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The Squid's Ink | Dominic Matte

@thesquidsink.com
611 followers 19 following 1.4K posts

Fantasy author writing mostly modern-ish novels and shorts. Also enjoy food, birds, video and board games, and my dog. thesquidsink.com/about

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The Squid's Ink | Dominic Matte @thesquidsink.com · 3h
Hey my phone repair is gonna cost me $700 so that's cool. If I sell 700 copies of Ravenshore's Nightmare that'll cover it! 😅 www.patreon.com/u94793856/sh... #books #fantasybooks #fantasy
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Buy “Ravenshore's Nightmare” on Patreon | The Squid's Ink
Check out The Squid's Ink’s shop on Patreon
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The Squid's Ink | Dominic Matte @thesquidsink.com · 8h
"GTA VI info: Drug use is frequent and prominent with the player being able to partake in drug use with others and to use illegal drugs directly from their inventory. Most notably, cocaine can be carried around by the player and snorted directly from their hand at any time." why would I do that
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The Squid's Ink | Dominic Matte @thesquidsink.com · 02/10/2026
It's great to see highly positive feedback and stats on my writing! I just wish it was on my serious main stuff and not the stuff I originally intended as a revenue stream and has suspended and sectioned off elsewhere 😅 #authors #writing #writingcommunity
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The Squid's Ink | Dominic Matte @thesquidsink.com · 01/10/2026
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The Squid's Ink | Dominic Matte @thesquidsink.com · 01/10/2026
Never seen so many red-winged blackbirds together before! From a distance we assumed it was a flock of starlings. Long Point, Ontario, last week. #bird #birds #birding #wildlifephotography
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The Squid's Ink | Dominic Matte @thesquidsink.com · 01/10/2026
Spooky month: thinking about how to make "monster that feeds on fear" trope nastier. Usually they maximum scare and then kill you. So scared you die, taste better when afraid, etc. What if it doesn't kill you, keeps you alive and scares you regularly, to keep the food source going? #horror #authors
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The Squid's Ink | Dominic Matte @thesquidsink.com · 01/10/2026
New short story... sort of. Turned into more of a chapter than a standalone short. Early access till Nov 1. Patreon: www.patreon.com/posts/170823... Substack: thesquidsink.substack.com/p/knight-ice... #books #fantasy #shortstories #writing
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The Squid's Ink | Dominic Matte @thesquidsink.com · 01/10/2026
Sure
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The Squid's Ink | Dominic Matte @thesquidsink.com · 01/10/2026
A young Cooper's hawk watching the bird feeder (aka the hawk food feeder) at Long Point last week #bird #birds #birding #wildlifephotography
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The Squid's Ink | Dominic Matte @thesquidsink.com · 30/09/2026
I think so!
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The Squid's Ink | Dominic Matte @thesquidsink.com · 29/09/2026
Not really. Fleshed out the end of their arcs, but from the first concept of the story I had a very specific vision of where they needed to end up.
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The Squid's Ink | Dominic Matte @thesquidsink.com · 29/09/2026
Only that the ending sucked because it turns out I wrote it more to say I finished the draft and closed the protagonists' arcs than actually thinking it through fully 😅
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The Squid's Ink | Dominic Matte @thesquidsink.com · 29/09/2026
Usually no, this is the first novel I've done that needed that level of editing, so just tracked for my own curiosity.
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The Squid's Ink | Dominic Matte @thesquidsink.com · 29/09/2026
Get some distance by ignoring it for a while and waiting for a few readers to get through!
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The Squid's Ink | Dominic Matte @thesquidsink.com · 28/09/2026
I cut over SIXTEEN THOUSAND WORDS while editing my fantasy arctic Western, The Law of Armelith. Actually more than 16k cut because I cut and rewrote the ending, but I only tracked full pass milestones 1st draft: 100k 1st cut: 91k Revamp ending: 103k 2nd cut: 95k #authors #writers #writing #editing
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The Squid's Ink | Dominic Matte @thesquidsink.com · 27/09/2026
Yes this was Long Point, big migration hotspot
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The Squid's Ink | Dominic Matte @thesquidsink.com · 27/09/2026
Hummingbirds! The only species we have in Ontario, the ruby-throated hummingbird - but only males have the ruby throat and they're all on migration already. Only females left. They were SUPER AGGRESSIVE at ramming each other midair for food. Phone photos! #bird #birds #birding #wildlifephotography
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The Squid's Ink | Dominic Matte @thesquidsink.com · 26/09/2026
The Law of Armelith second beta draft is posted! It's a fantasy arctic Western where Winstead searches for the meaning of the Law and Ambrose tries to weasel out of it. All feedback helps, message me for access! #books #fantasy #fantasybooks #betareads
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The Squid's Ink | Dominic Matte @thesquidsink.com · 26/09/2026
My top goal on the trip to Long Point was to get a good look at some sandhill cranes. For two days we saw them in an inaccessible marsh by a road where we couldn't stop. On the third day we drove real slow and leaned out the windows 😅 #bird #birds #birding #wildlifephotography
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The Squid's Ink | Dominic Matte @thesquidsink.com · 25/09/2026
Went camping at Long Point for fall migration birdwatching with friends! @jasonslivingroom.bsky.social The bird photos are coming, but first, look at how well the campfire steaks turned out. Would have been happy to pay for this at a restaurant! #food #foodie #foodporn #camping
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The Squid's Ink | Dominic Matte @thesquidsink.com · 24/09/2026
New chapter of Ravenshore's Antimagic! Sorry I'm late; was out birding & camping with friends. Early access for paid subs; free in a couple months. Patreon: www.patreon.com/u94793856/po... Substack: thesquidsink.substack.com/p/ravenshore... #fantasy #books #fantasybooks
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The Squid's Ink | Dominic Matte @thesquidsink.com · 23/09/2026
Look how round he is (Male northern cardinal) #borb #bird #birds #birding #wildlifephotography
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The Squid's Ink | Dominic Matte @thesquidsink.com · 22/09/2026
Hi I'm supposed to post a novel chapter today but I am birdwatching at Long Point, thanks
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The Squid's Ink | Dominic Matte @thesquidsink.com · 20/09/2026
You should read my books because I don't use or support AI and I do not appear in the Epstein files #books #booksky #fantasy
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The Squid's Ink | Dominic Matte @thesquidsink.com · 20/09/2026
Figured it out. Will break it up with a bonus chapter in the middle since two other characters need another bit of bridging anyway, and in the middle of a slow part is a good place. #writing #writers #authors #editing
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The Squid's Ink | Dominic Matte @thesquidsink.com · 19/09/2026
I know all words are made up and what they mean is arbitrary and changes over time. When some kid tells me a "9 to 5" is any job with eight hour shifts five days a week and therefore I'm a 9 to 5er, no the fuck I'm not, that's not what those words mean, I wish I had those hours!
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The Squid's Ink | Dominic Matte @thesquidsink.com · 19/09/2026
Slow editing today because I found the specific two weakest boringest chapters. I'm trying to decide how to make them drag less but still communicate two weeks of mostly uneventful but monotonous, freezing, starving travel. #authors #writers #writing #editing
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The Squid's Ink | Dominic Matte @thesquidsink.com · 19/09/2026
Me: feels like fall Coworker: it's not that bad Me: I never said it was bad
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The Squid's Ink | Dominic Matte @thesquidsink.com · 18/09/2026
According to my frame-by-frame analysis of the 60FPS video, this green heron achieved maximum zoop in under 1/20th of a second. #bird #birds #birding #wildlifephotography #naturephotography
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The Squid's Ink | Dominic Matte @thesquidsink.com · 18/09/2026
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The Squid's Ink | Dominic Matte @thesquidsink.com · 18/09/2026
Green heron hunting dragonflies on my dock again! #bird #birds #birding #wildlifephotography #naturephotography
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The Squid's Ink | Dominic Matte @thesquidsink.com · 18/09/2026
In good ways, yes
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The Squid's Ink | Dominic Matte @thesquidsink.com · 17/09/2026
Mostly making what's there more efficient, not removing scenes. The slow bits have necessary development so I'm trying to cut enough that they don't feel too slow, but also without skipping a week when the point is a long hard journey.
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The Squid's Ink | Dominic Matte @thesquidsink.com · 17/09/2026
A lot tighter, except for some of those darn middle parts
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The Squid's Ink | Dominic Matte @thesquidsink.com · 17/09/2026
Normally when leaving work I let Diefenbaker off leash and tell him to go to the boat, but I shouldn't have done it ten seconds after he saw a squirrel. Turned around and he was 300m away barking up a tree 😅 #dog #dogs #jackrussell
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The Squid's Ink | Dominic Matte @thesquidsink.com · 16/09/2026
The Law of Armelith has gone from 101k words to 91k to 105k and now I'm back down under 100k again! Good cuts are good progress! #authors #writers #writing #editing
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The Squid's Ink | Dominic Matte @thesquidsink.com · 16/09/2026
Lunch at Lady Marmalade on Monday! #food #foodporn #foodie
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The Squid's Ink | Dominic Matte @thesquidsink.com · 16/09/2026
Got an email from an "AI" trying to sell me AI editing service. All the issues with that aside - who even gets the money??? 1000% hard no but at least this one told me what it was... #authors #writers #writing #editing
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The Squid's Ink | Dominic Matte @thesquidsink.com · 16/09/2026
The Law of Armelith (fantasy arctic Western) is 7 chapters longer than the first draft but only 1000 words longer due to all the cuts! Almost halfway through my current edit pass. #authors #writing #writers #editing
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The Squid's Ink | Dominic Matte @thesquidsink.com · 15/09/2026
I am! I'm happy to trade feedback if you're working on a project, but not looking for paid service at this time.
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The Squid's Ink | Dominic Matte @thesquidsink.com · 15/09/2026
The Law of Armelith, my fantasy arctic Western, is in second round of beta reading! Three all-new chapters and a completely re-worked ending, plus tweaks and cuts. Always looking for feedback - willing to trade notes! Patch notes: www.patreon.com/posts/169624... #writing #authors #editing #writers
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The Law of Armelith BETA Round Two & Patch Notes! | The Squid's Ink
Hi beta readers and potential beta readers! I've been working on the second draft of my fantasy arctic western The Law of Armelith even befo
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The Squid's Ink | Dominic Matte @thesquidsink.com · 13/09/2026
When four readers say the mystery of my character motivations hooks them and one says it's too vague to connect with, it's easy to decide the four are right and the one isn't my target audience. But actually I need to think about how I can grab that fifth person. #authors #writers #writing #editing
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The Squid's Ink | Dominic Matte @thesquidsink.com · 12/09/2026
Goal: Post the next draft of The Law of Armelith, my fantasy arctic Western, on September 15th. Complication: I need to do another edit pass through the entire novel start to finish and I'm working today, Sunday, and Tuesday. 🤞🏻 #authors #writers #writing #editing
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The Squid's Ink | Dominic Matte @thesquidsink.com · 12/09/2026
Oof mine's more recent so I don't have to worry about that at least. Have an idea yet?
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The Squid's Ink | Dominic Matte @thesquidsink.com · 11/09/2026
Drafting my short story for this month. Wanted to do something that ties into the novel I'm editing to maintain my momentum. It turned into more of a bonus chapter that would fit pretty well in the 1st act. But I wrote the book without that chapter so can I really just drop it in? #authors #writing
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The Squid's Ink | Dominic Matte @thesquidsink.com · 11/09/2026
Up close and personal with a black-crowned night heron on my dock, too young to know it should be hiding. #bird #birds #birding #naturephotography
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The Squid's Ink | Dominic Matte @thesquidsink.com · 09/09/2026
How did I write a novel about a woman getting rid of the spirit in her revolver and then write a completely separate novel where a woman gets a spirit into her revolver
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The Squid's Ink | Dominic Matte @thesquidsink.com · 08/09/2026
New chapter of Ravenshore's Antimagic! Kat hunts down a dueling champion she met a couple years ago, now not doing so good. Early access for members, free October 22 Patreon: www.patreon.com/u94793856/po... Substack: thesquidsink.substack.com/p/ravenshore... #fantasy #fantasybooks #writing
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The Squid's Ink | Dominic Matte @thesquidsink.com · 05/09/2026
Green heron hunting dragonflies on my dock! I turned around and it was right there, not at all shy or even worried about my dog. #bird #birds #birding
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The Squid's Ink | Dominic Matte @thesquidsink.com · 05/09/2026
I need to get a job that doesn't make me dread and hate Saturdays and holiday weekends
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