#UnhingedPit finally allows me to comp the aspirational comps! Neurodivergent MC meets mythical creature mashup like PERCY JACKSON + empathy is the super power to save the creatures in HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON + your-closet-is-a-portal delight of THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE. #mg #f

Now for something totally #UnhingedPit, when I was reading Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros, I thought about how much my elementary school aged child would love the story if not for all the sexy bits and jaw ticking. So I wrote The Mythical Creature Conservatory for him. #mg #f #querying

Happy #unhingedpit. Let's get a little unhinged, shall we? Here are the top three reasons you might not like my book: #mg #fantasy

Jack Allen was pretty great at everything he tried, the problem was that he tried very few things. He was trapped in an endless loop of one thought: "What if something terrible happens?"... But, what if something magical happened? Like saving mythical creatures from extinction. 🐉 #questpit #q #mg

THE MYTHICAL CREATURE CONSERVATORY is a #MG #F, co-imagined with my 10yo son. Like The Mysterious Benedict Society, it tests exceptional children for entry into a secret institution, set within an endangered magical world like Impossible Creatures, with nods to the Greeking Out podcast. #Q #questpit

Mythical creatures are going extinct, & the only one who can save them is known as the biggest wimp in 5th grade. 10yo Jack must outsmart poachers, unite segregated worlds, & stop a collapsing ecosystem. He learns courage is not fearlessness, it’s being scared & still doing it. #Q #MG #F #questpit

Gotta enter and spread the word about this free contest for writers of Middle Grade Fiction — tinyurl.com/wdwcontest4 — Judged by Agent Morgan Hughes of Fineprint Literary, via @writingdaywksp.bsky.social. Winners get an agent critique of their work. 🤞

If you're here, let's meet! #scbwiNY26

Jack is based on my IRL son who was diagnosed with General Anxiety Disorder. His favorite coping mechanisms are woven through the book. Readers go on a magical adventure with their favorite mythical creatures, while learning to trust themselves & their own courage. #BluePit 📖 #MG #F #Q #OV #DIS #ND

10yo Jack’s anxiety is so bad that he can’t even make it through gym class without puking. So when the very existence of mythological creatures depends on him, he has to learn that bravery is not about being fearless; it’s about being scared and doing it anyway. #BluePit 📖 #MG #F #Q #OV #DIS #ND

What happens when the survival of mythological creatures is in the hands of the most anxious kid in 5th grade? Can he stop poachers at the gates, unite segregated worlds, and save a collapsing ecosystem before multicultural legends are lost forever? #BluePit 📖 #MG #F #Q #OV #DIS #ND

#hopepit : if you like a story about a misfit kid with a huge heart, combined with magical worlds and mythical creatures, with hopeful environmental and science-as-the-solution themes, plus tools to help with anxiety, this will be the book for you. Join me on my journey to get it published! #q #mg 🤞

I wrote this book for every anxious kid out there who needs to know that their empathy is a super power. And it all started with this kid. Hear it right from the source! #hopepit #q #mg

In honor of #hopepit, my why: At the beginning of 4th grade, Hudson came home from school and said that he didn’t really like writing. As someone who has written dozens of first chapters, opening scenes, and poem drafts over the years, I set out to show him just how amazing writing could be. #mg #q

Agent Guide for The Mythical Creature Conservatory in four images for #QuestPit! #q #mg (full agent guide video pinned to my profile if you want to see more) #amquerying

Written with an anxious kid, by an anxious former kid, for anxious kids, about an anxious kid who turns his empathy into his super power to save mythological creatures from extinction. 🐉Multicultural myths 🌱Hopeful Ecofiction 🧠Neurosparkly 🫶Empathy+Belonging 🧰Tools for anxiety #QuestPit #MG #F #ND

Jack’s anxiety has kept him on the sidelines for his entire life, until the very things he is most self-conscious about get him recruited to the MCC, where he must save mythical creatures from extinction before poachers cause their stories to vanish forever. #QuestPit #MG #F #Q

BENEDICT SOCIETY×IMPOSSIBLE CREATURES Kids are tested to see if they have what it takes to save mythological creatures from extinction. 10yo Jack's empathy gets him in; will his extreme anxiety push him out? Or is it his superpower to stop the poachers & save multicultural legends? #QuestPit #Q #MG

I just entered #RevPit #10Queries. Enter now for a chance to win free feedback on your query and 1st 5 pages. #amquerying #middlegrade

Written with an anxious kid, by an anxious former kid, for anxious kids, about an anxious kid who turns his empathy into his super power to save mythological creatures from extinction. 🌏Multicultural myths 🌱Ecofiction 🧠Neurosparkly 💞Empathy+Belonging 🧰Tools for anxiety #DVpit #MG #F #MH #ND #OWN

WITCHLINGS and A TASTE OF MAGIC + globe-trotting mythology of NatGeo’s GREEKING OUT podcast Anxiety-ridden Jack must outsmart poachers, unite legendary worlds, and prevent an ecosystem from collapsing to save mythological creatures before they go extinct. #DVpit #MG #F #MH #ND #CI #DIS #OWN

What happens when the survival of mythological creatures is in the hands of the most anxious kid in 5th grade? Can Jack stop poachers at the gates, unite segregated worlds, and save a collapsing ecosystem before multicultural legends are lost forever? #DVpit #MG #F #MH #ND #CI #DIS #OWN

“Mythical creature extinction is a hoax” Poachers want you to believe it so they can profit. They even steal the bees to make sure the ecosystem collapses. Can anxiety-ridden 10yo Jack face his fears, unite diverse communities, and outsmart the poachers before legends are lost forever? #DVpit #MG

BENEDICT SOCIETY x IMPOSSIBLE CREATURES Kids are tested to see if they have what it takes to save mythological creatures from extinction. 10yo Jack’s empathy gets him in, but will his extreme anxiety push him out? Or is it his superpower to stop the poachers & save multicultural legends? #DVpit #MG

Anxiety has been the driving force in 10yo Jack’s life, but when he enters the MCC, he discovers that empathy is actually the only power capable of saving legendary creatures from vanishing forever. At least until the poachers show up. #DVpit #MG #F #MH #ND #CI #DIS #JV #OWN #MiddleGrade #anxiety

Jack’s anxiety has kept him on the sidelines for his entire life, until the very things he is most self-conscious about get him recruited to the MCC, where he must save mythical creatures from extinction before poachers cause their stories to vanish forever. #DVpit #MG #F #MH #ND #CI #DIS #JV #OWN

Today is the day! Please only like #DVpit pitch posts today if you are an agent. (and if you are an agent 👋 My name is Sara and if you work with me, I'll work my tushy off for you to make this happen)

Something completely different: Next project idea is Adult Historical Fic: On opposite ends of NYC, two women became the world's first female millionaires. Madam C.J. Walker's and Helene Anna Held's (mostly) true stories unfold in the dazzling, segregated world of NY’s 1910s high society. #DVParty

#DVParty Day 5: Story's playlist. Making a playlist for this book was one of my favorite activities! It follows the emotions of the story arc and ends with songs I like to write to (the Wingspan soundtrack), because they are magically calming. open.spotify.com/playlist/3n4... #booksky #writersky

#DVparty Day 4: your story as a meme Had to bring in some classics. #WriterSky #mg #middlegrade #anxiety #BookSky

#DVparty Day 4: your story as a gif Main character Jack brings a lot of anxious baggage wherever he goes, but he tries to come into every situation with a cautiously hopeful smile. #WriterSky #mg #middlegrade #anxiety #BookSky

#DVparty Day 4: your story as a meme Moo Deng is super cute, but not even close to as adorable as baby dragons playing like puppies. #WriterSky #mg #middlegrade

"A chatter of roars echoed through the grand stone Atrium, capturing the attention of every bewildered child inside. Jack looked up to see five tiny dragons haphazardly gliding overhead and then crashing to the ground, tumbling with each other like puppies..." #dvparty #mg #middlegrade #writersky

#DVparty Day 4: Opening lines The Mythical Creature Conservatory begins with a very bewildered Jack and a collision with a baby dragon. Jack still isn't sure if this can possibly be real, nor if it's a place he could possibly belong. #mg #middlegrade #writersky #own #nd #dragons

Get ready for some opening lines for #DVPit Prompt #3 for #DVParty! 🐲

Hi Journal. This is weird. My school counselor told me to do this. She says it will help with my anxiety. I have no idea how writing boring stuff and recording my dreams is gonna help with that. This is just how I am. (See thread below for more entries) #DVparty #MG #MiddleGrade #BookSky #WriterSky

MC intro for #DVparty: 10yo Jack has spent his life on the sidelines, excluded for his anxiety and fears. He doesn’t feel like he belongs in school, nor does he think he has what it takes to be a Keeper at the Mythical Creature Conservatory, where kids must save mythical creatures from extinction.

Day 2! Today I'll be introducing MC Jack Allen, the main character of The Mythical Creature Conservatory. I'll start with an overview of him, but then I'll be posting throughout the day as if they are entries into Jack's dream journal. Stay tuned! #DVparty

#DVparty Day 1: Art- MC Jack is based on real-life Hudson, my 10yo who THRIVES with anxiety (as do I). In the novel, Jack sketches the creatures and the Mythical Creature Conservatory in his sketchbook, and Hudson did the sketches himself IRL. Here is a sampling of Hudson's art! #mg #MH #ND #OWN

#DVparty Day 1: Mood Board- envisioned as MC Jack's inspiration board. Images that remind him of The Mythical Creature Conservatory with the notes he leaves for himself to help him battle his anxiety. At the MCC, Jack uses empathy to save mythical creatures from extinction. #mg #MH #ND #OWN

Today is DAY 1 of #DVparty, a community event to talk up projects that Diverse Creators plan to pitch during #DVpit! Since it's our inaugural year on Bluesky, we'd like to invite any diverse creator to participate! Share about your beautiful work & let's build a #writercommunity here! #writersky

WITCHLINGS x BENEDICT SOCIETY Kids are put to the test to see if they have what it takes to save mythological creatures from extinction. 10yo Jack’s empathy gets him in, but will his extreme anxiety push him out? Or is it his superpower to stop the poachers & save multicultural legends? #preDV #MG

Anxiety has been the driving force in 10yo Jack’s life, but he discovers that empathy is actually the only power capable of saving legendary creatures from vanishing forever. Especially when poachers show up to sell mythological creatures to the highest bidder. #preDV #MG #F #MH #ND #CI #DIS #OWN

“Mythical creature extinction is a hoax” Poachers want you to believe it so they can profit. They even steal the bees to make sure the ecosystem collapses. Can anxiety-ridden 10yo Jack face his fears, unite diverse communities, and outsmart the poachers before legends are lost forever? #preDV #MG

4- Jack’s anxiety has kept him on the sidelines for his entire life, until the very things he is most self-conscious about get him recruited to the MCC, where he must save mythical creatures from extinction before poachers cause their stories to vanish forever. #preDV #MG #F #MH #ND #CI #DIS #OWN