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Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting)

@ragwriter.bsky.social
784 followers 554 following 409 posts

Fantasy author, former VP of Engineering. Husband, gamer, liberal, cat papa. Latest published work: books2read.com/talons, books2read.com/b/stoneandsky www.rogeralixgaudreau.com

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Reposted by Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting)
Jeff VanderMeer @jeffvandermeer.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
They quoted me in this New Yorker piece about AI today. www.newyorker.com/culture/the-...
“Let’s say there’s a world or time line I exist in where A.I. has been subject to regulation. It is ethical. It has no footprint environmentally,” the novelist Jeff VanderMeer, a prominent critic of A.I., told me over the phone. “With those guardrails in place, would I read an A.I. book? All I can say is no. And the reason is, in part, because I want to read something coming from a particular mind.” Using A.I., he said, “feels like a betrayal of the whole point of why you’re a writer.”
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Reposted by Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting)
Helen Kennedy @helenkennedy.com · 29/09/2026
Trump’s new AI website is kinda fun, it turns out.
Can the president use taxpayer funds to air his old campaign ads on TV?

No. Federal appropriations law has long barred using taxpayer funds for political advertising.
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Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting) @ragwriter.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
People who park gas cars in EV charging spots are assholes. That’s all.
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Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting) @ragwriter.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Asleep, breath ragged, Wrinkles smooth, pain drugged away. Ready to depart. A sad one today, from the bedside of a hospice patient.
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Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting) @ragwriter.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
After a 3-week delay, Hooves and Horns is available! This anthology contains my novelette "Winter Wager", in which the legendary steed Sleipnir must pull the Chariot of the Sun to settle a bet between Odin and Apollo and end an unnatural winter lest Ragnarok begin. books2read.com/hooves-and-h...
books2read.com
Available now at your favorite digital store!
Hooves and Horns by J.T. Evans, Carol Hightshoe, Samuel Mayo, Aaron Canton, H.T. Ashmead, Melissa Rolli, Roger Alix-Gaudreau, Medron Pryde, Melissa Proffitt, C. M. DeMott
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Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting) @ragwriter.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
Rain falling sideways, Trees whip, leaves fly, branches fall. Early Fall fury. The general vibe in the Northeast right now.
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Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting) @ragwriter.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Blood, flames, gold emerge, Brilliant against emerald, Autumn ascendant. Walking along the river today, it's clear the season is turning here.
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Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting) @ragwriter.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
Cranky midday mood. Writing anyway brings me Back to positive. I hit a rough patch this afternoon and almost closed the laptop and called it a day right then. Instead, I buckled down on a piece I've been wanting to write, and an hour later, the black mood was gone. Writing is therapeutic.
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Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting) @ragwriter.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
Steaming mug of tea, Perfect homemade remedy To cold autumn rain. I'm sure there's a more artistic way to express this sentiment. Maybe I'll spend time trying to come up with one if tomorrow's weather is like today's.
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Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting) @ragwriter.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
One benefit to being up with the dawn. Morning visitor Chomping on fallen apples As Nature intends.
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Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting) @ragwriter.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
In addition to crisp mornings, September brings something else to our house: Pumpkin spice coffee, Freshly ground beans fill the air With scents of Autumn.
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Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting) @ragwriter.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Today’s haiku comes to you from, well, I’m sure you can guess… Mountain of dishes, Too much to clean before bed, Morning wake-up call.
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Reposted by Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting)
Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 17/09/2026
New in PN: Retire in peace "McConnell would never be allowed to drive a car, babysit young children, or file his own taxes. Why, then, should a cognitively incapacitated 82-year-old retain one of the most important positions of power within the national government?"
publicnotice.co
Retire in peace
McConnell is the latest example of an incapacitated politician refusing to let go.
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Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting) @ragwriter.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Every time someone tells me Trump is my “president”, I remind them that he self-selected himself not to be, by denying aid to states led by Democrats. It sure would be a shame if he endorsed Susan Collins and led to her crushing defeat.
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Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting) @ragwriter.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Hidden apple tree Littering the ground with fruit, We’ll get you next time. Today's haiku brought to you by this image of the property line between my house and my neighbor's. The apple tree is on his land, but I clearly need to watch for the next time it fruits.
A strip of land with a line of pine trees on the left, a wire fence on the right, and the ground between littered with dozens of fallen apples.
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Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting) @ragwriter.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
I've heard the question "Are you starting your story in the right place?" several times lately. I thought deeply about it yesterday and found an entirely new way to start my story, which I think is much stronger. I guess I'm resetting that word counter on my redrafting work...
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Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting) @ragwriter.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
My June submission to Writers of the Future earned an Honorable Mention. I dreamt of winning (who doesn't?), but I'm happy at this signal that my writing is moving in a good direction. According to a writing acquaintance (and past winner), this puts me in the top 10% of submissions. Feels great.
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Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting) @ragwriter.bsky.social · 15/09/2026
Forgot my daily haiku for a few days, but here's one based on tonight's post-sunset jaunt: Chill evening breeze, The equinox approaches, Sweatshirt weather’s here.
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Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting) @ragwriter.bsky.social · 14/09/2026
Just submitted my entry for the final round of NYCM's 500-word Fiction Challenge for 2026. Now the waiting begins. I guess I'll write something else in the meantime. Wish me luck! #500WordChallenge2026
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Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting) @ragwriter.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Did my first agent pitch event today; got useful advice from the agent about tweaking my query and pages. Encouraged by statements that the book is close to ready, my writing skill is evident, and he'd like me to query him after I make the changes. All in all, a positive learning experience.
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Reposted by Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting)
Citizens' Impeachment @citizensimpeachment.com · 08/09/2026
@jbcartoonist.bsky.social They all have the constitutional and patriotic duty to impeach. They swore an oath.
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Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting) @ragwriter.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Gonna try a daily haiku for a while, and see what emerges. Here is today's: Diamonds glittering Across the emerald field, Sunrise after rain.
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Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting) @ragwriter.bsky.social · 10/09/2026
Gotta love a bit of good news to start the day! I won first place in my group in the second round of NYCMidnight's 500-word Fiction Challenge, which means I advance to the final round this weekend, joining 87 other writers out of 3400+ who entered. That'll put a spring in my writing step today.
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Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting) @ragwriter.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
Haiku for today. (Written at... you can probably guess.) 5 A.M. Earl Grey, Citrus stirs the waking mind Like far-off sunrise.
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Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting) @ragwriter.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
I'm so disappointed this was basically a smash-and-grab. The Thomas Crowne Affair taught me to expect more artistry from the theft of high-profile art.
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Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting) @ragwriter.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
EOD tomorrow is the submission deadline for query materials for a pitch event I'm attending in a couple of weeks. My new query letter is locked! Now to conduct a final review/polish of my opening pages, and then this weight is off my shoulders for a little while...
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Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting) @ragwriter.bsky.social · 30/08/2026
Folks in Texas - check your voter registration! (Well, everywhere, really, but especially Texas!)
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Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting) @ragwriter.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
My story about gargoyle brothers (in streamlined form) won first place in the "non-science-fiction" category at the Speckled Spectrum and is available for all to read for free at specficwriters.com/stories/touj....
specficwriters.com
Toujours, Mon Frère
The guardian emerged from slumber, an oblivion punctuated with fragments of chanted Latin and the clean scent of dried thyme burnt in beeswax, now interrupted by heavy thudding and metallic rattling.
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Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting) @ragwriter.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Today, I was a "leet" writer, as I drafted 1337 words on my WIP. 😜
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Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting) @ragwriter.bsky.social · 25/08/2026
Hooves and Horns releases on Sep 8! In my story "Winter Wager", the legendary steed Sleipnir must pull the Sun Chariot of the Greek gods across the sky by himself to settle a bet between Odin and Apollo, else a cursed winter may mean the arrival of Ragnarok. I'll share the link when I have it!
Image of a book cover. The book's title is "Hooves and Horns", and the cover art shows a black horse rearing while flames surround its rear hooves. Mountains and storm clouds form the background. The cover lists the editor and some of the authors.
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Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting) @ragwriter.bsky.social · 14/08/2026
Woke up with a head of semi-formed ideas for yet another new story/setting. Brain, what are you doing to me? I shouldn’t complain. It’s great to have a backlog of ideas ready to develop. I just wish I could get the one I’m working on right. (And I might have to accept “good enough”.)
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Reposted by Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting)
RoseMarie @rosesbloom24.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
Two Black mayors took cities that the country loves to write off and made them measurably safer. That’s not a fluke. That’s a blueprint. Chicago and Baltimore just posted numbers that should be front-page news. They’re not. We need to talk about why. 🧵 www.theroot.com/opinion-blac...
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Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting) @ragwriter.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
Just bought my weekend badge for PAX Unplugged. It's been a few years since I last went, but I remember it being fun. It's smaller than GenCon, but that's a good thing. My wife and a few gaming friends are going, so it should be a great time. Anyone else here going to PAX Unplugged this year?
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Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting) @ragwriter.bsky.social · 13/08/2026
Autism is not new. We just didn’t know what to call the unusual behaviors that led to some people being institutionalized against their will.
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Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting) @ragwriter.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
I also woke up with thoughts on a science-fantasy series that's been bouncing around in my mind. I realized I could write it as a LitRPG in a way that seems novel, so my brain started running with it, and I put those thoughts on paper. Brain, I'd like to finish the novel I'm working on, please.
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Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting) @ragwriter.bsky.social · 12/08/2026
Today, I focused on crafting a new query letter for a pitch event I'm going to in a month. Got feedback on my previous one from a trusted source, so I am giving it another crack. It's still f***ing hard to capture the essence of a 95K epic fantasy novel in ~200 words.
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Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting) @ragwriter.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
Lost a close friend today. He’d been battling cancer for a while. Just over a month ago, we were on stage together, our final theater collaboration. Five weeks later, he’s gone. So damn fast, and he was too damn young. I’ll have to add a character to my WIP to honor him. Fuck cancer.
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Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting) @ragwriter.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
I wrote 1300 words today, a new opening that's truer to the MC and achieves everything I need in the opening pages in fewer words than before. Feeling good about my 5 pages for a pitch event in September. Tomorrow, I'll fix the transition to the rest of Chapter 1 and finish rewriting Chapter 2.
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Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting) @ragwriter.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
I sold a novelette! Opal Kingdom Press will publish "Winter Wager" -- in which the legendary steed Sleipnir must pull the Sun Chariot across the sky by himself to settle a bet between Odin and Apollo and end a cursed winter -- in their _Hooves and Horns_ anthology. More details when I have them!
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Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting) @ragwriter.bsky.social · 17/07/2026
I'm psyched I placed 4th in my group (of 35-40, I forget) in the 1st round of @nycmidnight.bsky.social's 2026 500-word micro-fiction challenge. I had to write a Horror story involving goggles and daydreaming, which took some doing! I advanced to the 2nd round. New story this weekend. Wish me luck!
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Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting) @ragwriter.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
Taking a chance today/tomorrow and submitting a rhyming story to a market that accepts both prose and poetry. The piece is in rhyming form but isn’t a poem in the modern sense, and it tells a story as a prose piece would. Fingers crossed!
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Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting) @ragwriter.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
If you see this, post your fictional mentor.
static.klipy.com
Indiana Jones Boulder
Alt: Indiana Jones Boulder
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Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting) @ragwriter.bsky.social · 24/06/2026
I had a very frustrating Hearthstone session and decided to take a break to focus more time on my writing. I realized this morning I’ve gone two weeks without playing, and that was the first time I’ve thought about the game in all that time. I think that’s a good thing. I’ve certainly written more.
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Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting) @ragwriter.bsky.social · 23/06/2026
I submitted three short stories into the wild yesterday, so today I’m working on my novel. Got another short story rattling around in my brain that I might try to finish for a June 30 submission deadline.
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Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting) @ragwriter.bsky.social · 11/06/2026
Working on a story this morning, ideas collided in my brain. Soon, I had 2 pages outlining the high-level story sequence of a 5-book series, including how to connect it to another series I've outlined, bringing them together in a meta-cosmology. This is the curse of an epic fantasy writer...
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Reposted by Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting)
Jim Britton🇨🇦 @britt4.bsky.social · 15/01/2026
This should look familiar!
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Reposted by Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting)
Mrs. Betty Bowers @mrsbettybowers.bsky.social · 29/04/2026
Oh, look what I saw on the beach!
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Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting) @ragwriter.bsky.social · 18/04/2026
Join me in the @nycmidnight.bsky.social 500-word Fiction Challenge on May 29th! Learn more at nycmidnight.com/500
nycmidnight.com
500-word Fiction Challenge — nycmidnight
The 500-word Fiction Challenge is an international creative writing competition that challenges participants to create short stories based on genre, action, and object assignments in 48 hours.
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Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting) @ragwriter.bsky.social · 03/04/2026
My writing environment this morning. (Marred only slightly by the cruise ship docked right next to us.) Perfect for some fantasy work!
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Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting) @ragwriter.bsky.social · 28/03/2026
I left Tripadvisor HQ as an employee for the last time yesterday. A bittersweet moment, leaving the building where I’ve worked for 10.5 years. (Admittedly in a hybrid mode for a while now.) Retirement starts April 1. I am looking forward to my Third Act!
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