Reposted by Nicole Sune SbitaniDr. Damien P. Williams, dread portent down from a mountain cave @wolven.blacksky.app · 5hCreating an "AI" avatar of your dead loved one w/o their input or consent, & saying that it counts "the same" as the dead loved one— ESPECIALLY as evidence in a MURDER TRIAL— is both a massive misunderstanding of what "AI" is & how it works, & a hugely dehumanizing insult to said dearly departed. 20661155
Reposted by Nicole Sune Sbitanitoilet bones @toiletbones.bsky.social · 06/10/2026Found the email I sent when I got accidentally added to the faculty listserv of an orthopedic surgery clinic and nobody would remove me so I sent this email to all faculty/staff/med students and they removed me almost immediately 186109612986
Nicole Sune Sbitani @nsune.bsky.social · 05/10/2026Have you read Michael Sandel's The Tyranny of Merit? He's a Harvard professor who makes a very compelling argument for merit lottery admissions like you described 000
Nicole Sune Sbitani @nsune.bsky.social · 05/10/2026I really enjoyed this! Great way to start my day and put a smile on my face 110
Reposted by Nicole Sune SbitaniNicole Bedera @nbedera.bsky.social · 04/10/2026There are some news articles going around about sexual violence reporting rates at different universities. Let’s talk about why some schools have higher reporting rates than others: 214050
Nicole Sune Sbitani @nsune.bsky.social · 04/10/2026If you see this, recommend a short book. One Level Down by Mary G. Thompson 010
Nicole Sune Sbitani @nsune.bsky.social · 01/10/2026Some manuscripts had great interiority. Where authors successfully balanced dialogue and infused descriptions with what's not said aloud but from the protagonist's perspective, I learned more about the world and the characters at the same time. It made the whole story feel more real and immersive. 010
Nicole Sune Sbitani @nsune.bsky.social · 01/10/2026Several books showcased important character development even in the first 10 pages. I was impressed with these, and I felt it made me better understand why the story needed to start where it did. In other words, what's different about the protagonist before and after this specific thing? 100
Nicole Sune Sbitani @nsune.bsky.social · 01/10/2026I love beautiful but concise worldbuilding. In these manuscripts, there were descriptions of spaceships, urban centers, forest groves, and historical small towns that skillfully weaved story elements and setting information together. These really hit that sweet spot for me as a reader. 100
Nicole Sune Sbitani @nsune.bsky.social · 01/10/2026Many writers did a great job of planting curiosity seeds for me (a term I learned from the TSNOTYAW podcast, which I highly recommend). The best is when I was curious early on to learn more about the protagonist and the world, especially since the manuscripts were speculative fiction. 100
Nicole Sune Sbitani @nsune.bsky.social · 01/10/2026On a related note, there were several passages of dialogue that were so delightful to read. The dialogue itself wasn't too on the nose (something I find challenging personally), the section had the perfect balance of talking and action beats, and every character speaking had a distinct voice. 100
Nicole Sune Sbitani @nsune.bsky.social · 01/10/2026I love a well-done voicey narrator, especially in the first person. Several manuscripts did this very well, and I could easily understand why first person POV was the best choice for their book. 100
Nicole Sune Sbitani @nsune.bsky.social · 01/10/2026Since I did a previous thread about my common criticisms of the 7 sets of the first 10 pages of novels I read for an upcoming writing workshop, here are some of the things that made me write compliments in the margins. Here are the roses to my previous thread's thorns: 110
Reposted by Nicole Sune Sbitanimaura quint @mauraquint.bsky.social · 01/10/2026Yes every woman has been harassed, many assaulted. But every woman has also experienced invisible loss from moments she avoided harassment. She felt a space becoming unsafe, so she left, while men stayed on. And in leaving, she lost: opportunities, experiences, learning, promotions, even simply fun. 168187814711
Nicole Sune Sbitani @nsune.bsky.social · 01/10/2026If you want help getting this right in your own storytelling and seeing examples of international affairs done well (and poorly) in fiction, definitely check out my newsletter: Fics & Dip! nicolesune.sbitani.com 000
Nicole Sune Sbitani @nsune.bsky.social · 01/10/2026Please do not make characters repeat things they both already know to each other - it comes across as an obvious exposition for the reader's benefit and takes me right out of the story. 010
Nicole Sune Sbitani @nsune.bsky.social · 01/10/2026Do not drop international affairs bombshells that make no sense in today's context without at least some hint that the world has changed in a way that makes sense. (E.g., a story where Kiribati becomes the sole backup location for all Earth's most important data... why??) 200
Nicole Sune Sbitani @nsune.bsky.social · 01/10/2026There's a legitimate debate to be had about historical accuracy and when offensive language might be permissible in fiction (and by whom). But for me (+ many other readers of color), I'm not looking for my fiction to be full of slurs and stereotypes I'm already tired of seeing in real life. 110
Nicole Sune Sbitani @nsune.bsky.social · 01/10/2026Don't use gratuitous racist or exclusionary language. When one protagonist kept referring to another character as "the Chinaman" (even in his head, even after meeting him, and even after staying in his house) I thought, "well I'm clearly not the audience for this book." 110
Nicole Sune Sbitani @nsune.bsky.social · 01/10/2026Please do not make the only women you introduce in your first 10 pages caricatures of "hot" or "unhot" only. Multiple of these manuscripts mentioned women only in passing and only in terms of whether the male protagonist wanted to sleep with them. 110
Nicole Sune Sbitani @nsune.bsky.social · 01/10/2026Please do not make me guess who the main character or protagonist is. If you introduce too many characters, jump around inside too many heads, or have a first-person or second-person narrator with no description, then I as a reader will get confused. I want to know who to root for in the story! 110
Nicole Sune Sbitani @nsune.bsky.social · 01/10/2026I'm attending a writing workshop in two days for which I had to read the first 10 pages of 7 other authors' manuscripts in advance to provide feedback during the session. Here are some of my most common suggestions for improvement in those opening pages: 130
Nicole Sune Sbitani @nsune.bsky.social · 01/10/2026The global resistance movement against longevity recruits Hanna Kim when a forced blood donation leaves her sister in a preventable coma. Hanna must defy her powerful mother and reject everything she was taught to discover the truth and save those she loves. #DVpit #A #SF #SFF #OWN #Asian #POC #WOC 010
Nicole Sune Sbitani @nsune.bsky.social · 30/09/2026This is so relatable. I read and write a lot of sci-fi, and I had absorbed a lot of harmful attitudes from some members of the specfic community that look down on romance as "fluffy" or less intelligent. In reality, writers in all genres can learn great character development from romance! 091
Reposted by Nicole Sune SbitaniCourtney Milan @courtneymilan.com · 30/09/2026anyway character driven stories are not, in fact, easy to generate by a thing that doesn't understand human emotion 357044
Nicole Sune Sbitani @nsune.bsky.social · 30/09/2026When 150yo grandma gets in an accident, Hanna & sis are forced to donate too much blood to save her. With sis in a coma & everything she knew about longevity shattered, Hanna chooses to reject the system her mom helped build & join the global resistance. #DVpit #A #SF #SFF #OWN #Asian #POC #WOC 010
Nicole Sune Sbitani @nsune.bsky.social · 30/09/2026Great perspective in this thread for all of us participating in a pitch event for the first time! 010
Nicole Sune Sbitani @nsune.bsky.social · 30/09/2026I swear these people are proud of what a small market they have. They think it's evidence that only the most refined tastes could appreciate what they have to offer 🙄 160
Nicole Sune Sbitani @nsune.bsky.social · 30/09/2026I was already in from the moment I read the comps. Awesome premise! 110
Nicole Sune Sbitani @nsune.bsky.social · 30/09/2026It made me reflect in a deeper way than ever before how I would hope I and my children act when faced with such striking injustice and cruelty that is unfortunately way too common. It is also just a masterpiece of performance, a true work of art. I cannot recommend it highly enough. #InterAlia 000
Nicole Sune Sbitani @nsune.bsky.social · 30/09/2026I saw a screening of it in Dubai, and it blew me away. I laughed, I sobbed, and I haven't stopped thinking about it ever since. I went home from the show and told hubby he had to see it. It changed how I parent, especially as a mother to a son. 110
Nicole Sune Sbitani @nsune.bsky.social · 30/09/2026If you find yourself repulsed by the never-ending stream of horrible stories about campus sexual violence and wondering how so many young men can treat so many young women as less than human, please see Inter Alia! It's running in NY, or you can watch at home: www.ntathome.com/videos/inter...ntathome.comInter Alia: Full Play 130
Nicole Sune Sbitani @nsune.bsky.social · 30/09/2026This sounds right up my alley! I pre-ordered on Kobo and look forward to reading it, @goodwords.bsky.social 😀 120
Nicole Sune Sbitani @nsune.bsky.social · 30/09/2026BLACK MIRROR x ANNIE BOT x ONE LEVEL DOWN When sis is forced to give too much blood, Hanna Kim sees longevity isn't worth it. Only by joining the resistance does Hanna learn what humanity lost in the quest for longer life & how far she’ll go to get it back. #DVpit #A #SF #SFF #OWN #Asian #POC #WOC 100
Reposted by Nicole Sune SbitaniSarah Andersen @sarahseeandersen.bsky.social · 30/09/2026 113190733944
Nicole Sune Sbitani @nsune.bsky.social · 30/09/2026Family secrets and ancient curse... I'm in! Great premise!! 110
Nicole Sune Sbitani @nsune.bsky.social · 30/09/2026Would you open your veins to keep your ancestors alive? What if you didn't have a choice? Descendants in 2200 must donate blood, but once her mom pressures her anemic sis to donate until she’s comatose, Hanna Kim joins the global resistance against longevity. #DVpit #A #SF #SFF #OWN #Asian #POC #WOC 200
Reposted by Nicole Sune SbitaniE. Catherine Octobler @ecatherine.com · 02/09/2026My bones need some recovery time, y'all, so @thedeadlands.com is taking a break to give me that time. 💖💀💖 3913319
Nicole Sune Sbitani @nsune.bsky.social · 30/09/2026I love this premise! I would definitely read this 100
Nicole Sune Sbitani @nsune.bsky.social · 30/09/2026Given your vote, I have some great news for you. 😁 (Plus, you have great taste!) 010
Nicole Sune Sbitani @nsune.bsky.social · 30/09/2026BLACK MIRROR x ANNIE BOT x ONE LEVEL DOWN In 2200, descendant blood doubles ancestor lifespans. When donating too much puts her sis in a coma, Hanna Kim must decide whether to keep supporting the system her mom spent her life building or help tear it down. #DVpit #A #SF #SFF #OWN #Asian #POC #WOC 200