Lmst

#PennedPossibilities 869 — Choose one of your characters. Who has had the most influence or impact on their life?

I’ll discuss Alistair. It’s Isma, his maker, but it wasn’t a positive influence at all. It was purely traumatic. Secondly, it’s Fenella, and that’s in a positive way (for the most part). First love, only love, the one woman in the world he kept him sane, etc. He *still* loves her.

#WingsOfQuietLonging #ParanormalRomance #Romantasy #Fantasy #Vampires #Werewolves #Ghosts #Romance #Victorian #Worldbuilding #AmWriting #WritingCommunity

What Happened to the Universities That Were Supposed to Serve Us?

How the race for grant money hollowed out the mission of Land Grant universities Photo by Abhi Umrawal on Unsplash #writingcommunity #booksky #amwriting #writing Unfettered Treacle on Substack Land-grant universities were supposed to be our great equalizers.Public institutions where knowledge served everyone, not just those who could afford it. They were built on an idea so simple it feels almost…

https://firefliesandlaserbeams.com/2025/12/09/what-happened-to-the-universities-that-were-supposed-to-serve-us/

Knight Fall

https://stgreenie.wordpress.com/2025/12/10/knight-fall

#poetry #poem #amwriting

Today, I sent the draft of my memoir Loving My Hateful Ancestors: A Public Struggle to Accept My Family's Hand in History to a contract editor. About 6 chapters have been published in the newspaper and literary magazines (I'm too lazy to go back and count.) But does it hang together? We'll see. She'll start taking a look at it in January.

#WritingCommunity #Mississippi #Memoir #AmWriting #AmEditing

Thanks to our friends at @weeknightwriters.bsky.social and #FirstDraftFall we appreciate you, and everyone using the beta with feedback. Thank You! With the site up, we will now add feature additions, daily. Thanks to all. We appreciate each of you.- Wrtr #AmWriting #Writing #Writer #Author #BookSky https://bsky.app/profile/weeknightwriters.bsky.social/post/3m7kyp6kxlc2m

Your characters arrive in a town and find it decorated for some kind of festival.

#WritingPrompt #writing #AmWriting #xmas #Christmas #humor #humour

A candle with baubles and some tinsel, created in lights and hung from the lamp-posts in the town centre. They look like dicks.

What do folks think about this list from Celine Nguyen?

#amwriting #writingcommunity #scribesandMakers #writerscoffeeClub #writing #writers #writersofmastodon #wordweavers #author #bookstodon

Celine Nguyen's "Notes on being a writer in the 21st century"

What’s the most important difference between a cozy and any other type of #mystery? To me, it’s the amateur sleuth. That’s why, in my mind, Agatha Christie’s Poirot mysteries aren’t cozies but the Miss Marples are. Even though Poirot is technically retired, and therefore no longer a policeman, he’s still got the training and the connections.

What do you think?

#AmWriting #CozyMystery

New first draft done! Taking two weeks off before I start revisions. And, in the meantime, starting a NEW new first draft of a different tale. Lots of firsts for me here at the end of the year. #amwriting

A detail of my Freewrite Smart Typewriter, including the status screen showing 87,108 words written on my new first draft. The portion of the screen shown above it displays the words THE END.

Great characters will help you in your writing if you listen to them. They can bring you better stories and better #writing. - Wrtr #AmWriting ~ Characters show and sometimes tell your story. Be Writing. #Writer #Author #BookSky #AuthorSky

Remember: "If you want to be a writer you must learn to paint with words." - Brian Jacques ..Keep Writing.

Today in #AmWriting news, I heard from a friend who volunteered to proofread “What A Charming House.”

He not only proofread it, but found it “wonderful” and a pleasure to read, and other nice things.

I’ll be over here dealing with self-doubt and “oh, he was just being nice” if you need me.

I want to make writing novels my full-time career. These are the stories I have planned that I hope will help me do it.

https://esraye.com/2025/12/09/the-5-year-plan/

#amwriting #writing #writer #scifi #sciencefiction #sff #books

#WordWeavers 12.9 — Tell us about a romantic relationship a character has.

This a romance story. Alistair and Fenella were lovers years ago, then turned friends, and she left Scotland to travel. She's returned again, though. There's someone after her, and he can't quite figure out who it is. He *still* loves her. Unbeknownst to anyone, she still loves him as well.

This is a "Lovers to Friends to Lovers" tale.

Here's an excerpt from Chapter 1:

“Has Fenella been by?” asked Hati. “When was the last time you saw her?”

He chuckled ruefully, caught off guard by the words and glancing her way. His ancient eyes, stark features, and dark expression pinned her in place as he replied, “You know damn well she hasn’t come home.”

The moment stretched on, silence enveloping them. The words were caught in her throat for the look on his face. Seeing her friend, someone she cared a great deal for, in agony would never get any easier.

“You still love her,” she remarked, blatant as could be. “Don’t deny it, please. Just this once, you don’t have to lie. It’s just us. I’ve known for a long time. I naïvely assumed she would have visited you. I heard rumors that she was in the area. I’m sorry for bringing it all up again. My intention wasn’t to bring you any heartache.”

#WingsOfQuietLonging #ParanormalRomance #Romantasy #Fantasy #Vampires #Werewolves #Ghosts #Romance #Victorian #LoversToFriends #FriendsToLovers #Worldbuilding #AmWriting #WritingCommunity

#WritersCoffeeClub Dec 9: Do you reuse certain words as refrain or motif, or avoid repetition altogether?

I really like the phrase, "Grace said nothing." I think I might use it too often, but there's something delightful about a main character who refuses to say anything when it's her "turn."

#Writing #Writers #WritingCommunity #WritersOfMastodon #AmWriting #Scriberspace

#WordWeavers Dec 9: Tell us about a romantic relationship a character has.

There's a hint of a crush bw my lead and two of her best friends. It's not a throuple thing. It's not even a couple thing. They both have crushes on her, and she's way too busy surviving to even contemplate crushing back. If I wanted mainstream success for this book, she'd have to pull a Katniss and pick one. No mainstream success for me...

#Writing #Writers #WritingCommunity #WritersOfMastodon #AmWriting #Scriberspace

In spite of constant and bloody annoying interruptions, I made 1500 words. Which is not the stretch goal I hoped for, but is my usual daily goal, so I'll take it and be happy.

----

“I'm hoping you can answer several questions I have, and give me information. Then I'll answer any questions you may have and we can talk about plans going forward.”

Marcus grinned and nodded encouragement. She was taking control of the conversation from the beginning, just like they'd discussed.

“Very well,” Vasile said, “What do you wish to know?”

“Let's start with how cohesive the clan is at the moment. I was under the impression that the clan scattered after Nivele's attack, but you implied that you could take me to meet the whole clan when we met.”

#AmWriting #L3

Splatter Poetry: Internal Problem

https://stgreenie.blogspot.com/2025/09/internal-problem.html?spref=tw

#poetry #poem #amwriting