I wrote a little barnyard romance in the style of Bridgerton... ko-fi.com/post/The-Rel...

Raziyyat-Ud-Dunya Wa Ud-Din (1205 – 1240), popularly known as Razia Sultan, was the Sultan of the Delhi Sultanate from 1236 until her deposition in 1240. She was the first female Muslim ruler of the subcontinent, and the only female Muslim ruler of Delhi. #CelebratingWomen

Unsolicited writing advice, no. 7: If you find it hard to get into the zone, you may need a sensory trigger. A “getting ready” song on your phone; a square of dark chocolate; a special scent; a series of movements. See which one works best, and keep using it. It will work faster every time you do.

And a hello from Deimos, the Chaos Gremlin…

A welcome whisper of good news on the changing seasonal wind…

You'll be astonished to learn that the self-described "Free Speech Union" recently took out a court injunction to prohibit publication of a list of its donors... But @petergeoghegan.bsky.social reports it has gained "significant sums from a vehicle linked to... donors to Tufton Street think tanks"

And this morning the Shed is a watermark on a document, sealed in wax…

Lovely evening talking to the SoA’s Tufnel Park authors’ group - it was terrific to see you all, and thank you for your company! @societyofauthors.bsky.social

18th-century Japanese cat print — or, much more likely, the cat print everyone in my print club will be getting in April. If you’d like to join: www.infinitebacon.com/printclub I hope you all like it!

Demon self, whispering seductively: “These shoes could change my life.”

“The moment when you were in the hospital & you grabbed your daughter, & you looked at your daughter. All the things that went through your mind, all the emotions that went through your mind. And how much love fills your heart at that moment. Don’t let that ever leave you, no matter what.” - Wade

And this morning the Shed is deep undercover, with trenchcoat and syglass and pistol to hand...

A rare chance to mix a little pleasure in with the meetings. So looking forward to seeing this…

This is every Green Woman contributing. Each of us wrote a short piece to accompany an individual illustration, which we got to choose from Brian's gallery. Talk about a list to conjure with! Let's just say when I was invited, I said 'I'd be honoured' because 'Squee' would have been unprofessional.

Jeanne des Armoises (also Claude des Armoises; fl. 1438) was a French adventurer living in the 15th century. She was reportedly a soldier in the Pope's army in Italy, and for a time successfully impersonated Joan of Arc after her execution. #CelebratingWomen

Unsolicited writing advice, no. 21: There is no excuse for using gen. AI. None at all. If Jean-Dominique Bauby could write THE DIVING BELL AND THE BUTTERFLY using nothing but determination, brainwork and his eyelids, then you can manage without cheating.

East Coast Main line, my old friend…

And this morning the Shed is a mystic rune, in the dust of an attic windowpane, sending out its messages high over the smoky rooftops…

So glad to have a story or two in this amazing collection... Details here. www.abramsbooks.com/product/bria...

Boran was a Sasanian queen of Iran from 630 to 632. She is the second of only three women to rule in Iranian history. Though her reign was brief, she brought stability to Iran by creating just laws, rebuilding the infrastructure, and by lowering taxes and minting coins. #CelebratingWomen

lots of people to block this morning saying "but... Israel". whatever your views are on Israel, Jews in London are Jews who could live in Israel but don't. surely if you have a problem with the existence of Israel you love and celebrate Jews living in Europe? or... not? somehow? for reasons?

Unsolicited writing advice, no. 36571: World-buiding doesn't mean describing everything. You can do more with a local fruit, a saying or a custom than you can with a dozen maps and appendices.

Yes, UK authors; just sign up, enter your books, - also articles, audiobooks etc - and let the ALCS pay you. It really is that easy.

Pete Hegseth is promoting a nihilist cult of death | Jan-Werner Mueller

And this morning the Shed is a delicate blade, as thin as a shaft as sunlight; sharp enough to slice shadows...

Went ahead and talked about AI in writing and publishing (aka, that Shy Girl shit), and the perhaps unseen perniciousness of how AI can utterly fuck up the fidelity of our information environment --

CALLING ALL TRANSLATORS @silverknight1966.bsky.social is looking to pay someone to translate books from English to Japanese (and possibly other Asian languages) Share far and wide!

When I thought about fighting robots in the past this was not on the list.

Sarah Fielding (1710 – 1768) was an English writer. She wrote The Governess, or The Little Female Academy (1749), thought to be the first novel in English aimed expressly at children. #CelebratingWomen

Unsolicited writing advice, no. 3916: Every scene should pay its way. If it doesn't help create atmosphere; advance the plot; reveal something about the characters; add to the world; relax tension, or perform some other useful function within the narrative - then bin it.

SIGNED BOOK NEWS! Joanne Harris @joannechocolat.bsky.social has a new novel out in September. "Sleepers in the Snow". Well, if you'd like a SIGNED copy, I have good news. We'll be getting some! ORDER HERE! www.biggreenbookshop.com/signed-copie...

And this morning the Shed is a forest swing, high in the branches of a tree, overlooking a clearing all bursting with wild daffodils…

Today.

Unsolicited writing advice, no. 0918356: At the heart of all good art, lies joy. Don't let other stuff get in the way.

Nzinga Ana de Sousa Mbande (1583 – 1663) ruled as a queen of the Ambundu Kingdoms of Ndongo (1624–1663) and Matamba (1631–1663), located in present-day northern Angola. She was trained in military and political affairs from childhood and conducted many military campaigns. #CelebratingWomen

And this morning the Shed is a moss-covered stone at the edge of a forest path, carved with arcane insignia and overgrown with brambles…

Letitia Elizabeth Landon (1802 – 1838) was an English poet and novelist. She developed the metrical romance towards the Victorian ideal, influenced Poe, Browning and Rossetti, and was hugely popular in her lifetime, though she is now largely unread. #CelebratingWomen

I don't "feel" my work has been stolen. I know it. This kind of language use by the NYT is part of the problem. Framing it as some kind of emotional woo woo instead of a clear copyright breach...

Unsolicited writing advice, no: 92503: The more fantasy elements your story has, the more it needs to be rooted in common experience. That means being aware of sounds, smells, temperature, the weather, hunger, fatigue: etc. Physical details make everything more plausible.

Chilling today with Deimos, Phobos and Alecto…

And this morning the Shed is positioned in a perfect patch of sunshine, against a wall with a peach tree in bloom, and a table set for breakfast…

Are you reading VIANNE as part of a reading group? Try this handy reading group guide, including questions, background, useful links and themed recipes to help you get started! www.joanne-harris.co.uk/vianne-readi...

If you love a book, write a nice review. It gives the author encouragement for bad days when they want to take up scorpion petting. - @lianabrooks.bsky.social #WriterSky #BookSky #ReaderSky

Unsolicited writing advice, no. 1269. If your dialogue is interesting, your dialogue tags can stay neutral. Replacing "he/she/they said" by "she exclaimed", " he expostulated" or "she prevaricated" is not only a rookie style, but a sign of uninteresting dialogue.

Fascinating multiple translations of a famous haiku. Want to play? Here's mine: The abiding pond - Then in hops the little frog Splashing time. www.bopsecrets.org/gateway/pass...

Frances Burney (1752 – 1840) was an English novelist, diarist and playwright. She published her first novel, Evelina, anonymously in 1778, to great success, although her father and male friends discouraged her from publishing her satirical comedies as being unsuitable for a woman. #CelebratingWomen

And this morning the Shed is a cameo, on abalone and mother-of pearl...

27, actually. 🤣

With the astuteness and heroism I’ve come to associate with this government, they’ve found a way to make even this announcement a bit nerve-wracking and annoying.