Dan Desai Martin

Rejection-Proof: How to Keep Writing When No One's Saying Yes with Dan Desai Martin Podcast Episode · Book Shop Chats: · 04/23/2025 · 34m

Looking for a podcast to listen to on your way to/from the office? Or on a walk? I was a guest on Book Shop Chats, where we had a wide-ranging discussion about #writing -- ups, down, tips, advice, etc. I had a blast doing it.

podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/r... #WritingCommunity #fantasywriters

Happy National Voter Registration Day! Oregon Secretary Read is celebrating by checking his registration and making sure it's up to date and you should too! It's simple and easy for eligible Oregon voters, just head to: OregonVotes.gov/MyVote #VoteReady

Every day there is another reason to be glad I canceled my WaPo subscription.

After reading this, I wish I would cancel it again. Karen Attiah deserved better. I hope her important voice continues to be heard.

Photo of two deer on a grassy hillside.

Not pets, per se, but I recently saw these neighbors on a recent morning walk.

Jesus: “Blessed are the poor.”

Fox News: “Murder the poor.”

#values

I'm consistently impressed with the #SFFChat folks -- both on Thursdays and throughout the week. Even when I can only participate for a little bit, I'm excited to be around incredible writers who are ridiculously creative and passionate. HUGE thank you to @stevewestenra.bsky.social for everything.

This is great. The description is wonderful.

#SFFChat Q1: Here's a snippet from the first chapter of my forthcoming book (out next year!) where we find the protagonist fleeing.

#SFFChat Intro: Hi, I'm Dan and I write fantasy novels. Based on feedback, I have a particular strength for naming things -- places, groups/organizations, etc.

Everyone brightens a room. Some when they enter; and others when they leave.

Live your life in a way that brings light & joy into whatever room you enter.

If you’re looking for a good short story for this weekend, I gotta recommend Emily’s Bones by @mamuscript.bsky.social. Such a good, satisfying read:

www.fictionontheweb.co.uk/2025/09/emil...

Emily's Bones by Sarah Arceneaux Short stories hand-picked from authors around the world. Submissions accepted. Humour, crime, sci-fi, fantasy, horror and everyday life.

YALL!! This amazing #shortstory from @mamuscript.bsky.social (Sarah Arceneaux) just got published!! I was lucky enough to read it in our writing group and it’s SO GOOD.

Read it now or bookmark it for later:

www.fictionontheweb.co.uk/2025/09/emil... #writing #Booksky #writingcommunity

Emily's Bones by Sarah Arceneaux Short stories hand-picked from authors around the world. Submissions accepted. Humour, crime, sci-fi, fantasy, horror and everyday life.

Sometimes the biggest contribution you can make in a writers group is just to shout SUBMIT THIS RIGHT NOW, ITS PERFECT.

Y’all, this one… killer piece from @mamuscript.bsky.social #writerslift #writing

www.fictionontheweb.co.uk/2025/09/emil...

a man in a blue shirt and tie is screaming with his hands in the air Alt: a man in a blue shirt and tie is screaming in happiness with his hands in the air

So this random Mexican restaurant played Reputation by #TaylorSwift in order as we had dinner.

Me throughout dinner:

Image of a dragon head with the words: Writing About Dragons and Shit.

Been really enjoying listening to the backlist of @aboutdragons.bsky.social podcast. Great advice for writers at all stages— beginners to early career to hobbyists. I’m a fan of the advice, banter, and of course Erin’s laugh. Check it out.

Reading Report: August 2025 Hello subscribers! This is something of an experiment. I wanted to try a subscribers only post and I figured I'd add a link roundup of interesting articles on writing (and some not). I'm also includin...

New for subscribers at #writingabtwriting, there is now a monthly Reading Report of writing news, articles to spark your interest, and whatever books I've been reading for the month.

📚💙 #writinglife #writingq #booksky

JRR Tolkien smoking a pipe.

RIP Professor Tolkien, who died 52 years ago on this day, a little over a month before I was born. I've always played with the idea that a tiny bit of him traveled all the way across the Atlantic Ocean and found his way into me.
Though, if true, I must apologize for being allergic to trees. 😆

A Little Help from My (Writing Group) Friends It's ok to ask for help. It's ok to be vulnerable. Because the folks who are on your side want to help. And get a good writing group.

We all need help from time to time. Sometimes we need to ask for it. And that means being vulnerable.

dandesaimartin.com/a-little-hel... #writingcommunity #writers #writinggroup #authors #skywriters

Just started reading this. Very excited to get into it.

I need to check out blue sky more, but just a reminder my book FOR SHE IS WRATH is out now and it's a rage filled gender flipped Count of Monte Cristo retelling with baddie brown revenge girls!

The Secret to Writing a Book Here is the secret "they" don't want you to know. The "hack" that will take you from cool idea to finished novel. I'm revealing it.

I wrote something. The primary audience is me. But maybe it will be helpful to other #writers & #authors out there.

dandesaimartin.com/the-secret-t... #writingcommunity #Skywriters

When it comes to writing a book:

The Many: I want to have written a book.

The Few: I will put in the time, effort, frustration, and work to write a book.

The Ultimate California & Oregon Road Trip Here's a detailed itinerary of our 12-day road trip that covered 2,600 miles, exploring much of California and a little bit of Oregon.

My first foray into #travel writing. I'm starting a series on an epic road trip my wife & I took through #california & #oregon. The first entry lays out the itinerary we used for a 2-week, 2,600-mile #roadtrip through deserts, mountains, forests, and beaches.

dandesaimartin.com/ultimate-cal...

Sunrise over a lake.

Back from a two-week vacation where I managed to stay off of social media. It was glorious, and easy with scenery like this.
#photography #nature #sunrise #scenic #peaceful

I’m an author with a small, independent press— @gdpub.bsky.social. They’ve released half a dozen books this year, with more in the way. You can check them out here:

golddustpublishing.square.site/s/shop

#SFFChat -- daily prompts for sci-fi and fantasy writers. The prompt for Aug 8: What are you reading?

#SFFChat Aug 8: What are you reading?

I'm reading Mr. Tingles' Mysteries: The Curious Case of the Bodiless Head by debut author Sean D. Roach. It's a fun, campy mystery set in North Carolina, and I am enjoying it so far!

More about it here: www.amazon.com/Mr-Tingles-M...

#FantasyIndiesAugust - Daily prompts for fantasy writers. The prompt for Aug 8: Free Friday or your dreams & goals.

#FantasyIndiesAugust Aug 8: Free Friday or your dreams & goals.

I hope that one day, a stranger emails me and tells me that my book was meaningful to them in some way.

Tomorrow's Bestsellers, Today (2025) The MWA published Emerging Voices: Poetry and Prose by Maryland Teens (Volume 10), a collection of short stories, novel excerpts, and poems.

#SFFChat Outro:
I was lucky enough to be an editor on a recent collection of short stories & poetry written by Maryland teens. You can read about it here:

dandesaimartin.com/mwa-emerging...

This is great! I felt like I was there.

I like how the dinner bell is described as the "sweetest" -- the wordplay, referencing both sound and taste -- is clever and beautiful.