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   Charlie Stross (cstross@wandering.shop)'s status on Thursday, 06-Apr-2023 02:38:34 JST Charlie Stross

   Ho hum, turned down a short story commission yesterday that would have paid $1/word for up to 2000 words.

   Unfortunately the editor who wanted me to write for them really wanted a story from Charlie Stross in 2003, not Charlie Stross in 2023. I just can't *do* that sort of stuff any more. And I'm not going to phone it in for a high-profile magazine. (What do I need less—an extra $1-2K, or possible reputational damage?)

   Getting old involves learning when you should say "no".

   • Embed this notice
     Charlie Stross (cstross@wandering.shop)'s status on Thursday, 06-Apr-2023 02:38:28 JST Charlie Stross

     in reply to

     • Ringtail - Ptolus Arc

     @AsSeenOnIrc This is a universal problem, though—your impression of any living writer is a mosaic of their entire life output to this point, and they've almost certainly moved on from the stuff they first made a big splash with.

     clacke likes this.
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     Ringtail - Ptolus Arc (asseenonirc@tech.lgbt)'s status on Thursday, 06-Apr-2023 02:38:33 JST Ringtail - Ptolus Arc

     in reply to

     @cstross It's positively naïve of them to think one can just emulate their decades-younger self like the modern perspective hasn't irrevocably recontextualized the experiences and memories that made that younger self who they were.

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     Gary ParGary Parkerker (witewulf@mastodonapp.uk)'s status on Thursday, 06-Apr-2023 02:38:35 JST Gary ParGary Parkerker

     in reply to

     @cstross I’ve found, professionally, that saying “no” respectfully and authoritatively is a super power that comes with confidence and experience. If Younger Me had had it I’d have a lot less technical debt now ?

     clacke likes this.