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Nick

@smplfi.bsky.social
130 followers 638 following 215 posts

Writing: nicholasjcollins.com Support: slowcl.app/friendly-corncob

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Nick @smplfi.bsky.social · 13h
It’s so nice to know that the stuff I’ve found and appreciated this month has translated to real support going to real people. My favorite part of slowclap is how much fun it is to be nice to people.
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support friendly-corncob on slowclap 👏
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Nick @smplfi.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
I’m sorry but this makes me laugh every time I see it. I can only hope I’m a bad enough dude to earn 100 applause this month 💪
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support friendly-corncob on slowclap 👏
with slowclap you can support hundreds of creators with a single subscription. Plans start at $5
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👏 slowclap @slowclap.bsky.social · 21/09/2026
slowcl.app is for: ✍️ writers slowcl.app/forgetful-chameleon @valwrites.ca slowcl.app/dashing-dingo @linnfoster.com slowcl.app/peckish-friar @averystorm.bsky.social slowcl.app/simplistic-unicorn @cknightwrites.bsky.social slowcl.app/ample-auctioneer @seraphrdm.bsky.social
slowcl.app
slowclap 👏
let's make some noise
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Nick @smplfi.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
I’ve been working hard on dev stuff, but I have more origin on the way! I’d love to hear what you think of the stories so far! They’re free for everyone to read! nicholasjcollins.com/origin If want to support me, please consider joining slowclap! If you throw me 10 cents I can hit my next goal!
slowcl.app
support friendly-corncob on slowclap 👏
with slowclap you can support hundreds of creators with a single subscription. Plans start at $5
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👏 slowclap @slowclap.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Lastly.. sharing! Next to each of your events and goals there’s now a share button. Click it and a link will be copied to your clipboard that routes people where they’d need to go to applaud that person as well. No more diving through settings for your applause page.
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👏 slowclap @slowclap.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Next up.. goals! Goals are a lot of things. They’re challenges to you and your community. They’re a decentralized, no API way of replacing (and improving on) paywalls and they’re fun! Here’s how they work
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👏 slowclap @slowclap.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
First up events. I’ve completely replaced the old (utilitarian) history view of applause sent and received with a unified timeline that dynamically batches all applause events you’ve been involved in. someone applauded you? It’s there you applauded someone else? also there got a kickback? Yep!
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Nick @smplfi.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
It hides within
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👏 slowclap @slowclap.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
I know summer is almost over but look! we’re on a deck 💪 (Technically 3 decks but it’s been a tough year and I’ve been binge eating frosted mini wheats)
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👏 slowclap @slowclap.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
Getting concerned about this slowclap thing… There’s a cancel button on the settings page and it just… works? There’s no “are you sure?” prompt? No weird attempts to trick me into staying subscribed? It lets me keep using everything until the end of the month? WTF… where are the dark patterns?
Screenshot of the Slowclap subscription page with a prominent cancel button.
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Nick @smplfi.bsky.social · 06/09/2026
But if not HP what am I supposed to read to my kids? Beowulf?
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Nick @smplfi.bsky.social · 05/09/2026
nicholasjcollins.com/origin/agora...
nicholasjcollins.com
father is missing · Nicholas J. Collins
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👏 slowclap @slowclap.bsky.social · 03/09/2026
And here’s that fun little update I promised! Themes are available to all subscribers on any tier. They let you personalize your slowclap page! More themes to come soon!
nicholasjcollins.com
Slowclap Update: Themes · Nicholas J. Collins
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Nick @smplfi.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
As always, you can support my work (especially Origin which is available to read in its entirety for free) here: slowcl.app/friendly-corncob But what would be even better for me is if you could encourage everyone whose work you admire to sign up for slowcl.app and support them as well!
slowcl.app
slowclap 👏
support friendly-corncob on slowclap
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Nick @smplfi.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
He looked with agony and envy at the beauty of the cloudless starlit sky. He wondered to himself how life could possibly continue after so much pain, but indeed that is all that life has ever done.
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Nick @smplfi.bsky.social · 01/09/2026
I’ve been super busy lately with work and life and software dev stuff but I will have some exciting stuff to share with everyone soon including: - a fun little slowclap update - an iOS app to make life less stressful - some sample chapters for my upcoming novel - More Origin! nicholasjcollins.com
nicholasjcollins.com
Nicholas J. Collins
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Nick @smplfi.bsky.social · 29/08/2026
Can anyone in the self publishing business weigh in.. serialized pre-release serialized chapters. Good idea? How many is too many?
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👏 slowclap @slowclap.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
Today's design philosophy 🧵 is about: subscriptions and auto-allocation. But in order to talk about this I need to talk about something everyone in the design business understands but I haven't really seen people talk about: manipulation.
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👏 slowclap @slowclap.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
Today’s design philosophy 🧵 is about… attribution! (Please picture a shooting star flying overhead and chime sounds whenever I reveal the thread topics going forward, please and thank you)
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👏 slowclap @slowclap.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
it's getting to the end of the month which means a lot of you have applause you might want to use before it rolls over. But slowclap! You're such a new platform... who can I even applaud? Glad you asked! And if you're considering joining, one sub lets you support ALL these people and more!
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Nick @smplfi.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
I’d like to get to 100 followers today, but I think it’s also important to keep your goals achievable. What do you think, friends? Should I go for it?
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Nick @smplfi.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
Oh, and in case it’s unclear, there is more than one story.. they unlock as you explore and the stories themselves are the table of contents. You’ll know you’re caught up if you get to “The Body Collectors” There’s 5 stories and two more story adjacent things! All free! nicholasjcollins.com/origin
nicholasjcollins.com
origin · Nicholas J. Collins
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Nick @smplfi.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
If you’re liking nicholasjcollins.com/origin And would like to help me prove that you can release great writing for free and people will support it, please consider signing up for slowclap! There’s already several great authors and one sub lets you support all of them! slowcl.app/friendly-corncob
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slowclap 👏
support friendly-corncob on slowclap
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Nick @smplfi.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
I have a short story collection you can read for free online and it’s good I think! nicholasjcollins.com/origin
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Nick @smplfi.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
@infernulls.bsky.social Hey I’d love to join the writers who are nice starter pack if you are looking for others! I strive to be both of those things. (Though I don’t always succeed at being a writer)
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Nick @smplfi.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
@bookspotlight.bsky.social hey, not sure if you’d accept me on your list. I’m extremely critical of AI, and think anyone releasing AI generated content as their own is being dishonest, but do think it has (very narrow) areas where it can be useful and has a similar ethical tradeoff to most things.
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Nick @smplfi.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Friends, it seems like a lot of you need to hear this. There are lots of justifiable reasons to be angry and judgemental about a lot of the garbage happening today. But your critique is going to be much more effective when it’s accurate.
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Robert Reich @rbreich.bsky.social · 17/08/2026
Dozens of gas-burning power plants are being built across the country, solely to power data centers. These plants could emit as much planet-warming pollution as half of all passenger vehicles in the entire country in a single YEAR. We need a data center moratorium — now.
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Nick @smplfi.bsky.social · 07/08/2026
Also friends, in case anyone was wondering, I know there are em dashes in my stories. I put those in the old fashioned way. Copy pasting from somewhere I remembered there being one and hoping that I’m actually using them correctly. As always, no AI was or ever will be involved in my writing.
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👏 slowclap @slowclap.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
I’m biased, but personally I think we should convince @bookspotlight.bsky.social to sign up for slowcl.app and throw a bunch of 👏her way. She’s making bluesky a better place for indie authors and I think that deserves some 🫶
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Nick @smplfi.bsky.social · 06/08/2026
Today I'm proud to announce the second set of Origin stories are now live! You can read more about them here: nicholasjcollins.com/posts/202608... Please let me know what you think! Hope you love reading them as much as I loved writing them!
nicholasjcollins.com
Origin Set 2 · Nicholas J. Collins
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👏 slowclap @slowclap.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
Hello new followers and friends! Today I’d like to request that if you’re considering subscribing to slowclap that you don’t! Not yet. Right now you’d mostly be supporting me, and that’s not why slowclap exists. Wait to pay until there’s a creator (or two, or more) signed up that you like!
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Nick @smplfi.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
Here’s the cover for Day Four which I designed myself! It’s not finalized but I’m proud of it nonetheless!
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Nick @smplfi.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
Father: The creator of Agora, tired, lonely. One of the few who still respects mortals autonomy Theorin: His son, petulant, brash, power hungry Erlea: Theorin’s sister, clever and resourceful, keeps her motivation hidden Rake: Chaos personified
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Nick @smplfi.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
2) Two truths and a lie about Origin - Its stories span ages and universes - Characters don’t overlap between them - It’s technically science fiction masquerading as fantasy
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Nick @smplfi.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
I’m late so I’ll do both today! 1. I’m Nick, a fantasy and sci fi author and software developer. I’m currently working on: Day Four - a fantasy duology I’m (self) publishing soon Origin - a complex interconnected set of short stories that are free to read here: nicholasjcollins.com/origin/
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Nick @smplfi.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
In addition to writing this is my project. I’m really proud of it. Please consider signing up and throwing my pennies at people that deserve our support! Thank you all for reading!
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Nick @smplfi.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
I’d also be happy to do this if anyone is curious about me! (I didn’t read all the questions I hope I actually would like to do this oh no)
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Nick @smplfi.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
Do you like: 🛡️classical inspired high fantasy 💪 powerful capricious gods 💔 complex characters ⚙️ maybe not just high fantasy? why is that there? Then you’ll love Origin, which you can read for free at: nicholasjcollins.com/origin/ If you want to support, please consider signing up for slowcl.app!
nicholasjcollins.com
origin · Nicholas J. Collins
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Nick @smplfi.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Can you find Iona? Why do you think her name sparks fear? nicholasjcollins.com/origin/
nicholasjcollins.com
origin · Nicholas J. Collins
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Nick @smplfi.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
@bookspotlight.bsky.social how about some free short stories that were written by a human person? nicholasjcollins.com/origin/
nicholasjcollins.com
origin · Nicholas J. Collins
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Nick @smplfi.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Thank you to everyone that’s read Origin so far! If you haven’t it’s free on my site nicholasjcollins.com/origin/ It’s stories plus a scavenger hunt so even if you don’t like them you can still feel proud you caught them all pokekon. But you’ll like them!
nicholasjcollins.com
origin · Nicholas J. Collins
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Nick @smplfi.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
Origin is a slowly expanding scavenger hunt of stories. The world grows as you explore it and there’s much more to come. I hope you enjoy! If you want to know the best way to support me, ask a creator you love to sign up for slowcl.app and 👏 the heck out of them!
slowcl.app
slowclap
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Nick @smplfi.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
"In another life, they had known each other, tasted each other's lips and everything in between. They had loved like only the young can love, wild and with abandon, without the sense to protect their own hearts." 👀 👉 nicholasjcollins.com/origin #writing #fantasy
nicholasjcollins.com
origin · Nicholas J. Collins
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Nick @smplfi.bsky.social · 25/07/2026
Oh, and I should add (though I with this could still go without saying). I wrote Origin. Not AI. Every word is mine / an edit from an actual editor (most of those are still mine because I’m stubborn) AI has no place in creative writing because it’s neither nicholasjcollins.com/origin/
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Nick @smplfi.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
You can also read more about Origin here: nicholasjcollins.com/posts/202607...
nicholasjcollins.com
Origin Is Live! · Nicholas J. Collins
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Nick @smplfi.bsky.social · 24/07/2026
Hey bsky! I’m super proud to announce that the first set of stories in Origin are available to read for free: nicholasjcollins.com/origin Origin is a world that expands and unfolds as you explore. This set includes 4 stories and a poem. This is just the beginning! More Origin is coming soon!
nicholasjcollins.com
Nicholas J. Collins
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👏 slowclap @slowclap.bsky.social · 23/07/2026
You’re on a crowded pier and you need some money. Let’s just assume the person you’re asking has some cash. I know no one has cash anymore, don’t worry I’ll get back to that, baby birds. (🧵 incoming)
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👏 slowclap @slowclap.bsky.social · 22/07/2026
Please don’t have a $1 Patreon tier. Unless you’re Stripe, the economics on these just don’t add up. Supporters might not know this, but on a $1 sub, Stripe eats 33 cents and Patreon takes around 10. That means if you’ve got 5 active $1 subs only around 2.85 is going to creators.
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👏 slowclap @slowclap.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Friends, I know AI is scary, especially if you’re a creative person. But the problem isn’t that there’s newer better clipart now. The problem is how this stuff is monetized. AI slop works because they make money the second your eyes hit the page. AI Art is disruptive because patronage is broken.
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