25 Comments
Comment deleted
Expand full comment

Happy New Year

Expand full comment

Happy New Year Karie Anne!!!

Expand full comment

Happy New Year! Where ya been?

Expand full comment

I live in LA so I’ve been down here. I only drove up for the chance to basque in all of you guys’ magic. And I was lucky enough to partake. I’m coming back as soon as I can afford another trip ❤️

Expand full comment

Happy New Year, Brandon!!!

Expand full comment
Comment deleted
Expand full comment

Thanks my Friend!! Goes as well as possible when you still gotta work for someone else. Hope it all goes awesome w you too!!

Expand full comment
Comment deleted
Expand full comment

Never a better thing to say to me right now. SO grateful!! I needed this Brandon!! ❤️❤️❤️

Expand full comment

Reminds me of one of my favorite subreddits called r/idontworkherelady . Each and every story there is of an irate customer bothering another customer because they assume the other customer’s way of dressing or body of knowledge means they work there. Be it Walmart or Home Depot there are endless stories of damn bitchy customers expecting service from someone who doesn’t work there.

Expand full comment

An emotional roller coaster came into the high end restaurant at 8pm on a Saturday and asked for a table for 10 people. The host told here there would be quite a wait. They were full and had several other groups already waiting. The roller coaster yells and cries for a time, then starts going to tables to ask them to leave so her party can sit down. What do you think the restaurant management did in response?

Its not rhetorical. Want to see what you think the appropriate response should be.

Expand full comment
Comment deleted
Expand full comment

Once they got the party sat, they bought them hundreds of dollars worth of appetizers. If someone were actively running off my customers OR throwing a tantrum, I'd boot them. Rewarding awful behavior really irks me.

Expand full comment

can't wait for the answer!

but... maybe she was turned into an appetizer by mgmt? ;)🦧🦧🦧🐵🐵🐵

Expand full comment

Its not rhetorical. Want to see what people think the appropriate response would be.

Expand full comment

Did this happen for real? Is this a trick question?

Anyway, would a punch in the face do? No, that would be crazy. I'd like to see them politely humbling her. By making her realize and use that embarassing moment. As I always say: the bigger the embarrassment, the bigger the chance to learn.

I feel for the roller coaster. I think we should atleast embarrass ourselves one time a month.

Expand full comment

Once they got the party sat, they bought them hundreds of dollars worth of appetizers. If someone were actively running off my customers OR throwing a tantrum, I'd boot them. Rewarding awful behavior really irks me.

Expand full comment

how body of knowledge and education skew reality.

like Implicit Bias?

I feel awkward sharing thoughts, because of these quagmires.

also in the same realm: the feeling anything I write, might need to go into a time capsule until people I know are returned to full carbon form?

Fatigue is my companion. and 6 useful hours and then a slow burn to the last 4 hours of useful thought and deed.

Time is on my side, Mushroom 🍄 Time. going back to the earth and fruiting based on the seasons of life. ;) Mwuah!

last night I tried to stay out past 5 p.m.

about 10 p.m. I said to several people, is it someone's birthday? I see the balloons. It was NYE.

I was past my witching hour.

It was the year 2023 we rang in.

not a 23rd birthday.

cheers!

Expand full comment

P.P.S. Curious how you feel about Genealogical DNA?

Expand full comment

Something's been bugging my mind about workshops. In your experience, is it possible for people to show genuine support and interest for a new writer's work?

I was involved in an online workshop. It seemed like they showed the most support if I was writing certain things that made them laugh the hardest. So it's like, do I go out of my way to write stuff that makes others happy to get that approval? Or do I stick with stuff that I makes me happy that others might not love? I don't know. Maybe there's a middle ground.

Happy New Year, everyone!

Expand full comment
author

Good question. Laughs are great, but the biggest "get" from workshop is whether the piece was clear. Did people understand what took place? Laughter confirms the clarity of something funny. The quality of silence or groans or gasps confirm the clarity of something not funny.

If the writing isn't clear people will respond with frustration or guilt, they feel angry or guilty that they couldn't follow what happened on the page. Most of the time this lack of clarity means the author didn't know what was happening.

Expand full comment

Would you say that one way to achieve clarity in a story is by showing a character move through the scene with strong, clear verbs while pursing a goal?

Expand full comment
author

Yes, exactly, but avoid stating the goal if possible. That will create the double tension of: What's the goal? Will she reach it? Clear physical verbs will hold our attention, and objects, and on-the-body-sensation.

Expand full comment
Jan 2, 2023Liked by Chuck Palahniuk

Happy New Year ❤

Expand full comment

What an amazing illustration of show don't tell...

Expand full comment

It’s mind blowing.

Expand full comment

🙏🏼🤞🏼🙏🏼🤞🏼

Expand full comment