Gabe C

chapter of a book that leans heavily on atmosphere and setting will need you to render those fine setting details, but when you get to the speedy action scene, there's no point describing the fireplace and the couch in the room (unless they come into play) /3

was 100% gospel. but no longer! my biggest rule of thumb here is to let level of importance guide you. an atmospheric secondary world fantasy will need a lot of description; a literary character piece will need heavy internalization. i think this applies at the scene & chapter level too - the 1st 2/

This one is very interesting to me because it's actually one of my big weaknesses! if i'm not paying attention to what I'm writing, i tend to skimp on description, internality, etc. part of this is because i'm an underwriter, part of this is because for a while i really believed 'Less Is More' 1/

I wasn't online to see the controversy yesterday but just wanted to say this is one of my favorite writing games so far on bluesky and I really appreciate what you're doing so please take all the time you need!

LOVE THIS. subtext is my favorite thing. tbh i think a huge part of my journey as a writer is learning how much can be said beneath the surface. ex: in this excerpt, my MC is terrified of the prospect of allowing his ghost best friend (long story) to move on, but she doesn't know this.

this is so real 😭and the opinion is like 'that was a good book'

and tbc i dont think trad pub is the One way for anyone, but if u ever want to discuss the pitfalls and challenges + some of the positives im happy to dm (if it helps my book is trans-focused horror but i also write lit fic and sff). im pursuing trad pub bc i have no money to self pub so 💀

c) anything that doesn't fit very safe market bets is having a hard time getting thru the door. so things like long series/less marketable premises (ie anything not romantasy or cozy in fantasy) are hard sells, and its compounded by being trans focused. if that makes sense.

idk if my 2 cents help at all but as a trans person on sub w/ a trans centered book, i think certain trad pub genres are more open to trans books than others. that being said we're at a rly shitty point where a) the world hates us so who knows what will happen b) books overall are trending shorter

Tbh I don't love this because it usually leaves me invested in the action only to lose that when we switch to the actual beginning. I think (IMO) to do this right you need to maintain a clear hook between the action & the beginning to keep the reader invested through that switch

I mostly agree with this, but with some exceptions. sometimes you pull a genre shift, or the tone/initial promise is a red herring. one example: fantasy books in which the setting turns out to be the far flung future. definitely not promised on the first page, but can also work really well.

but this means that in the telling POV, I really have to lean into voice and style in order to keep the reader hooked. So TBH I think telling can actually be harder to implement ~correctly~

100% agree w/ show AND tell. IMO show don't tell is overly prescriptive and if adhered to constantly can create a bogged down book. My current WIP is split between a POV that is deep third (mostly show) and a distant POV that's more like somebody telling a story. lots of telling, but for a reason

Secrets are often liabilities

Sometimes they are power

When the Empire of Colours slaughters 17,000 of his silver-eyed kin, Lucas Rhine buries his hatred, hides his eyes behind coloured lenses, and vows to liberate his country through a diplomatic secession. Usurped prince Faye Phlorik escapes from prison and joins the revolutionaries. They need a silver-eyed champion to rally the people, and Faye needs their resources to reclaim his crown. Lucas and Faye must eliminate each other to achieve their goals. But when the empire's warships come again, they must unite their forces or there will be nothing left of the people they're both trying to liberate.

The Revenant of Surolifia A political fantasy Florence Chien

✨ THE REVENANT OF SUROLIFIA ✨
belle époque vibes | so many schemes

🗡️ an imperial officer bent on revenge
🪽 a thief plotting scandals & revolution
🩸 they aim to kill each other
🔥 but must cooperate to stop another war

📅 07.07.26 #questpit #P #A #F

this sounds so good i want this immediately

A Reader's Guide to Shrike & Thorn Adult Fantasy WIP by FaindriArt / J. R. Silverman The graphic is black and white with red accents. The theme is shrike and thorn motifs.

Pitch Narok is a monster hunter blessed by the sun god. When his friend is murdered, he vows to discover the killer—against his god’s wishes. While on the hunt, he crosses paths with a sorceress from a rival religious order with a vendetta of her own.

For Fans of... Foxglove King by Hannah Whitten (religious themes) The Shadow of the Gods (Norse influences) Trans, Bi, A-spec rep Autism Rep Found Family Yearning Slow Burn Diverse Cast original fantasy races shapeshifters petty, battling gods monster hunting forbidden romance one f*cked up world tree

Snippet In the five years since Narok had joined the King’s Mercies, this was the third time he had died. The first time it’d happened, he’d impaled himself on a pitchfork while fighting a troskar tainted by the Felwood. The slippery creature had thrown him across a barn hall, right onto the fork’s metal prongs. The impact broke his lower back, but his first taste of death had been due to the blood loss. Not his proudest moment.

Trying new graphics for #QuestPit!

My queer adult fantasy WIP with an autistic trans man MMC and his chaotic bisexual love interest. Their romance makes a battle between gods WORSE!

#W #F #A #LGBT

Title: Jacob's Ladder Tags: Jewish Mythology Religious & Body Horror Dying Small Town Generational Trauma Trans MC / Trans Author

At eighteen, Teddy killed his best friend. At twenty-six, her ghost won’t leave him alone. Desperate to help her move on - and absolve himself of his crime - he returns to his dying hometown, where his now-Christian brother claims he can heal his sin. But the town is not keen on Teddy’s return, and if he wants redemption, he’ll have to prove he deserves it - no matter the cost.

Once he’s done puking, he washes his hands, wipes wet palms on his jeans, and studies his reflection in the bathroom mirror. He is of middling height, with dark hair buzzed to his skull and a sallowness that speaks to recent illness. The skin beneath his eyes is dark and swollen like the bruise beneath the skin of an apple. When he probes the space between socket and cheek, he imagines the flesh bursting open, worms spilling out. This doesn’t happen. You have a wild imagination, his mother would chide him. Teddy Curtis and his wild imagination. This is partially imagination too. His mother never called him Teddy.

MIDNIGHT MASS X JEWISH HORROR

His dead best friend haunts him. His brother, an evangelical pastor, eggs his hometown toward ruin. All Teddy wants his salvation - but he's not ready to leave his Jewish heritage behind. Unfortunately, he might not get to choose.

#QuestPit #AG #W #A #H

At Hotel Adair, doors lock themselves, spectral scenes play out in empty rooms, &Cody's friends die in ways her favorite slashers can’t script. If she wants to protect her bff &survive, she must become a Final Girl who doesn’t just fight monsters but herself.

#QuestPit #Q #A #H

my hot take: slow starts can be good sometimes. as always, it depends on your book and what you're aiming for. instead of trying to grab the reader, i try to raise a question (which maybe is the same thing idk im tired)

i love this one because psychic distance is something i've only recently begun playing w/ on purpose. i used to believe you had to pick one and stick with it. now i'm working on what this post states: subtly applying different levels to achieve effect

the no context curse is the worst w/ leaks!! that being said either way this is super intriguing and tense af

This is how you become a writer: just pick one of the things that is deeply wrong with you. Make it a character. Now send it on a self-help journey or try to kill it. Now call it a book.

hello this is insane (in the best way)

I get you! that's the kind of stuff I've been thinking about as I've moved from SFF to more literary work. i think in the lit fic space other elements (atmosphere, theme, more subtle characterization) can take precedence. not to say SFF can't be literary ofcourse! but it depends on the story

my take: this is a super useful tool in my writing toolbox, but not one i adhere to religiously. it depends on the pace of the story and the vibe i'm going for. that being said, learning this taught me how to better evaluate how and when to jump in, which sometimes means lingering #SummerOfStory

damn ok this sounds cool af

drafting and editing in different ways. but mainly the time period where a book is for my eyes only - i try to appreciate this more nowadays

the body horror / dead person crawling out of a living person for fun. this is the most romantic part of the book btw

yep this is amazing

Book 3: One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. IK IK ITS A CLASSIC. but it changed me. what else needs to be said