Malinda Lo
@malindalo.bsky.social
4.7K followers 310 following 870 posts
NYT bestselling author, National Book Award winner. 🏳️‍🌈 My brand is lesbians. https://www.malindalo.com/
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malindalo.bsky.social
Hi bluesky! I'm a NYT-bestselling author of 7 YA novels. My best known is Last Night at the Telegraph Club, winner of the 2021 National Book Award. My books are all about queer girls. More at malindalo.com or sign up for my monthly newsletter at malindalo.com/newsletter

💙📚 #booksky
Malinda Lo - Author of Last Night at the Telegraph Club, Ash, and other novels.
Malinda Lo is the author of Last Night at the Telegraph Club, Ash, and other novels.
malindalo.com
malindalo.bsky.social
A key point: “[Author Kyle] Lukoff described receiving messages from educators or librarians sharing the consequences they have met as a result of championing books, and added, ‘The hardest part for me is knowing that the worst thing that’s happening to a person is for me just, like, a Tuesday.’”
malindalo.bsky.social
One weird thing about book bans is that the authors of banned books have been ignored or sidelined in a lot of the discourse and in the anti-censorship activism. So I’m not exactly “glad” to see this article, but I appreciate it a lot. electricliterature.com/book-bans-co...
Book Bans Continue to Threaten the Wellbeing of Authors - Electric Literature
There are societal, financial, legal, and emotional consequences to book challenges, and writers are facing the brunt of these attacks
electricliterature.com
malindalo.bsky.social
My mom was one of those people LOL
malindalo.bsky.social
Interesting. So if they’re asking “is this autobiographical?” they’re actually asking “Did you write what you know?”

(Also I would never think that of historians, what a weird idea!)
malindalo.bsky.social
Why do you think they would think it’s a handy thing to ask?
malindalo.bsky.social
Absolutely an author’s experience influences aspects of a book. But the detail about the Musee Mecanique, for example, I got from research. I did live in SF, but not while the MM was in the location in the book. Thank you for responding!
malindalo.bsky.social
I’m often asked whether my books (particularly Last Night at the Telegraph Club) are autobiographical. (I was not alive in the 1950s.) Why is this question so prevalent? Why do readers often believe fiction is autobiographical, or inspired by real life? I’m really curious: If you feel this way, why?
malindalo.bsky.social
Aw thanks for doing that!
Reposted by Malinda Lo
heykellyjensen.bsky.social
Library folks -->
heykellyjensen.bsky.social
Has your library banned Banned Books Week events/displays this year? I want to hear about it. I had thought I'd get 2-3 responses but, y'all, we're at over 20 at this point.

All anonymous. It will be used for a story in the near future. Survey closes 10/17.

docs.google.com/forms/d/1n65...
Black text on a red and black background. It reads "Has your library banned events, displays, talks, or anything else related to banned books week this year? Share your story anonymously." It includes the survey link: https://tinyurl.com/banning-bbw-25
malindalo.bsky.social
I don't read my feed much LOL, that's the secret!
Reposted by Malinda Lo
maryrobinettekowal.com
I think narrative structure is created through Pace, Lens , Order, and Tension.

The various recipes for plots out there have all of these. I don't think there's anything wrong with using a recipe.

I also think that saying they ARE structure means that we are always using someone else's recipe.
Reposted by Malinda Lo
maryrobinettekowal.com
My hot take is that none of these are structure. These are all recipes that describe structure.

Structure is the Salt, Fat, Acid Heat of writing.

3-Act/Hero's Journey etc are recipes.

You can make great meals without using a recipe if you understand the principles of structure.
ddwardiswriting.bsky.social
So #WritingCommunity how do we feel about structure?

Do you use the 3 act structure? The 5 act?

Hero's Journey? Save the Cat? Super Structure Method? Story Genius Method?

Something else?

What have you got?
malindalo.bsky.social
That said, books are still gonna get banned after banned books week, so if you didn’t get around to contacting your legislators last week you can still do it this week, and next, etc. Apparently our reps won’t do their jobs unless we push them, so let’s keep pushing them to protect our rights.
malindalo.bsky.social
Last week was Banned Books Week and it was A Lot but it was also better than previous years’ iterations. I felt a change in the way people were talking about this issue. Fewer “buy banned books” and more “contact your legislators.” Getting local gov’t involved is key to preventing future book bans!
Reposted by Malinda Lo
massaabb.bsky.social
Are you an author or illustrator living in Massachusetts & want to help pass right to read legislation here? Join Authors Against Book Bans and then connect with the Massachusetts chapter. You'll have access to a discord with tons of resources & get newsletters with action items, info, & more.
AABB Author Sign-Up Form
Hello! We're Authors Against Book Bans, a group of authors who’ve come together to protect and promote the freedom to read on both the national and local levels. We’re creating a network of authors…
docs.google.com
Reposted by Malinda Lo
ablum.bsky.social
We had Angela Davis speak at my university a couple of years back. One of the many insightful things she said - protest in the way that aligns with your passion. If that’s poetry do poetry or music etc. Because then you will be able to sustain it. If naked bike rides are your passion, 100% do that.
kevinmkruse.bsky.social
Someone in my mentions is upset because these people haven’t suffered the worst at ICE’s hands and therefore they shouldn’t be praised for being out on the streets?

Yeah, no. To push back on these people we need everyone — especially those with relative privilege — to get up and get involved.
kevinmkruse.bsky.social
Portland, you magnificent weirdos
malindalo.bsky.social
Hey, Massachusetts! Help tell our legislators they should pass An Act Regarding Free Expression to protect libraries, schools, and authors from book bans by sending them a postcard! Instructions on how to do this and where to get postcards here: www.massfreedomtoread.org/act @massaabb.bsky.social
Take Action — Mass Freedom To Read
www.massfreedomtoread.org
malindalo.bsky.social
Can you believe I’m still going to be talking about banned books in March 2026?! Yes, because the problem isn’t going to go away at the end of Banned Books Week. This will be an amazing event!
Reposted by Malinda Lo
malindalo.bsky.social
Last week, PEN America released its fourth annual report on the state of book banning and censorship in America, and I learned that Last Night at the Telegraph Club was the fourth most banned book in schools during the 2024-25 school year. How do I feel about it? www.malindalo.com/blog/2025/10...
Telegraph Club is the 4th most banned book in America — Malinda Lo
Last week, PEN America released its fourth annual report on the state of book banning and censorship in America, and I learned that Last Night at the Telegraph Club was the fourth most banned book...
www.malindalo.com
malindalo.bsky.social
Assuming you know Kelly Jensen at Book Riot has been doing this for years. Florida Freedom to read and Texas Freedom to Read @flfreedomread.bsky.social @txfreedomread.bsky.social are deep in the trenches. @penamerica.bsky.social @tasslyn.bsky.social are experts. Hope you're in touch with them.
Bluesky
read.bsky.social
Reposted by Malinda Lo
malindalo.bsky.social
I hope we will get to meet in person one day! Maybe at the circuit court hearing in some distant future
malindalo.bsky.social
Just take a moment to really absorb these words from the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee, in the United States of America:

“As the deployment of troops and federal agents in Memphis intensifies…”
aclutn.bsky.social
We keep each other safe by keeping each other informed. As the deployment of troops and federal agents in Memphis intensifies, we want to make sure all in Tennessee know their rights. ‼️

Visit the 🔗 to download our printable KYR PDF: tinyurl.com/KYRMemphisGuard
Reposted by Malinda Lo
andrewkarre.bsky.social
So, it may soon be entirely possible for "therapists" to practice an ineffective and homophobic therapy on minors under the protection of the 1st Amendment. Meanwhile, teachers will have no such free speech in their classrooms, and kids will have no access to books about queer people in libraries.