megsteadman.bsky.social - Profile | ThreadSky | a Reddit-style client for Bluesky

Goes through this like a checklist while nodding

submitted 8 hours ago • 0 comments

This is without doubt the best article I've ever read about how to write the dreaded synopsis. It includes an example and details on why it works. Even with all the spoilers, I need to read this book! Thank you @keslupo.bsky.social open.substack.com/pub/kesialup...

submitted 1 day ago • 1 comment

Well shit

submitted 4 days ago • 0 comments

Rejection is part of the process — you knew that going in. But if each “no” knocks the wind out of you, lingers for days, or makes you dread opening your inbox… it's a sign. Not of failure. Of burnout. When you're staring down a pile of rejections, remember what matters most:

submitted 4 days ago • 1 comment

stuck in your story? nothing seems right? maybe your characters need to be heard. I’m hosting a live character coaching session through my patreon (plus a tedious tasks solidarity session! Link on the 1st of may.) For now, ask your stuck characters: "If you choose this, who will lose?"

submitted 7 days ago • 1 comment

What are your least favorite ways to open a novel? I'll go first... 🧵

submitted 7 days ago • 1 comment

Ah, now it's MY turn to post about a @barnesandnoble.com 25% off sale! Until 4/25, save some money on a preorder of my debut novella, AUDITION FOR THE FOX, arriving 9/16 from @tachyonpub.bsky.social. Link below! (PLZ SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL INDIE THIS SATURDAY!) www.barnesandnoble.com/w/audition-f...

submitted 13 days ago • 0 comments

Mmmm I shamelessly watched the Bethesda stream at work and oh man. Oh no. I am so unwell about this game. I need one year off to live in Cyrodiil. #oblivionremake

submitted 14 days ago • 1 comment

JOHN WICK x THE COLOR OUT OF SPACE “If I were you, I’d cooperate. God isn’t here to save you from me.” #PosterPit #PosterPitW #H #T #A

submitted 17 days ago • 8 comments

I've been tracking revisions in my bio and had gotten pretty far (41/70 chapters far) before adding in the necessary through line changes. So this kinda stings! But the doc was too messy to keep cutting away at, so it's also a relief. Goal is 1 chapter per day. #writing

submitted 17 days ago • 0 comments

I've lived in this city for 2 years now but today I finally worked up the nerve to go get my library card :)

submitted 20 days ago • 0 comments

I get asked all the time: what are the most common mistakes first-time authors make? As a developmental editor, I see the same issues over and over again. So here's a quick list of 5 mistakes many newbie novelists make in their first drafts—and how to avoid them:

submitted 25 days ago • 1 comment

I wrote this a few years ago, but it remains one of my most requested blog posts: What Makes An Amazing First Chapter www.jenichappelleeditorial.com/post/what-ma... #writingcommunity #RevPit

submitted 27 days ago • 2 comments

Many authors query far before their manuscript is actually ready. Remember: agents don’t usually sign authors based on potential alone—they need to see strong execution. So how do you know if your story is ready to query? Ask yourself these 5 questions before you hit send.

submitted 28 days ago • 1 comment

One way to create reader connection is through interiority. So how do you use it? You use a combination of showing AND telling to help the reader understand what is happening (think about what needs to be shown/will have the most emotional impact and what can be summarized.) #writingcommunity

submitted 35 days ago • 0 comments

Fuck it. Trans folks need MATERIAL SUPPORT. @distributeaid.org is launching an HRT Harm Reduction Toolkit that provides 1 year of medical supplies needed to take injection-based HRT. We were planning to go live in January, but I'm not waiting. Fund the kits here: distributeaid.org/hrt-harm-red...

submitted 143 days ago • 135 comments

It’s okay if your reader is confused! You just want them to land on intrigued rather than the frustrated. A good exercise to try if you’re still honing your instincts is to flag questions and answers in a book you admire to get a visual representation of the spacing experienced authors use.

submitted 36 days ago • 2 comments

Idk if any of you other planner types use Miro for outlining but it's been such a great tool. My beta reader helped me craft a detailed layout with color coded shapes so I can see exactly what info is missing from what chapters at a glance. Revisions going SO much faster now. #amrevising #writing

submitted 39 days ago • 0 comments

3 overfamiliar beginnings you should probably avoid when writing your novel (according to @keslupo.bsky.social, who reads a lot of opening pages!). 🧵

submitted 40 days ago • 1 comment

Here's a big lesson I learned evaluating queries at a top literary agency: the first 10 pages can be make or break. A strong opening ➡️ full request A weak opening ➡️ a likely rejection Here are 9 common mistakes that are quietly killing your first pages—and how to fix them. 🧵

submitted 41 days ago • 1 comment

Anyway I have the best most patient beta reader in the world and every day I work on this project I am in awe of how lucky I am to have their help 💚💚💚 #amrevising #writingcommunity

submitted 40 days ago • 0 comments

"Lies come quick to the tyrant's tongue." Audition For The Fox has heart & humor, but at its center is the difficult work of resistance. Some work is communal. Some is individual. Some large, others small. And it is always worth resisting in any way you can. Now available on NetGalley & Edelweiss

submitted 43 days ago • 0 comments

Tempered Maple (Flame Blackened) - KItchen spoons are now available! Maple is a premium kitchenwood for its long term durability and small pores, blackened by dark magics (mapp+ torch) and then sanded and finished it takes on a beautiful black finish. www.galdrecraft.com/category/ute...

submitted 47 days ago • 3 comments

getting feedback on wip: :) editing wip based on feedback: :(

submitted 52 days ago • 1 comment

Getting feedback on your story is perhaps the single most impactful thing you can do to improve in your craft. But if you ask the wrong people, ask too early, or are unclear in your expectations, it can go wrong quick. Before you ask anyone for feedback, you need to know this:

submitted 55 days ago • 1 comment

Querying for the first time? This process can be overwhelming, but you don’t have to go in blind. Here are 5 essential tips to set yourself up for success. 🧵

submitted 70 days ago • 1 comment

90% of writing a book is just having the courage to look at how bad your draft is and staying there at the desk trying to fix it instead of running away.

submitted 69 days ago • 4 comments

One of the best things about writing? There is a guaranteed way to improve. You WILL develop in your craft if you do these 3 simple things: 1-Sit down 2-Write 3-Do it over & over & over again It's like working a muscle. Show up, put in the time, & watch your writing transform.

submitted 83 days ago • 0 comments

Yesterday I suggested a possible solution to a slow Chapter 1: cut Chapter 1 entirely. A follower made a great point about this, though: I've already told writers to cut their prologues. Now I'm telling you to cut Chapter 1, too! But there's a key difference between these:

submitted 82 days ago • 1 comment

Brigham Editorial Query Month, Day 31: When is it time to rework a query letter? One of the hardest things about querying is figuring out why your query letter is failing. How are we supposed to know if the query, concept, or manuscript is the problem?

submitted 95 days ago • 2 comments

One of the most important parts of fiction writing is also frequently misunderstood: interiority. Readers don’t just want to hear what happens; they want to feel it. Interiority is what transforms a sequence of events into an emotional experience. But how to write interiority?

submitted 90 days ago • 1 comment

I just called all my reps using 5calls extremely helpful contact info and script. Got through to one, left a voicemail for another, and had to dig up Adam Schiff's website contact page because the voicemail was full and you're not getting rid of me that easy. You should do it too. 5calls.org

submitted 91 days ago • 6 comments

Picking a title for your book can feel as daunting as choosing a baby name, so it’s no wonder many authors struggle to choose the perfect one. If you’re stuck, here are 4 strategies to help you find the perfect title: 🧵

submitted 96 days ago • 2 comments

Hi. Jewish person here. These are concentration camps and should be called that by everyone.

submitted 97 days ago • 97 comments

Saving for later. I have terrible phone anxiety and usually place all rep calls after hours, but today the voice mailbox is full, which I hope is a good sign?

submitted 97 days ago • 0 comments

Morally questionable man only cares about one (1) person and he will commit atrocities for their love and happiness.

submitted 98 days ago • 2 comments

This. This is the fundamental issue. If the government can simply declare you outside the class of people who are entitled to due process, how do you prove otherwise?

submitted 99 days ago • 22 comments

My WIP is the "what if we did the story from the OTHER perspective" of Guards! Guards! but with the corruption and resistance movement of Robin Hood (2017), all within the grimy, gritty, sickly city setting from the 2014 reboot of the game Thief.

submitted 100 days ago • 0 comments

It’s not about deportation. Nobody’s GOING anywhere. Removing citizenship removes people’s rights. Their property. Their livelihoods. Their ability to even HAVE a livelihood. Their agency. Where they can BE. Where they can STAY. What they can OWN. We’re talking about a massive transfer of wealth

submitted 101 days ago • 4 comments