iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Sisel Gelman @siselgelman.bsky.social · 02/01/2026

- Words added to my novel in 2025: 32,956 - Words added to my novel in 2026: 102 (January 1st)

Sisel Gelman @siselgelman.bsky.social · 27/12/2025

Visiting my parents for a week. Make your bets: how many hours am I going to work on my novel and how many hours am I going to rifle through forgotten artifacts in my childhood bedroom? #author

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Sisel Gelman @siselgelman.bsky.social · 25/12/2025

Authors make sacrifices authors make sacrifices I tell myself waking up at 6:30 am to get writing done before the rest of Christmas starts… #author

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Sisel Gelman @siselgelman.bsky.social · 24/12/2025

Today I wrote almost 800 words for my novel + edited 2 pages + journaled 2 handwritten pages. How did you do? (Let me hype you up!)

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Sisel Gelman @siselgelman.bsky.social · 23/12/2025

Today I wrote 344 new words in my novel + edited 2 pages + made a list of some of the author sites I’ve visited. (I visited 136 locations between 4/5/2018 and 6/14/2024). How did you do today? (Let me hype you up!)

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Sisel Gelman @siselgelman.bsky.social · 22/12/2025

Today I honored the winter solstice by journaling (8 handwritten pages) + cleaning my apartment + setting intentions for the upcoming year! (2 of the 13 wishes relate to writing.) Not every day has to be a novel writing day. And that’s okay. What did you do today? (Let me hype you up!)

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Sisel Gelman @siselgelman.bsky.social · 22/12/2025

Yesterday I wrote 299 words for my novel + edited 3 pages + attended a indie bookstore crawl in Wicker Park (hosted by the founder of ‘Read and Run Chicago’). What did you do? (Let me hype you up!)

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Sisel Gelman @siselgelman.bsky.social · 20/12/2025

306 words written for my novel + 3 pages of edits + 8 handwritten pages of journaling. How did you do today?

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Sisel Gelman @siselgelman.bsky.social · 08/07/2025

Writing Check-In: July 7 -Helped my friend review her query for the AWP Writers to Agent program -Wrote a substack article on my editing process: siselgelman.substack.com -Sent out my weekly newsletter on Substack -Uploaded a new contributor poem to SIEVA Magazine: sievamagazine.com/blog

siselgelman.su

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Sisel Gelman @siselgelman.bsky.social · 08/07/2025

Writing Update! July 5 -Created an online worksheet to prepare for the next draft of my second novel July 6 -Nothing. Rest.

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Sisel Gelman @siselgelman.bsky.social · 08/07/2025

Writing Update! July 3 -Finished reading “Alphabetical Diaries”! (29 pages) -Finished editing this draft of my second novel! (8 pages) July 4 -Spent 3 hours scanning all 159 handwritten pages of my finished draft -Read Mary Tyler Moorehawk (page count unknown: graphic novel unnumbered)

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Sisel Gelman @siselgelman.bsky.social · 08/07/2025

Writing Update! June 30 -Sent out my weekly newsletter: siselgelman.substack.com -Uploaded a new contributor poem to SIEVA Magazine: sievamagazine.com/blog -Read 12 pages of “Alphabetical Diaries” July 1 -Line edited 2 pages of my second novel -Helped revise my friend’s query for AWP WtoA

siselgelman.su

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Sisel Gelman @siselgelman.bsky.social · 08/07/2025

Writing Update! June 27 -Line edited 4 pages of my second novel -Read 10 pages of “Alphabetical Diaries” June 28 -Line edited 3 pages of my second novel -Read 7 pages of “Alphabetical Diaries” June 29 -Nothing. Rest.

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Sisel Gelman @siselgelman.bsky.social · 27/06/2025

Writing Update! June 24 -Read 18 pages of “Alphabetical Diaries” -Line-edited 6 pages of my novel June 25 -Read 16 pages of “Alphabetical Diaries” -Made final edits to my new author website June 26 -Launched my website! Check it out at siselgelman.com -Attended Chicago’s “Shorties” reading

siselgelman.co

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Sisel Gelman @siselgelman.bsky.social · 24/06/2025

Writing Update! June 20 7 pages of line-edits (novel) June 21 -1 page of line-edits -started working on my author website! June 22 edited my author website June 23 -3 pages of line-edits -Substack newsletter! -Read 17 pages of “Alphabetical Diaries” -Uploaded a new contributor poem to SIEVA

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Sisel Gelman @siselgelman.bsky.social · 21/06/2025

Writing Update! June 18 -7 pages of line edits for my novel June 19 -Read 18 pages of “alphabetical diaries” -2 pages of line edits for my novel June 20 -7 pages of line edits for my novel -6 pages of journaling.

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Sisel Gelman @siselgelman.bsky.social · 18/06/2025

Writing Update! June 16 Happy Bloomsday! -Read 32 pages of Alphabetical Diaries. -Attended Galway Arms’ Bloomsday reading of Ulysses! June 17 -Read 9 pages of Alphabetical Diaries -Talked to a friend about the pros and cons of pursuing an MFA at SAIC.

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Sisel Gelman @siselgelman.bsky.social · 16/06/2025

Writing Check-In: (June 15) -Submitted 1 job application -Submitted 2 AWP panel proposals. -Line edited 7 pages of my novel.

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Sisel Gelman @siselgelman.bsky.social · 16/06/2025

Writing Update: June 13 -Submitted 2 job applications! -Worked on the SIEVA Magazine website -Read 12 pages of “Alphabetical Diaries” June 14 -Line edited 12 pages of my novel -Attended Ruth Margraff’s libretto reading for her upcoming opera!

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Sisel Gelman @siselgelman.bsky.social · 14/06/2025

Writing Update: June 10 -Journaled 11 pages!!!! -Organized story ideas in my future story notebook. June 11 -Read 19 pages of “Alphabetical Diaries” June 12 -Nada. Nothing. Zero.

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Sisel Gelman @siselgelman.bsky.social · 10/06/2025

Writing Check-In: (June 9) -Wrote my weekly newsletter! (Find it here: siselgelman.substack.com) -Finalized SIEVA Magazine’s summer schedule. We’ll be sharing a lot of awesome literary work on our website this summer, so stay tuned.

siselgelman.substack.com

To the Brave and Petrified | Sisel Gelman | Substack

A space to learn how to write, publish, and think by actively doing it (even if scared). Click to read To the Brave and Petrified, by Sisel Gelman, a Substack publication. Launched 2 months ago.

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Sisel Gelman @siselgelman.bsky.social · 10/06/2025

Writing Update (June 2 - June 9) This week’s chapter was hard for me, both emotionally and on a writing skill level. I thought I’d get through it in 3 days but it took all week… so I: -Read 118 pages (finished two memoirs!) -Line edited 12 pages (which really meant rewrite)

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Sisel Gelman @siselgelman.bsky.social · 02/06/2025

Writing Check-In: (June 1) No writing. No editing. But I did spend 6+ hours rewriting my entire LinkedIn page to someday find a job in writing or editing. Wish me luck.

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Sisel Gelman @siselgelman.bsky.social · 01/06/2025

Write Check-In: (May 31) -read 23 pages of a memoir (read next to deer at LaBagh woods).

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Sisel Gelman @siselgelman.bsky.social · 31/05/2025

Writing Check-In: (May 30) -read 51 pages of a memoir. -line-edited 6 pages of a hard copy of my second novel. -wrote 2 AWP panel submissions.

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Sisel Gelman @siselgelman.bsky.social · 30/05/2025

Writing Check-In: (May 29) -5 pages of line editing a hard-copy of my second novel. -2 pages read of a memoir. (1/2)

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Sisel Gelman @siselgelman.bsky.social · 29/05/2025

Writing Check-In: (May 28) -5 pages of hard-copy line edits for my second novel. -1 AWP panel proposal (1st draft).

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Sisel Gelman @siselgelman.bsky.social · 28/05/2025

Writing Check-In: (May 27) -read 39 pages of a memoir. -line edited 10 pages of a hard-copy of my second novel (+ outlined 2 new chapters)

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Sisel Gelman @siselgelman.bsky.social · 27/05/2025

Writing Check-In: (May 26) -7 pages of hard-copy line edits for my second novel. -2 naps (I prioritized rest today).

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Sisel Gelman @siselgelman.bsky.social · 26/05/2025

Writing Check-In: (May 25) Happy Towel Day! -25 pages read of a memoir. -20 pages of hard-copy line edits for my second novel.

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Sisel Gelman @siselgelman.bsky.social · 25/05/2025

Writing Check-In (May 24): -wrote 10 hand-written pages in my journal. -read 24 pages of a new memoir.

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Sisel Gelman @siselgelman.bsky.social · 17/01/2025

Eleanor & Park 🤝🏻 I Wish You All The Best 📖 A MISREMEMBRANCE 🧑🏻 Contemporary YA 📚 Offer of Publication January 2025 (Independent Publisher) 💞 Enemies to Lovers 🏳️‍🌈 Non-binary characters 💪🏻 Coming of Age #P2Ppit #YA #UA #LGBT

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Sisel Gelman @siselgelman.bsky.social · 17/01/2025

📖 Charlie—an awkward 15 y/o acne survivor—is tricked into a high school romance while trying to pass English class. Amid fighting bullies, wondering how to come out, and caught in a clash between literary nerds… Charlie and their friends learn self-acceptance via heartbreak. #P2Ppit #Q #YA #LGBT

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Reposted by Sisel Gelman

Nick Aiello @nick-aiello.bsky.social · 13/01/2025

In professional wrestling, the question of “What’s real?” is common, but for Joe, who rose up as the industry exploded in the 90s, the difference has vanished, along with money and health. While his best friend chokes him out, he must decide if his life is still worth living. 📖 #W #a #Tr #bluepit

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Sisel Gelman @siselgelman.bsky.social · 13/01/2025

The text “A Misremembrance” set against a red background with the caption: “Contemporary young adult, LGBTA+ characters, and mental heath.” Three images are in the center: a chess piece, a stack of books, and a record player.

Three book covers are displayed as comparative titles to “A Misremembrance” on a white background with a red boarder. The book “I wish you all the best” is captioned as “non-binary characters.” The book “eleanor & park” is captioned as “misfit first love”. The book “radio silence” is captioned as “anxiety and depression”.

Sisel Gelman’s author biography is written in red text over a white background. She is a queer latina with 34,000 followers on BookTok. “A Misremembrance” has been offered publication by an independent press. “A Misremembrance” was a finalist for the 2021 Boston Public Library Writer in Residence Program.

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Sisel Gelman @siselgelman.bsky.social · 11/01/2025

Writing Stats of the Day: -Queried 6 agents. I am looking for representation for a queer, contemporary YA novel about mental health awareness. Suggest any agents who would be a right fit! #querying #writer

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Sisel Gelman @siselgelman.bsky.social · 08/01/2025

I’m a Latina & Queer writer based in Chicago. Excited to connect with writers and agents as I query my contemporary YA novel! #writer #booksky #querying

Photo of Sisel Gelman in a red sweater resting her arms on the arm-rail of a staircase.

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