Okay so #writesky I would like some advice. As some of you may know, I've been writing (by hand) my modern day Dante's Inferno for a little over a year. In that year... let's just say a lot has happened and I feel like I should start over. 🧵 1/?

Well at least I can say that I wrote a 1000 word poem during this unpleasant, unplanned, and grief-stricken hiatus. Maybe one day I'll be ready to share "Famous Last Words of a Queer Christian", a critique of modern day churches, based on the seven last statements of Jesus.

🎶 comic sans is awesome!🎶 🎵 Comic sans is cool when you're writing a scene!🎵 🎶Comic sans is awesome!🎶 #writesky

Sleep used to be hard for Maggie, anxious tossing and turning all night long, coupled with headaches and stomach aches. But now that she's walking like thirteen miles every day, and running for her life for half of that in Hell, she sleeps like a baby. If only the nightmares would stop

TW: Reference to abuse This actually makes me wonder: If Maggie has such a distorted view of herself, fueled by gaslighting, cycles of theological shame, verbal, psychological, and emotional abuse, and a myriad of other traumatic junk...would she even be a reliable narrator?

In this current draft, Maggie is taught about Dante's Inferno, Milton's Paradise Lost, and Anatole France's Revolt of the Angels by the witches in Limbo. The Inferno is really the only one she uses in The Infernal Rose. I'm thinking of changing when she learns all this information

Maggie hates asking for help. The main reason is because she already feels like such a burden on others. She's scared of being too anxious, depressed, and traumatized for the people in her lives to handle. So she doesn't reach out when she needs help, pushes herself to work when she needs rest, etc.

Roe has the patience and grace of an angel 😇 they live to heal and help others, and guide them through their tough journeys. They believe in connection through "communion", or a shared meal. They'll make Maggie a fish supper and help her with her anxiety as much as they can

I'm just going to share that one of my favorite bits of body horror that I wrote about recently was a reference to this scene in The Exorcist. An amalgamation with 6 mismatched limbs comes running for a sinner just like this

#QueerPrompts LGBTQ+ Dates in April

Maggie's most annoying habit would be her complete inability to accept complements, praise, or affection. Her "goals" for earning worth are constantly moving out of her reach, which is very exhausting for her and her loved ones.

I'm playing with the idea in my mind of adding a third sister to my story. An older stepsister for Maggie and another older half sister for Ana. This oldest step sister would be a foil to Maggie, a "flying monkey" of sorts for Maggie's stepfather, and a gaslighting extraordinaire

Honestly, I don't believe in demons, specifically because they're used to harm Othered individuals, excuse abhorrent behavior, etc, etc. For that reason, I would rather live in this world where demons are metaphors for internal struggles, characters to relate to, and personified lessons passed down

The demons in Hell are queer normative, and scoff at the idea of any consensual sexual activity. (Fun fact: many biblical scholars believe that Paul is homosexual, that Jesus healed a Roman centurion's homosexual partner, and the Bible does not condemn polyamory, but instead, heterosexual divorce)

This is a mix. So while there are the Ten Commandments, the Sermon on the Mount, and a plethora of denominational doctrines to pick from in this universe, the demons in The Infernal Rose would argue that morality is decided not by God but by man. Cont.

Welp, we're just going to chalk up this past week as one of the worst in my life, and attempt to move on. Hopefully come April I can attempt to write a few pages every week

I'd forgotten what it was like to wake up refreshed. My lungs greedily sucked in air after a year of hyperventilating. My head was buzzing with oxygen and endorphins

Well, I guess running for your life on a treadmill is one way to get the creative juices flowing, because I just wrote 3 pages of notes for the coming chapters and I'm excited to see how it turns out.

The God of Hell is Under Construction is the Christian God, but with some twists. They are exclusively referred to with NB pronouns. They aren't fickle about how you worship, just as long as you follow the Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you, God will build a place for you

Maggie is a headstrong, but disenchanted Christian who is going on a journey through Hell to confront her fears about her sexuality, mental health, and eternity

Aww well Roe is quite adept at healing! They would make fish stew for Maggie whenever she got sick (or when her mental health was in decline). They would also do the normal things: make sure she's getting lots of sleep, give her lots of plushies to cuddle, put on her favorite movies. Roe is the best

I try to break them up with little interruptions from Maggie or sinners. Beezlebub was eating throughout his entire monologue, and drooling all over the place as he looked for more food. Asmodeus was pelted with gore from the Blender the entire time he talked to Maggie

Pazuzu is jealous of all the other demons who (seem to) have all the popularity, cult followings, and respect. He's jealous of their power over souls in Hell. Pazuzu doesn't see how sadistic demons like Belial or Beezlebub can be when they're bored or vindictive 🧵

Well my favorite is strawberry rhubarb, and a core memory from childhood is munching on rhubarb stalks as tall as myself. So Maggie's favorite pie would probably be strawberry rhubarb pie too.

Well for any newcomers, I'm writing a modern day Dante's Inferno, so there are Christian Bible stories and rituals that are practiced. But there's also new age practices mixed in. So when Maggie goes to get her fortune told to her in Limbo, the witch Alexandra uses a Bible to perform bibliomancy. 🧵

On the bright side, I definitely popped the bone back into place last night. It feels much better this morning 🦴

Man, fuck hyper mobility, the fuck do you mean I was walking around with a partial dislocated wrist all day? Just yanked on it after a half hour of desperate massaging and heard an audible pop as it fixed itself

Maggie discovers upon entering Greed that sinners that have lost all humanity are in the colloseum hunting down specific sinners. So an amalgamation of sinners from Lust chases down the sinner she's talking to, and then rips him apart Also, Behemoth 🐘 is in the colloseum to trample everyone

Maggie is mostly quiet, and tries her best to keep a low profile, until she becomes enraged. Considering she's scared 💩less the entire time, she doesn't let herself get angry. She used to be boisterous but then trauma occurred, and she told herself that staying silent was the safest option for her

At the beginning of the story, I used a rabid lamb to represent the church becoming infected with rage, thus turning them away from the teachings of Christ (the Lamb). The lamb chases Maggie out of the church cemetery and into Hell, so if that's not a commentary on christofascism, idk what is.

The horses that the 4 horsemen use can also be used to pull carriages, and Belial has a chariot that is pulled by the oldest sinners in Hell; the amalgamations and ghouls that have completely lost their humanity

Maggie got her fear of hellfire and damnation from her religious trauma. Growing up in super strict and conservative churches, with abusive father figures, she was taught that being LGBT was sinful, being anxious/depressed meant you didn't love God enough, and convinced her she was damned

Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh So before Maggie even entered the inferno she was Chased down by a rabid lamb Tossed into a river, and then a bolder which broke a few ribs Buried alive (enter inferno) Shot with an arrow and then electrocuted Half-starved, walked several miles

You know I was thinking recently that making greed take up 50%+ of the book was overly ambitious. But now Im starting to realize that with everything I have planned out it was either completely accurate or I was underestimating how much I cram into the circles. I finished chapter 15, on page 370 🥳

The distinction comes down to how much humanity a soul has left after they've been in the inferno for several years. Someone could be in Gluttony for decades, but if they still have a shred of humanity, they won't transform into a ghoul. The Blender will outright reject any innocent soul

Grannie has a bit of green thumb, and kept a few plants when she was alive. Depending on how the story goes, Maggie and Roe might have to develop green thumbs when they reach the City of Dis.

Hehehe, 2 more pages this morning before work. I like having my groove back

Maggie's younger sister Ana's birthday is mentioned as being December 20th. It's important because when she turned 18 in 2024, she tried to transfer schools and move into an apartment with Maggie before her father intervened and everything went wrong

I would say that the ghouls are animals I've created. They are created after a sinner's soul consumes too much human flesh in Gluttony. After they completely abandon their humanity, they shrivel, but loose skin remains on their body to create these bat wings that they use to fly around the circle

Nearly 4 pages written in an hour, including one of the best descriptions of body horror I've ever done (I hope, but I'll probably hate it in the morning)

Honestly....I think Maggie would just cry, maybe try to 💀 me. It would definitely end with both of us in tears and I'd probably buy her ice cream. Again, if she doesn't 💀 me first

Okay #accoutability post! In one hour, I want to have written at least 3 pages, and I'm not allowed to scroll or answer daily questions until then! Timer starts now! #writesky

I just gotta say it. The original Scream is much funnier than the first Scary Movie

I'm just going to share that I wrote a long note to myself, detailing how I want to write about the Circle of Greed in a neat and concise manner and I'm pretty proud of it. Excited to write about it tomorrow (hopefully)

Writing a story by hand when you work overtime be like Sweet! Page 350 I've got to be halfway done! Reality: the second confrontation was just completed and the rising action has barely begun. I have at least 5 more circles to write about if I want the story to have any substance

There aren't any actual animals in Hell (I'm of the belief that all animals go to Heaven (mosquitos get their own separate bog)) However, almost all the demons have animal characteristics: Asmodeus has 3 heads, one a bull, one a human mans, and one a goat. 🐂 🐐

She makes a flower crown in Limbo during the celebration of Litha! Also gets her rose petals read from her coffee during a divination ceremony. Flowers are everywhere in Litha!

Yes, I establish early on in the story of that it takes place during Pentecost week of 2025. Since it's the birthday of the church, it's also a time when Christians are supposed to feel more empowered in their Faith, and I decided it would be the perfect time zone for Maggie to learn all about Hell