You know those 24-hour Criterion flash sales that come & go before you can even decide which movies to spend too much money on? Well, Barnes & Noble is offering 50% off all Criterion titles for the next _month_. Let the seasonal physical-media-hoarding begin! www.barnesandnoble.com/b/the-criter...

Barak would love to be invited to a fancy party. Malka has been to them and hates them. Paz, Lior, and Shiri have never been to one, and would each in their own way cause quite the scandal by breaking decorum (only with Lior is it on purpose though 😂)

First one to come to mind is Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones. It’s a story about storytelling, especially the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves. Sophie is the eldest of three daughters, and a stepsister, so she KNOWS she will fail at everything. #Bookvember

It says: “I’m a Democrat because I think and because I care.” And that’s really what it comes down to. We are Democrats because we think for ourselves. We are Democrats because we care about healing and protecting and improving the world. 6/

“Why are you banging your head against the wall?” asked Frog. “I hope that if I bang my head against the wall, it will help me to think of a story,” said Toad.

Definitely monitored, but not super strictly. I remember reading one of the Princess Diaries books, and I came across a word I didn’t know, so I got up and asked my parents what it meant. They gave each other a Look. And then took the book away. 😂 I wasn’t too bothered; I had other books to read!

Sometimes! It’s great for getting over the fear of the blank page, so, ideal for pushing past insecurities and creating a first draft. But once you’ve been writing for a while, you figure out what practice works best for you.

Writers! Here’s your Friday afternoon boost! You’ve. Got. This! Writing a novel might seem a mountain to climb, but it’s made up of a thousand little steps. Just concentrate on that chapter, that paragraph, that sentence, that word… Little by little, you’ll get there, one step at a time!

If you ever question if your fanfic is too self indulgent please remember that’s actually the point of fanfiction

Probably a 9! I like hopeful stories.

Anything by Patricia Polacco, including Mrs. Katz and Tush. Something about the painterly style, the muted colors giving even modern stories an age-old feeling, the fullness of the characters’ faces bringing out their emotions… I remember feeling sort of haunted at the same time as loving it.

Definitely Dr. Seuss. We had a LOT of those books in the house. And then Seussical the Musical entered our lives… #Bookvember

The working title is Legend of 5, because there are five core characters! They start apart but come together quickly, and spend the rest of the story together.

I spotted this on Mastodon and I find it horrible, not least for the speed with which this has happened.

#WeeknightWriters #FirstDraftFall If you didn't have the time or the energy to write today, don't beat yourself up about it. Consider this your safe space to vent cuz the struggle is real.

You ever have a writer you like and then they say something so egregious that you know you'll never be able to respect them again and it's like "Ah, damn, that sucks, I enjoyed liking and respecting that person"

As someone who does not live in NYC, I am grateful this week for this teaching from Marcus Aurelius.

Besides the non-fiction books that came along with the Magic Tree House books… there was this little book of elephant facts I adored. Can’t remember the name. I used to be able to tell you all the differences between African and Asian elephants. Still love elephants to this day #Bookvember 🐘

I’m generally more interested in exploring what could be than replicating what is, especially in fantasy. It’s fun to find the conflict in a world without the obvious sources. Even without systemic antiqueerness, people won’t always automatically know how to treat each other well. They have to try.

If Barak had a podcast it would be the most well-researched monologue about magic ever. Lior’s podcast is just them ranting about oppression, keeps getting demonitized due to profanity. Shiri and Paz tell long rambling stories and it’s somehow the most beautiful, engaging thing you’ve ever heard.

Are you kidding me?

I gotta give Mary Pope Osborne credit - the Magic Tree House series is incredible, much loved by me and my family. It’s the perfect mix of adventurous and educational, and made me feel truly anything was possible when you opened a book. #Bookvember

Fellas, do your creative works consume your every waking thought, or are you normal? ;D (I definitely think about them when I’m not writing!)

The Animorphs series comes to mind first - it’s MG, but I read them young. The multi-POV, the detailed worldbuilding, the way the story took me seriously as a reader on big topics like war and trauma and imperialism, the animal fun facts… It had it all. #Bookvember

This week on #LoveThisThingCast, Fyodor told us all about his love of #Godzilla. Find out why by tuning in wherever you listen to #podcasts, or at the link below! open.spotify.com/episode/5Bbq...

The Nightmare Before Christmas!

[Exit Ghost.]

I grew up in a house full of books, with parents who read to me often. When I played, I’d narrate my toys’ adventures. One day my dad took notes, and when I got home from kindergarten that day, he handed me a sheet of typed-up paper and said “Here’s the story you wrote this morning.” #Bookvember

You should care about Jamaica and Sudan even if you don't know anyone there and the news isn't covering it. The anti-Blackness embedded in folks' lack of empathy is gross.

Huh? National Cat Day? No, no cats here, sorry.

I am always bummed when I see Islamaphobia coming from the Jewish community. Every conversation I have had about religion with a Muslim colleague or friend has only highlighted our similarities or deepened my understanding of our shared stories.

The scariness of the heroes of Legend of 5 ranges from: Barak - 2 Lior - 3 Shiri - 2, until you realize how much power she has, and then she’s at least a 6 Malka - 5 Paz - 7, until you realize she’s a total cinnamon roll The villain is a 10. Purposefully the scariest thing I could imagine.

Let the doors be shut upon him, that he may play the fool no where but in ’s own house.

It seems we’ve reached that time of year where people argue over whether something is a Christmas movie or a Halloween movie or what, so here’s my case: there are actually four types of holiday movie. They are:

Cheeky little marketing post as #AceWeek comes to an end? I would never. Get your ace fantasy books here 🥰 claudiearseneault.com/my-books/ 🌈📚 ♠️🌈📚 💙📚 #AsexualAwarenessWeek #AceWeek2025 #QueerAdultSFF

Barak would be wary but curious to learn about this strange animal. Malka would ignore the penguin. Paz would sit and hold out a hand to see if it would come near and let her pet it. Lior would say, “What the fuck is that thing?” Shiri would have a conversation with the penguin.

Emperor Palpatine xkcd.com/3157/

It's #aceweek, y'all! Celebrating and spotlighting the important "A" in our LGBTQIA initialism, this week formerly known as Asexual Awareness Week is a great time to let the ace folks in your life know that they are safe and supported by you!

This week on #LoveThisThingCast, Emma told us about her love of understanding through story. Find out why by tuning in on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, the link below, or wherever you listen to #podcasts! open.spotify.com/episode/1ClQ...

Barak reads, Malka zones out, Paz sings to herself, Lior complains (loudly), and Shiri listens to the stories told by the land or sea around her.

There’s a chapter of Legend of 5 where the group is stalked by ghosts. Paz thinks they’re the spirits of the people she failed to protect. Barak is eager to find a logical explanation.

Lior is cursed. They made a deal with a being that feeds off despair - freedom, in exchange for never being able to go home. It’s been a year since they’ve seen their kids.

Dinner theater, reimagined. “Family Meal” is a pricey but special show. Immersive theater for those weaned on the likes of Anthony Bourdain’s “Kitchen Confidential,” “The Bear” and other high-energy, behind-the-scene looks at the restaurant business. www.latimes.com/lifestyle/st...

One of the hardest things for me about writing a first draft is letting it be bad. I constantly want to fix things, to make them perfect. I have to force myself to just get words on the page, then I’ll fix the prose, the story, etc. in edits and future drafts. #WriteSky #WritingCommunity

Queer Jews 🤷🏻‍♀️

Legend of 5 is a high fantasy world where empire failed, due to a combination of difficult terrain, dangerous fauna, and most people caring more about local issues than the promises of a distant would-be king. It’s the kind of world where a non-proselytizing culture could be predominant.

I’d love to be Shiri for a day. I want to see the world the way she does. I want to have the assurance her magic gives her - that the universe hears me and is here for me, that everything has its place and is just as it should be and that I am included in that everything.

I do love to write cinnamon roll children side characters. In the opening chapter of Legend of 5, Barak stops by the bakers’ to replace the magical battery on a little girl’s floating chair. It’s run out of power because she likes to go fast 😂

Everyone is Jewish in Legend of 5. Naturally, the titular five have diverse opinions on whether there’s a god.