Meg

This is a call for #betareaders on my WIP! Looking for members of the #writingcommunity who would be available in November. Gaslamp fantasy, expected ~150k words. I can offer money, a read swap, or an art commission as payment.

Leave a comment or DM if you are interested!

Oh man that's the worst spot to be in especially with multiple projects at once :( Hoping you can beat that block!!

Here is my online portfolio! It hasn't been updated in a bit (AI scraping has made me wary), but is still fairly accurate. steamega.wordpress.com

Seeking 1 or 2 #betareaders for this! See pinned post for more details.

Feedback will be very casual, all you will have to do is read the whole thing and mention if any parts of it don't quite sit right in your mind, no ch by ch notes necessary. I will also provide a short questionnaire with some more specific things to look for.

This is a call for #betareaders on my WIP! Looking for members of the #writingcommunity who would be available in November. Gaslamp fantasy, expected ~150k words. I can offer money, a read swap, or an art commission as payment.

Leave a comment or DM if you are interested!

Oregon White oak is typically mostly "white" it has a light tan coloration, however in mineral rich soils it can take on mineral staining producing this stunning black/near black tones that settle in the grain.

When I make my cuts I do my best to lay out a piece to have the most aesthetically pleasing construction in addition to mechanical considerations. Matching Grain orientation and colors to straight up continuing a grain in a cut to create a wrap around effect are all high on my list when making a piece.

When doing finishing touches like a box liner I do my best to select a matching or pleasantly contrasting wood like in this case a relatively simple grained walnut liner contrasts with the more busy and interesting exterior oak. The Walnut also has a finer grain which was a consideration for ensuring items stored don't get caught in more porus open grain of the oak.

If you are a fan of unique wood grain but not a fan of exotic (imported) woods, I spend a lot of time finding the most interesting pieces of lumber available from local sources to make my pieces.

This Oregon White Oak Tarot/CCG deckbox is a great example.
www.galdrecraft.com/product/taro...

On call with my beta reader tonight:
"I don't mean to tease you. But your 'W' vocabulary is extensive." #writing

My final draft had at least three chapters I'd written from different attempts and saved them because I just knew they belonged somewhere! We're all just writing little monster Frankennovels

Oh my gosh I love the way you've put this :D

Screenshot of the bottom of a word document showing the word count of "100,190 words, 554,729 characters"

I hit 100k in revisions AND finished Act III tonight!! It's one of my favorite moments in the whole book and one of the oldest - it existed well before the actual plot did and I love that I've been able to keep it in the story. Two more acts to go! #amwriting #amrevising

Usually just enough to differentiate them from each other. Comparison is a great way to introduce said details.

1. Title, Date, & Prompt Introduction This slide features a large torn piece of lined paper with the text "August 2nd" at the top and the title "Psychic Distance" in big script letters. There's a typewriter in the corner with a note saying "TOOLS not RULES". On the right, there's a speech bubble with prompt questions, a Bluesky butterfly, and it has a palm leaf background. Transcription: August 2nd Psychic Distance What's your take on this writing technique? Have you used it before—or do you avoid it? Share your thoughts, drop a snippet, or tell us how you’d use it in a scene.

2. What and Why This slide is a piece of lined paper with "What?" and "Why?" highlighted at the top and middle. It explains what "Psychic Distance" means as a writing technique and why it's useful. There's a Bluesky butterfly and palm fronds in the background. Transcription: What? Psychic Distance, a concept popularised by John Gardner, is about how close the reader feels to a character’s thoughts and experiences. It can range from far and objective—like watching from a distance—to deep inside a character’s head, feeling what they feel and thinking what they think. It’s not about POV; it’s about proximity. Why? Shifting psychic distance lets you control how much the reader connects and how fast the scene moves. Zoom out for clarity or commentary. Zoom in to build tension, intimacy, or emotional punch.

3. In Practice 
This slide looks like a piece of graph paper and features more highly dubious stick figure doodles by yours truly illustrating the five levels of psychic distance, from very far to very close. Each level has a sample sentence showing how narration changes as the psychic distance shifts. The right side explains how sliding between levels can affect story flow. The background is teal with palm leaves. Transcription:
 John Gardner defined 5 levels of Psychic Distance. 
Level 1 (very far) to Level 5 (very close) Level 1
 In the dark study, a woman sat at her desk late into the night.
 Purely external, objective narration. No access to character's thoughts or feelings. Level 2
 Charlotte often struggled to find the right words for her stories.
 We now know the character's name and a little of her opinion, but still from a narrative distance. Level 3
 She wondered whether she’d ever truly master psychic distance, or if her characters would always feel just out of reach. 
Now we're getting some of the character's internal thoughts, but still in third person. Level 4
 The glare of the laptop, the ache in her wrist, the endless shuffle of half-written sentences—her doubts pressed closer every minute.
 The narration is now inside the character's immediate sensory experience and emotions. Level 5
 Why can't I get this right? Maybe I'm not meant to be a writer after all.
 We're now essentially inside the character's head, hearing her (relatable!) direct thoughts. By sliding between the different levels, it makes writing feel more dynamic. If you jump between levels, though, it can feel discordant. 
String these sentences together and you have the start of story. Jump from L1 to L5, and it's jarring for your reader.

4. What do you think? This slide is a torn piece of paper with discussion questions for writers about using the "Psychic Distance" technique. There's a speech bubble repeating "TOOLS not RULES," a Bluesky butterfly, and palm fronds in the background. Transcription: What do you think? So, what's your take on Psychic Distance? Is it entirely subconscious for you, or do you pay attention to the flow of your scenes, zooming in and out with more forethought? Where does your writing mostly sit L1–L5? Why not share your experience or a snippet with the community? Hot takes welcome—just please don't set anyone on fire! BONUS Challenge! Why not try an experiment? Take a paragraph from your WIP and play around with the Psychic Distance to achieve a different tone or mood. Can you make scenes less or more intense by sliding up and down the scale? What happens when you stay at the same level the whole time?

Welcome back to #SummerOfStory

Day 2: Psychic Distance

A technique most writers probably use subconsciously, but can you get more out of your scenes if you actively fine-tune PD?

NB: These ideas are not my own. I'm not trying to tell anyone how to write, just prompt discussion.

#WritingPrompt

pink and white notebook with pink and mauve pen next to text which reads Every scene needs four key components on a white background.

Every scene needs:

Obstacle + discomfort + action + consequences

That’s how you create a story with personal stakes, a plot intrinsically linked to your protagonist, and a character arc that gives the protagonist the internal resources they need to overcome the final obstacle.

#writingcommunity

Preview image collage of 5 boxes with brass hardware. Counter Clockwise from top left. Maple Burl, Oregon White Oak, Quilted Maple, Oregon White Oak, Walnut.

Shop Update! A bevy of boxes for your tarot, oracle, and ccg deck needs! Premium hardwoods, durable construction, traditional wood finishes. Make them an heirloom of your house.

www.galdrecraft.com

#witchsky #bskynm

This is such a good method, tried and tested

So you wrote a novel draft!

Great! throw yourself a party and ignore it.

Go do something else. distract yourself with fun stuff that fills the well. read books you want to read, head to a meadow and frolic, take a dance class, whatever.

you want to forget the experience of having written it.

Yeah, alright, no. No don't this. I'll do you a few fucking better and teach you right here and now how to do this:
You game? Blurb and lesson time. Got you.
First up, a SPOOC. This is one technique that can be expanded (gonna give you examples too). WRITING LESSONS AHOY:
🧵

#BluePit was so much fun!! Everyone had such amazing pitches, I'm so excited to see where y'all take these.

This was also the most love my WIP has ever gotten, thank you!! 💚💚

I sense something good brewing between these two 👀 (also same protagonist name! Nice!)

Nine photos. Top left photo is autumn leaves on the ground. Top center photo is swirling clouds. Top right photo is a black potion in a glass bottle on the ground. Middle left photo is of a young woman in a ballgown. Middle photo is a gothic building. Middle right photo is of bookshelves. Bottom left photo is a gothic corridor. Bottom center photo is a foggy forest. Bottom right photo is a silhouette of a man.

LEGENDBORN x WEDNESDAY

At Meteora University, students of color are in danger of losing their magic. But when Nisha becomes the first of her race to have fall magic, she must find out if her unique powers will help her stop the threat or make her a bigger target.

#BluePit 📖 #Q #YA #OV #POC #F

A grid of 9 images. From top left, clockwise: 1. A collection of pocket knives 2. A man wearing a collar, a leash pulling on it 3. Crime scene tape around a telephone pole 4. The words "forget him" written many times 5. A basement with a mattress on the floor 6. A close up of a person's wrists as they hang, bound, from a chain. 7. Close up of a newspaper reading "missing" 8. the words, "it takes a monster to destroy a monster" 9. the lower have of a person's face. they are wearing a dark, industrial face mask.

And Hell Followed — #bluepit📖
Mal doesn't remember where he came from, but he remembers Adrian. Escaping from the cult that owned him for most of his life, he finds his old friend and takes him, hoping to figure out where he came from — and what he has become.
#bluepit #a #r #w #lgbt #dis #nd #tr #h

A drawing of five characters from Hotel of Thieves by Claire Scott. All are dressed in red hotel uniforms.

HOTEL OF THIEVES - Graphic Novel Pitch

To save a hotel ran by art thieves, a callous hotel manager must accomplish her most dangerous heist yet, all while struggling to uncover a traitor amongst her staff.

#BluePit💥 #BluePit #NA #C #W

a 3x3 image grid moodboard. in the top row, the first image is of scattered tarot cards, the middle image is of a group of people on a beach around a fire at sunset, and the third image has various colorful paper-mache masks hanging on a wooden wall. first image on the second row is a close up of a christ statue nailed to a wall, the middle image is a red, melting popsicle, and the third image is of a skill half obscured by mulch. the first image of the last row is an areal view of the coastal city of San Juan, the middle image is of a hand reaching out of a body of water, and the last image is of tall grass against a blue sky.

What's a trans guy to do when all practitioners in his family have been women? Try to survive the monster his late grandmother set on him, of course.

DEFINE HOME TO ME is a folk horror/creature feature set in my home country of Puerto Rico. The chupacabra is also there.

#BluePit #BluePit📖 #A #H #Q

THE ENEMY WE CAN’T AFFORD

🔫 Assassin by trade
⚖️ Lawful to the letter
😬 Rebel by mistake
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Found family

Romi kills to afford truth in a system where survival is sold. But the closer she gets, the clearer it becomes: not everyone makes it out, and maybe she was never meant to.

#BluePit📖 #SP #A #Q

Full Metal Alchemist x Sherlock Holmes
Human transmutation, performed on the self, a crime by the rules of the crown. But she had to do it, to become her truest self, with an offer on the table to serve the crown once more, she will use it to secure her freedom.

#BluePit 📖 #F #W #A #OV #TR #LGBT

A mood board of nine images. Top row: Gustave Doré's etching of "Over London by Rail"; a photo of two hands wearing rings clutching a leather bound book; slum street of Paris at night from AC Unity with an oil filter. Middle row: Garrett from "Thief" crouched in ruins, framed by a circular safe door; cropped digital painting of Billie Lurk from Dishonored by Cedric Peyravernay; burning wreckage in front of stone gates. Bottom row: "Big City Train Station," an oil painting of a train yard from above in orange tones by Hans Baluschek; a hand in a leather glove grasping a wooden railing in the rain; black and white photo of foxtails on a wooden surface.

AMONG THIEVES x TRAITOR OF SHERWOOD FOREST

All major thefts in the city belong to one man. Nev wants him dead, and not just because of her job. But if she is to save her city from the threat he says is coming, allying with him is her only hope - before he figures out who she is. #BluePit 📖 #W #A #F

In the center reads the title of my WIP novel, Friendship & Faeriecology, in cursive font. Along the edges are a collage of images: Cambridge University, a kitchen window lined with pink flowers, a deer standing in a forest, a witch sitting in a field under the moonlight, and a patch of mushrooms on the forest floor.

FLOWERHEART x HEDGEWITCH OF FOXHALL

A self-centered teenaged witch loses her friends and makes a deal with a faerie to make them love her again. But as the costs of her deal escalate, she finds herself instead growing closer to a strange girl who sees past her glamour.

#BluePit #YA #F #W #LGBT

The stakes in this are so intriguing!! Got me hooked right away!

A purple background with light colored stars. The text reads "An Agent's Guide to Starfallen By: Nia Brown YA Low Fantasy 115K Words" At the very bottom is the tagline "The sun by day. The moon by night. Recite these words. Release the light.

This post is split into two sections. On the left side is a collage of eight square images. Image 1 is of a glowing figure with no distinct features. Image 2 is of a pair of hands, cradling a glowing purple object. Image 3 is a picture of the universe tinted purple. Image 4 is a close-up of a dark-skinned individual focusing on their eye which has a violet iris. Image 5 is two people standing in the middle of a road in the woods with backpacks. Image 6 is of an empty street lined with trees and lit by light blue otherworldly light. Image 7 is of a dark-skinned individual with short afro-textured hair, white eyes, and a serious expression. They are wearing an accessory that covers their face in a lattice pattern with miniature diamond emblems at each intersection. Image 8 is a still shot of a young animated figure running towards a star in the distance with their arms spread. To the right is text that reads "the pitch" is in all caps. Beneath it reads Legendborn x Stranger Things in all caps. Beneath that is the pitch which reads "Three years ago, Jada Fraser fled to her hometown after having nearly burnt it to the ground, but returns to find it now subject to flood waters rather than flames. She is convinced their saving grace lies in wish-granting stars—but they haven’t come to Earth in decades... That is until one falls from the sky—her chance at redemption. The only problem? It’s just a kid that can hardly control its magic. She teams up with her (maddeningly) charming childhood friend, Khalil Kirkwood, to protect the star which is being hunted by forces both human and celestial. But there are other odd happenings. Strange disappearances. Constellation beasts in the woods. And North Star Labs whose scientists are all hiding something. It's either sink or swim as a catastrophic flood threatens to take everything before summer’s end."

On a blue background are two navy boxes. On the left it has an underlined title that reads What To Expect. Beneath that, there are bulletin points that read celestial magic. Snarky, supernatural kid. Something is wrong in the woods. Slow burn+friends to lovers+mutual yearning. Literary themes w/ commercial appeal. Main cast: BIPOC, disabled, neurodivergent (diabetic, ptsd, anxiety, fat, burns MC rep) In the box to the right, the title reads Literary Comps in all caps. Beneath it are images of three books. Tracy Deonn's Legendborn which has an illustrated cover of a black girl with her arms wreathed in glowing magic on the cover. Ava Reid's A Study in Drowning which has an illustrated cover of a girl standing with her back turned in front of an older looking desk in a room of rising water. And Where the Dark Stands Still by A.B. Poranek which has an illustrated cover of a young woman wearing a dress standing in lush woods while a figure with antlers stands behind her in the shadows. Beneath each of the books is more text. Under Legendborn it reads Black FMC, Modern Magic, and Small Southern Town. Under A Study in Drowning, it reads Compelling Mystery and Real World w/ Fantasy Elements. Under, Where the Dark Stands Still, it reads Lush Atmosphere and Unsettling Forest.

On a blue background is a navy rectangle. At the top of it in blue capital letters it reads Opening Scene and is framed by stars on either side. Beneath it is a screenshot of a scene which reads: Jada Fraser always found herself on the wrong side of the law. Today was no exception. The contents of her bag beat against her back with every pounding step. Binoculars, camera, and her trusty notepad—everything she needed to procure proper proof. “Stop! You’re trespassing on private property!” A glance over her shoulder revealed an officer hot on her heels. He raised his arms, leveling a taser directly at her back. “Any further and I’ll fire!” Jada dove behind a tree, just in time to hear a sharp whine pierce the air. Silver wires struck a nearby trunk and electricity crackled beneath the bark. The acrid scent spurred her back into motion. Through the branches, she finally caught a glimpse of blue. If she could just reach the lake, she’d finally prove to everyone that something strange was going on—that she wasn’t crazy. “This is your last chance!” the officer shouted. He was right. This was her last chance. She couldn’t afford to stop now.

LEGENDBORN x STRANGER THINGS x ATLANTIS

A girl and her maddeningly charming childhood friend shelter a young star who falls to their sinking hometown while also trying to solve a string of disappearances surrounding a local lab.

#bluepit #bluepit📖 #agentsguide #YA #F #R #SF #M #SP #Q #OV #POC #ND