Zira Phema, Writer

The point of correctly identifying things like testosterone supplements and hair plugs for cis men as gender affirming care should be to illustrate that gender affirming care goes beyond trans people and is more acceptable for the cis, not to be like "LOL you have low T and are bald!"

Apologies that I haven't been posting much lately! Offline life has been particularly busy, and I'm trying to procrastinate less on my current draft of #TheOdysseyOfPenelopeWillows 😅 I hope to get back to posting regularly soon!

Thank you! I'm just seeing this comment now, and it honestly made my day! 😄

I don't think I've had the plessure of reading your work yet, but I always dig a good story with surreal elements, so I surely will soon!

Thank you again, and I hope you have an awesome day! 🌻

#SFFtalk is less than 24 hours away! Tomorrow 4/12 @ 12pm cdt, come chat about speculative fiction. All writers of spec fic welcome!

#SFFtalk is less than 24 hours away! Tomorrow 4/12 @ 12pm cdt, come chat about speculative fiction.

All writers of spec fic welcome!

RPs welcome.

#WritingCommunity #writing

Someone needs to invent something like Nightshade, but for writers. I want anything AI/LLMs try to steal from me to corrupt their databases.

#WritingCommunity

Definitely adding these to my to-read pile!! 😍

Tropes for A Feral Spark: Scifi/Paranormal; Queer MF; He falls first; He's a werewolf on the run; She can start fires with her brain; HIs past catches up with them; Found family to the rescue!

Tropes for A Fire in Her Bones: Scifi/Paranormal; Home for Christmas; Childhood trauma; She controls fire with her mind; Surprise werewolf boyfriend; Connected to a decades-old mystery; Saves the day!

Tropes for Let's Bake a Deal: Contemporary romance; Fake Dating; Asexual Hero; Baker x Sex Shop Owner; Scheming Italian grandmother; Bisexual siblings; Karaoke!

Made some trope maps for the books of mine that will be part of the #IndieAuthorSpringSpectacular from April 12-15.

My books will be on sale for 99 cents. If you're not sure about mine, that's okay. There are over 200 authors participating, so you're bound to find something you'll like.

If you read something, PLEASE say something!
Authors (and publishers :) thrive on reviews 📝 and word of mouth recommendations 🗣️👤
They don't have to be long or in depth!
Just a few words and a rating will do!
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
And THANK YOU for reading!!!
❤️📚❤️📚❤️📚❤️📚❤️📚

Very much this. Also reach out to writer friends (or, if you're too new to writing, or a particular genre, to have already found your people, send up a metaphorical bat signal). These networks can give you an idea if a publisher is a known bad actor, easy to work with, chaotic but okay, etc.

As an author, I agree. A slight "problem" that I've had with #TheOdysseyOfPenelopeWillows is whether it should be classified as fantasy or sci-fi when really it sits somewhere in the liminal space between genres.

There can be science in fantasy and fantasy in science! 😤

Happy #IndieApril, folks!

My new surreal, reality-bending fiction e-zine is currently available for purchase on my Ko-Fi Shop for just $1/pay-what-you-can!

Peel back the partition and portal yourself to peculiar planes of existence with AMARANTH GAZETTE!

#WritingCommunity #BookSky

I love hearing that younger generations are passionate about reading! Whether print, e-books, or audiobooks, reading is great exercise for the brain, and it opens up the heart to new worlds and endless possibilities. 📚

Cover for Gamut #4

Reading submissions this morning for GAMUT and holy smokes, there are some shatteringly good stories in our pile. Thank you thank you to everyone entrusting us with your words.

You can see what kind of dark and beautiful things we like in the new April issue: houseofgamut.com/magazine/

In addition to the eclipse itself being cool I also love how much the light of day changes around you and the temperature changes. Outside of the normal day/night schedule it really gives you a feeling of the true impact of the sun.

The use of AI by publishers to field submissions should be shamed, should not be normalised. There is no excuse to replace slush readers with software that may or may not steal your writing for their techbro masters to monetise while putting humans out of work and automating gatekeeping biases.

I hope everyone in the US gets a chance to step outside and watch the eclipse today! Even if you're not in the path of totality, it's supposed to be a gorgeous sight! (Just make sure you have appropriate eyewear.) There won't be another solar eclipse like this for another 20 years!

Illustration of a cartoon bat, in the black, gray, white, and purple colors of the asexual flag. "You are ACEsome!" By DanielaSchreiter.com

Happy International Asexuality Day to my fellow ace umbrella humanoids. 💖💖💖

In my opinion, the best art isn't always the most technically perfect. The best art is the art that is the most genuine. When I can feel the heartbeat of the author between the pages of a book or in the brushstrokes of a painting, I know I've discovered something truly magical.

I do! I chose to use a pen name for a few practical reasons, but my most interesting reason is I think names hold power, so I picked a name based on its numerological value and personal significance.

Effective feedback to authors is

✔️ Respectful
✔️ Insightful and specific
✔️ Sensitive and compassionate (it's hard to be edited! be nice!)
✔️ Honest
✔️ Supportive
✔️ Authoritative and professional

#ACES2024 #amediting #bookediting #fictionediting #writingcommunity

I can't wait to read this one! 😄 And the rest of the anthology sounds awesome, too!

Hello Bluesky! On the lookout for other members of the #writingcommunity! 👀✍️

It's Mercury Retrograde, writers!

Associated with writing, and technology, when Mercury goes retrograde, issues or delays may pop up in these areas.

Make sure to save your work often, check your software is syncing correctly, and give yourself extra time to finish tasks!

#WritingCommunity

I am here to give you permission to write your really niche story that isn't 'highly marketable' and that brings you the most joy.
Embrace the cringe, vulnerability, and unapolagetic need to write your story- we really need less stories with a 'wider audience' in mind

The Business of Writing: Understanding Admin as a Self Published Author | Buy Tickets | Ticketbud The Business of Writing: Understanding Admin as a Self Published Author - May 11, 2024 at . Find event and ticket information on Ticketbud.

TIME’S UP! Thank you so much for joining tonight’s #WeeknightWriters chat! To learn more about marketing & other aspects of the business of self publishing, check out our upcoming event, The Business of Writing: Understanding Admin as a Self Published Author ticketbud.com/events...

Thanks for having me! I hope your writing journey this week has been equally fun and fruitful, even if the words don't blossom as quickly as we'd like them to! 🌻
#WeeknightWriters

As usual, my girlfriend and my buddy head out early from the lab. I remain to monitor the percolation.

Percolation is like thought. Slow movement, the binding of unlikely pieces, and then, a solution appears!

The solution that comes to me tonight is labeled Cheating.

#vss365

Zira Phema, Author & Poet Author of Speculative Fiction

Do you enjoy free short fiction and poetry that is often weird, usually fantastical, sometimes chilling, and almost always at least a little surreal? Check out my blog! 🥰

#IndieApril #BookSky #IndieAuthor #WritingCommunity

A1: When I hear the word "marketing," I think of concepts like brand identity, customer relations, advertisements, and digital engagement. As for how it makes me feel, I guess I view it as another challenge we face as writers. Though, I wish we had more tools to make it easier 😋

#WeeknightWriters