Happy new year! We are reading one book each month on The Worldbuilder's Tavern podcast, and this month's book is A NATURAL HISTORY OF DRAGONS by Marie Brennan. Have you read it? What did you think? The episode discussing it drops in one week! #Reading #Fantasy #TheWorldbuildersTavern

Gimme ALL THE SECRETS! #Writing #WritingTips

3 books I re-read this year: - The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan (the audiobook narration by Rosamund Pike is lovely.) - Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman (Jeff Hays is the man.) - Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher (re-read for The Worldbuilder's Tavern. So good.) #Reading #SciFi #Fantasy

Go subscribe to The Worldbuilder's Tavern in your favourite podcatcher, because season 4 is ALMOST HERE! #TheWorldbuildersTavern #Podcast #Worldbuilding #Writing #SciFi #Fantasy

Thank you to every writer who has worked with me this year; it's been a pleasure to read and provide feedback on so many wonderful stories. Can't wait to see where you will take them. #Editing

I loved this creepy novel with its chronic illness representation so much that I bought myself a copy. Highly recommend. #FirstLineFriday #Horror #MiddleGrade @anneursu.bsky.social

5 perfect movies: The Fellowship of the Ring Spirited Away Mulan The Empire Strikes Back How to Train Your Dragon

3 sequels I read this year that I loved: - Murderbot #7 - Vera Wong #2 - Dungeon Crawler Carl #7 #Reading #SciFi #Mystery

I had the hardest time figuring out the character examples for this post, maybe because I have trouble recognizing characters that are my own type? You'd think that would be the easiest! #Enneagram #Writing #CharacterCreation

It's almost time for season 4 of the podcast! In the meantime, check out one of my favourite episodes of season 3 on Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman. #Podcast #Worldbuilding #DungeonCrawlerCarl #TheWorldbuildersTavern #LitRPG #Fantasy #SciFi

So, since we have Yet More Discourse going on, I wanna toss out a thing because I keep seeing it come up. Writing is not always fun, and that’s actually pretty normal.

Are we getting excited about #RevPit 2026 yet?

I've updated the horror comp-finder database with 2025 titles. Go nuts! www.aealexander.com/comp-finder-... #Reading #Horror #Querying #Writing

These are all the sci-fi, fantasy, and horror books from 2025 that I've added to my TBR, mostly thanks to my comp-finder databases. 😂 #TBR #Fantasy #Horror #SciFi #Reading

I'm looking forward to reading this take on healing magic. #FirstLineFriday #Fantasy

This is incredibly disappointing. Support human-made art.

Do you work on more than one novel at once? 👀 #Writing

You should never pay a literary agent to read your query letter or a publisher to produce it. Traditional publishing is not pay to play. #WritingTip

3 horror novels that I read this year and loved: - Gulf by Shelly Campbell (adult) - Nightbooks by J.A. White (middle grade) - The Invocations by Krystal Sutherland (YA) #Reading #Horror

2026 books I'm already super excited about. Goodreads links below! #Fantasy #SciFi #Horror #Reading #TBR

Popular for a reason. www.aealexander.com/blog/third-p... #Writing #POV

This podcast is calming and informative and I like it. elisevolkman.com/projects/the... #Writing #Editing #WritingPodcast

I'm booking projects into the new year! My spring tends to fill up quick, so if you want to request an edit, here's the link: www.aealexander.com/editing-query #Editor #BookEditing #DevelopmentalEditing #LineEditing

Currently working on updating the horror comp-finder database. The fantasy and sci-fi have been updated with 2025 titles! Be warned: your TBR might explode if you look at these. www.aealexander.com/comp-finder-... #Fantasy #SciFi #Horror #Querying #Writing #Reading

Undead foxes! Sign me up. #FirstLineFriday #Fantasy #MiddleGrade

Helpful ideas on what to ask your beta readers. #Writing #BetaReading

I love reading imaginative first sentences and helping writers grab readers' attention, but honestly, don't stress about it. It doesn't need to be Shakespeare; it just needs to make readers curious enough to read the next sentence. #Writing #WritingTip

3 sci-fi books I read this year and loved: - Translation State by Ann Leckie (adult) - Nyxia by Scott Reintgen (YA) - The Wild Robot by Peter Brown (middle grade — the movie is also fab) #Reading #SciFi #ScienceFiction

My blog post this month is on where to find a freelance editor and what to look for when hiring one. #Editing #IndiePublishing #Writing #Publishing #Editor www.aealexander.com/blog/how-to-...

Have you ever considered second person for your novel, or for parts of it? #Writing #POV #SecondPerson

It's almost time for season 4 of the podcast! In the meantime, check out one of my favourite episodes of season 3 on The Will of the Many by James Islington. #Podcast #Worldbuilding #TheWorldbuildersTavern #TheWillOfTheMany #Fantasy

Posting this for my own use: inhale / exhale.

What are your favourite #writing craft books? Mine include: How to Write Dazzling Dialogue - James Scott Bell Save the Cat! - Jessica Brody Steering the Craft - Ursula K. Le Guin Wonderbook - Jeff Vandermeer For a longer list of recs, check out my Resources page:

This one looks very fun. #MiddleGrade #Fantasy #GreekMythology @shanatargosz.bsky.social

What point of view is best for your novel? If you're not sure, try one chapter in first person and another in third to see what feels right to you. You can even test out less common options, like second person, for funsies. #Writing #WritingTip #POV

Finished Winter in the Valley! Just in time to hang up for the first snow. #CrossStitch #StardewValley

4 fantasy books I read this year and loved: The Maid and the Crocodile - Jordan Ifueko Swordheart - T. Kingfisher The Wandering Inn - Pirateaba The House in the Cerulean Sea - TJ Klune #Reading #Fantasy

the final horror shopping list of 2025 is here! feat. new books from @comptonwrites.bsky.social, @allyoutthere.bsky.social, @brennanlafaro.bsky.social, @datlow.bsky.social, @tkingfisher.com, and more. 2026 list drops later this week!!

Is your novel written in first-person? www.aealexander.com/blog/first-p... #Writing #POV

Looking for comp titles for you query letter? If you write fantasy, sci-fi, or horror, check out my Resources page for searchable databases of traditionally published, standalone, and first-in-series novels from the past five years. #Querying #Comps

I keep hearing good things about The Raven Scholar and am looking forward to reading it! #FirstLineFriday #Fantasy #DarkAcademia

Finishing up an edit for a wonderful client (and in a genre I love!) is the best feeling. #Editing

"Can I do X thing in my novel?" You can do anything you want! If doing X won't hurt anyone (for example, by promoting harmful stereotypes), the real question to ask is whether it's effective. Is the story engaging readers? Does it fit the genre and age category? Are YOU enjoying it? #WritingTip

List 5 hobbies: 🎮 video games 🖌️ painting 🧶 crochet 🪡 cross stitch 🎲 D&D

Our editor Q&A panel is LIVE! You asked, we answered! Get some answers to questions from our community about editing, querying, and more: #FiFRevPit #amwriting #amquerying #writersky www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwXP...

This is my new favourite card. #MagicTheGathering #AvatarTheLastAirbender

If you want to hire an editor for your novel but aren't sure what KIND of editing it needs, here's some advice on how to decide. www.aealexander.com/blog/what-ty... #Writing #Editing #Revisions

Skyward seems to be a lesser known series of Sanderson's, but it's my favourite of his. #YA #SciFi #Worldbuilding #BrandonSanderson #Skyward #Podcast #TheWorldbuildersTavern

If your novel needs professional eyes, but you're on a budget, I recommend a manuscript critique. It's a great place to start for big-picture feedback; you'll end up with an edit letter that includes actionable advice on how to tackle revisions. #Editing

This one's on my TBR! #FirstLineFriday #Fantasy #YA @mzmauthor.bsky.social