AdorkableSmile

Our gorgeous #WakeUpDeadMan end credit portraits, painted from life by Isabella Watling. We’re still in theaters, see my pinned post for a theater finder!

Your avi... Let's see it
(Pic by the fabulous @mathiasball.bsky.social)

After the recent joy of Hard Boiled in a packed theater it hit me that one of the tragedies of capitalism’s manifestation of our tech age is that on top of imprisoning us in gilded cages disconnected from shared reality, they are transforming communal experience into an expensive, uncommon novelty.

@handsoffnyc.bsky.social is training thousands of New Yorkers on how to protect their neighbors from ICE. Today, they are currently running two trainings in Brooklyn and the Bronx, both of which hit capacity because interest was so high.

This is the way, y’all—we protect each other, and we know it.

Black cat.

The void is a nerdass.

#caturday #cats #catsky #proofofcat

A long-hair orange kitten is lying on a cozy throw with a quilt and Christmas tree in the background.

#Caturday

Olly cuddling up and in the Christmas spirit!

#CatsOfBlueSky #GingerCats

This is an interesting thread.

What strikes me is that this is one of the best statements on the issue of GenAI that I've ever read.

I think managing to actually complete the novel, in interesting ways, despite all the pressures of the year.

also kinda proud of this opening to a chapter:

'The buzzy high of prawn cocktail crisps was wearing off, replaced by a more shaky anxiety of adrenalin.'

#pretendpanel #WritingCommunity

not believing in myself

fuck this would explain so so much

uhhhhhh

how much is a private diagnosis again? 🫠

There’s an old joke about conjugation that is some variant of “I am principled, you are dogmatic, he is a stubborn ass”. It’s a good joke, with a good reminder of the stories we tell ourselves.

I feel like this is the fourth, weaponized conjunction to describe “those people”, whoever they are.

Another great example of how a normal, commendable behavior (keeping your child close to protect them) can be reframed (using a human shield) by people who only care about winning

It’s good to see these, because it can make you reasonably skeptical when you hear these same phrases in other contexts

Ok, I’m venting some spleen elsethread, so here’s something a bit more positive: a quick health check for your brain and reality.

Name three things which are genuinely important which you do not personally care about, nor have opinions about.

It might be easy, or it might be tricky.

One of the biggest drivers of high housing costs is that a small, highly motivated group of incumbent homeowners block new housing in their neighborhoods and almost no one is organized to push back.

Young people bear the brunt of that imbalance.

Be a housing fan.

It's an actual game plan on the right. They use it for book bans as well. They start with something easy: no porn in libraries. That hooks in the low information folks. Then you slowly broaden the scope until you're yanking any YA that violates Christian nationalism.

No. You know what? Screw it. I'm going to release a book while I'm 42.

Anybody got a checklist for self publishing? I'll absolutely be seeking out advice on specifics, but making a list to work through is my first goal. It's the only way this'll happen w/o totally overwhelming me.

As an aside to this, I also have beef with those cards that you're supposed to hand people if you're having a panic attack or something.
My good bitch, I am not in the headspace to root through my wallet and find a card to give to people who are pestering me about crying and hyperventilating.

#pretendpanel
I think the thing I struggled with most was finding the time to really delve into revisions.

Or if not the time, more like struggling against an idea which became a barrier: ...
1/4

#PretendPanel 6. For a chunk of the year, even though I told myself I wasn't, I was still struggling with the effects of the 2023 incident, which caused me periods of depression and anger and wanting to toss everything into the trash bin.

Fortunately, that's in the past now (for real, this time).

I was. I pushed myself very hard this year, determined to meet arbitrary deadlines at each stage of the writing process. I came very close to burnout in September while I was retyping THE DEVOURING for its fourth draft.

Next year, I want to pace myself better and go with the flow. #pretendpanel

#PretendPanel December 6: Real question: how do you write just one thing and not have spawn off ten times as many words of notes, character outlines, and unrelated spin-offs? My current output is something like a million words a year, 10% of which are actually something approaching a finished story.

#pretendpanel

Querying, by far. The endless stream of rejections sucks and for a while made me not want to do this anymore. But I’m pushing through.

Ah, that's a tough line to walk! It sounds good to have a job where you can be creative - but to work on corporate projects instead of the things you want to create must be tough! 😬

I'm glad you're still able to make things for yourself in between :)

Haha, thank you 😅

Thanks! 😊 Therapy is helping :3

Laura Kate Dale. 2025 Trans Book Fest. 6th December 2025. 11am-6pm. The Common Press, 118 Bethnal Green Road, London, E2 6DG.

Saturday December 6th I'll be taking part in Trans Book Fest at The Common Press in London.

I'll be doing a reading of "Me and My Dysphoria Monster" (11am ish) and a signing (aprox noon)

Pay what you can tickets available here: www.outsavvy.com/event/31434/...

1) legendary energy

2) you don't want to be passive aggressively chased through winter conditions by a Minnesotan, I hope they have nightmares 😂

But no seriously, how the fuck can all this AI shit get away with so much fucking porn, deepfakes, AI girlfriends and all that shit but god forbid someone writes a monster smut fic and posts it to Itch