Are there any baby #litagents out there looking for a classic Epic Fantasy? I'd love to query you. 😊#writingcommunity #querytrenches

Dear #writingcommunity. What should my 2026 writing goal be? 1) Finish the follow-up that my beta readers keep begging for a book that is dying in the query trenches. 2) Start a new sci-fi post-apocalyptic. 3) Start a new historical fiction. 4) prep my current book for indie pub.

An #agentsguide for THE BLACKSMITH'S REBELLION The Will of the Many X The Justice of the Kings ⚔️ Hidden histories and undiscovered powers ⚔️ Rebellion against illegitimate kings ⚔️ Reluctant leader tempted by power and greed ⚔️ Friends to enemies betrayal

#QueryTrenches People say querying is a roller coaster, but I suspect that's not a universal experience. My experience is just downhill, while others just get exhilaration. Every author’s journey is their own.

If these questpit posts are what am agent’s slush pile looks like, it's no wonder they have a hard time choosing. The talent out there is incredible!

CABIN IN THE WOODS × JOHN DIES AT THE END When their detective friend is murdered at their annual gaming retreat, 5 dads must rely on years of #TTRPG experience—and puns—to solve the crime before they're all killed off like NPCs in a badly written supernatural campaign. #QuestPit #A #H #MY #Q

MARK OF A MAGPIE is #OnSubmission! 🐦‍⬛📖 When a small-town thief crosses paths with the kingdom’s big-shot assassin, an unlikely partnership is born; but can their goals align before their egos and secrets land them both a spot on the gallows? #QuestPit #YA #A #F #RF #OS #DIS #EditorsGuide #Editors

THE BLACKSMITH’S REBELLION, an epic fantasy where apprentice blacksmith Ari discovers a long-buried history, putting him on a path where he must choose between loyalty to the illegitimate king he’s always known or fighting to restore the rightful rulers to power. #F #Q #A #questpit #agentsguide

My publishing dream is to one day get an invitation to the debut authors Discord server. #amquerying

I'm not sure why, but I have a good feeling about #questpit on the 31st. No good reason to, I simply do. I'm also keen to see all of the other pitches. It’s a glimpse into the incredible talents out there!

Today I learned about something called the “poop shivers”, and now my life will never be the same.

To the foreign intelligence officers out there reading this, either as I type it from my phone or scrape my social media feeds: Hello there.

I'm only being half glib when I say: The best way to get ICE out of Minnesota is for the state to join Canada. Happy to have them.

Joining #BluePit📖 late? Consider liking/sharing the below post and share the love!

The Avon River Canal in Bathampton, UK. The charm levels are off the scale.

CANTICLE (Adult Epic Fantasy) 🔥 Ideologically opposed sister bards 🎶 Artistic expression-based magic 💜 Sapphic romance subplot 👑 Female driven cast 💫Culturally diverse worldbuilding 🩸 Mortal-Divine blood feud #bluepit📖 #F #A #Q #LGBT #POC

For the consideration of those just joining us for #BluePit

Everpresence Hunger Games X Foundation Technology is power. No one knows that better than Fin Goldingay, the heir to Everpresence, the company that runs the world. He alone has the chance to fight his family’s corrosive power. All he has to do is care. #BluePit📖 #A #SF #Q

There’s a world where everyone has superpowers—except one girl. She is THE DAMSEL. Tired of being told to look pretty and scream for her new reality TV show, tired of the bullying, tired of a world not made for her, she needs to punch something emmajuned.itch.io #bluepit📖 #YA #SF #P #OV #LGBT #ND

⚒️ PREORDER NOW ⚒️ On a remote mining colony where bodies tend to pile up, one disabled convict and his squad of underdogs are tired of catering to mega-capitalists' feelings. OMEGA SQUAD: A novella, out 2/28/26 #BluePit📖 #A #SF #P #DIS #OV juliemarchbooks.itch.io/omega-squad

An #editorsguide to 🌲THE LAND OF UNDYING SUMMER🌲 This romantic fantasy has: 🐻‍❄️ Canadian subarctic inspired setting 🌋Roots in animistic religion ⚡️A physics based magic system 👵🏽 Crotchety immortals 🏠 Complex family dynamics 🌎 Accessible worldbuilding #bluepit📖 #A #F #R #FR #OS soon 👀

THE BLACKSMITH’S REBELLION, an epic fantasy where apprentice blacksmith Ari discovers a long-buried history, putting him on a path where he must choose between loyalty to the illegitimate king he’s always known or fighting to restore the rightful rulers to power. #F #Q #A #bluepit📖 #agentsguide

This post dedicated to @jeffvandermeer.bsky.social.

#EpicFantasy #BluePitHype fans, I’m dropping a new and improved version of my pitch for The Blacksmith’s Rebellion during the event tomorrow. Be sure to check it out! #Fantasy

“Pay no heed to the sign, tourist…”

I can't help but jump back into this writing thing. Here goes 2026!

I wrote the anti-HIGMA post. Not out of spite, but in hopes it helps you land your agent. Read here: iustplaindan.substack.com/p/the-query-... #amwriting #writingcommunity #amquerying

Three different AIs rated the current draft of my manuscript weakly, 38/100 from all three, calling it "strong fan fiction" or "early-stage commercial fiction". This is bothering me a lot more than it should, if I'm honest. #amwriting

Read through here: open.substack.com/pub/iustplai...

That made me smile. #OfficeSpace

So it’s 2026 and there's already a lot going on. Why not escape to a fantasy world where evil thinks it’s winning, but those who align with good won't give up. #litagents, who’s looking for a new take on classic epic fantasy tropes? #amquerying #epicfantasy

All of social media is this.

Of all the form rejections THE BLACKSMITH'S REBELLION has (there are quite a few now), this one from Julie Crisp was the most authentic and encouraging one yet. As disappointing as this rejection was, I'm left feeling energized. #amquerying

Fun fact. I wrote a book. Maybe someday you'll get to read it.

Only three more weeks of surgeries on board! Crazy to think the 2025 field service is just about done.

So excited to start a new role on the Africa Mercy. Earlier than I expected, I have stepped into the Operations Director role on board overseeing the IT, Finance, Transportation, Supply, Hospitality, Hotel, and Dining room/Galley teams on board. Another two years on board!

This is why we can't have good discourse, and why echo chambers exist. We should block and move on from *anyone* who spews hate, bigotry, and lies, not just “the right”. There needs to be room for healthy cross-ideological debate without the vileness of those things polluting it.

Are the days of successful authors, however one chooses to define that, who take on mentees still a thing? Was that ever a thing? Or has social media changed that entire dynamic? #writingcommunity

Reading through one of the comps that my beta readers provided, and staring at the reply ratio in QT, has me feeling all of the self-conscious feels about my story today. There's so much good writing in this genre! #amwriting #amquerying

Boosting this for the daytime crowd.

Hello, #pcgaming #gamingpc #gaming communities. I'm running a case study for a mini-MBA course I'm taking about a business concept. I'm looking for anyone who might want a gaming PC to fill it out. Please take some time and lend your answers! t.co/RcyVvD9VRr #mba #businessworld

Ever since I put time limits on my phone, it's a lot harder to get onto and post social media.

Published authors of the interwebs, did any of you set up Discord servers for your book/books readers? If so, did it help or hurt? Were you indie or trad published? #AmWriting #WritingCommunity

Things like water, electricity, healthcare, and basic human rights are things we take for granted in the West. We forget what we have until we're confronted by those fighting to get it. Watching this unfold in front of us is heartbreaking. apnews.com/article/mada...

Sometimes, when it seems everything is going wrong, it's nice to stand in awe of God’s creation beauty. These Malagasy sunsets bring me such peace.

I keep forgetting about my social media accounts. I'm still struggling to find a purpose for them in my life. Honestly, outside of the requisite networking as an aspiring author, there's very little else I post about. There's much more to me than writing, however.

Another rotation around the sun successfully completed. I've never felt so unsure yet so sure about the year ahead.

I’ve opened back up to queries! Please *only* use my Query Manager form or my query email. Anything sent to my main email will be deleted. I’m excited to dive into new work!! MSWL: www.publishersmarketplace.com/members/alev...

Our latest update from the Africa Mercy, where surgeries continue, and we look to reconnect with our place in the mission after some rest. Check out our blog for the latest! Back on board, back to school, and back to mission. croutch.ca/back-on-boar...

The thing about instant gratification is that its only gratifying for an instant. You have to keep chasing it to stay gratified. That's not freedom, that's enslavement. Look out yourself and love your fellow humans deeply from the heart, and you'll find lasting gratification.