#ScribesAndMakers 21: Meaningful author quote?

Not an author per se, but let's go with Bob Ross: "As long as you're learning, you're not failing."

#ScribesAndMakers 22: Clothing someone made for you?

I was going to say no, then I remembered my knit hat that my grandma made for me over a decade ago, before her passing. I usually wear it every year, but for some reason it wasn't in the pocket of my winter coat this past November. Been wearing a different one. Hopefully it's just somewhere in the back of the closet, I like that hat.

#ScribesAndMakers 23: Garden, give anything away you grow?

I've mentioned before about my ability to kill all plants by forgetting to water them.

When I see discount cookies in the store, I buy them and bring them in to work for the department to share, that's my contribution.

#ScribesAndMakers 24: Work of science fiction you love?

Aside from my own temporal story, which I love for obvious reasons? ^^

Book is tough, one doesn't especially stand out. Others have gone series, for which I have to pick Stargate SG-1. It has a bit of everything (space & time travel, politics, morals, alternate universes) plus that urban fantasy "could be happening now" aspect. Along with plot escalations, tie-in novels, etc. Puts it marginally above Trek for me.

#ScribesAndMakers 25: The most important thing to bring on a creative retreat?

As many others have said, laptop. My typing speed far exceeds my writing, plus if I find I need to look up a tidbit, I tend to get stuck until it's resolved; I'm lousy at placeholders. Also, it contains music.

A butler would also be nice, to handle food and clothes and junk like that. But I guess that's an answer even without a retreat.

#ScribesAndMakers 26: Memorable live music experience?

I've performed at school XMas concerts before.

Audience-wise, there was a time I drove a couple hours with my wife to see a band in person we both liked. Also went to a BluesFest performance once. But nothing really memorable, and I generally find live concerts too loud.

If Victor Borge counts, I'm glad my parents took me to see one of his concerts before he passed.

#ScribesAndMakers 27: Good at threading needles?

I'd receive a passing grade. It's become more difficult the last couple of years as I get older. I'm currently adjusting to progressive lenses. But I can still sew badges on my daughter's uniform.

#ScribesAndMakers 28: Most stressful thing about your creativity?

That I'm probably not going to get it all out there, and maybe I'm choosing the wrong things to focus on.

I really hope the time travel story does well. I've got at least a half dozen other things I could be doing instead. I'm turning 50 later this year, and am bound to have more medical issues, not to mention mental ones as time progresses. Am I right to keep going with this?

#ScribesAndMakers 29: Most rewarding thing about creativity?

Exploring other facets of myself. I can amp up the queerness, tangent towards or away from things in RL, and make random references that only a handful of people will get.

This may be why, when I lack readership, it feels like a subtle rejection of not merely my writing or art, but me personally, and my philosophies. Which I suppose doesn't make a lot of sense, but there it is.

#ScribesAndMakers 30: Hogwash?

That would imply Log was l, Frog was Fr and Catalog was Catal. So, seems unlikely, even if you're trying some new pig latin. (Hog latin?)

#ScribesAndMakers 31: Creative work this month?

January's always an abysmal mess. Every year.

The one thing I can point to is taking time to update T&T for AO3 posting. Along with removing exclamation marks and renaming "Corry" to "Tori" (too many Cs), I added a sentence or two which I think helps the narrative. It's not nothing.

Time & Tied continues to update on Sundays and Wednesdays.

#ScribesAndMakers Feb 1: One creative thing for the month?

As February has the potential for more free time than the last two months put together, it would be nice to get through the Heather backstory part of "Untied", which I've been angling for since November. We'll see.

#ScribesAndMakers 2: Annual traditions aren't holidays?

My birthday, I suppose. Would be nice if it were a holiday. Or things like contributing to my daughter's RESP.

Many of the others (eg. my annual math parody) are linked to holidays.

#ScribesAndMakers 3: A creative project to give someone for their birthday?

Nope. My family isn't into my genre of thing, I rarely celebrate friend birthdays with more than a thumbs up, and I rarely have the time to create anyway.

#ScribesAndMakers 4: Comic strip/Webcomic?

I'm over five years out of date in reading, but:
-"It Never Rains" is a time travel related comic written by Kari Maaren. It's won Aurora Awards: https://www.itneverrainscomic.com/index.html

For some yuri:
-CHAMPS by Mharz. https://tapas.io/episode/759977
-The Cat, the Vine and the Victory by wnqs. https://www.webtoons.com/en/canvas/the-cat-the-vine-and-the-victory/list?title_no=82576

I was part of "Comic Tea Party" back in the late 2010s and read a ton of webcomics. Those are a couple I miss.

#ScribesAndMakers 5: You have the same occupation as the main character.

That would make me a university student, with no other part time job.

Funny enough, if I ever decide to write a third story in the set, the plan is to have Carrie become a teacher, effectively reversing the prompt. (The MC gaining the same occupation as the author.)

#ScribesAndMakers 6: Graphic novel: Art or words importance?

As many have said, you need both. But I'm going to buck the trend and lean on the words. Two reasons:
-Between something pretty but ultimately empty, and something meaningful that's blandly conveyed, I'd go with the second. Think xkcd. Art will elevate, but for me isn't the foundation.
-Picking the right words to both convey things and fit in the darn word balloons is non-trivial.

Granted, my art is weak, I may be biased, YMMV.

#ScribesAndMakers 7: #TTMD w/ @art_of_goulwenr

Clocking in 10pm EST with some questions:
-You say you're largely visual, so if there is dialogue, do you leave space for it, or do the whole image and then cover up a piece, something else?
-Opposite to @crcollins I remember 90% of my dreams. Are you in yours, then you recast/change that fact, or are you more watching things play out, or something else?
-Finally, anything you'd hoped to discuss that simply didn't come up? If so, go for it.

#ScribesAndMakers 8: Define a book?

In theory it's a bunch of written words (fiction or nonfiction), with or without illustration, which is different from a story. Meaning graphic novels fit and audio books don't.

In practice when does a "book" end and become its own sequel, and where do my serials even fit in. I dunno, YMMV, etc.

#ScribesAndMakers 9: Is 1 the loneliest number?

No, zero probably takes that. Mathematically, it's the only "whole number" (between natural and integer sets), it's often confused for "nothing" ("the limit does not exist" does not mean zero), and in a larger number, it's seen as a placeholder allowing for 10, 100, etc.

I don't even have a polynomial character for degree zero, though Lyn has a vertical form. It's a webcomic!
https://tapas.io/series/Any-Q/info

#ScribesAndMakers 10: Out of character creativity, challenging assumptions?

Not sure, as I'm rather all over the map. If we assume I primarily write fantasy serials, attempt drawing art and do song parodies... which of the following seems most out of character? (Based on that blurb, or my bio.) All are true, incidentally.

#ScribesAndMakers 11: Birthday song?

Add me to those puzzled by mention of the Beatles. Is it someone's birthday, incidentally?

I only know the standard song and have no desire to branch out. However, my wife's side is French, and they have a whole different song... I can never remember the lyrics.

I try to join in for the "que ces quelques fleurs, vous apportent le bonheur". Yeah, here it is:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gNOW2knM34

#ScribesAndMakers 12: Guffaw?

I won't take any of your guff, no matter how much you say "awwww".

#ScribesAndMakers 13: How well do you sing?

Quite well, I was in a choir for years, performed in musicals, and ended up with a music minor as part of my degree. When my department at work heard me sing 'Happy Birthday' for someone, I abruptly became the birthday singer in perpetuity.

Don't take my word for it though, here's a sample from about 10 years ago when I was singing math:
https://youtu.be/G16uv0zEXYo?si=VLMF8gV0ccqiaXhp&t=310

#ScribesAndMakers 14: Creative things this month?

Done more writing this month than the last three months combined. But that's pretty typical for February, when I gain more free time, so nothing to get too excited over. (Though I suppose I could have slacked off.) We'll see if it continues.

#ScribesAndMakers 15: Hashtag's first birthday, cake?

Did not realize it had been a year (obvious if you read my confusion with prompt 11). Congratulations!

Know what I'm going to do? Introduce you to Dylan Hollis, queer social media personality and baker. Try and guess whether this Pinto Bean Cake will be any good.

You're welcome.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/mbob-hscO6Y

#ScribesAndMakers 16: Favourite decade of music?

Nope. Growing up in the 80s and 90s I listened to 60s too and thought it was neat. These days I mostly keep current but still listen to older radio stations.

I couldn't even tell you what decade half the songs on my playlists are even from.

#ScribesAndMakers 17: Memory of past SAM prompt?

Prompt answers rarely linger for me. That said, I amused myself the time I became Rapunzel.

https://wandering.shop/@QuasiTemporal/115595121659891442

#ScribesAndMakers 18: Have you ever done your own cover?

All the time. My webcomic had a cover page for each series that I would draw (below), Epsilon had an image on the main link page, and I have even slapped something together for "Time Untied" (below).

Are they GOOD? Not really.

Best cover is probably the commissioned art of my MC, to which I added the "Time & Tied" title. I might commission something to use again in future.

#ScribesAndMakers 19: Gaming affect creativity?

Half the characters in my "Epsilon" serials are from RPGs that ended, but then I wanted to keep the character around. These were either D&D dice style, or online MUXes. So that's a pretty big influence.

I've never been DM/GM though, so as far as plots go, nope. At least, no known direct inspiration from any game plots (visual novels or otherwise).

#ScribesAndMakers 20: Misconception in popular media that bothers you?

That's a difficult one, mostly because:
-I'm not sure I know what is currently "popular" media
-I automatically emotionally disassociate, meaning it's damn hard to "bother" me

Someone's mentioned the 10% of the brain one, that is annoying. Then there's the vaccine/autism study that was thoroughly debunked, yet a belief persists. Finally, sugar doesn't cause hyperactivity. They've done randomized controlled trials on that.

#ScribesAndMakers 21: #TTMD w/ @Firlefanz

Still 10pm for me, so first question is about the avatar. Not a wolf, dragon or person, thus what does the horse represent? (Apologies if it's an obvious thing I missed.)

Also, the buildup mentioned gaming. What sort of gaming, fantasy? Do you ever find it more of a distraction?

Finally, anything else you felt like delving into that didn't happen to come up.

#ScribesAndMakers 22: A line from a book you wrote, and from two others. Which is mine?

A. We're to text each other immediately if we get any ideas or notice any problems in the timeline.

B. I don't suppose we could just time-travel over there? We don't seem limited spatially when doing it.

C. Whatever I do, it's already happened, yeah? It's not like I can change the past.

#ScribesAndMakers 23: Line poll

The thought of needing other lines concerned me, but then I remembered #TimeTravelAuthors does quotes every couple weeks, so I used that.

A was @juliebihn ; I don't use texting much.

B was @NaraMoore ; I often have rules about moving through space

C was me from a short story anthology. I do tend to have characters argue about fate and paradox.

I did think all were plausible. The voting seems to back that up. Thanks for playing along!

#ScribesAndMakers 24: Something you learned about one community member's creativity?

Sincere apologies, but most of this tends to flow through my brain day to day with little of it sticking long term. I very possibly re-learn things I already knew. Everyone's amazing.

Today I learned @saposcat has an impressive memory, and re-learned that the people who organize this are both clever (seriously, did not pick up on the birthday thing) and dedicated.

#ScribesAndMakers 25: Stream process/work creation?

Oh, I probably would, because I've done a bunch of things online that could be considered stupid, including my song parodies.

However, it's probably not in your best interests I do, because my random outbursts aren't as interesting as they sound. And it's probably not in my best interests either, because someone out there would take offense at the smallest thing and harass me. I don't need more stress.

#ScribesAndMakers 26: Abandon creative projects?

Frequently. Usually because others aren't interacting with them and wouldn't seem to miss them. Rarely because I stopped enjoying them myself, but did have other projects to attend to. I always try to leave off at an endpoint.

Examples include personified math (serial, revived as webcomic, shelved again), Epsilon (less than 5 votes on plot) and Marmalade Mercury (revived 18 years later and completed).

#ScribesAndMakers 27: Splat?

The name of the cat in the series of books by Rob Scotton? My daughter read them more a year ago, less so of late.

#ScribesAndMakers 28: How was Feb?

More productive than the last three months combined (despite being shorter), but that's pretty much par for the course after we've achieved semester turnaround.

In brief, actual writing occurred on at least four separate occasions, resulting in getting through a couple scenes. Meanwhile, the AO3 repost continues.

#ScribesAndMakers Mar 1: How much creative time this month?

Eh. Work will be busier than February, but there's March Break, but I'll be spending that as a full time Dad as my wife works.

Maybe the same as last month, meaning I could get through a couple more scenes.