my mind is a weird place

I’m looking for alpha sensitivity readers to discuss a transgender character in my fantasy trilogy ‘The Wildfire King’. 

I’m back to re-outlining the trilogy, and I have a plotline/character that I’m looking for feedback on to get some direction before I go any further.

I’m just looking for alpha readers, so basically a quick chat and some feedback, you won’t have to do any draft reading! The character is a trans woman, but if you’re interested and have the time I’m looking for opinions from the trans community in general.

Cheek: a round dull pain that clocks your entire head in a different direction. It’s painful and throbs but the main effect of a punch to the cheek is how jarring it is. You feel it in your mouth, your teeth. And no matter how you position that punch the knuckles will always hit the jaw and cheek bones adding a frame of sharp pain in which the redness will be painted.

Temple: getting hit on the temple pushes your head to the side rather than turning it. It’s disorienting because it leaves you very off balance. It essentially feels like a bad pressure headache, like when you have a sinus infection on a plane, but in one spot and on the outside. It’s sharp in the middle and radiates outward and even after the initial impact it pulses like an earthquake epicenter. It easily causes long lasting headaches and is the most likely of these examples to cause a concussion.

Eye: this is a weird one. The fist doesn’t fit within the eye socket so either the knuckles on the brow and cheeks bones protect the actual eye or they don’t. The former option gives a full spreading pain below the eye which results in the classic black eye look and a sharp pain on your brow similar to hitting your shin on the couch. The latter option, well bad things can happen when a hard fast object makes direct contact with your eye but for the sake of this it feels like a vacuum bc the concave shape is being covered and pressurized. The eye feels pushed back and pulled forward all at once. It doesn’t necessarily hurt that bad for that long unless the punch was meant to do damage. I’m fortunate to say I don’t know what it would feel like then.

Nose: remember that prank kids used to pull where they’d line up their hands with their nose, push them in one direction and crack a knuckle at the same time to pretend to break their nose? Yeah that’s what it looks like when someone punches you from the side in the nose, except it’s someone else’s hand and your nose makes the sound instead of their knuckle. It’s just like breaking any bone where you hear it and feel the action if it being done but that moment of shock blankets you for a split second until all the pain comes rushing back. It’s sharp and needlelike and can give you black eyes just to add insult to injury. If you get hit in the nose from the front it’s like the uncomfortableness of when you have to sneeze but can’t. Except that feeling took all the steroids and is now using your face as a punching bag to express its roid rage. It crackles outward like static electricity under your skin, your eyesight gets fuzzy and you can’t tell if it’s because you’re tearing up, it’s hard to open your eyes, or you’re momentarily stunned and blinded. Just know it’s all three. I find that this one knocks the wind out of you the most. Gotta remind yourself to breathe just don’t try to do it through your nose.

If you really want to know what this feels like I’d suggest joining a mixed martial arts because they’ll teach you correct form and power distribution and you can spar with pads and actually hit each other.

We often judge a character’s kindness the same way we would the Powerpuff Girls: are they made of sugar, spice, and everything nice? I’m here to tell you that while sweetness can be indicative of kindness, it is not synonymous with it.

Characters are not only kind because they cannot fathom being cruel. Characters can be kind because they know just how cruel they can be and opt for compassion instead.

Characters are not only kind because they think nothing of themselves and only think of others. Characters can be kind because they desperately want someone to show them the same consideration after a lifetime of manipulation and rejection.

Characters are not only kind because they love to help with every little issue. Characters can be kind because they fear what will happen if they’re not, if no one else rises and all goodness falls away - and they see the same uncertainty in the person they’re assisting.

Characters are not only kind when they keep their mouths clean and their words affable. Characters can be kind by delivering painful truths while the world would let you live with honeyed lies, but they’ll help you grieve and grow from them.

🖤~Song Of The Day~🖤

The song of the day is: Runaways -by- Sleeping Wolf

The challenge is to write something based off of this song, be it the name, the lyrics, or the tune itself. Let your imagination go wild and see where the music takes you.

a.k.a. you may find your work Bad and Cringy™️ but you wrote something and that’s a Good Thing™️.

This is for all the writeblrs who don’t have an active WIP to share.

This is for all the writeblrs who lurk in the community without engaging a whole lot.

This is for all the writeblrs who aren’t sure if they can call themselves a writeblr.

This is for all the writeblrs who don’t feel like they belong in the community.

You are such an important and valuable member of our community. I know that sometimes it can feel really isolating, but I see you and I am so glad that you are here. Whether you do the ‘typical’ writeblr things or not, you are absolutely a valid writeblr and an irreplaceable part of the community. Writeblr wouldn’t be the same without your presence and it is made so much better by you being a part of it. 

I’m a hobbyist who spends most of her time coming up with ideas for stories. My problem is I never stick with them since they evolve into a completely different thing quickly. I’m using tumblr as attempt to stick with an idea for once and to get in the habit to write more. 

𝖌𝖊𝖓𝖗𝖊: YA Fantasy series

𝖙𝖆𝖌𝖘: magic, LGBTQ+, trope subversion, romance subplot, ensemble cast, morally grey characters, heists

𝖘𝖚𝖒𝖒𝖆𝖗𝖞:

Reve Cozen is doing his very best. It’s not easy being the Chosen One after all. Especially if you actually aren’t the Chosen One, and are just lying straight to the face of your companions because you need their help for your own personal reasons. Things get even harder when Reve’s party finds out the truth and promptly abandons him. The only people still willing to work with him are the aloof Ashling Snow and the enigmatic Zeph Guile. Both of them have their own reasons for going along with Reve’s request to find the 7 legendary Arcane Jewels, which have gone missing ages ago. Together, the unlikely trio embarks on their journey, not knowing to which unforseen heights it will end up taking them…

𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖗𝖆𝖈𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖘:

Reve Cozen: our hardworking (Not) Chosen One. A thinker, not a fighter. He’s often awkward in social situations and not as good at lying as he would like to be. Although he outwardly appears to not have any magic capabilities, Reve is actually a Dreamwalker, meaning he can see visions in his dreams that guide him to the 7 gems he has to find. As a natural peacemaker, he’s trying his best to keep the group together, but his aversion to confrontation also comes with a lot of downsides. He loves to build things and has a talent for engineering that tends to come in handy.

Ashling Snow: a cold and cynical young man native to the frosty northernmost region of the continent. Equiped with a sharp tongue, he never holds back, neither with his words nor in combat. He carries a dagger with an intricate design on the handle, and he never lets it out of his sight. On top of that, he’s a powerful magic user, though the true form of his magical abilities is unknown. Ashling has his own motivation for going along on Reve’s quest, apparently involving a mythical artifact he’s had his sights on for a while. His biggest problem is that has to work together with Zeph for the forseeable future, whom Ashling has taken an immediate dislike to.

Zeph Guile: an enigmatic individual with a nonchalant attitude towards almost everything. Zeph originally stems from Hortus, the capital of the Central Kingdom, where the Emperor has their seat of power. He uses wind magic, not only in combat, but also to cast illusions and make himself invisible. As a skilled hand-to-hand fighter, he has no need or regard for weapons. His laidback personality, especially when it comes to dangerous situations, clashes with Ashling’s resolute nature a lot. His true objective remains unclear.

The Infernal Vanguard: a fearsome, imposing figure, clad in black armor, face hidden under a helmet. Known for mysteriously appearing alongside the Emperor’s forces and mercilessly wiping out the enemies of the Central Kingdom. The Vanguard’s magic is said to be incredible and a true sight to behold. Rumored to be a highranking official and close to the Emperor.

Emperor Malus VI: Allegedly the most powerful person on the entire continent, the current Emperor of the Central Kingdom came to power several years ago, seemingly out of nowhere. What actually went down in the Imperial Palace back then is a well-kept secret, but it’s well known that any dissidents of the Emperor will face harsh consequences.

Firnia: a childhood friend of Ashling, born and raised in the same icy northern town as him. She possesses the magical ability to control mist.

Carica: a mysterious woman who claims to be able to see into the future. Initially our main characters try to seek her help, but before they can meet her, she is captured by the Emperor’s forces and subsequently held prisoner in the palace.

tagging: @marewriteblr​

A Multi-Step Guide Written by a Visually Impaired Writer and Blogger

I’m hoping this blog will over time develop its own following, and when it does people will inevitably see my bio and notice what I included: I’m visually impaired.

Yes, a visually impaired writer, and I’ve written with two blind characters before so I have some practice in the field.

So, inevitably, someone is going to ask how to write a blind character.

Or, at least, I hope you’ll ask someone who’s actually blind or visually impaired about writing a blind character before you get too involved with your new WIP.

All parts will be tagged #blindcharacter in my blog, and I will add links to every post as I finish each part. Follow my blog for more writing advice.

Note, this post updates fairly often and old versions are still floating around out there. The most current version of this post is pinned to my blog with any new guides or links you might of missed.

As of 24 January 2021, this is the most extensive and screen reader friendly version of this post.

Part One: Crafting the Blind Character

In which I tell you how to begin making a blind character who is more than a cardboard cutout

Part Two: Narrative Choice, Visual Description, Verbal Description, Social Interaction

In which I give you a basic rundown on how to write from the perspective of a character who can’t see and still make the narration descriptive

Part Three: Tropes and Clichés to Avoid

Your blind readers will thank you for not being the 5000th person to do this and manage to actually finish your story. (Do you have any idea how many stories I’ve noped out of within two chapters because of these clichés? A Lot.)

-New- Part Four: Canes, Guide Dogs, and O&M

Everything I can tell you about 1) how to learn how to use a cane 2) how a cane works 3) how to describe what your character experiences with their cane 4) everything I know on guide dogs

Part Five: Small Aspects of being Blind You Never Thought Of

5 January 2021 Edit: This link has been fixed to correspond with the correct post

Or, really, very normal everyday things for blind people, the inclusion of which will make your characters more real and authentic. It’s the tiny details.

Part Six: Should You Cure Your Character’s Blindness? (Short Answer: No)

There’s no way to write a cure for your blind character that doesn’t make blind readers hate you. Sorry. We came here to finally experience a relatable character who experiences the world like us, but none of us are getting cured so seeing this character we learned to love become something alien from us in the end feels like a slap in the face

Why I’m Blind and What I See -NEW-

I thought I’d finally make a post explaining the complicated situation about my vision. Includes an explanation of visual snow and exotropia, two of the three causes for my vision issues.

Writing Blind Characters Falling in Love, an Advice Post:

Someone asked what being blind and falling in love have to do with each other. Honestly, blindness changes your perspective on everything and it makes an impact on every relationship you have. This includes some things that you definitely do not want your character’s love interest to be/do.

Writing Blind Jokes (Should You Do It?)

You know those flow charts of “should you do x?” going around? It’s like that, but screen reader friendly. Should you write blind jokes. It’s pretty complicated and there are a lot of possible scenarios and details to consider.

Advice for Writing Toph Beifong -NEW-

In this I discuss what I would like to see done in fanfiction with Toph’s character after ten years of reading Avatar the Last Airbender fanfiction

A small essay addressing the frequently asked question on giving your blind character a superpower to help them “see.”

It’s became a popular question, so to make the answer easier/faster for everyone to access, I wrote what will usually be my initial answer. Below there are a few links to some notable past questions on this subject.

Mourning My Vision, it’s More than Depression. 

A small personal essay addressing the nuances of the mourning period you experience with a new disability. The mourning period is mentioned in other guides, but this is more detailed.

Dealing with Heightened Senses, a video by Molly Burke with additional commentary by me

While Molly talks about the myths and truths about heightened senses, I talk about the correlation with blindness and neuro-divergency and how co-morbid disorders/disabilities might affect sensory processing.

Satirical Commentary on the phrase “that blank look in their eyes” used too often in fiction to identify a blind character

a:tla, I’m looking at you (and my eyes aren’t blank)

I Found a Lost Piece of Blindness History

My grandmother told me about her blind aunt and how she sent letters. It led me to speculate about all the O&M things people develop on their own but never get a chance to pass onto other blind people. Technology and techniques are lost in history and reinvented, including the white cane ad guide dogs.

Includes a little history on the introduction of guide dogs into the 20th century

The Following are Answered Anon Questions

Making Your Blog More Accessible

Making Links Accessible to Screen Readers

Reblogging to Add an Image Description to Someone Else’s Image

Why I Write Image Descriptions

Writing Blind Characters

Advice for a Character Who was Born Blind

Over-Protective Parents of a Blind Character, Why They’re Over-Protective and How to Avoid Crossing a Line

A Blind Character in Victorian Era Historical Fiction

Is It Bad Not to Have Guide Dogs in a Fantasy/Historical Setting Without Guide Dogs (short answer: it’s not bad)

Someone Asked About My Thoughts on a Medusa-like Character Blinding Herself to Avoid Hurting Anyone

-New- Characters Who Have Recently Gone Blind and Avoiding Inspiration Porn

Talking about Popular Blind Characters In Media

Does Daredevil’s Echolocation Negate His Blindness

Someone Else was Asked How to Write Daredevil Fanfiction

Blind Characters with Superpowers/Fighting Styles

World Setting where the General Population has a Superpower

Superpowers that don’t involve sight, Five questions to ask yourself if this superpower is a bad idea or a good one

-New- Your character would not use a cane as a weapon, it’s a bad idea

D&D/Roleplaying Blind Characters

-New- Animal Familiars Acting as Service Animals and Advice for Communicating with Your DM

“You are mine.” The vampire’s words were a growl against the human’s ear, lips cold against their skin as they pressed hungry, burning, kisses. “Don’t you understand that?”

The human gasped, head tipping back against the wall. The night spun a little from the fruity cocktail they had drank, and the dancing, and this. They couldn’t stop the grin from crossing their face, eyes glittering with mischief as they curled their fingers in the vampire’s hair. 

“Yeah?” They rocked their hips forward into their lover. “Nobody in the club seemed to notice.” 

The vampire’s grip on them tightened, as the human knew it would, and a shiver ran down their spine. Giddy anticipation. 

“I’m just saying,” the human continued, teasing. “Maybe you should prove it.”

The vampire was silent, for a beat, then they laughed. It was a shade off their normal but then they kissed the human again and it didn’t matter. A kiss like that felt like immortality. It felt good to be wanted - wanted by something powerful, and old, and should have been deadly. It made them feel a god.

The human’s breath caught again, as the vampire moved them, blindingly fast. One minute they were pinned up against the alley wall, the next day they were by the car. 

The vampire smiled at them, all sharp fangs.  “Get in then.”

The human did their best to bite back a grin, already imagining the night to come. Last time the vampire hadn’t let them get out of bed all weekend. They hadn’t even known their sometimes lover owned cuffs, and hadn’t that been a fun revelation. The human pretended to consider, trailing their fingers along the vampire’s arm. “I don’t know,” they said. “That guy back in the bar really was very handsome. Quick with his tongue-oof.” They were in the car, the door was shut, the driver’s door slammed shut and the human was cackling. 

They settled back for the ride, fiddling with the radio to find the most obnoxious pop song they could find, sneaking glances at the vampire every so often. Imagining the feeling of their mouth, their hands, their teeth to come. Being bitten always came with its own sort of high. 

They didn’t notice when the vampire missed the usual turning. 

They noticed when the city lights began to grow less frequent, country side rushing up to meet them, and the vampire kept driving. 

The human’s brow furrowed and they straightened from their slump. “Hey. Wait. What -” the vampire wasn’t looking at them. “Turn around.”

The vampire ignored them. 

“This isn’t funny. Where are we going?”

“Somewhere that really very handsome guy back at the bar won’t find you.”

The human laughed, but it was a nervous sort of thing now. Uneasy. Was this some kind of game? Surprise getaways were one thing, but they weren’t normally in the middle of an existing night out. “Right.” Had they...? “You know I was kidding, right? You’re the one I want to come home to. You don’t need to be jealous. It’s just a bit of fun.”

“I know,” the vampire said. “So we’re going to have some fun.”

They talked the same way as they did when they dragged the human into the usual hotel room, all but ripping off their clothes. Nothing in their tone or expression had changed, but...

The human’s heart hammered. 

The scenery blurred past the window that they were driving so fast. 

“You’re scaring me, just a little bit.”

“Just a little bit? I’m a vampire. I’m your natural predator.”

“Well, yeah, I guess, but.” Were they being paranoid? They didn’t think they were being paranoid. Any urge to laugh had turned cold. “Look.” Their voice hardened. “Turn the car around right now. I don’t mean fun rollercoaster scary, I mean-”

“You mean,” the vampire said. “That you thought you could get your kicks over having a supernatural lover who could pick you up with one hand, who you could wind up mad with jealousy because it’s hot, who could have all of the power in the world over you...but not ever be in any real danger.” 

Yes. 

The vampire was still smiling. 

This was serious, this was actually happening. Fuck. 

Could they throw themselves out of the car? No. The vampire could move faster than they could, even if they made it to run they’d be outstripped in seconds. They could scream for help and then - then what? There were some cars on the road, but they weren’t counting on someone immune to glamour and capable of fighting a...very powerful, very ancient thing. 

Bloody hell. Okay. Could they send a text? They slipped their hand in their pocket and came up empty. 

They looked at the vampire. 

The vampire held the human’s phone up in one hand, and tossed them a roguish sort of wink as if that was still a game. A clever trick. 

The human swallowed, hard, mouth sandpaper dry.

The vampire threw the human’s phone out of the car window. 

“Okay, you better replace that. That cost a fortune!” Even the indignation came out faint, a little too small, a little too scared. The vampire ignored them. “I’m sorry, alright?” the human said. “I was just teasing, I won’t do it again. I thought it was -” Well, they hadn’t thought the vampire truly minded. They’d seen the dark looks that crossed the vampire’s face sometimes, but honestly they’d thought it wasn’t real. Not in anyway that mattered. Jealousy was a game they’d played. Possession something fun, and hot, and..not this. The vampire’s name came out even smaller - a plea.

The vampire pulled off the main road then, stopped the car, and met the human’s eyes.   

“I’m yours,” the human said, near tears. “You don’t need to prove it. Okay? Just - just take me home. You’ve proved your point.”

The vampire considered them, and how had they never seen that calculation before? They’d seen hunger and thought it need, thought it love.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.” The human tried for a shaky smile. 

The vampire reached out and drew the human into a kiss. 

It didn’t feel like power anymore, it didn’t feel good to be wanted.

The vampire kissed them, and kissed them, and kissed them some more until the human’s lungs strained and they tried to pull away but they couldn’t. Their vision blurred. They couldn’t get enough air, and vampires didn’t need it. 

The vampire pulled back when the human sagged in their chair, close to passing out. Their beautiful face hazed in the human’s vision, their hand cold on the human’s cheek.  

“That’s funny, darling,” the vampire whispered. “Nobody in the club seemed to notice. But, don’t worry.  They won’t notice when you don’t come back either.”

The vampire took them to what seemed to be a holiday cabin in the middle of the woods - the kind of ‘get away from people in luxury’ retreats that were trendy up until you realised even if you had a phone that you had no phone signal. 

“What are you going to do with me?” the human asked, in as steady a voice as they could manage. 

“Ah, you’re awake. Excellent timing.” 

The human had been awake for a while, and the vampire likely knew that, but it was the first time either of them had broken the silence in a while. The human had held still, gaze angled to the window, irritated not to be able to track the vampire through their reflection. Not, they supposed, that there was much point tracking someone who could move supernaturally fast when they wanted to. 

The vampire rounded the car in one of those flashes, opening the door for them oh so courteously as if they hadn’t kidnapped the mortal in the car. 

For a second, the human considered fighting. Not because they thought they’d actually win, but because it seemed the thing to do. It was the principle of the matter. But they’d already misjudged their lover once to a fatal degree, how could they count on predicting the consequences now? They didn’t know this creature anywhere near as much as they thought they did.

They got out of the car, taking in a lush breath of air that smelled like pine and wet grass and earth. Their hands shook. 

They didn’t even have their belongings - it was dumb, but being dressed now in just their club clothes made them want to cry.

“What,” the human began again. “Are you going to do with me?”

The vampire settled a hand on the back of the human’s neck, steering them forward. “Do you remember that time we messed around with glamours?”

The human released a shaky breath. They’d thought the whole ‘mind control’ thing a cool quirk at the time, used playfully. Exciting. None of it felt so exciting when ‘keep your hands above your head’ or ‘hush, before someone hears us’ became ‘don’t try to escape’ or ‘you are mine, do you understand?’

“You said that glamours are only temporary,” the human said.

“Mostly,” the vampire said, with a careless shrug. “It takes time and repetition for them to truly take hold. Rituals. Lack of other influences. It is not something most of my kind bothers with, it’s considered a bit archaic - rather a lot of effort for a quick meal, these days. Most prey is already so willing.”

There was a mockery there; the human could feel the sting of it, the memory of how thrilled they had been when they realised the creature flirting with them at a bar had been a vampire. Not just some newborn either. They’d felt special. 

They looked at the cabin. Free of other influences, wasn’t it? 

They stepped inside on shaking legs, and it looked like a perfect romantic holiday for someone who liked that kind of thing. It was full of beautiful shawls on soft sofas, rugs underfoot on warm wood. An empty fireplace. Cosy for two. Horribly, the human could imagine them having come to such a place under other circumstances, for a weekend away or something. 

The door clicked shut behind them and the useless urge to flee tingled up the human’s body. Their muscles tensed beneath the vampire’s hand. 

“By the time I’m done with you,” the vampire said, lips by the human’s ear once more. “Your heart will beat for me, your blood will burn for me, and your soul will sing for me. I will be the only thing you want. The only thing you can think about. You would do anything for me.”

“You don’t have to do this,” the human tried again, a little shrill. “It’s not - not love, if you force it, if you do this-”

“Love.” The vampire’s lips were at their ear again, one arm winding around the human’s waist. “Whoever said this was anything about love?”

The human’s brow furrowed. 

“This,” the vampire said. “Is about you being mine. You belong to me.”

“People don’t belong to people.”

The vampire laughed softly. “I’m not a person, dear.”

No. No, they really weren’t, were they?

The vampire turned them to face each other, fingers tracing featherlight along the curve of the human’s cheek. 

The human squeezed their eyes shut. The vampire couldn’t do their trick if they couldn’t see the human’s eyes - was it even possible to keep their eyes closed forever more?

“Mind control isn’t me being yours either,” the human said, heart pounding. “If I was yours, you wouldn’t need to glamour me.” They probably should stop provoking the vampire with such comments, but, well. It was true. If they’d ever thought of themselves as the vampire’s, it wasn’t like this. They would never be the vampire’s like this.

“Free will and its importance is such a human notion.” The vampire sounded amused. They definitely didn’t sound like they believed in the concept. “You are mine. The have always been mine. The only difference now is that you are becoming aware of it.”

Nausea rolled in the human’s gut.

“Why?” the human asked. Why me? Why are you doing this? Why now? Had their stupid, what felt like an age ago, teasing really been what caused all of this? Certainly, the vampire had the cabin ready and waiting. Did that mean that they’d done this before, to some other human? “Don’t say it’s because I goaded you. You literally could have asked me to stop at any point if the jealousy really bothered you.”

“No,” the vampire said. “It was always going to come to this from the moment I saw you. Your complete disrespect only meant we had to do this sooner rather than later.” Their nails dug in, hard enough to draw blood. “Open your eyes.”

The human did no such thing.

“Open your eyes,” the vampire crooned. “Let me break you nicely. I’m sure you don’t wish for me to remove your eyelids.” 

Shit. 

The human opened their eyes, and braced themselves for the glamour, as they met the vampire’s gaze. How had it all come to this so quickly? They’d been so happy earlier in the night. 

“Good.” The vampire’s eyes shifted from their normal shade to an arterial blood red. 

The human couldn’t look away. Their mouth had gone dry. They could drown in eyes like those.

“Now,” the vampire guided them backwards until the human’s knees hit the edge of the sofa, toppling them backwards to sit as the monster loomed over them. “Tell me that you are mine, forevermore.”

The glamour didn’t turn off their brain. It didn’t mute their emotions or turn them into a zombie. It simply made it impossible to resist. 

“I’m yours. Forevermore.”

The vampire offered them a sharp-fanged smile. 

1. Writer’s Market 2019 is a great place to start– it gives you a list of magazines and journals that you can send your work to depending on the genre as well as lists a shit ton of literary agents that specify what genres they represent, how you can get in contact with them and how they accept query letters. this is a book that updates every year and tbh i only bought it this year so i dont know how critical it is to have an updated version  

2. do your research. mostly on literary agents because if you listed on your site that you like to represent fluffy YA novels and some asshole sends you a 80k manuscript about like…gritty viking culture, you will be severely pissed off. always go in finding someone who you know will actually like your work because they’re the ones who will try to advocate for you in getting published.

3. learn how to write a query letter. there are slightly varying formulas to how you can write an effective query letter. you’re also going to want to get feedback on your query letter because its the first thing the literary agent will read and based on how well you do it, it could be the difference between them rejecting you outright and giving your manuscript a quick read

4. unfortunately, you’re gonna want to get a twitter. Twitter is where a lot of literary agents are nowadays, and they host things like twitter pitch parties, where you pitch your manuscript in a few sentences and hashtag it with #Pitmad #Pitdark, some version of pit. a lot of literary agents and publishers will ALSO post their manuscript wishlists, which is just the kind of books they’d like to represent/publish, and they hashtag this with #MSWL (it is NOT for writers to use, only for agents/publishers)

check out agents on publishers marketplace because some agent might sound like the perfect fit for your project and then you find out they’ve sold like … four books in ten years which is a pretty big flag

DO YOUR RESEARCH ON AGENCIES!!! it’s fine if a junior agent hasn’t sold much as long as they’re working with people who have a lot of experience in publishing/agenting specifically (NOT writing!!!) but if no one at the agency has a strong history of agenting experience it’s probably a smagency and is not going to help you actually get published. if someone decides to open their own agency because they like books but don’t have relevant experience run far away

newer agents are more actively building lists but don’t have as much experience so it might be worth it for writers just trying to break in but make sure their agency has a lot of connections and not just to big five (big four now …. yikes)

DO NOT PITCH AGENTS ON TWITTER

get other friends in traditional publishing. like not to diss tumblr or fanfic writers or anything but it’s a whole different ballpark and you really need people who know what you’re going through and can give applicable feedback

do not pitch your first draft. yes even if it’s line edited. i’m fucking begging. on average books need AT LEAST four significant drafts before theyre pitch ready and most debut authors write 3-5 books before they get one published so if you write one and it doesn’t get traction that’s FINE and NORMAL you’re still practicing. fanfiction, short stories, and long form original fiction are COMPLETELY DIFFERENT BEASTS and you have to practice those skills separately. the only way to get good at writing novels is to write multiple novels (AND EDIT THEM!! LEARN HOW TO EDIT ITS SO IMPORTANT)

dont be discouraged if you don’t get any attention during a twitter pitch event. they’re growing so rapidly in popularity that most agents can’t keep up. plus agents are getting burned out on them. the last one i participated in had THOUSANDS of entries. it’s incredibly difficult to get noticed

you absolutely do not need connections from conventions or in person events to make it. the most important thing is your submission package and manuscript. that said, they are really great places to make writing buddies

IF AN AGENT CHARGES A READING FEE RUN AWAY ITS A SCAM

IF A PUBLISHING HOUSE SAYS YOU DONT NEED AN AGENT AND THEY CHARGE TO PUBLISH RUN AWAY ITS 95% LIKELY ITS A SCAM

you will probably need comparison titles in your query letter. these are books that have been published in your age group and genre in the last 2-3 years that have done well but not so well that they’re exceptions and the author cannot have ever had a tv or movie adaption. they need to have something in common with your book whether it’s theme or plot point or location or whatever. something to show you know your audience is already there. yes i hate these too. if you say hp or percy jackson you will be laughed out of the room don’t even try it

if you’re doing a twitter pitch event, it’s the opposite. heading your tweet with two recognizable things will get it more attention. “ATLA x SPIRITED AWAY” “INDIGENOUS PJO” stuff like that. those always get way more likes

your query letter has to be good. your query letter has to be good. if it’s not good the agent will not read your sample pages, if your first paragraphs/first pages are not good they will not finish your sample, if they don’t like your sample they will not request the manuscript, if they don’t request the manuscript they can’t sign you. a query, at its core, should be character + conflict + stakes. it should be very little besides the hook for your story. no big spoilers. ideally it doesn’t describe anything past act 1. if you have to go deeper into the story to find the hook you probably have a pacing problem and need to revise. your sample pages will ALWAYS be the first pages of your novel (often minus prologue agents often hate prologues). you probably need a 1-2 page summary too

sci fi is really hard to pitch. it doesn’t sell well so less people want to buy it. i think this is tragic but just know that you will have a hard time with sci fi

agents on average get THOUSANDS of queries per year. they are completely overwhelmed. they most likely have one or two other jobs because it’s incredibly difficult to support yourself in publishing. please be kind and patient

the average number of queries that get signed is 0.2%. about 10 out of 5,000 (ive seen multiple agents give these numbers for an average year). you not getting an agent is not a sign you’re a bad writer. it’s a tough business and it IS a business. if you get signed it’s because the agent thinks they can sell it and that’s it

that said, be prepared to make very little money as an author. number one piece of advice is DONT QUIT YOUR DAY JOB. the median for writing related profits is $6000usd a year. it’s almost impossible to support yourself off writing unless you get EXTREMELY lucky

if you get an agent, most of them will expect you to publish a book at least every two years. i follow multiple authors who are putting out 2 or 3 books in 2021. an agent wants to sign a CAREER not a book. if you’re a slow writer then buckle up and probably have multiple manuscripts ahead of time

PUBLISHING TAKES. A. LONG. TIME. don’t expect this to move quickly. youll wait weeks for responses to queries AT BEST. i got a rejection letter a full two years after the query once. if someone has your full manuscript the polite thing is to give 4-6 months before checking in

this is so basic but make sure your manuscript is formatted correctly and is largely typo free. you should probably have at least three people reading and giving feedback before you pitch. preferably people who are writers involved in/also pitching trad pub

unpublished writers+published mentors programs like pitch wars can be really helpful in getting an agent so definitely check those out. also sadly mostly on twitter

Every time you see this post on your dash, open up your WIP and write one sentence. It doesn’t matter if the sentence is good, makes sense or works perfectly with your story. You can go back to edit it later. 

Congrats, you made some progress on your WIP!

“What do you think?” God asked as we passed a nineteen-way taking place in a pool of champagne. Little cherubs flitted overhead armed with mops and cleaning supplies, thankfully. “Lust is our most popular sin.” I eyed the supermodel-like figures of a couple passing nearby, and could easily see why. “You can look however you want. Hell, you can be whatever gender you want. No fetish is too taboo, and no desire can be denied here.”

It was quite tempting, but I wasn’t ready to make a permanent decision here. “Let’s see the others,” I told God.

We carried on to Greed. We passed rows and rows of mansions, each more opulent than the next. Some of them were so large that they would have had enough bed rooms to fit my entire hometown. And so many different styles: one second, we were in a beautiful French vineyard in front of a gorgeous chateau with the Alps in the background. The next second, a warm tropical beach with a modern mansion atop breathtaking cliffs. After that, a ski chalet in Colorado with a roaring fire in a hearth large enough to fit an ox. Each one had various Italian sports cars and Rolls Royces parked in front, with the occasional smattering of boats, helicopters, etc.

“Any material desire you ever wanted,” God explained. “Your own world, where you can have everything. You want the Hope Diamond? You can fly to Washington DC in your own solid gold helicopter and buy it from the Smithsonian. Hell, you can just buy the Smithsonian.”

Also tempting, but I decided to keep looking.

Gluttony was next up. Tables and tables of the very finest foods: beautiful steaks cooked medium rare; butter-poached lobster tail; fresh oysters on a half shell; exotic wines in dusty bottles that had been hiding in the cellars of the world’s finest restaurants. Everyone had a glass of champagne in hand and simply lounged on couches and chairs near the tables, eating endlessly. As soon as the inhabitants took a bite, the food just instantly came back. My mouth watered even watching them.

“In every other House, the food is practically sawdust compared to Gluttony,” God explained. “You haven’t truly experienced heaven until you’ve been to Gluttony.”

I shook my head, and we kept moving.

Sloth was as you’d expect. An endless sea of the softest mattresses, stacked with cushions and pillows that made the story of the princess and the pea seem minimalist. Little angels visited each resident, giving them massages that made them all melt into their blankets.

Wrath was… well, a lot like what I’d expect Hell to be like. Fire, brimstone, whips, torture.. you know, the works. Except here, you weren’t the one being tortured. Every enemy you’d ever made in your real life was now under your thumb. “Lots of people choose their fathers,” God explained. “Lots of grudges against parents in general, you know. But you’re not limited to that. Someone beat you out for a big promotion back on Earth? Take your pound of flesh here.”

Then we arrived at Envy. It looked… well, a lot like home.

“Go on in,” God said, gesturing toward the door. I turned the knob and walked in… and found Emily waiting inside. She ran forward, wrapped her arms around my neck, and planted a kiss right on my lips. “Welcome home, honey.”

I looked back toward God. “Oh, don’t be coy,” he said. “You have no secrets from me. We all know that you were in love with your best friend’s wife.” She didn’t seem to hear him at all; she went back into the hall. “We all know that you just settled for your own wife while secretly pining after her. Well, this is your chance to live happily ever after.”

I peered into the kitchen. Emily was baking something, wearing nothing but an apron. Her curly black hair fell softly over her shoulder as she whisked ingredients. She turned back, noticed I was observing her, and an enthusiastic smile spread across her face.

“It’s what you’ve always wanted, isn’t it?” God whispered in my ear.

I wanted to take it. God damn did I want to take it. But I shook my head.

God seemed puzzled. “You need to make a decision,” he told me.

“I haven’t seen Pride yet.”

He scoffed. “No one ever wants Pride, trust me.”

“Well, I want to see it.”

_________________________

Pride was boring. Just a row of workbenches in a bare white room.

“I don’t get it,” I told God.

“Yeah, no one does,” he answered. “That’s why no one ever chooses it. Doesn’t cavorting in Lust sound better than sitting here building little trinkets for the rest of eternity? Wouldn’t you rather gorge yourself in Gluttony? Or spend time with Emily in Envy?”

I considered the options again. “I pick Pride,” I finally told him.

He narrowed his eyes. “What? Look at it!” He gestured around the room again. There wasn’t much to look at. “Why would you choose this for the rest of time?”

“Because you don’t want me to pick it,” I told him. If he was really God, he’d know what a contrarian I can be. And I knew he was hiding something, trying to pretend like Pride didn’t exist. There was something special about it.