Steve Trower
@sptroweresq.bsky.social
250 followers 330 following 360 posts
Author of GameLit and sci-fi that doesn’t take itself too seriously.
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sptroweresq.bsky.social
Today in #WIPSnips, a throwback to the beginning of The Ambivalence Chronicles, and Phil Grundy is excited to receive a parcel...

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The sender had not been shy about using parcel tape, and had helpfully labelled the package 'Handle with Care', and 'from 20th Century Toys', and 'The Only Way Is Up'.
sptroweresq.bsky.social
#80sTop30
#MusicChallenge

Very loosely ranked

Day 15

Is it even the 80s without at least one political 2 tone song in the top 30?

👨🏻‍🎤 The Specials
🎵 Ghost Town (1981)
💿 The Singles Collection
The Specials - Ghost Town [Official HD Remastered Video]
YouTube video by TheSpecialsOfficVEVO
youtu.be
sptroweresq.bsky.social
#WritingLifeMonthly Day 14

I have actual book covers I could promo, but as I've shared them elsewhere on #WriteSky, here's an old mock-up for the book I'm currently working on.

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Cover mock-up for Neurotypocalypse by Steve Trower, with the title broken up into 4 letter chunks, against a yellow biohazard symbol.
sptroweresq.bsky.social
Today in #WIPSnips: Sir Philip is jousting; a car is alarmed; and some birds behave erratically.

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A buzzard squawked.

The car alarm faltered.

Startled, Sir Galahad looked around.

Sir Philip seized the moment and thrust his lance towards Galahad, whose attempt at a last minute evasive manouvre put the ostrich into a flat spin which ultimately crash-landed in an ungainly pile of legs and feathers, much to the entertainment of the crowd.
sptroweresq.bsky.social
#80sTop30
#MusicChallenge

Day 14

In the early 90s my musical taste was broadened with the help of @markradcliffe.bsky.social and his eclectic Radio 1 show Out On Blue Six. That's where I heard this track and instantly loved its bonkers energy.

👩🏻‍🎤 Laurie Anderson
🎵 From The Air (1982)
💿 Big Science
From the Air
YouTube video by Laurie Anderson - Topic
youtu.be
sptroweresq.bsky.social
A short and sweet #WIPSnips today, as Sir Philip explores Romford Castle:

At a push, the door opened, and the unmistakable whine of an 8-bit game loading filled the air. Or maybe the hinges really needed WD40 to get invented.

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#BookSky #AuthorChat
wipsnips.bsky.social
Welcome to a new week of #WIPSnips

The word for October 13th is "push"

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#WIPSnips a bluesky writing community tag
October 13 - push
Share a line from your WIP with the daily word for inspiration
Use #WIPSnips. Don't forget Alt Text for graphics
Synonyms, variation and vibes are fine.
Support others on the #WIPSnips tag!
Hosted by rosie-j-potter.bsky.social

The image behind the text is a border that is black with stars with a light blue rectangle highlighted by a fuchsia line. An illustrated caticorn holding a pencil and writing in a book with a rose behind one ear is in the lower right corner
sptroweresq.bsky.social
#80sTop30
#MusicChallenge

Very loosely ranked.

Day 13

A song from the 'Little Bit Racist?' pile today. I'm sure there were more offensive/controversial songs about in the 80s though...

👩🏻‍🎤 The Bangles
🎵 Walk Like An Egyptian (1986)
💿 Different Light
The Bangles - Walk Like an Egyptian (Official Video)
YouTube video by TheBanglesVEVO
youtu.be
sptroweresq.bsky.social
I *think* my next novel would count as #hopepunk... I guess I'll at least watch this pitch day to find out!

#WriteSky #WritingCommunity
hopepit.bsky.social
Let's spin visions of hope & resilience!

🌞🌱

We hope you can JOIN US Nov 9 for #Hopepit, uplifting all types of media under the big #hopepunk & #clifi ⛱️ umbrellas.
Here on 🦋.

#solarpunk #permaculture #hopecore #hope
#WritingCommunity #GameDev #IndieDev #TTRPG #Comic
#WriteSky #Writers #MusicSky
Flier for #Hopepit
Sunday, Nov 9
community connect Nov 5 - 8

🌞🌱 Let’s elevate hope! 🌱🌞

An inclusive community-building hype event for voices of light & vision in the darkness. 

Open to creators of all media telling stories of hope, resilience, sustainability, mindfulness, climate change, & collapse navigation

#Hopepit

🌞Use the #Hopepit hashtag to share your pitches, books, videos, articles, and art

🌱We encourage the use of additional tags, like: #hopepunk, #solarpunk, #clifi, #IndigenousFuturism, etc

🌳Not sure which genre? JOIN US anyway!

🌱We 💛 resource sharing & discussion threads!

@hopepit.bsky.social

climate fiction hopecore hopepunk clifi #Climatefiction nomadpunk solarpunk #solarpunk #hopecore indigenous futurism pitch hype permaculture
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#WritingLifeMonthly Day 12

Here's one of several potential openings for my next project... Possibly it's just a bit too on the nose to make the final cut!

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They say that every disaster movie starts with a scientist being ignored. Georgia Harrison, one of the country's leading virologists, was being ignored - but luckily not in her professional capacity. Nonetheless, she wondered if this was some kind of foreshadowing of some hideous disaster to come.
sptroweresq.bsky.social
Today on #WIPSnips, Phil Grundy is given a training montage by Dexy and his computer generated avatar.

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Eventually, encouraged by an 8-bit rendition of Eye of the Tiger and Dexy's occasionally relevant rallying calls about progress being a slow but inexorable force, Phil advanced to actual swordsmanship. Following the example of Dexy's Arthurian knight avatar, Phil raised his sword above his head, and with a grunt that he hoped sounded warrior-like, he spun in place, the blade whistling through the air. On his third rotation, he stumbled, nearly decapitated himself, and finished with a move that was less 'Whirlwind Slash' and more 'Wonky Axl.'
sptroweresq.bsky.social
#80sTop30
#MusicChallenge

Very loosely ranked.

Day 12

Back in the day I actually preferred Paradise City, but, well, the intro alone just lifts this one into timeless classic territory for me.

👨‍🎤 Guns N' Roses
🎵 Sweet Child O' Mine (1988)
💿 Appetite For Destruction
Guns N' Roses - Sweet Child O' Mine (Official Music Video)
YouTube video by GunsNRosesVEVO
youtu.be
sptroweresq.bsky.social
#WritingLifeMonthly Day 11

Current state of my next WIP: about 12 pages of character and plot arcs printed in the hope that I can hammer them into a coherent outline of some sort.

Other stages: numerous notebooks of ideas, character sketches etc & a makeshift storyboard for a difficult chapter.
Several printed pages of notes in front of a computer screen. A row of notebooks in front of a bunch of post-it notes on a whiteboard.
sptroweresq.bsky.social
#80sTop30
#MusicChallenge

Very loosely ranked.

Day 11

Fire up the Quattro!

👨‍🎤 David Bowie
🎵 Ashes to Ashes (1980)
💿 Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)
David Bowie - Ashes To Ashes (Official Video)
YouTube video by David Bowie
youtu.be
sptroweresq.bsky.social
#WritingLifeMonthly Day 10

Basically finding enough time between an annoyingly necessary day job, neurospicy/disabled family, and actual downtime.

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traceyleewrites.bsky.social
📚 #WritingLifeMonthly October Day 10 📚

As a #neurospicy author, I find sticking to one project is really challenging, especially if I'm in a hard slog phase that doesn't give me any dopamine.

#writingcommunity #BookSky #BookSky💙📚 #authorchat #findtheglimmers #adhd #dyslexia
October #writinglifemonthly Day 10 What's the hardest part about writing for you?
Build Community - Share. Like.Comment in Group. @traceyleewrites
sptroweresq.bsky.social
I've spent most of this year bouncing my attention between 4 projects... with the inevitable result that none of them are anywhere near finished. Sigh.
sptroweresq.bsky.social
Yep, I have so many abandoned WIPs for so many reasons!
sptroweresq.bsky.social
Today on #WIPSnips, Phil Grundy learns his daughter is the prize in a jousting contest, and reacts with Dad jokes.

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Phil's eyes and mouth widened. 'Charlie!'

Sam looked around, as if expecting her to be nearby. 'Where is she?'

'Rapunzeled away in a tower somewhere.'

Phil began to pace in front of the car. 'She's the prize in a jousting tournament.'

'Like a proper medieval joust?'

'No, not like a medieval joust,' Phil snapped.

'Actually a medieval joust, with knights and horses and those massive pointy sticks.'

'Lances.'

'I don't care whose they are! I have to win it, I have to get Charlie back!'
sptroweresq.bsky.social
#80sTop30
#MusicChallenge

Very loosely ranked.

Day 10

1985 was the year I discovered pop music, so there's a few tracks on my list because they were big that year and became part of that. Like this one.

👨‍🎤 Harold Faltermeyer
🎵 Axel F (1985)
💿 Beverley Hills Cop: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Harold Faltermeyer - Axel F (1984) Beverly Hills Cop - Soundtrack
YouTube video by DiscoBar80
youtu.be
sptroweresq.bsky.social
#WritingLifeMonthly Day 9

For me it was reading something that should have been amazing, and somewhere in the middle thinking 'I'm sure I could do better than this...'

Since then I've just written what I want to read, be that an Old Testament Space Opera or ZX Spectrum based GameLit.

#WriteSky
traceyleewrites.bsky.social
📚 #WritingLifeMonthly October Day 09 📚

This one's not just a book you love, but one that makes you want to write. It could be fiction or non-fiction. What about it inspires you?

#writingcommunity #BookSky #BookSky💙📚 #authorchat
October #writinglifemonthly Day 09 Tell us about a book that inspired your own writing.
Build Community - Share. Like.Comment in Group. @traceyleewrites
sptroweresq.bsky.social
#80sTop30
#MusicChallenge

Day 9

Very loosely ranked.

Is it a bit cheesy now? Probably.

Does the fact my kids will sing along in the car qualify it for a place in my favourite 80s songs? Definitely!

👨‍🎤 Bon Jovi
🎵 Livin' On A Prayer (1986)
💿 Slippery When Wet
Bon Jovi - Livin' On A Prayer
YouTube video by BonJoviVEVO
youtu.be
sptroweresq.bsky.social
Ray Davies (of The Kinks)
sptroweresq.bsky.social
#WritingLifeMonthly Day 8

Most of my books have an entire soundtrack/playlist, but not usually a specific song for a character.

The theme song for my next WIP, and for its protagonists as a collective, is Mis-Shapes by Pulp.

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