Reminder: Bundle discounts are live on my store! 💖 Romance Characters + Plotting 🕵🏾‍♀️ Detective Characters + Plotting 🏗️ Plotting + Structure + Characters (Or just grab all four! 🤔😁) If plotting/structure slow you down, bundle the fix. 👉🏾 shorturl.at/BxOFb #QueerRomance #DetectiveThriller #AmWriting

3 quick signs the climax isn’t set up: (1) There's no on-page choice to trigger it. (2) The stakes haven’t risen enough. (3) The next scene doesn’t assume the new change. Fix one today. Save yourself the hard revisions tomorrow. #AmWriting #Pacing #StoryStructure #WritingTips #FirstDraftFall

Name your Midpoint: write the decision + consequence in one sentence. What turning point shifts your protagonist from being reactive to proactive? #FirstDraftFall #WritingTips

Saturday Speed Checklist: Skim each chapter, tag those 7 beats, star the weak spots. Grab the “spot-the-beat” list from my website here 👉🏾 shorturl.at/AcXeL. Don’t forget to sign up for my monthly newsletter while you’re there! #AmWriting #StoryStructure #QueerRomance

One tiny fix this weekend: pick the story beat that wobbles, write 3 “because of that…” links, and run one scene experiment. Momentum > perfection. Need a visual reminder? Download the Spot-the-Beat from my website 👉🏾 shorturl.at/AcXeL #Plotting #StoryStructure #WritingTips #FirstDraftFall

The 7 story beats in under 60s: Inciting Incident 👉🏾 First Plot Point 👉🏾 First Pinch Point 👉🏾 Midpoint 👉🏾 Second Pinch Point 👉🏾 Second Plot Point 👉🏾 Dark Night 👉🏾 Climax. List yours: one line each, using your draft, not your outline. It’s about what’s on the page right now. #AmWriting #StoryStructure

I really did it. Store’s LIVE! Focused workbooks for queer romance & detective thriller authors—prompts for HEA/HFN arcs & detective case spines, plus scene tests to catch plot holes early. 👉🏾 payhip.com/sageediting #QueerRomance #DetectiveThriller

I've got new tools dropping soon, as in TOMORROW. Genre-specific workbooks for queer romance + detective thriller authors. Which story challenge do you wish you understood better? #AmWriting #QueerAuthor🌈✒️ #DetectiveFiction

Broke down and joined the Insta... Regular editing and writing tips throughout the week + the occasional writing prompt to spur your creativity! www.instagram.com/shannonscott... #WritingCommunity #EditingCommunity #AmWriting #AmEditing

Rule No. 1 of the internet: You must watch this video whenever it crosses your feed on any social media platform. Rule No. 1A of the internet: This video must ALWAYS be reposted every time it crosses your feed on any social media platform. ALWAYS.

A light in the nihilistic darkness that is this planet right now. #MarriageEquality #LGBTQRights #PrideWasARiot

I finally started tracking my analytics over the past month and used it to create a more effective campaign across all my social media touchpoints. My engagement numbers have shot through the roof.

Richard Bradburn has a very extensive book called "Self-Editing for Self-Publishers" if you're looking for all in one at the granular level. #AmEditing #EditingTips #WritingCommunity

Have definitely been in this situation multiple times. It's not even about the lack of understanding of craft, there's just something innate missing in how I think readers will identify with the characters. Because what is story without believable, relatable characters?

“The authorial voice from a flesh-and-blood writer remains a differentiator and that’s something the onslaught of AI Kindle uploads doesn’t have—publishers’ years of honing creative instincts and cultivating talent pipelines matter even more in a flood of content.” 👆🏾 #ReadMoreBooks

I know it's kind of a cliche, but why use three words when one word will do? Punchy sentences, even long ones, draw readers in more easily if each word resonates emotionally in the context of the scene. #WritersCoffeeClub #WritingCommunity #WritingTips

Craft book reading? ✅ Social media content prepped? ✅-ish Reading for fun? ✅ Daylight savings time ending still kicking my ass? ✅ #SundayFunday

My regular depression waiting for the seasonal depression to show up...

Got a bunch of admin work to do today, but hoping to get in some writing this afternoon/evening. What are your Saturday plans? #AmWriting #WritingCommunity #QueerAuthor 🌈✒️

Give myself the same permission I give other authors: You can change the outline to fit the new direction your characters want to go in.

I mostly outline-ish to the next major scene. What happens between then and that scene is anyone's guess. Though I do have a fairly tight outline for a novella-in-progress, I still have to drag out every word. It's making it harder to write than I expected.

My newsletter The Editor–Author Perspective is back next Tuesday. One monthly issue especially for queer romance & detective/thriller authors. Quick craft moves you can use in <20 mins. Want it? Subscribe here: shorturl.at/worAQ #QueerRomance #ThrillerAuthor #WritingCommunity #AmWriting

Lies I Tell Myself, Chapter 40 Footnotes 1: This is the only time the novel won't write itself. 2: I'll take notes on how to make all future novels write themselves. #WriterProblems #SelfEditing #AmWriting

Structure is story's spine. Without it, even great ideas collapse. Thus, every chapter should move the plot forward. #WritingCraft #WritingCommunity #AmWriting

Friendly reminder: Imposter syndrome isn’t proof you can’t write. It’s proof you care about getting it right. Pause and recognize how your care for your craft drives your persistence. (1/4) #WritingCommunity #WritingProblems #QueerAuthor

I was just fucked over $1k so if you guys could like sell this bundle into the stratosphere, I'd appreciate it

Y'all follow my author account, please?? @authorkalibenson.bsky.social That's where all my writing updates will be since I apparently really am doing this publishing thing... #WritingCommunity #AmWriting #PublishingJourney #MMRomance

My bank account demands I work. My heart demands I write. #AmWriting #WritingCommunity #WriterSky #AuthorSky #MMRomance #ShortStory #Novelette #AllTheWords

It's going to be the third week of the month before I can poke my head up. 🤔 Memoir proofread 🤔 Queer YA paranormal proofread 🤔 Thriller line/copyedit 🤔 ACES #VCON25 speaker 🤔 Story coaching client I can't complain. I thrive under pressure. (Most of the time.) #AmEditing #EditingCommunity

Doing a little thing in a few weeks. 😏 For the third year in a row, I count myself truly lucky to present a topic that drives what I do and how I do it: Theory versus Practice in Developmental Editing of Fiction #ProfessionalDevelopment #ACESVCON25 #ConferenceSpeaker #AmEditing

I don’t want to be that cranky old lady, but it’s hard seeing people excited about a celebrity’s engagement when the world is on fire. Not a peep on climate change, Palestine, 2SLGBTQIA+ rights, reproductive rights, etc. but a football player & a singer gets y’all worked up. Make it make sense. 🤷‍♀️

It's been a long couple weeks of direct labor, trying to put together website resources, working on my own fiction, and keeping my newsletter going. So what did I spend this morning doing? Signing up for submitting my Reedsy editor profile for review. 🫣 #FingersCrossed #AmEditing #Freelancer

The tenth edition goes out tomorrow! In the first of four blog pieces, I'll be talking about how to expand your flash fiction and short stories into longer pieces, starting with ways to adjust your plot. Sign up here to find out more: shorturl.at/worAQ #AmWriting #AmEditing

1,242 words tonight! First draft is done! #AmWriting #WritingJourney #PublishingJourney #WritingCommunity

Today's end-of-the-month admin work (read: bookkeeping 🥴😭), but I'm still also determined to finish my short story. I'm putting plans in place, slowly, to get my fiction out as soon as is reasonably possible. But I can't release it if I don't write it. or something like that.

Added another 1,700 words to this baby. One more night of writing should see it done. (I'm handwriting these out, by the way...) #AmWriting #WritingJourney #PublishingJourney #WritingCommunity

I just bought my author domain for my fiction works... I... I'm really doing this publishing thing, apparently... #WritingJourney #PublishingJourney #AmWriting #WritingCommunity #MMRomance #EEK

Now that I've finished up @andrews-wilson.com's Sons of Valor: War Machine, I can maybe get some writing done. #AmWriting #WritingCommunity #ReadAllTheWords #WriteAllTheWords

Restarted a short story from a few weeks ago? Got in 1,823 words tonight. Hoping to reach 5,000 words before the week's out. #AmWriting #QueerRomance #WritingCommunity #QueerFiction #SoManyWords

Excited at all the writing I'm (hopefully) going to get done this week! #AmWriting #WritingCommunity #MMRomance #SapphicRomance #WritingWorkbook #MeTime

This is my lightest workweek in months. I may or may not be panicking. Literally all I have to do is end-of-month admin work and prepping my newsletter to go out tomorrow. You can sign up here, bee-tee-dubs: shorturl.at/worAQ Got a pretty sweet deal inside! #AmEditing #EntrepreneurLife

No cheating. Post the last pic of your pet.

Yesterday got away from me. I went to my first drag show in college. The outfits, makeup, swagger each Queen (and King) showed was magic. Here's to ALL the Queens and Kings slaying the stages worldwide. Keep glowing like the royalty you are! #InternationalDragDay #DragQueens #DragKings

Tomorrow's newsletter goes out at 8 a.m. Eastern. You've got until then to subscribe for early access to one hell of a service deal. Link in attached post! #AmWriting #WritingCommunity #MMRomance #QueerRomance #FFRomance #TransRomance #CrimeFiction #AmEditing

Nonbinary is a spectrum of gender identities that are not exclusively masculine or feminine‍ —‌ identities outside the gender binary. I feel comfortable enough, finally, to say that I'm genderfluid. I'm not particularly attached to either identity on any given day. 🌈🙂 #GenderIsASocialConstruct

Hard to believe I've had my newsletter for 4 months now. This coming week is special, though. Subscribers get early access to a deal that's been in the works since I started The Editor-Author Perspective. Join the mailing list here: shorturl.at/worAQ #AmEditing #WritingCommunity #AmWriting

I wouldn’t tell anyone if I won the lottery but there would be signs.

Omnisexuality is an attraction to all genders, with an emphasis on acknowledging the nuances between them. Although one of the newer terms, omnisexuals are just as multifaceted as any other Rainbow Family member. Here's to celebrating you! #OmnisexualVisibilityDay #PrideIsEveryMonth

Over the past few weeks, I've been tossing around the idea of publishing my flash fiction in a short anthology. The idea wouldn't leave me alone. I liked to think it'd be something to do while my subconscious works at outlining my full-length novel's second half, right? 1/?

Always an honor to host these every other month. This month feels especially important for our LGBTQ+ Editors Association members. The registration link went out today, so if you still haven't registered, there's still a few hours left to go. Hopefully I'll see you there! #Pride2025 #QueerEditors