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Mary Robinette Kowal

@maryrobinettekowal.com

32K followers 630 following 4.6K posts

Hugo Award-winning author, narrator, and professional puppeteer. Also has a talking cat. Look for Apprehension, coming October 21 from Saga Doubles. Now available for preorder.

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Mary Robinette Kowal @maryrobinettekowal.com · 9d

If you're in the following cities, @sentencebender.bsky.social and I are coming to a bookstore near you soon: New York, Atlanta, WDC, Houston, Portland, Boulder, and San Diego. Plus, a virtual event! See all the details here: maryrobinettekowal.com/journal/appr... @sagapressbooks.bsky.social

Apprehension + Red Star Hustle Book Tour Schedule:
Oct 20, 6 PM MT - Virtual: Poisoned Pen
Oct 22, 7:30 PM ET - NYC: Twisted Spine
Oct 28, 7 PM ET - Atlanta: Eagle Eye Books
Oct 29, 7 PM ET - DC: Little District Bookstore
Oct 30, 6:30 PM CT - Houston: Murder by the Book
Nov 3, 7 PM PT - Portland: Powell's at Cedar Hills Crossing
Nov 4, 6:30 PM MT - Boulder: Boulder Bookstore
Nov 5, 7 PM PT - San Diego: Mysterious Galaxy
At the bottom is the double cover of Apprehension and Red Star Hustle with headshots of Mary Robinette Kowal and Sam J. Miller

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Mary Robinette Kowal @maryrobinettekowal.com · 2h

Oh no.

Send it to me and I can fix it

Reposted by Mary Robinette Kowal

Mikki Kendall @karnythia.bsky.social · 6h

I just want you all to know that when we told you that they wanted to destroy everything and you thought Black women were exaggerating? This was the "ironic" racism you said we were overreacting to 10 years ago. Racism has never had generational limits

Politico @politico.com · 12h

EXCLUSIVE: Thousands of leaked messages show leaders of Young Republican groups joking about gas chambers, slavery and rape in a private Telegram chat.

Inside rising GOP leaders’ racist chats — obtained by POLITICO and spanning more than 7 months👇

‘I love Hitler’: Leaked messages expose Young Republicans’ racist chat

Thousands of private messages reveal young GOP leaders joking about gas chambers, slavery and rape.

www.politico.com

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Mary Robinette Kowal @maryrobinettekowal.com · 3h

Well, actually... the OP wasn't talking about the structure of "a story." And well actually, using the word structure to talk about how an individual story is organized IS valid.

But, well actually, the OP was about structure broadly, which is what I was responding to.

Mary Robinette Kowal @maryrobinettekowal.com · 3h

Knowing how things are scheduled, I'm pretty sure that the festival was scheduled first

Mary Robinette Kowal @maryrobinettekowal.com · 3h

Should be a blast!

Mary Robinette Kowal @maryrobinettekowal.com · 3h

I would not object!

Mary Robinette Kowal @maryrobinettekowal.com · 6h

Also, it's November 1-2, 2025 (not 2026)! My brain is in the future, evidently.

Mary Robinette Kowal @maryrobinettekowal.com · 7h

I'm a little bit absurdly excited to be attending the Sea-Meow cat convention in Seattle on November 1-2. I have a spot in the programming to chat (pun intended) about my journey with Elsie, the tiny talking tyrant (ahem, I mean, cat) who lives with me. www.seameowconvention.com

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Mary Robinette Kowal @maryrobinettekowal.com · 8h

Houston: We are heading your way! @sentencebender.bsky.social and I will be at @murderbooks.bsky.social on Thursday, October 30 at 6:30 PM CT to read to you, entertain you, and sign your books! Preorder required to attend: maryrobinettekowal.com/events/book-...

Over an abstract purple and gold background are the words, "Mary Robinette Kowa and Sam J. Miller. Thursday, October 30th, 6:30 PM CT. Murder by the Book, Houston, TX." along with the cover of the double-sided book, Apprehension and Red Star Hustle.

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Mary Robinette Kowal @maryrobinettekowal.com · 8h

This event is coming up soon. If you're in Nashville, please say hello!

Mary Robinette Kowal @maryrobinettekowal.com · 5d

I'll be at the Southern Festival of Books later this month.

@shereereneethomas.bsky.social will talk about how our characters, human or otherwise, face familiar struggles and triumphs, even in deeply unfamiliar landscapes (signing immediately to follow).

www.sofestofbooks.org - admission is free!

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Mary Robinette Kowal @maryrobinettekowal.com · 8h

Tomorrow (October 15) is the final day to get a $100-off early bird discount to attend the April 24-27, 2026 Sandia Starforgers writing retreat for sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and other spec fic writers in Albuquerque, NM. I'm teaching with @charliejane.bsky.social. More info: starforgers.com/2026

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Mary Robinette Kowal @maryrobinettekowal.com · 8h

Thank you so much to @grimdarkmagazine.bsky.social for the kind review of both Red Star Hustle by @sentencebender.bsky.social and Apprehension (my contribution for this two-in-one book). Read the full review here: www.grimdarkmagazine.com/review-red-s... Available for preorder.

Over an abstract but sci-fi/techy blue background is a black box with the quote, "Despite the heavier themes, both [Apprehension and Red Star Hustle] have been told in a way that is fast and punchy, full of action and intrigue." The quote is credited to Rai Furniss-Greasley, Grimdark Magazine. There's also the image of the double cover of both stories in one book.

Mary Robinette Kowal @maryrobinettekowal.com · 8h

I only open my Short Story Cohort applications a handful of times a year. If you apply and are accepted, you'll receive three months of short story coaching and critique with other writers. Applications are open now: maryrobinettekowal.com/short-story-...

Short Story Cohort

WRITING, COACHING, CRITIQUE, and COMMUNITY Join Mary Robinette Kowal for a transformative three-month writing experience, designed to help you learn the craft of short stories while also generating…

maryrobinettekowal.com

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Mary Robinette Kowal @maryrobinettekowal.com · 8h

FYI, Little District has just moved to a new location: 631 Pennsylvania Ave. SE, Washington, DC 20003.

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Mary Robinette Kowal @maryrobinettekowal.com · 13h

Thanks! Reading REMEMBER YOU WILL DIE was one of the catalysts for why I started deconstructing structure.

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Mary Robinette Kowal @maryrobinettekowal.com · 16h

I have, honestly, spent the past several years poking at it trying to understand what was happening. I watch shows like Ted Lasso's Christmas episode, which has no conflict, and try to deconstruct why it worked.

Or Eden Robbin's brilliant book, Remember You Will Die, which doesn't have a plot.

Mary Robinette Kowal @maryrobinettekowal.com · 16h

I have a Patreon class and then next season on Writing Excuses, we're going to be deconstructing structure all year.

www.patreon.com/posts/video-...

Video: Principles of Structure | Mary Robinette Kowal

www.patreon.com

Mary Robinette Kowal @maryrobinettekowal.com · 16h

Since people are passing this around (thank you), if you want to watch me drill into structure, I have an entire hour long lecture on it available.

www.patreon.com/posts/video-...

Video: Principles of Structure | Mary Robinette Kowal

www.patreon.com

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Reposted by Mary Robinette Kowal

Arachne 🏳️‍🌈 @cayemarsh.bsky.social · 22h

MRK can articulate writing concepts so clearly and simply without collapsing nuance.

Her Patreon is an AMAZING resource for writers. Highly recommend.

Mary Robinette Kowal @maryrobinettekowal.com · 1d

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.

Mx. D. D. Ward (they/them) @ddwardiswriting.bsky.social · 2d

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?

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Mary Robinette Kowal @maryrobinettekowal.com · 16h

You CAN build a big building from fabric (see the Denver Airport) but it requires understanding the underlying principles of structure.

Mary Robinette Kowal @maryrobinettekowal.com · 16h

When we say "three act structure is structure" or "what structure do you use" to a writer, what we wind up with is people try to build skyscrapers from fabric and wood or yurts from glass and steel.

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Mary Robinette Kowal @maryrobinettekowal.com · 16h

Yes. Or at least, that's the piece that I'm interested in. A Yurt and a skyscraper are both structures in the "a building" sense of the word. Neither of them define structure in the "framework" sense of the word.

There's a danger in confusing the two...

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Mary Robinette Kowal @maryrobinettekowal.com · 22h

I see your point but I think we're using the word structure in two different ways.

I'm using structure to mean structural integrity, like talking about what makes a building stand up.

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Reposted by Mary Robinette Kowal

Writing Excuses @writingexcuses.bsky.social · 1d

Exciting news! Tickets are on sale NOW for our Writing Retreat on a Cruise Ship! Join @maryrobinettekowal.com @howardtayler.bsky.social @dongwon.bsky.social @nirele.bsky.social & @sandratayler.bsky.social in 2026 in a voyage to Alaska
www.tickettailor.com/events/writi...

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Mary Robinette Kowal @maryrobinettekowal.com · 22h

That's the best fun