iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Allison Alexander @aealexander.bsky.social · 3h

If a character wants something and then they immediately get that thing, there's no conflict. Conflict creates interesting stories. Don't forget to add barriers to your characters achieving their goals! #Writing #Editing

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Allison Alexander @aealexander.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

March was particularly hard on my to-read pile. 😄 Books from March 2026 going on my TBR. #Fantasy #Horror #TBR #Reading

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Allison Alexander @aealexander.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

My five favourite covers from March 2026's books! #Fantasy #Reading #2026Books

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Allison Alexander @aealexander.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

"My mother sold me to the warlord at dinner." —Hannah Kaner, A SNAKE AMONG SWANS I loved Godkiller, and this sounds epic. Added it to my TBR. #FirstLineFriday #Fantasy #TBR #Reading

Cover for A Snake Among Swans by Hannah Kaner.

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Allison Alexander @aealexander.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

If you liked playing Dragon Age, try reading... • The Gods Below by Andrea Stewart • Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo • The Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan #Fantasy #DragonAge #Reading #TBR #VideoGames

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Allison Alexander @aealexander.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

"The laws of storytelling are not so much chiseled in stone as they are drawn with a toothpick in a quivering slab of Jell-O." —Chuck Wendig, Damn Fine Story

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Allison Alexander @aealexander.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

My five favourite covers from books published February 2026! #Fantasy #Reading #2026Books

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Allison Alexander @aealexander.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

I am updating my comp-finder databases with 2026 titles. This means I get to see a ton of beautiful book covers and descriptions, so I figure I'd share some of my findings. These are my top five favourite covers from January's trad-published books! #Fantasy #Reading #2026Books

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Allison Alexander @aealexander.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

"When the phone rang for the fifth time in as many minutes, Alexys considered throwing it through the window." —Grace Viall, (MOSTLY) HUMAN RESOURCES This book sounds fabulous. Can't wait to read it. #FirstLineFriday #Horror #TBR #Reading

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Allison Alexander @aealexander.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

If you liked playing Baldur's Gate 3, try reading... • The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson • Dragons of Autumn Twilight by Weiss and Hickman • Godkiller by Hannah Kaner • Astarion by T. Kingfisher #Fantasy #Reading #TBR #VideoGames #BaldursGate3

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Allison Alexander @aealexander.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Query formatting tip: All-caps your novel's title but italicize your comp titles. It helps agents' tired eyes take in what they are seeing easier. #Querying #WritingTip

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Allison Alexander @aealexander.bsky.social · 15/09/2026

Does looking at the blank page before you start a new project inspire you or freak you out? #Writing

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Allison Alexander @aealexander.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

I am bad with plants, but I love fresh herbs. I've heard these little indoor gardens are fairly idiot-proof, so I'm giving it a shot! Now we wait for basil, thyme, and rosemary sprouts to emerge.

An indoor herb garden, soil in four plots, no shoots showing yet.

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Allison Alexander @aealexander.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Thought-provoking sci-fi novella. I loved how Binti navigates moving forward and engaging with other people and places while bringing her culture with her. #SciFi #AmReading

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Allison Alexander @aealexander.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Are you a waterbender? You need this Scrivener theme. I'm actually using this one right now, and I'm pretty happy with it. Blue is my favourite colour. #Scrivener www.etsy.com/ca/listing/4...

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Allison Alexander @aealexander.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

"The skeleton was sleeping in the snow, its tea-stained bones scattered like freckles across a pale face." —Frances White, THE BONE DOOR This is probably the 2026 release I'm most excited to read, and I can't wait to get my hands on it. #FirstLineFriday #TBR #Fantasy

Cover of The Bone Door by Frances White. A white rabbet with its ribcage showing against a red background.

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Allison Alexander @aealexander.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

If you liked playing Stardew Valley, try reading... • The Spell Shop by Sara Beth Durst • Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree • Charmed Life by Diana Wynne Jones #Fantasy #Reading #TBR #VideoGames #StardewValley #CozyFantasy

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Allison Alexander @aealexander.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

I'm working on a webinar about query letters. Writers, what questions would you want answered? #Writing #Querying

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Allison Alexander @aealexander.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

A query letter issue I've repeatedly seen lately is the plot summary reading like this: "X happened. Then Y happened. Then Z happened." Instead, it should read: "BECAUSE X happened, Y happened. BECAUSE Y happened, Z happened." Show how the events in your novel are connected. #Querying #WritingTip

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Reposted by Allison Alexander

Cass Morris @cassmorriswrites.com · 05/09/2026

I would say the larger misconception is that this describes what worldbuilding is. It’s not. Worldbuilding is the work that ensures your plot and characters make as much sense as they need to for your story.

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Allison Alexander @aealexander.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

"Faven Sythe was told two lies on the day her mother's organs finished crystallizing." —Megan E. O'Keefe, THE TWO LIES OF FAVEN SYTHE I like the combination of mystery and sci-fi, plus lesbian space pirates, so I'm looking forward to this one. #FirstLineFriday #TBR #SciFi

Cover for The Two Lies of Faven Sythe by Megan E. O'Keefe. A spaceship flying in front of a school of fish in space, a planet looming in the background.

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Allison Alexander @aealexander.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

If you liked playing Wind Waker, try reading... • The Bone Shard Daughter by Andrea Stewart • Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson • The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by S.A. Chakraborty #Fantasy #Reading #TBR #VideoGames #LegendOfZelda

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Allison Alexander @aealexander.bsky.social · 30/08/2026

The bar is high with every new DCC novel. I had been lamenting the old days of the dungeon where it's just Carl and Donut figuring out the level and getting into trouble. This book went back to that, but it's like the story has gotten too big for that now. Still entertaining, though! #LitRPG

Book cover for A Parade of Horribles by Matt Dinniman. A man in a cap standing on top of a truck.

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Allison Alexander @aealexander.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

Behold: my AI policy. In short, if you use generative AI, we are not a good fit. #Editing #Editor #BookEditor

What is your AI policy?

If you use generative AI to write or revise your work (non-generative grammar checking software is fine!), or use AI-created art to promote your work or on your book’s cover, I am not the editor for you.

I do not use generative AI in my workflow, and I will never feed my clients’ work into an LLM. I cannot support systems that create copyright concerns, are bad for the environment, are likely to state myths as facts, and are built on creatives’ hard work without their permission or compensation. Human creativity is one of my favourite things about working in publishing.

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Allison Alexander @aealexander.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

"One hundred and thirty years after the Pall tore deadly rifts through the Tranquil Empire, it is still prudent to avoid walking abroad at night." —Kate Elliott, THE WITCH ROADS Elliott's worldbuilding is neat. I will read this when in the mood for something epic. #FirstLineFriday #TBR #Fantasy

Cover for The Witch Roads by Kate Elliott. Warrior creatures facing each other in front of a castle.

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Allison Alexander @aealexander.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

If you liked playing Breath of the Wild, try reading... • Raybearer by Jordan Ifueko • The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon • Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor #Fantasy #Reading #TBR #VideoGames #LegendOfZelda

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Allison Alexander @aealexander.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

"What makes an engaging character? What does a protagonist need for readers to stick with them through an entire novel? There's no one answer to this, but here are some ideas that can help readers feel sympathy and/or empathy. The protagonist... 1/4 #WritingTip

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Allison Alexander @aealexander.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Whenever I watch sci-fi shows that demonstrate how time is relative, my brain explodes.

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Allison Alexander @aealexander.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

Two words: Creepy and unsettling. I think I preferred the story in Mexican Gothic (by using this title, they're just begging to be compared, even though they're by different authors), but I did like the Japanese mythology. #Reading #Horror

Cover for Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker. Ink drawing of a shack surrounded by red-leaved trees.

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Allison Alexander @aealexander.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

"Back then, when I was a young woman, there were still witches." —Silvia Moreno-Garcia, THE BEWITCHING I liked MEXICAN GOTHIC, so I expect this will be good. #FirstLineFriday #TBR #Horror

Cover for The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. A hand below a golden bird stuck with pins against a green background.

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Allison Alexander @aealexander.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

If you liked playing Ocarina of Time, try reading... • The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien • Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones • The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander #Fantasy #Reading #TBR #VideoGames #LegendOfZelda

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Allison Alexander @aealexander.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Your characters don't have to be likeable, they just have to be engaging. #WritingTip

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Allison Alexander @aealexander.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

Book thoughts on The Lost Daughter of Sparta by Felicia Day: I enjoyed it! A fun, heart-warming romp into greek mythology. I like how Felicia Day chose a mythological character that not much is known about. #TheLostDaughterOfSparta #GreekMythology #GraphicNovel

Cover for The Lost Daughter of Sparta by Felicia Day. A short, black-haired figure in a shawl faces greek-style architecture and a night sky.

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Allison Alexander @aealexander.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

"It was hardly ideal weather for the resurrection of one's great-aunt, but Sera Swan's magical power, while impressive, hadn't the slightest influence over the obnoxiously blue skies." —Sangu Mandanna, A WITCH'S GUIDE TO MAGICAL INNKEEPING Been loving cozy fantasy lately. #FirstLineFriday #TBR

Cover for A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna. A woman with a fox at her feet stands in front of a picket fence, a man holding a steaming cup stands behind it, a house and pink sky in the background.

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Allison Alexander @aealexander.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

If you liked playing Mass Effect, try reading... • Skyward by Brandon Sanderson • Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds • Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey • Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky #SpaceOpera #SciFi #Reading #TBR #VideoGames

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