*about being the blocker, not the blocked

Oh god I’ve just written a 1300 word doc. about this experience

Pre-ordering :)

If writing feels like a slog today, remember that it's okay to give yourself time and space. Your project will be there when you're ready. ❤️

#AmWriting #WritingCommunity

Things like plates are usually listed as crockery or under “Dining” in department stores in the UK. I think of ceramics as more like pottery - stuff like ancient vases in museums.

I used to work in retail and had a lady come in and ask me where the plates were one day. I completely forgot the word “crockery” so said “the ceramics are that way” like we were in the Louvre.

I tried using it to find the Paris address of a historical figure a while ago, and AI just lied to me. It gave me an address, I asked it for the source and it told me it was cited in a book that doesn’t exist. I found out the book didn’t exist when I went looking for it. Lesson learned.

I usually go for food or books too. Congratulations on finishing your edits!

Please be mindful that wild animals are fleeing the flames & may show up in your yard. The California
Board of Forestry advises bringing your pets indoors at night to give wildlife safe passage through. Also, consider leaving out buckets of water for these animals - they are scared & exhausted.

Oh my goodness, what a lovely smile 🥹

Deleted Facebook in December after 16 years (the last half of which I was bored with it anyway) and I was so relived at the timing because a few days later I saw that donation to Trump, and now here’s this latest sh***y move. Hate that Meta owns WhatsApp because that’s where I have most of my chats

My dog is almost 14, kept me up through the night barking to go out (inc. once to just stand at the back door and look onto the garden) and this morning when I was putting my socks on, had the gall to tap her paws excitedly as though I was taking her somewhere

Oh, I already have this on Kindle. Looking forward to it! I read the sample first and really enjoyed your opening.

Just asked my Border Collie if she was plotting to kill me and she yawned, so I guess I’ll keep wondering.

Which year did you read the bulk of it? Was the left side of the book the thickest or thinnest at midnight?
(For me personally though, I’d count it as the year I finished it to keep it simple for my book log)

Thank you!

I used to feel like this but rationalised that certain ideas always appear across generations and cultures…there’ll always be a similarity somewhere and the execution of your ideas counts more than their originality :)

Insecurity to be seen with one even if curious, maybe some thoughts that the hero is impossible to live up to in reality. I read a few years ago that women are reading erotica on their kindles because nobody would see their books on a train.. maybe men do read romance but are compelled to hide it?

At very surface-level aspects, think of how even soda is marketed. The advert will feature action, it’ll be masculine. A blush pink or lilac cover says the opposite. Plenty more reasons though. Romance being seen as “gay” by the Tate types, it being a genre dominated by women authors. Insecurity.

#writingcommunity I’m looking for mags/sites that accept fiction that is over most 250/300w limit reqs for flash, but also under 3000w word reqs for short stories. I get good feedback from readers and critiques but my work sits in this awkward spot word count wise. Help appreciated. #amwriting

It’s an interesting question sociologically and one there isn’t just one answer for, but first thing that came to mind for modern books was the covers. They look “girly” with pastel shades and soft animations. There’s obviously a whole, richer conversation to be mined here and hopefully it can be.

One piece of encouragement I heard this year and really liked was “Treat your story like your lover and find ten minutes to make out with it” ( Elizabeth Gilbert, I think)
Schedules are hard and goals of writing for an hour or 1000 words a day don’t happen, but ten mins might not be as daunting?

A few months ago I was filled with ideas in bed and just had to get them down somewhere, so I reached for a notebook and scrawled them down in the dark. I woke up to find my handwriting was wonky and giant on the page, but still made sense. The scene worked out thanks to that post-midnight energy.

I’m mostly a mood-dependent writer so I’m not in the best position to offer advice, but I’m sure the wise women at @mslexia.bsky.social can. (It’s a writing magazine that I’ve often found encouraging)

The books we love when we're young are the ones that change our lives forever. They're the ones that make us readers, and they shape us at the deepest levels. So here's a huge & heartfelt THANK YOU to everyone out there who's helping kids find books that they love! #literacy

Yes! Love to see the support for other writers too.

Where is he getting these figures? I’m not an equestrian, but 2000 hours to learn how to ride a horse seems like a wildly high number to throw out. But yeah he sounds like a clown.

I bought it a few weeks ago and finished it yesterday. Loved it!