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#OctoberWorldbuilders 11 The autumn festivities in the South include contests and competitions of lumber felling, archery, and of course the Hunt itself. These all include teams, and the winners are given special honors by the monarchs. That's about as close to "sports" as we get.

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Commander Dotano, never Green with envy, was in the ballroom with his trusty revolver. Ranala, a real Peacock, was in the dining room with her dinner knife. Who actually done it? Everyone has their suspicions. But once you've read the book, you'll know one of these places is very out of character.

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#Octember 11- Clue I can't rightly play if Dokiro is killed, so let's say it was ATTEMPTED on him and failed, and his guard was hit instead- in his study with a dagger. Ambea, with Scarlet hair, was in the library with a candle stick. Danola, a true Mrs White, was in the kitchen fixing a pipe.

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Y'all! This book is gonna be AWESOME!!

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Ahhhh!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!! 🎉👏

K.C. Clyburn, Author @kccomplainsalot.blacksky.app · 09/10/2026

Reposted by Duke

AHHH, BLUESKY! DON'T YOU DARE BE SOUR! CLAP FOR YOUR FAVORITE AUTHORS! AND FEEL THE POWER!!! #Booksky It's BUY A BOOK FRIDAY, yes it is! The rules are simple, you see a book by myself or one Bluesky's talented artists, YOU BUY THAT BOOK! Help support us and enrich yourself! 🧵 BELOW, LET'S GO!!!

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Authors Against Book Bans @authorsabb.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

As #BannedBooksWeek starts winding down, here are two things you can do...well...kinda forever to help defend books, reading, and literary culture....

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#Octember 9- Santa Dokiro would sigh with utter exasperation, then assume this was *another* unexpected role the monarchs are expected to fulfill, and by gum he would be the BEST Santa ya ever saw. He would get INTO IT! In fact, he'd probably end up passing some laws in favor of kids' wishlists.

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#OctoberWorldBuilders 9- No board games in Dainu. Lots of other games though, especially card, marble, and dice related. #IndieAuthor #WritingCommunity

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YouTube video by Two Steps From Hell - Topic

#LitHodgePodge 9- dream score It's epic fantasy; it's gotta have epic music, right? I love Two Steps From Hell, and have used Heart of Courage as Ambea's unofficial theme song for years.

youtu.be

Heart of Courage

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Hell yeah, wampus cat!! Wampus never gets enough love.

Bookish Question of the Day @bookishqotd.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

Reposted by Duke

What advice would you give to authors? #booksky #BookishQOTD

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Trust your reader. Sure, some details need to be clear at the beginning, but don't spoon feed all the answers. It's a better book when we can figure it out on our own. (This doesn't apply for quick lit or summer romance reads, obviously.)

Duke @jgduke.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

Reposted by Duke

The politics of Martin, the dynamics of Austen, and the imagery of Miyazaki, all rolled into an entirely original literary universe with rich mythologies to uncover, new languages to learn, and an expansive world to explore. Join me as we dive into #AStoryOfDainu #EpicFantasy #IndieAuthor #Decalogy

Picture is a temporary book cover. A golden crown sits over a black background. White text reads "Long Live the Queen, a story of Dainu, by JG Duke."

Picture is a temporary book cover. A small green sprout is growing from the stump of a cut-down tree. White text reads "A Tchao in Ilimak, a story of Dainu, by JG Duke."

Picture is a temporary book cover. A large ship is on the open ocean. Its sails are made from wings. Black text reads "High Winds and Low Whispers, a story of Dainu, by JG Duke."

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#Octember 8- ✨🌌 In book 8, the characters talk about their favorite constellations. Ty's two favorites are called The Hunter, which appears in autumn, and The Boy, which appears in spring. Coincidentally, Jol, a hunter, was born in autumn, and Jash, his brother, was born in Spring.

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#OctoberWorldBuilders 8- sports? Dokiro is quite a talented swimmer, and he enjoys sailing, if you call that a sport. There are no competitive sports to speak of in Dainu, but there certainly is athleticism.

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🥺 Sounds likes he's had a bad time.

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#LitHodgePodge 8- Renana (book 10): "Emotions are beautiful, but dangerous. Good monarchs should have hearts of the softest flesh, but wrapped in iron for their own self control and protection. I shouldn't like to be seen as emotionless, but of the two, I'd have to choose hiding them away."

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#LitHodgePodge 8 Erishu (book 7): "What a fascinating concept! Of course who wouldn't want to see their own future? And yet, doesn't truth lie only in the past? What is a hopeful future without the truthful past? I believe I would choose past- even knowing I might forever regret the choice."

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#LitHodgePodge 8 Daroke (book 4)- if you had asked him in his youth, he would have BEGGED to forget. As an adult, I think he's finally learned why never being able to forget is called a magical Gift of Alia. -- Poor guy lol

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#LitHodgePodge 8 wyr Dokiro (book 1): "I suppose, if one had enough insight, knowing how they would die might also easily predict when. As such, I would choose how. Having said so, I think such matters are better left to Aliamara and Fate. Regardless, I intend to survive as long as possible."

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Hot cider and popcorn, for autumn.

Alt: Gif is of comedian Druski shrugging. Text beneath says "Just saying".

#Octember 7 Okay, now hear me out. I think a dragon would find itself wanting to get closer to Dotano Alam (MC's brother). I'm not saying it *has* to be sexual! And I'm not saying Dotano would reciprocate! But there would be some curious intrigue that may or may not lead somewhere.

static.klipy.com

Druski Shrug

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If I had the audacity of a white male, I'd claim to be a modern day Tolkien: an inventive educator with a linguist's imagination; compelled by observation, and inspired by what might have been in ages long forgotten.

Fantasy author specializing in original worlds with deep lore, vivid imagery, and compelling characters.

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#OctoberWorldbuilders 7- Imiku is a lot like Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, Brazil, just with less water until you hit the Tosifa River. White rolling sands for miles and miles. Rocks are further west and south. No ruins exist. The world isn't old enough for that yet.

As in related to monarchs. Also, very. Lol

#Octember 6- Dokiro was a total nerd and loved reading. He also had a "lucky" fishing rod that he and his father had made together by hand. Seth carried a teddy bear waaay longer than other kids, cause he got such little affection from his folks. *Cue Punch the monkey theme music* He still has it.

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#LitHodgePodge 6 I don't write heroes and villains; there are only participants in circumstance. Having said that, Tro (book 2) definitely fits the bill for reluctant participant. I also feel like Ambea (book 1) is a classic "from timid child to royal badass" type.

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...before, they travel with their flocks, and the oasises provide fruits and vegetables. They also do LOTS of trading to outside clans for anything they might need beyond that- fabrics wooden or metal goods, etc.

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#OctoberWorldbuilders 6- The Miku clan have Alia's Gift of Sight- their eyes can see through the blinding sun, into farther distances than normal Bash. This means they can see a sandstorm coming a loooong way off, and have plenty of time to hunker down or flee as needed. For food, as stated...

Foz Meadows @fozmeadows.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Reposted by Duke

Using generative AI is like clicking the "reveal all" button on an online crossword and claiming that the resultant filled-out grid represents the same level of achievement as if you'd done the puzzle properly, because using the button is working smarter, not harder. No, Greg: you're just a moron.

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Alyssa Matesic @alyssamatesic.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

SO many querying authors stress over their author bio, but honestly, it should be the easiest part of your query. And no, you do NOT need a bunch of awards and publications to be taken seriously! Don't overthink it. Your bio really only needs 3 things:

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I tend to favor one or two genres, myself, so I didn't think going out of genre is required, per se. However, I have also noticed that writing outside your normal genre helps get some different ideas going...which in turn gets ALL ideas going, so that's also a helpful option.

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#OctoberWorldBuilders 5- myths Sotha, the 20th Kataloy, is the keeper of Wind's storms. The sand storms in Imiku are FIERCE and can be deadly. The Miku therefore have plenty of myths and legends about how awful Sotha must be. It's a fair assumption, but it's *mostly* not true.

#LitHodgePodge 5 Lltq: For Dokiro, happiness is the balance between justice and peace. Ambea: self-realization. Danola: when she's praised for her brilliance. Tii: For Tro: finding where you belong. Rim: love of family, friends, and a partner. Lane: peace and quiet (of mind and body). #IndieAuthor

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I go back to the original story as necessary, but I'll be honest, setting is SO important to my understanding of my stories, that I kinda have it memorized. So I just retell what I see. If I use some of the same vocab, it's because it was exactly that way, so it's fitting to repeat, I guess.

"A children's book that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children's book at all." - CS Lewis. Likewise, an "escapist" book that does not reflect real world situations is not a good escapist book at all.

Elsa @erli.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Reposted by Duke

I can't stop thinking how wrong the tech bros have understood creativity and creators. Or even just having hobbies. - Version with ALT text! Thank you @virginiaopossum.bsky.social for the help!

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Repeated motifs are a big thing for me, so if I use a sentence 2-3 times in the book, that becomes the title. Typically, the literary nod is that by the second time you see the titular line, it has an opposite meaning than its first use.

"She's being too loud." The cries echoed in the room, impossible to ignore. "Then shut her up!" He hadn't even looked. He was too tired to fight back. "This is your job!" she moaned. Suddenly, the conversation drags and the vibe of being tired and grumpy is more obvious.

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So, this for me is a good way for "show don't tell" for character mood. If you need the conversation to slow down, add tags or descriptions. Omit them if you want it to be faster. "She's being too loud." "Then shut her up!" "This is your job!" -- very fast, heated argument. Vs...

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READ. Stop writing your stories and enjoy someone else's for a bit.

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Give them AT LEAST one phrase that only they use. Something as simple as A always says "What's up?" while B always says "What's good?" can have a massive impact on keeping them unique and voice-specific.

I think this makes you a good reader: noticing that Martin failed in writing a non-girly girl bc he couldn't get past his own biases. If you treat every character as the MC, really get into their head space, I think it's easier to be true to their personality. Fan service RUINS good lit, imo.

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I "outline" the entire book. (VERY casually). Start with those scenes you already have, and then bullet point ideas for convos or additional scenes /plot threads in between them. As time goes on, and as you have the energy, turn the bullet points into actual sentences. Eventually, a book appears.

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