Nymm and the Magpie

Symbol for neurodivergence - an infinity sign in blended rainbow colours

Just over four weeks ago I was diagnosed as autistic - not much surprise to anyone who knows me IRL! But since then my brain has been re-evaluating pretty much every interaction from my life through a new lens... and getting a better picture of my strengths and limitations.
#actuallyautistic #autism

Text in the Shaw Alphabet reads "Don't Panic!" in red letters over a large number "42" in front of a galaxy image.

I'm learning the "Shaw Alphabet" / Shavian script for English... because... why not!
#shavian #shawalphabet #specialinterests #neurosparkly

Image of text reads: WHAT'S YOUR FANTASY NOVEL TITLE? A [birth date] of [first letter of your first name] and [first letter of your birth town] BIRTHDATE: 1 A Ballad 2 A Child 3 A Darkness 4 A Crown 5 A Court 6 A Dream 7 A Feast 8 A Game 9 A Garden 10 A Pact 11 A Promise 12 The Forest 13 A Temple 14 A Throne 15 A Trial 16 The Night 17 A Mystery 18 The Cave 19 The Dragon 20 A Song 21 The King 22 Daughter 23 The Lady 24 The Lord 25 The Prince 26 The Queen 27 The Rule 28 The Sea 29 The War 30 The Winter 31 The City FIRST LETTER OF FIRST NAME: A Arrows B Blood C Alchemy D Magic E Eternity F Fear G Ice H Hearts I Witches J Hunger K Mercy L Legends M Smoke N Swords O Hope P Pirates Q Runes R Time S Thorns T Silver U Rats V Sand W Wrath X Stars Y Snow Z Ghosts FIRST LETTER OF BIRTH TOWN: A Ash B Fire C Bone D Dust E Crystal F Flame G Faeries H Honour I Iron J Justice K Secrets L Fools M Mayhem N Roses O Storms P Prophecy Q Silence R Lies S Shadows T Tears U Fury V Venom W Wolves X Chains Y Ravens Z Sky e.g. Sarah J Maas born 5th March in New York City: 05 = A Court, S = Thorns, N = Roses A Court of Thorns and Roses

I've been really quiet on here while sorting out MH etc... Here's a low-effort post to get back into things!
#fantasynovel #fantasy #booksky #authorsky

I know words shift in meaning over time, but the places my brain sometimes goes when reading Victorian fiction can be... unfortunate.

#booksky

Book cover for "The Godfather - A Novel" by Mario Puzo, depicting a hand holding puppet strings.

Mario Puzo's 1969 novel "The Godfather" follows a mafia family in New York through a transition of power from one family head to the next. Fascinating glimpses into another time (1945+) and way of life and brilliantly flowing prose make it a pleasure to read. 5/5.

#booksky #thegodfather #mariopuzo

I adore the style of this. Really reminds me of David A Trampier's Wormy cartoons from way back.

I love it! (I'm magpie obsessed though 🖤🤍)

Text of the poem IF (for the rest of us). By Nymm. A reimagining of 'If—' by Rudyard Kipling -- If you can keep your head when assholes taunt you And, loud with scorn, are shouting at you ‘shame’, If you can hold your truth while bigots haunt you, Yet stand your ground and never play their game; If you can wait and keep your calm in silence, Or speak with care while others shout their lies, If you can rise and never match their violence, And fight for justice, not for ego’s prize: If you can dream—and not make dreams your mistress, If you can plan—and know your plans may fail. If you can survive your Worries and Distress And with them as companions still take sail; If you can hear your tale used as a warning, Or see your love dismissed as something fake, And, defiant, get out of bed each morning, And live the life you never let them break: If you can own the names they branded ‘shameful’, And wear the flags they told you not to fly, If you can be both visible and grateful, And still not owe the world a reason why— If you know that, no matter where your birthplace, Your gender, or the colour of your skin, You are enough—and stand tall without disgrace, So every moment standing is a win. If you push past the hateful and the mindless, And take the shit they never had to bear, If you can give no fucks, and still show kindness, And plant your flag in open, honest care; If you can rest and know you’re not a burden, And love yourself the way your people do— Then you are home, not perfect but not broken, And every step has always led to you.

Sometimes, I write poetry. I took Rudyard Kipling's "If—", and made it better. You're welcome. This is "IF (for the rest of us)".

(Text version in the image's ALT-text)
#poem #poetry #amwriting #LGBTQ #resilience

Oooh, just wishlisted it and I have a birthday soon 🤞

Fizgig's adorable though.

Mock-up cover for a novel "Sandbound" by Nymm Gratton, picturing vast sand dunes in a desert, and a magical symbol: an equilateral triangle pointing down, divided by a central vertical line.

While 'The Fledgling Magpie' is out with Beta Readers, I've started drafting my next project - 'Sandbound', a middle grade fantasy of culture shock, language barriers, desert survival, and friendship.

#amwriting #booksky #authorsky #SFF #MiddleGrade #Fantasy

Mock image of a "Nymm - Starter Set" action figure, showing a pack with a plastic figure wearing jeans, walking shoes, and pink-striped white T-shirt, with accessories included: camera with flash, notebook titled 'novel notes', green d20 , magpie, saxophone, typewriter.

Apparently I'm jumping on the bandwagon...

#actionfigure

Mock-up novel cover for "The Fledgling Magpie" by Nymm Gratton. Behind the writing is a scene of moonlit city rooftops of terracotta tile; in the distance white clouds roll by and two moons are in the sky - one large and white, the other smaller and pale orange.

I'm excited to send my current draft of "The Fledgling Magpie" out to my Beta Readers this morning. The YA Fantasy novel follows Maggie, a 14-year-old who escapes life on the streets to join a school for thieves.

#booksky #writersky #authorsky #betareaders #SFF #YAFantasy #amwriting

Larry Correia's "Hard Magic" is a fun romp through an alternative 1930s with gangsters, spies, blimps, super weapons, and a magical secret society. Likeable, richly developed characters and non-stop action. 5/5

#booksky #SFF #TheGrimnoirChronicles #LarryCorreia

Image with feathery background showing the text of the poem "Hope is the thing with feathers" by Emily Dickinson: “Hope” is the thing with feathers - That perches in the soul - And sings the tune without the words - And never stops - at all - And sweetest - in the Gale - is heard - And sore must be the storm - That could abash the little Bird That kept so many warm - I’ve heard it in the chillest land - And on the strangest Sea - Yet - never - in Extremity, It asked a crumb - of me.

I've been on a classic poetry binge over the last week, revisiting old favourites and discovering some I've not dived into fully before.

What are your favourite #poems?

#booksky #reading #poetry

Book cover for "Under the Whispering Door" by TJ Klune, depicting a quirky cottage / tea-shop in woodland with the shadow of a huge stag behind.

Mixed feelings on "Under the Whispering Door", a fantasy gay romance. A slow start, initially unlikeable MC. Warms up well for most of the later two thirds but finale Deus Ex Macchina near the end unsatisfying. Let's call it 3/5.

#booksky #LGBTQ #SFF

Oh, that's lovely... I listened to this on audiobook - probably my favourite new read of 2024 - but now I *need* that edition.

Book cover of "Legends & Lattes" by Travis Baldree, depicting a female orc, Viv, making coffee, stood back to back with Tandri, a succubus dressed for bakery.

Two of my most enjoyable, refreshing reads of 2024 were "Legends & Lattes" by Travis Baldree and "The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet" by Becky Chambers.

What are your fave #cozyfantasy or #cozyscifi reads?

#booksky #beckychambers #travisbaldree #SFF #cosyfantasy #cosyscifi #legends&lattes

Screenshot of 1-star amazon review of Lord of the Rings from 16 August 2024, reading "Complete Nonsense: Totally unbelievable, this would never happen."

1 star review on Amazon UK for Lord of the Rings (one of my favourite books of all time):
"Totally unbelievable, this would never happen."

#tolkien #lordoftherings #1starreveiews #onestarreviews #booksky

Cover of novel "The Way I Used To Be" by Amber Smith, showing yellow dandelion flower stems.

Amber Smith's "The Way I Used To Be" hits like a freight train from page 1 with a vivid, gripping depiction of the aftermath of CSA on the life of a teenager over several years. A solid 5/5.

#booksky #yafiction #ambersmith

I've got three inclusions in my manuscript right now, but the first is just one overheard line, and the second I only give the song titles. "Less is more", they say, but I think that's enough to add atmosphere and flesh out the worldbuilding.

I'm including some, but embracing "less is more"... I think just a title mentioned or an overheard single line adds atmosphere or worldbuilding, without needing a full lyric sheet!

Pratchett only included occasional lines, but people have written and performed full versions based on them.

What do you think of music snippets/lyrics in fantasy stories? I think their inclusion in works like The Lord of the Rings and The Name of the Wind do a lot of work in building a rich, lived-in world. (Not to mention Terry Pratchett's "A Wizard's Staff...")

#authorsky #fantasy #SFF #booksky

Cover of novel "Foundation" by Isaac Asimov, showing 70s spaceship art.

l adored so many of Asimov's short stories as a teen and 20-something, and I *so* wanted to love Foundation... but found its components rushed and disjointed. Originally from 1951, it hasn't aged so well 😢 3/5

#booksky #scifi #sciencefiction #asimov #foundation #isaacasimov

I was looking for this comment :-)

Set up between that map store (wherewolf) and apparel outlet (wearwolf).

Once I've finished editing my current YA project, my plan is to draft a MG set in the same fantasy world next.

Thou/Thee is (art?) as "you" is an archaeopronoun, not a neopronoun... and has its own unique verb forms. "Thou art", "Thou hast", "Thou goest", "Thou dost", "Thou wilt".

Right! Singular "they/them" is actually older than singular "you".

My fave writing quote: "There's no such thing as good writing, only good rewriting."
-- Robert Graves

#booksky #authorsky #writing #rewriting #editing #amwriting #amediting