#NaNo Support Group

[marcusrobertobaq]

DBH worldbuilding info u're supposed to know

The collection

US is having major issues with sea level rising quickly, making even the wealthy residents deciding not living right on the coast anymore. Polar ice has melted to an extent that rising sea levels have many states struggling to keep the water out of their coastal towns (Magazine)

CyberLife's intention with complex level humanization was to literally make people welcome 'em home like they're family instead of getting creeped about it (Magazine)

VR games are very common by 2038 (Magazine)

The President Cristina Warren is an ex-vlogger with no experience in government that relied on social media and celebrity status to be elected in 2036, originally a republican representative. There's a "rumor" CyberLife helped she getting elected by corrupt means and that's why they're "too close" (Magazine, Gallery, Cut concepts)

Warren got an approval of only 33% due to the sequence of bad decisions (Magazine)

The world's population is 10 billion by 2038 (Magazine)

Obesity is in a record high in Detroit by 2038 (Magazine)

NATO is divided about the Russia vs US conflict in the Arctic, they think everybody can benefit of the region without war but Warren is totally pushing for a conflict (Magazine)

Rare minerals used in synthetizing Thirium got Russia and US biting each other in the North Pole in recent yrs. Android manufacture dominates both the US and Russian economies (Magazine)

Kamski being the one creating Thirium 310 and biocomponents more than a decade ago suggests other areas with these minerals were already explored, the North Pole being the last one (Assumption)

Police is constantly using marketing data to identify criminals (Magazine)

Dating websites usually have less than 5% of women using it (Magazine)

0.4% of world population holds 94% of global wealth by 2038 (Magazine)

By 2038 there's constant propaganda selling Canada as the true land of freedom (Magazine)

No matter how u play as Markus u gonna eventually have event contexts distorted, including fake news. They're called criminal org and terrorists no matter what u do (Observation)

CyberLife developed a nano-android to help combating cancer and diseases that can extend the human life-span even reaching a semi-immortality status - and it's very promising as it was already succesful in doing its task (Magazine)

US life expectancy is 91 by 2038 (Magazine)

By 2038 US got a aging population but not enough young people to support the economy with the unemployment rate at 37.3%, and the "job" area is dominated by androids (Magazine, Observation)

When the rebellion starts the gov consider bringing retirees back to work as the country lack qualified manpower to deal with the withdraw of androids (Cut dialogue)

Only two countries have android industries that rival the United States: Russia and China, they're also in a space race of sorts (Magazine)

Team sports like baseball got at least 1 android per team (Magazine)

An advanced high speed train was completed in 2038, connecting New York and LA in less than 2,5 hrs and there's a high flux of east coast folks going to LA (Magazine)

Suburban prices there have rose 64% and California folks are worried they gonna get pushed out of the region (Magazine)

Detroit is currently in a Red Ice epidemic with it being the easiest route the poor go, either by selling or using it (Magazine)

There was a Red Ice Task Force from 2027 to 2031 that made major arrests and drug seizure during the first epidemic (Gallery, Articles)

Bees are extinct by 2038 and people expect a global famine. CyberLife is already making partnerships to create bee-robots while other groups try finding new alternatives (Magazine)

Environmentalists say the Earth’s environment is beyond repair (Magazine)

Global rainforests have been reduced by 79% since 2000 and coastal corals by 58% (Magazine)

During the events of the game an earthquake kills 10k people in China (Magazine)

CyberLife has partnership with the Department of Defense in the development and supply of military androids, something that started in the early 30s after it was approved to limit human casualties in the battlefield (Magazine, Observation)

In 2031 the US gov ordered 2 million androids for use in the infantry, mostly SQ800 units already being deployed in 2032 replacing human soldiers.

Michigan also announced the purchase of 5k auxiliary androids to assist law enforcement department but following the 2029 Android Act they can't use weapons (PlayStation Blog)

U.S. Army soldiers are equipped with advanced equipment to keep up with their android "subordinates" (Gallery)

Stock exchange falls 10% on fear of Arctic conflict by 2038 (Magazine)

68% of men prefer sex with an android to a human woman and with 52% of men saying they’ve tried the experience at least once (Magazine)

CyberLife currently got around 120 million androids across the globe and some people suspect they're using 'em to spy on people (Magazine)

There are at least 200k military android units already in service across the US military by 2038 and the gov is buying more for the Arctic conflict, an effort to double the infantry size (Magazine)

The US Army is 60~80% android, with humans mainly as commanders and strategists but they tend to use complex AIs to help with assistance (Magazine)

Sales of android intimate partners are very high as lotta men and women prefer living with an android than a human partner (Magazine)

Birthrate is at record low, population decline is said to be irreversible, marriage is in decline as traditional families become “thing of the past” and the divorce rate only increases (Magazine, News, Observation)

US is currently in an "antidepressant epidemic" due to the constant contact with technology, with people even lacking emotional development (Magazine)

The AX400 price is $899 by 2038 (Magazine)

5% of the music market is produced by human musicians. An android boyband Here4U is favorite to win Best Act, Best Video at global music awards - which are human record awards (Magazine, News)

Scientists found "alien" life on Titan: microorganisms living hundreds of kilometers below the surface, in an ocean of salt water protected by a thick layer of ice. The machine-i-forgot-the-name was sent in 2019 (Magazine)

Lute turtles, polar bears, mountain gorillas, african elephants and several species of tiger are extinct by 2038, with CyberLife now making some sorta android zoos (Magazine)

Canada is an android-free zone they don't sell or have any laws about it there as they don't permit androids inside 'em borders (Magazine)

CyberLife has recently released a tech demo of a quaterback android, something that got the Anti-Android Fan Group pissed (Magazine)

There's some sorta quantum magnet being studied that got the potential of cleaning carbon from the air (Magazine)

The Anti-Automation League and CrowneCars representants are in a discussion about ethical decision-making capability of autonomous cars (Magazine)

CyberLife has made a new quantum supercomputer, capable of one billion billion operations per second used to calculate the probability of mass extinction events (Magazine)

Hackers targeting systems like solar panels for ransom seems to be common thing (Magazine)

NASA announced the launch of a five android crew to explore Io (first time it's a full-machine crew). The journey will last three years (Magazine)

CyberLife is a trillionaire company by 2038, they were already billionaires a decade before (Magazine)

The first android ever officially released by CyberLife was the ST200 Chloe, costing 65k in 2024. By 2027 they already had 1mi androids sold (PlayStation Blog)

[continues on the next reblog]

[full-of-malice]

me and my friends are being bitter about ai and nanowrimo again. as one of the kids who was part of the group that made the tag of "#nanopocalypse" as a term for what was happening on our website as we were silenced and groomed and our lives went to shit. our lives were falling apart. it was the nanopocalypse for us. that's why we called it that and have referred to the entire situation as that. and we were the only ones who actually put anything in the "#anti nanowrimo" tag to begin with to talk about our hatred and struggles with being groomed. a desperate and ignored attempt to call awareness

so as someone who put in the work and lost days of my life and will not be the same person again and put tears and long days while trying to juggle my school and personal life, checking in on my friends and ensuring that they were okay, it feels really shitty honestly to watch tumblr take the nanopocalypse tag so they can make themselves feel good by talking shit about the ai policy. it's Exhausting. you guys are a solid year late in support and hatred for nano that we could've used when we were trying to get the website halfway shut down. we have been Trying to tell you. there were tiktoks, twitter, threads, youtube videos, tumblr posts, and it's just exhausting that suddenly the trendy hatred of ai is what gets popular. idk if feels like you all just jump on the trend to be the cool savior and hate on ai and write their posts that do nothing informative of helpful and just say "fuck nanowrimo" instead of hating on it for the actually important reasons.

nanopocalypse was the specific instance a year ago in november of 2023, when ywp (young writer program) website users were sick of being abused, neglected, and being in the dark. the mods started banning us just for voicing our issues and wanting change. we took to. the adult forums and talked to adult users who were in the midst of the own issues as well. we finally found adults who believed our struggles and were on our side. on their website there was child grooming involved too, the fbi was allegedly getting contacted it was so bad. after years finally someone was listening. yet within days they turned on us and told us we were too young and had no place in "their home" of the website and that our concerns for our community and wanting to be involved were no necessary. they started twisting our words against us and picking us apart. i spent days fighting with adults just for basic things, adults who claimed not two or three days ago that they supported us and would fight for us and were so sorry for the way we were treated only to turn around and treat us remarkably the same. there was one nanopocalypse.

it's exhausting to have to reiterate our struggles to people on the internet who don't and won't listen, but don't use our terms that we a group of abused and groomed teens made for a one time occurrence and tag that was for us and our struggles a place for us to talk and raise awareness. a place that got ignored until a year too late so ai issues could talk over us.

so fuck nanowrimo. not for the ai, but for the children who suffered for years in silence. the ai should be an afterthought, not the front of the problem.

if anyone's interested either in a separate post or in the reblogs i'll make an extensive list of any youtube videos, tiktoks, tumblr post links, and twitter links that i know of on the situation if you want. i will gladly answer any question anyone has because i've tried to educate people on this for a long time and no one will listen

[lauravanarendonkbaugh]

Thoughts on A Message from NaNoWriMo

I got an email today from the National Novel Writing Month head office, as I suspect many did. I have feelings. And questions.

First, I genuinely believe someone in the office is panicking and backtracking and did not endorse all that was said and done in the last month. From what I understand, the initial AI comments were not fully endorsed by all NaNo staff and board members, or even known in advance. It's got to be rough to find out your organization kinda called people with disabilities incapable of writing a story on their own, and overtly called people with ethics racists and ablists, by reading the reactions on social media--and then your organization's even worse counter-reactions on social media.

I still think NaNoWriMo has a good mission and many people in it with good goals.

But I think NaNoWriMo is SERIOUSLY missing a point in its performative progressivism. (For the record, I'm actually in favor of many progressive policies, and I support many of the same concepts NaNoWriMo claims to support, and I applaud providing materials to underfunded schools and support to marginalized groups historically not producing as many writers, etc. The issue here is not "whether or not woke is okay" -- it's whether or not the virtue signaling is still in line with the core mission.)

Also, honesty. (That's below.)

NaNoWriMo has ALWAYS been on the honor system AND fully adaptable to needs. Some years I had a schedule which absolutely did not allow for 50k new words -- I adjusted my personal goals. (I did not claim a 50k win if I did not achieve one, but I celebrated a personal win for achieving personal goals.) Some years I wrote 50k in one project, and some 50k across multiple projects. NaNoWriMo has acknowledged this for years with the "NaNo Rebel" label.

So saying out of the blue that because some people cannot achieve 50k in a month, we should devalue the challenge (y'know that word has a definition, right?) and allow anyone to claim a win whether they actually wrote 50,000 words or not... Well, that's not only rude to writers who actually write, but it was unnecessary, because project goals have always been adjustable to personal constraints.

It's also hugely unhelpful to participating writers. Yeah, writing 50k words in a month is tough. That's why it's a challenge. Allowing people to "generate" (quotes intentional) words from a machine does not improve their skills. No one benefits from using AI to generate work -- not the "writer" who did not write those words and so did not practice and improve a skill, not any reader given lowest-common-denominator words no one could be bothered to write, and not the actual writer whose words were stolen without compensation to blend into the AI-generated copy-pasta.

Hijacking language about disability to justify shortcuts and skipping self-improvement is just cheap, and it's not fair to people with disabilities.

I would much rather see NaNoWriMo say, "Hey, we don't all start in the same place, and we may need different goals. Here's overt permission to set personal goals" (or maybe even, "here are several goals to choose from"), "and if you are a NaNo Rebel, rock on! This creativity challenge does require you to do your own work, in order for you to see your own skills improve."

And, honesty. Part of why I don't feel great about NaNoWriMo's backtracking and clarifications is that they're still not being open.

The same email links to an FAQ about data harvesting, which opens with this sentence:

Users of our main website, NaNoWriMo.org, do not type their work directly into our interface, nor do they save or upload their work to our website in any way.

This is technically correct in the present tense, but for years it wasn't. Every NaNo winner for years pasted their work into the word counter for verification. That was, by every web development definition, uploading.

[Updated: the word count validator was discontinued in recent years, and I was wrong to originally write as if it was still happening. I do think addressing the question of the validator would be appropriate when refuting accusations of data harvesting, for clarity and assurance regarding any past harvesting, especially giving today's AI scraping concerns. Again, as stated below, I don't think the validator was stealing work! But I wasn't the only person to immediately think of the validator when reading the FAQ. I was, however, wrong to state it as present-tense here.]

To be clear, I do not believe that NaNoWriMo is harvesting my work, or I wouldn't have verified wins with their word counter. But that's not because of this completely bogus assurance that their website never had the upload that they've required for win verification.

"Well, sure, we had the word counter, but it didn't store your work, and you should have known that's what we meant" is not a valid expectation when you are refuting data concerns. Just as "You should have known what we meant" is not a valid position when clarifying statements about the use of generative AI.

My point is, there are a number of different people making statements for NaNoWriMo, and at least some of them are not competent to make clear, coherent, and correct statements. Either they are not aware that the word counter exists, or they're not aware that pasting data into a website that uses that data to process a task is in fact uploading, or they are not aware that implying they've never collected data they did previously collect in a FAQ is dishonest. Or they are not aware that commenting or DMing users to castigate them for expressing legitimate concerns is not a good practice. Or they are missing the whole point of a writing challenge and emphasizing instead the warm fuzzies of inclusion without actually honoring that marginalized people also want to feel a sense of accomplishment rather than being token "winners."

I judged another writing challenge, once, which included an automatically-processed digital badge for minimum word count. One of the entries was just gibberish repeated to meet the minimum word count. Okay, "participant" who did not actually create anything -- you got your automated digital badge, so I guess you feel cool and clever. But did you meet the challenge? Did you level up? Did you come out stronger and more prepared for the next one?

That's what generative AI use does. Cheap meaningless win, no actual personal progress. That's why we didn't want it endorsed in NaNoWriMo. That's what NaNo is missing in their replies.

And I remain suspicious of replies, anyway, while absolute falsehoods are in their FAQ.

It's sad, because I've truly enjoyed NaNoWriMo in the past. And I actually do think they could recover from past scandal and current AI missteps. But it does not look at this time like they're on that path.

@nanowrimo

[radley-writes]

A lot of the criticism of Nano is getting very Piss On The Poor.... they flat-out did not say a lot of what they are being accused of saying. They said that categorical damnation of generative AI has some classist and ableist undertones, which I agree with only because we live in an ableist and classist society, and therefore, those undertones will be present in damn near any large debate.

But.

This is about the context. For Nanowrimo to try to shut down:

criticisms of generative AI in creative spaces

writers' very real and valid concerns for their future livelihoods (we've already seen the massive negative impact generative AI is having on indie writers, cover designers, etc.!)

larger environmental concerns (generating text doesn't use too much energy, but generating a single image with AI takes as much power as fully charging your smartphone... and if you support one sort of generative AI in creative spaces without explicitly condemning others, of course it's going to be taken as a general promotion!)

with accusations of classism and ableism...

Especially when so many writers are disabled, poor, and have specifically created communities and adjusted their goals because of this lack of privilege... Especially when those writers are now worried about the impact AI will have on these support networks... Especially when Nano is being sponsored by an AI writing company....

To say nothing of them trying to tone-police criticism and demanding that people obey their site rules on other sites such as Tumblr...

It smacks of using the language of social justice to hurt the very people who they are claiming to support.

To address the ableism accusation: Yes, some people cannot write. That's okay. I am disabled and could not ever hope to run 100m, let alone a marathon. This is a thing I Cannot Do Due To Disability - y'know, on account of disabilities being disabling and all. Still, I wouldn't dream of saying that me being driven 100m in a car is the same as running a sprint, and insist on being included in a sprinting competition? It's an entirely different thing - and that is okay to acknowledge. Pretending that driving 100m is the exact same as running just because the person in the car is disabled, is really fucking patronizing. And I honestly don't believe any of the disabled people Nano is talking about are claiming that having AI write your novel is the same as writing it yourself - so let's not make this about any such accusations. This is about disabled people being used, once again, as a feel-good marketing tool, rather than groups like NaNo actually giving a shit about us, lmao.

Nanowrimo is placing themselves on a side in a far larger cultural argument, whether this was their original intention or otherwise. And I think the vast, vast majority of creative people will agree that they're on the wrong one.

[marxistmuslimah]

Last month I made a post about how I believed the "left" would turn on Muslims the nano second people stopped caring about the Palestinian people and I was wrong, it happened when the Syrian people rid themselves of a brutal dictator.

The "left" is so fucking infuriating like they look at Gaza and rightfully say "this is awful and needs to stop" but then looks at Syria and goes "well Assad likes the Palestinians so this is bad" like WHAT???.

Assad and his family murdered thousands of Syrian Palestinians and gassed their own people, like aren't we supposed to support people in taking back their own freedom. What happened to the leftist supporting Rojava and a Syria free from Assad, where did they go cause we need those people back.

And then the critzeism of HTS, SNA and surprisingly the SDF once people realized that the U.S backed them, like obviously trusting a former Al-Qaeda guy is difficult for most and impossible for others alongside a Turkish backed group which is a state hellbent on the genocide of the Kurdish people.

These people aren't saying that they don't trust them their just calling them all rebels (at times including the Kurds) ISIS, this whole time as just reminded me when Russian invaded into Ukraine and these same "leftists" started going full Russian and viewing them as some anti imperialist force and it's truly just obvious to me that these people aren't even on the left in any sort of way but are just opportunists who view anything america or it's allies to bad and everything else as good.

[nanowrimo]

How Finding the Right Writing Community Can Support You as a Writer

Every year, we’re lucky to have great sponsors for our nonprofit events. Novlr, a 2023 NaNoWriMo sponsor, is the world’s first writer-owned creative writing platform, built by writers, for writers. Today, professional writer and Novlr Community Lead Pamela Koehne-Drube shares some of the benefits a writing community can provide:

I’ve been a storyteller since I first learned to speak and a writer since I first held a pen. The writing journey is an emotional roller coaster, and no single day is ever the same. 

There are moments of delight, like when a scene I’ve struggled with finally comes together, or the satisfaction of building a character who comes to life on the page. There’s the sense of accomplishment when my first draft is finished and I get to read my completed story, and the nerves of putting those same words in front of readers for the very first time.

There are lots of silent rooms, the soft tapping of keys, or the scribble of a pen. Sometimes the isolation gets too much, and that’s when I grapple with writer’s block, wrestle with stubborn plot holes, or have to slog through edits I’m just not in the mood for.

In my years as a working writer, the most important thing I’ve learned is that while only I can do the writing, I don’t have to go on the journey alone. A writing community can make all the difference in keeping me motivated. 

What is a writing community?

Writing communities are as diverse as the writers who are part of them. Every writer will have a different need from their community, but what they do share is giving writers the opportunity to interact, share knowledge, and provide mutual support.

Some communities come ready-made. NaNoWriMo is a prime example, where diverse writers all rally together to achieve a common goal and support each other along the way. It has been one of my biggest encouragements over the years. And at Novlr, we’ve built an entire writing workspace around the idea of community, not only offering a virtual space for writers to come together and share their wins, struggles, ideas, and techniques but also giving our writer-owners a real say and influence in how our platform grows and develops.

Why are writing communities important?

Writing communities are a lifeline for many of us, offering a nurturing environment where we can learn, grow, and find kinship. Whether it's seeking feedback, gaining inspiration, or just breaking the isolation often associated with writing, they play an invaluable role in any writer's journey.

Encouragement

Sometimes, as a writer, all you need is someone telling you you’re doing a good job. Positive affirmations and encouragement can make all the difference, not only to your confidence but also to motivate you to stick with it. Being able to share ideas, troubleshoot plot holes, and celebrate even the small victories with people who get it is the perfect motivation.

Accountability

Being part of a writing community that openly shares its goals and commitments is a surefire way to motivate you to follow through. Again, NaNoWriMo is a perfect example of this; announcing your intention to the world and to the wider NaNo community makes your 50,000-word draft more than just an idea you have. It makes it real.

This accountability works for smaller goals too. Just sharing them with people makes them a tangible thing to work toward, keeping you accountable and on track to achieve your writing goals.

Become a better writer

Writing groups offer the perfect opportunity to get real-time feedback on your work and expose yourself to diverse and unique perspectives from fellow writers. Not only can they learn from you and your experiences, but you can learn from theirs by championing supportive and constructive criticism.

Rediscover the joy of writing!

There’s something truly special about the collective joy and camaraderie of sharing your writing journey. Writing groups help foster friendships where you can celebrate your shared successes. The challenges of writing become less daunting and more like puzzles to be solved together, and if you involve group activities, like writing prompts or collaborative projects, the process of writing becomes much more vibrant and enjoyable. 

What types of writing communities are there?

Writing events

Writing events foster writing communities where each member shares a single goal or focus. NaNoWriMo is, of course, the biggest and most well-known goal-focused event in the creative writing space. I have lifelong writing pals I’ve met over NaNoWriMo, and we still regularly get together for critiques. Last year, I even did a 24-hour novel challenge where we took the NaNo goal of 50,000 words but tried to fit it into a single 24-hour period. It was one of the toughest writing challenges I’ve ever done, but the community that came from it is amazing.

Similarly, online communities, like our Discord, that host regular writing sprints, often attract goal-focused individuals who enjoy the thrill of time-bound writing challenges. 

In-person writing groups

In-person writing groups meet at a dedicated time and place, like a local coffee shop, library, or someone's home. I host a writing group at my local pub on one of their quieter afternoons, and there’s a handful of us who get together, exchange ideas, play writing games, provide real-time feedback, and just generally share our work in the spirit of improving our craft. 

The value of personal contact can't be underestimated, as it does allow for more nuanced discussions about works in progress and provides a structure that many writers, myself included, find beneficial.

Critique groups

Critique groups, as the name suggests, focus primarily on providing constructive feedback on members' work. These groups are all about sharing drafts and receiving detailed criticism about your writing — anything from accuracy to style and accessibility.

Peer critiques can offer a variety of perspectives on your writing. It’s a great way to find plot holes, character inconsistencies, or stylistic improvements that you might have overlooked early on. Furthermore, by critiquing others' work, you learn to sharpen your own editing skills and gain fresh insights into the writing process.

Writing retreats

Writing retreats are designed to provide writers with a break from their everyday environment and immerse them in a space dedicated to their writing. These retreats can range from weekend getaways to month-long residencies and are often situated in inspiring locations, from country houses to beachfront cabins.

The tranquil and focused atmosphere of a retreat is designed to spark creativity and reduce distractions, allowing writers to concentrate solely on their craft.

Online writing communities

Not everyone lives near other writers or is comfortable seeking out strangers in person. Online writing communities offer a digital space for writers to interact and learn from each other, extending the possibility of collaboration regardless of geographical location.

Platforms like Reddit, Discord, and the NaNoWriMo forums are popular for hosting vibrant writing communities, providing a dynamically interactive space that keeps writers connected, inspired, and motivated in their writing journey, even if they can’t be with other writers in person.

Social media

Social media channels offer various ways for writers to connect, exchange ideas, and foster communities. On Twitter and Tumblr, writers can follow trending hashtags like #writingcommunity, #amwriting, #writeblr, #writingtips, or #NaNoWriMo to engage in conversations, share inspiration, or get advice. TikTok has also recently emerged as another hub for writers, with the #BookTok and #WritingTok trends really taking off. 

To sum up

Writing communities come in many forms and serve different purposes, but each offers unique benefits to support and enrich your writing journey. They provide the encouragement, accountability, feedback, and camaraderie needed to navigate the often solitary path of writing. It may be your journey, but you don’t have to take it alone.

As you seek to join or create a writing community, consider what you want from the experience and explore various options that align with your needs, preferences, and schedule. Remember, writing doesn't have to be a lonely endeavour. In the company of fellow writers, the journey becomes a shared experience, making the process less daunting and far more rewarding. Happy writing!

Novlr is free to use. However, for those who need the extra bits, there’s a 40% discount on Novlr Pro for 12 months for NaNoWriMo writers. Simply add the NANO23 coupon code when subscribing at Novlr.org. Offer expires December 31st, 2023.

Pamela Koehne-Drube is all about building creative writing communities where imagination thrives and writers achieve their goals. As a professional ghostwriter and editor, Pamela has first-hand experience in the book trade, from supporting fledgeling writers all the way through to working with the Big Five publishers. She’s an expert on all things writing. In her role as Writer Development & Community Lead at Novlr, you'll find her organising challenges and chatting about writing in Novlr’s Discord and building a repository of amazing writing, editing, publishing, and marketing resources for the Reading Room.

Top photo by Hannah Busing on Unsplash.

[vvatchword]

fall is in the air. And usually that kicks off remembrances of NaNoWriMo.

With their handling of the child predator, the child-centric programs with no safety features, and now their support of AI...

I can't NaNo anymore in any good faith.

There was a program called "Book or Bust" in the middle of the year--write a book over June and July, at about 650 words per day. I think people everywhere are suggesting alternatives of similar types. And honestly?

It's a great thing, writing altogether. I don't doubt we'll make another big group to write in. But also? NaNoWriMo didn't have to be a company. It started as a group of friends. There's no reason we can't just make it highly personal and find friends to write with.

I know all this.

And yet I'm so damn sad. NaNo was a source of such happiness for me. And now... sigh.

just sigh.

I don't believe I'm the world's special victim or anything, but it is wild how and when my supports have been stripped from me. NaNoWriMo was always so important. It will always be an important part of my past. Honestly, that hurts. It's like I had a special holiday and now that holiday is just POOF! Gone.

I love writing with other people so I'd prefer another big event... if anyone has any writing projects or goals and wants someone to work with, just contact me ok <3

[finalvortex]

The thing about 100 kanojo is that it's firstly a parody of harem anime and secondly a huge fucking shitpost but as a distant third thing it's also got something to say. Which is that no one should have to change who they are to be loved.

Like. You look at Shizuka's mother taking away her accessibility aids because she thinks she needs to teach her to be 'normal,' or Ahko getting bullied because she's physically incapable of expressing her emotions in a socially acceptable way, and you realise that what a lot of these girls needed was a support system.

You can extend that line of thought to everything from Chiyo's OCD and Eira's anxiety and Yamame's gigantism and Suu's autism (and Nano's autism and Kusuri's autism and-). Even sillier stuff like Karane's tsundere-ness and Kurumi's fast metabolism and Rin's interest in violence are shown to be ostracising. And then we even have Mei and Tama as examples of what it looks like when people don't get that support system in time.

People tend to fall for Rentaro because he's the first person to meet them at face value and tell them it's OK to be who they are. And that attitude extends to the Family which, yes, functions as a polycule, but it's also very much a found family, in the truest sense of 'a group of people outcast from society who choose to love and support each other'.

[mosylufanfic]

NaNoFicMo prompts for Rebelcaptain! 🥰 39) “my back’s sore.” and/or 53) “don’t go there.”

And here it is, the last NaNo story for 2024! *wipes away tear* *goes and takes a nap*

Thank you to @adeptnenyim for talking through some of the details with me.

Calling Your Bluff

The club was Bodhi's idea, because of course it was. How he'd linked up with residents at all four major hospitals in the Yavin City metro area remained a mystery to Jyn. Was there a forum? A Whatsapp group? Did he put out pheromones that attracted other exhausted and frazzled medical residents?

She didn't know, she just knew that if she actually happened to be off work and conscious on a Wednesday night, she could go to The Whills Tavern and find a bunch of interns and residents talking smack about their attendings, telling the best stories from their respective rotations, and generally drinking away their sorrows. 

If anybody from the hospital asked, it was a professional support, networking, and development group. After three months of residency, it had become one of the things that maintained her sanity.

Only Bodhi was at the usual table when she finished making her order at the bar. "Jyn!" he said with suspicious delight. 

She brandished a finger in his direction. "You're far too chipper. Save it for your little anklebiters.”

"Today was my day off."

"Sure, rub it in." She plopped a massive glass of water on the table, slouched into the chair, and fought off a jaw-cracking yawn. "I started my day at 4 am and I just left the hospital. My back is sore, my feet are killing me, and if I don't get my nachos in the next twenty seconds, I'm going to murder someone."

Keep reading on AO3

[blazethecheeto]

okay, so i'm gonna be shouting into the void right now, but is anyone planning on participating on nanowrimo, or any nanowrimo-esque challenge this year?

last year, i had a group of writer friends to write alongside and share snippets of our work- it made the process a lot more fun!

this year i fear i am short on writer friends, so would anyone like to join a little discord server and fight through nano together? i swear we're supportive and silly people. it'll be a lot of fun :D

so, this goes to anyone who isn't participating on the site, or doing something similar like novella november as well!

right now, we got me and @nutelladoesstuff and below is the discord server, anyone who wants to write a novel (or just keep us accountable and talk about projects), please join!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[justsome-di]

Hi! Wanted to let you know that I really love your take on Nano and the evolution of it through time. I also quit the whole thing for the same reasons around 2016 after two years. I was curious: what are your expectations for a healthy writing community? I've seen that a lot of people want different things and conflict happen because nobody really talks about it. The most people are willing to say is the obvious don't be an asshole (although obviously that doesn't stop some), but I rarely see people say things like "I don't want to share my writing but I do want to share the efforts of it" or "I want to talk about every details of my stories and brainstorm with others" and things like that. So what are your thoughts on it? P.S. I started following you and then I found out you're also into MDZS XD Love that!

Hi!!

When I think of a healthy writing community, I think about two 12-year-olds sharing their grand story ideas and their original characters that are master-level wizards at age 19 or famous detectives at 15 and the two 12-year-olds gush over each other's ideas and draw their characters and help each other come up with names and ideas and titles.

I think writing communities really thrive when people are encouraged to share their ideas and can get a positive response. There's times to critique works and times to just hype people up--and I think people really do not know the difference.

I've noticed a few, consistent issues:

Competition: I think some writers get competitive over how fast they write, how much, how often, etc. And I've been in some Discord servers when a person is suddenly getting praise or recognition, and you can tell there's tension. Suddenly people stop talking and log off. There's a lot of battle of the egos.

Different skill levels in one space: this is a big issue, though it's not anyone's fault. I've noticed that some writers in some servers are well-experienced with great writing and then other writers are beginners. It's not a big deal, really, but it does hamper feedback. Beginner writers get discouraged and overwhelmed when well-experienced writers offer more detailed critiques. And likewise, experienced writers probably aren't getting super in-depth critiques they need. Not to say people are unsupportive, but it's just not the most productive set up!

Selfishness: I'm not sure if that's the best way to phrase it, but I've noticed that often people will share their writing in servers but not interact with other's writings.

These are pretty limited to Discord which imo isn't a productive space for large writing groups anyway. But unfortunately when a lot of people move to Discord, it's hard to find a sense of community on tumblr or other sites.

But I can't just bitch and not offer suggestions so:

Keep online communities alive. We can't limit ourselves to Discord servers. Post your writing. Engage with other blogs. Reblog. Reply. Send in asks. If you're reading something someone wrote, let them know. Say something in the tags or send in an ask.

Be a hype man: We should encourage each other to continue writing--not everyone is looking for critiques all the time

Know your place: I've seen way too many people shit on ideas for events or special blogs. If you see something that you don't like, just leave it be. If you're not interested in something, it's not for you. Let the micro-communities do their thing and find their people. You do not need to be involved in every facet of the general writing community.

Post. Your. Writing. Or post stuff about your writing. It's hard to find other writers when they don't share! I can't hype up your story if I don't know about it!

I often see a lot of suggestions get vague. Like you said--"Don't be an asshole." Okay. Great. But what does that mean? And how does it get enforced in moderated communities like servers? What if the mods of the servers are assholes?

Or I see "support each other!" Okay, but we need an actual game plan for getting early-2010s level of community back. We need to bring back ask memes and character memes and ask culture. Because people back then weren't just twiddling their thumbs waiting for an interaction, there was effort put into all of it. People were designing games and events and taking time to engage with each other.

I don't think people understand that healthy communities need to be nurtured and inclusive. And this is definitely glamorizing the internet of 10-15 years ago. There's always been bullying and toxic people. But I think we could definitely build on what used to be and make something that's mature and welcoming to everyone.

I'm hoping with NaNo on their steady decline through the past couple of years really encourages people to rekindle other online communities. I think a lot of people have been nostalgic over the past few days, and a lot of people have taken the initiative to coordinate their own events. It's starting to bring back some of the unconditional support that used to exist.

(I love mdzs so much omggg and I'm reading through tgcf too and I aaaahhhh I'm very normal about it)

[satoshi-mochida]

Bushiroad Games and Frontwing announce visual novel Perennial Dusk: Kinsenka for PC - Gematsu

Publisher Bushiroad Games and developer Frontwing have announced visual novel Perennial Dusk: Kinsenka for PC. It will launch in 2025 with English, Japanese, and Simplified Chinese language support.

Here is an overview of the game, via its official website:

About

Industry veteran Yukito Urushibara and prolific illustrator Saine join forces for the first time to craft a stunning tale about a group of young people in an eerie world of endless twilight. Follow their story as they struggle against limitless cruelty and confront the inescapable traumas of life and death together. Perennial Dusk: Kinsenka is the latest visual novel written by Yukito Urushibara, whose work on Irotoridori no Sekai and Sakura Moyu captivated players with stories that inspire hope as readily as they induce despair. The cast of colorful-yet-broken characters is brought to life by Saine, whose experience as the illustrator of various Vocaloid music videos (“mikitoP “Kunoichi demo Koi ga shitai”) and as a VTuber designer (“Kamishiro Kurea,” “Watagashi Unou,” “Hoshikage Lapis,” and “Kozuya Nano” among others) lets the delicate twilight world bloom with a resplendent touch.

Story

The human heart is but a vessel for pain. That’s what someone once whispered-a voice laced with loneliness, whispering directly into the soul. It’s an indescribable sadness, a love just beginning to bloom. It becomes an invisible pain that pierces the heart. And that’s what makes up life: a cyclical series of highs and lows. Tachibana Sai was born without the ability to feel pain in his heart. He spends his days eliminating any seeds of malice that sneak up on his sister, the one person he treasures, without drawing attention to himself. Sick of the never ending monotony he lives through, he chances upon a meeting with Benio Matsuri, a young girl whose aloof demeanor resembles that of a beautifully crafted doll. For the first time in his life, he encounters a heart piercing sensation that of falling in love. On the edge between day and night, in a twilight world where the dead and living mingle, stands an apartment building called Maison sans Nom, which is home to a group of boys and girls. A ruthless boy who knows no pain in his heart. A lonely girl without any friends. A friendly girl who struggles to make connections. A prickly, ambitious girl who is keen to be of help. A boy who loves his own cute self above anything else. A mess of a woman who tries to solve everything through brute force. And a boy with a tender heart who knows no pain in his body. This ill-assorted group of residents, hands stained with blood from battling the supernatural Maledicts, shall encounter the hearts they never knew and begin nurturing their souls. The human heart is but a vessel for pain. To protect this pain akin to love… To gently break the world apart, piece by piece… Even if it means abandoning humanity. That’s why the heart is but a vessel for pain. For life blazes brilliantly, while the heart goes around in an endless cycle.

Characters

Benio Matsuri (voiced by Manaka Iwami) – A girl born into the Benio Family, a powerful family of Maledict Exorcists, who is tightly bound by her family’s curse. Due to an incident in the past, causing her to close off her heart, she doesn’t speak and barely shows any emotion. Her eyes remain closed at all times, as if she wishes to isolate herself from the cruel world she lives in. Since she only moves when someone pulls her along by the hand, her demeanor evokes the image of a beautifully crafted doll. She is a Curse Bearer with the ability to give Maledicts form and use their powers freely.

Nobody (voiced by Manaka Iwami) – Another personality that dwells inside Benio Matsuri’s heart that appears when Matsuri is asleep. Nobody sees herself as a shield that protects Matsuri from the cruel world. She can be incredibly selfish, and her words, actions, and strong attitude cause her to come across as a haughty, ill-mannered girl.

Tachibana Sai (voiced by Yumiri Hanamori) – The protagonist of the story: A ruthless boy who cannot feel pain in his heart. His younger sister, his only family, is the one person he treasures, and anyone who torments her is met with a brutal end by his hands… Yet, yearning to understand the human heart, he often interrogates his victims, even though they cannot respond. Just as he begins to seek respite from his bleak life, his unexpected encounter with Benio Matsuri causes him to experience a kind of pain akin to love in his heart.

Kanbara Tatsuki (voiced by Shuta Morishima) – An earnest and sincere boy who was born with a body that doesn’t feel any physical pain. Despite the unjust world around him, he wishes to keep on the straight and narrow, even if no one else does. He began training at a young age under a master who claimed to be invincible in order to become… well, a certain something. He has infiltrated the Benio Family and is biding his time for the chance to free Benio Matsuri, his first love, from their curse.

Tsukahara Ao (voiced by Hitomi Sasaki) – A seemingly cheerful and sociable resident of Maison sans Nom. She’s especially close with her friend Ando Mémé. Born as a Curse Bearer, she works as one of the Benio Family’s mercenaries and exorcists. On top of her mischievous tendencies, she wants more than anything to be a housewife. Her cooking might not be up to par now, but she’s working on it.

Ando Meme (voiced by Hika Tsukishiro) – A surly resident of Maison sans Nom and a Curse Bearer like Ao. Despite her ambitious and hard-working nature, she tends to scare people off due to her prickly attitude. However, she is keener than anyone when it comes to helping her friends, and Ao is especially reliant on her companionship. Her goal in life is to rake in the money as a top-grade exorcist.

Kirishima Tsuyu (voiced by Yukina Shuto) – The landlord of Maison sans Nom. Tsuyu is obsessed with his own cuteness and habitually declares himself the cutest person in the world. He enjoys teasing the other residents, and while they get annoyed with Tsuyu’s antics sometimes, they still adore him. He often earns himself a spanking from Yozora. He is also a content creator who makes full use of his looks while livestreaming as “Chuyu.” He has a preference for strong-willed people and takes a particular liking to Tatsuki in this regard. A Curse Bearer like Ao and Mémé, he possesses a mysterious power.

Kandori Yozora (voiced by Hana Kuga) – As the only grown-up resident of Maison sans Nom, Yozora acts as the guardian of the younger residents. She appears to be a beautiful, classy lady… until she opens her mouth. With her frank and outspoken attitude, as well as her tendency to drink cheap booze, gamble on horses, and “borrow” money from the kids without ever returning it, she’s not exactly what one would consider a responsible adult. Yozora does not possess any Maledict powers, but she prides herself on being the strongest martial artist in the world.

Benio Tsui (voiced by Takako Tanaka) – The current head of the Benio Family and Matsuri’s younger sister. Contrary to her appearance as a young girl, she considers herself the matriarch of the family, referring to all its members as her “children,” regardless of blood relations. Inside her heart dwells three different personalities, each with their own quirks and caprices. All are cold, cruel, and ruthless by nature, although she sometimes displays a child-like innocence befitting her age.

Penguin (voiced by Reika Fujisawa) – A mysterious, smartly dressed penguin with the ability to understand and speak human language. However, it is painfully shy, so normally it pretends to be just a regular penguin. It works as a receptionist and bellhop at a hotel where the souls of the dead end up, so the younger residents of Maison sans Nom refer to it as “God.” It has a huge attitude for a cute little penguin and is extremely hard to please. The best way to buy its favor is with sweets and snacks.

…and others!

Main Staff

Planning / Story: Yukito Urushibara

Character Design / Art: Saine

Developer: Frontwing

Background Music: Fuminori Matsumoto, Hitoshi Fujima (Elements Garden)

Theme Song

Title: “Anata no Kioku no Naka de” (“In Your Memories”)

Vocals: Mao Uesugi

Lyrics: Yoshikazu Kuwashima

Composition and Arrangement: Hitoshi Fujima (Elements Garden)

Watch the announcement trailer below.

Announce Trailer

[mariacallous]

In the old ranchlands of South Texas, dormant uranium mines are coming back online. A collection of new ones hope to start production soon, extracting radioactive fuel from the region’s shallow aquifers. Many more may follow.

These mines are the leading edge of what government and industry leaders in Texas hope will be a nuclear renaissance, as America’s latent nuclear sector begins to stir again.

Texas is currently developing a host of high-tech industries that require enormous amounts of electricity, from cryptocurrency mines and artificial intelligence to hydrogen production and seawater desalination. Now, powerful interests in the state are pushing to power it with next-generation nuclear reactors.

“We can make Texas the nuclear capital of the world,” said Reed Clay, president of the Texas Nuclear Alliance, former chief operating officer for Texas governor Greg Abbott’s office and former senior counsel to the Texas Office of the Attorney General. “There’s a huge opportunity.”

Clay owns a lobbying firm with heavyweight clients that include SpaceX, Dow Chemical, and the Texas Blockchain Council, among many others. He launched the Texas Nuclear Alliance in 2022 and formed the Texas Nuclear Caucus during the 2023 state legislative session to advance bills supportive of the nuclear industry.

The efforts come amid a national resurgence of interest in nuclear power, which can provide large amounts of energy without the carbon emissions that warm the planet. And it can do so with reliable consistency that wind and solar power generation lack. But it carries a small risk of catastrophic failure and requires uranium from mines that can threaten rural aquifers.

In South Texas, groundwater management officials have fought for almost 15 years against a planned uranium mine. Administrative law judges have ruled in their favor twice, finding potential for groundwater contamination. But in both cases those judges were overruled by the state’s main environmental regulator, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.

Now local leaders fear mining at the site appears poised to begin soon as momentum gathers behind America’s nuclear resurgence.

In October, Google announced the purchase of six small nuclear reactors to power its data centers by 2035. Amazon did the same shortly thereafter, and Microsoft has said it will pay to restart the Three Mile Island plant in Pennsylvania to power its facilities. Last month, President Joe Biden announced a goal to triple US nuclear capacity by 2050. American companies are racing to license and manufacture new models of nuclear reactors.

“It’s kind of an unprecedented time in nuclear,” said James Walker, a nuclear physicist and cofounder of New York-based NANO Nuclear Energy, a startup developing small-scale “microreactors” for commercial deployment around 2031.

The industry’s reemergence stems from two main causes, he said: towering tech industry energy demands and the war in Ukraine.

Previously, the US relied on enriched uranium from decommissioned Russian weapons to fuel its existing power plants and military vessels. When war interrupted that supply in 2022, American authorities urgently began to rekindle domestic uranium mining and enrichment.

“The Department of Energy at the moment is trying to build back a lot of the infrastructure that atrophied,” Walker said. “A lot of those uranium deposits in Texas have become very economical, which means a lot of investment will go back into those sites.”

In May, the White House created a working group to develop guidelines for deployment of new nuclear power projects. In June, the Department of Energy announced $900 million in funding for small, next-generation reactors. And in September it announced a $1.5 billion loan to restart a nuclear power plant in Michigan, which it called “a first-of-a-kind effort.”

“There’s an urgent desire to find zero-carbon energy sources that aren’t intermittent like renewables,” said Colin Leyden, Texas state director of the Environmental Defense Fund. “There aren’t a lot of options, and nuclear is one.”

Wind and solar will remain the cheapest energy sources, Leyden said, and a build-out of nuclear power would likely accelerate the retirement of coal plants.

The US hasn’t built a nuclear reactor in 30 years, spooked by a handful of disasters. In contrast, China has grown its nuclear power generation capacity almost 900 percent in the last 20 years, according to the World Nuclear Association, and currently has 30 reactors under construction.

Last year, Abbott ordered the state’s Public Utility Commission to produce a report “outlining how Texas will become the national leader in using advanced nuclear energy.” According to the report, which was issued in November, new nuclear reactors would most likely be built in ports and industrial complexes to power large industrial operations and enable further expansion.

“The Ports and their associated industries, like Liquified Natural Gas (LNG), carbon capture facilities, hydrogen facilities and cruise terminals, need additional generation sources,” the report said. Advanced nuclear reactors “offer Texas’ Ports a unique opportunity to enable continued growth.”

In the Permian Basin, the report said, reactors could power oil production as well as purification of oilfield wastewater “for useful purposes.” Or they could power clusters of data centers in Central and North Texas.

Already, Dow Chemical has announced plans to install four small reactors at its Seadrift plastics and chemical plant on a rural stretch of the middle Texas coast, which it calls the first grid-scale nuclear reactor for an industrial site in North America.

“I think the vast majority of these nuclear power plants are going to be for things like industrial use,” said Cyrus Reed, a longtime environmental lobbyist in the Texas Capitol and conservation director for the state’s Sierra Club chapter. “A lot of large industries have corporate goals of being low carbon or no carbon, so this could fill in a niche for them.”

The PUC report made seven recommendations for the creation of public entities, programs, and funds to support the development of a Texas nuclear industry. During next year’s state legislative session, legislators in the Nuclear Caucus will seek to make them law.

“It’s going to be a great opportunity for energy investment in Texas,” said Stephen Perkins, Texas-based chief operating officer of the American Conservation Coalition, a conservative environmental policy group. “We’re really going to be pushing hard for [state legislators] to take that seriously.”

However, Texas won’t likely see its first new commercial reactor come online for at least five years. Before a build-out of power plants, there will be a boom at the uranium mines, as the US seeks to reestablish domestic production and enrichment of uranium for nuclear fuel.

Texas Uranium

Ted Long, a former commissioner of Goliad County, can see the power lines of an inactive uranium mine from his porch on an old family ranch in the rolling golden savannah of South Texas. For years the mine has been idle, waiting for depressed uranium markets to pick up.

There, an international mining company called Uranium Energy Corp. plans to mine 420 acres of the Evangeline Aquifer between depths of 45 and 404 feet, according to permitting documents. Long, a dealer of engine lubricants, gets his water from a well 120 feet deep that was drilled in 1993. He lives with his wife on property that’s been in her family since her great-grandfather emigrated from Germany.

“I’m worried for groundwater on this whole Gulf Coast,” Long said. “This isn’t the only place they’re wanting to do this.”

As a public official, Long fought the neighboring mine for years. But he found the process of engaging with Texas’ environmental regulator, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, to be time-consuming, expensive, and ultimately fruitless. Eventually, he concluded there was no point.

“There’s nothing I can do,” he said. “I guess I’ll have to look for some kind of system to clean the water up.”

The Goliad mine is the smallest of five sites in South Texas held by UEC, which is based in Corpus Christi. Another company, enCore Energy, started uranium production at two South Texas sites in 2023 and 2024, and hopes to bring four more online by 2027.

Uranium mining goes back decades in South Texas, but lately it’s been dormant. Between the 1970s and 1990s, a cluster of open pit mines harvested shallow uranium deposits at the surface. Many of those sites left a legacy of aquifer pollution.

TCEQ records show active cases of groundwater contaminated with uranium, radium, arsenic, and other pollutants from defunct uranium mines and tailing impoundment sites in Live Oak County at ExxonMobil’s Ray Point site, in Karnes County at Conoco-Phillips’ Conquista Project, and at Rio Grande Resources’ Panna Maria Uranium Recovery Facility.

All known shallow deposits of uranium in Texas have been mined. The deeper deposits aren’t accessed by traditional surface mining, but rather a process called in-situ mining, in which solvents are pumped underground into uranium-bearing aquifer formations. Adjacent wells suck back up the resulting slurry, from which uranium dust will be extracted.

Industry describes in-situ mining as safer and more environmentally friendly than surface mining. But some South Texas water managers and landowners are concerned.

”We’re talking about mining at the same elevation as people get their groundwater,” said Terrell Graham, a board member of the Goliad County Groundwater Conservation District, which has been fighting a proposed uranium mine for almost 15 years. “There isn’t another source of water for these residents.”

“It Was Rigged, a Setup”

On two occasions, the district has participated in lengthy hearings and won favorable rulings in Texas’ administrative courts supporting concerns over the safety of the permits. But both times, political appointees at the TCEQ rejected judges’ recommendations and issued the permits anyway.

“We’ve won two administrative proceedings,” Graham said. “It’s very expensive, and to have the TCEQ commissioners just overturn the decision seems nonsensical.”

The first time was in 2010. UEC was seeking initial permits for the Goliad mine, and the groundwater conservation district filed a technical challenge claiming that permits risked contamination of nearby aquifers.

The district hired lawyers and geological experts for a three-day hearing on the permit in Austin. Afterwards, an administrative law judge agreed with some of the district’s concerns. In a 147-page opinion issued in September 2010, an administrative law judge recommended further geological testing to determine whether certain underground faults could transmit fluids from the mining site into nearby drinking water sources.

“If the Commission determines that such remand is not feasible or desirable then the ALJ recommends that the Mine Application and the PAA-1 Application be denied,” the opinion said.

But the commissioners declined the judge’s recommendation. In an order issued March 2011, they determined that the proposed permits “impose terms and conditions reasonably necessary to protect fresh water from pollution.”

“The Commission determines that no remand is necessary,” the order said.

The TCEQ issued UEC’s permits, valid for 10 years. But by that time, a collapse in uranium prices had brought the sector to a standstill, so mining never commenced.

In 2021, the permits came up for renewal, and locals filed challenges again. But again, the same thing happened.

A nearby landowner named David Michaelsen organized a group of neighbors to hire a lawyer and challenge UEC’s permit to inject the radioactive waste product from its mine more than half a mile underground for permanent disposal.

“It’s not like I’m against industry or anything, but I don’t think this is a very safe spot,” said Michaelsen, former chief engineer at the Port of Corpus Christi, a heavy industrial hub on the South Texas Coast. He bought his 56 acres in Goliad County in 2018 to build an upscale ranch house and retire with his wife.

In hearings before an administrative law judge, he presented evidence showing that nearby faults and old oil well shafts posed a risk for the injected waste to travel into potable groundwater layers near the surface.

In a 103-page opinion issued April 2024, an administrative law judge agreed with many of Michaelsen’s challenges, including that “site-specific evidence here shows the potential for fluid movement from the injection zone.”

“The draft permit does not comply with applicable statutory and regulatory requirements,” wrote the administrative law judge, Katerina DeAngelo, a former assistant attorney general of Texas in the environmental protection division. She recommended “closer inspection of the local geology, more precise calculations of the [cone of influence], and a better assessment of the faults.”

Michaelsen thought he had won. But when the TCEQ commissioners took up the question several months later, again they rejected all of the judge’s findings.

In a 19-page order issued in September, the commission concluded that “faults within 2.5 miles of its proposed disposal wells are not sufficiently transmissive or vertically extensive to allow migration of hazardous constituents out of the injection zone.” The old nearby oil wells, the commission found, “are likely adequately plugged and will not provide a pathway for fluid movement.”

“UEC demonstrated the proposed disposal wells will prevent movement of fluids that would result in pollution” of an underground source of drinking water, said the order granting the injection disposal permits.

“I felt like it was rigged, a setup,” said Michaelsen, holding his 4-inch-thick binder of research and records from the case. “It was a canned decision.”

Another set of permit renewals remains before the Goliad mine can begin operation, and local authorities are fighting it too. In August, the Goliad County Commissioners Court passed a resolution against uranium mining in the county. The groundwater district is seeking to challenge the permits again in administrative court. And in November, the district sued TCEQ in Travis County District Court seeking to reverse the agency’s permit approvals.

Because of the lawsuit, a TCEQ spokesperson declined to answer questions about the Goliad County mine site, saying the agency doesn’t comment on pending litigation.

A final set of permits remains to be renewed before the mine can begin production. However, after years of frustrations, district leaders aren’t optimistic about their ability to influence the decision.

Only about 40 residences immediately surround the site of the Goliad mine, according to Art Dohmann, vice president of the Goliad County Groundwater Conservation District. Only they might be affected in the near term. But Dohmann, who has served on the groundwater district board for 23 years, worries that the uranium, radium, and arsenic churned up in the mining process will drift from the site as years go by.

“The groundwater moves. It’s a slow rate, but once that arsenic is liberated, it’s there forever,” Dohmann said. “In a generation, it’s going to affect the downstream areas.”

UEC did not respond to a request for comment.

Currently, the TCEQ is evaluating possibilities for expanding and incentivizing further uranium production in Texas. It’s following instruction given last year, when lawmakers with the Nuclear Caucus added an item to TCEQ’s biannual budget ordering a study of uranium resources to be produced for state lawmakers by December 2024, ahead of next year’s legislative session.

According to the budget item, “The report must include recommendations for legislative or regulatory changes and potential economic incentive programs to support the uranium mining industry in this state.”

[alexanderflowerbird]

DAY 30

The final day! Yippee! It has been such a rewarding experience to work for the whole month with my writing group that I have decided to make it a permanent structure and keep writing with these folks. Our group is going to be invitation only going forward, so I'm excited to add new writers that vibe with our particular brand of supporting each other and sharing our work, and of course, I'm excited to continue working on my stories. Harrowben and I will start working on The Bishop of Black again soon, likely with the goal to put our second draft of the first book out to the public so we can start building an audience outside of Patreon. Our patrons have been patient, loyal, and amazing supporters of our work, but if you know anything about Patreon, you know that it's UI fucking BLOWS. So I have much to look forward to in the coming year when it comes to my work independently and with my beloved husband.

I knocked my goal of 30K out of the park, and have finished out this challenge with a whopping 40,057 words! I haven't written this much on an independent project in years, so it really shows ya how good it is to have a good support system when you're doing this kind of work. I am so grateful to my writing group, and I am so excited to continue working with them and seeing their work as it grows and unfolds. For my last excerpt of this challenge, I give you flying gators lol Thank you for reading! I'll continue to post my work, though certainly not as frequently, so if you're on my taglist and would like to be removed now that fuck nano is over, just comment on this post, but if you'd like to be added for future updates, please interact with the post I tag at the end! Again, thank you <3

Taglist: @theskeletonprior @thelittlestspider @badscientist @tragedycoded

Here's that post, if you'd like to be added on!

The expanse of ever changing plant life around them is awe striking. Malachi doesn’t know much about the world, about nature, but he knows it’s strange for there to be bogs in the middle of desert sand, that some of the cars on the side of the road are half sunken in the sort of quicksand that belongs in a jungle while others are dusted over with a fine, orange misting after getting wind whipped in the grave yard of abandoned vehicles. 

As they’re driving, he can’t quite take his eyes off what’s outside and if not for the fact that Dolcezza is carrying him towards his daughter and Felina, he’d want the other man to slow down and let him really take it in. He can see how a place like this would be terrifying for people who are used to a world that makes sense, that’s been tamed and chained down by buildings and asphalt and electricity. Out here, the wild has overrun everything but the long road they’re driving on, and it seems like even that is hard won against the elements. He’s distracted from his marvelling by a road sign that’s planted in the earth, a human made thing sticking out like a sore thumb against the eden like abundance around it, and he isn’t sure what to make of the bright yellow sign. It is a diamond shape, and on its face are two things that don’t seem to belong together. The profile shape of an alligator, with the shape of a wing over the top of it are on the sign, and as they pass, Malachi tips his head, confused about the two symbols paired together. His brain automatically correlates the signage to the sort one would see up north to warn for deer crossings, but alligators? Out here? He is about to ask Dolcezza when he notices the truck is slowing to a stop.

 Dolcezza puts them in park and Malachi takes a look around them, a little alarmed by the sudden delay. On one side of the road is a mass of trees that are tipping in on each other, vines linking them in curving tangles, their chalky brown trunks surrounding a body of water. There’s another body of water on the other side of the road almost aligned perfectly, but in the way that this place is a clash of environments that shouldn’t be possible, this one is like a saharan water hole, surrounded by sand and stubborn foliage clinging to the edges of the large pond. 

“What’d we stop for?” Malachi asks, looking to Dolcezza as he’s lighting up a cigarette, having rolled down the window to let the smoke out. Dolcezza offers him one and he takes it, cranking his own window down.

“Gators.” Dolcezza says, as though it ought to make all the sense in the world and Malachi huffs a laugh. 

“What do you mean gators?” He asks, and Dolcezza takes a turn at laughing. 

“Just what I said, honey. Gators. They’re different out here ‘course, but they’re basically gators. Watch, you’ll see. Pretty cool shit, I’ll admit. First time anyway. Having driven this way a hundred times now it’s more of a nuisance than anything else. They like t’ follow the sun, keep warm, and we’re nearly on time for them to come crossin’. Best to just stop and let ‘em by than to hope we can get through this spot before they start leapin’.” 

“Leaping?” Malachi considers the wing shape painted above that alligator silhouette on the sign and feels his stomach flip in a sort of primal terror over the idea that there might be alligators out here that can fly. Whatever is doing this to the land can’t possibly be natural if it gives alligators, an arguably unmatched predator, the ability to fucking fly. 

“Oh, here they come.” Dolcezza says, looking sideways, and sure enough there is a mass of creatures crawling over each other like snakes in a heap, except they’re… like alligators. Some of them leap, streaking through the air the way sharks do when they leap out of the sea, and as they come closer to the road, their strangeness becomes more clear. Their legs are not the stumpy, clawed legs of regular gators, but instead they are bent, webbed, and long like those of frogs. The scales on the gators are odd too, not the leathery mixture of square and rectangle shapes he’s seen on bags and boots, but scales like those that belong on fish, silvery and green with flashing stripes of orange along some of their sides. And they’re leaping. Literally leaping. Right off the ground, bounding over each other towards the road in a mass. Malachi is transfixed, breathless with a sort of maddened delight as they reach the edge of the road and as though determined not to touch the unseemly creations of man, they take turns leaning completely over the asphalt to land in the dust on the other side, three or four at a time, their scales glinting in the sunlight, their enormous bodies magically weightless as they glide past the windshield. Dolcezza seems utterly unimpressed, and that feels insane, because they’re fucking flying gators. 

[capesandshapes]

Friendly reminder not to partake in nanowrimo via their website or engage with their organization this year.

There's so many alternatives to nanowrimo in so many different fringe groups that are doing their own novel writing challenges in November.

You can also make the decision just to do the challenge and not engage with the organization at all.

But please for the love of God do not partake in nanowrimo and continue to support them now that they have decided to voice their support for generative ai on top of all of their other bullshit as of late.

The truth of the matter is that AI can be an important aid for new writers and old-- dictation and AI proofreading tools can be important assets to so many different people. Provided that you understand the complications and limitations that that assistive ai can have. Not every single dictated word is going to come out perfectly, and there's not a single person in writing today who would tell you that grammarly, prowritingaid, and all the others are any substitute for a real editor. They're only meant to catch the larger errors and make an editor's job easier-- and their datasets have been polluted and become less effective over time.

Assistive AI has its own problems, and can grow worse over time depending on what it is, but it's not what has writers up in arms about nano this year.

Nanowrimo decided to endorse generative ai, which scraps the creative works of thousands of nonconsenting writers and throw it all together in a word soup meant to match up to a paragraph long prompt. They decided to hold on to the 55,000 words goal, knowing that for some people that would represent hundreds of hours of work, and for others it would represent five minutes typing to a chat bot.

There's so much less genuine work and resilience associated with writing a novel via generative ai. Forum posts of people struggling to finish their novels and seeking out support suddenly lose that gleam of human connection and understanding when someone is literally just a post down looking for tech support to help figure out why their automatic writing machine isn't doing the writing thing good.

And all of the ai crap was after it was discovered that a major member in the organization was grooming minors, and exploiting a forum space where young writers were encouraged to seek connection.

Fuck nanowrimo.

Go join one of the many queer, feminist, or poc spaces to write novels this year. There's literally a group for every single niche. Like there's not even just identity related groups, I'm pretty sure there's like a nanowrimo for Greek god retellings this year. Go find one of them and join them instead.

[tottwriter]

So I'm mostly not involved in NaNo anymore, but maaan, as a former ML who's been volunteering since 2015 it really is disheartening to see how the new staff who've taken over just...completely miss the point of what the event is all about.

Like, they're now out here claiming "unreinstated MLs" are muddying the water with misinformation, when they're the ones flip-flopping between "no external events are official and you can't link to them because scary unmoderate spaces" and "Oh anything even vaguely related to writing is now welcome on NaNoWriMo, what do you mean we have no events anymore, look, they're all over the place!"

Also, having the gall to say that "all" MLs did was send out "email blasts" and then turn around and basically quadruple the number of marketing emails they send out from their main email address is just. Wow.

Sure, do the thing you accused MLs of, but don't actually offer the community meetups, the knowledgeable vetting of local events, management of regional forums/groups so people could find support.

Oh, and it's too hard to distribute your traditional free stickers to local regions around the world due to shipping limitations? Wow, that sucks, if only there was a way to have like...a local spokesperson you could ship everything to for a particular region, and then that person could distribute everything in that area on your behalf!