end of your story, how many injuries has your MC had?<br/><br/>Hmmm, challenging to count. Shall we treat the torture at the beginning as a single injury? Maybe 1 for the physical and 1 for the mental trauma. Blake is also repeatedly retraumatised, first by the technician who helps repair him; then by the Donoghue (a couple of times, actually); and by Solo trying to help him, at least 3 times; by himself exploring his android body, once by his programming, and twice by CIA. 2026-09-17T08:49:12Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsgpe83x3quxgfruz557p5dtrxydkt4uqmcknrvdwmmj0at378c3cszyrt8fxlqw5zfa79msumjg3zc2j2x80p4qfltm424hry3mpd2p70wk09x0we In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsg0u43x9hqv4lnrhcqhavxpz6p7nldja762v0rswk6a8l3w7fcn4q084hwy'>nevent1q…4hwy</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>It helps to understand what an independent clause is. I think if you only describe them as &#39;two thoughts that are more closely related than separate senses would suggest&#39; you make it sound like a mysterious art when it&#39;s not. You need a subject, verb, and object for an independent clause. If it&#39;s not independent, you&#39;re looking for a comma, UNLESS you&#39;re writing a list complicated by sub-clauses, in which case a semi-colon demarks the end of a list item. 2026-09-15T08:24:57Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsg0u43x9hqv4lnrhcqhavxpz6p7nldja762v0rswk6a8l3w7fcn4qzyrt8fxlqw5zfa79msumjg3zc2j2x80p4qfltm424hry3mpd2p70wk58ch8q #ScribesAndMakers 15 Sep:<br/>What&#39;s a situation where you feel a &#39;;&#39; definitely works better than a &#39;.&#39; ?<br/><br/>When the thoughts expressed by the clauses are independent and could be complete on their own, but I want to convey that they are closely related. In short, like a few others in the feed, I follow the rules of grammar on this one.<br/><br/>I feel like semi-colons only feel mysterious to some because we weren&#39;t taught them in school. I wasn&#39;t, but looking them up just made everything so much clearer. 2026-09-15T08:21:10Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs9ncd8cndl7uyafnjzu02tuxcz7f008a9mgfuhkunmtm4lnc23xfczyrt8fxlqw5zfa79msumjg3zc2j2x80p4qfltm424hry3mpd2p70wkawssac In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsrc3ru50qe0tnra7vjvyrar8845j93nt28eftjxczlxpdvp2vzlmcfztxds'>nevent1q…txds</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Glad to be of service! 2026-09-14T18:36:16Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs25mr966429u6d5x2lwggr94ycskfnvva6mz280mwfup38lh6zrgszyrt8fxlqw5zfa79msumjg3zc2j2x80p4qfltm424hry3mpd2p70wk7scjd8 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsvj5km22crvv69mgerzv9nxyx4lyggdcc8r0nmllhqca4ftw4mdpcg62yvq'>nevent1q…2yvq</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>This sounds like a fun idea!<br/><br/>I would like to be featured individually at some point, or on a panel with other romance (or erotica, if that&#39;s not too spicy for you) creators, or science fiction or fantasy creators. I&#39;m a writer, editor, and artist. And a disabled/chronically ill creator - might be good to have a panel on that theme. Or non-binary creators?<br/><br/>This is probably too many suggestions 😅 2026-09-14T17:02:55Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsprc7suefwlnxltx44v0camd2mc8nkyv06vxfkk7z3yk8m77apxtgzyrt8fxlqw5zfa79msumjg3zc2j2x80p4qfltm424hry3mpd2p70wkheal0h #ScribesAndMakers 14 Sept: What&#39;s your favourite type of story setting?<br/><br/>I don&#39;t have a single favourite, but I would prefer it to be speculative in some way. I read to escape the real world. 2026-09-14T06:46:46Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqst4wgyjy0fvgewnflmjvfl6jwnvjpllxxer336k6a9470wglxt83gzyrt8fxlqw5zfa79msumjg3zc2j2x80p4qfltm424hry3mpd2p70wknq7r04 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqs0rd8u2ylqy6g4l4s37heymch0fdpptvs5lrsw976m8u82kguvxwserqnrx'>nevent1q…qnrx</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>&gt;important to correct and not merely pedantry. 2026-09-13T07:12:47Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs0rd8u2ylqy6g4l4s37heymch0fdpptvs5lrsw976m8u82kguvxwszyrt8fxlqw5zfa79msumjg3zc2j2x80p4qfltm424hry3mpd2p70wkdh62ht #ScribesAndMakers 13/9: How pedantic are you?<br/><br/>I dislike pedantry. It tends to lead to inaccurate statements and unhelpful criticism. I try to avoid it as much as possible.<br/><br/>However, a small number of things do work me up and I suspect make me annoying. Particularly the misuse of the word &#39;logical&#39; to mean &#39;reasonable&#39;, or general popular misapprehensions about philosophy, such as misrepresentations about the analogy of the cave or the trolley problem.<br/><br/>Or AI. But arguably that&#39;s actually&gt; 2026-09-13T07:12:22Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs2rw7vpvd4ee5535pq83sqm5kpsxngqhpw8eml8ymhahax8fkv8kqzyrt8fxlqw5zfa79msumjg3zc2j2x80p4qfltm424hry3mpd2p70wkhm6r06 #WordWeavers 13/9: Share a line of dialogue that sounds innocent without context but absolutely isn’t.<br/><br/>This is a mental text message from an android, rather than dialogue, but close enough:<br/><br/>&#34;Sam, you got any skewers? Preferably metal ones?&#34; 2026-09-13T07:07:05Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs02hah5mq6exm3lfah2tmchmhy2yek0luccdd9hkmr8vt078sughqzyrt8fxlqw5zfa79msumjg3zc2j2x80p4qfltm424hry3mpd2p70wkju3k0c #WordWeavers 12 Sep: If you removed one supporting character, whose absence would change the story the most?<br/><br/>Sam, Blake&#39;s best friend. She comforts him and gives him somewhere to stay when it&#39;s not safe to go to his home. She keeps him sane and distracts him while Solo is working on his code. And she&#39;s understanding and supportive of their relationship, even when they get really annoying about it in her spare room. 2026-09-12T11:45:54Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqszpvl7k9m864c4nyfc0r75863v5gluu5xfxevqcddfztzhyskjlnczyrt8fxlqw5zfa79msumjg3zc2j2x80p4qfltm424hry3mpd2p70wk4dvr26 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsz32r675ypdu58kqraf6tmjknu3d50c4y54wxja2xf8ed50wdc04cwdm4wk'>nevent1q…m4wk</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>&gt;my ideas across because someone else wants to take control, or I&#39;m dragging other people along who aren&#39;t contributing. Or I do find a balance but maintaining it is exhausting.<br/><br/>In general, I find it much easier to work on my own. 2026-09-11T06:16:51Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsz32r675ypdu58kqraf6tmjknu3d50c4y54wxja2xf8ed50wdc04czyrt8fxlqw5zfa79msumjg3zc2j2x80p4qfltm424hry3mpd2p70wkqunnj7 #ScribesAndMakers 11 Sept: Our next featured creator is a group of three collaborators. Have you ever been part of a collaborative group for your creative work?<br/><br/>Yeah, I&#39;ve talked about the disaster of a collaborative writing project I was in before; I think I&#39;d rather not dredge up those memories again.<br/><br/>I&#39;ve had a few collaborative projects that went better. A murder mystery party. Theatre projects at 6th form. But even when they go well, I find them difficult. Either I&#39;m not able to put&gt; 2026-09-11T06:15:17Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs07vk6h4wxgr3w6tvpd409z7zfsdxrrh2jqcsqjqqh68j2yd4nk8gzyrt8fxlqw5zfa79msumjg3zc2j2x80p4qfltm424hry3mpd2p70wknr20zq #WordWeavers 10 Sept: Share a description from your WIP that establishes atmosphere without explicitly naming the emotion.<br/><br/>I&#39;m not currently writing anything, so forgive me for cribbing from Synthetic Agency, still. Here&#39;s the opening (content note for torture and blood, although this is before we get to the real body horror stuff):<br/> <img src="https://stockroom.wandering.shop/media_attachments/files/117/247/534/997/075/191/original/d8e2e0e03c318d16.jpg"> <br/> 2026-09-10T15:51:27Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs8n860fsqahyf7gl3wmc2cvj2mvf6e75z8fqcw066ak72gf7nykaqzyrt8fxlqw5zfa79msumjg3zc2j2x80p4qfltm424hry3mpd2p70wktn0k4x #ScribesAndMakers 10 Sept: Our next featured creator is an acronym. Do you use acronyms in your work?<br/><br/>Sure, they&#39;re a part of normal language and it would be weird not to use them at all, but I do like to use them expanded somewhere (preferably in the first usage) so people know what I&#39;m talking about.<br/><br/>Obviously my book about FBI agents uses &#39;FBI&#39;. But also I have SIMON, the Surveillance Information Monitoring and Optimization Network for which Solo is the mobile interface and agent. 2026-09-10T15:39:30Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs93ldy99dzmpateymyg9avsy8vasdcg482hjeyghuk5tluaj477egzyrt8fxlqw5zfa79msumjg3zc2j2x80p4qfltm424hry3mpd2p70wkeyqfqq In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsvttq2kgxyp8xqksv26trk4t4h0q7gywq8kcv8g7z549qsumsnhrqdxm6qt'>nevent1q…m6qt</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>&gt;know who the reader was, it was a long time ago, but they were great at everything *except* the voice of the Man with the Thistledown Hair, which really grated. I tolerated it because the rest was pretty great. So in that sense it wasn&#39;t &#39;right&#39;, but I don&#39;t think there&#39;s only one right way to do it.<br/><br/>They&#39;re never gonna be the voice as it is in my head, and that&#39;s OK. Sometimes (Dan Stevens, Frankenstein) they&#39;re better than when I read the book myself. 2026-09-06T11:29:58Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsvttq2kgxyp8xqksv26trk4t4h0q7gywq8kcv8g7z549qsumsnhrqzyrt8fxlqw5zfa79msumjg3zc2j2x80p4qfltm424hry3mpd2p70wkgv5y2x #ScribesAndMakers 6 Sept: Have you ever listened to an audiobook where the reader had a good voice, but not the &#39;right&#39; voice? <br/><br/>Audiobook voices are super hard to get right. Or rather: very easy to get wrong. I don&#39;t know that there&#39;s one &#39;right&#39; voice, but there are a lot of ways to get it wrong.<br/><br/>Most audio narrators are fine. A few are brilliant (looking at you, Dan Stevens). Some are actively annoying.<br/><br/>The first audio book I really enjoyed was Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell. I don&#39;t&gt; 2026-09-06T11:27:24Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsqwjctalfj97ml6cj9pzmflv4e8jpgctntadjqt3aj6q4keezzs2szyrt8fxlqw5zfa79msumjg3zc2j2x80p4qfltm424hry3mpd2p70wkxjtr64 #ScribesAndMakers 5 Sept: From a purely aesthetic standpoint, what is your favourite colour of ice cream?<br/><br/>I don&#39;t have one. While I have some favourites in this world, colour of ice cream just isn&#39;t one. 2026-09-05T07:56:30Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqswsy03ajwrkwp9alza35x8lf4lu8mnrpeay5sc2jkq6fdmf7vlweczyrt8fxlqw5zfa79msumjg3zc2j2x80p4qfltm424hry3mpd2p70wk080t7u #ScribesAndMakers 4/9: If ebooks stopped being produced, how much would you miss them?<br/><br/>To read? Not very much. As mentioned in previous questions, paper books are much less taxing for my disability and don&#39;t require charging objects.<br/><br/>As a writer, it would fuck me over dramatically. Basically all my sales are digital. Fortunately, this seems no more likely to happen than paper books going away. Although censorship is a very real threat that increasingly limits where I can publish. 2026-09-04T08:59:44Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsq4n9yfjrzax04um9gwt4vjtkxn7xjj7d289arplkr7f7cxeh404czyrt8fxlqw5zfa79msumjg3zc2j2x80p4qfltm424hry3mpd2p70wkx8n2ka #ScribesAndMakers 3 Sept: Which ebook reader do you use?<br/><br/>Mostly, I don&#39;t, because physical books are much, much easier on my disability. But when forced, usually Kindle because I don&#39;t have the spoons to sort anything else out.<br/><br/>I do also have an ancient Nook, but last time I turned it on it got sad about modern Wi-Fi. 2026-09-03T08:16:16Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqspv2w3er68a6rlvzehm7nnxh8n3qc3zvpfzmqwxpfpqpcufnjvtqqzyrt8fxlqw5zfa79msumjg3zc2j2x80p4qfltm424hry3mpd2p70wkxkyumw #WordWeavers 29 Aug: What writing accomplishment are you quietly proud of?<br/><br/>I&#39;m proud of getting complete draft of Synthetic Agency done - it&#39;s the first time I have completed something novel length. 2026-08-29T09:45:43Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsz7mdm302yhrv0se0aec0t0yk2tdrzhggdlq3mq4rh540t0x6e02szyrt8fxlqw5zfa79msumjg3zc2j2x80p4qfltm424hry3mpd2p70wkdjmfgw #ScribesAndMakers 29/8: Do you know what you wanted to be at 11?<br/><br/>11 is a tricky age because at some point around then the deluge of dolphin and whale-themed gifts overwhelmed my obsession with cetaceans and ambition to become a marine biologist and I lost interest in that.<br/><br/>I think the next thing was probably an astronaut, but I&#39;m not sure if it had kicked in by that point.<br/><br/>The prohibitive standards of physical fitness and my aversion to the military were to cut that dream short. 2026-08-29T09:39:10Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs2j3nfnvn06ay0qa5lu8chwd8pay0rpl274l82he5gkghhjz5akkqzyrt8fxlqw5zfa79msumjg3zc2j2x80p4qfltm424hry3mpd2p70wkv9vu8l #ScribesAndMakers 27 Aug: Tell a story, about an object in your space.<br/><br/>There once was a very sick person who had a cat, but no cat flap. This meant she had to leave the kitchen window open to allow the cat to go in and out (for this was not the sort of cat who could be confined to a mere house).<br/><br/>In winter, the Very Sick Person had to choose between being cold and confining the cat who could not be confined. Both options made them both unhappy.<br/><br/>Until, that is, she bought an electric blanket.&gt; 2026-08-27T07:50:41Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs24vjcvh0aczpz0w7dc8wmd6p2rlrp4hf4684v4p8hzv5ajskq3fczyrt8fxlqw5zfa79msumjg3zc2j2x80p4qfltm424hry3mpd2p70wkgkceaz #WordWeavers 26 Aug: What weather best matches your current work in progress?<br/><br/>All my WIPs at the moment are blog posts, so, I guess, I kind of dull, overcast grey, because I would rather be writing stories, but my brain will not cooperate. 2026-08-26T08:47:37Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsqm3rtu927k969zjt9vm7yfmw8addtzwegs5tyc8t9y5xlmjw5lfszyrt8fxlqw5zfa79msumjg3zc2j2x80p4qfltm424hry3mpd2p70wkkssex7 #ScribesAndMakers 26 Aug: Describe how it feels to be &#34;locked in&#34; to your work.<br/><br/>The story is on my mind 24/7. It&#39;s all I want to think about. I am obsessed, I am writing when I can barely keep my eyes open, thinking about my characters is thrilling - it&#39;s the best feeling in the world! And I haven&#39;t had it for 3 years 😭 2026-08-26T08:46:08Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsfghz7ful7went8aemn3c26l9ejsky24v0fegfgrtd5jxszfhmlvqzyrt8fxlqw5zfa79msumjg3zc2j2x80p4qfltm424hry3mpd2p70wkv4ts4y #ScribesAndMakers 16/08: Are you happy with the adverb you chose at the start of the month, or would you like to trade it in for a new one?<br/><br/>I think my adverb was &#39;erratically&#39;? And I don&#39;t know about &#39;happy&#39;, but it&#39;s certainly accurate. 2026-08-16T09:09:05Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqszyvcrhsd47q57te7xe62x3cm05z5mphkc2l3wvlf596xp9ppstnqzyrt8fxlqw5zfa79msumjg3zc2j2x80p4qfltm424hry3mpd2p70wkup6c06 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqszy7xggl0cdm33asz4x4untt9e38kcallzcmyuncsenqp4msfjh7c7drxyp'>nevent1q…rxyp</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>And thank you for buying a mug! I&#39;m assuming that was you 😅 2026-08-16T05:58:18Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqszy7xggl0cdm33asz4x4untt9e38kcallzcmyuncsenqp4msfjh7czyrt8fxlqw5zfa79msumjg3zc2j2x80p4qfltm424hry3mpd2p70wkaqy9p6 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqspkvdlat6d6jw0hdpdw92fhs92hur2lwntfag3msv0rh77rtxhljs3lu7t6'>nevent1q…u7t6</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Bahaha - I&#39;m so glad you enjoyed! 2026-08-16T05:57:18Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsr6s9uvy6x8v4dhkwwsm050805958sp3zg9rxr3dy3aapxpqg3e7czyrt8fxlqw5zfa79msumjg3zc2j2x80p4qfltm424hry3mpd2p70wk2xs7nh In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsg46t054llyc0wqnnnj4ljahxghcclns2r4ng5m3azm7mt7tvjguqd2sspy'>nevent1q…sspy</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Word, he was fantastic! 2026-08-08T05:41:09Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqswlujj3zwssudc5qeevj6lcn62zpvrjykqyfg89vkx36n0vqqh48szyrt8fxlqw5zfa79msumjg3zc2j2x80p4qfltm424hry3mpd2p70wkx9uhuf Pride month may be drawing to a close, but you can still buy pride-coloured butts on objects: <a href="https://www.redbubble.com/people/RubyJonesArt/shop?asc=u">https://www.redbubble.com/people/RubyJonesArt/shop?asc=u</a><br/><br/>#pride #PrideMonth #lgbtq+ #butts #art<br/> <img src="https://stockroom.wandering.shop/media_attachments/files/116/827/573/797/594/377/original/68128d6f5294a4c0.jpg"> <br/> <img src="https://stockroom.wandering.shop/media_attachments/files/116/827/573/801/184/480/original/55ab6edd13dd342c.jpg"> <br/> <img src="https://stockroom.wandering.shop/media_attachments/files/116/827/573/804/286/303/original/8fd96256c59da5c9.jpg"> <br/> 2026-06-28T11:51:41Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs8qmjmkp7x4a9da7d6a0jhujryxkrzxescc7d98c592258zuu088szyrt8fxlqw5zfa79msumjg3zc2j2x80p4qfltm424hry3mpd2p70wkqzlm9y Chapter 21 of Synthetic Agency is here! <a href="https://www.patreon.com/posts/synthetic-agency-159022636">https://www.patreon.com/posts/synthetic-agency-159022636</a><br/><br/>Synthetic Agency is an android romance novel I&#39;m serialising on my Patreon. You can read the first chapter for free: <a href="https://www.patreon.com/posts/119290924?collection=1313927">https://www.patreon.com/posts/119290924?collection=1313927</a><br/><br/>Boosts very much appreciated!<br/><br/>#robots #fiction #romance #SF #lgbtq+ #writing<br/> <img src="https://stockroom.wandering.shop/media_attachments/files/116/623/576/371/487/320/original/119546f4421c84c6.jpg"> <br/> 2026-05-23T11:09:23Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsztdrunvss8tgfhc0c9deljrmf4cpp9sjdsrpqpedrtamw0f8npwgzyrt8fxlqw5zfa79msumjg3zc2j2x80p4qfltm424hry3mpd2p70wksmylaz I think about this Tumblr post a lot:<br/><br/>#writing #smut #smutstodon<br/> <img src="https://stockroom.wandering.shop/media_attachments/files/116/589/683/486/346/441/original/0100f5fab15a558b.jpg"> <br/> 2026-05-17T11:30:40Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs80zzxzrlpanys3fa77w0264k39wx9p20jgdmk0p7ltp87xrretdczyrt8fxlqw5zfa79msumjg3zc2j2x80p4qfltm424hry3mpd2p70wkukc564 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsxhvgsm9ejkxxllsmf09wq80ell4x2s9388jfkf0uvupg9lkjlj8spc43xg'>nevent1q…43xg</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>I think you misunderstand me. I am an experienced writer and editor. I have worked for and with many publishers and have no issue with adapting my work to whatever the house style dictates.<br/><br/>But now I am self-publishing. I am the one who decides what language to use. And I see advantages to both sides. 2026-05-03T14:38:28Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqswa29j4nkn379welaf70emtsf7hltrlgu0q75uuk96t4q8n4m00hqzyrt8fxlqw5zfa79msumjg3zc2j2x80p4qfltm424hry3mpd2p70wkfq5llz In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsyzw94q9cehcmcaf5x9fa2rmgd89dy7ku7ej5f6n7qnrhlp2h8t2gj7uwah'>nevent1q…uwah</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>&gt;But now it&#39;s my own writing, and I am British, but my book is set in America. What do?<br/><br/>Obviously, all dialogue should use the words a character would use. An American calling you an &#39;ass&#39; means an arse, and will call you an &#39;asshole&#39;, and not an &#39;arsehole&#39;. But what about in the description. I&#39;ve been inclined to follow what feels like a rational approach: I am writing the wider story in British English, and when a character speaks I am quoting them, so they use American words. And where&gt; 2026-05-03T14:25:57Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsyzw94q9cehcmcaf5x9fa2rmgd89dy7ku7ej5f6n7qnrhlp2h8t2gzyrt8fxlqw5zfa79msumjg3zc2j2x80p4qfltm424hry3mpd2p70wk0zxg90 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsthe4cewtcxag7wa5y6d8jzghnqsu6dmkl0ecz6v5wsdyzz7n7r8s0k7zn5'>nevent1q…7zn5</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>&gt;it&#39;s something I struggle with. Different publications I have worked for as an editor handled it different ways. The OUP imprint followed the dictates of the Oxford Manual of Style - British spellings. The international fiction publisher used whatever version of English the writer worked in, and if they mixed it up, you made it consistent.<br/><br/>As a freelancer, I followed that angle. It was interesting to discover the varieties of English - Canadian and Australian English is different again.&gt; 2026-05-03T14:22:42Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsthe4cewtcxag7wa5y6d8jzghnqsu6dmkl0ecz6v5wsdyzz7n7r8szyrt8fxlqw5zfa79msumjg3zc2j2x80p4qfltm424hry3mpd2p70wkzfh0hj #WritersCoffeeClub 3 May:<br/>Do you write your works localised to the setting or your background?<br/><br/>I think this may be aiming at the somewhat rambling question I submitted, which was about whether you localise the spelling and words you use to the setting. For example: Synthetic Agency is set in the US, but I am a British writer. What to do when a character is referring to their &#39;trousers&#39; aka &#39;pants&#39; (which means something different and much funnier in British English).<br/><br/>I submitted this q as&gt; 2026-05-03T14:18:23Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsv0ly7du4qvdraq0ua0yr6z8ac4d6rr4fxdcr7ydv9ajznxv66z7czyrt8fxlqw5zfa79msumjg3zc2j2x80p4qfltm424hry3mpd2p70wkeytqjd In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsfgpcnv0fvjjjeg2awa28vddaa8n6rsplju6n72vary5js626f5dg552swj'>nevent1q…2swj</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Yes, indeed we are.<br/><br/>I&#39;ve already been over a few times why a plugin is not going to work for me. I think this is one where I need you to trust that I know what I&#39;m talking about. 2026-04-19T18:10:45Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsw5zc6pj8tqa56f2w60ckne7dsxca5vhp9kzd379rzqu7msu36l5gzyrt8fxlqw5zfa79msumjg3zc2j2x80p4qfltm424hry3mpd2p70wk8u9wq9 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsryrdjp483857emangdpvvjlkrvfxxy52lzn4dkwcx66sxku30vdcaqsvlf'>nevent1q…svlf</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>&gt;Which leaves you reliant on companies that will do it for you, and the ones that used to do so have got much, much stricter about what they will allow (especially from indies), because they don&#39;t want to be sued and because credit card companies have caved to neo-puritan pressure groups. It&#39;s bleak.<br/><br/>One of my books I can only, currently, publish through D2D to Smashwords. And it&#39;s my most popular work 🤷‍♀️ 2026-04-19T18:01:20Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsryrdjp483857emangdpvvjlkrvfxxy52lzn4dkwcx66sxku30vdczyrt8fxlqw5zfa79msumjg3zc2j2x80p4qfltm424hry3mpd2p70wkmj9qg7 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqs2af8wgpk3aphl22sd3xdy6jx40c3f3kdss0v4vn5z7nkajftk0ugu2q0em'>nevent1q…q0em</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>It gives you control, but much, much bigger responsibility. I&#39;m fully familiar with WP and its plugins - my point is that they are highly likely to have T&amp;Cs that exclude adult content. The WordPress.com website does.<br/><br/>Age verification is specifically the sticking point. I do not have the resources (mental, financial, technical) to securely perform age verification myself, and it&#39;s not legal to sell adult content without age verification anymore.&gt; 2026-04-19T17:58:14Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsdz29q5uylur20v5mkcqfllct3nwe9a07y9j0e4c9crtzpp5wj6zgzyrt8fxlqw5zfa79msumjg3zc2j2x80p4qfltm424hry3mpd2p70wk6jq9j7 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsfdhwt42meznqc0vm59h8zjkwwz2fdmreyv2zazkfprxnu7yczgkqvkz7m0'>nevent1q…z7m0</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Thanks for sharing - I fear this would not work for adult content; with the age verification now required, self-hosting is basically a non-starter. I need a big company to handle that for me, and outside the likes of D2D, Amazon, or Patreon, most of them won&#39;t anymore. I suspect the plugins you use would cite morality clauses about my tentacle sex stories 🙁 2026-04-19T17:45:07Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs9xtd9xnl48cmlvpet7uzjkak5jdzj0dcdhfcsr73q225d2apd4jszyrt8fxlqw5zfa79msumjg3zc2j2x80p4qfltm424hry3mpd2p70wkhfe5sd In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsdzxqqkcma3hrmky7ndw8xwn35lx4k2hmrmsukd35kvepjad28jfg9hcld9'>nevent1q…cld9</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>RE: <a href="https://mograph.social/@dilmandila/116390725832539294">https://mograph.social/@dilmandila/116390725832539294</a><br/><br/>More importantly, why isn&#39;t this on *my* timeline.<br/>nostr:note16yvqpd3hmrw8hvfax6uwva8rf7dtv40k8hpevmrfvejr96650yjsypjnat<br/> 2026-04-12T08:19:25Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs2qt5x0pd9kcs8m09lg0nm2fju0kp93nad89hx3jkpc5cmcawxkmgzyrt8fxlqw5zfa79msumjg3zc2j2x80p4qfltm424hry3mpd2p70wknanhn9 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqs9uhuyz72gpxah7v9erxel28jefahxmemmgc5gx452qdmxw2098rc4s27f4'>nevent1q…27f4</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Love that cover! 2026-04-08T12:05:02Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsxl8368vh6pjtg8hp3l7k3ptt4juvs4zwkfd7s5ql4wq8mmrgeucqzyrt8fxlqw5zfa79msumjg3zc2j2x80p4qfltm424hry3mpd2p70wkdjfhts Be supportive to your friendly neighbourhood author. Times are a real bummer. 2026-03-30T18:24:50Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsd47lchzs5czj2l3qs5eearaprnklmnts2etymeuf57332fgvev0gzyrt8fxlqw5zfa79msumjg3zc2j2x80p4qfltm424hry3mpd2p70wkmv42u9 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqs87csr6ljv3vcgqmwhaet2wa7lnzmsqenj7lppukpv0gz0ct4hsdg4kg7qw'>nevent1q…g7qw</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>You have a very strange attitude. Explaining AO3 like no one here has heard of it. Saying original fiction is stealing??<br/><br/>I don&#39;t know where this aggressive defence of fanfiction is coming from. I talked about my love of fanfic in another thread of this conversation. It&#39;s bizarre to make out like you can&#39;t love both original fiction and fanfiction.<br/><br/>Do you just search on the word &#39;fanfic&#39; and go on the attack? Really weird. Goodby, Cy. 2026-03-15T16:28:13Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsxgtg0xk9p6f9xk6gah90yy84vpezysgwe5u5cqlps5e8s0w0udhszyrt8fxlqw5zfa79msumjg3zc2j2x80p4qfltm424hry3mpd2p70wke4lx3l In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqs8fuk05x3nyeas85fegdqzg4nr8lgq70vn8jwuhx7c8j4ue4fd7jcpgdph6'>nevent1q…dph6</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>The thing is, there is more free fiction and art online than a person could ever need. I&#39;ve actually found it hard to pull myself away from the safe, comforting arms of fanfiction, which gives me exactly what I want, for free, but I get frustrated that I can&#39;t pay the authors for their often spectacular works.<br/><br/>I agree with you - writing and art are communication - there&#39;s no point if there&#39;s no one on the other side communicating anything. And the fact that it&#39;s all stolen&gt; 2026-03-15T07:25:07Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqstaj4tf7mnl7dnhjxfutj5wl5ff647w7dxx3wgznanlngt4fmv0gczyrt8fxlqw5zfa79msumjg3zc2j2x80p4qfltm424hry3mpd2p70wkzny4yh In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsweufmzyq4cy3jfkf2ffvjdp3fwqfe2uz9te67xe04wyln26fekfgkj2eq7'>nevent1q…2eq7</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Most writers and artists I know think the same, but the gap between those people and those who consume art and fiction - especially among programmers - is really depressing. 2026-03-15T07:15:14Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs0ek723j0a0p842kh67gk0m4tcgnw9fpls0efznewm6v0wdnzemuszyrt8fxlqw5zfa79msumjg3zc2j2x80p4qfltm424hry3mpd2p70wkrxuh77 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqs968fp7x0k4nhpy0sa7wxkpjy5zc8x0jl8ggc0lw7vvrqcxqs63vc4gx3cp'>nevent1q…x3cp</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Happy to boost - always love an onion. Best vegetable. 2026-03-14T09:27:46Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs9u823z9pwu5fr4c4v89vpqqptecela7lntqc8gwuvwa2frdf5amszyrt8fxlqw5zfa79msumjg3zc2j2x80p4qfltm424hry3mpd2p70wkvyfh9p RE: <a href="https://wandering.shop/@rubyjones/116169822628428420">https://wandering.shop/@rubyjones/116169822628428420</a><br/><br/>Only a couple of days left to get my fiction for free or cheap!<blockquote class="border-l-05rem border-l-strongpink border-solid"><div class="-ml-4 bg-gradient-to-r from-gray-100 dark:from-zinc-800 to-transparent mr-0 mt-0 mb-4 pl-4 pr-2 py-2">quoting <br/><span itemprop="mentions" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/Article"><a itemprop="url" href="/note1zs26v6tlv48fs7d8g27grjcpcryrh00289glqqhzd40r4jm24rzq4mapvh" class="bg-lavender dark:prose:text-neutral-50 dark:text-neutral-50 dark:bg-garnet px-1">note1zs2…apvh</a></span><br/> </div> Better late than never - I have joined the Smashwords Sale!<br/><br/>For the rest of this week, my novellas will be 50% off and Oviposition will be free!<br/><br/><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/RubyJones6742">https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/RubyJones6742</a><br/><br/>#smashwords #sale #SmashwordsSale #erotica #smut #romance #sf #fantasy #robots #androids #tentacles #oviposition #kink<br/> <img src="https://stockroom.wandering.shop/media_attachments/files/116/169/813/036/420/044/original/0062b3ea2c7791f6.jpg"> <br/> </blockquote> 2026-03-06T18:36:32Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqspg9dxd9lk2n5c0xn590ypevqupjpmhh4rj50sqt3x6h36ed4233qzyrt8fxlqw5zfa79msumjg3zc2j2x80p4qfltm424hry3mpd2p70wk09phv9 Better late than never - I have joined the Smashwords Sale!<br/><br/>For the rest of this week, my novellas will be 50% off and Oviposition will be free!<br/><br/><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/RubyJones6742">https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/RubyJones6742</a><br/><br/>#smashwords #sale #SmashwordsSale #erotica #smut #romance #sf #fantasy #robots #androids #tentacles #oviposition #kink<br/> <img src="https://stockroom.wandering.shop/media_attachments/files/116/169/813/036/420/044/original/0062b3ea2c7791f6.jpg"> <br/> 2026-03-04T07:53:38Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsfnzzda7cmnjr759tcnpr0rpgdpwwv9fkzhgjhteehwwecdw5qczczyrt8fxlqw5zfa79msumjg3zc2j2x80p4qfltm424hry3mpd2p70wkdf6p8e In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqs88aexfulq0vqzqvznyvsy0fav4ccecj0n9fl7je4hr2k7cjruj8cplqx97'>nevent1q…qx97</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>One of my favourite Christmas songs was one I found while compiling a Christmas Music for the Apocalypse blog series: &#39;A Post-Apocalyptic Christmas&#39; by Art Elliot.<br/><br/>I think it&#39;s genuinely beautiful, but it still only has 2.5k views on YouTube: <a href="https://youtu.be/JlJ8OTxALv4?si=4InrDNmV9Txj4Mm4">https://youtu.be/JlJ8OTxALv4?si=4InrDNmV9Txj4Mm4</a><br/><br/>#music #postapocalypse #ArtElliot 2026-02-21T14:41:07Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqs0up2la0e8advwulllh6m649zzp9m8gq90e6empkwccq62sx0g9tqzyrt8fxlqw5zfa79msumjg3zc2j2x80p4qfltm424hry3mpd2p70wktnyq6s In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsxq8q9afsf4v9ne45atza72nxr6z6fqcfafc5ezz34y4sdkzg0yrqskudgf'>nevent1q…udgf</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>I am the same. Mostly. I enjoyed his non-Discworld books, but I couldn&#39;t get into the Discworld books, and eventually the people trying to make me like him sapped any interest in trying tom 2026-02-04T04:48:39Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsges4aux87r8sgc2zmmu729ff4k7h5ujaetey4jc22e209la28uhczyrt8fxlqw5zfa79msumjg3zc2j2x80p4qfltm424hry3mpd2p70wkkruz77 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsdzg0z6l8gzc3r60uq0vtmun456uy4x862nquj39zrgvhmj2xaepc8nntcx'>nevent1q…ntcx</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>This is <span itemprop="mentions" itemscope itemtype="https://schema.org/Person"><a itemprop="url" href="/npub1cgj5f0u2n2vjyv5q6znyvur86wjf3qlnakrevsnn0tezrhyfxxyqmywlgt" class="bg-lavender dark:prose:text-neutral-50 dark:text-neutral-50 dark:bg-garnet px-1"><span>Dr Ro Smith</span> (<span class="italic">npub1cgj…wlgt</span>)</a></span> with my SF&amp;F romance and erotica hat on, btw 😅 2026-01-11T19:18:14Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsdzg0z6l8gzc3r60uq0vtmun456uy4x862nquj39zrgvhmj2xaepczyrt8fxlqw5zfa79msumjg3zc2j2x80p4qfltm424hry3mpd2p70wkkyy4yu In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsvme590sd8xct8j8lcfkv39mp30cpxvpxsg4nk97cy09a2rlkydts794scq'>nevent1q…4scq</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>Draft2Digital are fine. One of the few options tbh, but they have got more on the censorship train in recent years, and even refused to publish a cover that Amazon accepted. Probably not applicable to you, but if you&#39;re honest about your content warnings they get censorshipy too, but everywhere is doing that now. 2026-01-11T19:17:21Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsvme590sd8xct8j8lcfkv39mp30cpxvpxsg4nk97cy09a2rlkydtszyrt8fxlqw5zfa79msumjg3zc2j2x80p4qfltm424hry3mpd2p70wky69n60 In reply to <a href='/nevent1qqsfct8wjdjv5gqvhlqv9mugnzkfafn27k5zy6vpmff05nfg6e5rzecx5vl4v'>nevent1q…vl4v</a><br/>_________________________<br/><br/>I looked into it a few years ago when I just started thinking about self-publishing. I watched YouTube videos of people talking about their experiences. It seemed like money I didn&#39;t have for a negative return.<br/><br/>I think it works if you&#39;re already known or have enough cash you don&#39;t mind throwing it at that kind of thing, but it wasn&#39;t worth it for me at the time. IDK if things might have changed, though. 2026-01-11T19:14:02Z https://nostr.now/nevent1qqsxgcxeswempqd7e0ehjsw5y20836zhvjqlk7unpm3tcxmvh9zwcuszyrt8fxlqw5zfa79msumjg3zc2j2x80p4qfltm424hry3mpd2p70wkz6qjc3 Hi, so, Smutlandia died and I just did not have the spoons to find a new server before that happened.<br/><br/>I thought I had until the end of the month, but I looked today and everything was just gone.<br/><br/>Please bear with me while I try to make connections again. I have lost all my followers, my profile, everything. It&#39;s not even on the WayBack Machine. I don&#39;t really have more energy than I did before. It will take me a minute to sort things out. If you see this please RT to help me find my people. 2025-08-27T18:39:42Z