Delilah S. Dawson has left the building
@DelilahSDawson
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NYT bestselling writer. Not here bc it's awful. Pls follow me elsewhere at the same handle. I deleted my tweets, so anything you see here is against my will.
Atlanta, GA
Joined February 2009
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Pinned Tweet
Here's a thread about my backlist, which goes all the way back to 2012. Maybe you'll find something you like! And the good news is that all my series are completed, so you won't have to wait for anything. Let's gooooo!
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So I'm 21k into drafting this new book, which means my brain is heavily fertile ground, constantly sprouting new ideas and scenes and lines of dialogue. I vaguely remember hopping out of bed after midnight with a genius idea. Here it is. Here's the answer to everything.
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Audio books are real books. E-books are real books. This isn't the dang velveteen rabbit.
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Hey, writers. Listen up. YOU'RE ALLOWED TO USE ADJECTIVES. Even a few adverbs. You're allowed to describe the weather. You don't have to start the book in the middle of The Biggest Fight Ever. Hook us with a scene that shows character through action and dialogue, then GOOOOO.
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Your job is not to write the most successful book in the world. It's to write THIS book. Your job is to do the work. If you don't do the work, the book doesn't get written. If it doesn't get written, it can't be edited, it can't sell, it can't become successful. Just do the work.
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The Emperor's New Groove is a vastly underappreciated film and Kuzco is a Disney princess FIGHT ME.
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I feel silly saying this, but if you ever see me at a Disney park, please say hi! Always happy to chat Star Wars and take a pic, if you're into that! Got to meet someone today who liked Phasma and it made my day!!
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Anxiety is weird because you can be perfectly fine and then--for no good reason-- suddenly think, "I'm breathing, and if I breathe wrong, I'll pass out and die," and then you spend the next week thinking about breathing and checking your heart rate. PLS UPDATE THIS SOFTWARE.
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Fun facts about IP books
#1
: Generally, writers don't come up with the idea and pitch the book out of nowhere. The editors have an idea of what they want and select a writer they know can nail it. So, I didn't say, LEMME TELL PHASMA'S STORY, they asked if I was interested.
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1st drafting: THIS BOOK IS AMAZING
book is w agent/editor: MAYBE IT'S TRASH
while revising: MAYBE I'M TRASH
book is w agent/editor: I SHOULD JUMP IN THE SEA
they like the book: WAS IT AN ACCIDENT
copyediting: WHO WROTE THIS
book launches: I AM DYING
the next day: I HAVE AN IDEA
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Hey, writers: I know it can feel like we're supposed to talk about how writing is hard and editing is drudgery, but it's okay enjoy it, to love your work and be proud of it. It's more than ok to give yourself goosebumps and tears. We create worlds. It's something to celebrate.
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me: I love my kids more than anything. I would give them the last crumb of bread. I would die for them.
also me: *hides favorite spoon so they can't use it first*
still me: *says there's no more chocolate when there is definitely more chocolate*
yet STILL me: is that my SOCK
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I woke up burdened with one glorious purpose: to find Loki horns that will fit my taxidermy alligator, Terry.
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A STORY ABOUT HOW DUMB YOUR BRAIN IS.
Ahem. So as you know, I'm into Olympic lifting now. I started in December, working out twice a week. Now I go thrice. And here's a thing that makes me mad and relates to writing/art: I could lift more in February than I can now. 1/
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A thread on writing with chronic illness. I have an autoimmune disease called Hashimoto's. It gets progressively worse as you age. Mine's gone from no impact on my life to HA HA HA WHO NEEDS A GALLBLADDER. Note: I'm not a doctor or therapist. YMMV. This is what helps me. 1/
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I don't talk about it very much, but I live with a chronic disease. Would anyone be interested in a thread on how I balance that with a writing career? Not 'do this, do that' but more like... here are some of my tips and tricks just to function?
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Cat medicine is so messed up. "Your angry personal tiger has a bacterial infection, so you'll need to take this large pill that he hates and poke it past thirty tiny razorblades into his mouth, which already has as much bacteria as a komodo dragon's butthole. Twice a day."
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Raise your hand if you can't believe there isn't a Vi Moradi Funko Pop.
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me: I'm 43, I like my body right now, I have money, and I want to look cute.
Target: how would u like to look like a giant toddler
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Surprise! I'm back in the YA game!
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On my way to Galaxy's Edge in pigtails and my Grogu ears. I'll be on the lookout for Vi Moradi and I'll probably cry if I see her. You've all been warned.
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I know that fireflies exist, but we didn't have them down in Tampa. Never in four years. Not a single one. But last night, I sat outside on the porch, and the forest started twinkling, and I was nearly in tears. You can know something, but that's not *KNOWING* something.
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So the thing they don't tell you about writing a really long book is that then you have to EDIT A REALLY LONG BOOK.
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The first draft is dead.
Long live the second draft!
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Oh, boy! Are we doing harsh writing advice? I HAVE THAT. 1st:
A writing career is very rarely a steadily rising line of success. It's jagged. Little gains, huge losses, sometimes a big win swiftly followed by panic. You've just gotta keep paddling until you can surf again.
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A book without adjectives and adverbs is like food without salt and spices. Too much, and you'll refuse to choke it down. But too little, and it's bland mush that will always fail to thrill and delight. It might take years to find the right balance as a writer, but that's ok.
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You either die a goth, or you live long enough to become the mom holding 20 black shirts and a chain belt in Hot Topic.
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I thought I was supposed to be a visual artist. Got my degree, a job, never found my body of work. Then I found writing. Nine years and a big ol' stack of books later, I have a body of work. I found my voice. I grew up thinking writers always knew what they were. I was wrong.
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I just saw advice that was like, "cut every adverb and most adjectives," and... no? You don't need to say 'the purple velvet quilted club chair with gold piping, refurbished and found on Craigslist', but you are free to say 'the purple velvet chair' before your MC sits in it.
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I just realized that I miss cons not only because I get to see people I love and take in all the excitement and cosplay and merch, but also because when I have a 2 hour break in my hotel room, there's no urge to clean or work, and I can just rest. I'm no good at resting at home.
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I mean, the writer writes the book. The editor edits the book. Once it's ready, who cares which form it's in? It's the same book whether it's hardcover, paperback, audio, or e-book. Each has its benefits and drawbacks. I just can't imagine gatekeeping around... books.
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Dear USPS, who lost my certified mail: I need you to understand that a detailed survey asking me whether I would recommend the USPS to friends and family is ridiculous. YOU'RE THE POST OFFICE. No one is recommending you. We just want you to go back to not sucking.
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Wanna know a secret? When I'm in Pandora, I pretend it's Kashyyyk.
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So, a thread on GOING GLUTEN FREE. I have an autoimmune disease that doesn't play well with gluten, and if I eat an atom of the stuff, my body punishes me in terrible ways. I was fine until 2016, and now I'll never eat gluten again. But I eat well! Here's how. 1/
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I wish I could hear Dr. Perry Cox go on a Scrubs-y rant about Covid. It would be so satisfying.
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Art is like that. Writing is like that. Growth is jagged. You hit plateaus. Maybe you used to write faster but now you take your time. Maybe changing your process means that you spend less time editing or throw fewer books out after stalling out at 20 pages. It's all growth. 9/
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What foods do you miss from your youth, things you'll probably never, ever get to taste again? This question inspired by the grainy deliciousness of Carnation Instant Breakfast Bars, circa 1990.
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I'm home alone for the first time in over a year. And what do I do with my time?
1. Spend 20 minutes trying to record myself doing a take on Tom Cruise/Risky Business dance scene in all Star Wars attire.
2. Eat red velvet cake directly from the box with a fork.
3. Calligraphy.
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*grabs your face*
A SALAD IS NOT AN APPROPRIATE AND "REFRESHING" OPTION FOR THE ONLY GLUTEN FREE ENTREE.
*throws you to the ground and kicks your gallbladder, because yeah, I'm hangry, and also not a salad person*
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Well, y'all... I had to cancel on Dragoncon. The Atlanta Covid numbers are high and rising exponentially, our hospitals are filling up already, and even if the geeks mask up responsibly, we all know the football fans won't. Let's hope for next year? 😭😭😭
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Could someone please explain to me what I'm supposed to do with all these feelings after watching Ted Lasso?
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One of the hardest things to figure out as a writer is when you're procrastinating and when the project just isn't quite ripe. For me, the difference is how I feel.
* OH GOD I NEED TO DO THIS WHY CAN'T I DO THIS = not ripe yet
* eh, I'd rather watch TV = procrastinating
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Every time I say something ridiculous on Twitter, I remember that guy I dated in high school who told me I was a little *too* ridiculous and it made him uncomfortable. And now I've managed to somehow turn ridiculous into a career. JOKE'S ON YOU, GUY WHO DUMPED ME.
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God: So here's your body. Should last you 80 years or so.
me: Great! Tha--
God: Just one more thing...
me: HUH-GUH-GRAH-NGGG
God: Yeah, you found it. Sometimes you'll randomly choke on your own spit and nearly pee yourself. Think of it as a fun little surprise.
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My 14yo daughter said my next book is scary, and I'll be surfing that wave for the rest of my life.
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It's 1981. I'm one of 3 new writers who wrote a query this year. My agent calls me daily. I sell a book based on the pitch: a guy goes to college; stuff happens. My editor flies to my house to pick up the only copy of my typed manuscript. The book cover has Fabio on it. I'm rich.
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Idea: Dune-themed cookies to celebrate the new movie.
* Dunkin' Idahos (like Oreos, made for dunkin' in milk)
* Muad-dibs (as in, I call dibs on these snickerdoodles)
* Fremint (Thin Mint knock-offs)
* Shai-Hulud Hoops (daisy shortbreads with a hole in the center)
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Every time I do an edit, I print out the edit letter, highlight the action items, and condense them into a cheat sheet on an index card. Today my 12yo son found the cheat sheet. 1/
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Soooo I've seen some Phasma chatter lately as relates to Bad Batch, and I'd just like to remind everyone that Phasma has a canon backstory:
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So, a thread on what travel is like right now for someone with anxiety, because tbh, I was surprised by some of my reactions. First off, I'm fully vaccinated and until now haven't rly done anything other than go to the store, dine outside, and join group mountain bike rides. 1/
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Here, have a jaunty gal. I have several.
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In which I woke up feeling very cute in my new workout clothes and was pleased with the new title of my second Middle Grade Horror book. Out of 17 published/about to be published books, 3 of my titles have changed, always for the better. Thank goodness for editors!
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Does anyone have the inside scoop on when Ikea will be back to normal? I've been waiting 6 months for the bookshelf I need to be back in stock. The books are mating. Their eggs are hatching. I'm drowning in squawking pamphlets. Help me.
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Crimson Peak facts:
* its Angels and Insects meets Bram Stoker's Dracula
* Tom Hiddleston is perfect
* someone needs to invent hair ties
* I feel like Charlie Hunnam just wandered on set one day and they were too nice to send him back home
* I can't believe I slept on it??
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For your entertainment, I present a Very Lörge Boy who won't stop licking his infected wounds, thereby making his antibiotics work harder, and who is also Too Lörge for his onesie, which won't zip up his back. I have ordered a donut collar, so the indignities have just begun.
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This is my first trip since 2019. Managing my anxiety has been a chore. Nearly had panic attacks several times. But this picture... it's so nice to have moments of childlike joy again. Like crawling out of a cave and seeing daylight for the first time in forever.
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I want to go to the ocean and wake up and drink coffee on the balcony and then write for eight hours and go bodysurfing in the afternoon as everyone else leaves the beach and then eat my bodyweight in poke and the only problem I see is reality and also physics.
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I earned five dollars for picking up pine cones and used it to purchase my very own Sara Lee frozen pound cake. I ate the entire thing in one sitting and barfed it all right back up. When they asked me what I'd learned, I said, "Nothing." Cake is still my favorite food.
What is something you did as kid/young person that exemplifies exactly who you are now? One of those “wow, that is so me” stories
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Fun facts about IP book
#2
: Quite often, IP books have what's called a 'crash schedule'. That means the author may have only 4-6 weeks to write 100,000 words. That's one reason just anyone can't write one-- you have to be quick, fast, confident, and able to absorb criticism.
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look at this little strawberry man
this precious angel baby
look
look and know that there is good in the world
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When I was 5 I was eating green beans and my dad burst into the kitchen in a horror mask. I threw beans at him. One landed in the mask's mouth. I laughed so hard that I choked and he had to hold me upside down and hit my back until I breathed again. Anyway, happy Complicated Day.
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A STORY ABOUT LIFE, GROWTH, AND PEEING YOURSELF.
Ahem. So last year, I did a body scan and was surprised to find that I am not actually special and am aging like anyone else. I was told I desperately need weightbearing exercise. Thus I began Olympic weightlifting in December. 1/
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Fun facts about IP book
#3
: The writer doesn't always get to do everything they want to do or use all the characters they want to use. I would've *LOVED* to use Kylo Ren in PHASMA, but he was elsewhere, doing other things. We use all the main characters we can get away with!
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50 First Dates, but every day I forget I have allergies and think I'm literally dying
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Here is the little bird I made from scraps with no pattern. He still needs a hanger and a final polish, but I am proud of him, mistakes and all.
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I think I read somewhere that human beings are wired to dig up chunks, and that's why we love Ben & Jerry's so much. Is this true? Did I dream it? What's it called?
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So I was listening to a fascinating interview of
@SPressfield
by
@tferriss
today, and they were discussing writing fiction-- specifically, how to barf up that first book. And there's one important strategy they didn't mention, which is this:
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Here comes the best part: opening up a new Word document, formatting it, typing the title that will obviously change, and furiously translating all my notes to the page in case I lose the six index cards and receipt that now hold the fragile story like a freakin' horcrux.
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So I think I'm ready for 93 writing retreats. Who's with me?
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I'm thinking today about the small actions-- with big impact-- that we put off and how gratifying it is when we finally tackle them. And how every time, I'm like, WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG. 1/
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Guess which absolute idiot went and got diabetes. Guess. Guess which utter moron, which chubby bunny, which ridiculous snugglemonster.
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I just really, really want to be at a place that isn't my house with friends I haven't seen in a while eating things I didn't cook and doing activities I haven't been doing while also not coming close enough to anyone to get the Delta Plus variant of Covid.
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My job is not to lift more than anyone else or write the best book in the world. Thinking like that-- that everything must be a masterpiece or a PR-- is a dreamkiller. And an excuse. My job is to focus on the work in front of me and do the best I can with what I have today. 13/
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Fun facts about IP books
#5
: It's really hard to write in an IP that you don't truly love and haven't fully marinated in for years. Sometimes you can catch up over a month, but in general, you have to know that world and those characters inside out. You must love it to write it.
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One weird thing about being an adult is that sometimes all you accomplish in a day is being on high alert while someone fixes something broken in your house. Like, you can't work or create, you just vibrate like a hunting dog.
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So my old cat has diabetes and an infection and I have to give him two shots a day and poke a pill down his angry throat and ration his food, and I thought he would get mad at me, but instead he must be within 2 feet of me at all times and gets mad when I'm out of reach and
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Who's your all-time favorite Disney character and why? (This post brought to you by the fact that I shouted YOU THREW OFF MY GROOVE to myself when a car cut me off in traffic this morning.)
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Quality time with my enfant terrible.
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Sometimes I have to double check that The Chipmunk Adventure really happened and I didn't just hallucinate it. 80s cartoon movies were a trip.
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So, thank you, agents and editors, for helping me level up. And thank you, son, for reminding me that some people still think I'm pretty great even before I benefit from tons of help from experts. 10/10
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Fun facts about IP books
#10
: For example, for a while, Star Wars writers in general weren't allowed to use the Jedi, the Force, or lightsabers. Those topics were reserved for movies. Readers often complain about SW books for this reason, but it wasn't the authors' choice.
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idea: a women's body care brand called VENERABLE ZEST. Like Old Spice, but slightly more feminine in the bog witch sort of way. I want my pits to smell like SANDALWOOD VIRAGO and COCONUT SEA WITCH and MURDEROUS MAB. I want a matching body wash in COYOTE PRETTY. No more powder.
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CAMPIRE: A vampire that only hunts at sleepaway camp. Or a pretty great typo I just made that I need to capitalize on immediately.
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And he just looked at me like I was an idiot, shook his head, and said, "No, you're perfect." First of all, let me capture that moment forever and show him when he's 15. Second of all, I don't think you can progress as a creative if you believe it about yourself? 6/
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Fun facts about IP books
#6
: They are more likely to get canceled than creator-owned projects. I've lost outlines, books, and series because something in the real world-- an actor getting in trouble, a script changing, a movie flopping-- shut down the project. It hurts.
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Part of being a writer with a chronic condition is accepting that sometimes, the mind is willing but the body is a trash fire. You can't beat yourself up about it. I always try to build rest days into any deadline I accept. And I build rest days for after the deadline, too. 15/
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Idea: An ergonomic dining room chair for writers and artists who have a perfectly nice office and yet feel the need to sit in the center of everything like a dang spider and have an achy back because dining room chairs are meant to be sat in for 30 minutes, not 8 hours.
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Book announcement and cover reveal!
I wrote a MINECRAFT book! It's got:
* 4 great friends on an adventure
* echoes of Monster Squad, The Goonies, and Stand By Me
* a cool grandma
* neurodiversity
It's out September 28, and all pre-order links are here:
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Hey hey, MINE is out today! Big thanks to my agent
@StaciaDecker
, my editors
@wendyloggia
and Alison Romig, and everyone at
@DelacortePress
and
@randomhousekids
. Thanks to
@arden_katherine
and
@ChuckWendig
for blurbs. And thanks to
@CoreyBrickley
for this amazing cover!
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Fun facts about IP books
#4
: The IP book doesn't just happen between the writer and the editor. There are many levels of shareholders who have a say. Pitches and outlines take a long time because lots of people have thoughts and someone has to keep track of established canon.
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Last night, I did something that scares me. And then I did it again and again and again.
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And before the influx of folks kindly telling me to believe in myself: I do. I'm a career author with 15+ books under my belt and 8 more under contract. This is what I do. Even if I feel insecure about a story, I have confidence in myself and my process. I keep going anyway.
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Authors doing their taxes--already a VERY painful time for the self-employed-- considering what they can deduct for 2020:
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If you want to lift big, you start lifting small. If you want to write a book, you start with page one. The magic happens in the everyday work, not in some transcendental lightning strike. So focus on what you can do today. One small step is better than nothing. It adds up. 18/
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They're not as clear as I'd like, but I spent a long time sitting perfectly still outside to get these shots, listening for the hummers' telltale beeps, so this is what you get.
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TFW you've written a book about middle school bullying, and all the editorial comments are like, "The bullying is on point!" and "You're really showing how bullied kids retreat into themselves!" and you're like
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If anybody wants a Korg novella, think of me fondly. He lives in my head rent-free, sitting on beat-up couch, watching A-Team reruns. Would be especially fun for that 8-12 age range with lots of jokes about farts and what it would sound like if a rock farted.
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