#AwesomeCharacters Ooh what an interesting question! Truly dislike? No. I’ve got some sort of fondness for them all, even if it’s “love to hate” vibes. I do, however, find it more tedious/tiresome to spend time in certain POVs. Kit—from Faultverse—is like that; 1/2

#AwesomeCharacters For sure! In Faultverse, Mara and Nym are lesbians! 🧡🩷🤍 In fact, a decent chunk of later plot hinges on Nym going “ohnoshespretty”, tripping and falling. 😅 They’re very good for one another, in many ways. art by lytiic.carrd.co! 1/2

#BonApriltit 26 (StringsWIP) Au dislikes anything that tastes of vitamins or reminds him of medicine. He frequently bakes with fresh fruit, but blanches at artificial fruit or floral flavors. Lynden won’t eat cold leftovers. It reminds him too much of his childhood. 1/3

#BonApriltit 25 *cracks knuckles* We’re gonna rapid-fire all the main projects for this one ✨ Truly, if you don’t know the MCs’ food preferences by the end of something, I am not the writer. ✌🏻 🧵

#BonApriltit 24 In the newest WIP—let’s call it StringsWIP—Lynden’s lived with some form of food insecurity all his life. Nowadays he’s very ready to enjoy whatever’s on offer, and do it with all possible leisure—which matches up well with Maluus’ cultural emphasis on “slowing down”. He pretends 1/

I love them all, truly, but Sachial is special to me in a way I can’t easily articulate. Kade and Conrad are both right up there, too—I enjoy writing them tremendously. #OCSKY #OCASK

recent Project Hail Mary hyperfixation has been GREAT for my mental health but DEVASTATING for my productivity 😅

#BonAprilti The evening meal on Maluus depends a lot on the context. If there’s company over, the typical 2-3 courses tend to multiply. Artistry is highly valued across the whole planet, and the evening meal is where that’s most on display in elaborate or visually impressive dishes. 1/

#AwesomeCharacters Ooh, what a fun one! In Deuceridge, that would be local boss Clarence Ward. Man’s gone THROUGH it. Whether he deserves it or not dives straight into spoiler territory, though. For Faultverse, it’s probably a fellow named Zander. He, like many characters, is hamstrung by the 1/

A snip from Embers, my sf novella WIP 🔥 #wipsnips #sff #writesky

Sachial does not, for good reason. Caleb doesn’t, either,but for simplicity’s sake rather than reason’s. Kade… I wouldn’t say fears death, but he does not want to die. Conrad fears it terribly, despite how earnestly he anticipates it. Asher struggles to conceptualize death; he wishes he feared it.

#BonApriltit (new scifi wip) There’s a lot of variation for the midday meal on Maluus. It’s frowned upon to eat while working/on the go, which is meant to encourage an actual sit-down break, but the unintended result is some people simply can’t stop for a midday meal. Sandwiches are common, 1/

#BonApriltit (new scifi wip) Breakfast on Maluus is sweet, indulgent; for upper classes it’s downright leisurely, and for working folks it’s only slightly less so. It’s a cultural cue to slow down and enjoy the presentation and prospects of a new day. The most common breakfast 1/3

#AntagonistApril There is a “pure evil” antagonist in Deuceridge, who is entirely aware and proud of their evil ways/actions. Keeping it vague, there’s a lot of interesting comparison and contrast between this antagonist and Kade, who can play the villian so well that he might even fool himself.

#BonApriltit Faultverse lacks a strong circadian rhythm, so people structure their days around work and social interactions; mealtimes are loosely defined. Breakfast is consistent, and typically the heartiest meal in preparation for the day. Lunch happens whenever your comrades/coworkers/friends 1/

#BonApriltit A TAD late to the party, but so excited to find this and hop in! Food worldbuilding/symbolism is a staple in my writing, and one of my favorite things to learn about others’ work! I’ll likely hop around WIPs, but I’m starting to explore a new scifi world, so I might lean into that one✨

what a TIME to be a scifi fan/writer ✨🥹

You can hear a theme song from a gif.

Dance is a HUGE motif in Deuceridge. Kade, Asher, and Miriam are all excellent dancers in a number of styles. Conrad is… well, he’s certainly got the spirit 😅 #QueerPrompts

#AwesomeCharacters Sachial has several opportunities to let things lie, to live within the system. One such, in particular, he’d give just about anything to go back and take; he’d get to learn the truths of his world without also setting its destruction into irrevocable—and uncomprehending—motion.

now this *gestures at manuscript in aggravation* is why I SWORE I’d never do time travel, and yet here we are

Been a bit quiet—figuring some things out—but I’ve been meaning to say thank you to the marvelous folks here! I’ve found so much hope and positivity in the writing community here, and I’m looking forward to continuing to chat and get to know everyone and their characters! Thanks for being here c:

#AwesomeCharacters Sachial can be VERY stubborn, definitely gets stuck on things, and does not forget personal sleights. His follow through, though, might be questionable. He’s got a lazy streak, and if he discovers something more interesting than his original goal he’ll go in that direction. 1/3

Describe your plot in five words or fewer- if you dare snarky anarchist upends civilization—whoops!

Sachial would be surprisingly fine! He’s met architects of his world, and he’s more interested in learning from them than holding them accountable for his own suffering. The rest of the Fault Lines cast might have harsher feelings. 😅 I’d stand a chance with Caleb—I rewrote his death, after all, 1/3

Today’s #WIPSnips is the perfect reason to share something from the opening paragraphs of the novella WIP, Embers! #WritingCommunity #sff

In order, absolutely! I discover a lot of the story as I go. Also, if I jump into the scenes I’m most excited about, I have less motivation to work through the more difficult parts. If I have an exceptionally vivid snippet of dialogue or description, I’ll jot it down in a separate brainstorming doc.

Very rarely, and they’ll usually stick around as unattached characters waiting for a story of their own. I find characters themselves pretty impossible to part with entirely, but I can recognize when they don’t add anything to a given story, or don’t fit the tone. In Fault Lines,

Gotta lock back in with Fault Lines rewrite, HOWEVER the novella is nearing 20k and that feels worth just a bit of celebration ✨

“Don't write or draw for money. Do it because you love it...” I mean, yeah. Obviously we enjoy doing it, otherwise we wouldn't BE doing. That said, it'd be cool being paid and supported enough to simply live as creatives, and in turn, have the freedom to create wild new things without restraint.

I dislike them, generally, when writing and reading. I find it far more compelling to see how characters carry on living. There are exceptions ofc—ideally with a lasting impact, and we love a haunted narrative! Simply, it must be worth the loss. I’ve reflected that Fault Lines, incidentally, 1/

For Deuceridge, the 1st book—WatS—happens over approx a week (a very hectic week indeed!). The 2nd, conversely, spans about a year; there’s a two year gap between. We see the most of Conrad, Kade, and Asher POV in the 1st, and more of Kade, Miriam, and Anaya in the 2nd. I have a prequel planned, 1/

A snippet of conversation from fairly late in WatS, hence the redaction, but too perfect not to share for this! Kade and Conrad are foils in countless ways—the “hero” and “villain” roles they choose to play, and the authenticity of those roles, among them. #SFFChat

This “you need to trust me; you trust me, right?” conversation is turning out FAR thornier than I anticipated, which is /great/ because I know it’s going to feel earned by the end of it, but also RIP my word count estimate.

One snip from each book; forgive me, I couldn’t decide! for Fault Lines—Caleb thinks about Sachial’s eyes a LOT for Deuceridge—Conrad has complicated feelings about the ocean #snippetshare #WritingCommunity

Having a darn near religious experience with this Turkish coffee ✨☕️

#FebruaryWorldbuilders In Faultverse, there is a prophecy or two running around, but how real they are is HIGHLY circumstantial. More immediately relevant is how various people might USE such things. In Deuce, there’s one character who does have the gift of prophecy, very much a mad seer 1/2

Something from my WIP Embers! I’m so very excited about what it’s becoming. Wheston IS human—just not the standard base model. #WIPSnips #SF #WritingCommunity #WriteSky

#AwesomeCharacters Kade can and will cause problems for pure entertainment value—weaponized whimsy, if you will. It’s mostly harmless, and often genuinely fun. He likes a quiet moment with a good book, too, but only on his own terms, and if he’s otherwise comfortable. Asher does not handle 1/3

#FebruaryWorldbuilders I love desert settings—not to mention live in one!—so absolutely yes! Faultverse takes place in a desert—the acquisition of water from underground reservoirs is a huge factor in the plot and worldbuilding. Rain is rare to the point of being mythologized. 1/3

Just hit 10k with this piece—calling it Embers, for now—and I’m DELIGHTED to report that I have an ending in mind but only vague ideas as to how I’m getting there.

*cracks knuckles* oh this is CORE to Deuceridge Kade’s home is the city itself. He has no permanent residence, but he belongs fully to Deuceridge. That doesn’t make him immune to its poisons, but he’ll live nowhere else—and have no other resting place. To Asher, “home” is somewhat anathema, 1/

“Scaffolding” in dialogue! I’ll very often discover new aspects of the story while writing dialogue, and have characters chat about it while I hash it out. During revision, that can be trimmed because it’s a) revealed more naturally elsewhere, or b) too basic in-world to be believably said out loud.

Civilization is built upon fault lines—some well-mapped and others undefined. Sachial thinks the whole world is out to get him; he may well be right. Caleb doesn't believe a word Sachial says, but he always listens. #QuestPit #W #sf #lgbt

“What makes you think it’s still here?” Ward asked. Conrad was silent for a long moment, gazing at nothing; he laid his head down, hiding his eyes in the crook of one elbow. “A feeling. People—humans, aliens, whatever—don’t just leave Deuceridge. No one escapes this city.” #QuestPit #Q #sff #f

WANDERLUST AND THE SEA If Guys and Dolls 🎲 was an episode of The X Files 👽—plus make it queernormative! 🌈 🕰️ historical - 1920s 📚 first of a duology 🛸 pulp fiction vibes 🫀 gangsters and grifters and aliens, oh my! ❤️‍🩹 found family 🩶 morally gray ♠️ cardistry #QuestPit #Q #sff #sf

When 16-year-old Nia picks the wrong pocket, she unlocks a magical talent she didn’t know she had. Now she’s posing as an heiress, a con man’s gone missing, and Nia and her friends are on the run with a living doll, pursued by gangs, magehunters, and the governor herself. #QuestPit #W #F #LGBT #YA

🌧️ FAULT LINES Sachial thinks the whole world is out to get him; he may well be right. Caleb doesn't believe a word Sachial says, but he always listens anyway. 🪐planet-bound scifi 🏳️‍🌈queer (🏳️‍⚧️mc) 🩶anarchist x simpleton 🔥subverted dystopian 🌊no straightforward solutions #QuestPit #W #SF

did your writing/art turn out how you envisioned it would? _____|_____ | | yes no | | nice well, you created it anyway, that's always worthwhile

LEGALLY required to post Deuceridge for this one. Storms, both literal and metaphorical, abound. #WIPSnips #WriteSky #WritingCommunity