I keep forgetting that nothing autoposts here from Instagram 😣
Amanda McLeod Writes
@amandamwrites.bsky.social
✒️🎨 Writing and art across genres, loves coffee, loathes noise. https://linktr.ee/AmandaMcLeod
Today on Substack I’m talking pressure, deadlines, and how restriction sometimes leads to more creativity—and less decision paralysis. All while I’m working to a deadline. #CreativeLife
If you’re in the US or UK and keen on my book, bookshop.org are having an Anti-Prime Day sale where you can get a discount. They do ebook and print, so whatever format takes your fancy, go for it!
Me, on waking: rough night. I need a little more sleep. I’ll close my eyes for another hour. Me on waking again: how did it get to lunch time? #RestIsNecessary
Do the work: of trying, of failing, of learning, of succeeding. It’s all work and it all matters. Artist, go. Do the work. (I’m so proud of you.) #ArtistsOnBluesky #Creativity #Collage
Today’s Substack is on knowing your why, and digging deeper to really find it (because it’s probably not what you think). #WhyIMakeArt #Creativity
Remember this painting? Someone else fell in love with that magic place too. ❤️ Congrats to the new owner. I hope it brings you the same sense of peace it brings me. And thank you for supporting human-made, real art. @strathnairnarts #ArtistsOfInstagram #WhyIMakeArt #Canberra
Earlier in the week I declared today would be a no things day. I have slept for about 14 hours, and now it’s 1pm and I’ve just finished breakfast. And I’m back in bed with books and maybe a movie. This is the deep rest I advocate to hard for. Sometimes we all need a no things day. #DeepRest
a cat is sleeping in a fluffy blanket
ALT: a cat is sleeping in a fluffy blanket
media.tenor.com
#FlashbackFriday to a day I stuck my feet in my beloved Murrumbidgee and felt it wash away some of the weight. #NatureHeals
The creatorium needed more light. It’s very atmospheric, which is perfect for a room in which atmosphere is key. Thanks @inspiredtowrite for the suggestion—I might need more…! #Creative #WritingLife #MakeSomething
This spot beside Ginninderra Creek is one of my magic places. I’ve seen it roaring with water, and I’ve seen it so low I can walk into the middle and sit on a rock. It’s seen me through joy, and through darkness. I knew I had to paint it.
My book is the Roy Kent of books (if you know, you know…) Places I have seen it: -Book Passion Belconnen -Booktopia -Readings -Waterstones -Amazon -Apple Books -Spotify -Libro -Libby Probably more too but I’m in a bit of a spin about it all!
RELEASE DAY! Animal Behaviour (2nd Ed) is out in the world in print, ebook, and audiobook. This is the final story in the book, and it’s one of the new ones. Just like in the first edition, I wanted to end on a note of hope…
Today on my Substack, it’s a hopeful story for a messy world. I also talk a little about my book (out tomorrow in orint, ebook, and audiobook), and what it means to me. Link in bio. Enjoy. #Hope #ShortStory #FlashFiction #BookRelease
I adore this story. The protagonist has had a tough run, but there’s so much hope and beauty left. It ends so sweetly. A story the world needs. Two days, people! Two days until it’s out there! Preorder now, links in bio.
Talismans—many of us have them. Those lucky objects we cling to. So there’s magic when someone reminds us of our own potential. Only a handful of days until this delightful story (and 29 others!) bounce out into the world.
Animal Behaviour is going to be an audiobook! I’m so excited! I’ll post again as soon as it’s live with links etc, but it should be available soon wherever you get your audiobooks!
In this story a woman is transformed by determination, commitment—and a piece of playground equipment. Only days to go… Snag a copy of the new edition of Animal Behaviour at the links in my bio or via your local bookstore.
Childhood friendships, workplace manipulations…when someone follows you into your dream career and undermines you at every turn, how do you find the strength to stand up to them?
IT’S ONLY A WEEK AWAY! And in this story, we look at how youth stings, but adulthood has its own bitter pills. If you haven’t preordered the second edition of Animal Behaviour, it’s not too late! Grab a copy at the link in my bio or via your local bookstore.
Today on my Substack I’m talking about sharing space when you feel vulnerable, with a poem I wrote about my experience. Check it out at the link in my bio or amandamwrites.substack.com #Poetry #WritingLife #SharingSpace #Vulnerable
Five stars, baby! FIVE STARS! Preorder your copy now at the links in my bio— 9 DAYS till the hot new edition hits the shelves! (Or your kindle!)
It’s SO EXCITING to see my book available for preorder on multiple platforms! This is what I’ve worked so hard for, and I’m so proud of myself for not giving up, and chasing my dreams. This, THIS is what being an artist is about: I’ve made something beautiful, and I want to share it with you.
Pressure around the way we look is something so many of us deal with. Are we ‘too much’? Do we look ‘appropriate’? This story jumps into one woman’s battle with her own appearance.
The stories in the section ‘On Land’ in Animal Behaviour (2nd edition) really are so diverse. Some have acquired a new resonance since I wrote them, pushing against the world as we live in it now. Being a writer sometimes makes you see things more deeply and in different ways.
This one calls out a two-faced liar and says ‘I see you’. Have you preordered yet? Snag a copy of the new edition of Animal Behaviour at the links in my bio or via your local bookstore.
It’s freezing here and I’ve just had a hot shower and put on my comfiest jammies and crawled into bed. I’m toasty and drowsy now and the dream machine is cranking up. Bliss. #WritingLife
This story raises an eyebrow at capitalist luxe, and then turns toward what’s really important. I love Laura; she’s a bit of a rebel and she knows what matters. The 2nd edition of Animal Behaviour is LIVE in TWO WEEKS! Get your preorders in now! Links in bio or order through your local bookstore.
