Tobias S. Buckell
@tobiasbuckell.bsky.social
Grenadian-born, Virgin Island raised, Ohio settled, SF/F author. I also teach creative writing as a prof. Views my own. More at http://www.tobiasbuckell.com (email Tobias at tobiasbuckell.com to reach me if needed)
Learning to move your fingers to the sides for the lateral keys on this thing is a trip, but the force required is so small it really becomes second nature, just like other motions, but it is very alien at first, no lie, there's some neuroplasticity benefits here I am sure!
November 20, 2025 at 3:23 AM
Learning to move your fingers to the sides for the lateral keys on this thing is a trip, but the force required is so small it really becomes second nature, just like other motions, but it is very alien at first, no lie, there's some neuroplasticity benefits here I am sure!
Okay, so I have had my Svalboard keyboard for a little over a few weeks and finally unlocked all the keys on KeyBR.com training. I would have gotten here a week earlier, but I got a little sidetracked by putting the M key on a weird lateral key that moved against the flow of the others.
November 20, 2025 at 3:20 AM
Okay, so I have had my Svalboard keyboard for a little over a few weeks and finally unlocked all the keys on KeyBR.com training. I would have gotten here a week earlier, but I got a little sidetracked by putting the M key on a weird lateral key that moved against the flow of the others.
If your wrists hurt when editing long texts (like fiction) and swapping between a keyboard and mouse is causing extra pain, I've whipped together a keyboard only editing system I'm calling Glyph:
tobiasbuckell.com/introducing-...
tobiasbuckell.com/introducing-...
October 15, 2025 at 11:25 PM
If your wrists hurt when editing long texts (like fiction) and swapping between a keyboard and mouse is causing extra pain, I've whipped together a keyboard only editing system I'm calling Glyph:
tobiasbuckell.com/introducing-...
tobiasbuckell.com/introducing-...
I have tested the keyboard only editing system I'm calling Glyph, and one thing became clear was I needed more logic in the UI if I'm using gestures, so I have the top keyboard row moving by paragraph, then home row by word, and bottom row by character. It's very instinctual, now, if I forget keys.
October 15, 2025 at 12:36 AM
I have tested the keyboard only editing system I'm calling Glyph, and one thing became clear was I needed more logic in the UI if I'm using gestures, so I have the top keyboard row moving by paragraph, then home row by word, and bottom row by character. It's very instinctual, now, if I forget keys.
Here's a GIF of proof of concept, moving around using only keyboard nav and then selecting text with the d key held down.
October 13, 2025 at 10:13 PM
Here's a GIF of proof of concept, moving around using only keyboard nav and then selecting text with the d key held down.
When I first created this, I just littered the keyboard with stuff to memorize, and never memorized. But the nav keys above I got down quick.
So then came the 'd' 'anchor key' on the left hand. Hold that down, and the movement keys select (or you can use shift, but this way I don't pick my hand up)
So then came the 'd' 'anchor key' on the left hand. Hold that down, and the movement keys select (or you can use shift, but this way I don't pick my hand up)
October 13, 2025 at 9:58 PM
When I first created this, I just littered the keyboard with stuff to memorize, and never memorized. But the nav keys above I got down quick.
So then came the 'd' 'anchor key' on the left hand. Hold that down, and the movement keys select (or you can use shift, but this way I don't pick my hand up)
So then came the 'd' 'anchor key' on the left hand. Hold that down, and the movement keys select (or you can use shift, but this way I don't pick my hand up)
Once you hit CAPS LOCK the keys become:
you can then use your right hand to navigate around. "i" moves you up a line, k down. "l" moves you right a word, "k" right a word. I can jump start of line, end, to the start of the paragraph, end, top of the document, end.
but it gets more interesting...
you can then use your right hand to navigate around. "i" moves you up a line, k down. "l" moves you right a word, "k" right a word. I can jump start of line, end, to the start of the paragraph, end, top of the document, end.
but it gets more interesting...
October 13, 2025 at 9:56 PM
Once you hit CAPS LOCK the keys become:
you can then use your right hand to navigate around. "i" moves you up a line, k down. "l" moves you right a word, "k" right a word. I can jump start of line, end, to the start of the paragraph, end, top of the document, end.
but it gets more interesting...
you can then use your right hand to navigate around. "i" moves you up a line, k down. "l" moves you right a word, "k" right a word. I can jump start of line, end, to the start of the paragraph, end, top of the document, end.
but it gets more interesting...
The basic idea is, here is your normal keyboard:
Standard QWERTY layout, but who uses caps lock? You tap the caps lock key now, and the whole keyboard changes what the keys represent (like when you hit CTRL, or SHIFT, what the keys do changes).
Liberating the caps lock key opens up some fun.
Standard QWERTY layout, but who uses caps lock? You tap the caps lock key now, and the whole keyboard changes what the keys represent (like when you hit CTRL, or SHIFT, what the keys do changes).
Liberating the caps lock key opens up some fun.
October 13, 2025 at 9:53 PM
The basic idea is, here is your normal keyboard:
Standard QWERTY layout, but who uses caps lock? You tap the caps lock key now, and the whole keyboard changes what the keys represent (like when you hit CTRL, or SHIFT, what the keys do changes).
Liberating the caps lock key opens up some fun.
Standard QWERTY layout, but who uses caps lock? You tap the caps lock key now, and the whole keyboard changes what the keys represent (like when you hit CTRL, or SHIFT, what the keys do changes).
Liberating the caps lock key opens up some fun.
Yep, this waited for me when I logged in. Likely something to do with Ohio Republicans.
At least China gets the high speed rail, universal health care, and new buildings in exchange for their rights.
We get... daily shootings?
At least China gets the high speed rail, universal health care, and new buildings in exchange for their rights.
We get... daily shootings?
September 29, 2025 at 11:09 PM
Yep, this waited for me when I logged in. Likely something to do with Ohio Republicans.
At least China gets the high speed rail, universal health care, and new buildings in exchange for their rights.
We get... daily shootings?
At least China gets the high speed rail, universal health care, and new buildings in exchange for their rights.
We get... daily shootings?
If you're curious, I commissioned a Dactyl ergonomic keyboard from Oh Keycaps! four years ago, they sent the wrong one, I've spent 4 years trying to get them to honor sending the right one, but I'm giving up and just eBaying the one they sent.
It's a Dactyl Lightcyle:
www.ebay.com/itm/14686060...
It's a Dactyl Lightcyle:
www.ebay.com/itm/14686060...
September 28, 2025 at 10:01 PM
If you're curious, I commissioned a Dactyl ergonomic keyboard from Oh Keycaps! four years ago, they sent the wrong one, I've spent 4 years trying to get them to honor sending the right one, but I'm giving up and just eBaying the one they sent.
It's a Dactyl Lightcyle:
www.ebay.com/itm/14686060...
It's a Dactyl Lightcyle:
www.ebay.com/itm/14686060...
I canceled my subscriptions and emailed why.
The brand is dead to me. Like Target. Which I haven’t stepped into since.
The brand is dead to me. Like Target. Which I haven’t stepped into since.
September 19, 2025 at 4:22 AM
I canceled my subscriptions and emailed why.
The brand is dead to me. Like Target. Which I haven’t stepped into since.
The brand is dead to me. Like Target. Which I haven’t stepped into since.
Oh, here’s Gleason eating out of a Shirley’s tin!
Shirley was the ticket taker at the local family theatre and it’s her image on the tins. She used to ask kids what they were reading in line and talked books. A portion of all popcorn sales benefits literacy iirc
Shirley was the ticket taker at the local family theatre and it’s her image on the tins. She used to ask kids what they were reading in line and talked books. A portion of all popcorn sales benefits literacy iirc
September 8, 2025 at 2:15 AM
Oh, here’s Gleason eating out of a Shirley’s tin!
Shirley was the ticket taker at the local family theatre and it’s her image on the tins. She used to ask kids what they were reading in line and talked books. A portion of all popcorn sales benefits literacy iirc
Shirley was the ticket taker at the local family theatre and it’s her image on the tins. She used to ask kids what they were reading in line and talked books. A portion of all popcorn sales benefits literacy iirc
There's this book called "Colonialism and the Emergence of Science Fiction" that I've been giving away a lot of late, it helped me with the history of why this is so deeply embedded in this genre. Conflation of space and westward expansion is a big taproot. And it's very 'air we breath' to some.
August 22, 2025 at 3:49 AM
There's this book called "Colonialism and the Emergence of Science Fiction" that I've been giving away a lot of late, it helped me with the history of why this is so deeply embedded in this genre. Conflation of space and westward expansion is a big taproot. And it's very 'air we breath' to some.
Okay readers, there's a new book bundle that has some of my novels if you're interested. Arctic Rising and Hurricane Fever are in a StoryBundle that lets you pay what you want:
storybundle.com/scifi
I'm grateful to Eugen Bacon for reaching out to me to be a part of this great bundle.
storybundle.com/scifi
I'm grateful to Eugen Bacon for reaching out to me to be a part of this great bundle.
August 15, 2025 at 4:11 PM
Okay readers, there's a new book bundle that has some of my novels if you're interested. Arctic Rising and Hurricane Fever are in a StoryBundle that lets you pay what you want:
storybundle.com/scifi
I'm grateful to Eugen Bacon for reaching out to me to be a part of this great bundle.
storybundle.com/scifi
I'm grateful to Eugen Bacon for reaching out to me to be a part of this great bundle.
This is one of the charts for the book to help visualize the revision, you can see the chapters that need totally done from nothing, and ones with salvageable words that need massaged
August 14, 2025 at 10:39 PM
This is one of the charts for the book to help visualize the revision, you can see the chapters that need totally done from nothing, and ones with salvageable words that need massaged
I don't think "Twig Sling Bag" is like, really a great brand name.
Legit laughed for a half minute when this landed in my inbox
Legit laughed for a half minute when this landed in my inbox
June 24, 2025 at 6:47 PM
I don't think "Twig Sling Bag" is like, really a great brand name.
Legit laughed for a half minute when this landed in my inbox
Legit laughed for a half minute when this landed in my inbox
3% isn’t a lot necessarily. But it’s unusual to see 3.6% is a lot for 4 hours after market?
April 3, 2025 at 1:34 AM
3% isn’t a lot necessarily. But it’s unusual to see 3.6% is a lot for 4 hours after market?
This is the to-do list I'm working off for the site reboot, anything you think I'm missing?
March 22, 2025 at 10:40 PM
This is the to-do list I'm working off for the site reboot, anything you think I'm missing?
I've turned Obsidian into a custom writing app as well as notes/info manager (PKM), finding plugins and CSS to make it look how I want.
Here's a peek of the current novel revision, I blurred out the text b/c it's 0 draft stuff.
Here's a peek of the current novel revision, I blurred out the text b/c it's 0 draft stuff.
March 6, 2025 at 12:34 AM
I've turned Obsidian into a custom writing app as well as notes/info manager (PKM), finding plugins and CSS to make it look how I want.
Here's a peek of the current novel revision, I blurred out the text b/c it's 0 draft stuff.
Here's a peek of the current novel revision, I blurred out the text b/c it's 0 draft stuff.
Really lucky to have had some nominations.
I have a bibliography page that now autogenerates itself based on metadata in every sale or rejection note in Obsidian:
I have a bibliography page that now autogenerates itself based on metadata in every sale or rejection note in Obsidian:
March 6, 2025 at 12:28 AM
Really lucky to have had some nominations.
I have a bibliography page that now autogenerates itself based on metadata in every sale or rejection note in Obsidian:
I have a bibliography page that now autogenerates itself based on metadata in every sale or rejection note in Obsidian:
The big project I've been working on when I have a few moments here or there is building a dashboard in Obsidian to handle the amount of data that 150+ short stories with reprints and translations, 13 novels, 5 collections needs for me to oversee.
24 years of award noms got added today.
24 years of award noms got added today.
March 6, 2025 at 12:26 AM
The big project I've been working on when I have a few moments here or there is building a dashboard in Obsidian to handle the amount of data that 150+ short stories with reprints and translations, 13 novels, 5 collections needs for me to oversee.
24 years of award noms got added today.
24 years of award noms got added today.
Whenever I put on Flow to watch our little Devon Rex kitty is down for about 30-40 minutes of watching it with us
February 20, 2025 at 2:20 AM
Whenever I put on Flow to watch our little Devon Rex kitty is down for about 30-40 minutes of watching it with us
Whipping up some hummus and found out Pippin likes garbanzo beans!
February 13, 2025 at 12:16 AM
Whipping up some hummus and found out Pippin likes garbanzo beans!
I found a little word counter and sprint meter. I love all the tabs. I sometimes have tabs open to different parts of the story so I don’t have to jump around.
January 16, 2025 at 8:31 PM
I found a little word counter and sprint meter. I love all the tabs. I sometimes have tabs open to different parts of the story so I don’t have to jump around.
Also, I had the best cup of tea I’ve ever had at Glasgow’s Willow Tea Room
December 30, 2024 at 7:24 PM
Also, I had the best cup of tea I’ve ever had at Glasgow’s Willow Tea Room