#independent writer

[jstor]

Okay, the title that Tumblr automatically pulls up is a bit of a mouthful. This is "The Romance of Self-Publishing" by Elizabeth Nelson, a chapter that caught our eye from the OA book Self-Publishing and Collection Development: Opportunities and Challenges for Libraries (2015).

#self publishing #creative writing #independent writer #writers on tumblr #writers #open access books #academic research #jstor

[fluffula]

Welcome 2 Fluffuland!!! (´▽`ʃ♡ƪ)

Hi! I'm Aster, and I'm a freelance writer who primarily creates fantasy and romance fiction. This blog is where I share story previews, rambles, character intros/fun facts/Q&As, lore tidbits, and generally anything related to my writing.

Basic info about me:

Trans man (he/him)

23 years old

Capricorn sun, Cancer moon, Leo rising

Proudly Autistic 💖

Boundaries

No followers under 18!!! This blog is not explicitly NSFW, but it sometimes references NSFW blogs/content that I don't want to indirectly expose minors to; therefore, I don't allow anyone under 18 to follow me. Ageless blogs and minors who try to follow me will be blocked.

Please don't ask me personal questions (e.g. about my personal relationships, appearance, where I live, etc.). I already share everything about myself that I'm comfortable sharing, and I would like my private life to remain private.

Adding on to the last point, please keep in mind that although it's okay to care about the people who create the things you enjoy, we're ultimately still strangers to each other. I may block people who repeatedly act overly familiar (such as "playfully rude" banter, trying to discuss my personal life or oversharing to me about theirs, attempting to insert themselves into my relationships with other creators, etc.) and refuse to stop after being asked.

I am open to story requests and suggestions, but keep in mind that I'm not obligated to fulfill any requests that aren't paid commissions. Also, rude/demanding requests will always be ignored and deleted, so please be respectful if you want yours to be considered. :)

No bigots of any kind are welcome. Blogs that contain transphobic, homophobic, racist, sexist, ableist, or otherwise bigoted content will be blocked if they follow me or interact with any of my posts.

Master Posts

FAQ

Character introductions master post

Stories master post

Writing rambles and loredumps

Q&As

Commission information

Darling Sim updates and previews

Other Links

Tapas - This is where I post the full versions of stories/chapters. If you have a Tapas account, feel free to follow me over there too 🫶

#intro post #creative writing #fiction #writing #fantasy #romance #trans creator #trans writer #trans author #trans #transgender #trans man #autistic writer #autistic author #autistic creator #actually autistic #independent author #independent creator #independent writer

[quakeroc]

HEY TUMBLR WHAT'S POPPING I'M ERIN LEE

i'm a published transfem furry author whose newest project, a Patreon serial named STAR//CROSSED, just started its run TODAY!

it's going to be an indefinitely-running series of short stories that act as small chapters, updated monthly! the first one, Prologue 1, just dropped today, and is available for you to read immediately!

STAR//CROSSED takes place in the 2060s, after an alien species, the Pael (pronounced Pah-eel) stumbled upon Earth and revolutionized the entirety of Terran society. Everything changed overnight, from economics to culture to religion. Terrankind was thrown into turmoil, and while eventually things stabilized, and at a far higher standard than previously, the growing pains continue.

In order to further integrate the two societies, some Pael are going to Earth, and some Terrans are going to join the Pael in cooperatives on other planets. Though there may be an undercurrent of tension riding behind every single interaction, it's hoped that in pairing the two peoples together, everyone's natural personalities can lead to greater things in the future.

Funnily enough, Pael are only about a centimeter tall. Makes it all a lot harder - or more fun, depending on your perspective.

Here you can see some concept art of the four main characters below! Red Haehn the maned wolf, Baz Hohera the rabbit, and both Zhelv Meyaat and Pev Ul the Pael!

all concept art by @cath0degaytube !!

baz hohera belongs to @vespidazed !!

if you sub now, you'll be supporting me for less than a twitch.tv subscription, as well as giving me more money per payment! not only that, but you'll have over a YEAR's worth of other short stories in both the Verrillon Times and EXTIRPATION series! further, there will be other things uploaded in time, such as side stories and eventually another serial once i've cleared EXTIRPATION and the final Verrillon Times!

consider tossing me a fiver if you're 18 or above, get access to a bunch of writing both soft and loving and hardcore and dramatic, and i hope to see you around! ^_^ thanks for reading, and you can check out the prologue for STAR//CROSSED at the link!!

and if you'd like a totally free look at some of my games writing (albeit a bit old!!), or buy a digital copy of my book SLIME TIME, you can check out my itch.io at the link below!

#writing #patreon #quakeroc #quakeroc writing #furry writing #art #furry art #pael #star//crossed #extirpation #verrillon times #series #writing series #serial #writing serial #authorship #author #independent author #independent writer #indie #furry #scifi #sci fi #science fiction #utopia #utopian fiction

[authorpkreeves]

End of the year sale! Starting December 1st and ending on January 7, 2024. $ 0.99 for both ebooks!

Smashword code - coming soon!

Links - linktr.ee/pkreevesauthor

#independent author #ebook #urban fantasy #vampires #asian literature #filipina main character #filipino main character #modern fantasy #independent writer #ebook sale #end of the year sale

[mricarus]

My monthly zine 'Lapsus Calami' is now live! This month's issue is "Men of the Gothic"! New issues are released on the first Sunday of every month AEST.

Furthermore, you can use the zine to donate to a good cause! (Read the flyer below for more info).

Read the January issue here:

#zine promo #gothic #dracula #frankenstein #jekyll and hyde #independent writer #indie zine #january #charity

[dandelion-jester]

ATTENTION LOVELY FOLLOWERS!!!

I am soon launching a writing patreon!

This is very exciting for me, as it's always been a dream of mine to write full time and this will be my first proper step into making money from my writing! Currently, getting a regular job is quite difficult for me and I am living off of my student loan, so every little extra is a pleasant surprise.

If you are interested in joining, I will be reblogging this post with the link when it is up, so keep an eye on the reblogs!

More information is below the cut, I go into detail about Tiers, rewards, and my future plans!! The current most expensive tier is only £5/month so don't hesitate to have a look!!

Tiers

I am starting out with just three, very cheap tiers although depending on the patreon's success I would like to launch more tiers in the future. Currently I think that I'll be posting every wednesday, but if that day changes in the future I will post about it ahead of time. For now, here is what I am offering:

£1 - Town Cryer: The first tier costs only £1 and as well as getting my eternal gratitude, you will receive access to my writing blog where I will post weekly articles about writing, reading, and stories at large. This will include, but not be limited to: Reviews, writing thoughts and processes, tips and tricks, introspection on the craft, resources and much more. Joining this tier will give you access to four pieces of writing a month!

£3 - Wealthy Merchant: This tier is for people who would be interested in reading my creative writing. As well as blog access, you will also get access to weekly poems/short stories written by me. I mostly write fantasy, but there will likely be sci-fi and historical fiction in the midst and who knows what else. Work will come with neccessary trigger warnings and the poetry will be accompanied by a detailed analysis. Joining this tier will give you access to eight pieces of content a month!!

£5 - Court Jester: If you want to be generous and support me and my work even further, this tier is where you will find all the behind the scenes stuff for all my current WIPS! For this tier I will be posting, amongst other tidbits: draft excerpts, thought processes, character information, art (accompanied by the appropriate text), and personal updates on my writing and how it's going. Joining this tier will give you access to 12 pieces of content a month!!!

The Future

Patreon has removed the goal feature but I still have some of my own. These will be written in the about section of the patreon but will include:

A patron discord in which to build a writing community (all tiers will be eligible)

Q&As

Higher tiers with more content

I will also be doing polls on Tumblr and my Instagram (Dandelion_jester_) to see what kind of content patrons would be most interested in seeing in the future (I'll probably do these quarterly, but it may end up being every 6 months).

If you've read this far, thank you for tagging along! And if you are thinking of joining, then thank you even more!! As I said before, watch this post for the launch!!!

#writing #writeblr #writer #fantasy #patreon #patreon writer #patron #independent writer #fantasy writer #novel #author #short story #poetry #poem #dandelion-jester's patreon #blog #writing blog

[primepalindrome]

Almost done! Here's a link to the first one: a story about reviving the vampire king and found family

Link

#book #artists on tumblr #primepalindrome #vampires #booklr #independent writer #writing #books #vampire story #found family #horror

[flokileroux]

My laptop crashed last week and a huge part of my writing for the second part of Inspector Taylors Cases is lost.... but that's actually not a bad thing at all because now I am forced to rewrite everything and I wanted to change a few things around anyway...

Still sucks though....

#remember to make back ups kids #and to save your games regularily #this has been your psa of the week #creative wrting #writeblr #writers on tumblr #writing #floki leroux #independent writer #inspector taylors curious cases #the island of floating whales #crime novel #mystery #writebrl #writeblogging

[authoradampowell]

The Single Hour series is an ongoing series.

The first book is The Single Hour: A Heroic Silver Age.

Dive into a captivating saga of love, loss, and resilience spanning decades. Join an immortal Civil War veteran on his remarkable journey through history's twists and turns, from the battlefields of America's past to the vibrant streets of Germany. Experience the enduring bonds of family, the thrill of heroism, and the chilling specter of a sinister foe from the shadows. With unexpected alliances and heartpounding suspense, this tale will keep you on the edge of your seat.

The second book is The Single Hour: New Hero Age.

Embark on a journey into the heart of mystery and courage with Nolan, the enigmatic guardian of Hartville. In a town where darkness threatens to overwhelm, Nolan emerges as a beacon of light, wielding time limited powers to defend the innocent. From the depths of the woods to the hidden corners of the town, follow his relentless pursuit of justice and protection. However soon Nolan finds himself in an unbeatable situation. Will Nolan's unwavering resolve be enough or will he lose?

There are currently two other books being worked on with a few more planned in the future. This writing is very near and dear to me. I am currently am accepting early sign ups for the third books E-ARC. Please keep an open mind for these books. I promise a lot will make sense as you read further along.

#indie writer #book #indie books #books #indie author #writing #sci fi and fantasy #alternate history #generational conflict #civil war #american revolution #world war one #mystery #thriller #romance #action #adventure #femme fatale #independent artist #independent author #independent writer

[aimee-maroux]

Hello everyone 💕

I'm opening commissions! For just $50 you can make me write whatever you want, erotica or otherwise. All kinks and pairings are welcome. The rates include story outlining before writing and minor edits of the finished piece. Send me your prompts via chat or ask, including your budget, and I'll turn it into a story all your own. Not sure if I'm the writer for you? Check out my free stories here.

Love, Aimée

#commission #commission me #commissions open #open commissions #commission fic #fic commissions #hire me #writer for hire #writerslife #Greek mythology #Greek mythology fic #mythology #tagamemnon #support independent creators #indie writer #indie author #independent writer #independent author #greek gods #greek myth retellings

[oatmilk-vampire]

Tomorrow's Loss: Chapter 1

Book Summary: All Tom wanted to do was study with his friend, but then his crush of four years shows up unannounced and urges them to evacuate for an unknown reason. After they are on the road, they learn they are escaping a dangerous bloodborne pathogen that is turning those infected violent and cannibalistic, all with a disturbing smile on their face. Tom soon finds himself on the way to play a tragic game of house with his best friend, his crush, a married couple and their dog. Tom hopes the CDC is right when they say they willl get it all under control soon. However, as days pass with no sign of respite, they become painfully aware that help will not be on the way after all. When Tom's group begins to lose members to the virus and gains one additional, they are all stuck trying to adapt and survive in this new world. After nearly a year, the group is forced to venture out further for food and other supplies, finding other survivors who only want to harm them more than the Smilers do. But when Tom is saved by one stranger, it opens his world to the possibility of community and actually living instead of just surviving.

A/n: I can only share 10% of my novel, so here's the first 5%.:) Read end note for links and coupons.

I dance to the speakers pumping music in my dorm. Sound waves of instruments I have no interest in ever learning how to play echo and bounce off of the thin walls. I know my neighbors would complain if they ever actually spent any time at home. The opening verse to Modern Baseball’s “Re-Do” rings out as I pull clothes from my closet. I’m getting ready to meet with my best friend Tim so we can hold each other accountable for actually getting work done instead of getting trapped into an endless scroll on Instagram, Facebook or God forbid TikTok. As I make the ultimate decision between two shirts, I hear something that doesn’t quite sound like it’s part of the song.

I hesitate, waiting to see if Tim will unlock the door and come in but when he doesn’t I resume the task of throwing on my red heather. As I pop my head through the neckhole, I hear someone calling my name. Weird. It kind of sounds like… I freeze my movements.

Could it really be him? It’s been since my birthday in March that he last visited. Any doubt in my mind is quickly extinguished when, by some miracle, I clearly hear the pounding on my door over Brendan Lukens’ voice.

I jump and yank my pants up over my hips before scrambling to the source of the noise. I give myself a once-over in the mirror before unlocking the door and swinging it open.

There Mark stands, a fist still raised ready to assault my poor door again. He lowers it and barks out something I never expected to hear from his mouth.

“Grab your shit let’s go.”

“Mark!” I almost fall backwards, definitely not expecting to actually see him. But there he is, the biggest crush I’ve ever had – standing right before me. “What are you doing here?”

“Grab. Your. Shit. Let’s go!” Taking charge, he pushes past me and begins pulling out all of my dresser drawers, shoveling socks, shirts and pairs of underwear into the backpack that he just carelessly dumped my very important schoolwork out of.

“Hey!” I shout, surprise quickly getting replaced by frustration. “Mark, what the hell? Stop! My papers are getting all over the place. I did a lot of research on those!” I drop to my knees to try to gather them into their respective stacks before they get too disorganized.

“You always do research!” He retorts as if it justifies his actions. He moves to the closet and starts pulling out my jeans. I notice he’s pointedly ignoring the dressier clothes, instead opting for my more practical wear such as jackets and sweaters instead. He turns to me once he seems satisfied with his haul.

“Where’s Tim?”

I’m taken aback. Why would he be asking about him? What’s he doing here destroying our room anyway?

“At the library. I was just about to meet him there. Why? Mark, what’s going on? You’re acting like someone accidentally killed John Wick’s dog.” I try a smile and a reference to the first movie we watched together to snap him out of whatever has a hold on him. I know we have plans to see number four when it finally hits theaters, but to my great disappointment he completely ignores my efforts.

“Jake and Tash are meetin’ us at the cabin. I’ll explain later. Is there anythin’ else you need?” He pauses. “Your prescriptions!”

He turns to rummage through my bedside table where he knows I keep my pills, but he also happens to find some other things that I really wish he hadn’t.

Mark slows his movements just long enough to toss the condoms and lube into the bag too. “Gotta still be safe, I guess. Safety first. That’s a priority.”

I can feel my face turning beet red and I’m ready to just close in on myself.

Then Mark is right back in front of me snapping his fingers in my face.

“Hey, look. I know you weren’t expectin’ to see me, and I know it definitely wasn’t the reunion you wanted. Hell, it’s not the reunion I wanted either, but we really need to go. We need to find Tim and you need to decide if there is anythin’ else you want or need.”

But I just can’t comprehend what’s going on here, and how could I? Mark is giving me virtually zero information to go on.

“How long are we going to be gone? Can I turn in my papers first? I’m kind of at my deadline. I might need to ask for a leave of absence if it’s going to be long.”

“They’ll understand about the papers, and if not, I’ll make them understand. I don’t know how long.”

“Is someone in trouble? Are we going on the lam?” I look around the room in all its small and crowded glory. My eyes fall to my plush canid collection beside my bed.

“Can I take them?”

Mark follows where I’m pointing and sees the many plushies that he’s personally gifted me over the years.

“Yeah, yeah. If it’ll make you feel better and get your ass movin’, grab ‘em.”

After I safely pack them away with the rest of my deemed essentials, Mark takes hold of the bags and moves them closer to the door.

“Call Tim. Tell him to meet us somewhere close. We need to go. I’ll get his shit for him too.”

In a matter of minutes the two of us are sitting safely in Mark’s backseat but I still don’t feel ready to let out the breath it feels like I’ve been holding. Not until we get to where we’re going and I learn what we’re running from.

“You two lovebirds start callin’ your friends and loved ones and tell ‘em to get to safety.” Mark looks in his rearview mirror at us. “We don’t have any room for ‘em to ride with us, but we can at least give a heads up since the government is failin’ us yet again.”

“Lorelei is in Florida. Will she be okay?” Tim questions, and I wonder if he feels guilty over not insisting on spending their mini-break together. In his defense, she did say she would be happier just going alone. Girl time, she called it.

“Uhh… Yeah, yeah. That’s far enough. Still get in touch to be sure. Let her know not to come back for now.” He instructs, but I don’t know if I really believe him. His eyes are all shifty and I don’t miss the way Mark’s hands clench around the wheel. It’s way worse than what he’s letting on. Mark doesn’t get this freaked out over just anything.

“Okay… Can we please know what’s going on now?” I finally speak up, daring Mark to dodge any more of my questions.

He spares me another glance in the rearview mirror.

“There’s a virus.”

A groan. “Oh, great! Just what we needed. How serious is it? Like covid?” Tim complains as he rubs his forehead.

“I still wear masks, it’s not all that bad. I’ll also get the vaccine when it’s out. Whatever it takes to keep the world going.” I easily concede, not at all ready to go through another pandemic, especially when this one isn’t really over.

“It’s not like covid.” Mark shakes his head. “It’s not in the lungs.”

“Then how is it transmitted?” I look at Tim just in time to see him narrow his eyes, definitely not liking the sound of this. Neither do I.

“Blood. They’re sayin’ it’s a bloodborne pathogen.”

“So what, like hepatitis or HIV? A glorified STD?” I inquire, holding my African wild dog plush close for comfort. “As long as we don’t come in contact with bodily fluids we’re fine right? Why do we need to leave?”

I know I’ll be fine, at least. Although, I’m not too sure about the other two men in the SUV. The perks of being sexually inactive, I guess.

“It’s not that simple.” Mark sighs, and I notice his hands tighten on the steering wheel once more; he must have loosened them at some point.

Maybe we should discuss this later, I don’t want us to get in a wreck and end up needing a blood transfusion on top of everything else…

Wait…

“Can we try blood transfusions? Could that make a difference? Would it purify it?” I glance at the pre-med student beside me for his input.

“Possibly. But at this time it’s still new and unlikely and would take studying and human trials and–”

“Alright, enough!” Mark startles the both of us with his booming voice, commanding us into silence. “It has somethin’ to do with blood under the nails. Think about that. Quietly please.”

“Subungual hematomas?” Tim exchanges looks with me, likely making sure he heard correctly.

“Quietly please.” Mark reiterates.

For the next half hour, the drive is mostly in silence, save for the occasional cough or sneeze and “bless you” that follows.

I take the liberty of counting out just how many pills I have when –oh no– I should have picked up my prescriptions yesterday. I only have about a five-day supply here, give or take – and that’s only because I haven’t taken today’s doses yet since I usually like to just choke them all down at once before going to sleep. This is bad.

It shouldn’t be too long, right? I should be able to make it on a solid four-day ration… Right?

Don’t be stupid, Tom.

I glance at Tim, my roommate and friend of three years. I’ve never had a friendship last that long, other than Mark if you consider him a friend. Then that relationship would be four years.

Next I hazard a glance back at the driver, seeing him in deep concentration. How would Mark know about this? I haven’t even heard about it on the news. Then again, I don’t really watch a lot of news anyway. It’s not good for my mental health. But being in college, kids talk. A lot. No one has mentioned this.

I feel my anxiety budding, and I squeeze my plush even tighter even though it makes me feel childish. I wonder if I should just pop the anxiety pill right now.

When I look out of my window nothing seems out of order or unusual. Everyone seems completely fine. Happy even. No one even looks irritated, they’re all smiling. I offer my own smile to the world.

Maybe it isn’t all that bad.

I even catch sight of an officer pushing a shopping cart, a baby strapped into a carrier on his chest. A smile plastered on his face too. It strikes me as a bit odd, wouldn’t a cop usually change out of uniform before running personal errands? Keep work life and home life separate, and all that.

I can’t imagine what he could have been exposed to on the job, and what he was now exposing his child to.

I shouldn’t think too hard about it.

Once we get about forty-five minutes away from our college, Mark pulls off into a gas station. He gets out, leaving his window down and begins pumping. I catch him looking back and forth towards the store.

“Mark? What’s wrong?”

“Kinda wanna stock up on some smokes. Just in case it’s a good time to pick up a bad habit.” He admits with a careless shrug, but I can tell it’s just a front.

“Want me to go get them?” I offer with a hand already on the door handle.

“No.” A firm shake of his head. “Safer out here.”

“Want me to pump and you go get them?”

No answer.

I waste no time exiting and walking around the trunk to take the pump from his hand, “I got this. Go ahead.”

“Can you and Tim fill up the cans in the back after you’re done with the car?”

“Sure.” I easily agree, ready to get back on the road to supposed safety as soon as possible.

“Hey, Tim! Get your ass out the car, if I’m leavin’ one of you out here defenseless you’re both gonna be out here. Protect each other. I’ll be right back.” Mark stalks off when he sees him nod and unbuckle his seatbelt.

“Well, this has been weird.” Tim gets himself situated standing beside me, prompting me to take the perfect opportunity to start my rambling.

“We still don’t know what this virus is doing, if it kills people, if they’re working on a cure, just how sick we’ll get, how many of us are infected, what we’re going to do in the meantime, why cigarettes and condoms are so important–”

“Hey, hey, hey. Calm down. It’s okay. I know this is stressful but everything is going to be fine. We trust Mark and Jake, right? The thing I’m most concerned about is the condoms you mentioned.” He smirks, knowing it would throw me off.

“And lube.” I would have covered my face in embarrassment if my hands weren’t currently occupied and covered in only God knows how many germs. What if I have any open wounds on my hands? Maybe we should have grabbed disposable gloves too. I study the box of disposable gloves next to the pump that nearly no one uses.

“Oh, God, why? Did Mark say who it’s for?”

“Well, not really. He was in my drawer getting my meds and…”

“Oh, no! Your condoms and lube? That’s so embarrassing!” He emphasizes certain words to get a rise out of me. He knows he succeeded when my face burns a deeper shade of red than it previously was.

“Stop! Shut up! God, I hate you.” I look down in an attempt to hide my smile, but quickly look back towards the store. What is taking so long?

Just then a stumbling woman approaches us.

“Hi, any chance you can spare a hand sanitizer?”

We exchange wary looks.

I don’t think hand sanitizer will benefit us too much, and she seems really polite with a big toothy grin.

“Sure, I don’t see why not.” I easily agree but stop short when I notice the gas cans still surrounding me. “Uhh…”

“Don’t worry, Tommy. I got it.” Tim offers, leaving me to the task at hand.

I smile at him, “Thanks.”

Tim leaves me alone with the strange woman, but thankfully he’s only gone for a moment. He quickly pulls himself back out of the car with his own personal travel bottle just in enough time to see how engrossed she is with staring me down.

“Here you go, ma’am.” He reaches out to her, but she snatches his hand in a death grip, digging her pinkie nail into him with alarming pressure before taking the hand sanitizer and walking away without another word.

It all happens so fast neither one of us can react, but the shock must still be evident on our faces when Mark makes it back to the car.

He looks at the machine and hums at the price, not seeming at all bothered that the cost is in triple digits. I know he doesn’t have money like that. None of us do.

He eyes the both of us, taking note of whatever our expressions show. Does he notice Tim cradling his wrist?

“Y’all okay? Look like you’ve seen a ghost or somethin’.”

“Or something.” Tim frowns, highly unusual for his usually chipper self. “Can we just get back on the road now?”

“Yeah, y’all hungry? I got a ton of snacks while I was waitin’ in line.”

“No thanks.” We answer simultaneously.

“Alright, more for later then. I am gonna say choose what you want, though. First pick.”

“Fine.” Tim opens the door, getting back into the car.

“Jeez, what’s his problem? Trouble in paradise?”

I just look at him.

After we’re all seated and buckled up, Mark tries again.

“Is it something I said?” He puts the vehicle in reverse and pulls out.

“More like what you didn’t say. What exactly is going on here? You can’t just say there’s a BBP causing subungual hematomas and leave it at that. That makes no sense.” Tim forces through clenched teeth.

I observe my best friend press his wrist down against his leg.

A deep breath.

“Okay, look. It is bloodborne. So you can get it pretty much anyway you can get any other virus like that, I’m assumin’. But for some reason the easiest way to catch it is through the nails.”

“Somethin’ happens, a blood clot forms under the fingernails which wouldn’t be such a big deal except for some reason the infected nails are really brittle, so a simple scratch can be way more devastatin’ than usual and pass the infection faster than a class of kindergartners in flu season.”

Tim furrows his brows. “So, like an iron deficiency?”

“What do you mean?” Mark asks cluelessly.

“Iron deficiencies make your nails dry and brittle. Break easy. If it’s being transmitted through the blood, maybe that has something to do with it.”

Mark seems to think carefully for a moment. “If it’s really severe could it cause extreme cravin’s?” He actually takes his eyes off of the road for this one

“Well, it can. I’ve read before that whatever your body is craving is a sign of what your body is missing. But, iron deficiency or anemia causes pica. Pica makes you have weird cravings like ice, clay, dirt, paper, chalk, etcetera.” Tim clarifies. “Stuff that isn’t really food or good for you.”

“How the hell do two kids know this and not the WHO?” He pitches his voice low in an attempt to say it under his breath, but we hear him anyway.

“Excuse me? The WHO? It’s worldwide? Just what are we dealing with exactly?” Tim narrows his eyes once more, fully suspicious that Mark was indeed hiding the worst of it; I know because I feel the same way.

Uncomfortable with the sudden tension, I look out of my window to spot more people than I’m used to seeing out and about, all smiling. Except, there’s something about these smiles that don’t sit right with me anymore.

“Look, I told y’all everythin’ I know. Tell that girl Lori she–” He gets cut off.

“It’s Lorelei.” Tim corrects with anger in his voice.

“Tell Lorelei she needs to stay where she is and take shelter. Stay safe.”

“Why? What is so bad about this? Are we going to die?” Tim demands, his raised voice making me flinch.

“I dunno! Fuck! It’s bad, alright? The ones infected are turning on the uninfected. Turning on their Goddamn loved ones for chrissake! All with that stupid fuckin’ smile on their faces.”

He gulps a breath before continuing his explanation.

“You can’t trust any of them. They won’t remember you. It takes over. They have bad blood runnin’ through those brains now. They’re violent. They get vicious cravin’s.”

“What cravings?” I speak up for the first time since this conversation began.

A beat of silence as Mark considers his next words. My heart feels like it’s slamming into my ribcage, its rapid beating the only noise I can hear.

“You’ve told us this much.” I invoke. “Might as well keep on.”

Mark meets my eyes in the mirror.

“Meat, blood, life. I dunno what it is they’re after. As long as it’s human.”

It’s at this point that my entire world stops.

Then it rapidly slams back into movement.

Tim is freaking out. Lorelei isn’t picking up the phone, so he’s desperately trying to explain it all to her in texts. I just sit here, glued to my seat. Hands frozen. I can’t call anyone even if I had others to call.

“How long?” Tim’s strained voice snaps my attention to him.

“How long what?” Mark’s vision remains locked on the road.

We’re an hour and a half away from college now; from the life I don’t know if I’ll ever have again.

Tim carries on, “How long until you become one of them after being exposed?”

“I dunno. Like an hour or two? Depends on your size I guess. Why?”

“Does anyone know of a cure yet?”

“No, half the world doesn’t even know it’s goin’ on, and the other half doesn’t know what’s goin’ on.”

Tim is directly behind Mark, so he misses when Tim reveals his wound to me. What should have been a tiny scratch was now a gaping hole, spreading and branching out over his entire wrist. His blood is flowing at an alarming rate. I see bits of what I can only assume is remnants of the woman’s nail stuck inside of my friend’s skin.

He meets my eyes.

I feel like I’m going to be sick.

We both know it. This is goodbye – something Tim never liked to say even on spring breaks and holidays away. Goodbye implies there wouldn’t be another hello. It was the end.

I force myself to swallow the lump in my throat, fighting past the feeling that I can’t breathe. I imagine Tim feels much worse.

“Mark?” My voice wavers, the distraught immediately catching his attention.

“What’s wrong, Tomorrow?”

I wince at the nickname, one I always secretly loved just feels all sorts of wrong now. It isn’t fair.

“Did you bring oven mitts or something?

“Oven mitts– What?”

“Or something to cover hands with? Please?”

The desperation in my voice makes looking back completely unnecessary for Mark. He already knows the answer.

When he sees the dark crimson mess spilling onto Tim’s clothes and the blank look on his face, he snaps into action. He pulls off of the road and presses on the hazards. He wastes no time jumping out of his seat and yanking the door open to get my infected friend out.

Tim follows him out without a single complaint, just uses his good hand to toss his phone to me, who decides also exiting the vehicle is definitely a good idea and not at all a bad one.

I will never forget how Tim’s eyes appear distorted and out of focus, until a single tear slips down his face as he fades away.

Now he isn’t Tim anymore. Any trace of his consciousness long gone.

He is one of them.

He smiles.

~~~

Interested in getting the full book? Check your library or check out my (incomplete) universal book link for some of your options.

I have a 50% off coupon on Smashwords exclusively for my TumblrFam. The code is VN67N

Still not sure? Stay tuned for chapter 2.

Thanks for reading!

#writing #writers of tumblr #writers #creative writing #independent author #independent writer #indie author #indie writer #tomorrow's loss #oli marque #indie books #zombie apocalypse #scifi books #science fiction books #gay character #trans character #ace characters #queer books #queer author #queer writers #lgbt #lgbtq #lgbt books #lgbtq books #lgbtqia books #lgbtqia

[oatcakespodofficial]

Eh? Some kind of visual representation of one of my ocs? Well... I suppose, yes.

That is, here's a first attempt scribble of Dyfri, one of our Oatcakes trio members. The poor tired faun can't catch a break.

#original character #oatcakespod #navifitz art #or attempt thereof #goblincore #independent writer #forestcore #naturecore #gremlincore #independent author #faecore #small podcast #small writer #fauncore #faun #faun oc #faeriecore #fae oc #corvidcore #cryptidcore #mosscore #fairycore #tumblr writers #independent podcast #fantasy aesthetic #fantasy fiction #fantasy #adventurecore #fantasy oc #iswadoc

[loganofthenorth]

Hey guys!

Are you LGBTQ+ or Neurodivergent?

Of course you are, you’re using Tumblr

If you’re not part of these groups, however, read this anyways because my target audience is basically Tumblr

Do you like simple, cliche plots like saving the world from an evil God that are fleshed out by complicated characters and world building?

Do you like lonely people finding each other and forming strong bonds?

How about complicated conversations about everything from your favourite colour, to healthy relationships, to the meaning of life?

Well then, I have the book for you!

It’s the first in a series, actually.

A series I am writing called The Chaotic Chronicles of Calasmic.

The first book is called Time for her Prime, and it’s about a disabled woman named Margaret who lives in a retirement home and her slightly mentally unstable volunteer worker Jean. They are both very familiar with loneliness, and they form a strong friendship with each other.

One day, Margaret gets a letter from her missing spouse, Mortimer, explaining that they have been in a realm of magic called Calasmic, trying to solve a problem that could cause the destruction of both words. Not wanting to be left behind, Jean accompanies Margaret to the magical world of Calasmic, where the Elven pirates and transphobic wizards that existed in Margaret’s stories of the realm are the least of her problems.

The book discusses co dependency, independence, communication, consent, disability, chronic illness, and more

It also has a lot of comedy, fluff, and some romance (Romance becomes a bigger theme in the second book)

As well as mental breakdowns, manipulation, and a Demi god who flirts with people they want to murder but can’t because it’d be a shame to get blood on their roses… Oh and also because their boss said they can’t, that too.

It’s a book I love, and I’m sure I’ll write plenty of fan fictions about it

Yes fan fictions about my own book

And I’m really hoping to build a fandom for it so I can make friends with people that enjoy this world and it’s characters as much as I do!

It also has a lot of representation. The only straight white cis allosexual neurotypical man I can think of that exists in the story is dead before the story even takes place

The main protagonist is a plus sized woman of colour in a wheelchair and the secondary protagonist is a tall girl with ADHD and undiagnosed mental illnesses and mental disabilities as well as an undiagnosed chronic illness.

Two of the supporting characters are gay and pan and they have a love story over the first three books and one of them is Autistic

The story is character driven and I will happily gush about it

Anywho you can get it on Amazon (I don’t like supporting Jeffery Bezos anymore than the next person but unfortunately this was the easiest way I knew to independently publish it) here’s the link!

https://www.amazon.ca/Time-Prime-Chaotic-Chronicles-Calasmic-ebook/dp/B0BBQ8DXPG/ref=sr_1_1?crid=39E7C9SCWJWGT&keywords=Tasha+Johnston&qid=1661702233&sprefix=tasha+johnston%2Caps%2C121&sr=8-1

I really hope you enjoy it if you read it!

#new book #independently published #published author #fantasy #high fantasy #epic fantasy #lgbtqia+ #lgbtq+ #lgbtqia #lgbtq #neurodiverse #neurodiversity #adhd #autism #writer #author #independent writer #independent author #adhd writer #autistic writer #disability #disabled #representation #lgbtq representation #neurodiverse representation #disability representation #poc representation #character driven #fantasy novel #the chaotic chronicles of calasmic

[wordtotherose]

Whilst we wait for me to finish this huge End Game fic for BG3, I wanted to drop the links to the published writing I have out in the world in case any of you would like to read more!

Are dark fantasy stories your thing? Queer sapphic protagonists and magic that comes at a steep cost? Check out my short story 'Casting in Blood' in this anthology!

Is poetry more your thing? What about an experimental poetry collection titled 'The Fisherman' with an absolutely gorgeous cover? Find it here!

Maybe more traditional style poetry suits you best? Pre-order this anthology here that includes my collection 'Wildflower Bones'!

This next fic is one of my longest written and I'm only halfway through. I'm really looking forward to sharing it but if you have any little requests for Astarion and Elizia moments/fics send an ask and I'll see what I can do!

#el rose #the fisherman #independent writer #independent publishing #poetry #my writing #my official writing #short stories #queer writing

[authorpkreeves]

2024 - 2025 WIP Schedule!

Current wip - ghost fmc

Next wip - lite lore dnd fantasy first adventure

Third wip- life after the adventure

Fourth wip -supernatural themed

Fifth wip - reunited with family after 30 years of being missing.

Sixth wip - reunited with family after missing for three years.

Seventh wip - being a secretary for a man eating immortal

Eighth wip - choose between a hobosexual and decent person?

#independent author #personal #filipino main character #asian literature #filipina main character #independent writer #WIP planner #WIP schedule

[theperplexednavigator]

Today feels like a good day to introduce to you one of my ocs.

They call him Mem, short for memory, as his creator/source (Tom) was pretty sure this guy was the personification/ghost of his missing memories, or rather the memories of his "predecessor." What Tom doesn't realize at first is that Mem is instead the personification/manifestation of his predecessor's guilt, and is the ghost of crimes unaccounted for. This doesn't make much difference to Mem, who still holds Tom accountable for his actions, regardless of whether or not this is the correct Tom.

This form we see hear is only one of a few. Specifically, this is the face that peers out from the dark, mirrors, or even computer and television screens. He stares, watches, grins, and waits for Tom's sins to find him out.

It's a silly little face. He is quite a fan of whimsy.

#cw scopophobia #navifitz characters #navifitz art #original character #traditional art #independent author #independent writer #my ocs do not steal #this is not connected to oatcakes this time just someone from my stories #i just wanted to share his silly little face with you today idk why #cryptidcore #analog horror #analogue horror #analog horror oc #horror oc #horrorcore #horror #horror art #we also call him the hat man for reasons not depicted in the doodles #he tends to take over blamk areas of my page nowadays #horror writing #oc doodles #not sure if i'll be sharing his other forms here or if all ill give you is this silly face #he is after all staring at you from your screen so technically that would mean this is the version of him you should be stuck with #cw staring #he's rather fond of his job...usually