As an American it's illegal for me to encourage you to participate in one of these, so consider this as just an FYI. Do with this information what you will

[update: looks like it's only illegal for unions to promote one, not necessarily individuals]

https://www.rawstory.com/date-announced-for-national-strike-aimed-at-crippling-trump-no-work-no-school/

#strike #usPol #may1 #mayDay #laborPower #shutdown

#WritersCoffeeClub 29Mar—Share one of your writing milestones.

My MIL works in a school. I donated copies of my MG story, which many kids have read/are reading. Recently, I was invited to speak to her class about it.

The kids asked a bunch of questions about the story itself, and writing in general. I even helped them with their own narrative assignments.

Two weeks later, I got an envelope of thank you notes from the students. Some even drew the characters. I'll cherish them forever. 🥰

#WritersCoffeeClub 3/29. Share one of your writing milestones.

Eight years ago today, I received my first payment for books sold (on Amazon). It was for $128. I bought two pair of badly needed shoes and told the sales clerk to throw my old, falling-apart shoes in the trash.

29 Griddle?
Pancakes.
The smell lingered on the griddle. There'd been a few left on the table and he was tempted to sit down and eat them after he'd finished the job, but that would've been unprofessional. He'd resisted the last few diners, still too close to the scene, but he could wait no more. He parked across two spots, his tail end jutting out. He slammed the shifter into park, turned off the ignition, and shoved the keys into his pocket as he ran inside like he was about to wet himself.
"Pancakes!"
After a brief start, the greeter laughed and said, "Someone's hungry today! Is it just you, or will someone be joining you?"
"Pancakes!" he repeated.
"Okay, then." She raised her eyebrows at some imagined confidant who understood what customer service is like. "This way."
He followed her to a booth and once again demanded "Pancakes!"
"Your waiter will be with you soon."
He scanned the room like a predator, locked in on a Lumberjack Breakfast a few tables away, and rushed it like a lineman on an unguarded quarterback.
"Hey!" said the little girl, jabbing his hand with her fork. "Those are mine!"
Her dumbfounded parents looked from their daughter to the man and back again, unsure which one they should scold.
He rubbed his hand and smiled down at the girl, nodding appreciatively.
"Pancakes," he said, as if they shared a secret language.
He drove back to the scene, professionalism be damned. They were cold, but still good.
He smiled.
"Pancakes."

#ScribesAndMakers

I don't know how many #writers here live in #Melbourne, #Australia, but on the odd chance you do; I'm organising a casual Writers Lunch and you're invited!

When: 12.30pm, April 26th.

Where: an outdoor bar in the CBD, which will have heating if its cold, and likely a table under cover.

Conversation will be casual, and is likely to involve #writing, authoring and bookish, as well as social things.

Let me know if you're interested in joining us!

The 'us' being 4 fiction writers, so far.

I finally figured out the name of one of my all-time favorite books of my childhood and got SUPER excited to reread it and... it's out of print and I can't find it anywhere :(

If anyone has a copy of One Hundred and Eight Bells, please let me know.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3701871-one-hundred-and-eight-bells

#ScribesAndMakers 28 Does your day job (past or present) influence your creativity?

Had a busy day yesterday, so I’m playing catch up today.

When I retired from being an aquarium writer I wrote a book called Aquatical Latin which explored the etymology behind the scientific names of reef fishes. This was something I revisited in my urban fantasy series, where I attempted to apply the same idea by creating a taxonomy of supernatural creatures.

#Bookstodon #WritersOfMastodon #Author #Novel