Dan Hanly - Fantasy Author

I stopped trusting them when they killed Google Wave 😭

Beyond honoured! x

Just saw a video on TikTok of a "writing coach" saying that if you don't fully plan your stories, you're not a real artist, and I'm sorry but that's bullshit.

Some people plan first, other people don't. The beauty of writing is that all styles are valid.

I quit the former Twitter two years ago this week, and I am here to tell you that my online life got a lot better for having left it. In two years I've not been tempted to go back, and I haven't felt any penalty in either career or community for not being there. It's nice to be here and not there.

Perfect timing since the sequel has just been released too :) hope you enjoy!

a close up of a man in a suit and tie with a sad look on his face . ALT: a close up of a man in a suit and tie with a sad look on his face .

My books are reflective of my own experiences with mental health, and earlier I had THE most moving message from a reader telling me that my book inspired them to get help for their own mental health. Honestly, I never expected any readers at all, but to hear that my book actually helped someone...

I am exhausted. But at the same time wired. It's like I've drunk ten cans of Monster. All the energy in a body that only wants to collapse 🤣

Thanks. I'll need it haha

I read the last part to my wife and it broke her, which I think is good news haha. Now I just need to make sure all the t's are dotted and the i's are crossed and I'm ready to send to agents. I'm going to try my hand at trad publishing this one ☺️

This weekend, I wrote 30,000 words in a new record for me since... well, ever. I started the weekend entering the final part of my WIP, and earlier today, I completed it. Now for the bit everyone loves... Editing 🤣

Sometimes I hate the way my ADHD brain works, but today, today was a good day. Sometimes, I won't write for like two weeks, but today, I've hit just shy of 20k words in almost one straight sitting. It's madness. I've smashed through the final act of my WIP, and now I have only 2 chapters left!

Just been writing an incredibly emotionally taxing scene in my WIP, and it really does take its toll on the author as well as the eventual reader. I am not okay right now, but I will be when I finish it. #imnotokay #authorproblems

wicked witch of the west from the wizard of oz is wearing a black hat and holding a sword . ALT: wicked witch of the west from the wizard of oz is wearing a black hat and holding a sword .

"What's that, my book upset you?"

One of the most conflicting feelings I have as an #author is hearing that my book made someone cry. It's like awww I don't want to upset people, but also I do because I'm the one who wrote that scene! #authorproblems

Reminds me of the moment my daughters figured out where we keep the snacks! 🤣 It's all downhill from here now haha

For any fledgling writers who are writing their first novel this month: You absolutely do not need to write every day, don't need to hit X words each day, don't even need to sit at your computer every day. Take the pressure to perform off your shoulders and your manuscript will be better for it

I watched the new Frankenstein movie the other day and I found it hauntingly beautiful. It's shot right to the top of my rankings... Just like all great films, it really left me wanting more. The performances were just exceptional. #frankenstein #guillermodeltoro

YouTube video by Nate Lanxon Drums Never Rest [1990s UK School Farm Safety Film]

This one terrified me as a kid. It's about kids dying on farms. I didn't even live deep in the countryside, I lived in the Valleys which were quite dense towns. youtu.be/YLAfDrFUBkA?...

Yeah I don't get that. I think it's because America has water fountains everywhere, whereas in UK or Europe, there are just taps, and you can just ask for it

Or even something as simple as Americans reacting to the "how it works" of the UK plug and socket. They're like "wait, there's a switch to turn it off and on?"

And I do!!

One I enjoy seeing is watching Americans react to Football chants Vs American football chants. The difference is astounding and the UK fans say the wildest stuff. Not a fan of either sport, but I do love seeing the American reactions anyway hah

That's awesome, thank you!! Really helpful.

That'd be awesome if you wouldn't mind. Because I want the executioner's instruction to be technical in a way that demonstrates he has an objective distance, yet the explanation should be morbid in an almost funny way. I need to know the correct way, so I can adapt it to the character

Since I started writing a years ago, there have been numerous points I've looked at my search history and got genuinely worried I've been flagged in some database somewhere 🤣

Ah damn, maybe I'd best try a few keyword searches to find it! That sounds ideal. It's definitely for my writing, definitely definitely I swear.

In my WIP, a character is going to execute another by beheading for the first time. The executioner is instructing her on technique. What the hell do I Google to get these instructions? And when I inevitably get put on a list, how do I get off it? #authorproblems #author

My book series the Children of Inauron is a dark fantasy dealing with mental health and trauma. In the series, the characters' mental health conditions inform the magical powers they develop. If this was the real world, what would your magical powers be?

I still want to make my readers uncomfortable, just as much as I want them to laugh, or cry, or throw their fists in the sky in victory. But, I don't want to make my readers fall into psychological distress. I write for my readers, and whilst I want to challenge them, I don't want to harm them.

So, I've revised both The Great Leap to include content warnings, and made sure they're included in the initial release of Stone Cold Blood.

Even with this, I'm unlikely to get things right on the first pass, so I wanted this thread to show a willingness to learn and adapt.

So, my view has flipped. I'm pro-trigger warning, pro-content warning. This isn't a reluctant adjustment of my view, this is a passionate flip. I think all media should have an easily accessible list of triggers.