Someone is upset because I won’t let him help me pack for a trip.* *i.e. He got yelled at for laying on my clean (cat-hair-free) clothes in the suitcase.

I took a nap earlier because I didn’t sleep well last night, but in the dream I discovered that I owned a golden retriever puppy and it was the best dream ever until I woke up and then everything was sad because I have no puppy. Weep for me and my puppyless existence.

Protect your heart from breaking by padding it with soft cheese.

This is exactly the kind of breakdown of the show I, a person who has never listened to Bad Bunny until tonight, need.

It's not just the women and girls we know of. It's all their future work, and everything they could have been, and how we build structures that shelter their abusers. It's how a man's future has always been worth more than my past, present, and future combined.

"We would have lost so much if we'd driven him away" is the justification. But we lost all those girls. We lost the women they would have become. We lost the work they would have done. Why was his future work so much more valuable than theirs?

I’m currently closed to queries but I’ll participate in the upcoming #MSWL day because all the perennial wishes on my list will soon vanish after I finish deleting tweets from my currently private Twitter account. Before I delete them, though, I’ll bring many of my classic MSWL requests over here.

If you need to scroll, I’d recommend looking at all the adorable illustrations in the #kidlitartpostcard hashtag rather than scrolling of the doom variety. It’ll bring much more happiness and light to your life.

I love how, no matter how many times I turn off Copilot AI functions, somehow, miraculously, it always manages to turn itself back on again. IT'S LIKE MAGIC. I don't like slop magic.

I’m gonna have to mute the dictionary today, aren’t I? I’m trying to decide if @merriam-webster.com is just trying to show exactly how many people make the same terrible joke by reposting ALL of them, or if they’re setting out to prove the “everyone on the internet is twelve” theory.

Read banned books. Read books that make you cry. Read books written by friends. Read books you don’t quite understand yet. Read books of ancient magic that transform you into a dark being of the cosmos, capable of such wonderful & terrible things.

I just found out about the Query Timelines feature on Query Tracker, and I’m sorry to break it to you, but I’m kind of a chaos goblin, often with no rhyme or reason to how I read queries and request manuscripts. I do inbox triage in my own special way, so I dare anyone to make sense of it.

“Hello? Hello, is anyone here? Where did you go?” This is how the kitty greets me every morning when he comes down the stairs to find me. I wasn’t fast enough to catch his forlorn “Where has everyone gone?” meows, but someday I will.

HA HA I HAVE A CUDDLE BUDDY AND YOU DON’T

All told, it looks like the auction raised over $216,000 for Minnesota charities and organizations. Well done everyone!

Looks like the query packet critique I donated went for $510 so whoever won will also get a 30-minute Zoom call with me. Huzzah!

I went over to Threads to post about my stretch goal for the auction, and WOW was I not prepared for the full-on racist drama going on in Book Threads. Thankfully the ratio is appropriately severe and people are calling it out for what it is.

There’s only a few hours left on the auction to raise money to help the people of Minnesota. I’m willing to up the stakes and throw in a 30-minute Zoom call as a stretch goal if bidding goes over $500. (It’s currently at $420.)

I’ve been dealing with migraines intermittently for the past week, and I have to tell the thing that has helped the most for longer-lasting relief has been acupuncture. Just an fyi for those suffering from severe headaches who are struggling to find relief.

The Onion was started by a time traveler trying to prevent a grimdark future but could only skirt chrono-law by couching his warnings as satire.

The Publishing for Minnesota auction is now live, so you can bid on the Query Package Critique I donated here: www.32auctions.com/organization... Plus tons of other great stuff for writers, illustrators, readers & teachers. Where else are you going to find first editions signed by Suzanne Collins?

The Publishing for Minnesota auction is now live, so you can bid on the Query Package Critique I donated here: www.32auctions.com/organization... Plus tons of other great stuff for writers, illustrators, readers & teachers. Where else are you going to find first editions signed by Suzanne Collins?

Tomorrow night! 9pm EST / 6pm PST. Join @charlenedraws.bsky.social and I for our monthly chat. This month’s topic is all about giving and receiving critiques as a KidLit artist. #kidlitart

I have a kitty who is currently offering kisses if anyone would like and/or need one.

Tons of industry pros (agents, editors, artists) are donating items, so spread the word to writers and illustrators who want professional help on their project. Opportunities like this come very rarely to get feedback from this caliber of professionals. Plus it supports worthy organizations.

I'm donating a Query Package Critique to the Publishing for Minnesota auction happening this week, from Jan 28–30. There's a lot of incredible items up for auction, so be sure to check it out and bid on something great—and even better, support the people of Minnesota right now.

Why yes, it is chocolate pudding for dinner night, how did you guess.

Someone in publishing is organizing a kidlit auction for Minnesota so I’m planning to donate a critique or AMA or something. I don’t have the bandwidth right now for a full ms critique, but what other type of thing from an agent would you be more willing to pay for? Basically, what has higher value?

Now, more than ever, we need people making art. The weirder and more distinct, the better.

If you need to get off the internet for the day (or weekend or week) to protect your mental health so you have strength to fight another day, do that. Sad to say, these problems will still be here when you get back. Take care of yourself now if you need to so you can care for others later.

someone (a follower!) replied to this with “now is not the time for your babble” and I blocked their ass because it is the time to try to have hope and babbling is how I do that It is always time to try to have hope otherwise what are we even fucking doing here

A few weeks ago I saw an author I respect post something about how you should never go back to try and resurrect your first manuscripts, just let them lovingly rest in the graveyard of abandoned projects, but now I can't remember who it was and I'm kicking myself for not liking or saving it.

I completely forgot about the review of my first book that someone posted on B&N, which is my favorite review of a book ever. Kills me every time I see it.

This is a very chatty (big) kitty. Would converse.

I’ve been a little quiet this week because I’ve been dealing with migraines and also *points at the world imploding* so I’m just going to sit in a dark room tonight and get a bit of reading done.

The plague of Bath Corgis. I just found a useful public information booklet. Presumably made by the government in the 10 year olds room.

Heads up, readers! @humblebundle.com has a stellar bundle full of women SF/F & horror writers happening now. 60 book for $18 and you'll be helping support @activeminds.bsky.social, a fantastic young adult mental health organization. www.humblebundle.com/books/fierce...

Note to agented writers/illustrators: please check with your agent before submitting to a pitch event, especially if the project is currently or might soon be on submission.

There's a guide I read at some point for writers about how to not use this shit, and one of the points it makes is that you can just use a word that describes the ACTUAL behavior. The actual description of what they do is never the developmental slur that you want to use.

I’m seeing increased use of this word and I just want to gently suggest that if there’s one word you can manage to remove from your vocabulary it should be this one. It was coined by a eugenicist who used it as a diagnosis to forcibly institutionalize and sterilize mentally disabled people.

This is a fantastic discussion of how to add conflict to picture books by agent @literaticat.bsky.social.

Utah friends! Read this to come up to speed on HB197 and how it fits into the national pattern of book banning bills. Then contact your legislators to tell them to vote no on this bill! Don’t forget to join @letutahread.bsky.social for updates on how you can help this legislative session! #utpol

Just got a couple vaccines I still needed after my doctor checked my titers earlier this year. Pharmacy tech: Neither vaccine has strong side effects, though the TDAP may make you sore tomorrow. My body: Challenge accepted. Me: This is why I get vaccines on a Friday before a holiday weekend.

Well, it looks like there may be a new glitch in the email system, after we thought it had been all worked out. So if you email me at my Mansion Street email and it bounces back or says it's blocked, just scream a little bit into the ether for my sake.

Art and writing is a form of protest. It is a form of empowerment. It is part of being human. That is why you write when the world is on fire.

Yes, I am still sending a crapton of emails at 7 pm, but you have NO IDEA how GOOD it feels to get caught up on a few things that have been hanging over my head for a bit. Switching email systems is good in the long term, but short term it causes all kinds of headaches.

Me drafting an email: I hope you've had a wonderful new years so far— *glances at the news* *strike that* Me: 'sup

Congrats to @henrycclark.bsky.social on the sale of his middle grade novel TIME TRAVELERS WELCOME to @smorgridge.bsky.social at Holiday House! It's such a fun story that I'm so excited you'll all get to discover in 2028.

I'm gonna say this with all the kindness in my heart: you aren't going to survive if you don't let your life have room for other things. This is not a short term fight where we can just go 24/7 and then it will be over. We've got YEARS ahead of us. Take a break. Hydrate. Go bake something. Breathe.

The cat jumped onto my lap at the same time that I was adjusting the blanket on my lap, so I may have kinda punched the cat in the face. SORRY KITTY. We just have really bad timing, I guess.