Nostr notes by Suzy Shearer

#WritersCoffeeClub – 31st Oct. How did this month's writing ...

2026-10-30T23:26:25Z

#WritersCoffeeClub – 31st Oct. How did this month's writing go for you?

Rather well. I signed a contract for the first book in new series; finished the 1st draft on the 2nd; and ¾ way through the 3rd.

#WritersCoffeeClub – 30th Oct. How does your work immortalise ...

2026-10-30T23:24:45Z

#WritersCoffeeClub – 30th Oct. How does your work immortalise those who came before you?

I don’t know that it does – although my first few books all the character names were named after my ancestors.

#ScribesAndMakers – 31st Oct. Tell us a story about a memorable ...

2026-10-30T23:22:40Z

#ScribesAndMakers – 31st Oct. Tell us a story about a memorable Halloween. (Real or fictional.)

I personally don’t do Halloween (I’m an Aussie, although it is creeping in here).
I know it may have originated from the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, marking the new year on November 1, when spirits were believed to roam the earth

#ScribesAndMakers – 30th Oct. Share some words of wisdom (yours ...

2026-10-30T23:20:47Z

#ScribesAndMakers – 30th Oct. Share some words of wisdom (yours or someone else's.)

A good bookshop is just a genteel Black Hole that knows how to read…Terry Pratchett, Guards! Guards!

Imagination will often carry us to worlds that never were. But without it we go nowhere….
Even through your hardest days, remember we are all made of stardust….
... Both from Carl Sagan

#ScribesAndMakers – 29th Oct. How do you feel about ...

2026-10-29T21:37:50Z

#ScribesAndMakers – 29th Oct. How do you feel about alliteration?

With my name??...lol
Round the rough and rugged rock the ragged rascal ran…

#ScribesAndMakers – 28th Oct. I never expected... …to become ...

2026-10-27T22:48:58Z

#ScribesAndMakers – 28th Oct. I never expected...

…to become an author.

#WritersCoffeeClub – 28th Oct. Do you hide 'secrets' in ...

2026-10-27T22:47:57Z

#WritersCoffeeClub – 28th Oct. Do you hide 'secrets' in your works?

Yep, they’re so secret even I don’t know about them.

#WritersCoffeeClub – 27th Oct. As a writer, what do you need ...

2026-10-27T06:44:26Z

#WritersCoffeeClub – 27th Oct. As a writer, what do you need right now?

To stop getting new ideas until I finish writing all the WIPs I’ve started…rotfl

#ScribesAndMakers – 26th Oct. What's something you ...

2026-10-26T22:23:06Z

#ScribesAndMakers – 26th Oct. What's something you accomplished this month that you weren't sure if you would be able to?

See yesterday’s answer.

#WritersCoffeeClub – 26th Oct. How did you develop your voice? ...

2026-10-26T07:36:03Z

#WritersCoffeeClub – 26th Oct. How did you develop your voice?

It’s always been there, I just gave it its freedom.

#ScribesAndMakers – 25th Oct. What's something you ...

2026-10-25T22:24:22Z

#ScribesAndMakers – 25th Oct. What's something you accomplished this past week?

Finished the 1st draft of book 2 in the new series.

#WritersCoffeeClub – 25th Oct. Tell us about inspiration from ...

2026-10-24T22:13:21Z

#WritersCoffeeClub – 25th Oct. Tell us about inspiration from an unlikely source.

Had a weird lucid dream/sleep paralysis (that I still think was real). What occurred during it became the first book in a series I had published way back in 2016.

#WritersCoffeeClub – 24th Oct. What is currently provisional in ...

2026-10-24T00:43:47Z

#WritersCoffeeClub – 24th Oct. What is currently provisional in your workflow (or work)?

Order and titles of the books in the new series.

#ScribesAndMakers – 23th Oct. Our next featured creator enjoys ...

2026-10-24T00:40:24Z

#ScribesAndMakers – 23th Oct. Our next featured creator enjoys hiking. Do you enjoy being outdoors, and if so, does it have an impact on your creativity?

Sadly my health doesn’t allow me walks but I do enjoy the outside air. Outdoors to me is sitting in my backyard…lol. It’s filled with native plants so I have dozens of species of birds and insects visiting all the time.
No effect on my creativity inside or outside, my mind runs continually—no off button.

#WritersCoffeeClub – 23th Oct. How do you make sure you deliver ...

2026-10-23T04:03:18Z

#WritersCoffeeClub – 23th Oct. How do you make sure you deliver on your writerly promises?

Promises? When the hell did I make promises? Why hasn’t someone told me.

#WritersCoffeeClub – 22nd Oct. Share a work you found really ...

2026-10-21T23:58:42Z

#WritersCoffeeClub – 22nd Oct. Share a work you found really challenging to read.

I read Finnegan’s Wake – took me years to finish. I kept putting it down, it’s a confusing and challenging read.

#ScribesAndMakers – 22nd Oct. Our next featured creator enjoys ...

2026-10-21T21:57:57Z

#ScribesAndMakers – 22nd Oct. Our next featured creator enjoys making maps. Have you ever made a map?

Not a full map as such – but I did work for a government department (Land Dept) drawing land plans that then went into a large map. (That was way back in my late teens in the 60s).
Also drew the land plot on deeds.

#WritersCoffeeClub – 21st Oct. How do you make your works ...

2026-10-21T03:32:02Z

#WritersCoffeeClub – 21st Oct. How do you make your works approachable?

I make sure the guard dog is kept on its chain.

#ScribesAndMakers – 21st Oct. How cerebral do you consider your ...

2026-10-20T21:45:12Z

#ScribesAndMakers – 21st Oct. How cerebral do you consider your creative work?

It’s not – it’s simply written as entertainment with a few dramatic bits.

#WritersCoffeeClub – 20th Oct. What's the shortest work ...

2026-10-19T21:48:52Z

#WritersCoffeeClub – 20th Oct. What's the shortest work you've ever finished?

Most of mine are at 70-90k but my shortest is the 1st book in the new series. ATM it’s sitting at 28k but that will change when the publisher and I work on the edits.

#ScribesAndMakers – 20th Oct. Is there anything that helps you ...

2026-10-19T21:47:09Z

#ScribesAndMakers – 20th Oct. Is there anything that helps you get into a creative mood?

Not really – coffee or tea…then write.

#ScribesAndMakers – 19th Oct. Are there any jingles you ...

2026-10-18T22:20:26Z

#ScribesAndMakers – 19th Oct. Are there any jingles you remember from your younger days?

Lol… far too many. I grew up pre-TV (it didn’t arrive in Australia till 1956) so the ‘wireless’ was our source of media entertainment. Lots of ads with jingles I can still recall.

#WritersCoffeeClub – 19th Oct. Tell us about some unwanted ...

2026-10-18T22:16:34Z

#WritersCoffeeClub – 19th Oct. Tell us about some unwanted critique you've received.

I once received a review complaining that there wasn’t enough sex scenes in a book (there were only 3 in a 85k book) but for the same book someone said had too much … lol.
Proving you can’t make everyone happy.

#ScribesAndMakers – 18th Oct. Link to or summarize ...

2026-10-17T23:11:57Z

#ScribesAndMakers – 18th Oct. Link to or summarize yesterday's poll and reveal which word was yours. Did a majority agree it was the best fit?

Well, the majority agreed with me - 'relished' was my chosen word. Big thanks to all who voted.

27% Savoured
36% Relished
9% Rejoiced
27% Celebrated

#ScribesAndMakers – 18th Oct. Link to or summarize ...

2026-10-17T23:10:42Z

#WritersCoffeeClub – 18th Oct. Talk about a time you had a ...

2026-10-17T22:59:34Z

#WritersCoffeeClub – 18th Oct. Talk about a time you had a revelation.

The last one was an idea for a series about modern-day vampires and it worked.

#WritersCoffeeClub – 17th Oct. What are the defining traits of ...

2026-10-16T22:34:18Z

#WritersCoffeeClub – 17th Oct. What are the defining traits of your niche in your genre?

The mature age of my characters – 50s, 60s, even 70s.

#WritersCoffeeClub – 16th Oct. How do you feel about people ...

2026-10-15T22:26:53Z

#WritersCoffeeClub – 16th Oct. How do you feel about people reading your works without buying a personal copy?

Unless I’ve given them one it infuriates me. When my first books were published I used to send take down notices to dozens of pirate sites till I realised they take the books off that site but they have oodles more. It’s like emptying the sea with a teaspoon. I know I’ve lost thousands in sales but there’s no way to stop it.
AND don’t get me started on the anthropic settlement because that is a whole new ballgame. My settlement is getting smaller and smaller, if I even get anything, as time goes by.

#WritersCoffeeClub – 15th Oct. What's the last thing you ...

2026-10-15T22:20:30Z

#WritersCoffeeClub – 15th Oct. What's the last thing you read to really impress you, prose-wise?

I recently re-read Moby Dick and Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde. Every time I read a classic I wish I could write as well.

#ScribesAndMakers – 16th Oct. Do you feel you do your best ...

2026-10-15T22:17:40Z

#ScribesAndMakers – 16th Oct. Do you feel you do your best creative work completely solitary, working collaboratively with one or more people, or working near but not with other people?

Most definitely alone.

#ScribesAndMakers – 15th Oct. How confident are you feeling ...

2026-10-14T23:19:40Z

#ScribesAndMakers – 15th Oct. How confident are you feeling about your work today?

Excited, now my first new series book has been accepted.

My crazy idea for a new series paid off. I'm excited! I just ...

2026-10-13T21:49:03Z

My crazy idea for a new series paid off.
I'm excited! I just signed the contract for the 1st book.
The Deburg Account - book 1 of The Vampire Chronicles!!
That will be my 37th traditionally published book and I am over the moon.

#ScribesAndMakers – 14th Oct. How do you feel when a show that ...

2026-10-13T21:41:22Z

#ScribesAndMakers – 14th Oct. How do you feel when a show that is non-musical inserts an episode with a musical number?

If it’s a Bollywood movie, I love it!

#WritersCoffeeClub – 14th Oct. Who do you wish you could share ...

2026-10-13T21:39:37Z

#WritersCoffeeClub – 14th Oct. Who do you wish you could share your work with, but can't?

My late parents – I know how proud and excited they’d be.

#ScribesAndMakers – 13th Oct. Schadenfreude? I hope I don’t!

2026-10-13T07:55:16Z

#ScribesAndMakers – 13th Oct. Schadenfreude?

I hope I don’t!

#WritersCoffeeClub – 13th Oct. What writerly weakness do you ...

2026-10-13T07:53:35Z

#WritersCoffeeClub – 13th Oct. What writerly weakness do you overcorrect for?

I have no idea. I do know when I edit I’m rather ruthless but as what weakness? Beats me.

#WritersCoffeeClub – 12th Oct. What do you specialise in, ...

2026-10-12T07:28:38Z

#WritersCoffeeClub – 12th Oct. What do you specialise in, prose-wise?

??? Not sure what the question is asking. Storytelling?

#WritersCoffeeClub – 11th Oct. What's a turn of phrase ...

2026-10-11T21:59:15Z

#WritersCoffeeClub – 11th Oct. What's a turn of phrase you've 'inherited' from someone else?

Not a phrase but a word. My dad used to ask if we wanted a ‘cackleberry’ for breakfast although my elder sister used to say ‘a googy’.

#ScribesAndMakers – 12th Oct. Do you ever talk to people in ...

2026-10-11T21:55:03Z

#ScribesAndMakers – 12th Oct. Do you ever talk to people in song lyrics?

Haha … I try to 𝐧𝐨𝐭 even talk to people, so definitely wouldn't sing.

#ScribesAndMakers – 11th Oct. Is there a word whose meaning is ...

2026-10-11T21:52:09Z

#ScribesAndMakers – 11th Oct. Is there a word whose meaning is benign that still grates on you for some reason?

Can’t think of one, although I do shudder when some people add ‘like’ after every third word when they speak.

#WritersCoffeeClub – 10th Oct. Do you have a guiding principle ...

2026-10-09T22:50:51Z

#WritersCoffeeClub – 10th Oct. Do you have a guiding principle as a writer? What is it? (Or why not?)

Only write what you enjoy writing.

#WritersCoffeeClub – 9th Oct. How does your own sense of ...

2026-10-09T01:14:18Z

#WritersCoffeeClub – 9th Oct. How does your own sense of mortality influence what you write?

My characters view death as something that naturally happens. I have no fear of death (being a Buddhist) but probably regret that I won’t live long enough to do all I plan (I’d need to live to at least 200 to achieve all).

#ScribesAndMakers – 9th Oct. Our next featured creator is a ...

2026-10-08T23:04:59Z

#ScribesAndMakers – 9th Oct. Our next featured creator is a 'relentless optimist.' How full is your glass?

Depends on the day 🤣 Usually it’s at the ¾ full mark (unless my cancer side effects have made their presence known).

#WritersCoffeeClub - 8th Oct. Tell us about someone who supports ...

2026-10-08T08:49:23Z

#WritersCoffeeClub - 8th Oct. Tell us about someone who supports you on the sidelines.

My Beta reader, the woman who started me on this writing journey with her dare.

#ScribesAndMakers - 8th Oct. Our next featured creator is a poet, ...

2026-10-08T08:46:47Z

#ScribesAndMakers - 8th Oct. Our next featured creator is a poet, potter, author,
and crafter. Do you engage in multiple creative activities or stick to one?

Definitely multiple – author, artist, potter, toy-maker, baker, knitter, quilter, sculptor, etc, etc. The list goes on and on... :blobupsidedown:

#ScribesAndMakers – 7th Oct. Create a four-line rhyming poem ...

2026-10-07T05:00:06Z

#ScribesAndMakers – 7th Oct. Create a four-line rhyming poem that includes the word goose.

Something suspicious is on the hill;
I’m terrified it will kill.
I’ve checked it out; yes, I’m a dill.
Was my old grey goose just standing still.

#WritersCoffeeClub – 7th Oct. Does your editing process tend ...

2026-10-06T23:43:07Z

#WritersCoffeeClub – 7th Oct. Does your editing process tend towards addition or reduction?

Definitely both.

#WritersCoffeeClub - 6th Oct. What might an inattentive reader ...

2026-10-06T09:09:34Z

#WritersCoffeeClub - 6th Oct. What might an inattentive reader miss in your work?

The similarities of my heroines.

#ScribesAndMakers – 6th Oct. On a scale of 0-100, how much ...

2026-10-05T22:29:49Z

#ScribesAndMakers – 6th Oct. On a scale of 0-100, how much conflict (however you personally define it) is necessary for a compelling story?

I imagine a story would be rather dull if there was 0 conflict. It would depend on the genre: I tend to have around 50/50 but would expect higher in a thriller, mystery, etc.

#WritersCoffeeClub – 5th Oct. What haunts the narrative of your ...

2026-10-04T22:07:40Z

#WritersCoffeeClub – 5th Oct. What haunts the narrative of your current work?

Blood. It’s the pivot through the entire series I’m working on.

#ScribesAndMakers – 5th Oct. Excluding unfinished work, ...

2026-10-04T22:00:10Z

#ScribesAndMakers – 5th Oct. Excluding unfinished work, what's the longest it has taken you to complete a project?

Probably around 10 months from idea to submission.

#WritersCoffeeClub – 4th Oct. How isolated are your characters ...

2026-10-03T22:57:05Z

#WritersCoffeeClub – 4th Oct. How isolated are your characters in your current WIP?

They’re not isolated at all.

#ScribesAndMakers – 4th Oct. Do you include details in your ...

2026-10-03T22:56:31Z

#ScribesAndMakers – 4th Oct. Do you include details in your work that are important to you even though no one else will likely notice?

Probably but they’re so well-hidden even I don’t notice them.

#ScribesAndMakers - 3rd Oct. Is there a common thread throughout ...

2026-10-03T07:28:06Z

#ScribesAndMakers - 3rd Oct. Is there a common thread throughout your creative work (apart from the fact that you created it)?

All of my major characters in my books are aged between 50s & 60s.

#WritersCoffeeClub – 3rd Oct. How do you feel about spoilers? ...

2026-10-02T22:48:44Z

#WritersCoffeeClub – 3rd Oct. How do you feel about spoilers?

Not fond of them. But in saying that I have been known to sneak a peek at the last few pages of a book at times.

#WritersCoffeeClub – 2nd Oct. Do you have plans for your next ...

2026-10-01T22:37:26Z

#WritersCoffeeClub – 2nd Oct. Do you have plans for your next work yet?

Nope, but I imagine some idea will crop up without warning as it usually does.

#ScribesAndMakers – 2nd Oct. Do you think it's important ...

2026-10-01T22:36:40Z

#ScribesAndMakers – 2nd Oct. Do you think it's important for authors to use different pen names for different genres?

I guess it would depend on the genre differences. A romance and a mystery with romance could be the same pen name. Not sure if a gory murder and a sweet romance would work under the same name.

#WritersCoffeeClub – 2nd Oct. Do you have plans for your next ...

2026-10-01T06:27:17Z

#WritersCoffeeClub – 2nd Oct. Do you have plans for your next work yet?

Nope, but I imagine some idea will crop up when I least expect it.

#ScribesAndMakers – 1st Oct. Draw a fish and share it. (It ...

2026-10-01T06:24:54Z

#ScribesAndMakers – 1st Oct. Draw a fish and share it. (It doesn't have to be brilliant.)

Never drawn a fish … lol. Anyway I did a quick sketch of a clown fish that kind of looks startled for some reason.

#WritersCoffeeClub – 1st Oct. What are you hoping to achieve ...

2026-10-01T00:04:51Z

#WritersCoffeeClub – 1st Oct. What are you hoping to achieve this month?

Finishing the 1st drafts of at least 2 of my new series WIPs.

#ScribesAndMakers – 30th Sept. What was the last song you ...

2026-09-30T01:17:40Z

#ScribesAndMakers – 30th Sept. What was the last song you listened to?

Pavarotti - E lucevan le stelle

#WritersCoffeeClub – 30th Sept. Where did this month's ...

2026-09-29T22:51:34Z

#WritersCoffeeClub – 30th Sept. Where did this month's writing take you?

Into my world of modern business people who happen to be vampires.

#WritersCoffeeClub – 29th Sept. Talk about something with your ...

2026-09-29T22:50:28Z

#WritersCoffeeClub – 29th Sept. Talk about something with your work this month you're really proud of.

Not sure I’d say proud, I wrote, I enjoyed it.

#ScribesAndMakers - 29th Sep. What fruit do you like best for a ...

2026-09-29T10:55:55Z

#ScribesAndMakers - 29th Sep. What fruit do you like best for a still life?

Still life don't really interest me. I paint nudes, portraits, seascapes.

#ScribesAndMakers – 28th Sept. How satisfied are you with the ...

2026-09-28T04:02:41Z

#ScribesAndMakers – 28th Sept. How satisfied are you with the creative work you've done this month?

Quite pleased. I’ve been working on the four books I started in the new series (bk 1 of 5 is completed). One of them is close to finishing the 1st draft. I’ve written chapters for the other 3 whenever ideas come into my head along way.

#WritersCoffeeClub – 28th Sept. Could you work without the ...

2026-09-28T00:40:06Z

#WritersCoffeeClub – 28th Sept. Could you work without the internet? What would change?

I grew up long before the internet was a thing (and before personal computers. My sister worked for an insurance company and their ‘computer’ took up a whole floor and worked via punch-cards).
If no internet I’d simply drag out my typewriter, my fountain pen and paper. The only thing that would be a pain is backup saving of work on Dropbox, my laptop, an external hard drive, and a USB (been caught once, lost 67000k MS).
Also the ease of submitting work to my publisher via email would mean printing it out and sending it snail mail. I could manage but I’d miss a few things.

#ScribesAndMakers – 27th Sept. Was there a time you got stuck ...

2026-09-28T00:31:34Z

#ScribesAndMakers – 27th Sept. Was there a time you got stuck this month? If so, how did you get through it?

Not that I can think of. I’ve been forcing myself to take weekends off from writing but I keep finding myself writing in my head, especially bits where I wasn’t certain the direction heading.

#WritersCoffeeClub - 27th Sep. How much time passes between ...

2026-09-27T08:24:36Z

#WritersCoffeeClub - 27th Sep. How much time passes between sitting down to write
and actually writing?

Maybe 30 minutes.
Generally check my emails (if only get rid of the usual spam), read through Mastodon
posts, check if the volcano in Svartsengi, Iceland, has decided to erupt for the 10th time
(it hasn’t, despite land uprising & the most magma build-up since the first eruption in
late ’23), been following it daily since 2023 & caught several eruptions as they began.
After all that then I can begin to write.

#WritersCoffeeClub – 26th Sept. How does your faith feature in ...

2026-09-25T23:02:30Z

#WritersCoffeeClub – 26th Sept. How does your faith feature in your works?

It has entered in several books in various ways. I’m a Buddhist and have several tattoos representing my belief.
My heroines often have the same tattoos, some have ‘mentioned’ they follow a Buddhism doctrine.

#WritersCoffeeClub – 25th Sept. Talk about a communal writing ...

2026-09-24T22:49:36Z

#WritersCoffeeClub – 25th Sept. Talk about a communal writing project you worked on. How did it go?

Never done one. I doubt I actually could.

#ScribesAndMakers – 25th Sept. Our next featured creator uses a ...

2026-09-24T22:48:24Z

#ScribesAndMakers – 25th Sept. Our next featured creator uses a separate Fedi account dedicated to their book. Do you use different accounts for different creative purposes?

No, I only use the same one for all.

#WritersCoffeeClub – 24th Sept. Do you write primarily for ...

2026-09-23T22:58:26Z

#WritersCoffeeClub – 24th Sept. Do you write primarily for yourself or for a reader?

Definitely myself – and luckily a lot of readers enjoy the stories I write.

#ScribesAndMakers – 24th Sept. Our next featured creator will ...

2026-09-23T22:55:04Z

#ScribesAndMakers – 24th Sept. Our next featured creator will donate a portion of proceeds from book sales. Have you ever put proceeds from sales towards a cause you believe in?

Not from my books, but I have donated both several quilts and artworks for charity raffles.

#ScribesAndMakers - 23rd Sept. Choose a noun that is ...

2026-09-23T10:17:38Z

#ScribesAndMakers - 23rd Sept. Choose a noun that is representative of you as a creative person.

Introvert

#WritersCoffeeClub – 23th Sept. What "little thing" ...

2026-09-23T05:43:48Z

#WritersCoffeeClub – 23th Sept. What "little thing" really helps you write?

Tea, or coffee

#ScribesAndMakers – 22nd Sept. Promotion day. Self or someone ...

2026-09-22T05:26:57Z

#ScribesAndMakers – 22nd Sept. Promotion day. Self or someone else. Or both.

Self promotion… Looking for something to read? Something hot and spicy? Something with older, mature characters?
https://www.evernightpublishing.com/suzy-shearer/
Amazon, B&N, Apple, Kobo, and most major online bookstores worldwide.

#WritersCoffeeClub – 22nd Sept. What's the latest in the ...

2026-09-22T05:24:19Z

#WritersCoffeeClub – 22nd Sept. What's the latest in the writing process you've found a mistake?

Going through what I'd written earlier and one phrase stuck out ...
...told him she was a Trauma Sturgeon and well-respected by nurses and doctors alike....

I decided I'd very much like to see one in the operating theatre.

#WritersCoffeeClub - 20th Sep. Share an analogy that really stuck ...

2026-09-20T05:07:53Z

#WritersCoffeeClub - 20th Sep. Share an analogy that really stuck with you.

I always found this funny whenever I reread Moving Pictures by Terry Pratchett.
"...the same prospects of long term employment as a pogo stick tester in a minefield"

The Disc world books are filled with such treasures.

#WritersCoffeeClub - 11th Sep. What's a part of your process ...

2026-09-11T06:46:01Z

#WritersCoffeeClub - 11th Sep. What's a part of your process you'd give free advertising to?

Probably Scrivener, been using it for years and love it.

#WritersCoffeeClub – 8th Sept. ...

2026-09-08T01:11:01Z

#WritersCoffeeClub – 8th Sept. 𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘓𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘺 𝘋𝘢𝘺! Share a moment when a reading of your work surprised you.⁣
⁣
If you mean at a ‘reading function’ in front of an audience – never done one (and never will). If you mean me re-reading something I wrote? I was going through some old WIPs a while back and one I looked through it. Yes it surprised me.⁣
I thought ‘what a load of pretentious garbage!’ and promptly shoved it back into the WIPs folder where is will probably never see the light of day again. 🤣

#WritersCoffeeClub – 8th Sept. International Literacy Day! ...

2026-09-08T01:09:21Z

#WritersCoffeeClub – 8th Sept. International Literacy Day! Share a moment when a reading of your work surprised you.

If you mean at a ‘reading function’ in front of an audience – never done one (and never will). If you mean me re-reading something I wrote? I was going through some old WIPSs a while back and one I looked through it. Yes it surprised me.
I thought ‘what a load of pretentious garbage!’ and promptly shoved it back into the WIPs folder where is will probably never see the light of day again. 🤣

#ScribesAndMakers – 8th Sept. Gauge? Weather or whether?

2026-09-08T01:01:09Z

#ScribesAndMakers – 8th Sept. Gauge?

Weather or whether?

#WritersCoffeeClub – 7th Sept. What's something you thought ...

2026-09-07T07:32:29Z

#WritersCoffeeClub – 7th Sept. What's something you thought would help your workflow, but didn't work out?

I’m very much a weird type of pantser. I’ve tried to pre-plan but it never works. I generally have no idea of a story, usually only have one main character and it flows(?) from that person.
Then because I use, and love, Scrivener I got an email from the same company about Scapple, a freeform mind-mapping for writers. Figured I try the free trial.
Turns out my mind will never appreciate being mapped. So after just one try it was completely useless to me.

#ScribesAndMakers – 7th Sept. What 'character' (letter, ...

2026-09-06T22:19:43Z

#ScribesAndMakers – 7th Sept. What 'character' (letter, number, symbol, punctuation, space) would make a great main character?

* because it’s already a star… :blobcatgiggle:

#ScribesAndMakers – 6th Sept. Have you ever listened to an ...

2026-09-06T00:15:56Z

#ScribesAndMakers – 6th Sept. Have you ever listened to an audiobook where the reader had a good voice, but not the 'right' voice?

My mind tends to wander off when I try to listen to audiobooks so I no longer bother with them.

#WritersCoffeeClub – 6th Sept. If you work digitally, what ...

2026-09-06T00:12:05Z

#WritersCoffeeClub – 6th Sept. If you work digitally, what keyboard or dictation do you use? If paper, what do you write with?

Digitally: Just a standard Laptop. ATM it’s a Lenovo Ideapad Pro5. If I have to go anywhere I take a Kobo Eclipsa 2e to write on then download it onto the Lenovo.

Paper: I use a fountain pen and notebook.

#WritersCoffeeClub – 4th Sept. If you work digitally, what ...

2026-09-03T22:32:35Z

#WritersCoffeeClub – 4th Sept. If you work digitally, what application do you use? If analog, what do you write on?

Digitally - I use Scrivener, been using it for years and love it. I do have to convert to a .docx when I submit to my publisher.
Analog – fountain pen & notebook

#ScribesAndMakers – 4th Sept. Reverse of last month's ...

2026-09-03T22:29:57Z

#ScribesAndMakers – 4th Sept. Reverse of last month's question: if e-books stopped being produced, how much would you miss them?

Zero!

#WritersCoffeeClub – 3rd Sept. How does what you read influence ...

2026-09-03T06:59:48Z

#WritersCoffeeClub – 3rd Sept. How does what you read influence what you write?

Don’t think it does – I read gory serial killer fiction and write romance.

#ScribesAndMakers – 2nd Sept. How do you think where you live ...

2026-09-02T01:05:29Z

#ScribesAndMakers – 2nd Sept. How do you think where you live affects your creative work?

I live in a quiet suburb on the mid north coast of NSW, my property is filled with native plants so I have continual birds all day.
It’s calm and peaceful except when the Sulphur-crested cockies, the Noisy Miners (yes that's their name & accurate description), the Rainbow Lorikeets, or the Black cockies arrive then it’s noisy bedlam.
Thankfully the Crested Pigeons, other honeyeaters, & Pied Butcherbirds are relative quiet in comparison.

#WritersCoffeeClub – 31st Aug. How did this month go for you, ...

2026-08-31T01:18:07Z

#WritersCoffeeClub – 31st Aug. How did this month go for you, writing-wise?

Rather productive. Completed two MSs to the penultimate draft stage, submitted one MS to publisher (the nervous haunting of inbox will now start for the next 12 weeks), and began 5 new WIPs.

#WritersCoffeeClub – 30th Aug. What has your writing taught you ...

2026-08-30T02:21:08Z

#WritersCoffeeClub – 30th Aug. What has your writing taught you this month?

That I simply can’t stop starting new WIPs before I finish all the many I already have.

#WritersCoffeeClub – 29th Aug. Share some of the last things ...

2026-08-30T00:28:57Z

#WritersCoffeeClub – 29th Aug. Share some of the last things you looked up for what you’re working on now.

How long does blood last in storage?
Common male & female names in Spain during the 1500s
Costs of luxury SUVs
Palatial estates close to London
Penthouse in London
Great names for a dog groomer

#ScribesAndMakers – 29th Aug. At age 11, our TTMD guest ...

2026-08-30T00:18:46Z

#ScribesAndMakers – 29th Aug. At age 11, our TTMD guest answered 'What do you want to be when you grow up?' with 'Author.' Do you know what you wanted to be at 11?

An anthropologist.

#ScribesAndMakers - 27th Aug. Tell a story, real or fictional, ...

2026-08-28T01:28:54Z

#ScribesAndMakers - 27th Aug. Tell a story, real or fictional, about an object on your desk/work area.

Every time I see this I imagine it must be like a Roman Coliseum with the Doctor Who cast watching Dinosaurs fight - Albert is the referee.

#WritersCoffeeClub – 26th Aug. What are good examples of texts ...

2026-08-26T06:48:56Z

#WritersCoffeeClub – 26th Aug. What are good examples of texts written from a non-human point of view?

Look at any SciFi or paranormal. There’s aliens, vampires, werewolves, monsters, etc.
Then there are books written with animals – think Watership Downs, Black Beauty, even The Jungle Book.

#ScribesAndMakers – 26th Aug. Describe how it feels to be ...

2026-08-26T06:47:10Z

#ScribesAndMakers – 26th Aug. Describe how it feels to be "locked in" to your work.

You’d have to ask my characters – they’re the ones who lock me in snd dictate when I can leave.

If you'd like to know what I'm working on at the moment, ...

2026-08-25T22:34:42Z

If you'd like to know what I'm working on at the moment, check out my latest blog post.
https://www.suzyshearer.com/single-post/a-fruitful-month

#WritersCoffeeClub – 25th Aug. Can a story be told from the ...

2026-08-25T22:32:40Z

#WritersCoffeeClub – 25th Aug. Can a story be told from the point of view of something unconscious?

Depends what’s unconscious. A person? Yes. A tree (unless it’s an Ent) – maybe not.

#WritersCoffeeClub – 24th Aug. Talk about a time you realised ...

2026-08-25T22:31:31Z

#WritersCoffeeClub – 24th Aug. Talk about a time you realised something about a writer through their works.

Although I still enjoy the Harry Potter series, I noticed a trend – the fat-shaming, bullying, etc. And of course now the author has really made me angry with her opinions in the LBGTQ+ community.