anyone else grow up not knowing how dysfunctional their parents were and still discovering it well into adulthood? I keep doing this thing where I mention a childhood memory that I think is funny or nbd until I'm met with stunned silence and sometimes a "my God, I'm so sorry"

It just hit me that my ADHD might be partly to blame for my overuse of em-dashes and parentheses??? I LOVE a good tangent, an aside, some cool lil supplementary info

I kept feeling worse and worse despite doing things to help, and weirdly I realized that it meant I'd likely start feeling better soon—not okay, but not worse. And I did. Not okay now, but better.

I almost never say I'm having a bad day, because a little joy makes up for a lot of mishap (imo). But today—sorry—I think I'm having a truly, unrelentingly, scarily bad day. 😭 #WeeknightWriters

I made a mistake today at work that should've been small but ended up setting back a big project. I know it's not the end of the world, but I feel gutted and panicked and guilty and awful. I'd rather spend 40 hours fixing a mistake myself than have it affect someone else.

John Oliver has his faults, but his practice of following up on 18 minutes of despair-inducing news with "So what can we do?" has done more for me than well-meaning loved ones telling me to just stop doom-scrolling.

Not sure when it happened, but sometime in the past few months I realized: home can be anywhere, so just go big.

me: sorry I keep yawning! I haven't been sleeping well manager: stress can do that ☹️ do you sleep better when you're relaxed? me: I... actually have no idea because I've never been relaxed

when URLs, emails, and handles are all-lowercase and unspaced by default and you're a therapist trying to connect with peers... 🫠

If you regularly edit, write, code, or read, is there a mini laptop you'd recommend? (Or if you've found mini laptops could never work for you, that'd be helpful to know too)

Working in editing has sparked an almost rebel-like love for fluid language in casual settings. I used to be a stickler for grammar everywhere, but now it's what it's

Something I think more writers should know: the books that end up saving lives are often not the ones that set out trying to save lives. You don't know the impact of your work.

Even if we don't save everyone, I'd rather be one of the people who tried to help than the ones who sat and watched it all.

Lately I've started to really see a value in temporary fixes. I get paralyzed finding the perfect solution that will work forever, but it turns out it's okay for some—even many—things to just work for now.

Them: How’s your family? You: Awful, actually, going through a personal tragedy— Them: (nodding) Nice, nice. And do they like where they live?

Other writers are more than just your competition. Say someone chooses another author's book over yours. Sure, maybe you lost that sale. But what if reading that book ignites their love for stories? What if they go on to buy MANY more books, including all your future works?

"It's just words" Yeah, and words are all we have. Especially online.

I keep imagining how the students in today's other school shooting (a phrase that's so horrifically bleak to have to use) must be feeling. Their lives changed forever and it's not even in top headlines. Not even in the US gun violence section.

ok not to overreact but I was finally finding a book on suicide somewhat helpful, but then while a bad depressive episode hit my Libby hold expired. I just tried to re-borrow it and it is NO LONGER AVAILABLE in any of my 6 libraries.

you reap (getting accused of being AI) what you sow (overusing your beloved em dashes)

I thought for a long time that we'd all go back to Twitter someday, but then I remembered LiveJournal, Tumblr, Vine, even Club Penguin. You have to know when it's over.

Jesus being helpful and technologically adept:

Also: Just because you don't personally experience something doesn't mean others don't.

I don't discuss "AI art" because that's not a thing. AI-generated material is just... not art.

sometimes I do not want to know because I do not want to am

“Here's an email to tell you you've successfully unsubscribed!” Not successfully enough, apparently.

Also, fantasy gives hope. People need that to keep fighting.

Fiction will never be frivolous. We need people to keep imagining how much better or worse the world can be, and what it would take to get there.

By @stephicham.com strangehorizons.com/wordpress/no...

one of my new favorite musicians released a song today that references two of my favorite poems. what a day to be alive.

This week I connected with several new (to me) editors, booksellers, librarians, and readers, and not even for the same project! It hit me that tragedies and injustice may be inevitable, but so are goodness and courage. #WeeknightWriters

I spiraled over the weekend, but the holiday on Monday gave me time to... spiral back up a bit, if that makes sense? I'd like to recover more, but for now I'll settle for staying here a bit. #WeeknightWriters

Just realized I should've said Floof-Reader!

I've been trying not to say "you should" and found that these tend to work better: - it might be helpful to - I wonder if - I recommend - you could - what if - what do you think

Shared this to my close friends story, so why not all of bluesky

I will take any chance to share this poem, which often comes to mind and brings quiet comfort.

What. WHAT. I've lost my capacity to be shocked by much since 2016, but WHAT? I work for the first hospital to ever require COVID vaccines, saving many of us. Health is a COMMUNITY ENDEAVOR. We cannot—truly cannot, as backed by data—do it alone.

I have thousands of iPhone notes and whenever I tell people, they're like "oh you must have so many great ideas!" well...

She's promoted herself to production editor. #StetPets

I was doing a little better, and then I crashed this entire weekend. slept, wished I wasn't here, slept some more, and somehow even more. now I have to try to get back up.

I've just learned that some people read print/ebooks while listening to audiobooks and like... that sounds kind of genius??

Seconding this for writing, not just visual art! (Happy to share more on finding your writing voice if anyone would like me to)

so THIS is why I have two wolves inside me...

You know how people say you can't pour from an empty cup, so you should take breaks to refill it? I've learned that the best thing to do is maintain, not refill. It's best not to wait until you're almost or totally out to replenish.

You know a relationship is over when you're not mad enough and not sad enough because you've had enough.

Some timely selections from my tact-editing service: Seriously? -> Please confirm/clarify not my problem -> outside my scope can't get a break -> overbooked I think -> My understanding is That's what I JUST said -> Thanks for taking up my suggestion No, sorry, it's just -> No.

I am very very stingy with newsletter subscriptions, because too much depends on my emails being manageable. This one is ALWAYS a must-read.

Suspense isn't just in thrillers. It's everywhere—even kids' shows and romance novels. I usually pull examples from books, but... you know that feeling when a friend pulls you aside and whispers "ok can I just say something SO mean for a sec?"

trying to write something celebratory feels impossible lately. how do I put words on paper in a burning room?

When you hear "He looks suspicious," do you think he's CAUSING suspicion or FEELING suspicion? (asking how people actually interpret it, not the dictionary)