23 Comments

This was SO GOOD.

Shaina is a fabulous and engaging person to listen to, and Maya is a fantastic interviewer!!

MORE of this, please!! 🔥

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Wooo that was fantastic! Thanks for recording it - makes it easy to listen while I work 🔥 can't wait to hear more of these in the future!

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Happy the new format has made it easier for you to enjoy the interview 😁

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This is great. The audio format really takes this to a new level!

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Glad you enjoy the new format! We've been planning it for a while.

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Any long term goals to add video? I'm not gonna be much help there, but I certainly know some folks!

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Mulling it over! I know that some writers on Substack lean toward anonymity but it's something worth exploring. Maybe one day for a special episode!

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Makes sense. And hey, if you don't like being on camera, the audio thing is a great backup plan too.

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Just thought of something: maybe someone could make a macabre video (silent) to run in the background while a video interview happens (if someone doesn't wanna be on camera). I bet you could create a video with current prompt engineering, if we know someone who wants to experiment with some horror visuals.

This might be worth revisiting after all these multimodal AI tools have been around for a year or so, too.

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I've decided to listen rather than read on this occasion, (partly due to curiosity to hear what everyone sounds like) and thus far Shaina's journey is proving quite interesting. I'm just about a quarter of the way through!

Also, "babies don't know math" is one of the funniest quotes I've ever heard.

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When I was doing the transcription, I too stopped and chuckled at "babies don't know math". 😂

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I’m reading all the “right” people: Scoot, S.E. Reid, Sherman Alexie :). When Alexie commented “Wow” on one of my stories, I just about passed out in astonishment. He reads my stuff, too????

Thanks for the interview- enjoyed “meeting “ a new person on this platform!

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LETS GOOOOOO Shaina is great! Thank you for the shout out, it's an honor to be listed along side those fantastic writers. This was a great interview, Shaina spoke very well about her ethos and Maya you asked some great questions! This is a GREAT format for Macabre Monday, looking forward to more of these!

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So great to read/hear an interview with Shaina. You're a wonderful writer and thinker and I love all your posts.

I'm also deeply touched by your mention of me. Thank you 🙏

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I wondered if you'd ever do the interviews as podcasts or video after we did mine.

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It's been a goal for a while now, we are beyond happy it's finally become reality!

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You both made me cry. It was so kind of you both to have mentioned me. Thank you. And I love this window into your professional life, Shaina, as a programmer! That’s so wonderful!

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And, side note: I grew up reading Stephen King, and I remain a fan today. His writing is among the best out there, regardless of genre, and his work frequently transcends horror, as you were both discussing here. Some of the more recent TV adaptations (especially Castle Rock) have been impressive, for what that's worth. They actually give complexity and nuance to the stories, just like King does.

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Ahhh! This is so good! What a fun interview!

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I still don’t see my name on the list you put in this post, so if you can’t remember to put me in, it’s best if you just remove me from the list of participants.

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My apologies that your name was initially absent from the list. I have added you now. But it is totally up to you - what would like to do? We would love to have you but totally respect whatever decision you make!

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Keep me on the list, then.

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I will do so! Looking forward to seeing your contribution! 🤗

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