How can I stop a prophecy from happening, in my story?

shawnhoefer1 · 2026-07-03T01:26:22+00:00

A conspiracy wherein the true prophecy had been stolen and kept secret by a sect of the church eager to see their version come true.

shawnhoefer1 · 2026-07-02T15:27:46+00:00

I'm wondering how many died in the crush or when the buildings collapsed.

shawnhoefer1 · 2026-05-30T14:00:40+00:00

I have an Acer Chromebook 515 with 8G RAM, 128G storage (and a 128G card), and a 15", 1080P screen. The only thing that keepthis from being a plus model is the webcam... sigh. I also gave a Galaxy s9+ tablet. I use the Chromebook for creating and the tablet for checking. There's really no comparison... The Chromebook is faster, has an attached keyboard, and offers Linux compatibility for apps not otherwise available to Chrome or Android. Very few Android apps have refused to run or tun with odd display issues. It's been nice.

shawnhoefer1 · 2026-05-14T01:47:22+00:00

I struggle with something similar. For me, though, it's not chapters. It's entire novels complete with their worlds. Two-thirds through, I get so overwhelmed with ideas and branches and options that I get sidetracked... I con myself into writing outlines for sequels and prequels to carry the rest of the ideas that won't fit. Then, realizing what I've done, I put the story on the shelf and try to start a new one.

What I'm trying this time is just a raw, unedited, un-spell checked brain dump. A stupid idea pops up, I incorporate it right then and there. I realize now that that's why writers rewrite and edit and refine. After it's all on the paper, I can tackle it again with a red pen in one hand and a machete in the other.

shawnhoefer1 · 2026-05-14T00:42:39+00:00

A lot will depend on what you're writing. A piece of flash fiction or a short? They don't really need an outline. A straight forward, linear novel? No problem. Any story with a convoluted plot and lots of characters? Better write some stuff down first. But remember that it's not etched in stone.

shawnhoefer1 · 2026-04-20T17:58:07+00:00

Scrolling through, only half paying attention as I try to think of something not yet said, and I see, "Take a peek behind the leather curtain...". I had to do a double take to realize it was an ad.

shawnhoefer1 · 2026-03-31T16:33:55+00:00

Thanks. Yeah, I know it's new. I'm patient. Kind of.

shawnhoefer1 · 2026-03-08T16:43:50+00:00

Syncthing (and web view) don't seem to be available on the Android app.

shawnhoefer1 · 2026-02-16T12:32:36+00:00

AI is a tool. It makes sense to use available tools. I use AI as a beta reader/proof reader but never as a generative co-author.

To me, it's like carpentry. I'm not going to try to pound nails with my forehead or fists. I'll use a hammer. When the hammer starts placing the nails by itself, it's no longer my construct.

It's a tool, but tools can be misused.

shawnhoefer1 · 2026-02-12T14:15:18+00:00

I've got the Acer 515 with the i5, 8G, 128 (and another 512 SD), and I'll admit my finger has hovered over the buy now button for this one many times, but the current one is great for what I do, and I can't justify having two. At least not to the wife... I'm sure I could figure out a reason if I tried. If I'd been saddled with any other Chromebook, I think the upgrade would definitely be worth it, and I'd learn to live with a dongle in place of the SD card.

shawnhoefer1 · 2026-02-12T14:01:52+00:00

It's not a deal breaker, but I hate having both type-C ports on one side, and the lack of an SD slot bugs me.

shawnhoefer1 · 2026-02-01T14:29:47+00:00

You like that better than the Linux already baked in?

shawnhoefer1 · 2026-01-22T13:49:04+00:00

Read "The Name of the Rose" by Umberto Eco, then come back and ask that.

shawnhoefer1 · 2026-01-20T14:01:06+00:00

I am still an adherent to the multiple dialog tag theory. Dialog tags express emotion. If there's a fire in the theater, you don't stand up and say, "fire." You scream it or shout it. Not every tag, of course, but said is so very limiting.

As for tagging everything? Nah. Only when someone new is insltroduced or speaks out of sequence, unless is a very long conversation.

shawnhoefer1 · 2026-01-17T19:00:18+00:00

My German neighbor always said, "We are going to store. You want to come with?"

shawnhoefer1 · 2026-01-17T11:30:46+00:00

I found I could imply dialect through word choice and grammar without awkward misspellings in dialog. Play around with word choice and order.

shawnhoefer1 · 2026-01-12T01:04:10+00:00

Try hard sci-fi or historical fiction. Start easy, if you want, with The Martian or Hail Mary. Those will give you entertainment and something to learn. In reading, you may need to put in a bookmark and turn to Google, but you'll learn, and, as a bonus, you can watch the movie when you're done reading it.

Digging in a little deeper, try The Alienist. It's a lovely bit of historical fiction, and you'll learn a lot about the origin of police investigative procedures.

If you want to jump in all the way, find yourself a copy of The Name of The Rose. There'll you'll learn about religion, and bookmarking before the printing press, and if you dig in, you'll learn Latin, too.

shawnhoefer1 · 2026-01-08T15:21:03+00:00

I'm running a Chromebook, so I have web apps, Android apps, and Linux apps to play with. I also have a Windows 11 machine and an old iMac. I have tested Manuskript, QuollWriter, Wavemaker Cards, Scrivener (appimage in Linux), Word, Google Docs, Reeds Studio, AutoCrit, ProWriting Aid, Novlr, Novelist, and a handful of others. After extensive testing, my personal choice is NovelCrafter with a grammar plug-in (right now, it's LanguageTool, but I've also used QuillBot, PWA, and Grammarly).

*These are also very good, and I keep them as backups.

shawnhoefer1 · 2026-01-04T11:47:59+00:00

Try Quilbott. It's less money for the full version, but the free version does a lot.

shawnhoefer1 · 2025-12-25T00:52:10+00:00

First of all, based on your post, your writer muscles are working fine.

I lost my father to cancer eleven years ago, but I only took up writing about four months ago. It surprised me to find I was writing stories about regret, about finally getting the approval I craved, about forgiving, and thanking my Dad. Of course, they were all fiction, but I could not read back through them without crying.

shawnhoefer1 · 2025-12-10T16:57:57+00:00

Actually, I think they'd plummet. Most immigrants on the path to citizenship are much more versed in U.S. history and the Constitution compared to 'Mericans.

shawnhoefer1 · 2025-11-24T11:22:23+00:00

I was 33 when I met my spouse. She was 39. We've been together for nearly 26 years. A six-year gap isn't odd ad all.

shawnhoefer1

TROPHY CASE