Tessera

Jes Malitoris

@jeswrites.bsky.social

Writer of folk/cosmic horror, dark fantasy. HWA. PhD, US history. NC'ian. 🏳️‍⚧️Trans-enby, xie/xer/xers. Words in: CosmicHorrorMonthly, Necksnap, TheSkull&Laurel, &more. First reader @necksnapmag.bsky.social linktr.ee/jesmalitoris Portrait by @magpied

1153 Posts791 Follower 537 Folgt

Jes Malitoris @jeswrites.bsky.social · 4h ago

This morning I sent an email to HWA admin expressing my concerns and requesting accountability for the pro-AI post included in the newsletter. I have heard that its inclusion was accidental, but considering it was written by a trustee, I have concerns and I hope leadership will address them. #HWA

Rebecca Ferrenz @beccamonster.bsky.social · 12h ago

It's not like she's profiting from an ai writers app or anything oh wait

Screenshot of the "Studio" app

"Finish Your Stories And Write Like A Pro"

"The writing discipline app for authors of all levels and genres"

-"Build daily writing habits that stick
-Expert guidance from a published author and editor
-Complete short stories and novels with confidence"

And at the bottom: "created by sèphera girón"

Hildur Knútsdóttir @hildur.bsky.social · 9h ago

If AI disappeared tomorrow, the only change in my life would be that google search suddenly got better again.

Ayo@darrylayo.bsky.social · 20h ago

Guys like this don’t realize that they are the freak

..
kavishj611 5h
+ All the people who are anti-Al or want to slow Al progress, I have one question:
If Al disappeared tomorrow, could you still get through an entire workday without ChatGPT, Claude, or any other
Al tool?
Imagine Al was suddenly banned.
Would you actually be willing to give it up?

Jes Malitoris @jeswrites.bsky.social · 7h ago

I am incredibly disappointed that this garbage ever ended up in the newsletter, especially given the official policy against gen AI. I am hopeful that this is a fluke and not representative of the organization as a whole but WOW am I going to need to see some accountability stat

Holly Lyn Walrath@hollylynwalrath.bsky.social · 18h ago

There is a lengthy pro-AI screed in the latest HWA newsletter and it is . . . a mood.

The real enemy isn’t your buddy who is using AI to make a book cover; the enemy is the Powers-That-Be who thrive on dividing everyone, especially in the United States. Look at how divided everyone in the US got over politics over the past ten years, and it’s now trickled to other countries. No more, are you a fellow human? Nope, it’s who did you vote for? Well, then you must be a hateful asshole. Instant block.

But who’s the asshole?

Every week, the gatekeepers of horror writers have some new witch hunt. Sometimes it’s a good thing to suss out shitty publishers, editors, and agents. Yet, not ALL shitty ones are sussed out because, you know, there are consequences to getting all the shitty people shut down. Some people still like the opportunities to get published or represented even if it means going with the most despicable people because the gatekeepers didn’t get them shut down, or sometimes, don’t even notice. It all depends on who is buttering the toast.

Andi is 🏳️‍⚧️ RE-DRAFTING DESECRATE 🏳️‍⚧️@andromedaexists.bsky.social · 15h ago

one of the things that really sticks to my teeth about the pro-ai article in the hwa newsletter is how out of touch it is, like just say you're not in political spaces and stop bringing marginalized groups into the conversation as your props

Suzan the chalant goth @sillysyntax.bsky.social · 8h ago

I am logged on for 2 hours to say I am appalled by what I read in the HWA newsletter. There are AI witch hunts ongoing where writers are being accused of using that garbage tech with no evidence. Telling ppl who use AI proudly to get out is not gatekeeping. Call out the writers and companies.

Jes Malitoris @jeswrites.bsky.social · last wk.

I had hoped to have another blog post up by now, but this novel is proving to be longer than I budgeted for! I'm finishing it this week and then getting back in the blogging saddle. Until then you can read about how I plan for an intensive writing workshop like this one: buff.ly/SmzsQ2l #AmWriting

Fieldwork: How I Prep For a Workshop

I love a good writing workshop. The deep-dive seminars, the writing exercises, the conversation and feedback with and from other writers interested in similar things… I’ve got another workshop comi…

thescrawlertapes.com

Jes Malitoris @jeswrites.bsky.social · 2w ago

#QuestPit FLAME A-KINDLE #OS #A #H #HR #Novella The Woods All Black X Slewfoot Tace (e/em/eir) has been engaged to the philandering son of the village butcher, and eir parents will brook no refusal. To prove eir betrothed's sins and break the engagement, Tace seeks out the Devil in the woods.

At the heart of the image, a black stick figure stands silhouetted against a fire. This image is surrounded by the title, "Flame A-Kindle" and the author's name. Around these, forest critters, mushrooms, and plants cluster together in bright red on a black background. The centerpiece elements are a wolf and deer in opposition to each other. Additional text advertises the QuestPit event, with the hashtags from the post.

Kate Gray is Querying ✨@kategraycosplay.bsky.social · 2w ago

ROT & RUIN: AN ADULT FANTASY NOVEL. COMPLETE AT 100K. NOW QUERYING. TANGLED X ANNIHILATION A failed revolutionary cons a party of heroes into hiring her as their guide through monster-infested woods where she’ll leave them for dead. Then she inconveniently grows a conscience. #questpit #q #a #f

Darian Rudderham @darianrudderham.bsky.social · 2w ago

Desperate to save a rotting city, the caretaker of an incorruptible corpse and the traitor god of an ancient pantheon must find what is causing the destruction. #questpit #W #A #F

A stained glass window. RIpped paper that reads "an agents guide to what lingers between"

The pitch. Rachel Gillig's The Knight and The Moth, Caitlin Starling's The Starving Saints, Rebecca Ross' WIld Reverance. Desperate to save a rotting city, the only god remaining of an ancient pantheon and the caretaker of a sacred, incorruptible corpse must find what is causing the destruction.

A woman with dark curly hair in a simple dress turned away. A woman with brown curly hair in blue and red robes holding a book. A man with dark curly hair in a simple white shirt holding a dagger. The tropes list reads, "yearning, annoyance to lovers, magic as corruption, three POVs, death incarnate, gothic fantasy, rotting city, pristine church, incorruptible corpse, necromantic religion."

Catherine @catandherwips.bsky.social · 2w ago

THE STARVING SAINTS x HUNGERSTONE In a haze of stunted transformation, apocalypse cultist S returns to the ancestral manor she left behind to choose a successor for her dying bloodline. 🌕 Gothic winter set in a medieval manor 🩸 Sapphic love triangle COMING JANUARY 2027 #questpit #W #df

B. van Bodegom 📃is AGENTED @bvbodegom.bsky.social · 2w ago

CABIN IN THE WOODS × JOHN DIES AT THE END × JUMANJI When their detective friend is murdered at their annual gaming retreat, 5 dads must rely on years of TTRPG experience—and puns—to solve the crime before they're all killed off like NPCs in a badly written supernatural campaign. #QuestPit #A #H #AG

Poster-style graphic with a black background and heavy red blood splatter. Large distressed white and red text reads “DAD BODIES.” A dagger runs horizontally through the letters, and a 20-sided die showing low numbers appears on the right. Along the bottom are black silhouettes of heads with X-shaped eyes. Beneath, smaller text reads “ROLL FOR FUCKERY,” and at the bottom: “A co(s)mic horror novel by B. van Bodegom.”

Kat Devitt @katdevittwrites.bsky.social · 2w ago

My Darling, Dreadful Thing X The London Séance Society A fabled witch howled the Blackstone Curse and mired generations in madness, murder, and mayhem. Only a monster and an heir to an earldom may break the spell, but first they must find each other. #QuestPit #Q #Gothic #A #H #LGBT

B. R. Fontenot is querying 📚☀️🌷🦊@brfontenotwrites.bsky.social · 2w ago

WOLF WORM x DON'T LET THE FOREST IN THE TREES HAVE TEETH - An Appalachian Folkhorror "Olive is eight the first time Death comes for her." 🌲 Nature and rot 💀 Death as an entity 🍄 Botanical Horror ⛰️ Set in the mountains 🐇 Eerie folklore 🍂 Isolated setting #QuestPit #A #H #W

PITCH

Olive is eight the first time Death comes for her. She’s nineteen the second time. And Olive knows Death always comes in threes.

In the heart of the Appalachian mountains, something wicked lingers in the woods. Olive grew up running barefoot through the trees without fear of what might be lurking. But when the woods begin to devour anything that encroaches with ruthless hunger, and a mysterious man who claims to know both the cause and the cure appears at Olive’s door, she may have to face Death for the third (and final) time. If she doesn’t, the town and the boy she loves will be eaten whole.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

COMPS
Wolf Worm, Don't Let the Forest In, Hazelthorn, Morsel, Hollow

Botanical Horror, Appalachian Mountain Setting, Nature & Rot, Isolated Setting, Eerie Folklore

moodboard featuring mountains, eerie woods, and trees

Chantal Danieli — is editing! 🕯️@chantaldanieli.bsky.social · 2w ago

JANE EYRE x THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA 🕯️forbidden gothic romance 🕯️slow burn 🕯️yearning à la anthony bridgerton 🕯️black swan-esque awakening 🕯️2000's setting 🕯️devouring obsession but make it consensual 🕯️secret lake meetings — coming to agent inboxes September 2026 🍂 #questpit #W #A #NA #R

My Sweet Unbecoming
A forbidden gothic romance
Coming to agent inboxes September 2026

Comps & Pitch
The Phantom of the Opera
Jane Eyre
Bridgerton — The Viscount Who Loved Me

When a scandal exiles her to Lucerne, disgraced Olivia Rooney falls for the one man she’s forbidden to love—Théodore Chair-Beaumont, the brooding aristocrat sworn to matrimony with another.
But beneath his restraint lies a wound that mirrors her own. And falling for him could not only repeat the tragedy that broke him before. It could ruin her reputation, once and for all.

Tropes
Forbidden Romance
High Society Match Making
European Setting
Slow Burn
Love VS Duty
Black Swan-esque Awakening
Masquerade Ball
2000’s Setting
Obsessive yearning
Secret Lake Meetings

Jes Malitoris @jeswrites.bsky.social · 2w ago

Jes Malitoris @jeswrites.bsky.social · 3w ago

Still feeling very proud of my progress on this novel, and I wrote a blog post about how I keep myself going under deadline when I don't even want to open the document. #AmWriting #Motivation #WordCount buff.ly/KQcrpo5

Jes Malitoris @jeswrites.bsky.social · 4w ago

I'm so excited to share that my story "Gooseflesh" about a previously unknown cryptid in the Appalachians is now available to listen to on @creepypod.bsky.social! #Horror #HorrorPodcast #ScaryStories #Cryptid #Appalachia buff.ly/maqobsK

Text reads, "For the first time, you can listen to one of my stories online on the Creepy Pod!" Below, it includes an excerpt from the story "Gooseflesh": “In the glow of the ancient lamp, the creature outside my window looked like a ghost. A moon-pale, living version of the corpse beside my front drive perched on my banister.”

Jes Malitoris @jeswrites.bsky.social · last mo.

Thank you so much to everyone who came out to Summer Chills at Quail Ridge! I had a fabulous time listening to my fellow writers, and chatting and signing books after. A huge thanks to QRB for running a wonderful event in a beautiful space. Stay safe and hydrated this week! <3

Jes Malitoris @jeswrites.bsky.social · last mo.

TODAY!!! Join us!

Jes Malitoris@jeswrites.bsky.social · last mo.

COMING TO YOU NEXT WEEK! I'm joining @pmraymond.bsky.social, @authorcreekmore.bsky.social, @samanthabwriter.bsky.social, Jesse Bullington, and Garrett Boatman at @quailridgebooks.bsky.social! RSVP online: quailridgebooks.com/event/summer...

Jes Malitoris @jeswrites.bsky.social · last mo.

I wrote this post a few words at a time until I made myself sit down and finish it. I've had a few folks ask me about how I can make myself keep writing 800 words a day (on average), so I wrote about how I motivate myself, how I seek out inspiration, and why inspiration isn't everything!

Finding and Making Motivation (Plus, a Workshop Check-in)

This post took a long time to write. With a day job, in the tug-of-war over the writing I do during the rest of my day, my current book has won every time. 800 words a day is a lot! I'm keeping up with it and I'm really proud of myself. The book is taking shape, and I'm on track…

thescrawlertapes.com

Premee Mohamed @premeemohamed.com · last mo.

Anyway! The Goodreads giveaway for my upcoming fantaspionage novel WICKHILLS has four days left and fifty copies to be won! (USA only, sorry! There will be a US + Canada one later!) www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sho...

Book giveaway for Wickhills by Premee Mohamed Jun 15-Jun 29, 2026

Enter to win one of 50 free copies available. Giveaway dates from Jun 15-Jun 29, 2026. Enter for your chance to win an ARC of WICKHILLS by Premee Mohamed!

goodreads.com

Jes Malitoris @jeswrites.bsky.social · last mo.

I’m sure it’s not gonna last but for now

Donald Glover's 'Good' Reaction

ALT: Donald Glover's 'Good' Reaction

static.klipy.com

Chaucer Doth Tweet@levostregc.bsky.social · last mo.

the wheele doth turne www.bbc.com/news/article...

Samantha Bryant | She/her @samanthabwriter.bsky.social · last mo.

So excited for this! 10-12 minutes each, so I'm thinking part of "Margaret Lets Her Self Go" (cosmic horror), "The Real Miss McAdams" (monster horror), or maybe "The Girl in the Pool" (a daylight ghost story). Any thoughts? #writinghorror #horror #horrorwriters

Jes Malitoris@jeswrites.bsky.social · last mo.

Jes Malitoris @jeswrites.bsky.social · last mo.

Thanks so much to TGP! I had a great time with these questions.

Timber Ghost Press@timberghostpress.bsky.social · last mo.

Our next Pride Month interview is with Jes Malitoris! See what they have to say about the 1999 cinematic masterpiece, THE MUMMY, and the state of queer horror! www.timberghostpress.com/blog/pride-m... @jeswrites.bsky.social

Jes Malitoris @jeswrites.bsky.social · 2mo ago

I had such a great time last night! Thanks so much to the folks who came out, and to Michael and Natalia for such a great chat.

Michael G. Williams 🏳️‍🌈@mcmanlypants.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Y'all, @jeswrites.bsky.social, @natania.bsky.social, and I did a queer spec fic reading & talk last night at @arcanadurham.bsky.social and it was magnificent. It is so important to have those conversations in our own spaces where we can speak freely. Queer writers, work with local queer businesses!

Jes Malitoris @jeswrites.bsky.social · 2mo ago

This is today! Come hang out! I’ll have some anthologies on sale.

Jes Malitoris@jeswrites.bsky.social · 2mo ago

ICYMI, I'll be celebrating Pride this Thursday with @mcmanlypants.bsky.social and @natania.bsky.social at @arcanadurham.bsky.social!!! So excited to read and chat with these wonderful folks about the weird, the queer, and the fantastical. #Pride #QueerAuthors #WritingCommunity

The graphic announces: "Queer Fiction: Taking Pride in Our Writing," to be held on June 18 at 7pm at Arcana, 331 West Main Street, Durham, North Carolina. Access through the rear entrance. The event will feature readings and discussion from authors Natania Barron, Jes Malitoris, and Michael G. Williams.

Jes Malitoris @jeswrites.bsky.social · 2mo ago

This is today! Come hang out! I’ll have some anthologies on sale.

Jes Malitoris@jeswrites.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Jes Malitoris @jeswrites.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Best Horror of the Year, Volume 18 is now available for preorder! Even if you don't pick it up to read my story, "Cut-a-Skin, Outside-In," I'm joined by incredible writers such as Laird Barron, A. C. Wise, and Clay Mcleod Chapman (among many others). buff.ly/8Lu6ago

The cover of "The Best Horror of the Year, Volume 18," edited by Ellen Datlow, features a horned and winged being that looks more like an ancient, fossilized alien than a demon. Featuring stories by Laird Barron, Grady Hendrix, Caitlin R. Kiernan, Benjamin Percy, Robert Shearman, A.C. Wise, and many others.