Writerly Ways
Mar. 8th, 2026 08:22 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cornerofmadnessMade it to PA. Forgot my damn onion sets for the parents. Guess I'll be growing onions... And I didn't even bid at ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
fandomtrumpshate didn't realize it was that fast and I'm slightly salty about that. We didn't even get half a weekend to deal with this. Yes there were other days but jobs are a thing and so is time. Oh well. Oddly I don't really care that much. I can whip my money to charities on my own and there is always next year. Hope all my friends who DID manage to manage their time better than me got good requests and got the ones you were bidding on.
I have no thoughts for the writing side of things but I do have Ezio's character sheet done. Been noodling it (and letting it show me where the world building needs to happen) Ezio wasn't meant to be a central character but at this point I see 2 overarching story arcs and his is one. We meet him almost immediately after one of his dancers is murdered. I'd love opinions on this if you have time.
NAME: Ezio ‘Easy’ Zucca
GENDER: male (gender fluid)
ETHNICITY: Arezzian (with a touch of Varga)
AGE: 28
HAIR: dark brown, wavy, worn to the shoulder but he loves wigs. He has many, male and female in a multitude of colors
EYES: very dark brown
HEIGHT: 6’1”
SKIN TONE: olive tone
BUILD: He is toned but not overly muscled. He is used to performing mostly naked so he keeps his body in good shape
FEATURES: has high cheek bones, long lashes and full lips, androgynous appearance. He has removed his facial hair with herbal scrubs because his 5 o’clock shadow ruined the illusion.
FAMILY: Vanni (older brother), Oria (younger sister), eventually need to name two older brothers, parents and unknown to Easy he has nieces and nephews
1. Do they have any tattoos or piercings? Double pierced ears He has a crescent moon birthmark on his left hip (which is actually a brand mark), no tattoos
2. What kind of clothes do they wear? Easy is genderfluid and he dresses for business in a variety of ways. If he is performing, it might be in silky undies and not much else, might be a gown or a corset. If he’s going to a meeting with other business heads in town he’s more likely to put on a pinstriped suit. He is a clothes horse and he is known for being flashy. He does know how to dress to not be noticed and will if he needs to
3. Any scars? How did they get them? Easy is a healer and has removed any and all scars except one. The crescent moon on his hip is a brand and when he tried to remove it, his former owner beat him nearly to death and rebranded it. Now he leaves it as a form of kinship with others trafficked by that man.
4. What family do they have? Easy grew up in Seaglass until he was 8 years old. He remembers his older brother Vanni and younger sister Renza with fondness. There is less than 3 years between them. His two older brothers were bullies and his father an outright monster. Mom was a refuge. Even at that age, he knew Dad was a mob boss and so when he was kidnapped, he waited and waited for his father to rain hell down on the men who were hurting him. And waited for the rescue that was never going to come.
5. What is their relationship with their family? He hasn’t heard from them since he was 8 and in the last 21 years he hasn’t searched them out, feeling so betrayed that no one saved him and he had lived through a decade of sexual trafficking as a result. He has occasionally given thought to finding Vanni and Renza but assumes that Vanni is too much like their father after all this time. Maybe He will look for them one day
6. Place of birth? Seaglass
7. Where do they live? In the capitol city
8. Where have they lived? Just those two cities
9. What is their job? He owns a burlesque house and a registered brothel. He is an exclusive courtesan. He is also part owner of a few bars, has set up rescue/recovery homes for trafficked sex workers (especially children) and is in the process of going in on the building of an amusement park. He has amassed a small fortune in just a few years.
10. Do they have any specialist training? Qualifications? He’s been a sex worker since he was 8 after being kidnapped and sold. He’s grown up in the sex industry
11. Do they have a natural talent for something? He has healing magic. He also apparently has a good head for business and he has extensive erotic knowledge so he’s good at that.
12. Do they like to travel? He’s only been free for the last several years of his life and he’s been too busy building his empire. He might actually be a little afraid to travel.
13. Where is their favourite place? His own home. He spent so much time not feeling safe that he loves his sense of safety there. He’s also fond of the Sanctuary the Sisterhood has overlooking the lake. This is where he was taken after his escape and healed/got sober. He finds the Sisterhood of the Goddess (not actual name. Need something better) to be honest in their dedication to healing body and soul and enlists their help when he has newly rescued sex workers
14. Who is their best friend – or friends? Ezio is mistrustful of most people. He was friends with Phoenix (who dies in the opening paragraphs), He likes Asha and I need to come up with at least one more person he rescues people with and one psychologist/sister as well. He will become friends with Liliana but his closest friend currently is Remo Shooting Star, his band director/musician who works his burlesque club among others. Remo is in high demand.
15. Who was their best friend/s as a child? He barely remembers them. Vanni and Oria are who he remembers playing with
16. What happened to those friends? Ezio was moved cross country at age 8 and wasn’t freed until he was 21. He hasn’t looked for any of those kids. He can’t imagine they’d remember her or want to know him now.
17. Does this character like him/herself? Boy that is complicated. For the most part he does like himself now. He knows he has things to be proud of. He has survived so much trauma. But he also suffers from insecurities and self doubt. Sometimes he sees himself as little more than a dumb whore even though he knows he’s so much more. He’s not sure why anyone would want to be his friend or his boyfriend.
18. Are they in good health? As a healer, he is very healthy with the exception of his mental health. Ezio has complex PTSD, anxiety and depression among other mental health issues.
19. Any minor health issues? none
20. Favourite food? Not sure he has one, he likes to experiment
21. Food they don't like? Easy chooses not to think about food in these terms. His owners were controlling about food and his weight.
22. Favourite book? Probably should have trimmed some of these out, don’t work well in fantasy settings. He wasn’t allowed to read and doesn’t have good skills. He’s working on that. He hired tutors so now he’s pretty good at it. He likes mysteries and scary stories.
23. Favourite soft drink? Doesn’t do soft drinks unless you count coffee.
24. Alcoholic drink of choice? Whatever will make a statement at the time. He tries not to drink much.
25. Favourite movie/film/play? Again fantasy setting but film has started and he is a fan. He does not like porn as he was forced into it when he was enslaved.
26. Any hobbies or pastimes? Meditation and I see the sisters having something like a mix of tai chi/yoga that he’s into. He loves to dance
27. Do they play any sports? He’s never played any and isn’t much interested
28. What might this person do in their spare time? He rarely has any but he is working on his reading skills and he loves gardens and is now working with a friend to build an amusement park.
29. What would be a great gift for this person? Good question. He doesn’t trust people enough to be gift exchanging. Something meaningful to the few friendships he has
30. Do they have any pets? He has a clowder of cats. Only Honeybunny is named right now.
31. Favourite childhood pet? He doesn’t remember having one.
32. Can they drive? Do they have a favourite vehicle? Cars are new to this world, maybe about 20-30 years. He does drive and he has a driver depending on what he needs to be doing. His car is flashy AF because Easy is the same. I’m not sure what the cars look like. I was thinking about that on my long drive. Yes this is dieselpunk but it doesn’t need to be a blow by blow recreation of the 1920s. That said I love the 20-30s cars. I’ll have to research his car.
33. Idiosyncrasies? Easy uses his sexual energy as armor. The more uncomfortable he is, the more he flirts. He absolutely will stop if he sees someone is uncomfortable unless he hates the person. His emotions aren’t entirely stable. He loves to amp up drama if he doesn’t like you. So yeah, he can be a jackass.
34. Most embarrassing thing that ever happened to him? To him, his life from age 8-21 is an embarrassment but that’s not really the right word. He knows none of what happened to him was his fault and if someone throws his past in his face he will retaliate often violently. He’s not one to get embarrassed by much these days.
35. Are they more optimistic or pessimistic? Cautiously optimistic, is that a thing
36. Are they introverted or extroverted? Very extroverted but does value alone time too
37. How do they display affection? Ezio struggles with hypersexuality after his upbringing. However that is mostly for show. He freezes up with someone he actually likes. He doesn’t know how to appropriately show affection so he suppresses everything. He has never really been with anyone where it hasn’t been transactional. He doesn’t know how to do that.
38. How do they react to praise? He’s very unused to it. He gets blushy and self deprecating.
39. How do they react to criticism? He pretends it rolls off him like water off an oiled coat. He does internalize it and tries to make changes if he thinks it was a valid criticism. Gets bitchy if it wasn’t.
40. What is their greatest fear? That he won’t ever be loved, that no one will ever take him seriously, that’ll he’ll always be that sex slave in everyone’s eyes. And his biggest fear is being made powerless again.
41. When was the last time they cried? After his last nightmare of his childhood
42. Would they prefer to be indoors or outdoors? He’s mostly an indoor sort but he loves gardens so if he’s outside that’s where he is
43. What is their best childhood memory? Playing with his brother and sister
44. What is their worst childhood memory? Being kidnapped and sold
45. Are they in a relationship? no
46. How do they behave in a relationship? He’s never really had one that has lasted more than a few days
47. Has your character ever been in love? Not really until recently. He’s not sure he knows what love is but he has feelings for Remo Shooting Star and has no idea what to do about it.
48. Have they ever had their heart broken? Yes but not in the romantic sense.
49. How do they respond to a threat? Depends on the threat. He might slyly work around it, he might act violently
50. What is their choice of weapon he’s adept with firearms. His father showed him at way to early on how to shoot. But he has a secret. He can use his healing magic to stop hearts and that is his real choice of weapon when he needs it. He has killed a good handful of sexual abusers.
51. What is their favourite animal? Cats. Dogs are nice and all but he loves cats.
52. Which animal to they dislike the most? Is a roach an animal? He’s not much into bugs
53. What is the most beautiful thing they have ever seen? Himself in the mirror after achieving sobriety. He would put the capitol gardens a close second.
54. What is on their bedside table? A book, probably a cat and a bedside lamp. In it people assume is all sex toys, condoms and lube but there isn’t. At home he’s alone.
55. What is in their bag/purse/wallet/pocket? He keeps his wallet light. He’s out mostly at night. He doesn’t want things taken from him. When he has a purse it has a compact, lipstick and a small brush for certain.
56. What is their most treasured possession? All of his businesses, still shocked he has this in his life now. And more importantly his performers and other employees. He considers many of them family.
57. Are they minimalist or a clutter hoarder? He’s somewhere between but leaning toward clutter.
58. What do they do first thing on a weekday morning? A prayer to the goddess and then coffee.
59. Are they comfortable with technology? He is curious about it. He doesn’t understand how any of it works but he’s an early adopter.
60. What is their most powerful memory? The day he was kidnapped and the day he freed himself.
61. What might they have for breakfast? Eggs cheese yogurt and/or pastry
62. Can they – do they like to – cook? He never learned. He has a cook.
63. What would you notice first about this character? He takes up space, he’s a presence. He’s handsome and flirty.
64. Favourite childhood toy. He can’t remember
65. Have they killed anyone? Who was the first? He killed Goran Jarven, the second in command in the sex trafficking group who had him, the one who did most of the damage to him directly. He answered to a man Ezio only knows as Corenten. He has killed other sex traffickers, especially ones who have dealt with kids.
66. What would be a good way for them to spend a day? He’d love to wander the garden or better yet, go to some music venue. He loves music and is always on the look out for what is new.
67. What was their first experience of death? Who, or what, was it? The other people who were in the brothel with him.
68. Do they have a hero or role model? The goddess and the Sisterhood (I need a good name for them)
69. Do they like music? What kind? Loves it. Music plays a big part of his life. He has a house band for the burlesque theater and for his bars. He is working with Maiwen a young woman lyricist/composer who has brought some of his ideas to life (he has no talent for song writing but has a lovely voice) Remo has also composed a lot of music for him. I am trying to decide what kind of music they have because just because this looks like 1925, doesn’t mean the music is. That said, Remo probably plays something along the lines of classic jazz
70. Do they have any birth marks, moles or freckles? The ‘birthmark’ crescent on his hip. Otherwise nothing remarkable.
71. Favourite cafe/restaurant/pub/public place? I need to make up a place or two for him. His burlesque club is the Midnight Rose and the brothel is the Rose Garden. I need to name his bar and wherever he likes to go. That is future world building.
72. Do they take any regular medication, or have any allergies or intolerance's? he’s taking something along the lines of lavender/ashwagandha etc for anxiety/depression. I just haven’t named it yet.
73. Is there something this person can't, or doesn't like, to do? He’s not good at taking a back seat to anyone.
74. Does this person have a dream or goal to achieve? His plan was to gain his freedom and be beholden to no one. He has achieved it. His continuing goal is to rescue victims of sex trafficking, getting them help and in the case of children back to their homes (provided they weren’t sold by their parents and/or running from them) or into a good home. His current side project is helping a friend fund an amusement park. He wants something fun for the kids. Easy believes children should get to be children. He did not.
Open Calls
The Best Noir Sci-Fi-Horror of 2026 Mixing speculative fiction and police or military stories
The Gren-Wode Stories based in the world and legends of Robin Hood
Savagery on the Salty Seas, Volume 1. Maritime-themed horror has a high word count
Solar Punk Magazine April 2026 Window Works that stir readers with themes of defiance, change, and achievement
Otherside April 2026 Window Speculative fiction, poetry, and nonfiction by self-identified members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community
Stone’s Throw April 2026 Window SCHOOLS OUT (FOREVER)
Ten Manuscript Publishers Open to Submissions in March 2026
45 Themed Submission Calls and Contests for March 2026
From Around the web
The Official Manuscript Wish List Website a wishlist from agents
Putting in the Work (from the woman who runs that author zoom I go to)
The Opening Mystery: Creating Curiosity before the Inciting Incident
Keep the audience engaged as you keep secrets.
Five Quick Ways to Level Up Your Manuscript
How to Write a Gripping Psychological Thriller
Embodied Writing: How to Get Out of Your Head and Into Your Story
How to Get and Keep Amazon Reviews Without Getting Banned
Goals, Conflicts, & Stakes: Why Plots Need All Three
Authors Guild Expands “Human Authored” Certification Program to All U.S. Authors
3 Common Mistakes Committed by Self-Published Novelists
nothing from Betty this week. I wasn't the only one with a con this weekend.
fandomtrumpshate didn't realize it was that fast and I'm slightly salty about that. We didn't even get half a weekend to deal with this. Yes there were other days but jobs are a thing and so is time. Oh well. Oddly I don't really care that much. I can whip my money to charities on my own and there is always next year. Hope all my friends who DID manage to manage their time better than me got good requests and got the ones you were bidding on.I have no thoughts for the writing side of things but I do have Ezio's character sheet done. Been noodling it (and letting it show me where the world building needs to happen) Ezio wasn't meant to be a central character but at this point I see 2 overarching story arcs and his is one. We meet him almost immediately after one of his dancers is murdered. I'd love opinions on this if you have time.
NAME: Ezio ‘Easy’ Zucca
GENDER: male (gender fluid)
ETHNICITY: Arezzian (with a touch of Varga)
AGE: 28
HAIR: dark brown, wavy, worn to the shoulder but he loves wigs. He has many, male and female in a multitude of colors
EYES: very dark brown
HEIGHT: 6’1”
SKIN TONE: olive tone
BUILD: He is toned but not overly muscled. He is used to performing mostly naked so he keeps his body in good shape
FEATURES: has high cheek bones, long lashes and full lips, androgynous appearance. He has removed his facial hair with herbal scrubs because his 5 o’clock shadow ruined the illusion.
FAMILY: Vanni (older brother), Oria (younger sister), eventually need to name two older brothers, parents and unknown to Easy he has nieces and nephews
1. Do they have any tattoos or piercings? Double pierced ears He has a crescent moon birthmark on his left hip (which is actually a brand mark), no tattoos
2. What kind of clothes do they wear? Easy is genderfluid and he dresses for business in a variety of ways. If he is performing, it might be in silky undies and not much else, might be a gown or a corset. If he’s going to a meeting with other business heads in town he’s more likely to put on a pinstriped suit. He is a clothes horse and he is known for being flashy. He does know how to dress to not be noticed and will if he needs to
3. Any scars? How did they get them? Easy is a healer and has removed any and all scars except one. The crescent moon on his hip is a brand and when he tried to remove it, his former owner beat him nearly to death and rebranded it. Now he leaves it as a form of kinship with others trafficked by that man.
4. What family do they have? Easy grew up in Seaglass until he was 8 years old. He remembers his older brother Vanni and younger sister Renza with fondness. There is less than 3 years between them. His two older brothers were bullies and his father an outright monster. Mom was a refuge. Even at that age, he knew Dad was a mob boss and so when he was kidnapped, he waited and waited for his father to rain hell down on the men who were hurting him. And waited for the rescue that was never going to come.
5. What is their relationship with their family? He hasn’t heard from them since he was 8 and in the last 21 years he hasn’t searched them out, feeling so betrayed that no one saved him and he had lived through a decade of sexual trafficking as a result. He has occasionally given thought to finding Vanni and Renza but assumes that Vanni is too much like their father after all this time. Maybe He will look for them one day
6. Place of birth? Seaglass
7. Where do they live? In the capitol city
8. Where have they lived? Just those two cities
9. What is their job? He owns a burlesque house and a registered brothel. He is an exclusive courtesan. He is also part owner of a few bars, has set up rescue/recovery homes for trafficked sex workers (especially children) and is in the process of going in on the building of an amusement park. He has amassed a small fortune in just a few years.
10. Do they have any specialist training? Qualifications? He’s been a sex worker since he was 8 after being kidnapped and sold. He’s grown up in the sex industry
11. Do they have a natural talent for something? He has healing magic. He also apparently has a good head for business and he has extensive erotic knowledge so he’s good at that.
12. Do they like to travel? He’s only been free for the last several years of his life and he’s been too busy building his empire. He might actually be a little afraid to travel.
13. Where is their favourite place? His own home. He spent so much time not feeling safe that he loves his sense of safety there. He’s also fond of the Sanctuary the Sisterhood has overlooking the lake. This is where he was taken after his escape and healed/got sober. He finds the Sisterhood of the Goddess (not actual name. Need something better) to be honest in their dedication to healing body and soul and enlists their help when he has newly rescued sex workers
14. Who is their best friend – or friends? Ezio is mistrustful of most people. He was friends with Phoenix (who dies in the opening paragraphs), He likes Asha and I need to come up with at least one more person he rescues people with and one psychologist/sister as well. He will become friends with Liliana but his closest friend currently is Remo Shooting Star, his band director/musician who works his burlesque club among others. Remo is in high demand.
15. Who was their best friend/s as a child? He barely remembers them. Vanni and Oria are who he remembers playing with
16. What happened to those friends? Ezio was moved cross country at age 8 and wasn’t freed until he was 21. He hasn’t looked for any of those kids. He can’t imagine they’d remember her or want to know him now.
17. Does this character like him/herself? Boy that is complicated. For the most part he does like himself now. He knows he has things to be proud of. He has survived so much trauma. But he also suffers from insecurities and self doubt. Sometimes he sees himself as little more than a dumb whore even though he knows he’s so much more. He’s not sure why anyone would want to be his friend or his boyfriend.
18. Are they in good health? As a healer, he is very healthy with the exception of his mental health. Ezio has complex PTSD, anxiety and depression among other mental health issues.
19. Any minor health issues? none
20. Favourite food? Not sure he has one, he likes to experiment
21. Food they don't like? Easy chooses not to think about food in these terms. His owners were controlling about food and his weight.
22. Favourite book? Probably should have trimmed some of these out, don’t work well in fantasy settings. He wasn’t allowed to read and doesn’t have good skills. He’s working on that. He hired tutors so now he’s pretty good at it. He likes mysteries and scary stories.
23. Favourite soft drink? Doesn’t do soft drinks unless you count coffee.
24. Alcoholic drink of choice? Whatever will make a statement at the time. He tries not to drink much.
25. Favourite movie/film/play? Again fantasy setting but film has started and he is a fan. He does not like porn as he was forced into it when he was enslaved.
26. Any hobbies or pastimes? Meditation and I see the sisters having something like a mix of tai chi/yoga that he’s into. He loves to dance
27. Do they play any sports? He’s never played any and isn’t much interested
28. What might this person do in their spare time? He rarely has any but he is working on his reading skills and he loves gardens and is now working with a friend to build an amusement park.
29. What would be a great gift for this person? Good question. He doesn’t trust people enough to be gift exchanging. Something meaningful to the few friendships he has
30. Do they have any pets? He has a clowder of cats. Only Honeybunny is named right now.
31. Favourite childhood pet? He doesn’t remember having one.
32. Can they drive? Do they have a favourite vehicle? Cars are new to this world, maybe about 20-30 years. He does drive and he has a driver depending on what he needs to be doing. His car is flashy AF because Easy is the same. I’m not sure what the cars look like. I was thinking about that on my long drive. Yes this is dieselpunk but it doesn’t need to be a blow by blow recreation of the 1920s. That said I love the 20-30s cars. I’ll have to research his car.
33. Idiosyncrasies? Easy uses his sexual energy as armor. The more uncomfortable he is, the more he flirts. He absolutely will stop if he sees someone is uncomfortable unless he hates the person. His emotions aren’t entirely stable. He loves to amp up drama if he doesn’t like you. So yeah, he can be a jackass.
34. Most embarrassing thing that ever happened to him? To him, his life from age 8-21 is an embarrassment but that’s not really the right word. He knows none of what happened to him was his fault and if someone throws his past in his face he will retaliate often violently. He’s not one to get embarrassed by much these days.
35. Are they more optimistic or pessimistic? Cautiously optimistic, is that a thing
36. Are they introverted or extroverted? Very extroverted but does value alone time too
37. How do they display affection? Ezio struggles with hypersexuality after his upbringing. However that is mostly for show. He freezes up with someone he actually likes. He doesn’t know how to appropriately show affection so he suppresses everything. He has never really been with anyone where it hasn’t been transactional. He doesn’t know how to do that.
38. How do they react to praise? He’s very unused to it. He gets blushy and self deprecating.
39. How do they react to criticism? He pretends it rolls off him like water off an oiled coat. He does internalize it and tries to make changes if he thinks it was a valid criticism. Gets bitchy if it wasn’t.
40. What is their greatest fear? That he won’t ever be loved, that no one will ever take him seriously, that’ll he’ll always be that sex slave in everyone’s eyes. And his biggest fear is being made powerless again.
41. When was the last time they cried? After his last nightmare of his childhood
42. Would they prefer to be indoors or outdoors? He’s mostly an indoor sort but he loves gardens so if he’s outside that’s where he is
43. What is their best childhood memory? Playing with his brother and sister
44. What is their worst childhood memory? Being kidnapped and sold
45. Are they in a relationship? no
46. How do they behave in a relationship? He’s never really had one that has lasted more than a few days
47. Has your character ever been in love? Not really until recently. He’s not sure he knows what love is but he has feelings for Remo Shooting Star and has no idea what to do about it.
48. Have they ever had their heart broken? Yes but not in the romantic sense.
49. How do they respond to a threat? Depends on the threat. He might slyly work around it, he might act violently
50. What is their choice of weapon he’s adept with firearms. His father showed him at way to early on how to shoot. But he has a secret. He can use his healing magic to stop hearts and that is his real choice of weapon when he needs it. He has killed a good handful of sexual abusers.
51. What is their favourite animal? Cats. Dogs are nice and all but he loves cats.
52. Which animal to they dislike the most? Is a roach an animal? He’s not much into bugs
53. What is the most beautiful thing they have ever seen? Himself in the mirror after achieving sobriety. He would put the capitol gardens a close second.
54. What is on their bedside table? A book, probably a cat and a bedside lamp. In it people assume is all sex toys, condoms and lube but there isn’t. At home he’s alone.
55. What is in their bag/purse/wallet/pocket? He keeps his wallet light. He’s out mostly at night. He doesn’t want things taken from him. When he has a purse it has a compact, lipstick and a small brush for certain.
56. What is their most treasured possession? All of his businesses, still shocked he has this in his life now. And more importantly his performers and other employees. He considers many of them family.
57. Are they minimalist or a clutter hoarder? He’s somewhere between but leaning toward clutter.
58. What do they do first thing on a weekday morning? A prayer to the goddess and then coffee.
59. Are they comfortable with technology? He is curious about it. He doesn’t understand how any of it works but he’s an early adopter.
60. What is their most powerful memory? The day he was kidnapped and the day he freed himself.
61. What might they have for breakfast? Eggs cheese yogurt and/or pastry
62. Can they – do they like to – cook? He never learned. He has a cook.
63. What would you notice first about this character? He takes up space, he’s a presence. He’s handsome and flirty.
64. Favourite childhood toy. He can’t remember
65. Have they killed anyone? Who was the first? He killed Goran Jarven, the second in command in the sex trafficking group who had him, the one who did most of the damage to him directly. He answered to a man Ezio only knows as Corenten. He has killed other sex traffickers, especially ones who have dealt with kids.
66. What would be a good way for them to spend a day? He’d love to wander the garden or better yet, go to some music venue. He loves music and is always on the look out for what is new.
67. What was their first experience of death? Who, or what, was it? The other people who were in the brothel with him.
68. Do they have a hero or role model? The goddess and the Sisterhood (I need a good name for them)
69. Do they like music? What kind? Loves it. Music plays a big part of his life. He has a house band for the burlesque theater and for his bars. He is working with Maiwen a young woman lyricist/composer who has brought some of his ideas to life (he has no talent for song writing but has a lovely voice) Remo has also composed a lot of music for him. I am trying to decide what kind of music they have because just because this looks like 1925, doesn’t mean the music is. That said, Remo probably plays something along the lines of classic jazz
70. Do they have any birth marks, moles or freckles? The ‘birthmark’ crescent on his hip. Otherwise nothing remarkable.
71. Favourite cafe/restaurant/pub/public place? I need to make up a place or two for him. His burlesque club is the Midnight Rose and the brothel is the Rose Garden. I need to name his bar and wherever he likes to go. That is future world building.
72. Do they take any regular medication, or have any allergies or intolerance's? he’s taking something along the lines of lavender/ashwagandha etc for anxiety/depression. I just haven’t named it yet.
73. Is there something this person can't, or doesn't like, to do? He’s not good at taking a back seat to anyone.
74. Does this person have a dream or goal to achieve? His plan was to gain his freedom and be beholden to no one. He has achieved it. His continuing goal is to rescue victims of sex trafficking, getting them help and in the case of children back to their homes (provided they weren’t sold by their parents and/or running from them) or into a good home. His current side project is helping a friend fund an amusement park. He wants something fun for the kids. Easy believes children should get to be children. He did not.
Open Calls
The Best Noir Sci-Fi-Horror of 2026 Mixing speculative fiction and police or military stories
The Gren-Wode Stories based in the world and legends of Robin Hood
Savagery on the Salty Seas, Volume 1. Maritime-themed horror has a high word count
Solar Punk Magazine April 2026 Window Works that stir readers with themes of defiance, change, and achievement
Otherside April 2026 Window Speculative fiction, poetry, and nonfiction by self-identified members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community
Stone’s Throw April 2026 Window SCHOOLS OUT (FOREVER)
Ten Manuscript Publishers Open to Submissions in March 2026
45 Themed Submission Calls and Contests for March 2026
From Around the web
The Official Manuscript Wish List Website a wishlist from agents
Putting in the Work (from the woman who runs that author zoom I go to)
The Opening Mystery: Creating Curiosity before the Inciting Incident
Keep the audience engaged as you keep secrets.
Five Quick Ways to Level Up Your Manuscript
How to Write a Gripping Psychological Thriller
Embodied Writing: How to Get Out of Your Head and Into Your Story
How to Get and Keep Amazon Reviews Without Getting Banned
Goals, Conflicts, & Stakes: Why Plots Need All Three
Authors Guild Expands “Human Authored” Certification Program to All U.S. Authors
3 Common Mistakes Committed by Self-Published Novelists
nothing from Betty this week. I wasn't the only one with a con this weekend.
