Today’s #WIPsnips word is #mug. This is from early on in the book, the anniversary of Cainen’s parents’ death. #wip #writing #queer #trans #fiction #ya #trauma #horror #writesky #booksky #mentalillness #fantasy

I’m a bit late, but here’s the #WIPsnips for today. The word is #forum. I went with the plural form. Featuring a scene from group therapy. #wip #writing #fiction #queer #trans #ya #writesky #horror #fantasy #marxism #mentalillness

Hard to pick a favorite line, but I can pick a favorite joke… or two. Featuring cannibalism and murder. Ironically, neither one actually explicitly shows up in the novel. Several behind-the-scenes murders, though. #wip #writing #queer #trans #joke #murder #cannibalism #ya #fiction #writesky

There once was famous writer Who had an idea inside her. She turned to AI And started to cry When her own words came back to bite her. #SciFiChat #WritingCommunity #AskAuthor

Today’s #WIPsnips word is #convert. I went with #converting. The other scene was one I think I’ve posted before, and I want to mix things up a bit. #wip #writing #queer #trans #fiction #ya #horror #mentalillness #fantasy #writesky #booksky #rage

The #WIPsnips word for today is #beach. I went with #sand instead. I’m pretty sure I’ve posted this snippet before, though, but enjoy it again if you’ve seen it before. Cainen is having a bit of a mental breakdown. #wip #queer #trans #mentalillness #ya #horror #fiction #writesky #booksky #writing

I’m a little late, but Cainen spends almost the entire novel being a fool and then berating themselves for it later lol. He… makes a lot of bad decisions. Repeatedly. There’s a reason I made this gif lol:

The corrupt school system (which at least 3 of the antagonists are directly connected to/in a position of power) is Forest Step. Then you have the immortal parasites (some of them are evil, some less so) and they’re not organized but they are the same kind of entity/follow the same set of rules.

2 main ones (unnamed for plot reasons), one other classmate, the entire school system, an evil therapist, a high school bully (her dad is the school’s corrupt principal), at least one teacher who is a power tripping creep, and of course the protagonist is his own worst enemy. There’s a lot going on.

Imprisonment (for me) works best as a force of self reflection. You are alone, forced to look inward… and you won’t like what you see. When you’re trapped in a cycle of reflection with no action… it’ll poison whatever good you have left inside you, forever dwelling on what you should have been.

There's a giant chunk of tech people who purport to be at the forefront of new philosophy, new thinking, who cannot fucking think their way out of a paper bag. Who literally are the fucking dregs of thought.

Today’s #WIPsnips word is #fool. I had a few good scenes for this one. Picked one where it shows up twice. #wip #writing #queer #trans #fiction #ya #horror #novel #mentalillness #immortalparasites #writesky #booksky

if anyone ever assumes i used AI in any of my writing, they have about 3 seconds before i go for their eyes

I am an all-format consumer of books (print, ebook, audio) AND I would like to try to remember that it's a lot harder to surveil my reading when it's print.

My most cheerful side character (it’s a low bar lol) is also my most traumatized lol. It’s Andee. I love him. They’re in a troubled teen program, so it’s slightly unusual, but he’s certainly not the only resident to use humor as a coping mechanism. He’s just the best at it.

The #WIPsnips word for today is #step. Had a few good examples, but this one is my favorite. Cainen is still getting used to Red being around. #wip #writing #queer #trans #ya #fiction #horror #fantasy #novel #mentalillness #writesky #booksky #writer

Yes. Sometimes I try to go with funny names (à la Percy Jackson), sometimes serious, sometimes a mix of both. In my current WIP, I’ve made every chapter title start with “In Which” lol. It was initially an accident, but I decided to keep it consistent after the first few titles lol.

Today’s #WIPsnips word is #film. I think this is another repeat scene, introducing Red (everyone’s least favorite hallucination boyfriend). #wip #writing #queer #trans #hallucination #ya #horror #fiction #mystery #mentalillness #writesky #novel #booksky

Cainen is a notorious insomniac. He only sleeps when he absolutely has to, usually only a few hours a night. Andee… sleeps a lot (allegedly…) Red doesn’t technically need to sleep, but he does still do it sometimes. Usually at the same time as Cainen, because that’s most convenient for both of them.

The #WIPsnips word for today is #vibrate. Didn’t have that, but I did have #vibration, which is close enough I think lol. This is the scene where Cainen gives up control to Wright. I might rework it later, but for now, here it is lol. #writing #queer #trans #ya #fiction #horror #fantasy #writesky

All of them in my current WIP suck at it. A combination of anxiety and paranoia. Cainen has to learn how to ask for at least some help before the end of the novel, though.

Today’s #WIPsnips word is #original. Pretty sure I’ve posted this snippet before, but it’s a funny one. Wright (immortal parasite) finally introduces himself. #wip #writing #queer #trans #mentalillness #ya #horror #fiction #writesky #novel #booksky

The #WIPsnips word for today is #royal. I had a few examples, mostly around Eva Queen (for obvious reasons). Here’s a scene of her and Cainen. A lot is happening behind the scenes that the characters haven’t figured out yet. Contains transphobia. #queer #trans #ya #wip #fiction #writing #horror

No lol. Not because they’re intentionally misleading, but because Cainen is far too willfully ignorant of his surroundings to be objective. He’s reliable in the sense that he is telling what he believes to be truth (and most of it is true)… but their sense of reality is a little warped.

Today’s #WIPsnips word is #option. Cainen is having second thoughts about his relationship with Red. Is it warranted? Probably. #wip #queer #trans #transmasc #horror #fiction #ya #novel #writing #writesky #booksky

“I’ll be right back.” I’ll let you decide whether Cainen actually comes right back or not, lol… I certainly haven’t come back to the WIP significantly since writing this lol.

“Sick of his own face, sick of his skin, of the dark, he crawls outside himself to sing - a better poet than most.” — Hosho McCreesh, “Cicada”

The #WIPsnips word for today is #gentle. It shows up twice, and both times are a little graphic (ironically). This scene shows the extent of Cainen’s addiction to self harm (obviously not in a gory way, but the reactions/behavior around it). #queer #trans #horror #fiction #sh #ya #mentalillness

Even if the entire generative slop bubble dramatically burst today and that was the end of it, we will be cleaning up the mess of the lies it left behind and the damage to people's mental health for a generation. Ignoring objective reality en masse has lingering consequences.

I tend to focus on one story, and usually around 3-5 characters within it (or less). But I can jump around between ideas sometimes, and that includes other characters/stories. For example, I have a few characters for another project that I’m also floating around in my mind right now lol.

Today’s #WIPsnips word is #offer. Had a few good ones, but I went with this one because it’s the most lighthearted, and there are a few heavy snippets coming later this week. #wip #writing #queer #horror #ya #fiction #mentalillness #writesky #novel #booksky #trans

Andee or Vince (an important character later) is driving. Cainen is riding shotgun (against his will) and Red is in the backseat alone lol. They don’t need a big car, at least. They’re either listening to alternative rock (Andee’s choice, but Cainen agrees) or 2010s pop (acceptable neutral option).

There are a few emotional scenes (which would be too spoilery to share) that I think are probably the best parts of my current WIP. I wanted to show how actions/experiences affect people, for better or worse (usually worse lol). I find myself rereading them often, partly to remind myself of that.

Trying to get back into #WIPsnips again… the word for today is #lily. It might be cheating because it’s a name, but I know I’ve used flower before. Dr. Lily Marsheen is Cainen’s new (and corrupt) therapist. This scene is from early in the novel, when she’s introduced. #queer #fiction #wip #writing

Cainen has issues with food (who doesn’t lol), so he would wait for everyone else to eat, and probably still offer it to someone else after waiting lol. Andee would eat it, and regret it later. Red doesn’t eat, because he isn’t real, so that makes his choice easy. He’d give it to Cainen.

Just a reminder that AI sucks and is possibly the stupidest "invention" within the last few years and yes I hate you personally if you use it

… All of them? Here’s the itemized list lol: - high school bullies - gender identity - evil school system - dead parents - mental illness - imaginary boyfriend (he sucks) - immortal parasites - being stalked by someone… and other life altering trauma… lol.

It usually exists only in my head, but very vividly lol. If it’s funny and I like it a lot, sometimes I’ll say it aloud too. But I always speak/visualize both sides.

Gonna use Annabelle for this one because… well, the name fits the theme lol. Her flaws are that she can be cold and unempathetic, and sometimes her pride (albeit well-earned) in her abilities gets the best of her. She’s also not great at communicating (the novel would end a lot sooner otherwise).

Dawn Kurtagich! She’s a YA author and was a major inspiration when I first started working on my novel (which has changed a LOT since then lol, but a lot of the inspiration remains). Dead House is the only library book I’ve ever checked out more than once, and one of very few books I reread often.

Andee is proud of his queer identity. It took him a while, he’s earned it. Red is proud of his strength. But he’s not real (so didn’t earn it) and invisible, and he’s not nearly as strong as he thinks he is. Cainen is, in a twisted way, proud of his self harm. It’s something he has to work through.

Cainen arguably gets a second chance. He’s usually the one giving them (to Red and Andee lol). Andee gets a second chance, and maybe a third, but after that his chances run out. Red gets a second chance, third chance, 300th chance… eventually Cainen realizes he either can’t or won’t change.

Cainen is a mentally ill trans teen who needs to learn how to save himself, because no one else will do it for him. Andee is funny and charming, and supportive of Cainen’s identity, but he has a lot of pain hiding below the surface. Red… is literally and metaphorically a fantasy— he doesn’t exist.

The 1st iteration of HireHumanArtists.com is here. It's currently just a spreadsheet directory of visual artists who've pledged to never use AI in their works. Use the pre-made filters to find what you want or make your own. Please share with authors & anyone else looking for art!

Making the difficult but necessary choice to set aside my current WIP (temporarily) to work on a different project this/next year. Hopefully I’ll have more to share soon, but I’m definitely excited to see where things go :)

I write fiction, primarily YA and/or horror. I hate AI and (most) romance, and a lot of my work is a commentary on one or both of those things lol. I also like video editing, art, and have been trying to get into sewing/upcycling recently! If anyone has any tips or recommendations, I’m open to it :)

Andee is a pro. Red is also pretty good. Both of them have a lot of experience dealing with violence from a very young age. Cainen is okay at it, but not nearly as good as he thinks he is lol. Still pretty desensitized, though.

“How’s the novel coming along?” Me:

Cainen likes to think he’s quiet… he’s not lol. Andee can be quiet when he wants to (because of the trauma lol) but he talks loudly. And a lot. He tends to make an effort to be heard (including footsteps etc) so that it is easier to hide when he wants/needs to. Red is silent. To an uncanny extent.

Ooh, my characters are almost perfect for this lol. Cainen is the detective. Red… is the red herring. lol. Andee is definitely the killer. I love him anyway though. The victim… could be basically anyone else lol.