u/duckduckidkman

tl;dr I’m a USA-Portugal dual citizen planning to move to Portugal but maintain a second residence in the USA. What are my options when searching for a remote job employer?
My partner and I are both USA and EU dual citizens. We’re planning to move to Portugal from the USA in about a year but with flexibility to still probably spend 1-2 months of the year in the US. My partner owns his own USA-based business and can support it remotely.
I will have to quit my job as it doesn’t support remote work. As I look for new employment, should I look for USA-based or EU-based remote jobs? Does it matter given my citizenships and plan to maintain addresses in both countries?
I apologize for asking about topics that have been sort of addressed before, but I’m finding it difficult to tease out how being dual citizens alleviates certain restrictions but not others. I’m not asking for all the answers but any guidance on what policies to consider when seeking new employment would really help me do more of my own research.
How to target my job search and when to start it given my timeline is really where I would love some tips. Thank you!

My partner and I are considering moving to another country but I would like to take a few trial months living in said other country before giving up my PCS position for good. My partner already works fully remote so he has a lot more flexibility than I do. I’m mentally prepared to give up my job to move abroad but if I could do a few months to see if this is really the right move for us before giving up my job security and pension, that would be ideal.
On the SFDHR website I read that: “Unpaid personal leave may be approved for an employee. Personal leave may be approved for a period of up to twelve (12) months within any two (2) year period.”
But that seems pretty general. Can you take unpaid personal leave for pretty much anything? How hard is it to get that approved?

As a huge cyberpunk fan I’m super excited for both! Both are so genre-defining I’m overwhelmed by these shows coming out sort of back to back. I’m more excited for Neuromancer because it hasn’t been adapted before unlike Blade Runner which has a bunch of media ranging from Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep to the movies. Will be watching both and I hope they don’t disappoint!
Edit: Definitely agree with folks Cyberpunk 2099 has way more to be cautious of. Keeping my expectations lower going in but not writing it off yet.

And it’s awesome!! I got the BYOK to separate drafting and revision because I would get so distracted with rereading and revising on my laptop. Now I can churn out first drafts so efficiently with my BYOK. On the flip side when I do rarely try to draft on a PC word processor I’m even worse at it now that I’ve made that my dedicated revision space. Kind of interesting how these habits form.
tl;dr the BYOK works!

I'm working on a query letter for a YA, multi-POV, sci-fi that I'm almost ready to shop around. However, I'm really struggling with recent comps. While I read both sci-fi and YA, lately it's all been adult sci-fi or contemporary YA or fantasy YA. I'm pasting my pitch below and would love any recommendations for similar books from recent years that I can take a crack at reading this summer before I finalize my query letter. Thank you!

Pitch:

Eva (15) is the youngest member of the Roi-Fa Dynasty, the family that for generations has ruled an artificial island-city built by ruthless megacorporations. Eva feels suffocated by her life in the city’s topside while her brother, Dante (17), arrogantly thrives in it. Their estranged cousin, Simone (18), is a spec-ops agent who rejected the Roi-Fa name while Mack (20), a controversial adoptee into the family, squanders the privilege that comes with it. 

Everything changes when their elders are assassinated in a sudden coup. The four become fugitives overnight, their disjointed lives thrown together against corporate executives with malevolent intentions and disenfranchised terrorists with violent agendas. But not everyone wants them dead. Simone’s commanding officer gifts the last Roi-Fas four pieces of experimental defense technology that might just save them.

Under these circumstances, Eva finally explores her island home, discovering extraordinary capabilities about the gifted technology along her way. When she’s disappeared by a secret society, the others juggle searching for her and surviving themselves. Dante grapples with dark truths he learns about the city and family he loves. Tensions rise as Simone rejoins the kin she abandoned. All while Mack runs off to face his origins in the perilous depths of the city, guided by a friend from his pre-dynasty days.

The young Roi-Fas grow through a journey that both bonds them and tears them apart. As the city’s most powerful players work against them, Eva, Dante, Simone, and Mack fight to restore their shattered lives and rectify the oppressive world their parents created. 

TOPSIDERS is flashy, gritty cyberpunk (Richard K. Morgan’s Altered Carbon) meets multi-POV storytelling centered on a family of protagonists (Fonda Lee’s Green Bone Saga) told as an accessible, YA narrative. It has the hearts of its characters and a fast-paced plot at its core, elevated by an appeal for thoughtful readers in its approach to themes like family and immigration. 

Thanks for the feedback! I realize this is a little long, so that's one area I could use help with.

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I am writing to present my multi-protagonist YA sci-fi novel, TOPSIDERS (complete at 98,000 words), for your consideration. [blah, blah, why this agent/publisher] 

Evangeline (15) is the youngest member of the Roi-Fa Dynasty, the family that for generations has ruled Severance, an artificial island-city built by ruthless megacorporations. Eva feels suffocated by her life in the city’s topside while her brother, Dante (17), arrogantly thrives in it. Their estranged cousin, Simone (18), is a spec-ops agent who rejected the Roi-Fa name while Mack (20), a controversial adoptee into the family, squanders the privilege that comes with it. 

Everything changes when their elders are assassinated in a sudden coup. The four become fugitives overnight, thrown together against corporate executives with malevolent intentions and disenfranchised terrorists with violent agendas. But not everyone wants them dead. Simone’s commanding officer gifts the last Roi-Fas four magnetvakts—experimental defense technology—which might just give them a chance at tomorrow.

Under these circumstances, Eva finally explores Severance, discovering the extraordinary capabilities of the magnetvakt along her way. When she’s disappeared by a secret society, the others juggle searching for her and surviving themselves. Dante grapples with dark truths he learns about the city and family he loves. Tensions rise as Simone rejoins the kin she abandoned. All while Mack runs off to face his origins in the perilous depths of the Undercity, guided by a friend from his pre-dynasty days.

The Roi-Fa's journey both bonds them and tears them apart. As the city’s most powerful players work against them, Eva, Dante, Simone, and Mack must fight to restore their shattered lives and rectify the oppressive world their parents created. 

TOPSIDERS is flashy, gritty cyberpunk (Richard K. Morgan’s Altered Carbon) meets multi-POV storytelling centered on a family of protagonists (Fonda Lee’s Green Bone Saga) told as an accessible, YA narrative. It has the hearts of its characters and a fast-paced plot at its core, elevated by an appeal for thoughtful readers in its approach to themes like family and immigration. 

TOPSIDERS is my first novel, though my short story “XX” will be featured in XX’s upcoming anthology, publishing October 2027. I’ve also had stories published in XX, YY, and ZZ. I recently graduated from XX’s creative writing program, earning the XX scholarship for creative writing. While much of my work ties back to my background as XX, this story is foremost inspired by my love for science fiction and epic family saga.

Thank you for considering my work.

Ultimately I’m glad I ordered the BYOK as it met my needs over competitors in most ways. I’m usually at a desk or table or whatever but the one downside is the occasional situation where I wish I had a clamshell product for lap writing. What are your hacks, set ups, or recommended keyboards to make lap writing work? I have one keyboard that has its own little easel for the BYOK but it’s super tiny and I have gigantic hands!

I’m Filipino writer but my Tagalog isn’t very good. I want to write the phrase “How could you (do that)?!” in a dramatic, accusatory way in a story I’m writing, and just want to make sure I get it right. I asked my mom but she never knows how to spell anything, so hoping for some help here. Thank you!

Edit: thank you for the replies! To clarify: yes, I really am looking for similar but more natural phrases that have a similar effect in context. It doesn’t need to be a direct translation! Much appreciated :)

I used it about a year ago and the info was pretty clear online. Now I can’t find anything about it! Has anyone been able to use their DSW # at the SFO international garage recently? I want to do it again but since you don’t pay until you leave I’d rather not find out I’m being charged in full on the way out.

EDIT: I just called to confirm it’s still a thing! I will be sure to post if I end up getting screwed on my way out in a couple days though!

Basically, if I want to see how a the first few chapters do online before (or while simultaneously) querying agents for the full thing, is that essentially the same thing as violating the whole "unpublished manuscript" rule?

8 years ago I wrote some trash novel and self-published it online with my real name. Since then, I got a creative writing degree, nuked the manuscript, wrote the story again from the ground up with a new title, narrator, etc., and have a few publishing credits under a new pseudonym. The core of the story is similar but it really is a new novel. In my not-expert opinion at least. I've done everything to scrub the old novel from online but, you know, internet. Do I have a shot at the "new" novel being picked up for traditional publishing or should I toss that idea to the wind?

I like to think of how Raymond Carver essentially published the same story twice in two forms (The Bath vs A Small, Good Thing) but I'm not Carver. I'm a nobody lol