iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Evelyn Fenn @evelynfenn.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

#PretendPanel Primarily for myself. I write for pleasure, to sort out my feelings, to give form to my daydreams and for a sense of achievement. Does that make me self-indulgent? 🤷‍♂️ But I also write for an elusive, possibly mythical, readership which thinks I have something worth sharing.

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Evelyn Fenn @evelynfenn.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

#PretendPanel Insanity? Compulsion? It never occurred to me not to? The earliest thing I remember penning for fun was in primary school. I’ve been writing on and off ever since. The ‘off’ periods always feel frustrating, like something is missing. How did it take me so long to get a book out?

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Evelyn Fenn @evelynfenn.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

#PretendPanel My depictions of voice/conversations use body language and other characters' reactions as well as words and descriptions of tone. I tend to describe ambient sound in conjunction with other environmental factors to paint a broader sensory picture. A couple of snippets attached...

A few paragraphs of text (taken from the opening pages of How To Share A Cat And Other Life Lessons). The text says:

Nikki's house pulsated with people and noise. Flashing lights and music spewed out of open windows, and the party spilled through the front door and into the garden. Everything about it was too loud, too busy, and too full of hangers-on hoping to be touched by fame.
Moira excused her way through the throng on the steps and under the portico, using her elbows when words alone were not enough.
Desperate to see a familiar face, she moved through the hallway and into the living room, keeping her eyes open for Nikki's distinctive turquoise mullet. Moira drew a blank. The pounding bass vibrated in her chest, making her queasy. Anywhere else, the neighbours would have called the police, but no doubt Nikki had avoided the problem by inviting the neighbours too.
Nikki wasn't in the dining room, where the sound system made the floor shake, and screaming, writhing bodies danced to "Ant Music".
The kitchen heaved with guests and smelled of weed, but there was no sign of Nikki there either. Moira yelled into the ear of a man holding a spliff. "You know where Nikki is?"

Text taken From Friends Without Benefits, focusing on dialogue:
“Santa isn’t real?” The wail came from Jeremiah and sliced through the hubbub like a cleaver through melted butter.
Into the silence came Teddy’s lofty, big sister voice. “Of course Santa’s not real. Only babies believe in Santa.”
This time, Jeremiah’s wail took the form of an incoherent sob. He wrenched his hand free and ran away, screaming for his parents.
“Uh-oh,” said Teddy, more exhilarated than repentant.
When someone mentioned Brexit, Santa’s sleigh, and custom’s controls, Clare knew the argument was running out of steam and began to lose interest.
As she took a step away, she was lured back by an angry woman snapping, “You’ve been a wicked girl! How dare you tell your brother that Santa isn’t real!”
Euphenia had arrived, and she’d brought reinforcements in the form of her husband.
“They started it!” Teddy protested, gesturing towards the assembled adults.
“You didn’t need to finish it! It’ll be coal in your stocking this Christmas, and you should consider yourself lucky to get even that!”
“Mum!”
Euphenia scoured the crowd with angry eyes. Her gaze came to rest on Ollie. “I should have known you would be involved!”
“All I did was start the discussion. It’s not my fault so many people joined in,” said Ollie happily.
“Ladies!” yelled Gerald, which earned him a scowl from Ollie.
“I’m not a lady!” they snapped.
“That’s for certain,” grumped Euphenia.
There were a few sniggers and mutterings, and Gerald grew even angrier. “Time to break it up, everyone.”
“But we were just getting started!” protested Rupert, looking mutinous. Clare caught Ollie looking at him with something akin to admiration shining in their eyes.
“I said, ‘Enough’!” bellowed Gerald. Everyone stopped in their tracks. With the strains of a ballad from the 1980s playing in the background, Gerald lowered his voice and said, “You’re upsetting the kids…

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Evelyn Fenn @evelynfenn.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

#PretendPanel The last time I read my work aloud to anyone else was (probably) when I was at school! I’d love to do an author event/reading someday. I read aloud to myself a lot. It helps me check flow and spot mistakes and areas for improvement I’d otherwise miss.

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Evelyn Fenn @evelynfenn.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

#PretendPanel Not at the moment. I need to get more stuff written and generate enough sales to justify the investment. Maybe one day?

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Evelyn Fenn @evelynfenn.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

#PretendPanel I like audiobooks, particularly when I’m travelling. Avoids travel sickness on the bus! They also allow me to multitask (eg knit/read at the same time) so help me to read more. But they’re not a direct substitute to reading with my eyes. I take things in better ‘eye-reading’…🧵(1/2)

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Evelyn Fenn @evelynfenn.bsky.social · 05/09/2026

#PretendPanel I hear through the ears of my MCs, so I don’t think my POV characters have any noticeable traits when I write them. It’s similar to how a person often believes it’s only other people who have accents. 🧵1/2

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Evelyn Fenn @evelynfenn.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

#PretendPanel Good question! Not something I’ve considered before. Sight (usually?) comes first. I see silent images in my minds’s eye then fill in details of the other senses. It feels as though the other senses are stored in a different place or as part of a different process though. 🧵1/2

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Evelyn Fenn @evelynfenn.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

#PretendPanel I’ve surprised myself with my answer. For the two published books: graphic novels. For my unpublished conspiracy thriller: graphic novel or live action tv miniseries. For my WIP: TV, in one of those murder/thriller/mystery slots. I can dream.

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Evelyn Fenn @evelynfenn.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

Oban Pride March yesterday. Thanks to the organisers @obanpride.com for a lovely day. Loved the music on the parade’s arrival at Corran Halls. Best version of YMCA ever! Pity I couldn’t stay for more of the events.

Photo taken while on a pride march. Back of someone draped in a trans flag in the foreground. People in front are carrying an oversized progress flag horizontally. Other flags are visible further ahead in the procession.

Sun is shining through breaks in the cloud. Oban cathedral and Corran Halks visible in the distance.

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Evelyn Fenn @evelynfenn.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

#PretendPanel No fanart, but a reader of a fanfic I wrote about ten years ago liked it enough to print it out and bind it. I’ve seen pictures of the end result. Beautiful, and a huge compliment! Given the length of the story, this was a true labour of love. (🧵1/2)

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Evelyn Fenn @evelynfenn.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

#PretendPanel Sometimes I feel inspired but inspiration seldom turns into execution. If it does, it’s usually in the form of doodles or sketches. Alas, what I see in my head doesn’t transfer well onto paper. For that reason, I usually stick to mental images over physical ones. Way less frustrating!

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Evelyn Fenn @evelynfenn.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

#PretendPanel I’m hedging my bets with ‘it depends’. For cosy stuff, cartoony & colourful works. For darker tales, I’d like something more in keeping with that vibe. As a general rule, I prefer art to photographs. Clear fonts. Nothing flowery. But the hook matters more than the look, at least to me.

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Evelyn Fenn @evelynfenn.bsky.social · 08/08/2026

#PretendPanel I’ll use anything, and none of it is systematic or consistently colour coded. I use whatever tool feels handy: post-its, swim lanes or spreadsheets to reorganise tangled plots, mark up, asterisks and more post-its and scraps of paper to make notes and corrections. Track changes too.

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Evelyn Fenn @evelynfenn.bsky.social · 07/08/2026

#PretendPanel I can write pretty much anywhere; I love being outdoors when possible. Good views, fresh air, birdsong, uncluttered space & away from distractions. On the computer: switching between apps, devices & printout helps me spot errors and can be like using fresh eyes each time I change.

One of my favourite ‘offices’: a picnic table on a green. Favourite notebook, pens, water bottle and bag in view. The sun is shining.

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Evelyn Fenn @evelynfenn.bsky.social · 01/08/2026

#PretendPanel I’ve learned how to use labels in scrivener so I can see the status of a collection of short stories I’m working on, and I’ll keep a note of word counts. But that’s about it. I have used spreadsheets retrospectively to check where I have gaps in my narrative to fill in. But…🧵1/2

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Evelyn Fenn @evelynfenn.bsky.social · 25/07/2026

#PretendPanel Generally I’m not interested. I appreciate sprayed edges can be beautiful and clever, but I don’t want a book to be so beautiful I’m scared to read it. Mostly I think alternate covers etc are a cynical marketing ploy; I find them a turn off.

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Evelyn Fenn @evelynfenn.bsky.social · 24/07/2026

#PretendPanel Ambivalent. It depends on the book. Most important is legibility, so no tiny fonts, and nothing printed in pale grey. (I’ve seen both.) I only want maps if they are genuinely informative. I’d like to see more character lists, especially in long stories/series.

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Evelyn Fenn @evelynfenn.bsky.social · 18/07/2026

#PretendPanel Wow. There are some very polished images being shared. I’m going to lower the tone by sharing some scrappy notes. I jot down ideas when I have them and will grab whatever paper I can find if my favourite notebook isn’t handy. My notes are peppered with post-its too.

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Evelyn Fenn @evelynfenn.bsky.social · 17/07/2026

#PretendPanel The visual aids I’ve used include: 🗺️ maps (both professional & a scrappy sketch I made). Also Streetview 📷 photographs (people, places, objects, artwork…) 🎞️ videos (bless the geeks of YouTube!) 🏡 estate agents’ particulars 📘do written reference materials count? 🧵1/2

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Evelyn Fenn @evelynfenn.bsky.social · 11/07/2026

#PretendPanel I’m not a fan of lush but the framework I’m given has to be solid and coherent enough for me to fill in the detail. Too much detail may detract from my ability to visualise the story. Instead of pictures, I get bogged down by the words. Plus too much detail may slow the story’s pace.

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Evelyn Fenn @evelynfenn.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

#PretendPanel I aim to give the perfect balance of detail. 😜 I want readers to picture what I’m writing about without boring them rigid. Only they know if I succeed. I don’t mind if their mental picture isn’t identical to mine as long as it makes sense to them and the vibe is right.

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Evelyn Fenn @evelynfenn.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

#PretendPanel Characters: Vibe. Settings: I'm inspired by places I know, tho' I may fictionalise them. Even so, I'll do research. For stories set in versions of our world, this may include estate agents' listings, image searches, Google Streetview, journey planners, rail timetables etc.

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Evelyn Fenn @evelynfenn.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

#PretendPanel I see through the eyes of my protagonist, seeing what they see/is in front of them. (For this reason, I often have a better idea of what my secondary characters look like than my MCs.) Sometimes what I see is choppy—more a series of snapshots than a smoothly unraveling film.

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Evelyn Fenn @evelynfenn.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

#PretendPanel I’ve tried creating characters using templates and outlines with little success. Generally, I feel them, vibe with them, but only get to know them and flesh them out as the story develops. Motives, appearance, gender etc may all change. That’s part of the creative adventure.

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Evelyn Fenn @evelynfenn.bsky.social · 20/06/2026

#PretendPanel Rejections: I tell myself it isn't personal. I wouldn't know these people if I bumped into them; what does it matter? Maybe next time? But having skin like a rhino would make it easier to bear! Wins: a celebratory meal. Pictures of book covers on my wall to remind me 'You did this!'

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Evelyn Fenn @evelynfenn.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

#PretendPanel I don’t think I do. My progress comes in fits & starts. While I wish I could maintain steady progress, I can’t force it. Every time I open my file, add words, delete & edit, it’s a win. I refuse to beat myself up on the days that doesn’t happen tho’. There’s always a good reason.

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Evelyn Fenn @evelynfenn.bsky.social · 13/06/2026

#PretendPanel I don't have a first draft until I have the full story set down. Anything with gaps and plot holes doesn't feel complete. For that reason, I've been stuck on version 0.95 of my current WIP for the last 12 months. Once the first draft is done, vase amount of polishing begins.

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Evelyn Fenn @evelynfenn.bsky.social · 12/06/2026

#PretendPanel I wish I were an organised planner. I’m not. I worry if I plan too much I’ll lose interest before I get to write anything or I’ll forget the brilliant fragments I fail to capture as they occur. So: grand and sweeping then at abut 1/2 or 3/4 through try to retro plot and 🙏 it works.

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Evelyn Fenn @evelynfenn.bsky.social · 06/06/2026

#PretendPanel My stories tend to be contemporary. Even when I venture into something more speculative, our world is still recognisable; I tinker around its edges. So my characters’ hobbies may seem mundane: music; knitting; hanging with friends… They are academics, florists, students, caterers… 🧵1/2

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Evelyn Fenn @evelynfenn.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

#PretendPanel When I write, I’m chasing joy. It’s in little & big moments and makes the challenges and low points worthwhile (tho’ that’s not always easy to remember). Joy is in: -solving a thorny plot problem -the high of an acceptance letter -holding my book in my hand -a great review -… 🧵 (1/3)

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Evelyn Fenn @evelynfenn.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

#PretendPanel Kayama from Adiemus: Songs of Sanctuary by Karl Jenkins. The piece has the power & emotion of other choral works but avoids associations with religion or romantic love some of my other favourite pieces carry. Plus the album transports me back to a key time in my life. Good vibes.

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Evelyn Fenn @evelynfenn.bsky.social · 23/05/2026

#PretendPanel What has struck me, seeing everyone else’s comments, is how much music I’ve never heard of and how different our tastes are. Lots to explore! I have musicians in one book (ninestarpress.com/product/how-...). Moira was a pop star in the 1980s. Now she plays in the local pub for fun.

ninestarpress.com

How to Share a Cat and Other Life Lessons

Seventeen-year-old Nessa Clarkson is full of questions and confusion. How does she fit into the new household Dad is forging with his partner, Cindy, and Cindy’s son? What will being a lesbian mean…

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Evelyn Fenn @evelynfenn.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

#PretendPanel I was going with Bob Marley’s Three Little Birds for its positivity but I changed my mind. Instead, I offer Lamento de Frederico, from Jose Cura’s album Verismo. If I could move readers half as much as I was moved the first time I heard this, I’d be ecstatic! Aim for the feels!

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Evelyn Fenn @evelynfenn.bsky.social · 16/05/2026

#PretendPanel I hate pop music/DJ/jingle combos. Words (songs, conversations, TV, radio…) are distracting, especially if they come with a risk of my being interrupted or they are interesting enough to split my focus. Constant noise is easier to tune out than sounds coming in fits and starts.

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Evelyn Fenn @evelynfenn.bsky.social · 15/05/2026

#PretendPanel You Can Get It If You Really Want (versions by Jimmy Cliff and Desmond Dekker). An uplifting song about perseverance and the rewards you reap if you keep trying. (Basically, don’t expect things to be handed to you on a plate. This writing malarkey requires work, but it might pay off.)

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Evelyn Fenn @evelynfenn.bsky.social · 09/05/2026

#PretendPanel I prefer quiet. I’m lucky; where I live now is quiet, so I don’t need to do anything. If I get the chance, I like working outside. Bird song, leaves rustling in the breeze… All good. If I lived in a city, I’d need music-probably classical-to block the urban sounds out.

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Evelyn Fenn @evelynfenn.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

#PretendPanel Don’t Worry Be Happy, Bobby McFerrin Why? Because there will be plenty of setbacks in this writing life, but being optimistic keeps hope alive & gives strength to carry on. Plus, I ❤️ the rhythm & smile when I hear it. (I’ve started a collection of positive songs. Prepare for more!)

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Evelyn Fenn @evelynfenn.bsky.social · 02/05/2026

#PretendPanel I’ve experimented and writing playlists aren’t for me. I love music, but I struggle to concentrate when it’s on. I even struggle with ‘focus music’! The best I can do is routine tasks (eg search and replace), and even then music has to be familiar and in the background. (1/2)

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Evelyn Fenn @evelynfenn.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

#PretendPanel I’d love to enter to Mendelssohn’s Hebrides Overture—dark, brooding, mysterious, complex, beautiful—but knowing my luck I’m more likely to be accompanied by an out of tune ukulele and some bongo drums.

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Evelyn Fenn @evelynfenn.bsky.social · 24/04/2026

#PretendPanel I’ve written on and off for as long as I can remember and I’m used to peaks and troughs. But about twenty years ago I noticed something odd. I had a massive career and lifestyle change, moved to pastures new and discovered the grass really was greener in my new home. (1/5)

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Evelyn Fenn @evelynfenn.bsky.social · 18/04/2026

#PretendPanel The only time I’ve made more than a passing reference to war was in a fanfic I wrote about ten years ago, and that was because it was part of the canon. Otherwise, I may make a reference to set context, but it’s unlikely be a focus of my story—although never say never!

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Evelyn Fenn @evelynfenn.bsky.social · 17/04/2026

#PretendPanel I loved, & decades on am still haunted by, Journey’s End, a play I studied in school. Generally, I’m not a fan of war stories, especially if they focus on /glorify derring-do. I’m more tolerant of nonfiction because we can learn lessons from history; it’s not about entertainment.

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Evelyn Fenn @evelynfenn.bsky.social · 11/04/2026

#PretendPanel (1/2) Religion is more noticeable for its absence in my writing than its presence. I’m not religious, and my lack of belief inevitably bleeds into my (main) characters.

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Evelyn Fenn @evelynfenn.bsky.social · 10/04/2026

#PretendPanel Fiction: I don’t look for religion as a major theme. If it’s touched upon, fine, but I don’t want to feel I’m being preached to. Non-fiction: again it wouldn’t be my go-to theme. I’m more interested in it as political, cultural or historical context than in religion itself.

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Evelyn Fenn @evelynfenn.bsky.social · 04/04/2026

#PretendPanel I don’t set out with being funny as my main intention when writing, but if humour arises from the situation I’m writing about that’s great. Any humour which makes it into my work tends to be observational and incidental.

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Evelyn Fenn @evelynfenn.bsky.social · 03/04/2026

#PretendPanel I’ve tried Pratchett and Wodehouse and 🤷. Books which others find hilarious seldom tickle my funny bone although there are exceptions (notably Douglas Adams). I don’t seek out humorous books, but I might appreciate humour if I stumble across it—so long as it’s not slapstick.

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Evelyn Fenn @evelynfenn.bsky.social · 21/03/2026

#PretendPanel Older ace and other queer joy. See my 📌 for the kind of books I wanted and couldn’t find when I first discovered words & community matching my identity. (I’m working on other projects now, but ace joy is still present, albeit no longer the main focus of my stories.)

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Evelyn Fenn @evelynfenn.bsky.social · 20/03/2026

#PretendPanel Ideal if you’re looking for older (40s/50s) aroace MCs. I see lots of great ace books with young adult/new adult MCs. I wrote these because I wanted to see a reflection of me. (This isn’t my elevator pitch, but it’s important to me.) #Writers #WritingCommunity

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Evelyn Fenn @evelynfenn.bsky.social · 14/03/2026

#PretendPanel (1/3) My NOs undoubtedly say more about me than the broader effectiveness of the approaches. I’d ❤️ to know which of these work for others. My NOs: -Punting the same thing repeatedly. (Regular posts may feed the algorithm, but they’re a turn off.) #WritingCommunity #Writers

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