iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

C.J. Subko @cjsubko.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Where are my bracket people at?? #writing

C.J. Subko @cjsubko.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

I'm doing DVpit tomorrow so, apologies for the slew of posts that will happen. I'll be pitching my Italian Renaissance epic fantasy and my contemporary depression horror. Wish me luck!

a collage over a picture of florence. the photos contain two people doing "fire magic" and a white couple kissing, with the words The beautiful enemy and cj subko 2026

a collage over a dark gray background with the words cj subko and and the dark will know my name. the polaroids have a woman crouching, a sad blonde woman, a woman screaming hard, a woman sitting, and a crying woman with a drawn paper smile

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C.J. Subko @cjsubko.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

It was nice to paint again! Talin from MK Lobb's THE DARK IN HER VEINS, which I'm currently reading on audio.

digital #art of a white woman from the hips up. she wears a black dress and short black cape. Her arm is raised and she holds a necklace with a crest. her veins are black. her hair is blonde with dip-dyed black ends.

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C.J. Subko @cjsubko.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Working on this afghan from Annie's Attic's kits. It's fun, I've learned a star stitch so far and now I'm working on bobble stitches. Still a long way to go though! 🧶

folded up strip of crocheted blanket in cream, plum, rose, light brown, and blue, sitting on a couch with a green crochet hook

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C.J. Subko @cjsubko.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

My newest moodboard for THE BEAUTIFUL ENEMY, the epic fantasy novel I'm #querying. #DVparty #DVparty2026

the background is an image of florence. on top are three photos: a blonde man kissing a brunette woman, and two people who seem to be conjuring fire.

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C.J. Subko @cjsubko.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Introducing the new first paragraph(s) of my possession #horror novel that I'm working on. It's getting closer, at least! #writing #WIP

Beth Davila screamed louder as little girl tightened her hands around Beth’s trachea. Her own hands flew to her throat. She pawed at, pried away the hands of the preteen child strangling her. Shoving off the dense little body crouching on top of her, flattening her lungs. Air, she needed air. She scrabbled at the child’s arms and
She found air.
Air.
Hands that weren’t there.
The child wasn’t there.
Where, where was the child?

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C.J. Subko @cjsubko.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Happy #BisexualVisibilityDay to these two crazy kids from the fantasy novel I'm #querying, aka my two POV characters

art by Andre Martuscelli. digital painting of two people in front of a golden-bricked building as though from an Italian village. one is a woman with brown hair wearing a blue and gold dress with puffy sleeves and lace. the other is a blonde pale man in a black leather suit. the woman holds onto the man's waist lightly.

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C.J. Subko @cjsubko.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

There's nothing like rocking out with a band you grew up with to settle your soul

A lighted stagewith a dark sky behind it. A man plays guitarin front of a big red RA

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C.J. Subko @cjsubko.bsky.social · 17/09/2026

I enjoy making posters for my #writing projects. It makes them feel official and cool. Also I'm avoiding Scrivener.

poster with a grungy angel statue on it, surrounded by a white filigree frame, with the bold words "the beautiful enemy" and "a novel c.j. subko" in red text

poster with a big image of someone praying rosary with a small polaroid of the same image on it, and the green words "miracle girl" and "cj subko"

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C.J. Subko @cjsubko.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Now he just needs his hat spots and he's done! 🧶

crocheted gnome sitting on a gray couch. it's got a cream body and arms and feet, a white beard, and a pointed red hat.

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C.J. Subko @cjsubko.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

The mushroom gnome is coming along. Not sure if I'll keep this one or sell it. It's BIG. 🧶

on top of a gray blanket is a cream-colored sphere capped with a bright red pointed hat

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C.J. Subko @cjsubko.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

yesssss. a defrocked priest with spiritual and emotional issues. actual photo.

digital painting of a white man with dark brown hair in a black metallica shirt.

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C.J. Subko @cjsubko.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

I really can't get over seeing these in person 😍

Blonde white woman with a book with a castle in it

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C.J. Subko @cjsubko.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Oh, I am going to make a TON of these 👀🧶

white blonde woman holding up a little skull granny square in lime green and raspberry

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C.J. Subko @cjsubko.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

My THE GHOST OF HIGHTOWER POND author copies are heeeere! I'm so excited! They look lovely. Get signed ones on curiousandcrow.etsy.com

a book, the ghost of hightower pond with a castle on it, by alice j ryan, in front of an old rusty scale

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C.J. Subko @cjsubko.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Upcoming topics on my newsletter! Get #1 tomorrow in your inbox by subscribing now cjsubko.beehiiv.com and look for the others in the coming weeks #reading #writing #booksky

Why don't you just quit if you hate it that much?
On burnout, quitting, and self-publishing
Scheduled
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C.J. Subko
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Scheduled for Fri, Sep 4, 2026 12:00 PM CDT

Why are booksellers allergic to "horror"?
Or, a genre by any other name
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C.J. Subko
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Last edited on Thu, Sep 3, 2026 7:39 PM CDT

Sometimes, you need to kill the cat
The literary problem with pulling punches
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C.J. Subko
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Last edited on Mon, Aug 17, 2026 3:53 PM CDT

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C.J. Subko @cjsubko.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

She's not on bsky so I can post this secret, mwuahahaha, my interpretation of Yaga from Olesya Salnikova Gilmore's THE WITCH AND THE TSAR. I printed it to give it to her. 🖤

digital #art painting of a white blonde woman with arms crossed over her chest. she wears white sleeves and a flowered black patterned dress with a red belt and red sash. she holds white flowers. she wears a thorny crown.

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C.J. Subko @cjsubko.bsky.social · 29/08/2026

Welcome to Citerna, the central city in the novel I'm querying, THE BEAUTIFUL ENEMY!

a map of a city on the water, with a river running through it. it has many windy streets and piazzas, 7 mansions on 7 hills, and 5 neighborhoods

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C.J. Subko @cjsubko.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Just felt cute Yes I'm wearing TWO colors of glitter My friend, intrigued: Why are you putting on glitter today? Me: Why not? My friend: You know what, fair.

a white blonde woman with long hair and gold and reddish eye makeup

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C.J. Subko @cjsubko.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

We're getting to the climax of the novel YAYUH #writing

Beth was sicking of running. Sick of reacting. Sick of waiting for other people to make all the moves. Now, she was on the hunt—for Janie. If the only way out was through, then she was going through.

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C.J. Subko @cjsubko.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Lmao 1. no 2. everyone already has 3. they use AI art in their zine so block

dead gnome productions replied ok followed now follow back or i will steal your trope graphic and use it for world domination

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C.J. Subko @cjsubko.bsky.social · 27/08/2026

Found this in my to do list. Do I know what it means? No, I do not.

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C.J. Subko @cjsubko.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

The Mothman Gnome is here. 🧶 I'm so freaking happy with this one. Goes up on curiousandcrow.etsy.com soon!

a crocheted gnome, about hand size, that looks like mothman, with black hat and body, red "eyes" on the hat, black wings, and a white beard.

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C.J. Subko @cjsubko.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

My next newsletters are going hard. Subscribe to get them in your inbox (with a free short #horror story!) cjsubko.beehiiv.com

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C.J. Subko @cjsubko.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

My friend bought a horror surprise box and we opened it and he ended up giving me a bunch of stuff, happy spooky season to me!

White blonde woman drinking from a black Ghostface tumbler

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C.J. Subko @cjsubko.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

He's not decorated, but here's a prototype... 🧶

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C.J. Subko @cjsubko.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

If I crocheted mini seasonal gnomes, do you think people would buy them? This is the big-sized Spring gnome, for example.

crocheted gnome on a gray couch. his body is green. he has beige feet and beige nose, white long beard, yellowy green hat with a green shamrock.

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C.J. Subko @cjsubko.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

470 words! I am trying to make this exorcism bit not boring. I have a few tricks up my sleeve, I hope... #writing

At first, Janie just kept cackling and lolling her head, like she was amused and bored.
But he could see the sweat build up on her upper lip and brow, which creased just slightly between her eyebrows as he hit his stride.
“Don’t test me, Sebastian,” Janie hissed, dragging out his name teasingly. “This isn’t a fun game if you’re the only one playing.”

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C.J. Subko @cjsubko.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

From Roman gilt to 90s grunge, some of the candles currently available at curiousandcrow.etsy.com #BSNM 🧶

red candle shaped like the bust of a woman blindfolded in gold leaf

gray candle shaped like a pile of skulls, brushed with gold

two candles shaped like veiled women, one blue with silver foil and one cream colored

a ridged pillar candle in bright teal with grungy black shading

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C.J. Subko @cjsubko.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

My friend and I talking forgettable fantasy titles #booksky

first person: one dangerous animal + another dangerous animal = perfect book title

second person: but only from a certain pool. n one wants to read honey badger and the hippo

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C.J. Subko @cjsubko.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

I mean it's 3am but my lap afghan is looking good... 🧶

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C.J. Subko @cjsubko.bsky.social · 16/08/2026

Finished a 2800-word short story! I haven't done more than a flash since winter. It feels good. #writing

This bottle contained a particularly exquisite nightmare. He had crafted it from the depths of his misery, sewn it with his tears, stamped the bottle shut with soft, rasping kisses and even tied twine around the neck in a jaunty bow. Whoever received this nightmare would roil.

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C.J. Subko @cjsubko.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

Got 991 words done this morning on my possession horror! I'm deep in the third act right now, which is the hardest act and also the most new material. Eep. #writing

Beth moved through the darkness of the doorway into a hall. It wasn’t like a house’s hall, though. It was more like something she had seen in movies. A dungeon, enclosed with high stone walls and lit by subtle light from everywhere and nowhere, just enough to squint out her steps. She made a turn, then another, then came to a crossroads.
Her heart seized. This wasn’t just a dungeon, no. It was a labyrinth.

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C.J. Subko @cjsubko.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

Added 2600 words to my exorcism horror, but some was old so it's probably like 1200 new words. Still very proud of myself. Vacation productivity! I also hit 50k so we're cooking. #writing

At a stoplight in Hyde Park, Noah looked hard at Sebastian.
“This isn’t mental illness, is it.”
Sebastian felt chilled to the bone. He shook his head. “I…I don’t think so.”
“So what do we do next?”
“Well,” said Sebastian, pulling the car into his parking spot. “Let’s get her up to my apartment and comfortable. Then, I have a call to make.”

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C.J. Subko @cjsubko.bsky.social · 09/08/2026

In which Beth is convinced she's possessed #writing Got 1200 words done today! YAYUH!

“It’s Janie,” blurted Beth. She regretted it immediately. Her cheeks warmed.
“How do you know? Didn’t you say she died before you were born?”
He remembered that? Fuck him. “Yeah. But…it’s a hunch? I don’t know. I guess maybe I don’t. But it just feels like Janie.”
“Just remember, if it is a demon, demons are very good at using our wishes against us.”

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C.J. Subko @cjsubko.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

Banged out another chapter of my exorcism novel! Next chapter is the First Plot Point/Door into Two and then I can start Act Two! #writing

That night, she woke up banging her head against the wall. When she came to, she looked down and found the shredded remains of the Pope Leo prayer card, glittery and sad. I saw the Devil in your eyes. Shit. She felt weird putting the Pope in the garbage, so she put the pieces in a bowl and burnt them instead, waiting until the last acrid smoke cleared before going back to bed.
Tomorrow could not come soon enough.

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C.J. Subko @cjsubko.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

949 words on my exorcism horror today! At this rate, I'm due to finish pretty leisurely by the end of September. Then I can start revising and fine tuning. Feeling good about that! #writing

In all fairness, the woman approached him.

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C.J. Subko @cjsubko.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

In positive news, I finished crocheting my spring gnome! In bad news, I don't have orange yarn of the right type so I had to order some and what am I going to crochet for 3-4 days!? 🧶

squashy big crocheted gnome with a green body, lime green hat, big bushy white beard, and beige nose and feet

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C.J. Subko @cjsubko.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

As long as we have momentum... I wrote another quick letter to the HWA. Feel free to steal.

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C.J. Subko @cjsubko.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

I turned old words into pretty new words! #writing

There are no streetlights in Michigan, so the stars were floodlights. Soon, they would become unrooted and flash down to Earth.
Michael and I, we set up our camping chairs and each cracked a beer.

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C.J. Subko @cjsubko.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

Meet the narrator and the first character of THE GHOST OF HIGHTOWER POND, my upcoming #horror novella! 🖤 Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/book/show/25... Amazon preorder: www.amazon.com/dp/B0H6PC6JJJ Bookshop preorder: bookshop.org/p/books/the-...

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C.J. Subko @cjsubko.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

My letter to the HWA president. Can't keep my mouth shut I guess.

Dear HWA President Wood,

First of all, as an HWA member since 2023, I'm a little weary to open my inbox today to be openly chastised by someone who purports that using precious water and electricity for diagnosing Alzheimer's is equally important to determining if a writer's synopsis has some plot holes. I work in healthcare. At a hospital, in fact. Many areas of neuroscience have introduced pattern-recognition AI technologies that can improve diagnostic validity over and above the human eye. The research is nascent, but promising. We just discussed a lot of it today.

However, there's (at least) one thing that AI cannot do better than a human, and that's write a novel. Any component of a novel. In order for ChatGPT and other AI programs to "write" novels, they've had to steal millions of pages of copyrighted material

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