Emotionally speaking all my Christmas lights are tangled 👉👈

The excitement in a trans individual's eyes when I explained Liam & Sanal from #Shield&Scalpel has stuck with me. It reminded me that I am writing for people who want/need to see themselves in media. It gives me hope to keep going, and a reason to write even when I'm unmotivated. :) #LoreOutLoud

Liam loves coffee & bluegrass music. He loves to curl up in his chair at his apartment with a cup of coffee and put a record on. He does come to love Sanal's masala tea, though, because it reminds him of his mother's baking, and also bc Sanal makes it :) #AwesomeCharacters #WriteSky

For me, a SC gets a name if I get tired of using pronouns and random descriptors such as "the man" or "the doctor". That tends to mean I have a lot of one-scene SCs, but honestly, the ER doctor DOES need a name when their "scene" is a whole chapter. Right? Heh... #AwesomeCharacters #WriteSky

Oooh,, I like this!!! Book 3 of Postmortem Justice will ft a new POV character, and I might have to store this up in my mind to help me understand their POV. :) #FirstDraftFall #WriteSky

Liam starts out the Postmortem Justice trilogy(?) with undiagnosed POTS, which really gets in his way when he's trying to do...anything. He ends #Shield&Scalpel with a life-altering injury. Book2 will navigate his mental & physical adjustments to this injury before...[1/2]

Hypnotic writing fox in our tree says...You will write today! Write! #AmWriting Note to self.~Keep Writing. ~ Write until you can't be ignored, till you find your writing voice. #Author #Writing #Writer #BookSky #AuthorSky Join #FirstDraftFall #WeeknightWriters @weeknightwriters.bsky.social - Wrtr

Hurt/comfort is my favorite trope! But I don't like it when the comfort/healing is rushed, and the individual doesn't have to deal with realistic, lasting consequences of their injuries. I want the comfort, the healing, the consequences. Hence, whatever the sequel to #Shield&Scalpel is doing.

Thank you so much for your support, everyone! We are thrilled to be here, and so excited to share what we've been working on. ❤️❤️ And don't worry - Quillbert's already hard at work 😉 #writingcommunity #writesky #quillbert4ever

Uh, I mean, I don't treat myself well/particularly gentle when creating. That's something I need to work on. I tend to get real cranky with myself when I need a break or am stuck. I'm learning to give myself rest and also re-evaluate what the story is trying to tell me when I'm stuck. #LoreOutLoud

Yo! Join this prompt activity! There are great, thought provoking questions that really get me invested in my writing again! Join us!

If I'm struggling with a section of a story, I keep trying to pound through. I'm learning that when this happens, the story is trying to tell me that something needs to change - something small or sometimes, even the whole story (side eyes the sequel to #Shield&Scalpel). #LoreOutLoud #WriteSky

Mmkay, so I'm not anywhere near the end of my OG #FirstDraftFall attempt. Instead, I started plotting a whole new story. I realized that Liam's journey from the end of #Shield&Scalpel to his release from the hospital is super important to both me and to him. I don't want to rush that growth. [1/2]

I hadn't thought of it, but let's be real. Liam has SAD. The man has non-SAD depression, he's gonna tank in the winter, too. Also, just a PSA, SAD sucks. It's not just "oh it's dark at 5, I'm sleepy" disorder. It's full on depression. Be kind to yourselves and your SAD friends. #FirstDraftFall

DONT WANNA. Instead, I want to say a big THANK YOU to @cjaralore.bsky.social for running #QueerPrompts. I love these prompts so much and the community of responders. May QueerPrompts live forever more! #WriteSky

Hi! I'm Annie, a queer, neurodivergent author from the Pittsburgh area who writes action/adventure fiction. I'm currently working on #Shield&Scalpel a detective fiction ft trans masc protag & agender aroace pathologist, and it's unnamed sequel. I post about them A LOT. #QueerPrompts #WriteSky

We're so proud of our first print anthology and plan to donate all royalties (so far) to The Wildlife Trusts in January 🦝 Please consider adding to that pot and grab yourself, or gift someone, 27 amazing short fictions 💜 mybook.to/WhatComesToL...

Kindness is free, but has the potential to transform the world. Always be kind! 🥰 #WritingCommunity #bekind #lovewins

I had the great pleasure of beta reading BLUDEYE BEACH, and let me tell you, it is such a treat. If you love supernatural horror and sweet romance, you will love this book. I'm buying a copy immediately.

My little queer bookshelf is now open ✨ Thanks to your support, a handful of copies are now available! --- Claim a Book: ko-fi.com/s/566ad5c04f --- Each 'Coven of the Elder Blossom' sale via my Ko-fi shop sponsors a free eBook: ko-fi.com/darylmarez/s... --- 🌈✒️ 📚🌎 🌈📚 💙📚 ⏳📚 📢📚

your job isn't to outsmart the reader, it's to reward them for paying attention

WAIT. ITS STILL NOVEMBER I HAVE TIME TO TELL YOU THAT I DID MAKE A TON OF PROGRESS IN THE LAST HOUR. Turns out #ChefsKiss is actually two books, not one, and I need to write part 1 before I can actually start on Stasha's mystery. Let's gooooo!

Hey, #FirstDraftFall. Remember that draft I was working on? Turns out the reason I couldn't get anywhere is because it's actually TWO COMPLETELY SEPARATE STORIES. Oh well, at least I know now. :D

Now I need to name this new novella. I need puns on love/romance from an aromantic perspective. Help a gremlin out, #WriteSky!

I think I unstuck myself finally. I've been struggling with both writer's fatigue and just a general sense of boredom & frustration with the sequel to #Shield&Scalpel. It's felt heavy & just not right. I think I just fixed it. And of course it means this whole thing just got 2x longer. Whoops.

Okay, question for #WriteSky and esp anyone who has been following #Shield&Scalpel. Mild spoilers in thread. [1/5]

Just tossing this out there for #WriteSky in the #Pittsburgh area...any good festivals/markets for queer authors? My 2026 author card is looking kinda sad right now. I want more events to go to!

I'm not satisfied with what I've written for #ChefsKiss & it's nowhere near a completed draft (i'm like, 2 chaps in), but I am proud of myself for taking a break when my brain screamed for one. I miss writing and I think I'm about ready to jump back in. Wish me luck for December! #Writevember

Ooh, good question. I want to carry forward an understanding of the value of my writing. I don't often give my words the attention & value that they deserve when it comes time to query or market. I want to honor the work that I've put in by not downplaying what I've written. #LoreOutLoud #WriteSky

Oh, November, you've been a rest month for me. I worked really hard on #Shield&Scalpel from July thru October, and then in November, my writing brain crashed hard. I did plot out and start #ChefsKiss (S&S's sequel). I'm hoping December sees a return to writing! #QueerPrompts #WriteSky

Hey, #WriteSky, what do you listen to while you're writing? It varies for me, sometimes a themed playlist is the right vibe, but sometimes I need Noise that isn't music. So Wood Soup Girl it is! (ASMR)

Liam started falling for Sanal just as soon as he got over his confusion at them being in Rajan's office, which was rather quick. He was like "beautiful, smart, kicks ass, and also KIND? Check!" Sanal saw a sad, soggy cinnamon roll and went "Oh, god, he needs me." #Shield&Scalpel #WriteSky

I feel like #ChefsKiss is starting out hella depressing & it's not supposed to. I wanted it to have a bit more of an uplifting beginning before shit hits the fan. Liam is learning to walk again (and struggling) & his father visits (his father hates him). Not sure how else to start? Help? #WriteSky

I mean, Liam (transmasc) is stealth at work, so an awful scandal reporter could take that and blackmail him with it. Otherwise, he leads a pretty boring life. Unless they mistake the porch tomatoes for marijuana plants... #AwesomeCharacters #Shield&scalpel #WriteSky

I struggle with the pressure to get it "right" so much. I think it's why I'm stuck with #ChefsKiss right now. I don't think the beginning is Right, and I'm struggling to keep going. The true beginning of #Shield&Scalpel was written only *after* the ending, so I have time. #LoreOutLoud

Before befriending Rajan, planting tomatoes, and meeting Sanal, Liam struggled to find things to be thankful for. Not that he was a curmudgeon, but he was Depressed(TM). Rajan's friendship, tomato plants, and a new friend have given him tangible things to be thankful for. #QueerPrompts #WriteSky

In #Shield&Scalpel, Liam is determined to seek justice for the women that the Mon River killer has murdered. There's not much beyond the killer actually being caught that could dissuade him. Personal goals, though? He doesn't even know what those are. #WriteSky

The only water writing should consume is in caffeine form as you power through to your deadline.

I am trying to drop the guilt I feel when I'm too tired to write. I get writer's fatigue instead of block, and it's so frustrating. I usually routine myself into writing at least a little daily, but some times I hit a spell of fatigue. Then I guilt myself so hard. Need to stop that. #LoreOutLoud

Having a routine helps me stay engaged. My current work set up gives me time in the morning to write or focus on writing-related tasks. Sometimes that looks like taking a committed break (crocheting instead) but usually it looks like getting words down. #LoreOutLoud #WriteSky

First of all, Liam doesn't do holidays with his dad & stepmom. If he did, it would be this horrified, and slightly terrified, expression. #Shield&Scalpel #QueerPrompts #WriteSky

Both Liam and Sanal are nature-lovers. Both enjoy gardening & came from a more rural setting. One of the cool things about Pittsburgh is that you can be in the sticks in like...45 mins depending on which direction you go. It's surrounded by mountains & rural areas. #Shield&Scalpel #AwesomeCharacters

I mean, Liam loves Sanal (first platonically and then romantically) when none of the other cops do. Sanal has a kick-butt, take-names reputation among the cops, and they kind of hate it. Liam is the one cop that we see who is like "but they have a point!" #Shield&Scalpel #WriteSky #Lovember

Remember your favorite creator possibly might be struggling with imposter syndrome and doubt and this timeline sucks.. so if you find yourself thinking “wow I really relate to this persons work” or that persons work gives you joy, you should probably tell them. It’s a hard time to be a creative.

Liam's mother's death when he was 10 really informs who he has been since. Her death forced him to move in with his father and stepmother. Neither of them showed him any love & basically neglected him. #Shield&Scalpel #Writesky

that moment when I remember that Henry was supposed to be Liam's mentor???? What even was that time period??? He's so much suited to be an antagonist. #Shield&Scalpel

One of the most satisfying parts of running #WeeknightWriters is that I get to watch books grow from the seeds of ideas into fully published novels SM Reiher's The Mycelium Palace is one such book, written by a community member who's been with us almost since the beginning

Liam would 1000% prefer to be just himself, really. Neither a hero nor a villain. Just his own sense of justice and moral compass, and a few tomato plants if it's not too much to ask. Oh, and Sanal, but that *really* might be asking too much of the universe. #QueerPrompts #WriteSky