Julie Bihn (Titanic Voyage, available now!)

That must be such a strange experience for people in your society…!

Sounds wild!

Whoa!

I love Charlotte’s so much!

(Re: rain, the night the Titanic survivors arrived in NYC, it was raining. So that one’s historical. I knew Emma would get caught in another storm sometime. The rest…maybe at that point I was subconsciously or purposely doing it. But you can’t control rain…hey, is that a symbol?) #HistorytownAZ

(Rain tends to appear when there are changes in Emma’s life. I think it symbolizes her vulnerability, but I’m sure there are other layers. Of course, Emma’s story came to me easily and largely formed. The other story in my WIP is more like pulling wisdom teeth. 🫠 I’ll get there!) #HistorytownAZ

This isn't really the kind of thing I do consciously, and I don't know much about it. My gut says that I have themes more than anything concrete.

In my WIP, though, rain is a recurring...I lean towards motif, but maybe a symbol?

#SummerOfStory #HistorytownAZ

The Stainless Steel Rat for President by Henry Harrison. A bearded man, pure white, wears a suit and top hat and carries a cane, appearing to happily dance? In the foreground are what look to be single-issue ballots. The background is largely magenta, orange, and black, and it features a spaceship.

#20TBRbookchallenge 5/20
💙📚

Choose 20 books on your current TBR shelf. One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order.

No explanations, no expectations, just covers.

Sorry--I meant in your book, people can't change the past? I asked since you referenced reliving memories.

I know people have different preferences, but for myself, I don't like being told that a character feels sad, etc. I want to feel along with them and discover things alongside them, which to me usually comes from being "shown."

But I imagine some readers like to be told about feelings!

Do they only go back once per book? (I honestly forget in Book 1 😬)

#TimeTravelAuthors (updated!) August 2025 1. Tell us about your time-travel story (optional: end with "out of time") 3. Deleted sentence or scene 5. Jobs/work in your story 7. Do they time travel many times? Once? Something else? 9. Saturday excerpt (optional word: strong) 11. Cold/freezing in your story 13. Wednesday POST-SIZED snippet (optional word: mess) 15. Injustices in your story? 17. How athletic are your characters? 19. Nicknames in your story 21. Any time police/parties restricting time travel? 23. Saturday excerpt (optional word: restore) 25. Writing advice you liked 27. Wednesday POST-SIZED snippet (optional word: adventure) 29. Is anyone late? 31. Author's choice/promo All time-travel authors and published works, WIPs, etc. welcome! To join, just answer the prompts on odd days, using the hashtag #TimeTravelAuthors On even days, post what you like! Questions? @juliebihn@bsky.social

A theme park worker can travel back in time to the Titanic. But can he save the heroic victim he's come to love? Titanic Voyage, free on Hoopla or $3.99 at major retailers. (Cover of Titanic Voyage: A glowing porthole on a dark sky with the ocean and a faint silhouette of a roller coaster in the background)

Liam goes back to the Titanic so many times, I end up glossing over a few instances. He may or may not end up in a changed present at some point…. #TimeTravelAuthors books2read.com/TV

Locksmith's Closet by Paul Briggs. The Locksmith Trilogy Book 1. 3 children (2 boys, 1 with glasses and a backpack, and a girl) silhouetted against an ornate glowing golden frame with a golden world on the other side.

#20TBRbookchallenge 4/20
💙📚

Choose 20 books on your current TBR shelf. One book per day for 20 days, in no particular order.

No explanations, no expectations, just covers.

I am pretty competent at pointing out where others are “telling” and it might be better to “show.” But I tend to “show” too much in my own work. As a discovery writer, I need to write out the scene to find out what happens! But I need to learn to go back and summarize for the draft. #SummerOfStory

#SummerOfStory 7
1/ Fanatical adherence to SDT will make your book feel like a lurching carnival ride with no breathing room or explanation for how you got here. I know because I wrote that book (more than once.)

THE LITTLE PRINCE is my fave book, and aside from some dialogue, it's entirely "told."

Scary for your characters!

It he couldn’t help, would there even be a story? 🤔

Clever of Felix, and seeing the effects sounds like a neat approach!

Oh no! (So is it a can’t change the past deal?)

#TimeTravelAuthors (updated!) August 2025 1. Tell us about your time-travel story (optional: end with "out of time") 3. Deleted sentence or scene 5. Jobs/work in your story 7. Do they time travel many times? Once? Something else? 9. Saturday excerpt (optional word: strong) 11. Cold/freezing in your story 13. Wednesday POST-SIZED snippet (optional word: mess) 15. Injustices in your story? 17. How athletic are your characters? 19. Nicknames in your story 21. Any time police/parties restricting time travel? 23. Saturday excerpt (optional word: restore) 25. Writing advice you liked 27. Wednesday POST-SIZED snippet (optional word: adventure) 29. Is anyone late? 31. Author's choice/promo All time-travel authors and published works, WIPs, etc. welcome! To join, just answer the prompts on odd days, using the hashtag #TimeTravelAuthors On even days, post what you like! Questions? @juliebihn@bsky.social

A theme park worker can travel back in time to the Titanic. But can he save the heroic victim he's come to love? Titanic Voyage, free on Hoopla or $3.99 at major retailers. (Cover of Titanic Voyage: A glowing porthole on a dark sky with the ocean and a faint silhouette of a roller coaster in the background)

Liam goes back to the Titanic so many times, I end up glossing over a few instances. He may or may not end up in a changed present at some point…. #TimeTravelAuthors books2read.com/TV

Oh man that was one of mine, too…!

Can this be true for fiction OCs too? 🥺

I don't even hate Fudge Stripes, but if you go in envisioning shortbread or actual chocolate, I think you're in for a disappointment. (The chocolate-covered graham ones get me, though. Even store brand!)

Are Fudge Stripes even shortbread? They struck me as...I don't even know what. A flimsy cookie that serves as a delivery system for thin layers of not-quite fudge?

Last Chance Match promotion picture for Cera: a 22-year-old realist from Luriel, Calasca. Red-headed woman pictured smiling with blood splattered overtop and her eyes blacked out.

Last Chance Match promotion picture for Ryde: a 24-year-old jealous son of a bitch from Luriel, Calasca. Brunette man pictured covering his face with blood splattered overtop and her eyes blacked out.

Dear Citizen of Calasca,

Pack your bags! I am happy to extend an invitation for you to join us on LAST CHANCE MATCH, a new reality holovision program where LOVE ISLAND meets SQUID GAME and BLACK MIRROR. We promise you’ll find the one who’s to die for.

#W #NA #R #SF #S #QuestPit

I put in elements of my life, but anymore I’d say at most like 25%, spread across various characters and experiences. (I used to write semi self-inserts, but the most recent one—MANY years ago—actually had little in common with me…)

If you’re even slightly interested in writing craft, and/or if you think there’s anything you could improve in your work, this hashtag is a really good place to get bite-sized tips and things to consider. (I always say no rule is absolute, but it’s great to see people’s viewpoints.)

From looking at the hashtag, it appears that many authors also include an asterisk along the lines of “*Unless it is very funny; then you can keep it in.” Of course it depends on the genre, but I think I largely agree with that 😅

Looking at the hashtag, many authors say basically "Yeah, but if it's hilarious, it should stay." I know readers usually like those humorous bits, too. So it sounds like at the least, the rule needs some kind of exception when it comes to humor. 🤔

This makes me wonder if there's a parallel triangle where if a scene does something to change/cause progress in the READER, it might belong in the book. (In your case, it sounds like in part, your scenes might serve a purpose of relieving tension for the reader/letting them breathe.)