iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Jeff Lilly @druidjournal.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

My new Elvish language, Āoslāmi, with grammar and lexicon, is up on Patreon. Uamo, ā thigen neāos! Ceru sathūlle eu sanebēlu... Come away, O human child! To the waters and the wild... www.patreon.com/u100... (Note the root "āos", fae, and its use in "neāos", human.) #fiction #fantasy #conlang

patreon.com

Āoslāmi, finished | Jeff Lilly

Āoslāmi, finished by Jeff Lilly on Patreon. Join Jeff Lilly's community for exclusive content and updates.

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Jeff Lilly @druidjournal.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Working on the Elvish language for my book The Silent Bell. A small song: Uamo, ā uothuic, Omalāll ocumenda ōla tanfi, Ag sasēne lothu, ag saellic, Ag sasēnail yaru mitha, ag saarillsō, Saomalēll rōbā um samases sasam. Omalāll ocumenda ōla tanfi, Uamo, ā uothuic. #fantasy #conlang 1/2

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Jeff Lilly @druidjournal.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Sharing great literature with the new generation #EveryoneOnThisTrainIsASuspect www.goodreads.com/bo...

A bearded man in a green hoodie sits by a fireplace, holding a fluffy black cat while reading the book Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect. The cat rests in his lap as he looks down at the open pages.

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Jeff Lilly @druidjournal.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

Working on a map for my novel The Silent Bell, a Camelot cozy mystery set in Oxford in 1250. Everything in the city will be period accurate, except for the Bell itself. #amwriting #fiction #fantasy #cozymystery #map

Draft map of Oxford 1250 AD, just starting to get sketched in

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Jeff Lilly @druidjournal.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

Working on cover art for The Silent Bell, the first in my cozy Arthurian mystery series. The image centers on a huge bronze bell suspended above a well, with Oxford visible in the background. #amwriting #coverart 1/3

Initial sketch of cover art in colored pencil

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Jeff Lilly @druidjournal.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

First full draft of my cozy Camelot mystery, The Silent Bell, available for Patreon subscribers. www.patreon.com/u100... Still a lot of revisions to be done! And a glossary! And a map!... (All the really fun stuff) #fiction #fantasy #cozymystery

patreon.com

Full Draft of the Silent Bell | Jeff Lilly

Full Draft of the Silent Bell by Jeff Lilly on Patreon. Join Jeff Lilly's community for exclusive content and updates.

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Jeff Lilly @druidjournal.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

Yesterday I completed the first draft of my Camelot cozy mystery "The Silent Bell" (formerly the Changeling in the Tree). For fun, the first and final sentences: - "The fey girl slammed the heavy book upon the table." - "She couldn’t imagine ever leaving." And a possible draft of the cover art?

Watercolor sketch of a stone village well with a wooden frame and bell poised above it, set among shrubs with medieval village in background. Illegible Latin characters carved into its edge.

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Reposted by Jeff Lilly

Brian Weaver @brianitguy.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

"But the Silmarils in the crown on Morgoth's head blasted forth suddenly with a radiance of white flame" Always found this image of Morgoth quite disconcerting Great bit of art of Luthien as Thuringwethil before Morgoth by Lidia Postma @timbolton.bsky.social #TolkienTrewsday #Silmarillion #Tolkien

Luthien before Morgoth art by Lidia Postma

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Jeff Lilly @druidjournal.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Seahorse / selkie drawn for my journal last week.

Selkie drawn with ink and colored pencils.

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Jeff Lilly @druidjournal.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

A sample from my Camelot cozy mystery I wrote yesterday. Quite pleased with it, ngl: #amwriting #fantasy #cozymystery The storm had scraped the world clean. Agnes came down the to bank of the Ysa a little after dawn... 1/3

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Jeff Lilly @druidjournal.bsky.social · 20/08/2026

An exhausting day of American healthcare: a doctor who didn't inspire confidence, three phone calls to determine whether a specialist is covered by our insurance (verdict still out), an hour in line at the pharmacy. But then... conlanging. #conlang #amwriting 1/2

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Jeff Lilly @druidjournal.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Almost done with my cozy Arthurian mystery serial. The court of Camelot has gathered in St. Mary's in Oxford to hear the killer confess, and all that remains is the King's judgment and, as cozies require, a quiet riverside conversation between the sleuth and her friends. #cozymystery #fantasy

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Jeff Lilly @druidjournal.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Renamed my Camelot cozy mystery from "The Changeling in the Tree" to "The Silent Bell." The Bell wasn't in my original outline; but once it came in, it kept drawing other elements toward it until it became essential to both plot and theme. #AmWriting #Fantasy 1/2

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Jeff Lilly @druidjournal.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

New Patreon post for subscribers: a sample poem in my new language of the fae, Āoslāmi, with some notes on why I love it. Brēfe sō pod hila rāduand, brēfe sō pod hila garbānd, Brēfe sō pod hila uidānd eu ag sanol pod poūnand.

patreon.com

A Verse in Āoslāmi | Jeff Lilly on Patreon

A Verse in Āoslāmi by Jeff Lilly on Patreon. Join Jeff Lilly's community for exclusive content and updates.

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Jeff Lilly @druidjournal.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

Tally's Mismeasure of Orcs defends the Mouth of Sauron's demands (evacuation of Gondor and Rohan, eternal tribute, recognition of Sauron as absolute overlord) as "logical and reasonable" given the West's aggression. #tolkien #fantasy 1/3

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Jeff Lilly @druidjournal.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

Went jogging Monday, and I ran right past a Douglas squirrel, which was spotted by my wife, who was, wisely, just enjoying a walk. #JoggingLife #DouglasSquirrel

static.klipy.com

Ann Perkins: Jogging is The Worst!

Alt: Ann Perkins: Jogging is The Worst!

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Reposted by Jeff Lilly

J. Alan Henning @jalanhenning.dice.camp.ap.brid.gy · 05/08/2026

Inspired by Tamarian, here’s a modest proposal for a mythometaphorical conlang: Intermythic English. troypress.com/intermythic-english #StarTrek #Blaugust #conlang #Tamarian

troypress.com

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Jeff Lilly @druidjournal.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

Realized I have a problem with my cozy mystery set in Camelot. What happens at the end, when the murderer is brought before the king? In a standard cozy, justice is tidy and comforting... #cozymystery #amwriting, #fantasy #writing 1/3

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Jeff Lilly @druidjournal.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

Working on the penultimate chapter of my Camelot cozy murder. I realized I need two spells in the language of the Gwragedd Annwn, the water-fey, the ones who become the Ladies of the Lake. Which meant I needed to know what that language sounded like. 1/4

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Reposted by Jeff Lilly

Mignon Fogarty @grammargirl.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

For my sociolinguistics friends. :)

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Jeff Lilly @druidjournal.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

I had to put down Robert Tally's "Mismeasure of Orcs" partway through. His thesis (that Tolkien's orcs encode racism and classism) is pursued with genuine dedication, but the evidence keeps coming up short... #tolkien #orcs #fantasy #mythology #worldbuilding #middleearth 1/5

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Jeff Lilly @druidjournal.bsky.social · 29/07/2026

POV: you've generated "Nestŕgadhŕ" in your conlang, it means Destroyer, you're pretty sure it's from a Spanish root, but you cannot for the life of you remember which. #conlang

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Jeff Lilly @druidjournal.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

Registration opens today for Write on the Sound in Edmonds. One of the Pacific Northwest's best literary conferences, and I'll be there this fall. www.edmondswa.gov/go... #WritingCommunity

edmondswa.gov

Write on the Sound

Home page for WOTS

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Jeff Lilly @druidjournal.bsky.social · 26/07/2026

Just came up with ideas for three more books in the Merlin Murders series. My muse plans to keep me busy well into old age, it seems.

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Jeff Lilly @druidjournal.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

I'm 14.5 chapters into "Changeling in the Tree," the cozy Arthurian murder mystery I'm serializing on Patreon. 1.5 chapters to go. Targeting one week to finish drafting, revise, design a cover, and put it up for sale. The calendar WILL BEND TO MY WILL. #amwriting

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Jeff Lilly @druidjournal.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

I've let querying stagnate on my completed near-future literary thriller, "Axon, Inc." -- three queries in April, one in May, one rejection -- because every time I sit down to research agents, I end up working on the next book instead. Probably a mistake? #amwriting #amquerying

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Jeff Lilly @druidjournal.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

An experiment with colorizing one of my illustrations for Crown of Crows. Yes/no? #illustrations

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Jeff Lilly @druidjournal.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

Catching up on Dimension 20's Crown of Candy. Never thought the death of a chocolate treat could leave us sobbing. Masterful storytelling. #Dimension20 #ActualPlay

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Jeff Lilly @druidjournal.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

The cozy Arthurian mystery I'm serializing on Patreon just hit a milestone: the first twelve chapters are now collected as an ebook for patrons, over 60,000 words of half-fey detective Agnes Hen navigating murder, magic, and medieval politics. #fiction #Patreon #fantasy 1/2

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Jeff Lilly @druidjournal.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

Heading to a talk today about the Seattle Camera Club, an artists' collective founded in 1920 by Japanese men, welcoming everyone regardless of origin or gender. They made lasting contributions to PNW art and culture, until forced to disband by the Depression. #PNWHistory #photography 1/2

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Jeff Lilly @druidjournal.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

Reading McWhorter's "Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue", and his take on Celtic influence on English. His most interesting parts have been about why that influence has been so systematically ignored. Hoping the field is starting to rectify that. #linguistics #englishlanguage

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Jeff Lilly @druidjournal.bsky.social · 09/07/2026

New chapter of 'The Changeling in the Tree,' my cozy Arthurian mystery set in 1250 Oxford, is live on Patreon. Agnes Hen, a half-fey changeling detective, is deep in the sleuthing now, with two new locations: an alchemist's chambers and the Priory Pub. #cozymystery #patreon

patreon.com

The Changeling in the Tree - Ch 6 - Fish and Priory | Jeff Lilly on Patreon

The Changeling in the Tree - Ch 6 - Fish and Priory by Jeff Lilly on Patreon. Join Jeff Lilly's community for exclusive content and updates.

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Jeff Lilly @druidjournal.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

My cat attempted to reach out to our AI masters today.

Google search box where my cat has typed "HY", and Gemini responds "Hy there! What's up? How can I help you today?"

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Jeff Lilly @druidjournal.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

I just launched a permanent page for Crown of Crows, my literary fantasy set in a world with two fully developed languages descended from Irish and creolized Spanish. New map, a free glossary, and enough etymology to see the bones in the broth of the world. axonfirings.com/abou... #Fantasy #Conlang

axonfirings.com

About Crown of Crows

“Crown of Crows” introduces Andowan, a rich fantasy world with real languages and cultures. The story follows Sarah Patrick, a queen exiled from the enchanted land she visited in her yo…

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Jeff Lilly @druidjournal.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

Project Hail Mary coming to streaming, and I'll watch it eventually, but the book angered me in a way I don't often experience with fiction. Three posts about why: one on the linguistics errors, and two on how it breaks the contract hard sci-fi makes with its readers.

axonfirings.com

The Linguistics of Project Hail Mary

Project Hail Mary breaks the contract with the reader by pretending to show rigorous and accurate science in action.

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Jeff Lilly @druidjournal.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

The map I’m making for Crown of Crows came out so awesome you guys. I’m also working on an etymological glossary of words from the book. Both free, and ready in the next day or two. Sample: # Sí Andrigann /ʃiː anˈdriɡan/ 1/2

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Jeff Lilly @druidjournal.bsky.social · 21/06/2026

Making a map for Crown of Crows and I am having so much fun. Maps are the best part of worldbuilding (other than languages, of course). Sample below. The full map will be available at my Patreon's free tier. #fantasy #worldbuilding

Snippet of fantasy map, watercolor style, showing the words "Artír", and "Wilderness of..." and "Cuaílamba R."

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Jeff Lilly @druidjournal.bsky.social · 17/06/2026

New on Patreon: ch 5 of my cozy Camelot murder mystery. Agnes escapes Oxford Castle gaol, gains new abilities, and can now investigate. Who chopped down the sacred tree? And why was she being framed for it? #AmWriting #Fantasy

patreon.com

The Changeling in the Tree - Ch 5 - The Glamour | Patreon

The Changeling in the Tree - Ch 5 - The Glamour by Jeff Lilly on Patreon. Join Jeff Lilly's community for exclusive content and updates.

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Jeff Lilly @druidjournal.bsky.social · 14/06/2026

Star Wars is a summation of a mid-century California boy's experience: muscle cars, New Age mysticism, kung fu, WWII films, desert landscapes. Lucas just put them all in space. #StarWars #film

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Jeff Lilly @druidjournal.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

Rewatching Phantom Menace. The flat dialogue still isn't good, but it's landing differently now: so stripped of naturalism it becomes almost mythic, turning characters into archetypes. Still bad. But it's kind of working. #StarWars #writing

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Jeff Lilly @druidjournal.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

Merlin teaches Agnes Hen, the half-fey changeling at the heart of my Arthurian mystery serial The Changeling in the Tree, to cast a glamour: to make people see a human girl instead of what she actually is. The spell works. She's not sure how to feel about that. 1/4

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Jeff Lilly @druidjournal.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

The universe is trolling me. PLANE is to PLAIN as BOEING is to BORING. And the 'w' pronunciation of BOEING gives you 'beau wing.' Synchronicity, what are you playing at? #linguistics

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Jeff Lilly @druidjournal.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

Soul-cleansing day: five miles under western red cedars and Douglas firs, a woodpecker, a hummingbird, a sushi burrito, and two Tolkien books waiting. Sometimes the prescription writes itself. #nature #amreading

goodreads.com

See what your friends are reading

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Jeff Lilly @druidjournal.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

Spent my birthday yesterday the right way: brunch, a bookshop, a tea shop, a craft shop, cake, presents, and an evening reading Tally's "Mismeasure of Orcs" with my partner. Simple days, well-chosen. #amreading

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Jeff Lilly @druidjournal.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

Spent my birthday yesterday the right way: brunch, a bookshop, a tea shop, a craft shop, presents, cake, and an evening reading Tally's "Mismeasure of Orcs" with my wife. Simple days, well-chosen. #amreading

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Jeff Lilly @druidjournal.bsky.social · 26/05/2026

Four books ahead on my reading challenge, which feels like finding unexpected money in a coat pocket. Pratchett's Small Gods holds up beautifully. #reading #Pratchett Currently: Velleman's Making Phonology Functional (excellent), Weir's Project Hail Mary (no comment).

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