Creative geek: maker of music and synths, casual artist, programmer/analyst, wrangler of foundations of physics, fiction writer.
Not related to my day job (tech writer, content strategist, software developer).
| My website | https://johnvalentine.co.uk |
#ScribesAndMakers Apr5. Could you do a scrapbook accompanying your current creative process?
I create notes in Markdown, which take any unformed ideas. I might occasionally do a concept sketch.
However, I've been caught in a procrastination process, whereby I avoid doing actual writing, and instead flow through derived creative works. Sometimes (only sometimes) do they inform the story. If the story ever 'made it', then it would make good hype material :)
#WritersCoffeeClub 5 Apr
How can the physical form of the writing become part of the storytelling?
4/3: Alternative media
Some of my design notes include media that doesn't make the cut, or is concept art for my fun. However, there's no reason why, we shouldn't strive as artists for a multimedia experience.
I've seen this done really effectively with 'SMP' vods (Fable, for example) that combine in-game canvas with occasional live action also, and involve the audience through chat and forums.
#WritersCoffeeClub 5 Apr
How can the physical form of the writing become part of the storytelling?
3/3: Accessibility
The formatting and structure need to translate well to accessible formats like read-aloud tools, Braille, or other media like screenplays or film (should that opportunity present itself!)
So while it's interesting to do different things with the medium, divergence from trad form is non-inclusive. There again, it would take some work to make it accessible: a worthy price.
#WritersCoffeeClub 5 Apr
How can the physical form of the writing become part of the storytelling?
2/3: Structure
This seems slightly off-topic, but I'll try in case it's on-topic.
I divide my works into chapters and scenes/places/times. The scenes I just style as a centered *. Longer works also get 'parts'. That's conventional.
In the past, I've analysed my longer works for 'pace' and 'length' on a graph, which was insightful into the pacing.
#WritersCoffeeClub 5 Apr
How can the physical form of the writing become part of the storytelling?
1/3
This is nuanced. I'll split my answer into: 1. typography
2. structure
3. accessibility
1. I love using typography to denote thinking voices or characters, while avoiding the cruft of "they said"s and similar wrapping.
It also packages the words in a voice and tone, and is delightfully minimal for a snappy interchange of words.
#wordweavers 5 How would the character from Q4 react to being invited?
Unless it's a formal occasion, my Emperor would likely politely have one of his court decline the personal invitation. Then the Emperor would attend in disguise, if the intrigue and subterfuge had sufficient benefits.
The other 'good' aspect of a storm, is that my electrivity supplier is paying me £0.11-ish per kWh to USE electicity, so I'm on gratuitous electric heating for many hours, at 22 deg C. I'm usually at 18.
The reasons are complicated, and still linked to marginal pricing, and the ridiculous scenario where generators are paid to NOT generate electricity while unsustainable fossil operators have contracts to still provide base power, because it's expensive to switch them off and on again. Nonsense!
A storm on a long holiday weekend lets me do some investigative 'draught sniffing' so I can perhaps need less heating for the house.
Unfortunately, it looks like my sources of draught are:
- Behind secured bathroom or kitchen units, where the plumbing pokes through the wall.
- The chimney above the gas fire I'm not using.
- Windows where hinge mechanisms are broken and have gaps. I'm replacing these, for £££!, but in the meantime, I've inserted foam adjacent (but not between) parts.
I edited the paper. It's clearer in a few ways.
If there's anything that can be taken away from this, it's a prediction:
"However, we do not claim a unified field, only a unified mechanism, and that the unification energy is at whatever radius
the fermion can collapse, which is any length above Planck-length * (0.25 − 4e-18)"
#WordWeavers Day 4. Choose a character to invite to a party. What kind of party is it? Does it have special rules (dress code, bring alcohol, etc.)?
My emperor character would find a way to sneak in, disguised as an ordinary citizen.
He's done this in many different contexts (some are major plot points, so no spoilers!). He has people who can do this for him, but now he's made it to an over-ripe age, some folk regognize his limp and heavy disguise, and play along but with changed behaviour.