Looking for a podcast to listen to on your way to/from the office? Or on a walk? I was a guest on Book Shop Chats, where we had a wide-ranging discussion about #writing -- ups, down, tips, advice, etc. I had a blast doing it. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/r... #WritingCommunity #fantasywriters

Happy National Voter Registration Day! Oregon Secretary Read is celebrating by checking his registration and making sure it's up to date and you should too! It's simple and easy for eligible Oregon voters, just head to: OregonVotes.gov/MyVote #VoteReady

Every day there is another reason to be glad I canceled my WaPo subscription. After reading this, I wish I would cancel it again. Karen Attiah deserved better. I hope her important voice continues to be heard.

Jesus: “Blessed are the poor.” Fox News: “Murder the poor.” #values

I'm consistently impressed with the #SFFChat folks -- both on Thursdays and throughout the week. Even when I can only participate for a little bit, I'm excited to be around incredible writers who are ridiculously creative and passionate. HUGE thank you to @stevewestenra.bsky.social for everything.

#SFFChat Q1: Here's a snippet from the first chapter of my forthcoming book (out next year!) where we find the protagonist fleeing.

#SFFChat Intro: Hi, I'm Dan and I write fantasy novels. Based on feedback, I have a particular strength for naming things -- places, groups/organizations, etc.

Everyone brightens a room. Some when they enter; and others when they leave. Live your life in a way that brings light & joy into whatever room you enter.

If you’re looking for a good short story for this weekend, I gotta recommend Emily’s Bones by @mamuscript.bsky.social. Such a good, satisfying read: www.fictionontheweb.co.uk/2025/09/emil...

YALL!! This amazing #shortstory from @mamuscript.bsky.social (Sarah Arceneaux) just got published!! I was lucky enough to read it in our writing group and it’s SO GOOD. Read it now or bookmark it for later: www.fictionontheweb.co.uk/2025/09/emil... #writing #Booksky #writingcommunity

Sometimes the biggest contribution you can make in a writers group is just to shout SUBMIT THIS RIGHT NOW, ITS PERFECT. Y’all, this one… killer piece from @mamuscript.bsky.social #writerslift #writing www.fictionontheweb.co.uk/2025/09/emil...

So this random Mexican restaurant played Reputation by #TaylorSwift in order as we had dinner. Me throughout dinner:

Been really enjoying listening to the backlist of @aboutdragons.bsky.social podcast. Great advice for writers at all stages— beginners to early career to hobbyists. I’m a fan of the advice, banter, and of course Erin’s laugh. Check it out.

New for subscribers at #writingabtwriting, there is now a monthly Reading Report of writing news, articles to spark your interest, and whatever books I've been reading for the month. 📚💙 #writinglife #writingq #booksky

RIP Professor Tolkien, who died 52 years ago on this day, a little over a month before I was born. I've always played with the idea that a tiny bit of him traveled all the way across the Atlantic Ocean and found his way into me. Though, if true, I must apologize for being allergic to trees. 😆

We all need help from time to time. Sometimes we need to ask for it. And that means being vulnerable. dandesaimartin.com/a-little-hel... #writingcommunity #writers #writinggroup #authors #skywriters

Just started reading this. Very excited to get into it.

I need to check out blue sky more, but just a reminder my book FOR SHE IS WRATH is out now and it's a rage filled gender flipped Count of Monte Cristo retelling with baddie brown revenge girls!

I wrote something. The primary audience is me. But maybe it will be helpful to other #writers & #authors out there. dandesaimartin.com/the-secret-t... #writingcommunity #Skywriters

When it comes to writing a book: The Many: I want to have written a book. The Few: I will put in the time, effort, frustration, and work to write a book.

My first foray into #travel writing. I'm starting a series on an epic road trip my wife & I took through #california & #oregon. The first entry lays out the itinerary we used for a 2-week, 2,600-mile #roadtrip through deserts, mountains, forests, and beaches. dandesaimartin.com/ultimate-cal...

Back from a two-week vacation where I managed to stay off of social media. It was glorious, and easy with scenery like this. #photography #nature #sunrise #scenic #peaceful

#SFFChat Aug 8: What are you reading? I'm reading Mr. Tingles' Mysteries: The Curious Case of the Bodiless Head by debut author Sean D. Roach. It's a fun, campy mystery set in North Carolina, and I am enjoying it so far! More about it here: www.amazon.com/Mr-Tingles-M...

#FantasyIndiesAugust Aug 8: Free Friday or your dreams & goals. I hope that one day, a stranger emails me and tells me that my book was meaningful to them in some way.

#SFFChat A4: This is from my forthcoming novel (to be published in 2026), and it is the first time we meet High Priest Eliphaz:

#SFFChat A3: One recent book I read was The Spellshop by @sarahbethdurst.bsky.social. The first third of that book is a masterclass in setting description. Absolutely beautiful writing about the island that transports you there. And it is more than visual descriptions -- its truly immersive.

#SFFChat A2: I blame Tolkien for this, but I am a sucker for outdoor settings. If you can do it well, spend 10 pages describing the forest we are traveling through. Also, Robert Jordan did the same so well in Wheel of Time, particularly desert scenes. I love it when it is done well.

#SFFChat Q1: In 2014, I went on a trip to Morocco and spent the night in the Sahara Desert. But right outside the desert you see in photos is this region that is dry and craggly, with reddish-colored rocks littering the ground. That's how I envision an area in my world known as the Sacred Waste.

I like settings that feel as if real people lived in them and aren’t just sets for Plot Events. Describe the environment. Describe the architecture. Describe the infrastructure and bureaucracy. I also like settings that feel old and used. #SFFChat

#SFFChat Intro: Hi, I'm dan and I write fantasy books. In my forthcoming book, I am guessing that my MC ate a deliscious stew full of onions, potatos, and hopefully a carrot or two. With a thin fried bread to go along with it.

Say three positive things about your writing! - Cool magic system based on singing 🎶 - Fun & quirky cast of characters - Immersive worldbuilding

Persistence pays off. How do I know? It took me a decade to go from drafting to a publishing deal. And along the way, my manuscript was rejected more than 100 times. I chat about this & more as a guest on the Book Shop Chats podcast: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/r... #amwriting #writingcommunity

Very good (and short) post that is worth your time to click on. #amwriting #writingcommunity

What does it look like writing 30,000 words in 30 days? I documented my experience from earlier this year, along with lessons learned from it: dandesaimartin.com/tips-for-wri... #writingcommunity #authors #writing #fantasywriters #SFFwriters #skywriters #amwriting

Becoming someone who values “food and cheer and song above hoarded gold” isn’t just about sitting back and enjoying your own cozy ‘hobbit life’ — it means ensuring that no one else is left without these same comforts, even when that makes you uncomfortable in the process. 🤎 #teawithtolkien

#FantasyIndiesAugust Aug. 7: Mental health in WIP. In my forthcooming novel, Ehla definitely struggles with anxiety. I pulled from personal experience to craft the interior monologue. It's not a main plot point, but it was important for me to represent it accurately. I hope I succeeded.

#SFFChat Aug. 6: An award-winner you love. I'll never stop loving the works of Sabaa Tahir. The Ember in the Ashes series is incredible fantasy writing which I regularly recommend to anyone who will listen.

In a recent podcast episode of @aboutdragons.bsky.social (it's great - check it out), and they gave good advice about the writing process: Listen to what other #writers say, but then find your way. Same goes for all writing advice, which I wrote about recently: dandesaimartin.com/writing-advi...

#SFFChat Aug. 5: Side character who steals the show. I asked beta readers for my soon-to-be-published novel who they would like to have a beer with, and almost all of them opted for one of my side characters, Squeak. I think he steals the show every scene I write him in, and I'm ok with that.

#FantasyIndiesAugust Aug 5: Do you tend to write in the morning, afternoon, or evening? I ma mostly a morning writer. Sometimes in the evening. And almost never in the afternoon. For whatever reason, my brain wants a nap every afternoon, and sometimes just refuses to work at all.

#SFFChat Aug 4: What are you writing? I am working on: 1) Editing my wacky action-adventure fantasy comedy manuscript; 2) Drafting my escape-from-hell dark urban fantasy manuscript; and 3) Making progress on the second book in a series (currently 60k words in) Plus the whole day job thing...

Hello to new followers. If you are looking for #book recommendations, I do occasional reviews on my website. Check out my latest review of Pryor Knowledge, an incredible historical fiction novel by #indieauthor @mbgibson345.bsky.social: dandesaimartin.com/5-star-revie... #booksky

She's right. Once SCOTUS closed the door on constitutional challenges, unilateral disarmament on redistricting became political suicide.

For #writers, inspiration is all around us. I mean -- check out these incredible shoes. Click below for more on how I found inspiration on a recent trip to New York City. dandesaimartin.com/fantasy-auth... #writingcommunity #fantasywriters #fantasybooks #fantasyauthors #amwriting #amediting

Good morning! Mondays are hard, but you know what makes them better? Pet pictures So share your favourite pet pics and let's get a thread going to cheer everyone up!

#FantasyIndiesAugust Aug 4: Favorite line in your WIP. This is a line from my soon-to-be-published fantasy novel: "Durio heard pain that only comes from the darkest betrayal of the brightest hope."

"With Congress stripping #Medicaid funding for reproductive health care, states must act now to protect #abortion access and stem the deepening post-Roe crisis. That means safeguarding patients, defending providers, and funding care directly." Great article: katiecouric.com/news/opinion...

#FantasyIndiesAugust Introduce yourself & WIP: Hi, I'm dan and I write fantasy books. This month I'll be focused on: 1) Editing/revisions to my fantasy/action-adventure-comedy dragon book (that is every bit as ridiculous as it sounds). 2) Drafting more of my escape-from-hell grim urban fantasy.

🌙 #FantasyIndiesAugust 🌙 All genres welcome! You can use the prompts for WIPs or published books. Feel free to ask the hosts questions! Love, Faeries at Fantasy Indies @lvrussell.bsky.social @chesneyinfalt.bsky.social

#SFFChat Here are the August prompts!! (: Feel free to give feedback, as I'm still working out how to do these well (e.g. more of a monthly theme, fewer/more snippets, more variety, no repeat questions, etc).