alexcat | Reading

Open Learn

The Restless Universe
My interest is more looking at the stars and planets and this course was more concerned with the physics of this planet, so, although I completed the course, I don't think I gained much from it.

Lottery of Birth
As might be expected this looks at the different factors which can affect how a child will grow up and thrive, or not. I don't think I learnt anything new.

Exploring Ovid's Big Ideas
I studied Ovid's Metamorphoses for Latin O-level an eon ago, but, if anything, by the end of the course I was less interested in Ovid that when I started.

An Introduction to Geology
Life in the Palaeozoic
Earthquakes
Looking around for something to study, I decided a look at how our planet is formed might be interesting. I know a little more now, but wouldn't say this was a subject I'd be particularly interested in progressing with. However, they all helped with building the big picture of 'life'.

Having looked at most of the OpenLearn courses I'm currently interested in, and, in the case of some of the scientific courses, can actually understand, I've now picked out a few FutureLearn courses to continue to widen my horizons.

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pattrose

41. Love is sharing your popcorn.” – Charles Schultz
42. “Love is an electric blanket with somebody else in control of the switch.” – Cathy Carlyle
43. “I love you more than coffee, but please don’t make me prove it.” – Elizabeth Evans
44. “Love is being stupid together.” – Paul Valery
45. “Marriage is the chief cause of divorce.” – Groucho Marx
46. “Love is like a tornado; it picks you up off your feet and sometimes takes half your house.” – Unknown
47. “Love is the answer, but while you’re waiting for the answer, sex raises some pretty interesting questions.” – Woody Allen
48. “Gravitation is not responsible for people falling in love.” – Albert Einstein
49. “Love is only a dirty trick played on us to achieve continuation of the species.” – W. Somerset Maugham

pattrose

* What did the snail who was riding on the turtle's back say? Wheeeee!
* What do you call a lazy kangaroo? A pouch potato.
* What does a pig put on dry skin? Oinkment.
* How do you open a banana? With a mon-key.
* What do you call a pony with a sore throat? A little horse.
* How did the pig get to the hogspital? In a hambulance.
* Why did the cow jump over the moon? The farmer had cold hands.

pattrose

1. Have you ever contributed to something being crowdfunded? Was there an incentive to do so?

I have not.

2. Have you heard of the ‘Language of Flowers’, published in 1884? Victorian Britain and America were caught up in the concept in the 19th Century. Do you know the secret meaning of any flowers?

I sure don't.

3. Have you ever traced any of your family tree?

Yes, I got quite far with my fathers family. Very interesting stuff.

4. Today is a holiday in many countries, either to celebrate Labour Day or May Day. If you have a day off today, what are your plans?

When I was young we would deliver a may basket for all our favorite neighbors. They were filled with peanuts and mints. I probably did that until I was 10.

pattrose

Snagged from

Places

I'm filling this up at:
my tv room
Last place I went to:
The hospital
Favorite place in your house:
My recliner
Last place I cried at:
I don't cry
Last place I laughed at:
Today when I watched a comedian in my tv room.
Where did you go on your last vacation?
Greece and Istanbul
What was your favorite thing about the place? How nice people were in Istanbul.
What was your least favorite thing about that place? Didn't have any least.
What's your favorite place in your city? Botanical Gardens, the butterfly enclosure.

What do you like about that place? The butterfly enclosure.

alexcat

The ABC's of me.

A. Age: 66

B. Bed Size: Queen

C. Chore You Really Dislike: Dishwashing

D. Dogs: Allergic

E. Essential Start to Your Day: A cup of coffee

F. Favorite Color: B;lack

G. Gold or Silver: Gold

H. Height: 5’

I. Instruments You Play: None

J. Job: Retired

K. Kids: One daughter who was killed in 2005 in a car accident at 16.

L. Live: I live in the rural south

M. Mom’s Name: Mama

N. Nicknames: :Larry calls me Suzie.

O. Overnight Hospital Stays: I’ve stayed for 6 weeks.

P. Pet Peeve: Idiots

Q. Quote From A Movie: ‘Luminous beings are we. Not this crude matter.’ - Yoda, The Empire Strikes Back

R. Right or Left Handed: Right.

S. Siblings: No

T. Time You Wake Up: About 8 am

U. Underwear: Cotton granny panties.

V was not included. VCR - do yu still own one and dies it work? I do and I think it does.

W. What Makes You Run Late: Me.

X. X-Rays You’ve Had: Hundreds. I probably should glow in the dark.

Y. Yummy Food You Make: I’m a pretty decent cook.

Z. Zoo - Elephant

If any of the words don't work for you, choose a different word that uses the same letter. That way the meme changes and evolves as it travels around.

tielan

I just feel so unspeakably worn< down right now.

cornerofmadness

I'm still grading and making tests so it's just links tonight

Open Calls

Stone’s Throw The Red, White, and Due,” focuses on stories about Indigenous people, histories, and voices across past and present landscapes.

Allegory Science Fiction / Fantasy / Horror / Speculative Fiction / Humor / General Interest with an original twist

Green Sheaf The Crone

Book Worms Summer camp horror / campfire horror

Scattered: A Dark Forest Press Zine Horror / Dark Fiction / Weird Fiction

After Brunch Journal: Now Seeking Submissions

From Around the Web

Eight Types of Black Hat Storytelling to Avoid

Should You Write a Series? How Much is Enough?

You Can Handle Rejection (And That’s Good Because You’ll Have To)

The Three Lies We Tell Ourselves About Time

From Betty

Why “But Men Are Objectified Too” Doesn’t Hold Up

Using the Heroine’s Journey

I Fell in Love with Writing Micro Prose - You Could, Too

Sensory Anchors for the Messy Middle

Fear's Toxic Cousin: THE FATAL FLAW

Your Antagonist’s Response to Fear

The Author’s Guide to Generative Search Optimization (GSO)

How to Write Authentic Emotion

Coping Mechanism Thesaurus Entry: Dissociation

Creating Microtension Through Setting Description

From Cathartic to Intentional: How to Write When It Feels Hard

Is Passive Voice Always Wrong? When and How to Use Passive vs Active Voice in Writing

Find a Writing Buddy (2026 Edition!): Critique Partners, Beta Readers & More

6 Ways to Discover Your Character’s Greatest Fear

From Thrillers to the Supernatural: What Writing YA Taught Me About Storytelling

Discipline Versus Devotion

Keeping Conflict on the Page

Layer Cake: Writing Historical Fiction

Current Mood: drained
Current Music: Death in Paradise

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tielan

The ABC's of me.

A. Age: nearly 50

B. Bed Size: Double

C. Chore You Really Dislike: Washing Up

D. Dogs: I like them, but I prefer to live with cats.

E. Essential Start to Your Day: A cup of coffee (small latte, one sugar) is nice

F. Favorite Color: Blue

G. Gold or Silver: Silver

H. Height: 5'4"

I. Instruments You Play: I've played piano, flute, and tuba. I'd kind of like to learn violin and oboe, but who has time?

J. Job: IT Systems Analyst

K. Kids: No. I'm not childfree - love my nieces and nephews - but I never had a partner and that was the dealbreaker for me.

L. Live: I liked their first few albums. Haven't heard of them since the 90s. (Yes, I know this is not what the question is asking, but I don't quite know how to answer.)

M. Mom’s Name: Nope.

N. Nicknames: One, two, many, lots.

O. Overnight Hospital Stays: Once for the yeeterus. I have been very healthy otherwise.

P. Pet Peeve: People who think that because they haven't done anything evil, they haven't benefited from anything evil.

Q. Quote From A Movie: I have many, but can't think of any right now. The one that's coming to mind is Have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight? and that leads to The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist.

R. Right or Left Handed: Right.

S. Siblings: Two full sisters, three stepbrothers (two on mum's side, one on dads), and a half-brother.

T. Time You Wake Up: Right now, six hours after I went to sleep. That can manifest as 3am (like last night, after falling asleep around 9pm) or at 6am if I stay up until around 11:30pm.

U. Underwear: Cotton, mostly, although I really liked the elastane 'no underwear lines' but they don't make them like they used to. The first set I bought back in 2009 have lasted 15 years, the ones that I bought back in 2022 are already losing their stretch.

W. What Makes You Run Late: Finishing a task that wasn't completely done the first time on the way out.

X. X-Rays You’ve Had: Lots of ones for the teeth and jaws. One for a broken fingertip. One for possible issues with the foot. And probably a bunch of others that I don't remember.

Y. Yummy Food You Make: Just about everything? There are somethings that are distinctly less tasty, but they're usually home experiments, and I just didn't put enough of the spice/acid in.

Z. Zoo - favorite animal: I haven't been to the zoo in ages. But probably the flamingos. The pink is just amazing.

If any of the words don't work for you, choose a different word that uses the same letter. That way the meme changes and evolves as it travels around.

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May the Fourth be with you!

The May the Fourth Be With You 2026 Archive is now open! Read great fic, look at all the pretty art, and please remember to say thanks to your creators. If you have any issues, please reply to this post or email us at maythe4thmod@gmail.com and we'll see what we can do to help.

If you turned in your assignment before the deadline, you should be receiving a gift notification at the email you signed up with. You should also check your Gifts tab (https://archiveofourown.org/users/YOURUSERNAMEGOESHERE/gifts) on your AO3 dashboard, as the emails are often late and Gmail will sometimes miss or collapse items when you have multiple gifts. Remember to redate your works to May 4th! (To do this, click the "Edit" button at the top of your work, click the "Set a Different Publication Date" toggle, and change the date to May 4, 2026. If you need help, reach out to the mods for a quick demo.)

The archive will remain open for treats until creator reveals, so if you've got an eye for an extra treat or two, you may continue to post and we'll continue to track.

Works will remain anonymous until 00:01 UTC on May 11th, one week from now. Please do not crosspost your work or reveal yourself to your recipient before that time. Thanks!

Note: One of you still has a work in Draft form. Please edit this asap and post it.

Unfortunately like all other websites, AO3 attracts trolls and spammers. The mods of this exchange have zero ability to prevent these or to delete them from your works. If you receive a harassing comment (for example, fawning followed by requests for you to contact them on another site to pay for a fan art scam, or someone sending hate over the ship or characters you wrote), you should report them to AO3 Support. For guest comments, the Spam button is visible at the bottom of the comment. For logged-in spammers, you may access the report form here: https://archiveofourown.org/abuse_reports/new.

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Hello to all members, passers-by, curious onlookers, and shy lurkers, and welcome to our regular daily check-in post. Just leave a comment below to let us know how your current projects are progressing, or even if they're not.

Checking in is NOT compulsory, check in as often or as seldom as you want, this community isn't about pressure it's about encouragement, motivation, and support. Crafting is meant to be fun, and what's more fun than sharing achievements and seeing the wonderful things everyone else is creating?

There may also occasionally be questions, but again you don't have to answer them, they're just a way of getting to know each other a bit better.

This Week's Question: What do you wish you could get right first time, every time?

If anyone has any questions of their own about the community, or suggestions for tags, questions to be asked on the check-in posts, or if anyone is interested in playing check-in host for a week here on the community, which would entail putting up the daily check-in posts and responding to comments, go to the Questions & Suggestions post and leave a comment.

I now declare this Check-In OPEN!

Current Mood: tired
Current Location: my desk

trobadora

I've been commenting a bit over at

polyamships's NSFW 3 weeks 4 dreamwidth posts, and I thought I'd bring some of that over here, because I had more to talk about that wasn't about poly, but more about writing in general.

On the "current favorite poly ship" question I mentioned a ship that's been on my mind all through April - an original trio from an old origfic WIP I last worked on in 2018, and that took over significant parts of my brainspace again this April.

I'd been reading through my old origfic WIPs because March was the month when I suddenly had a lot of inspiration again for the sort of thing I used to write a lot of, back when I regularly wrote origfic - and then this one really hit me hard again.

The basic concept is a clan feud coming to an end when one side is brought down by a third party, and what happens between the survivors and their former enemies. The ship is a V, with siblings from one side and the third from the other. (Side question: am I the only one around here who likes V-shaped ships? They seem to be pretty unpopular in fandom.)

I wrote a significant chunk of this in 2017 and early 2018, and then didn't touch it again until 1st April this year, for reasons I'm not entirely clear on, though falling into Guardian and cdramas in general probably played a part. *g* I have almost 60k now - but I guess if I ever do finish it in any meaningful way, it'll probably be at least 200k. What I have at the moment is basically the minidrama version: all the dramatic interpersonal moments; everything else more or less sketched in. To pull it off to full effect would take a lot of work! And maybe one day I'll manage that work - I do want to; I just don't have the time or energy I'd need. But in the meantime I've been having a lot of fun just adding more to that world and those characters' arcs.

I mean, really, a LOT of fun. My writing in April looked like this:

Writing stats April 2026: FFFX 12.82%, High Adrenaline 47.84%, poly OW 38.87%, other 0.46%

Writing stats April 2026: FFFX 12.82%, High Adrenaline 47.84%, poly OW 38.87%, other 0.46%

It's a very rare month when my writing is so concentrated on so few stories! But I had two unrevealed exchange stories to work on, where extensions gave me a lot more time to expand, rewrite, edit and improve - that got a lot of my focus. And then the rest of my brainspace got taken over by that WIP.

And then I was wondering how often that sort of thing happens to other people. So here's a poll for you:

Poll #34550

Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 15

View Respondents

What's the longest time you stopped working on a WIP before getting back to it?

View Answers

less than 1 year
2 (14.3%)

1-2 years
3 (21.4%)

3-5 years
3 (21.4%)

6-10 years
1 (7.1%)

11-20 years
5 (35.7%)

more than 20 years
0 (0.0%)

What's your longest time between starting and finishing a story?

View Answers

less than 1 year
2 (14.3%)

1-2 years
4 (28.6%)

3-5 years
3 (21.4%)

6-10 years
1 (7.1%)

11-20 years
4 (28.6%)

more than 20 years
0 (0.0%)

How often do you get back to older WIPs?

View Answers

never - I finish it at once or not at all
3 (20.0%)

rarely
6 (40.0%)

often - I regularly poke at old WIPs, and finish some on occasion
6 (40.0%)

always - I never abandon anything for good
2 (13.3%)

it's more complicated than that (see comments
1 (6.7%)

I just want to tick a tickybox!

View Answers

ticky
8 (80.0%)

box
6 (60.0%)

tickybox
8 (80.0%)

Current Mood: thoughtful

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Photograph of things you might take with you, or pick up, on a trip, with added text: Journey & Travel, at Fancake. Items are neatly arranged on a rustic wooden table or door and photographed from above: hat, knapsack, barn coat, worn boots, folding knife, sunglasses, bottle, magnifying glass, as well as various maps, notebooks, pine cones, cameras, lenses, and rolls of 35mm film.

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This theme runs for the entire month. If you have any questions, just ask!

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alexcat

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