Abra Staffin-Wiebe

Our neighborhood has a situation where a man was taken by ICE and left about 20 cats in need of care. If you're local to the Twin Cities, able to foster, AND have a separate space 1 or more cats could stay away from your resident pets, please comment below! #Minneapolis

For writers who find that Current Events mean they Just. Can’t. Write. There are other types of artistic expression that might keep the creative pipes from freezing, without the same pressure. Painting, sculpting with play dough, coloring, drawing, playing a musical instrument, building an original Lego landscape, embroidery, free-form chainsaw sculpture … anything creative, really. 🧵9/ #AmWriting #WritingCommunity

Editing takes a lot of executive function. You might find yourself repeating paragraph revisions or forgetting what you'd planned on in a particular section. It’s okay. That function will come back. Now might not be the best time to do edits. If the edits have to be done now, it’s a good time to lean on community. Find a group of fellow writers who will exchange critiques. Fellowship, solidarity, and mutual support are always valuable in times like these. 🧵3/ #AmWriting #WritingCommunity

Productivity can take a serious hit under stress, and that’s normal. In very cold weather, sometimes it’s necessary to leave a tap running, just a little bit to keep the water flowing, so the pipes don’t freeze solid. Similarly, in stressful times, it can be valuable to keep a trickle of writing going. 🧵5/ #AmWriting #WritingCommunity

Writers may use tricks to get in the mood: a candle, a playlist, a specific time, or roleplaying as a different style of writer. A lot of us have tried various mood-setting tricks in the past. If something worked for you, maybe it’s time to get back into it. 🧵6/ #AmWriting #WritingCommunity

Coffee shop writer, but it’s not safe to leave home? Try a “coffee shop ambiance” video on YouTube. Online writing sprints with other writers can also be a good tool, either in Discord or on Zoom. But remember they aren't secure, so don't overshare Current Events.🧵7/ #AmWriting #WritingCommunity #MNastodon

For more new and updated paying submission calls for science fiction, fantasy, and horror short fiction--76 this month!--go to Aswiebe's Market List: https://aswiebe.com/marketlist/new/ 🧵4/4 #AmWriting #WritingCommunity #SFF #SubmissionCall

Under stress, it can be a struggle to write the first sentence, or the first paragraph. Deleting and starting over multiple times is normal. (Also normal in regular times!) Try pretending that the first one is already done and start writing with the second. 🧵8/ #AmWriting #WritingCommunity

This is the "writing" part of a longer essay about writing under pressure. You can read the whole thing in one shot here: https://aswiebe.com/marketlist/ 🧵10/10 #AmWriting #WritingCommunity #MNastodon #Minneapolis

When under stress, writers might not have the time, bandwidth, or executive function to create the way they would normally want to. That might mean doing less (but still some!), so the creative well doesn’t run dry. 🧵2/ #AmWriting #WritingCommunity

Plotting takes executive function. Writers might struggle because they feel like they need a plot outline and they don’t have one. Experiment with pantsing instead of plotting! Example: https://locusmag.com/feature/dimensions-of-wonder-george-saunders-in-a-haunted-mansion-with-chocolate-mint-by-eugenia-triantafyllou/ And remember, writers can totally steal a plot and make it their own. This might mean watching a heist movie and saying, But what if … in space? Or it could mean following the beats from a guidebook like Save the Cat! by Blake Snyder. 🧵4/ #AmWriting #WritingCommunity

@TheLastOfHisName@beige.party Thanks!

@mason@partychickens.net Thanks!