Extroverted too close to the sun this week at #worldcon and I don’t regret a second of it, 10/10, would repeat again
E. J. Wenstrom
@ejwenstrom.bsky.social
🖤s complicated heroes, horrifying monsters & standing to the right on escalators so the left side can walk. #SFF author. Cohost @SFFGirlPodcast. #ADHD. She/her
Anyone going to #worldcon next week? I'm looking for buddies!
I have totally lost the thread of my WIP's plot and now I just have these stacked key points that don't make sense, this is what happens with a pantser tries to outline, send help #5amwritersclub
Got my 500 words in and off to the rest of my day. How's the week starting for you, writers? #5amwritersclub
#5amwritersclub Happy Monday! I'm starting the week by hitting 40K in my brand new WIP 🖤
Happy Juneteenth! Just updated my list of books by Black intersex authors - www.bogireadstheworld.com/a-list-of-bo... (Aiming for completeness, please let me know if I missed a title!)
A list of books by Black intersex authors! | Bogi Reads the World
bogireadstheworld.com
As I write my new WIP zero draft (space fantasy Western, Saga x Goodbye Earl), I'm sharing little nuggets of my process and worldbuilding ideas as they come to me in my weekly newsletter: open.substack.com/pub/ejwenstr...
This Week's Monstrosity: The Perfect Astronaut
You can support my writing & get behind-the-scenes peeks for $1/month!
open.substack.com
The writing "process" of a wandering mind for 50 minutes and then an outright sprint to meet word count for 20 #5amwritersclub
Most Anticipated LGBTQ+ Adult Fiction: July-December 2025 Once again, Romance will have its own post later this week! Today's post is sponsored by Janelle Cressida and her brand-new m/m fantasy romance, Son of the Moon, on sale now for $2.99! Some acts of kindness change more than just one life...…
Most Anticipated LGBTQ+ Adult Fiction: July-December 2025
Once again, Romance will have its own post later this week! Today's post is sponsored by Janelle Cressida and her brand-new m/m fantasy romance, Son of the Moon, on sale now for $2.99! Some acts of kindness change more than just one life... Buy it: Amazon *** Hot Girls With Balls by Benedict Nguyen (July 1st) Six is 6′7″, scheming to rejoin the starting lineup, and barely checks her phone.
lgbtqreads.com
Not an original point but worth saying again - there is not a single element in this picture that identifies any of these folks as law enforcement agents. No badges, no uniforms, no vests. Out of context it just looks like a bunch of random guys are kidnapping a mayoral candidate.
The New York Times@nytimes.com · last yr.Breaking News: Brad Lander, the New York City comptroller who is running for mayor, was detained by ICE agents at an immigration court as he tried to escort a migrant out of the courthouse to prevent his arrest. nyti.ms/4jWkANE
Morning #5amwritersclub! I've really been 6amwritersclub these days because I'm trying to prioritize sleep and getting enough of it for the first time in my life (recommend) but I'm still here and getting my 500 words in!
how do folks ever just *not have a plan* ? I have four plans and I haven't started thinking about it yet
"Unless we achieve great technological advances in our species’ lifetime, we will always understand things from the perspective of bipedal humanoids from Earth no matter what imagined world is presented to us in books. No matter what story we read, we bring ourselves with it." —Karen A. Parker
Sensitivity Reading in Speculative Fiction: Why It Matters More Than You Think | Jane Friedman
No matter what story we read, we bring ourselves with it. That’s why sensitivity should be the forethought, not an afterthought, in our world-building.
janefriedman.com
Oh man, it's out! I had SUCH A BLAST talking speculative short story craft with @ralphwalker.bsky.social and @juliafgreen.bsky.social -- take a listen and see why @charlesyu.bsky.social is forever one of my favorite authors!
Ralph Walker@ralphwalker.bsky.social · last yr.I'm so excited to share the newest episode of WRITING IN THE DARK with you. It was a joy to chat with @ejwenstrom.bsky.social and @juliafgreen.bsky.social about the Charles Yu story OPEN. Come check it out. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s...
Learn what happens when you use Grammarly, Hemingway Editor, ProWritingAid, and AutoCrit—which include AI-enabled editing now—to copyedit a work of short fiction. This review includes pros and cons as well as cautions. Insight from professional editor Ariane Peveto.
The Hidden Costs of AI Copyediting Tools: An Editor’s Review | Jane Friedman
AI copyediting tools are a mixed bag, performing some mechanical tasks well but with a tendency to introduce errors and flatten author voice.
janefriedman.com
the ADHD urge to get two steps into the directions, decide you have the “gist,” and freestyle from there
For those who missed my Guest of Honor spot at Capricon (and who may not be going to WorldCon for ~reasons~) you can catch me at Balticon next weekend!
Fellow authors, I love you, and I know it feels like we don’t have a choice, but B&N and Am*zon both scheduled sales this week to preempt Independent Bookstore Day, a hugely vital source of income for indie bookstores. Please don’t promote their sales; please promote your local indie this week.
Happy New Emily Henry Release Day to all who celebrate
We are so lucky to have Dahlia recommending books every single month. 🏳️🌈
Dahlia Adler 📚@missdahlelama.dahliaadler.com · last yr.It's the first Friday of the month, which means... new Queer Romances post up on @smartbitches.bsky.social! smartbitchestrashybooks.com/2025/03/marc... Today's got hockey (x2!), F1, holiday prince hijinks, and a JUST KISS ALREADY trans historical I adored <3
"On the campaign trail, Trump consistently signaled his commitment to veterans ... But guess who’s bearing the brunt of his administration’s job cuts? Vets, who made up 28% of the federal workforce last year (compared to just 5% of the private sector)." www.theskimm.com/newsletter/d...
Trump's Big Cuts Hit Veterans
On the campaign trail, President Donald Trump consistently signaled his commitment to veterans.
theskimm.com
readers, what motivates you to be a paid subscriber to support an author? Stickers? Sneak peeks at covers or pages? Inside looks? Craft chats? Q&A ops? Tell me here! ejwenstrom.substack.com/p/this-weeks...
This Week's Monstrosity: Feral February
You can support my writing & get behind-the-scenes peeks for $1/month!
ejwenstrom.substack.com
STAR EATER was beautiful and strange... QTing as a PSA for fantasy readers! This one totally missed my radar, but I'm so in.
Kerstin Hall@kerstinhall.bsky.social · last yr.Second Spear kind of dropped without a sound — 29 sales in release week, lol. I understand *why* it happened, but it’s a shame. So few people got to meet my fungi demon, or my incredibly haunted hedge maze of fingernails, or my unironically awful cats.
"When some of the most valuable datasets in human history briefly vanished from U.S. government websites, it felt like watching the Library of Alexandria go up in smoke." www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
Column | This data may vanish under Trump, so we charted it
When some of the most valuable datasets in human history briefly vanished from U.S. government websites, it felt like watching the Library of Alexandria go up in smoke.
washingtonpost.com
I've seen some comments that established authors are struggling recently to sell on proposal. If this has happened to you, I'd love to chat for an article for the Hot Sheet ... please comment or DM! I'd welcome perspectives from other publishing professionals too.
A reminder that fiction — books, film, games, what have you — is always political. The willful absence of “politics” in any work is itself a political choice and a political act. Who gets to tell (and sell) stories is political. It might be an undercurrent — covert, not overt. But it’s there.