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R.P.Holliman

@rpholliman.bsky.social
54 followers 46 following 77 posts

Therapist turned fantasy novelist. Magic, swords, and emotional baggage linktr.ee/rpholliman

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R.P.Holliman @rpholliman.bsky.social · 18/07/2026
One of the best things about self-publishing: I get to make the decisions. A book coach once told me a novel without a romantic subplot would be hard sell in trad publishing. Some subplots in otherwise great stories read like a note from the publisher. 📚🪐 📚💙 #AmWritingFantasy
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R.P.Holliman @rpholliman.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
Best writing advice I've gotten: "Allow yourself to write poorly." Every time I've struggled writing, it's because I was trying to edit and create at the same time. Can't cite any neuroscience studies, but I'm pretty sure the brain can't do both at once. Let it be messy! 📚🪐 📚💙 #AmWritingFantasy
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R.P.Holliman @rpholliman.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
Shield mages at Galdur Academy don't just protect — they do the slow, unglamorous work of healing what comes after. Most people never grasp that kind of power. A peek from the free lore guide for Galdur Academy, coming soon. 📚🪐 📚💙 #AmWritingFantasy
Quote on navy blue background" True power is having the fortitude of will to protect another and engage in the mundane particularities of healing their wounds. This is a power most cannot ever fathom" By R.P. Holliman # Galdur Academy.
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R.P.Holliman @rpholliman.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
The author of that book had like a million off-ramps to say to themselves, "Maybe this is a bad idea and I should delete the draft and set the computer I wrote it with on fire" and yet here we are...
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R.P.Holliman @rpholliman.bsky.social · 06/07/2026
Nothing like finishing your first draft's big finale... and realizing it's actually just the midpoint. Back to the outline. Anyone else's "finished" draft turn out to be only half finished? 📚🪐 📚💙 #AmWritingFantasy
Writing on a wall that reads" Nothing like realizing your novel's finale is actually just the middle of the story" Grafitti is added that says, "The End"
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R.P.Holliman @rpholliman.bsky.social · 17/06/2026
Big news: finishing a free lore book on Galdur Academy's schools—for newsletter subscribers only. I promise news-only, no 20-page sagas every time I sneeze like a bad LinkedIn post. Sign-up at www.rpholliman.com 📚🪐 📚💙 #AmWritingFantasy
rpholliman.com
R.P.Holliman
Born and raised in North Texas, R.P. Holliman is a counselor, professor, and novelist who writes stories where the extraordinary brushes up against the deeply human. His debut nov
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R.P.Holliman @rpholliman.bsky.social · 10/06/2026
Unpopular opinion: Temple of Doom is the best Indiana Jones movie. Why?: It's the only one where the entire world isn't ending. Just Indy having a really bad Tuesday. I want novels with human-sized stakes sometimes instead of always having universe-ending ones. 📚🪐 📚💙 #AmWritingFantasy
Picture of a dark alley lit by a lantern. Quote, "This isn't the End of the World... It's just Another Tuesday." Photo by Patrik Carlberg.
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R.P.Holliman @rpholliman.bsky.social · 08/06/2026
My wife is my most valued first reader. Her note on anything I write: "It needs 75% more cats." She's never wrong about anything so more felines in the sequel it is! Drop a cat picture in the comments if you agree with my wife 📚🪐 📚💙 #AmWritingFantasy
Black cat with green eyes, with the following caption: "The thing this book really needs... is 75% more cats in It.
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R.P.Holliman @rpholliman.bsky.social · 02/06/2026
On June 8th I'll be presenting on Creating Psychologically Complex Characters at the East Texas Writer's Guild. We're going to dig into what makes fictional people feel real- from complicated and messy heroes, to villains that are sure they're the hero.
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R.P.Holliman @rpholliman.bsky.social · 01/06/2026
A white cat with grey spots sleeping in a white comforter
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R.P.Holliman @rpholliman.bsky.social · 30/05/2026
No doubt! I've got no interest in going to an outdoor privy, especially in the summer.
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R.P.Holliman @rpholliman.bsky.social · 30/05/2026
I love writing pseudo-medieval England — castles, intrigue, magic. Actually living there in the middle ages? Hard pass. I spent a week in Munich without AC once and nearly didn't survive. Medieval England would finish me off entirely. 😅 What's your timetravel dealbreaker? 📚🪐 📚💙 #AmWritingFantasy
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R.P.Holliman @rpholliman.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
The Preacher was one of my first experiences with a comic that didn't have capes, and it was like breathing fresh mountain air. Garth Ennis completely rewired my expectations for what the medium could do. It absolutely deserves its place among the classics
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R.P.Holliman @rpholliman.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
Honestly, I liked having read Perdido Street Station more than I liked reading it. There's a real satisfaction in finishing it, but getting there felt like pushing through Clockwork Orange's invented slang — you spend so much energy decoding the world that connecting emotionally takes a back seat.
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R.P.Holliman @rpholliman.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
That was the reminder I needed today. When I'm not writing fiction I'm in academia, and it is universally accepted that Reviewer #2 is always out to emotionally eviscerate you. The arena indeed!
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Reposted by R.P.Holliman
booksbyjeffrey @booksbyjeffrey.bsky.social · 29/05/2026
“It is not the critic who counts. The credit belongs to the person who is actually in the arena, so that their place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” ― Theodore Roosevelt #quoteoftheday #booksky
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R.P.Holliman @rpholliman.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
I just checked out Perfect Run on Amazon, and it's moving to the top of my TBR pile. Superpowers and evil megacorps are hooks that never get old for me.
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R.P.Holliman @rpholliman.bsky.social · 28/05/2026
One thing guaranteed to earn a book a one-way ticket out of my hands — a main character with no redeeming values! I rage-finished An American Tragedy once, hating the protagonist more and more with each page. Never again! What sends a book to your DNF pile? #DNF 📚🪐 📚💙 #AmWritingFantasy
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R.P.Holliman @rpholliman.bsky.social · 26/05/2026
In the world of Galdur Academy, every mage candidate must submit their blood to a phylactery repository. Not as a formality. As a leash. 🧵 Choose magic, and you choose to be findable. Stoppable. Accountable. 👀 Grab your copy: www.amazon.com/Galdur-Acade... #Ga 📚🪐 📚💙 #AmWritingFantasy
A vial of blood with rose petals floating in the air. The Text reads: The Wizard's Phylactery. Photo by Anastasiia Ornarian.
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R.P.Holliman @rpholliman.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
Vampires and science fiction? I have never seen this combination before! It's like peanut-butter and chocolate, together at last 😀
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R.P.Holliman @rpholliman.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
Here's my magical academy book, Galdur Academy: Secrets in the Blood. www.amazon.com/Galdur-Acade... You can send me a DM or a messasge through my website www.rpholliman.com if you'd like a review copy.
amazon.com
Galdur Academy: Secrets in the Blood
Galdur Academy: Secrets in the Blood [Holliman, R.P.] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Galdur Academy: Secrets in the Blood
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R.P.Holliman @rpholliman.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
When I'm getting to know a new friend, my favorite question to ask is, "What's your least favorite reaction when you tell people your profession?" There are some wild answers out there...
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R.P.Holliman @rpholliman.bsky.social · 22/05/2026
I said Biblo (not Bil-bo) Baggins until I was way too old to admit it. Bil-bo sounds like a hillbilly hobbit. What's your most embarrassing fantasy mispronunciation? Mine is apparently a hobbit's entire identity. 📚🪐 📚💙 #AmWritingFantasy
Fantasy character names printed in different text. The names include: Drizzt Do'Urden; Rand al'Thor; Elminster; Daenerys Targaryen; The Morrigan; Bilbo Baggins; Nynaeve al'Meara
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R.P.Holliman @rpholliman.bsky.social · 18/05/2026
Underrated trilogy. Important life lesson: whatever you do, don't let anyone turn your hands into snakes. Also can we talk about how rad 90s fantasy cover art was? These artists were operating on a completely different level and they deserve their flowers. 📚🪐 📚💙
A book cover titled "The Medusa Plague: Denders of Magic Trilogy Volume 2. Author: Mary Kirchoff" The book cover shows three medieveal peoeple looking at a man whose hands have turned into snakes." Beside the book cover is a caption that reads "Only in 90's fantasy"
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R.P.Holliman @rpholliman.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
Maybe it's less of "throwing in the towel" and more pivoting for a season? I'm relatively new in the writing journey, but sometimes the variety in my day helps with the writing process.
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R.P.Holliman @rpholliman.bsky.social · 15/05/2026
That new cover is *everything*. Immediately make me think of the relationships between my cats at home!
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R.P.Holliman @rpholliman.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
This gave me so much nostalgia about discovering so many classis for the first time when I got assigned book reports in school. That's clearly a golden piece of treasure!
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R.P.Holliman @rpholliman.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers was incredible! I think the cozy elements along with the struggle find out what your purpose is really spoke to me. Also the idea of being a tea monk, spoke to my heart as a therapist.
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R.P.Holliman @rpholliman.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
As a therapist, I know our brains sometimes see the world in black-and-white morality. So I wrote a novel where the authority figures are passive and ineffectual, and the villains make some uncomfortable sense. Who are your favorite morally gray characters in literature? 🩷🧙‍♂️⚔️ 📚🪐
Quote with a library as a background: " You're a scared, old man that would rather put his head in the sand than do something. You belong in a library." Author: R.P.Holliman, Book:Galdur Academy-Secrets in the Blood
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R.P.Holliman @rpholliman.bsky.social · 26/02/2026
I walked into work today, and when asked how I was doing I said, "The only thing that's keeping me going is caffeine and spite." My colleagues said they were jealous that I still had spite
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R.P.Holliman @rpholliman.bsky.social · 23/02/2026
Today I finished the final scene of the first draft of Galdur Academy: When the Ley Breaks. A door shuts, and not everyone gets to walk away unchanged. I’m learning to let the story hurt a little. #AmWritingFantasy 🪐📚
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R.P.Holliman @rpholliman.bsky.social · 04/02/2026
Hello! I’ve teamed up with a group of fantasy authors to offer free review copies of epic fantasy and magical academy fantasy titles. We’d love for you to take a look: storyoriginapp.com/to/3H72SrC #ARC #AmWritingFantasy 🪐📚
storyoriginapp.com
Magical Academies & Epic Fantasy — ARCs for Honest Reviews
Fantasy | Magic | Academy | Epic | Fae
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R.P.Holliman @rpholliman.bsky.social · 21/01/2026
I loved this one — especially the chapter narrated by each of the snakes in her hair. Such a brilliant choice. And honestly, she absolutely should have been the hero in the original myth too.
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R.P.Holliman @rpholliman.bsky.social · 21/01/2026
The art on that book looks breathtaking, to say nothing of what I'm sure is between the covers!
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R.P.Holliman @rpholliman.bsky.social · 21/01/2026
Just went through character creation with a player for a new Changeling: The Dreaming campaign, and it was magical. There’s something about the very start of a story — like previews before a movie — all promise and hope, before anything has had the chance to break yet. #Fantasy #TTRPG
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R.P.Holliman @rpholliman.bsky.social · 19/01/2026
This is for sure one of my comfort replays. Plus it features the world's best love story: Varric and Bianca.
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R.P.Holliman @rpholliman.bsky.social · 16/01/2026
That’s really kind of you—hope next week treats you more gently. I’ve got a fantasy novel out now: Galdur Academy: Secrets in the Blood. Magical academy, rival schools of magic, and a lot of quiet identity pressure under the spellwork. Book page here 📚 rpholliman.com/books/galdur...
rpholliman.com
Galdur Academy: Secrets in the Blood | R.P.Holliman
When Inyin is promoted to Master of Galdur Academy, his triumph is short-lived. A loved one stands accused of forbidden blood magic, shaking Inyin’s faith in the very institution
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R.P.Holliman @rpholliman.bsky.social · 16/01/2026
Nothing more like modern day society than taking a cautionary tale and assuming it's a How-To Manual.
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R.P.Holliman @rpholliman.bsky.social · 16/01/2026
Only in academia do people fight so hard over something so little. It took me years to realize I’d built that truth into Galdur Academy—how scarcity turns minor differences into identity wars, and why people bleed over slices of pie. rpholliman.com/blog/galdur-... #writing #fantasy 🪐📚
rpholliman.com
Blog | R.P.Holliman
Galdur Academy & the Slices of Pie Theory | I’ve spent most of my life in academia. The first twenty-seven years, I was on the receiving end of the red pen. The rest of it, I’ve b
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R.P.Holliman @rpholliman.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
This is like saying Moby Dick was about a guy who loved whales. Absolutely bonkers take on this series.
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R.P.Holliman @rpholliman.bsky.social · 13/01/2026
Reading Guy Windsor’s longsword manual to write a sword-fighting scene in my new novel. Sadly, my Texas education focused a lot on the Alamo and not nearly enough on Italian swordfighting.
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R.P.Holliman @rpholliman.bsky.social · 08/01/2026
Here's the link: storyoriginapp.com/reviewcopies...
storyoriginapp.com
Galdur Academy: Secrets in the Blood
Galdur Academy stands as one of the last great schools of magic—an institution built on discipline, tradition, and the quiet belief that certain kinds of power are best forgotten. Inyin has spent ten...
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R.P.Holliman @rpholliman.bsky.social · 08/01/2026
I’ve put up a StoryOrigin review request for Secrets in the Blood. If you enjoy magical academies, institutional secrets, and morally complicated characters, I’d love to hear what you think. #writingfantasy
Screenshot of a storyorigin review request.
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R.P.Holliman @rpholliman.bsky.social · 07/01/2026
Totally get it, I know two pages isn't much to convey everything. Best of luck with everything!
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R.P.Holliman @rpholliman.bsky.social · 07/01/2026
There’s something endlessly intriguing about tarot decks. I keep one on my desk and use it like an alternative Rorschach — everyone always wants to look through it. This year, The Hermit feels right: insight through solitude. That’s the energy I’m making room for.
A woman in a black dress with a grey cloak and a star pendant looks at a book on a table in a dark room with gothic style windows. The image is from a modern interpretation of the Tarot representing the Hermit card.
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R.P.Holliman @rpholliman.bsky.social · 07/01/2026
I really liked the parts about the immaterial plane, and how a single tear introduced something new to break up a cycle. Overal realy great. The only constructive bit I might add is I might like to hear a litte diaogue from the deities to get a sense of their personality. Really enjoyed it!
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R.P.Holliman @rpholliman.bsky.social · 07/01/2026
I'm sort of in the middle. I like a backlog, but I'll start before the series is finished. That way I can binge a good chunk of the series and spend a lot of time with the characters upfront.
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R.P.Holliman @rpholliman.bsky.social · 07/01/2026
To my wife the three most romantic words I can say are, 'I made soup.' So it's always soup season at our house!
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Reposted by R.P.Holliman
Kaija Rayne 🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️🇨🇦 Randomly active @kaijarayne.bsky.social · 06/01/2026
Reminder to every creative person making anything. Having hope and creating in the face of horror is rebellion too. It's also one of the bravest things we can ever do. Please remember that. Oh... and that all art is innately political.
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R.P.Holliman @rpholliman.bsky.social · 03/01/2026
I’m a therapist, and this just made my “things I will absolutely be saying to clients” list. Also, as a writer, I kind of love how quotable these are!
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