iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting) @ragwriter.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Lower back revolts. Hips, shoulders demand relief. Yard work, middle-aged. True, if not particularly artistic.

021

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.”

119115912877

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.

5441381127

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.

010

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.

030

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

054

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.

010

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.

010

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.

010

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.

030

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.

021

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.

010

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.

020

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.

1720258957943

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.

020

Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting) @ragwriter.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

My wife and I have been thinking about a road trip to Nova Scotia (we live in Midcoast Maine). I will have to watch for Robin’s if/when we go out there.

010

Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting) @ragwriter.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

That sounds like the foundation of a great story. Are you writing a memoir? Creative nonfiction? Are you crafting a fiction story based on your experience?

120

Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting) @ragwriter.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

WTF with that guy’s feedback? There’s no call for that kind of comment unless you know the writer REALLY well, and probably not even then. I don’t blame you for being gun shy about feedback after that. There are better groups out there! (But sometimes weirdos slip through the cracks.)

110

Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting) @ragwriter.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Typing it all out is a low-stakes way to re-engage with the material. You’re not developing new stuff, just typing what you already wrote. Working through it in a new way will also engage your brain differently, and you may see new things and have new ideas.

110

Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting) @ragwriter.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

The retreat was paid, but it was worth it, IMO. Have you tried looking for writers groups that might be a good source of feedback, or where you might find critique/accountability partners?

110

Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting) @ragwriter.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

I’ve published a few short stories in indie anthologies, but I have not yet published a novel. My feedback sources include my wife (she’s a theater director with a great sense of story), an MFA writers group, and a writing retreat that was led by a creative writing professor.

110

Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting) @ragwriter.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

I edit as I draft as well, so I’m kind of slow as a result, but what’s there is in pretty good shape when I go back to edit. In my case, though, I had several new ideas that made the revision plan significant, so I decided to just redraft from the beginning.

110

Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting) @ragwriter.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Yeah, and the break definitely made it possible for me to see things (good and bad) that I’d lost the ability to see when I was in the thick of it and working endlessly on it.

010

Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting) @ragwriter.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Mostly rewriting based on feedback, exploring different ideas and approaches. With the ending firmly in mind, there are things to lay down in the first chapter, but there are several ways to approach that. I’m trying to find one I like that I think will achieve my publication goals.

110

Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting) @ragwriter.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

I originally set the draft aside for a few months, which turned into more like six as I dedicated my writing time to short stories. Since returning to edit/redraft, I've rewritten the beginning four times, getting feedback from trusted sources and trying to find the magic balance of key elements.

110

Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting) @ragwriter.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

I started with action and introducing characters to set up the trigger for the inciting incident while layering hints to pay off later, but I realized I could start even closer to the inciting incident than I had been. Some things I considered necessary for the start actually weren't.

110

Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting) @ragwriter.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

Agreed, but there's a LOT of room in there. The choice is how much of the action leading up to the key moment is necessary, and that's what I realized I could change. The scene-writing advice also applies here: "Start as late as possible, and get out as early as possible."

000

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.

010

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...

2230

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.

030

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.

020

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

010

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.

140

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.

672157852

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.

010

Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting) @ragwriter.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Thanks! Of course, as is always the way with these things, I'm doing a novel pitch event on Saturday and seeing Fellowship of the Ring in the theater on Sunday. It's a good thing so much of writing is thinking!

110

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.

270

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.

000

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.

000

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...

020

Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting) @ragwriter.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

Folks in Texas - check your voter registration! (Well, everywhere, really, but especially Texas!)

000

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.

1104

Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting) @ragwriter.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

"Hypocrisy" *is* the standard of GOP behavior, so I am not surprised.

000

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. 😜

020

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.

010

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”.)

040

Roger Alix-Gaudreau (WIP: redrafting) @ragwriter.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

But your glasses are wonderful! So, at least there's that.

020

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...

7562612703

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?

130