Melissa Lee

Ms. Lee enjoyed reading Holly Black's The Coldest Girl in Coldtown, a creepy "what if" about cultish fandoms, reality TV, and vampire infection.

Music: Oscar Merlo
Photo: Pixxel_Worx, pixabay.com

#bookish #booklife #bookcommunity #readerlife #readingcommunity #reading #readersofbluesky #booksky

Four books: Kate DiCamillo's "The Puppets of Spelhorst", Benedict and Nancy Freedman's "Mrs. Mike", Cary J. Griffith’s “Cougar Claw”, and Yuval Noah Harari’s "21 Lessons for the 21st Century”. Books are displayed on an outdoor porch railing. They are visible against the backdrop of a shadowy pine tree and the sun setting behind a glistening lake.

Love exploring local independent bookstores when visiting new places. Here’s Ms. Lee’s most recent travel bookshelf with a couple of titles from Turtle Town Books & Gifts in Nisswa, MN: www.turtletownnisswa.com.

#bookish #booklife #bookcommunity #readerlife #reading #readersofbluesky #booksky

Enjoyed the originally posted NYPL article on gothic horror and then went down the rabbit hole of gothic romance: www.nypl.org/blog/2018/10.... Faves on this list were Jane Eyre, Rebecca, and Nine Coaches Waiting. Will have to try some of the newer titles recommended. --M

Four friends chatting while sitting atop a rough rock wall. They are positioned in the bottom right of the photo with the rest of the image being a cloudless blue sky. The text box overlaid on the photo reads: Creating a Likeable Team vs. a Cast of Suspects. How do we develop enduring characters our readers want to root for while also offering a believable list of crime suspects?

Ms. Melissa shares her thoughts on developing both a likeable team and a believable cast of suspects in our romance/mystery mash-up: www.storiesbymelissalee.com/post/likeabl...

Photo by: karosieben at pixabay.com

#amwriting #writerslife #writingprocess #creativewriting #writingcommunity #booksky

Photo of Death Valley National Park. Landscape with a cloud-shrouded mountain range in the background and Badwater Basin, a floating, saltwater lake, in the foreground. A faint reflection of the mountain range can be seen in the water.

Photo of Death Valley National Park. Featured are scraggly trees with interestingly contorted branches set against the backdrop of a hazy mountain skyline. Photo credit: ArtTower on pixabay.com.

Been writing scenes featuring wild spaces and wanted to share that Saturday, September 27, is National Public Lands Day. Entrance fees to national parks are being waived-- www.nps.gov/findapark

#deathvalley #nationalparks #nationalparkphotography #landscapephotography #naturephotography #booksky

Close-up of the face and torso of a red fox. Only the right half of the fox is visible behind two lichen-covered tree trunks, which form the frame of the photo.

Our novel features magical shifters, so we’ve spent time researching forest animals. Here’s a shout out for National Fox Day. These creatures play an key role in our environment, folklore, and manuscript.

Photo by: ambquinn at pixabay.com

#naturephotography #wildlifephotography #fox #booksky

Photo depicts a butterfly with blue and orange wings balancing on a cluster of yellow flowers. In the upper left corner of the image are the words: Diaphanous (dī-a-fe-nes) adj. sheer and light, delicate, translucent.

Love our #wordoftheday : Diaphanous

The butterfly's diaphanous wings seemed to catch the sunlight as it balanced on a cluster of flowers.

Photo credit: nvd9612 on pixabay.com

#botanical #nature #booksky

Photo of the Shenandoah National Park. In the foreground are treetops, a large sculpted boulder, and the side of a polished cliff face. On the horizon are green-covered mountains and above them is a light blue sky with scattered clouds. Photo credit: Josh Huber.

Photo of the Shenandoah National Park. In the foreground are treetops and bushes, large sculpted boulders, and the side of a polished cliff. In the distance, atop one of the boulders, is a hiker. On the horizon are green-covered mountains and valleys, and above them is a cloudy sky. Photo credit: Josh Huber.

For those who find literary inspiration in wild spaces, just a reminder that entrance fees to national parks are being waived on August 4th in celebration of Great American Outdoors Day.

#nationalparks #nationalparkphotography #shenandoah #landscapephotography #travel #naturephotography #booksky

Photo of three stacked suitcases. The suitcases are old fashioned and one has a variety of travel-related stickers displayed along its sides. The text box overlaid on the photo reads: Benefits of a Dump List. What do we do with sentences we don’t need now but might want to use in the future?

What do we do with sentences we don’t need now but might want to use later? Ms. Lee shares some thoughts on using a "dump list": www.storiesbymelissalee.com/post/benefit...

Photo by: StockSnap at pixabay.com

#amwriting #writerslife #writingprocess #creativewriting #writingcommunity #booksky

Just had a conversation about newsletter sign-up ideas, so loved seeing this article in the feed.

So exciting to be at the cover art stage. Congrats!! I agree about the art style of the dragon. I wonder what it would look like with a more medieval dragon. Or, if you keep the contemporary dragon, what it would look like with the shapes in the border/background being more angular. Best of luck!!

Adding to my TBR. Thanks for the rec! --M

Quote reads: “That it will never come again is what makes life so sweet.” –Emily Dickinson. Beneath the quote placard are three potted succulents.

Always wonderful to encounter a quote from a favorite writer out in the wild.

Thanks @fig_ojai.

#readingcommunity #readerscommunity #readers #poetrylovers #poetry #poetrycommunity
#booksky #readersofbluesky #poetryonbluesky

La alegría de leer, or happiness of reading, decal on a window overlooking the Guadalajara International Airport tarmac.

Delighted by this random happiness of reading decal. It was on a window overlooking the tarmac at the Guadalajara International Airport. 📚💚

#readingcommunity #readerscommunity #readers #readerlife #readmorebooks #readersofbluesky #booksky

Checking an actual calendar can be so helpful. My writing partner and I just had a conversation where we had to pull out a calendar to check days of the week. We needed to confirm whether we had events happening on a work day or a school night that would then impact what characters were doing. --M

Photo of a monthly calendar, an old-fashioned alarm clock, and several push pins scattered around. The text box overlaid on the photo reads: Timelines and Continuity. How do we ensure the events and characters in our manuscript evolve realistically?

Are the events and characters in our manuscript evolving realistically? Ms. Melissa shares some thoughts on using timelines to help with continuity:
www.storiesbymelissalee.com/post/timelin....

#amwriting #writerslife #writingprocess #creativewriting #writingcommunity #booksky

Three books: “Una Sed Cruel” by Angela Montoya, “All of It Singing” by Linda Gregg, and “Romancing the Beat” by Gwen Hayes. Books are displayed on an embroidered fabric covered in vibrant florals.

An updated look at Ms. Lee’s travel bookshelf. Una Sed Cruel was purchased at the Librerías Gonvill in Guadalajara, Mexico. And, yes, we are still plotting.

#bookcommunity #readerlife #bookish #bookaddict #booklife #readersofbluesky #booksonbluesky #booksky #bookishbestie #bestiebookshelf

Open laptop with an open lined journal and pen. The text box overlaid on the photo reads: The Work of Writers. With only three chapters drafted, are we really working? What does the work of a writer look like?

With only three chapters drafted, are we really working? Ms. Lee shares her thoughts on what the work of a writer looks like: www.storiesbymelissalee.com/post/the-wor...

#amwriting #writerslife #writingprocess #creativewriting #writingcommunity #booksky

Photo of an open book and a cup of tea in a rustic setting. Overlaid on the image is a text box that reads: “A book is really like a lover. It arranges itself in your life in a way that is beautiful.” –Maurice Sendak

In honor of Maurice Sendak’s birthday, thought we’d share this lovely quote.

Photo credit: mirkostoedter on pixabay.com

#readingcommunity #readerscommunity #bookcommunity #readers #bookish #booklovers #bookaddict
#booksky #readersofbluesky #booksonbluesky #bookishbestie #bestiebookshelf

Fantasy landscape. A woman looking up at a giant moon

World-Building Without Info Dumps: A Quiet Revolution

"You’ve created something rich and strange. Now your job is to let readers wander through it—without giving them unsolicited directions."

shorturl.at/QOofC

Article by: @septimusbrown.com
Blog: @jenniferlgadd.bsky.social

Photo depicts waves lapping along a shoreline. Colorful trees line the shore as well. In the background are buildings, a long pier, and a mountain range. Overlaid on the image is a text box that reads: Susurration (soo-suh-rey-shuhn) n. a low, soft noise like whispering, murmuring, or rustling.

Love our #wordoftheday : Susurration

The susurration of lapping waves makes me feel happy and at peace.

Photo credit: fietzfotos on pixabay.com

#booksky #words

Collage of four nature photos highlighting both wild landscapes and cultivated garden spaces. In the foreground of the collage is a text box that reads: Visuals as a Shared Point of Reference. When co-writing, how do we get on the same page about what the characters and settings in our world look like?

When co-writing, how do we get on the same page about what the characters and settings in our world look like? Ms. Melissa shares some thoughts on one of our fave strategies: www.storiesbymelissalee.com/post/visuals....

#amwriting #writerslife #writingprocess #creativewriting #booksky

Paperback copy of The Sinner by JR Ward is pictured next to a straw sun hat. Both are resting on a striped towel.

Paperback copies of The Sinner by JR Ward and Archangel’s Sun by Nalini Singh, as well as the Mind Games eBook by Nora Roberts, are nestled amidst two animals made of carefully folded white cotton towels. The animal creations are of a dog and an elephant.

It was all romance reads for Ms. Melissa during her recent travels.

#read #bookish #bookaddict #romancebooks #paranormalromancebooks #romanticsuspensebooks #booksky

We're reading Mastering Plot Twists by Jane K. Cleland & Archangel's Sun by Nalini Singh. What are you reading? 💚📚

#FridayReads #booksky #reading

Tile from Bauer Pottery that lists the ten Immaculate Heart College Art Department Rules. Next to the tile is a red flower in a ceramic vase, note pages with calculations for how many words a day we need to write, and a pen. Overlaid on this photo is a neutral-colored text box with the words: The Only Rule is Work. Being in the early stages of drafting, the end of our novel seems very far away. How do we ensure our story continues to unfold?

The end of our novel seems so far away. How do we ensure our story continues? One strategy was inspired by the Immaculate Heart College Art Department Rules: www.storiesbymelissalee.com/post/the-onl....

#amwriting #writerslife #writingprocess #creativewriting #booksky

Undead Hoarder Snuggler --M

Photo of Star Wars Trilogy soundtrack box with artwork from the 1977 film. Next to the cd box is a ceramic vase with flowers and greenery.

In honor of Star Wars Day, we're reading Susan Dennard's "How to Write a 1-Page Synopsis". It uses the original Star Wars as an example. Check it out: stdennard.substack.com/p/how-to-wri....

“May the 4th be with you”, writers!

#AmWriting, #WritersLife, #WritingProcess, #CreativeWriting, #booksky

It was either Kresley Cole's Witch Queen of Halloween or Kristen Ashley's Dream Team series. --M

Three books: Patrick Ness's "Monsters of Men", Patricia Highsmith's "Plotting and Writing Suspense Fiction", and Dan Gerber's "The End of Michelangelo". Books are on a shelf next to a small vase filled with greenery.

Check out the Mysterious Ms. Lee’s travel bookshelf. Note the title by Patricia Highsmith. We are plotting.

#read #bookish #bookaddict #booksky

a close up of a feather with the words " lemme see " written below it Alt: baby yoda popping up from behind a rock. " lemme see " written below it

"Show, don’t tell" — a 🧵🪓

This craft maxim is often misunderstood and frustrating. You can't always show. Sometimes you need to tell. The real skill is in knowing when to do each. Let’s break it down.👇

#writingcommunity #amwriting