iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Lily Traina @lilytrainaauthor.bsky.social · 22/03/2026

when the enemies finally realize they might also be lovers (and they were both girls)….

Lily Traina @lilytrainaauthor.bsky.social · 11/03/2026

If I had a nickel for every time I wrote a het romance where, by the time I’m halfway through drafting, it seemed like the MMC had a repressed crush on his male best friend, I would have two nickels. Considering I’ve only written 2 het romances, it’s real weird that it happened twice!

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Benjamin Dreyer @bcdreyer.social · 10/12/2025

This is very sad news. She was a lovely writer, and an absolute pro.

nytimes.com

Sophie Kinsella, ‘Confessions of a Shopaholic’ Author, Dies at 55

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Lily Traina @lilytrainaauthor.bsky.social · 10/12/2025

Confessions of a Shopaholic was one of the first adult chick-lit books I read as a teen stretching my legs into the genre. RIP Sophie Kinsella, what a queen of the genre.

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Lily Traina @lilytrainaauthor.bsky.social · 30/10/2025

just pulled a real life william carlos williams “this is just to say” on my mom vis a vis an apple she was gonna take on the plane tomorrow

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Lily Traina @lilytrainaauthor.bsky.social · 16/10/2025

I don’t go back and forth much, but I always occupy a self-imposed break from one project (between editing rounds, usually) by diving into another one. It helps to fully clear out the cobwebs! #WritingCommunity

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Lily Traina @lilytrainaauthor.bsky.social · 03/10/2025

current editing agony: trying to decide between "could" and "would".

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Lily Traina @lilytrainaauthor.bsky.social · 01/10/2025

I feel like I should say more but truth be told I don’t know what to say outside of pasting in the thesaurus listing for “excited”! Thrilled! Cheesed! Mostly though I’m looking forward to the future and hopefully getting Seeing Stars on shelves in a year that starts with a 2 :D

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Lily Traina @lilytrainaauthor.bsky.social · 01/10/2025

So very excited to announce that I’m now represented by Laurie McLean at @fuseliterary.bsky.social !

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Merriam-Webster @merriam-webster.com · 01/10/2025

We are thrilled to announce that our NEW Large Language Model will be released on 11.18.25.

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Lily Traina @lilytrainaauthor.bsky.social · 30/09/2025

realizing i probably shouldnt have changed every single piece of my profile at once bc now i fear none of you know who i am lmao

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Lily Traina @lilytrainaauthor.bsky.social · 30/09/2025

watching Slow Horses w my dad and man…this show keeps killing my favorite characters!!

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Lily Traina @lilytrainaauthor.bsky.social · 24/09/2025

New pen name alert! Traina was great grandmother’s maiden name before immigrating to the US, and I’m so honored to be adopting it for my writing career 💕

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Lily Traina @lilytrainaauthor.bsky.social · 12/09/2025

Draft 1 of Queens of the Sun is complete! My messy little lesbian time loop is at 95k and ready for editing 😎

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Lily Traina @lilytrainaauthor.bsky.social · 27/08/2025

didnt get much writing done today but i did finish my fantasy football draft plan spreadsheet so. not wholly unproductive.

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Lily Traina @lilytrainaauthor.bsky.social · 24/08/2025

absolutely ridonkulous catch by kyle isbel. myyyyyy goodness. #Royals

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Lily Traina @lilytrainaauthor.bsky.social · 24/08/2025

A fun challenge of writing is trying to find names that I like enough to give to characters but not enough to save for a future child

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Lily Traina @lilytrainaauthor.bsky.social · 22/08/2025

Happy Laufey 'A Matter of Time' release day to all who celebrate

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Lily Traina @lilytrainaauthor.bsky.social · 21/08/2025

also hello writer friends <3 sorry for not being around more often; I've been in mega-drafting mode and am almost done with my first draft of Queens of the Sun!! We're at 78k with 2-ish (very long, meaty) chapters left :0

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Lily Traina @lilytrainaauthor.bsky.social · 21/08/2025

goodness gracious can Tyler Tolbert run

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Lily Traina @lilytrainaauthor.bsky.social · 17/08/2025

Writers, we have to let go of synonymizing everything. A little repetition is okay. Not all nouns even have exact synonyms, and we dont need to invent them. I would rather read the words “ice cream” three dozen times a page than the “sweetened coolness” I just read.

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Lily Traina @lilytrainaauthor.bsky.social · 13/08/2025

Poor August, her love interest is so much hotter than she is...what ever will she do... #WIPSnips #WritingCommunity #WriteSky

Black text on a white background, reading:

She leaves my room in a swirl of golden skin and pink silk, and I spend at least two minutes with my head in my hands contemplating what I’ve gotten myself into. Then I get my ass up and get dressed in the most amusement park-appropriate attire I have at my disposable: periwinkle bike shorts, a baggy t-shirt I thrifted that says LEGALIZE GAY in bold rainbow font, and my pristine white sneakers. I braid my hair in two pigtails and pop my UF baseball cap on my head, which does nothing for the outfit—curse you, orange and blue—but will at least protect me from the sun.

It feels like a fun outfit until I see Kenna in the lobby. Her leonine figure stands out against the cheap furniture, all long limbs and golden aura. Her white sneakers are almost identical to mine, but that’s where the similarities end. She’s wearing a pale pink sundress, a matching visor with a high ponytail, and chunky white sunglasses.

She looks like Sunshine Barbie, while I look like the mom sweatily searching for it in Target.

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Lily Traina @lilytrainaauthor.bsky.social · 13/08/2025

this is so stupid but i love it. they're in their optimistically nihilistic (aka, nothing matters so we might as well party) era of being stuck in a time loop and the sexual tension is starting to become unbearable. Oh, and August still thinks Kenna is straight. #SnippetShare #WriteSky

A screenshot of black text on a white background that says:

“We’re out,” I say, walking backwards while Kenna gets the door. “Thanks for having us!”
Marigold stands halfway out of her chair. “You’re—excuse me?”
“Dropping out,” I clarify. Kenna sticks a finger through a belt loop in my jeans and tugs. “Bye!”
When I turn, Kenna’s finger stays stuck in my belt loop so that her arm wraps around my waist and our chests collide. She looks breathless, and I feel much the same, but for very different reasons. She’s so much taller than me, it would be easy to press my mouth to her throat.
Her tits press against my collarbones, and I stifle a pathetic whine.

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Lily Traina @lilytrainaauthor.bsky.social · 13/08/2025

imagine giving up a grand slam in the first inning oh wait i can because i am a royals fan

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Lily Traina @lilytrainaauthor.bsky.social · 13/08/2025

baseball commentary is such a gift...nats commentators talking abt salvy and saying he smells good (???) and then a few minutes later when the nats strike out of the inning: "well the catcher might smell good, but this score stinks!" I need to level up my dialogue game...

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Lily Traina @lilytrainaauthor.bsky.social · 12/08/2025

Fantasy! I have so many brainworms of fantasy story ideas I cooked up as a teen that I think could probably be developed well if I had the time to dedicate. #WriteSky

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Lily Traina @lilytrainaauthor.bsky.social · 12/08/2025

adding the most niche floridian things I can think of to this manuscript--today, it's the stretch of highway chock full of anti-abortion PSAs interspersed with ads for Cafe Risque

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Lily Traina @lilytrainaauthor.bsky.social · 10/08/2025

It took like 3 major rewrites before Addie had a real character arc, and I’m worried it’s happening again with my current WIP. I think I focus too much on getting plot down bc I’ve struggled w it more in the past, so character work often doesnt come through at first. #WriteSky

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Lily Traina @lilytrainaauthor.bsky.social · 10/08/2025

can the royals outfielders please learn to yell “mine”?

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Casey Plett @caseyplett.com · 09/08/2025

Keep writing that stupid book

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Lily Traina @lilytrainaauthor.bsky.social · 09/08/2025

When reading, I do somewhat because there are some tropes I don’t love, and theyre very well advertised in romance. But I try not to when writing—except that my current WIP was borne of, “How can you have real true enemies to lovers in a non-fantasy setting?” #WriteSky #PretendPanel

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Lily Traina @lilytrainaauthor.bsky.social · 09/08/2025

catching up on last night’s big brother…this cast is amazing tv lmfao

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Lily Traina @lilytrainaauthor.bsky.social · 08/08/2025

ok so it’s not the face and it’s also not really a caress, but i do love this semi-accidental neck touch from literally the second time Addie and Jacob meet. #RomanceWriters #WriterSky

A screenshot of black text on a white background that reads:
““Thanks.” I take him in, too—he’s dressed in a simple black suit with a crooked black bowtie. “You look nice, too.” It’s rude to adjust his tie, isn’t it? Or would it be ruder to leave it crooked when we’re about to go to an event where it’ll be photographed?
Jacob’s Addie would be aware of our image, I decide. As soon as I reach out to tweak it, Jacob tips his chin up to make space for my hand, not questioning what I’m doing. I wonder if it’s a holdover from his boy band days, when he would have had people adjusting his hair and makeup and clothing constantly, or if he’s naturally pliant. Probably the former.
My knuckle inadvertently brushes his neck and for one brief moment, I feel the jump of his pulse under my skin. Is it possible that he’s just as nervous as I am?
“All fixed.” I reluctantly pull my hand away. “Now you’re perfect.””

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Lily Traina @lilytrainaauthor.bsky.social · 07/08/2025

what the hell is going on in this royals red sox game why have 5 royals players been hit by pitches???

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Lily Traina @lilytrainaauthor.bsky.social · 06/08/2025

Addie would be deeply upset to learn that the boy band driVe never existed here. Jacob (former member of driVe) would be thrilled. #writersky

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Lily Traina @lilytrainaauthor.bsky.social · 05/08/2025

spent the last four days packing and then moving my grandma from one old folks home to the other. it’s averaged about 95 degrees each day. and my car has no ac. and her old apartment barely bad ac. point is i am so hot and so tired.

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Lily Traina @lilytrainaauthor.bsky.social · 03/08/2025

According to my data so far this year, about half of what I read is romance. The other half is spread out—anything from fantasy to horror to poetry to nonfiction. I find other genres, nonfiction in particular, to be such fonts of inspiration. Also i just like reading, lol #PretendPanel

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Lily Traina @lilytrainaauthor.bsky.social · 02/08/2025

Yes! You gotta! It’s the best way to learn the genre, especially for romance, which has a few specific requirements and expectations.

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Lily Traina @lilytrainaauthor.bsky.social · 31/07/2025

currently reading The Gunfighters: How Texas Made the West Wild by Bryan Burrough and enjoying it a lot!! Some good nonfiction every bow and again is healthy for my brain lol. Totally recommend! #BookSky

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Lily Traina @lilytrainaauthor.bsky.social · 23/07/2025

a bit more than one line, but some context is needed. this is from the current middle of my #WIP, so about 25k in. August and Kenna are in a time loop and know that Madison is walking off to be murdered. #HumpDay

An excerpt of text reading:

As Madison walks by, I brush her wrist with my hand. “Madison! Do you want to wait with us?”
Her nose crinkles patronizingly as she smiles. “Oh! No, thank you. I need to go get something in my dressing room.”
I can’t tell her that the only thing she’s going to get back there is a knife between her ribs, so I look to Kenna for assistance.
All she offers is a thin smile. “Hurry back!”
“Oh of course,” Madison coos, head tilted like she’s talking to toddlers and just finds us sooooo cute. “Wouldn’t miss this for the world!”
She struts away then, and all I can think about how the blood is going to stain her light blue dress and make it purple.

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Lily Traina @lilytrainaauthor.bsky.social · 23/07/2025

i love baseball commentary bc why are we talking about how big jac caglianone's feet are

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Lily Traina @lilytrainaauthor.bsky.social · 22/07/2025

That perfection is better than honesty.

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Lily Traina @lilytrainaauthor.bsky.social · 22/07/2025

insane things happening to the cubs defense rn

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Lily Traina @lilytrainaauthor.bsky.social · 09/07/2025

In Seeing Stars, Jacob is a former member of the disbanded boyband driVe, and Addie is a former fangirl—still would be, if they still existed. Now Jacob is a semi-successful solo artist, and Addie is a hater. Here’s a glimpse at their Spotify profiles: #A #Q #R #UnhingedPit

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Lily Traina @lilytrainaauthor.bsky.social · 09/07/2025

Seeing Stars is not fanfiction—I swear. But it is inspired by a decade and a half of fangirling over groups like One Direction and Seventeen. So what if, in the world of the story, it was fanfiction? #A #Q #R #UnhingedPit

A mock AO3 listing for Seeing Stars as if it was a fanfiction within the world it is set—so, as if I had written a fanfiction about the real boy band driVe and a female character.

Tags include: Post-disbandment, romcom, fake dating, idol x fangirl, grumpy x sunshine, plus-size oc, and jacob prizer needs a hug.

The summary reads: Music journalist Addie inadvertently people-pleases her way into an interview with Jacob, her least-favorite member of the boyband she once obsessed over. With his manager pressuring him to start a PR relationship, he’s charmed enough by Addie to ask her to be his fake girlfriend.

As they get to know each other over weeks of public outings, both realize that faking it isn’t as easy as it seems. Addie dreads what will happen if Jacob finds out she used to be a fan, while for Jacob, a relationship with Addie might be his first shot at something genuine in years. Between Addie’s lie, Jacob’s tumultuous career, and both reckoning with the lingering effects of fandom culture, they’ll have to decide between who they really are and who they pretend to be.

The work has 89,000 words and 24 chapters. The readership stats are 120 comments, 395 kudos, 144 bookmarks, and 10,783 hits.

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Lily Traina @lilytrainaauthor.bsky.social · 08/07/2025

i am about to spend so many hours in canva working on something so stupid

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