iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Allison Alexander @aealexander.bsky.social · 25m

If you liked playing Horizon Zero Dawn, try reading... • Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao • Seveneves by Neal Stephenson • The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin • The Last Ranger by J.D.L. Rosell #Fantasy#Reading #TBR #VideoGames #HorizonZeroDawn

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Allison Alexander @aealexander.bsky.social · 16h

Favorite night theme: "Dance of the Moonlight Jellies" from Stardew Valley - www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-N1... #VideoGameMusic #OSTober #StardewValley

Video Game OSTober list: one theme for each day of October.Day 7's is "Favorite night theme."

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Allison Alexander @aealexander.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

There are times when you don't want to show. Maybe the event in question does little to push the plot forward, so it doesn't need to be an entire scene. But telling when showing would be more effective is a more common issue, so that's why this advice is given so much. 4/4

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Allison Alexander @aealexander.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

Showing takes a bit more effort, but it's more immersive. E.g. "The handle of the shopping cart was sticky, but it was the only one left, so I grabbed it and hurried through the produce aisle as the smell of fried potatoes from the hot counter tortured me." 3/4

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Allison Alexander @aealexander.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

People are natural at telling. It's how we tell stories. E.g. "I was at the grocery store, starving because I was running late, when I ran into Alex, and he stole the tomatoes right out of my cart!" We don't need many lessons on how to tell effectively. 2/4

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Allison Alexander @aealexander.bsky.social · 07/10/2026

"Show, don't tell" has become weirdly polarizing advice, possibly because people think it means "always show, never tell." You've absolutely gotta tell sometimes. This advice is meant to help writers understand when showing is a better choice than telling. 1/4 #WritingTip

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Allison Alexander @aealexander.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Just finished recording my upcoming webinar on how to write a query letter! My cat may have made an appearance. #Querying #Writing

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Allison Alexander @aealexander.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Favorite town/city theme: "Lumiere" from Expedition 33: www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmvs... I am loving this game AND its soundtrack. #VideoGameMusic #OSTober #Expedition33

Video Game OSTober list: one theme for each day of October. Day 6's theme is "Favourite town/city theme."

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Allison Alexander @aealexander.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

Ooo yay! Support indie bookstores! I even have some lists for you to peruse if you like sci-fi, fantasy, horror, or are looking for books on the writing craft: bookshop.org/shop/allison... #Reading #SciFi #Fantasy #Horror

bookshop.org

Allison Alexander Bookshop

Allison Alexander is a freelance editor who specializes in fantasy, sci-fi, and horror. She recommends books she's enjoyed in those genres.

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Allison Alexander @aealexander.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

I am playing Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and LOVING it. I heard it described as Final Frenchasy, and that checks out. #VideoGames #Expedition33

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Allison Alexander @aealexander.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Favorite character theme: "Aloy's Theme" from Horizon Zero Dawn - www.youtube.com/watch?v=_w9B... #VideoGameMusic #OSTober #HorizonZeroDawn

Video Game OSTober list: one theme for each day of October. Day 5's theme is "Favorite character theme."

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Allison Alexander @aealexander.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Having too many books to read is a great problem to have. Novels from May 2026 going on my TBR. #Reading #Fantasy #SciFi

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Allison Alexander @aealexander.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Favorite main theme/motif: Breath of the Wild main theme: www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDkj... This might be my favourite video game song of all time. #VideoGameMusic #OSTober #BreathOfTheWild #Zelda

Video Game OSTober list: one theme for each day of October. Day 4's is "Favorite main theme/motif."

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Allison Alexander @aealexander.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Ooo this is fun! Most of the music I listen to is video game soundtracks. To catch up: Title theme: Halo - www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuSu... First level: Celeste - www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8OH... Battle theme: Final Fantasy VII - www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HV3... #VideoGameMusic #OSTober

youtube.com

HALO Main menu

YouTube video by INTER1001

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Allison Alexander @aealexander.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

This is the face of a kitty who has required cuddles ALL DAY.

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Allison Alexander @aealexander.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

"The foreign planet loomed beneath me, hundreds of thousands of acres of deadly forest stretching in all directions, as I plummeted toward it without the protection of anything but my flightsuit." —Brandon Sanderson and Janci Patterson, BLIGHTFALL #FirstLineFriday #SciFi #Fantasy #TBR #Reading

Cover for Blightfall by Brandon Sanderson and Janci Patterson.

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Allison Alexander @aealexander.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

If you liked playing Hollow Knight and/or Silksong, try reading... • Crypt of the Moon Spider by Nathan Ballingrud • Clockwork Boys by T. Kingfisher • Borne by Jeff Vandermeer • Sabriel by Garth Nix #Fantasy #HollowKnight #Silksong #Reading #TBR #VideoGames

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Allison Alexander @aealexander.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Seconding Wolfwalkers, Spirited Away, and Song of the Sea. I'm also thinking maybe Over the Garden Wall, which is a short series that's weird, dark, and wonderful.

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Allison Alexander @aealexander.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

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

Okay, so I also loved VotD. I've read this one now, and I'm really disappointed that I did not like it. It felt weirdly like a middle grade novel with adult content, and that didn't work for me. I hope others enjoy it, though!

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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

Haha that is also a totally valid option!

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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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