I submitted to #RevPit 2025! It’s my first time entering a contest like this one, so I’m both super excited and super nervous.

Back in the trenches! I’m querying SU even though it doesn’t quite fit neatly into any category because I can’t not query it.

Literature has always been deeply connected to politics, fully intertwined, as both a mirror of society and a tool shaping societal values moving forward.

Atmosphere is like the soundtrack to our story—it sets the tone, shapes how readers perceive everything, and leaves a lasting impression. More than setting, it's the vibe and the feel.

Nonlinear narratives toss out the old chronological playbook and embrace a more fluid approach. Instead of a straight line from start to finish, these stories unfold through flashbacks, parallel timelines, or multiple perspectives.

This point of view gives readers a front-row seat to the character's inner world, making the story feel more personal and immediate.

I had my worst writer’s nightmare come true in November: I lost all my work from the past 6 months.

Foreshadowing might be one of my favorite elements of storytelling. I love leaving breadcrumbs that hint at what lies ahead, subtly creating anticipation from the very beginning of the story.

As writers, we can trust our readers to pick up on what’s left unsaid. And in fact, it will make the reading experience far more engaging, immersive, and satisfying.

Everything I write is within the larger speculative fiction umbrella, namely fantasy. But from there it gets… complicated.

In order to write truly dynamic antagonists, we must be willing to go deeper. They should have their own stakes, and we should understand them, even if we don’t like them.

NotebookLM by Google is a research tool, but it can also turn your content into a podcast-style discussion between two people (AI), which is what I decided to do with the first 3 chapters of my manuscript.

Beyonce still sounds like Beyonce, even when she puts out a country album. As writers, we can do the same with our voice!

Great stories must balance action and reflection. Action drives excitement, while reflection adds depth, and both are essential.

Research is a key to authenticity. It allows us to create worlds that feel real, characters that feel like people we could know, and plots that make sense.

While writing might start as a solitary pursuit, it’s the input, critique, and support from others that help shape our work into something truly remarkable.

While writing is primarily a solitary endeavor, preparing work for publication is not.

Whether you choose to make it something overt and explicitly stated, or you opt for a subtler approach, symbolism might be what takes your writing to the next level.

When readers are on the edge of their seats, emotionally invested in the outcome, they won’t want to stop turning pages. Tension does that.

I’ll still continue to provide general topic posts for people to enjoy, but I want the flexibility to write about whatever I’m thinking about or working on at the moment, rather than feeling like I have to stick to the rigid structure I set up for this past year…