2025.43 Part of a Science Fiction Mystery Story
Writing in Public with Johanna Rothman
Release Date: 12/19/2025
2025.43 Part of a Science Fiction Mystery Story
Writing in Public with Johanna Rothman
The Transcript: This is 60 Seconds of Writing in Public with Johanna Rothman for December 19, 2025, where I read an excerpt of just a minute of some writing in progress. This is part of a science fiction mystery story. Sipping her hot water because the coffee replicators were on the fritz—again—Louisa Armstrong blinked as she saw the odor alarm go off for Cargo Bay Six. Cargo Bays Four, Five, and Six were just one hundred meters square. Large enough for many kinds of cargo. Small enough--mostly--to contain any problems. But Louisa’s alarm panel, mounted up on the wall to her left...
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2025.42 Summer Spy Story Excerpt
Writing in Public with Johanna Rothman
The Transcript: This is 60 Seconds of Writing in Public with Johanna Rothman for December 5, 2025, where I read an excerpt of just a minute of some writing in progress. This is part of a spy story set in the summer. Phoebe Dawson watched the Boston Harbor waves sparkle from her perch on the twenty-second floor of the Exclusive Hotel in downtown Boston. The July moon hung high, its light permeating even this function room on the top of the hotel. Turning her back on the windows, she saw all the Boston movers and shakers here. These oh, so, exclusive guests. They were here, so she was here. She...
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2025.41 Project Surprises and Actions
Writing in Public with Johanna Rothman
The Transcript: This is 60 Seconds of Writing in Public with Johanna Rothman for November 28, 2025, where I read an excerpt of just a minute of some writing in progress. This is part of what I hope will be one of my columns on projectmanagement.com. While I do not write anything like a requirements document, I do write a reader journey for every nonfiction book I write. That reader journey discusses the problems the reader has at this point in the book and what the reader will learn in this chapter. In that way, it’s just like user story mapping. That’s because I want readers to...
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2025.40 Romantic Suspense Story Excerpt
Writing in Public with Johanna Rothman
The Transcript: This is 60 Seconds of Writing in Public with Johanna Rothman for November 14, 2025, where I read an excerpt of just a minute of some writing in progress. I’m back from my travels, so I have time to both write and record! This is part of a romantic suspense story. Without looking as if she was rushing, Liz Daniels turned right, apparently to walk down the corridor to the Ladies’ Room in the Burlington Mall, just northwest of Boston, Massachusetts. She stopped just after she turned the corner and pulled off her black spring jacket. She turned it inside out. Now, the light...
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2025.39 Fantasy Short Story Excerpt
Writing in Public with Johanna Rothman
The transcript: This is 60 Seconds of Writing in Public with Johanna Rothman for October 31, 2025, where I read an excerpt of just a minute of some writing in progress. This is part of a fantasy short story. “What’s your offer?” Lisa asked. Then she coughed. “Tell me your offer. Celeste did a little fist-pump. Yes, her friend Lisa’s world and social mores had affected even how she, a celestial being, reacted. “You can ride on a comet.” “I can what?” Lisa asked. She shook her head. Maybe her hearing had left her. Celeste could not be offering what Lisa heard. “Ride on...
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2025.38 Spy Excerpt
Writing in Public with Johanna Rothman
The Transcript: This is 60 Seconds of Writing in Public with Johanna Rothman for October 24 , 2025, where I read an excerpt of just a minute of some writing in progress. This is part of an espionage short story. Susan Cabot, dripping in diamonds from her ears, neck, and wrists—and at least eighty—winked at Phoebe as Susan danced a waltz on the arm of a much younger man. Phoebe grinned, tapped the side of her nose once, and winked back. She had enlisted Susan’s help to snag an invitation to tonight’s party. And it was worth it—especially if she could catch her spy. Then, the music...
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2025.37 Romantic Suspense Opening
Writing in Public with Johanna Rothman
The Transcript: This is 60 Seconds of Writing in Public with Johanna Rothman for October 17, 2025, where I read an excerpt of just a minute of some writing in progress. This is the opening of a romantic suspense short story. At midnight, Jackson Turner wondered what the heck he was doing, walking to the bar around the corner from Pallas on First Street in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was a beautiful, warm May evening. The half-moon offered enough illumination that he could see the clean, white, concrete sidewalk. Jackson had been wondering—not for the first time—how Charlie Watkins managed...
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2025.36 Portal Fantasy Short Story Opening
Writing in Public with Johanna Rothman
The Transcript: This is 60 Seconds of Writing in Public with Johanna Rothman for October 10, 2025, where I read an excerpt of just a minute of some writing in progress. This is the opening of a (hopefully) portal fantasy short story. Alexis Bond smiled ruefully as she clomp-stepped down the wide asphalt path of the Franklin Park Zoo. Her orthopedic boot made much more noise than she expected. Oh well. Maybe no one would notice her. She suspected not, with the spectacular light show. On either side of the asphalt walkway, Alexis could see the normal green grass, but now, in the dark, the LED...
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2025.35 Solarpunk Short Story Opening
Writing in Public with Johanna Rothman
The Transcript: This is 60 Seconds of Writing in Public with Johanna Rothman for September 26, 2025, where I read an excerpt of just a minute of some writing in progress. This is the opening of a (hopefully) solarpunk short story. The final low-pitched train whistle of the Solar Amtrak train as it left the Libby, Montana, station meant Isa Block was on her own. And thank goodness she was. She had taken her seat at the far end of the observation car on the upper level of the train. She’d already counted the length of the car as she walked down the central blue-carpeted hallway—a grand total...
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2025.34 Black Boxes on a Virtual Presentation
Writing in Public with Johanna Rothman
The Transcript: This is 60 Seconds of Writing in Public with Johanna Rothman for September 19, 2025, where I read an excerpt of just a minute of some writing in progress. This is from the Effective Public Speaking book. What About Black Boxes On a Virtual Presentation? Many audience members leave their cameras off during your virtual presentation. There are all kinds of reasons for people to leave their cameras off, including eating a meal, dealing with small children, or being just plain tired of being on a screen all day. Instead of being perturbed, consider inviting people to turn on...
info_outlineThe Transcript:
This is 60 Seconds of Writing in Public with Johanna Rothman for December 19, 2025, where I read an excerpt of just a minute of some writing in progress.
This is part of a science fiction mystery story.
Sipping her hot water because the coffee replicators were on the fritz—again—Louisa Armstrong blinked as she saw the odor alarm go off for Cargo Bay Six.
Cargo Bays Four, Five, and Six were just one hundred meters square. Large enough for many kinds of cargo. Small enough--mostly--to contain any problems.
But Louisa’s alarm panel, mounted up on the wall to her left did not match what she saw on the six monitors—one for each cargo bay—directly in front of her. Just to her right was the pocket door that allowed people—really, just Louisa—into or out of her office.
She carefully put her self-sealing white insulated mug down on the desk from underneath the wall under the monitors.
She leaned forward as she said, “Magnify Visuals for Cargo Bay Six.”
Nothing happened. The monitor did not change.
She shook her head, just a bit, and blinked. She wriggled a little in her black office chair that was no longer ergonomic. Maybe she had said something wrong. She tried again.
“Computer, magnify visuals for Cargo Bay Six.”
Still no change.