Time is slipping away for Odai who injured from quadcopter. Urgent surgery is his only chance to walk again, and every delay puts his future at risk. This is a real emergency, not a story to scroll past. Donations and shares right now can truly change his life 🤍 gofund.me/77a751af7

It's almost my girl's time in the spotlight! LOST TRADITIONS comes out on February 9, and is "Keza's Episode" -- you get to be in her head! For not at all dramatic and suspicious reasons, I promise 😇 Preorder: buy.bookfunnel.com/pw9lfydyyw Series bundle: itch.io/s/178663/los...

I love how every between book short story ends up boiling down to "Oliver gets anxiety about a holiday" 😂 So far, we have Valentine's Day, an actual holiday/vacation, Halloween, and now, Christmas.

100% agree. Grew up hardscrabble poor. Started drawing by 6. Writing by 11. Poverty does a lot of nasty things and robbing us of our ability to be creative isn't one of them. So take that excuse for those theft driven, murderous, environmental disasters and shove it. Sideways. Add some spikes.

More plot bunnies (and Mrs. Van Husen)

A people-powered upset may be unfolding for a Congress seat in NJ-11. @analiliafornj.bsky.social is leading by a few hundred votes — if this holds, and her grassroots campaign beats the big money, it'll send shockwaves through the establishment. @theguardian.com: tinyurl.com/2sw97c4f

My partner's main birthday gift arrived. Now, all I have to do is not give it to her or spill the beans for two weeks 🙃 I am not good at this.

Oh they're DEFINITELY gonna crash out on themselves. These are men that raise rifles at folks & say the reason was because they made gun gestures with their fingers. They would be eaten alive in a prison & they know it, thus...yeeeeeaaahhh.

"I need AI to make art, human art is only for the rich and privileged-"

Lrt/posts about being an artist and writer and working to be better I have seen so many authors tehe about not giving a shit about craft or acting like others care too much, and I would like to lay this mentality of never working for it and being too jaded to care about working hard at their feet 1/

Stop making excuses, take some personal responsibility for your life, and put the work in. How many broke, disabled, chronically ill, working-three-jobs creatives are doing what these people say is just too unfair to ask of them? Goddamn. Get some ethics and some self-respect.

If you don't want to work at your craft, that's fine. You can choose not to. But the writers and artists who are crafting impressive things practiced for years in every stolen minute we could get, because that desire to create and improve is a compulsion. If you want it badly enough, you do it.

Series Three has been completed just in time for ECCC! 5 more dinosaurs, 5 more birds, 5 new locations. You can now get prints and stickers of all 5 new designs. Series 4 is slated for October/November. www.emmalerae.com/store.html

For your consideration

here is a gofundme for this little girl:

From abroken mother's heart I appeal toyour compassionate hearts Mybaby Ghazal living in harsh conditions,hunger,cold,lacking most basic necessities lifeYour support could save her,give her warmth,safety,secure life like other children Sendyour warmth,dont letus down tinyurl.com/save-my-baby...

Hello everyone, I hope you’re well. I’ve set a goal of €300 to buy essential supplies. We’re going through extremely difficult circumstances, and any help would mean a lot. I’m placing my trust in you—please don’t let us down, friends. 🤍 www.gofundme.com/f/help-save-... ☑️ Molly Shah verified

I read through hundreds of emails and scoured through years of correspondence and background information to write this 4600 word report. It confirms what we all have been saying about the anti-trans movement from the start. Read it from the top down, I can't even begin to summarize it all properly.

"Being anti AI is class privilege! Poor people can't afford to learn how to make art without it!" Yes. Famously, all artists are extremely wealthy.

Echoing the words of my fellow artist and amazing human @authorkaraj.bsky.social here. When they say "Pick up a pencil and learn how to draw if you want art," I will add "Pick up a pen and paper, or get on a computer and open a word processor. Learn how to write if you want art."

free them all

My gay cowboy horror-romance novella is blocked there—Too short? It has a slur in it? Too gory? Who knows! They haven't told me!—but you can get it elsewhere, incl Hoopla. Itchio: ardenpowell.itch.io/flesh-and-bone Amz: www.amazon.com/dp/B0F1M52FFX Apple, Kobo, Smash: books2read.com/u/3yxrDV

I've updated my Threadless store with the new designs. So if you want anything on a shirt, this is the place to get it. emmalerae.threadless.com

And most importantly, what you make will be *unique.* That is what people want more than anything. If you're truly stymied, OpenAccess is amazing and many institutions are included.

Odai is running out of time. He needs urgent surgery so he can walk again, and right now we’re fighting the clock. No drama, no pity — just real people standing up for one life that still has so much ahead. If you can help, share the pinned post. 🤍 Every share & voice matters. gofund.me/77a751af7

200$ would end our tragic situation right now. We are on the street, our feet sinking in mud and rainwater. Our tent has collapsed, &no homless now. My kids are freezing from the cold,& my heart, weakened by a valve disorder, cannot bear it Vetted @mommunism.bsky.social chuffed.org/project/1574...

If you're posting about your genAI use being soooo unavoidable as an indie "creative" you are: a) insufferably entitled b) too lazy to develop your own skills c) a class traitor d) blocked Hope this clarifies!

Finally, if I were a writing professor and I was loudly espousing the view that poor people couldn't be as good at writing and so needed AI, I would really take a strong look at my biases, because whew. The ivory tower is coming from inside the house on that one.

At this point, I'm just blocking anyone who uses social justice language to substantiate their use of AI. It's a tool of fascism. Pick up a pencil and learn how to draw if you want art or just enjoy the art other people make. That's free.

Our children are shivering from the cold 🥶💔Our thin tent can't protect us from the wind 🌬️⛺ or the rain 💔 Every day we freeze more… please help us find warmth 🤍🙏 Every donation, no matter how small,can save a life 💌 Please share my post so our voice reaches the world www.gofundme.com/f/help-a-mot...

THE REANIMATOR'S FATE (TRM #4) is out now! 📚A conspiracy to undermine the Society 📚A cursed book 📚Felipe battling his demons 📚Oliver truly embracing who he is 📚And a way for them to save their community books2read.com/trm4 Paperbacks available now!

Ngl, the more I thought about the original post overnight, the more annoyed I got. There are no hard and fast craft rules. You cannot rule your way into bestseller status. For artistic endeavors, it will always be process > product You have to practice your craft forever to be successful, sorry 🤷‍♂️

Once again, it turns out “fully autonomous” means “a guy in the Philippines.”

My hot take is that I am not impressed by athletes who compete while injured. It’s not demonstrating anything good for young people who need to learn that bodies have real limits. I think it takes more self-discipline to recognize when you need to tap out than it does to push through.

UK readers: the queer, trans foodie romcom duology is on sale for you kindle users this month, 99p apiece Chef's Kiss: www.amazon.co.uk/Chefs-Kiss-T... Chef's Choice: www.amazon.co.uk/Chefs-Choice...

I’ve already said goodbye to my two little girls😭.❤️‍🩹 Ibrahim is all I have left. I cant let him fade away in this tent. I just want him to live,to breathe, to be safe.🙏🫂 Please,don’t let me be a mother who only has memories😔 Help me save my only son. Every second counts🥺💔 chuffed.org/project/161145

Leaving this here for morale:

Check out the Gothic horror serial that made famous transgender actress Nicole Maines say, "Oh fuck yeah" while she was bored on a plane! (she has not read it)

Your periodic reminder that the expression about "a few bad apples" does not mean that the rest are fine, it means that the rot spreads from the bad ones and corrupts the whole barrel

Mahmoud: My little child Ahmed and I are living the worst days of our lives 💔 No food, no water, and the constant fear of bombing surrounds us 😢 Every moment without food increases his suffering… verified @mommunism.bsky.social chuffed.org/project/mahm...

If you live in an urban or suburban area in a blue state, it’s likely ICE is active in your immediate vicinity. Be aware and find your local resources. In Buffalo, the main resource of which I’m aware is BIRD watch www.instagram.com/p/DTdSfh4jok...

"...nominee for New Jersey attorney general said Monday she would bring charges against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents if they violate state law."

This is my FLESH AND BONE interview! Talking about westerns, gothics, werewolves, setting horror in the Canadian Prairies, and the relationship between my (gay) cowboys Marshall and Everett.

🚨Emergency🚨 We in Gaza are being annihilated every day. Our situation is catastrophic; we are homeless and without a tent. Our tent was destroyed by the rain, and we were flooded. We desperately need your donations. We only need €100 to buy a tent. Please help us urge😭🤲 chuffed.org/project/1580...

This feels like a metaphor for the power of monarchy lol

I will add to this as a weird English major, I read and watch things I love and things I think are eh/mid or even kinda bad. I don't devote tons of time to them but still. I didn't love everything we read in my courses. knowing what I didn't like gave me the perspective to talk about what I do like.

Ngl, the more I thought about the original post overnight, the more annoyed I got. There are no hard and fast craft rules. You cannot rule your way into bestseller status. For artistic endeavors, it will always be process > product You have to practice your craft forever to be successful, sorry 🤷‍♂️