Jill Tew 🌌 pre-order THE DIVIDING SKY! 🌌
@jtewwrites
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THE DIVIDING SKY (PRH) October 8, 2024 KAYA MORGAN (Disney) April 1, 2025 AN OCEAN APART (PRH) Fall 2025 Mom, wife, second gen 🇦🇮. Crew @TheeAfronauts
Atlanta
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🌌 COVER REVEAL! 🌌
In 2460 Boston, a girl who sells her emotions to wealthy clients deals a bit of illegal happiness on the side. But a handsome rookie is determined to arrest her... if he doesn't fall in love with her first.
Preorder:
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I’ve been reading a lot this month, and it occurred to me that there’s one simple thing the best writers do that makes their stories feel real and three-dimensional:
Their characters inconvenience each other.
🧵
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🥳 CONGRATULATIONS to up-and-coming debut author Jane Austen on having not one but TWO books hit the Indie bestseller list this week!! I have a feeling this is just the start for you, queen.
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Well-developed characters have their own goals, preferences, and quirks. It shouldn’t feel like the author is simply pushing them along the track of the plot; they have to bump into one another, set each other back, nudge one another off-course.
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writing advice: the first draft is just you, telling yourself the story 😌
me, telling myself the story:
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This can be big or small:
Does the heroine miss the last train out because her Uber driver has to get his steps in for the day?
Does the villain adjust his scheme because his henchman brings home a stray puppy?
Even if just for a paragraph or two, the added depth matters.
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✨ 🌌 I HAVE BOOK NEWS 🌌 ✨
I’m so, so excited to share that my YA dystopian romance THE DIVIDING SKY is coming out in Summer 2024, from
@JoyRevBooks
/
@penguinrandom
!
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The more complex the dynamics between your characters and the more they tug and stretch each other, the realer and more engaging your world and story will feel.
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*me and 4, putting lotion on her after bathtime*
4: mommy, do you see yourself in me?
me, shocked at the profoundness of the question: … w-what?
4: do you see yourself in me?
me: …🥺 i do sometimes, yes.
4, slapping a glob of lotion on her belly: cuz i super shiny!
🤦🏾♀️😂
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Just got off of a call that I’ve been dreaming of for almost nine years.
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Hey
#amquerying
, I made an interview template for “the call”! Feel free to share, copy, modify etc.
Based heavily on guides from Jim McCarthy and Alexa Donne (not tagging so I don’t blow up their mentions haha).
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This insight brought to you by
@what_eats_owls
’s LITTLE THIEVES, which incidentally is so, so good.
(I’m way late, I know.)
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✨ANNOUNCEMENT✨
Feels slightly surreal to share that I am now represented by
@jenazantian
of Azantian Literary Agency!!
I can’t wait to work with her on my stories of heroes, heart, and perhaps the odd neurochip or two.
Zoe's journey is just beginning. If you ❤️:
👩🏾🏭 Black girl engineers
🔫 Found family insurgents
🤔 Sociopolitical musings (what makes an ideal world?)
💘 Enemies -> Lovers
👯♂️ Love triangle w/ alt universe doppelgänger twist
Then watch this space!
#Edits4BlackSFF
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How Tight Is Your Story?
As a plotter, one gut check I do before I begin drafting is to make sure my story is as tight as it can be. By this, I mean I condense and remove as many elements as possible, without losing the essence of the story.
Examples:
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A big part of my strategy for surviving being on sub has been having other things to look forward to. I did this while querying, too. I like to think of it as diversifying my hope portfolio. (1/5)
#WritingCommunity
#amquerying
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So excited to finally announce my MG debut: KAYA MORGAN'S CROWNING ACHIEVEMENT! This is the book of my 12-year-old heart, about a Black girl competing for the role of Queen in a world that sees her as anything but regal. Plus: archery, funnel cake fries, and RenFaire puns galore!
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Okay, I know we’re supposed to stay away from Goodreads, but someone added THE DIVIDING SKY to a shelf called “Janelle Monae would be proud”, and I feel like I won a freaking Nebula award. As a Black sci-fi author, there’s no higher praise. 😩 🙌🏾
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Ahh it’s my face!!
For more of my face, check out the author pic on the Goodreads page of THE DIVIDING SKY, my YA sci-fi romance ☺️
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Woke up today still thinking about this moment. I grew up on sci-fi; dystopian novels are the reason I became a writer. For a book with two Black leads to get an orange banner in such a heavy hitter category... I'm blown away. Thank y'all for your support. This is just the start.
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As my debut year approaches, I’m realizing that I’m familiar with the workload it takes to write & revise a book… but not so much the workload required to market one.
Published authors: if writing a book is a 10, how much time & headspace was marketing/publicity in debut year?
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Maybe it’s the caffeine talking. Or maybe it’s because I’m in that liminal space right before I go on sub where my manuscript is shiny and I haven’t had my heart broken yet.
Maybe it’s both.
But today… I just feel like it could all really happen.
#WritingCommunity
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I got my final cover today! 🤩🤩
To celebrate, I’m sharing an early digital copy of THE DIVIDING SKY with two Black readers/bookish people.
Know anyone who likes YA/dystopian/romance with an all-BIPOC cast? Hit me up! I’ll pick two by the end of the week. 🤎
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If you had told me 2 years ago that not only would I finish my manuscript, but that people would love my story and characters, and send me kind notes like the one I just got…
Even if this is as far as it goes. Even if it dies on sub…
It’s already enough.
#WritingCommunity
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Wow I’m so glad this resonated! If you liked this, check out the Afronauts Podcast (
@AfronautsPod
), where me and my friends interview incredible authors and talk about craft!
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Sleuthing around on 2024 debuts’ Goodreads pages tonight? Consider adding THE DIVIDING SKY as want to read! 😂
🌌 YA dystopian
🌌 a girl who uses her neurochip to illegally deal happy memories
🌌 the rookie sent to arrest her, who falls for her instead
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Today I’m thinking about this tweet from last August.
Never could have guessed the twists and turns b/w that exchange and signing with
@jenazantian
14 months later. But things worked out exactly as they were meant to.
Follow your own road,
#writingcommunity
. Detours and all.
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One of the fun things about being on sub with a parallel universe ms is that the outcomes are limitless. For every close call that doesn’t go my way, there’s another me somewhere in the multiverse, celebrating her book deal. And I’m (mostly) thrilled for her 😂
#writingcommunity
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Hey
#writersoftwitter
! I’m Jill and I write soft sci-fi about Black girls in futuristic worlds. Currently on sub with an adult parallel universe story while I draft
#ProxyWIP
, my YA sci-fi romance. Exhausted member of
#5amwritersclub
and
#momswritersclub
, & crew
@AfronautsPod
!
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Just signed a THING so hopefully I can finally talk about it soon! 🔥🔥
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@am_anatiala
YES! It’s hilarious and if you can’t get on your characters’ nerves, then what even is the point?
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New headshots = new profile picture time! Which should I pick?
(my fivehead asks that you please be kind 🥲)
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After years of dreaming up the world of The Dividing Sky, I can’t believe it’s almost time to share the official cover (and more!) with all of you.
See you on the 8th 💖🌌
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Sleuthing around on 2024 debuts’ Goodreads pages tonight? Consider adding THE DIVIDING SKY as want to read! 😂
🌌 YA dystopian
🌌 a girl who uses her neurochip to illegally deal happy memories
🌌 the rookie sent to arrest her, who falls for her instead
If you as a debut author are going to make a bunch of fake Goodreads accounts one-star-bombing fellow debuts you're threatened by can you at least not make it so obvious by upvoting your own book on a bajillion different lists with those same accounts
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I could just ask my husband if he set up the printer in the home office.
I could. Or--
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Oh y’all aren’t messing around, huh?
🌌 COVER REVEAL! 🌌
In 2460 Boston, a girl who sells her emotions to wealthy clients deals a bit of illegal happiness on the side. But a handsome rookie is determined to arrest her... if he doesn't fall in love with her first.
Preorder:
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I know some authors get thousands of shelf-adds as soon as their books are announced, but 100 still feels huge! 🥳
Thank you to everyone who’s shown early support for THE DIVIDING SKY! And if you haven’t added it to your GR shelf yet, you can do it here:
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It doesn’t feel real, cannot be real. You were just here, larger than life with dreams to match. My only comfort is how loved you were, and how fiercely you loved God. I will carry you into every story I write. Love you always.
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Just announced: Alessandra Balzer and Donna Bray will bring their imprint, Balzer + Bray, to Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group from HarperCollins
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I wonder how many agents are already seeing queries with comps to Legendborn, helping pave the way for more Black SFF to come.
Thank you,
@tracydeonn
for being both a beacon and a foothold.
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Fellow
@2024Debuts
: omg my book comes out thi—
Me: MY BOOK COMES OUT THIS YEAR JINX YOU OWE ME A COKE
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When I try to be a “legit” adult SFF author and write in third person past:
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Hey
#writersoftwitter
, my name’s Jill! I mainly write adult and YA sci-fi, starring Black girls in big adventures and even bigger love stories. 💫
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SO EXCITED to finally scream about working with
@tajdream
on 🔪⚡️EDGE OF STEEL AND STATIC 🔪⚡️, about college students who can control metal and the electricity-wielding cult that hunts them.
Riveting science, Muslim rep, and dialogue that literally makes me LOL. Get ready.
Thank you for your patience! We are pleased to announce the
#AuthorMentorMatch
Round 9 mentee selections:
Congrats to all who were chosen!
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THERE IS SOMETHING COVER-SHAPED IN MY INBOX!! 😱🥳
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
it’s a utility bill 😌
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THANK YOU to the team at
@fiyahlitmag
and
#ignyteawards
, and everyone who voted. Congratulations to all of the other winners!
Beatrice and
@chelseagayden
, love y’all for real.
@AfronautsPod
has been an anchor through the entire journey so far, and the best is yet to come.
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Thrilled to be an R9 mentor! I can’t wait to get my hands on some fantastic adult SFF submissions and find my mentee. I know you’re out there!
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Will never forgive Disney for making Frozen 2, which is both addictive and impossible to explain to my 4 y/o.
Me: So, yeah, Elsa’s mommy like… lives in the ice. Yeah, I know her mommy died. No, it’s not her ghost. It’s Elsa, I think? Her inner voice? Oh, inner voice is when…
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- went on sub w/ book 1. One yr later my sanity is mostly still intact
- wrote book 2
- wrapped an amazing
@AfronautsPod
szn
- took my kids to my ancestral home for the first time 🇦🇮
- completed the Odyssey Workshop
- had a blast at YALLFest
- took book 2 on sub and, well 👀
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So excited to share this book trailer by the amazing
@kalieholford
for my debut!
The Dividing Sky is a YA dystopian romance about a girl who deals happiness illegally, and the rookie enforcer who tracks her to the woods.
#pitlight
#ya
#sf
#booktrailer
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Who am I to resist a bandwagon?
The Dividing Sky is about a girl who uses her neurochip to illegally deal happy memories, and a boy who’s supposed to arrest her, but who falls in love with her instead. Out next fall!
You can add it to Goodreads at
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My 3 y/o has decided that next Halloween she wants to go *as Halloween*, and I am fully obsessed with this idea.
I’m not a crafty person, but I have 7 months to figure out how to make her a costume of a house, complete with miniature residents and trick-or-treaters.
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I haven’t looked at my adult sci-fi in four months.
But I’ve got my coffee, I’ve got my agent’s notes, and I’ve got a spreadsheet to help make sense of it all.
Time for a...
🌟REVISIONS ACCOUNTABILITY THREAD🌟
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me, for months: man, I think there’s something wrong with the ravens in our neighborhood, they’re all missing the feathers around their face. some sort of skin infection maybe? poor things.
me, seeing a picture of a black vulture today for the first time: … oh.
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Zoe's journey is just beginning. If you ❤️:
👩🏾🏭 Black girl engineers
🔫 Found family insurgents
🤔 Sociopolitical musings (what makes an ideal world?)
💘 Enemies -> Lovers
👯♂️ Love triangle w/ alt universe doppelgänger twist
Then watch this space!
#Edits4BlackSFF
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Authors, tell me what you’ll be working on in 2024? ✨💖
I’ll be:
- editing MG 1 👸🏾
- drafting MG 2 👩🏾🚀
- drafting a YA dystopian romance 💧💖
- finishing an adult SF romance 🥵🚀
- promoting THE DIVIDING SKY to anyone who will listen! Speaking of which:
Authors, tell me what you’ll be working on in 2024? 🙌🏼😍
I’ll be:
- editing book 3
- finishing the second half of book 4
- getting started on book 5 (hopefully)
- promoting Skater Boy every chance I get! 🛹🩰
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Thanks for the input everyone! 😊
#NewProfilePic
New headshots = new profile picture time! Which should I pick?
(my fivehead asks that you please be kind 🥲)
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✨ MAKING THINGS HARD FOR MY CHARACTERS ✨
I love my characters. I think they’re funny and interesting, and if I could I’d write a whole book where they just say funny and interesting things to each other (and make out occasionally).
But that would be boring. (1/6)
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@draper_claire
Hi! Respectful counterpoint that this may make some marginalized creators feel like their work isn’t standing on its own, especially when some in publishing have been vocal about rep/diversity being a “trend” they want to capitalize on.
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*squints at new follower count* Wowie.
Hi! I’m Jill, currently on sub with a YA sci-fi romance that’s SERPENT & DOVE meets Arcane. I tweet about craft advice, media I like, my kids, and my dog.
Here’s a picture of a mopey boy, in strong opposition to the (dinner) time change.
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Instead of introducing a new setting in Act 3, can I set that scene in a familiar place that might mean more to the characters?
If a character requires an important moment of emotional growth, can I use a character or experience she’s already familiar with to show she’s changed?
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Balzer + Bray (Macmillan's Version)
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Ecstatic to share that my gothic sci-fi short story, “I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm” will be out in
@TenebrousPress
THANK YOU FOR JOINING THE ALGORITHM anthology next month! Link in my bio to pre-order a copy (check out that mind-blowing cover)!
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Yay
#RomComMarch
! I’m working on a new YA dystopian romance set in the same world as my October debut, THE DIVIDING SKY. This one is The Selection meets Waterworld, with a sprinkle of Ever After vibes. 🌊💧Hopefully more news coming about this one soon!
Our first
#RomComMarch
prompt is here!
Share a moodboard, aesthetic, or even phrases that give the vibes of your project.
We can't wait to fall in love with all your books!
Accessibility is important, so remember to include ALT Text!
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Jordan Peele adaptation of
@BCMorrow
’s CHERISH FARRAH where the trailer includes a creepy, minor key remix of Hall & Oates’ “Rich Girl” when
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✨CRITIQUE GIVEAWAY✨
Distract me from officially being on sub(!) by letting me read your beautiful words!
This Sunday, I'll choose 3 entries for a query letter/five-page critique.
Follow, RT, and comment a bit about your story. Tag a friend for an extra entry.
#amquerying
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Today is the littlest Tew’s birthday! 🥰 It’s also our anniversary! 🥳
Look at us! So young. So cute. So well-rested. 😅
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Curious about my debut THE DIVIDING SKY, but trapped on Twitter by the curse of a powerful hedgewitch who won’t let you visit other pages on the internet?
I got you.
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And I would cut three thousand words
And I would cut three thousand more
Just to have a manuscript that fits my genre’s standard
Word count goooooal
Please help me. 😂
#5amwritersclub
#writingcommunity
#amediting
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Wow these Westworld viral marketing tie-ins are getting really sophisticated.
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Happy birthday to my handsome boy Gus! Looking fine at nine 🥰
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The good news: I figured out what’s causing my intermittent headaches.
The bad news: It’s my… it’s my…
*looks away, lip quivering, voice hoarse with sorrow*
… my coffee 😩
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This is love after sixteen years I guess 😅🥰
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✨ NEW YEAR, NEW GIVEAWAY ✨
I’m giving away 3 query package critiques for anyone querying in the new year! To enter:
- Follow
@jtewwrites
(that’s me!)
- Comment with a pitch/aesthetic
- RT for bonus entry!
Winners chosen Jan. 2nd!
Hint: 2 more slots available over on IG 👀
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Hey, uh speaking of debuts…
THE DIVIDING SKY is a YA dystopian romance about a girl who uses her neurochip to illegally deal happy memories, and the handsome rookie determined to arrest her, who ends up falling in love with her instead.
Preorder:
🥳 CONGRATULATIONS to up-and-coming debut author Jane Austen on having not one but TWO books hit the Indie bestseller list this week!! I have a feeling this is just the start for you, queen.
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Top betrayals in history:
- Caesar and Brutus
- Jesus and Judas Iscariot
- Me dropping my dog off at the groomers
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Ok the mentions are mentioning and I’ll try to get to everyone today but in the meantime THANK YOU ALL! This moment is truly a dream come true.
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About a day’s worth of plotting left on this space opera second chance rom-com, and the characters’ voices are starting to show. Little snippets of banter have begun popping up in my head.
This is gonna be a good one y’all. 😌
#RomComMarch
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It goes without saying that not all of the things you’re hopeful for will pan out. But with a diverse hope portfolio, maybe it won’t be the end of the world. 🤞🏾 (5/5)
#WritingCommunity
#amquerying
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My in-laws got Gus his own personal La-Z-Boy for Christmas and it’s my favorite thing. Mostly because it means less dog hair on the people couches 😂
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A little windy on this last day of vacay but the beach is the beach. 💨 🏝
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Me going back through my manuscript, trying to remember what color I made a tertiary character’s eyes.
#WritingCommunity
#amwriting
#amforgetting
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Democrats in the House and Senate decided to wear African patterned cloth and take a knee for 8 minutes and 46 seconds in honor of George Floyd.
This is a mess.
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My youngest pronounces “carry” as “care”— as in, “Mommy, can you care me?”
What a lovely reminder of the connection between those words. That carrying someone, whether physically or otherwise, is a way of caring for them.
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Violets are blue. Roses are red…
THE DIVIDING SKY is a YA dystopian romance about a girl who uses her neurochip to illegally deal happy memories, and the handsome rookie who’s determined to arrest her, but who ends up falling in love with her instead.
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when your agent likes your next project
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3 y/o told us she got lots of emails for Valentine’s Day.
Envelopes. They were envelopes.
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Out at dinner.
3 y/o: I spy with my little eye sumping… sumping… pink!
Husband, 5 y/o and I look around, to no avail.
3 y/o: I’ll give you a hint! It’s in my hand.
Husband pries her hand open to reveal… a wad of gum acquired from the underside of the table.
🫠🫠🫠
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spent $9 on hummingbird nectar concentrate and it may be my best pandemic purchase yet as far as return on investment. 10/10 would tune everything out and stare at hummingbirds again.
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Just now while drafting my latest WIP (an adult space opera romance that's Emily Henry X The Expanse), I had the panicked thought "crap, this is so niche, no one is going to want to read this but me."
And that's how I know I'm on the right track. (1/3)
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I’m so excited for this story to be out in the world in just a few days! Link in my bio to grab a copy of this fantastic charity magazine.
Death is terrifying, sure; can't argue with you there. But there are far worse options.
We're thrilled to welcome Fellow Human
@jtewwrites
to THANK YOU FOR JOINING THE ALGORITHM, a charity magazine to protect creators from the encroachment of AI into the arts. Link in profile.
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Have I got every plot beat figured out for this new story yet?
No.
Do I know all of the major characters’ names?
Also no.
Do I already have a very specific, very funny ménage a trois joke planned for Chapter 6?
…
Maybe you should mind your own business.
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