iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

David R Packer @randypacker.northsky.social · 05/08/2026

Walked into a bookstore last weekend, and saw all the super-fancy limited edition Romantsy books with the painted edges and all the other stuff. Next to all the other fantasy and scifi books. As an older SFF writer/reader, all I can say is... I am SO ENVIOUS. WANT.

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David R Packer @randypacker.northsky.social · 20/03/2025

Hm. All four of my books showed up in the libgen training database. Thanks for the theft, meta. Glad I helped make billionaires more rich without costing them a penny.

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David R Packer @randypacker.northsky.social · 20/03/2025

It's a special kind of annoyance dealing with US lefties, when they insist that I explicitly except them from complaints about american fuckery, and follow-up by saying that we shouldn't take it seriously, because they'll just vote out l'orange next time. Arg.

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David R Packer @randypacker.northsky.social · 11/03/2025

You know you live in the mountains when it's +7, sunny...and snowing.

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David R Packer @randypacker.northsky.social · 07/03/2025

Ugh that terrible moment when you accidentally taste your meds. Bleaugh.

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David R Packer @randypacker.northsky.social · 06/03/2025

Bloodwork yesterday as part of a special diabetes program I'm in. Checked my results this AM...brilliant across the board. A1c absolutely in control. Urate levels were up, though. Of course, the attack of gout that started in my sleep last night was also an indicator. Back on the no meat train...

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David R Packer @randypacker.northsky.social · 04/03/2025

Well, I do believe I'm getting right tired of condescending US #SFWA authors and their "gosh, it's not that bad, stop making it sound unpleasant!" comments. You don't have to look very hard at all to see what the rest of the world sees, and expects. Enjoy your privilege, I guess?

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David R Packer @randypacker.northsky.social · 04/03/2025

Already pulled my novel out of Kindle Unlimited, and cancelled prime and all subscriptions to anything american. I'll get Anubis War digital on other markets as soon as I'm able. I'm going to prioritize buying books from Canadian indie authors, or other indie authors not american.

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SorryHat @sorryhat.bsky.social · 25/02/2025

Lunch sketch.

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David R Packer @randypacker.northsky.social · 25/02/2025

Second fantastic espresso/americano (gotta find a new word for that) in two days. Turns out, the best beans I could buy resulted in only tolerable results. Roasting my own? Glorious. Rich, smooth, creamy-chocolate/caramel flavours. Dark roasts can fuck off and die.

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David R Packer @randypacker.northsky.social · 22/02/2025

My newly roasted coffee came into rotation this morning. I think I nailed the roast profile, but not as described. Costa Rica Caturra, Molasses ferment. Should be fruity, but it's...rich with the aroma of fresh-hot-from-the-oven brownies, and tastes the same. Yum.

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David R Packer @randypacker.northsky.social · 19/02/2025

Good bit of writing advice I saw today, along the lines of "if no one wants to beta/pre-read your book: the premise sucks." Painful truth, there. Always accounting that friends/followers may not be your market, but a good sign to maybe just get to work on the next one.

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David R Packer @randypacker.northsky.social · 18/02/2025

Old plotting method: Setting, character, goal - build arcs, break into acts and chapters. Write. New plotting method (zettelkasten-based): Every single tidbit of thought onto cards. Link cards via context. Review cards to see what thoughts have the most links/cards. Write from this new context.

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David R Packer @randypacker.northsky.social · 17/02/2025

Philosophy is an essential tool of swordplay. It's a method to help us understand how our perceptions can be flawed, and can provide us with tools to correct those flaws.

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David R Packer @randypacker.northsky.social · 13/02/2025

A thing I've learned repeatedly in martial arts, that's very applicable to things in the coming days. Trying to be smarter than the opponent is sometimes a dead end. Sometimes the smartest thing to do is just punch them in the face. Do the thing they think you are too smart to do.

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Krista D Ball is Canada's Spooky Potato @kristadb1.bsky.social · 02/02/2025

Allow me to clarify: YOUR COUNTRY JUST DECLARED ECONOMIC WAR ON OURS. THE FUCK DID YOU THINK CANADA WOULD DO? BE NICE? WE SURE AS FUCK DIDN'T VOTE FOR YOUR GOVERNMENT. FUCKING HELL. YOU DO NOT GET TO PLAY THE VICTIM. I hope that clarifies my stance.

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Phoebe Barton 🚀🇺🇳 @phoebebarton.bsky.social · 02/02/2025

watching Trudeau and he might be the first person to ever tell some Americans that their actions have consequences

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KT Bryski @ktbryski.bsky.social · 02/02/2025

Canadian anger is a cold and slow anger that freezes right in the bones.

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David R Packer @randypacker.northsky.social · 14/01/2025

My debut novel: Anubis War, just got cut in the first round of the SPSFC competition. www.tarvolon.com/2025/01/14/t... No arguments on the review, and the noted weakness is one I've already worked to improve. The comment on the strength of the worldbuilding kinda made my day, though!

tarvolon.com

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David R Packer @randypacker.northsky.social · 01/01/2025

Doing a little math, after reading @taowong.bsky.social's year end post. If you start out writing just 3 words today, and tomorrow write 6, and keep up at that pace? By the year's end you will be writing about 1000 words/day. You will have written over 200k words for the year. 2 novels. Go.

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David R Packer @randypacker.northsky.social · 01/01/2025

Now this is a lovely deal. Get all the first books in the System Apocalypse and spin-off series, including mine, all in one package. Grab it while you can! www.amazon.ca/dp/B0DRPS4M24

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David R Packer @randypacker.northsky.social · 26/12/2024

R/Fantasy book sale. 600 books. For every 50 books downloaded, $1 gets donated to the Mary Cariola Children's Center. www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/ Tons of new and indie authors on there, so I'm going to ask: Any recommendations from that list?

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David R Packer @randypacker.northsky.social · 23/12/2024

Just asked the AI how to build a five year physical rehab plan for an aging martial artist in poor shape but with excellent proprioception and technical skills, but very poor motivation. #$%#@$%-ing thing told me I should start teaching again.

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David R Packer @randypacker.northsky.social · 19/12/2024

Yo! David R Packer, Queer enby swordfighter living in a remote mountain village. I somehow managed to write a LitRPG trilogy last year. No idea how that happened. WIP is a cyberpunk psionic maybe-love story, and edits on a post-apoc epic fantasy which is a sequel to the current WIP. Because fun.

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Tom Cox @dj-acid-reflux.bsky.social · 06/12/2024

One thing you will never think after reading a great book or listening to a great album or seeing a great piece of art is, “I’m really glad this person remained cautious while they were making this and guarded against being perceived as weird.”

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David R Packer @randypacker.northsky.social · 11/12/2024

I'm a smart guy. I know that. I also just had to use a calculator to figure out 11-4. Brains are cool.

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David R Packer @randypacker.northsky.social · 11/12/2024

Here's the thing: We need to change the marketing model for authors and their books, away from being commodities. Because this dipshit is probably right that this would sell. We need a platform that works better than the existing models at engaging readers and writers in the writing process.

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David R Packer @randypacker.northsky.social · 09/12/2024

Great article. Really articulates where I think genre fiction is going in it's next evolution, and very much where my writing is happiest. I want to write stories about the survivors. The MC that changes everything on their own bores me. It doesn't echo as a truthful story in my heart.

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The Midnight Society @midnightpals.bsky.social · 09/12/2024

[mysterious circle of robed figures] JK Rowling: hello children Rowling: i'm back from my advissory role in the transs genocide Rowling: Obergruppenführer ssstarmer thought i had sssome real interessting new ideasss Rowling: well, real interessting old ideass actually Rowling: ssome real classsicss

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David R Packer @randypacker.northsky.social · 07/12/2024

It's not that the murder of a CEO was right, as much as it was inevitable. The checks and balances of law and government have failed. Our structures provide no terminal protection against exploitation by corporations, even to the point of death. This reaction is inevitable, and only beginning.

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David R Packer @randypacker.northsky.social · 05/12/2024

This is the time of year when I review what I did for the last 12 months, and then start to plan for the next 12 months. Gonna create some dreams and then crush them. Or maybe...maybe this will be the year I magically become super-productive writer?

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Sascha Stronach🏳️‍⚧️, The Sunforge out now @understatesmen.bsky.social · 05/12/2024

in the 2010s Silicon Valley underwent explosive growth because they made useful things people wanted, then they ran out of new things to make and kept making their existing things worse and they're so confused about why everybody hates them

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David R Packer @randypacker.northsky.social · 03/12/2024

I thought writing a scene where the two main characters mutually discover they have telepathy would be fun. Then my writing hands remembered that one character was a survivor of CSA, and started to write out how he would realistically react to having someone access his thoughts. Oooof.

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David R Packer @randypacker.northsky.social · 01/12/2024

Economies of scale=mediocraty, the averaging of things to work for most people while cutting off others. This is an interesting example, and I'm not sure I could see the legislation in the article overcoming the root issue. Very interesting read.

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Claire Willett @clairewillett.bsky.social · 01/12/2024

this was why the end run of the Harris campaign was so bracing. I have been waiting all my life for a Democrat to run for President just fucking PISSED AS HELL. she felt angry about the things WE are angry about. it was electric for a minute. it made me hopeful and then everyone just. rolled over

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Jessica Ellis @baddestmamajama.bsky.social · 01/12/2024

I genuinely think 95% of democrats have no interest in fighting. The wealth gap between the average American and the average congressperson is enormous, they have so much more in common with their republican counterparts than their constituents. Those are their coworkers, we’re just whiny outsiders.

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Premee Mohamed @premeemohamed.com · 30/11/2024

*clears throat* Also, before I start work for the day, REMINDER to please apply for the Banff Centre science fiction literary arts residency in 2025! If you write sci-fi, it's a great chance to focus on it for a couple weeks along with me, @aijiang.bsky.social , and @amalelmohtar.com !

banffcentre.ca

Science Fiction 2025

This residency supports science fiction writers exploring potential futures, perspectives, and narratives.

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Tachyon Publications @tachyonpub.bsky.social · 29/11/2024

Sale officially begins TODAY! 24% off everything! buff.ly/3OuLH5o Use coupon code TACHYON24 for the savings

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Rien Gray @riengray.bsky.social · 29/11/2024

Today is the Indie Black Friday sale and itch.io Creator Day, so you can get my book Valerin the Fair for free and the sequels for 70% off! Support a nonbinary author today 💙 Lesbian-centered Arthuriana with lush prose, high heat, and swords to spare ⚔️ itch.io/c/3558659/ou... #BookSky

Sales graphic for Rien Gray’s Out of True series, with all three covers overlaid by commissioned art from Adam Barker (satansmasque.bsky.social)

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David R Packer @randypacker.northsky.social · 29/11/2024

Black friday book sales. Support your indie authors. Thread in the replies any sales you know of, and let's help each other out. Here's the first two I saw this morning: starlitpublishing.com/blogs/news/u... www.jamesldulin.com/blackfridays... Who else has sales on right now?

starlitpublishing.com

Unlock Your Black Friday Savings Now

Get ready for unbeatable Black Friday savings! For a limited time, get into some of your favorite worlds with our exclusive offer—each of the System Apocalypse and A Thousand Li short story collection...

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David R Packer @randypacker.northsky.social · 28/11/2024

Currently writing a cyberpunk book. Which is a prequel to a TV pilot/series bible I wrote decades ago, which is a prequel to an epic fantasy trilogy with the first book in second draft and second book 3/4 done. Which was a prequel to another series. Just gotta tie it all to Anubis War somehow...

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David R Packer @randypacker.northsky.social · 28/11/2024

Here's the Starter Packs I've been included on. Check em out for other cool authors. SFWA folks: go.bsky.app/w69YDP Queer authors writing queer fiction: go.bsky.app/urdJqE West coast writers: go.bsky.app/GZwLQFg Aspec writers: go.bsky.app/E1G83Qq

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